Background technology
(Positron Emission Tomography PET) is a kind of nuclear medicine technology to positron emission tomography.It can be on molecular level to the function information of people's in-vivo tissue; As physiology, pathological change etc. carry out in real time, noinvasive, dynamic imaging in vivo, have irreplaceable effect at earlier detection, diagnosis, classification, therapeutic scheme formulation, therapeutic evaluation and aspects such as tracking, recurrence detection such as cancer.
The ultimate principle of PET imaging is: pass through radiosiotope (like F to the human injection
18Deng) medicine of labelling, these medicines arrive the organ and the tissue of inside of human body.Radiosiotope is because decay discharges beta-particle.Beta-particle is buried in oblivion the back and is produced the opposite γ photon of a pair of direction in human body.This a pair of γ photon passes and is projected in detector array respectively after the tissue and lists.Two detector modules that detector array lists detect this two γ photons simultaneously, are called to meet (coincidence) detection.How much lines between two detectors have reflected the direction that the γ photon passes human body, be called line of response (Line of Response, LOR).After all line of response were carried out data acquisition, through the computerized three-dimensional reconstruction technology, space, concentration and the time that can obtain radiosiotope medicine in the human body distributed, and can adopt the form of image to show visually and appear.Also can find out from above-mentioned image-forming principle, PET imaging the major function unit comprise detector, electronic system and computerized algorithm and three parts of software.
The traditional PET imaging device is a very complicated system.Electronic system wherein need be accomplished functions such as the reading of detector signal, signal processing, coincidence detection and data acquisition.Traditional way is to adopt a plurality of separated components to realize these functions, and is bulky, and the complex connection between the parts detects and debug loaded down with trivial details, and not only cost is higher, and the entire system poor reliability.Because these separated components function singlenesses are fixed, the adjustment and the upgradability of systemic-function are poor, difficult renewal and the development of satisfying modern technologies and clinical practice.
These factors have all caused traditional PET imaging device structure more complicated, and design and production cost are high, and the production cycle is long.
For simplified system; The inventor proposes a kind of totally digitilized blood processor of positron emission tomography electronic system of total digitalization processing; Owing to adopt the mode of total digitalization to realize PET signal detection, processing and data acquisition etc.; Level of integrated system is high; Powerful; The processing real-time is good, and is stable and reliable for performance, and systemic-function adjustment and upgrading are convenient.
The electronic system that core component is processed table data information for the γ photo-event position that will capture and time signal in the totally digitilized blood processor of the positron emission tomography electronic system that total digitalization is handled.
Summary of the invention
The object of the invention is exactly to study the supporting totally digitilized electronic system of totally digitilized blood processor a kind of and the totally digitilized positron emission tomography electronic system of handling.
The present invention includes identical some primitive event detection modules, system event sorter and the system event transmitting device of arranging with annular array type of detector number, said each primitive event checkout gear is connected on the corresponding detector through A/D converter respectively; The outfan of said each primitive event checkout gear is connected on the input of system event transmitting device through the system event sorter; Said totally digitilized electronic system also is provided with power supply, the clock control device that provides for said primitive event checkout gear, system event sorter and system event transmitting device.
The high-speed a/d device that position and the time simulation signal of the γ photo-event that output is captured from each detector on the detector rings, these analog passband signals are crossed a plurality of passages carries out synchronous analog digital conversion formation digital signal.These digital signals form corresponding list mode data output by the system event transmission link after handling through the total digitalization that primitive event detects, system event is classified two links again.
The present invention can satisfy the needs of the totally digitilized blood processor of the positron emission tomography electronic system that total digitalization handles, can with
A pair of γ photon passes two detectors that are detected after the tissue on the device ring and catches simultaneously and handle accordingly and coincidence detection after formed incident receives; Form coincident event and corresponding line of response information; Again all line of response information is sent to image workstation with the form of list mode data, so that carry out date processing and three-dimensional reconstruction.
Each primitive event detection module according to the invention has the arrival of utilization Time Triggered and energy discrimination judges whether γ photo-event position and time signal that each detector is caught belong to validity event; If belong to validity event, then this γ photo-event position and time signal are latched the device of back output according to the form of original γ photo-event word.
Primitive event detection module according to the invention comprises the position signalling base line restorer; Position signalling is piled up restorer; The position signalling digital integrator; The time signal base line restorer; Time signal is piled up restorer; The time of advent detector; The event time computer; X position signalling base line restorer; The X position signalling is piled up restorer; X position signalling digital integrator; Y position signalling base line restorer; The Y position signalling is piled up restorer; Y position signalling digital integrator; The incident energy calculator; The event location computer; The crystal look-up table; Energy discrimination device and primitive event word splicer;
Said position signalling base line restorer, time signal base line restorer, X position signalling base line restorer and Y position signalling base line restorer are connected on the corresponding detector through A/D converter respectively;
Said position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through said position signalling and is connected with the position signalling digital integrator;
Said X position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through the X position signalling and is connected with X position signalling digital integrator;
Said Y position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through the Y position signalling and is connected with Y position signalling digital integrator;
Said time signal base line restorer through time signal pile up restorer with the time of advent detector be connected;
Said time of advent detector signal output part be connected to incident can the time computer and position signalling digital integrator, X position signalling digital integrator, Y position signalling digital integrator;
Said incident can the time computer input be connected on the said primitive event word splicer;
The signal output part of said crystal look-up table, position signalling digital integrator, X position signalling digital integrator, Y position signalling digital integrator is connected on the said primitive event word splicer;
The signal output part of said position signalling digital integrator also is connected on said energy discrimination device and the primitive event word splicer through said incident energy calculator;
The signal output part of said energy discrimination device is connected on the said primitive event word splicer.
