Emission tomography carousel system and method

摘要

An emission tomography carousel system and method for use with a stationary radiation detector in Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) procedures is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the carousel includes a patient platform having a seat and a tiltable, fiberglass composition back support, and includes two linear motion positioning tables and one rotary motion positioning table as part of a positionable mounting for moving the patient platform in three degrees of motion. A programmed computer controls the motion of the carousel about a predetermined locus of points. The method includes positioning the carousel in a "home" position, placing a patient in the carousel and manually positioning the patient platform to a desired close position with respect to a stationary radiation detector. The position is then recorded in the memory of a control computer and the procedure is repeated to obtain the desired number of radii of the patient's organ of interest to the detector. If the desired locus of points that the patient's organ is to traverse is a known geometrical figure (the most common of which is an ellipse), then a computer is used to calculate the remaining points. After "teaching" the computer the desired motion to be undertaken, the computer is activated and the computer automatically positions the patient in a large plurality of aspects with respect to the detector. However, in each aspect, the organ of interest is kept as close as possible to the center of the figure being circumscribed.