Inventors:
Lionel Zuckier - Teaneck NJ, US
International Classification:
G01N 23/04
Abstract:
A visual photographic camera is utilized in a fixed geometric relationship together with another imaging or treatment source such as a standard gamma-camera or an x-ray source. The visual camera is either attached to the gamma camera gantry, the gamma camera head or mounted on a structure such as the ceiling in the imaging room. After the standard gamma camera image is obtained, the gamma-camera head can rotate either bringing the visual camera over the patient, or moving out of the way to expose the patient to the field of view of the gantry-mounted or ceiling mounted camera. On the fusion image, both the visual and scintigraphic parameters for each specific location on the patient's body may be coded in a display. The visual camera may be utilized together with x-ray imaging equipment. In that application, the visual camera could either be attached to the x-ray tube assembly, or be mounted on a structure in the imaging room. Based on a fixed relationship between the location of the x-ray machine and the photographic camera, the two images could be scaled and superimposed to generate a ‘fusion’ image.