US 12,213,822 B2
Electronic collimation and depth detection in a side-viewing laparoscopic probe for the detection of high energy gamma radiation
Gregg J. Chapman, Plain City, OH (US)
Assigned to Actis IP Holdings, LLC, Powell, OH (US)
Filed by Gregg J. Chapman, Plain City, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/148,716.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/962,234, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0219928 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 6/42 (2024.01); A61B 1/313 (2006.01); A61B 6/40 (2024.01); G01T 1/161 (2006.01); G01T 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 6/425 (2013.01) [A61B 6/4258 (2013.01); G01T 1/161 (2013.01); G01T 7/00 (2013.01); A61B 1/3132 (2013.01); A61B 6/4057 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A side-viewing laparoscopic probe (10) for detecting a source of radiation emissions from 15 KeV-1.0 MeV, which comprises:
(a) an elongate annular housing (12) having a forward end and a rear end, and having a longitudinal axis;
(b) a middle radiation detecting element (16) located within the elongate annular housing, the middle radiation detecting element (16) having a middle radiation detecting element field of view and surrounded by a radiation blocking shielding (26) arranged to reveal a defined side field of view and a pair of flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements (14, 18), including a proximal radiation detecting element and a distal radiation detecting element, each of said pair of flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements having a field of view and devoid of radiation blocking shielding, the pair of flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements located at the forward end of and within the elongate annular housing and oriented for a lateral field of view, wherein co-axial insulated spacers (20, 22) are located on either side of the middle radiation detecting element and adjacent to and in between each of the pair of flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements, the middle radiation detecting element, the pair of flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements, and the insulated spacers being co-axial along the elongate annular housing longitudinal axis; and
(c) one or more pre-amplifiers (9) located adjacent and rearward of the flanking co-axial radiation detecting elements and in electrical connection therewith and configured to be in communication with a console housing a software algorithm that disables radiation counting when a source of radiation is outside the defined side field of view,
wherein a count rate of the middle radiation detecting element is attenuated outside of the middle radiation detecting element field of view, such that the count rate ratio of Nm/Np or Nm/Nd is reduced by 32% outside the field of view of the middle radiation detecting element, forcing the count rate ratios to a value less than unity,
where NM is the counts received on the middle radiation detecting element,
ND is the counts received on the distal radiation detecting element, and
NP is the counts received on the proximal radiation detecting element.