Said system event sorter comprises a single event engine apparatus, a coincident event engine apparatus, a random event engine apparatus and a sequential event engine device;
Said single event engine apparatus has the output of each primitive event detection module of scanning, and to the device that each single event separates and handles, also has and also temporarily leave in separation and information processed output in the corresponding incident buffer;
Said coincident event engine apparatus has the output of each primitive event detection module of scanning, and to any two devices that incident is carried out coincidence detection and processing, also has and also temporarily leave in separation and information processed output in the corresponding incident buffer;
Said random event engine apparatus has the output of each primitive event detection module of scanning; And any two incidents are carried out the device of coincidence detection and processing at random, also have and will separate with information processed output and temporarily leave in the incident buffer of correspondence;
Said sequential event engine device has the device that is used to produce time scaling information that can the insertion system data flow, also has and will separate with information processed output and temporarily leave in the incident buffer of correspondence.
System event transmitting device according to the invention has the information of each incident buffer of scanning, and forms the device of list mode data information output.
The specific embodiment
As shown in Figure 1; The present invention's total digitalization electronic system comprises identical some primitive event detection modules, system event sorter and the system event transmitting device of arranging with annular array type of detector number, and each primitive event checkout gear is connected on the corresponding detector through A/D converter respectively.The outfan of each primitive event checkout gear is connected on the input of system event transmitting device through the system event sorter.
The total digitalization electronic system also is provided with power supply, the clock control device that provides for said primitive event checkout gear, system event sorter and system event transmitting device.
The position and the time simulation signal of the γ photo-event that output is captured from each detector on the detector rings (detector 1 shown in Fig. 2, detector 2, to detector N).The high-speed a/d device that these analog passband signals are crossed a plurality of passages carries out synchronous analog digital conversion formation digital signal.These digital signals form corresponding list mode data output by the system event transmission link after handling through the total digitalization that primitive event detects, system event is classified two links again.
Primitive event detects link and mainly comprises and the corresponding some primitive event detection modules of system detector number.Each primitive event detection module to from corresponding detector, handle through event location and time signal behind the digitized; According to certain system's setting; Utilize arrival Time Triggered and energy discrimination to judge whether the incident that detector is caught belongs to validity event; If belong to validity event, then this incident is latched back output according to the form of primitive event word.
System event classification link mainly comprises a single event engine, a coincident event engine, a random event engine and a sequential event engine.The output of each primitive event detection module of single event engine scanning separates and handles the single event in the system.The output of each primitive event detection module of coincident event engine scanning is carried out coincidence detection and processing to any two incidents.The output of each primitive event detection module of random event engine scanning is carried out coincidence detection and processing at random to any two incidents.The sequential event engine be used to produce can the insertion system data flow time scaling information.The output of these engines is all in accordance with the form of certain system event word, and temporarily leaves in the corresponding incident buffer memory.
The system event transmission link mainly comprises a system event transmission mechanism.The system event transmission mechanism scans each incident buffer memory according to certain mechanism, and forms final list mode data output.
System power supply, clock and control module are that each functional module in the totally digitilized electronic system provides power supply and synchronous work clock; Reception is from the co-ordination of the control command of image workstation and corresponding each functional module of control, and collects the status information of each functional module and feed back to image workstation.
As shown in Figure 2, the primitive event detection module comprises the position signalling base line restorer; Position signalling is piled up restorer; The position signalling digital integrator; The time signal base line restorer; Time signal is piled up restorer; The time of advent detector; The event time computer; X position signalling base line restorer; The X position signalling is piled up restorer; X position signalling digital integrator; Y position signalling base line restorer; The Y position signalling is piled up restorer; Y position signalling digital integrator; The incident energy calculator; The event location computer; The crystal look-up table; Energy discrimination device and primitive event word splicer.
Position signalling base line restorer, time signal base line restorer, X position signalling base line restorer and Y position signalling base line restorer are connected on the corresponding detector through A/D converter respectively.
The position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through said position signalling and is connected with the position signalling digital integrator.
X position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through the X position signalling and is connected with X position signalling digital integrator.
Y position signalling base line restorer is piled up restorer through the Y position signalling and is connected with Y position signalling digital integrator.
The time signal base line restorer through time signal pile up restorer with the time of advent detector be connected.
The time of advent detector signal output part be connected to incident can the time computer and position signalling digital integrator, X position signalling digital integrator, Y position signalling digital integrator.
The input of computer is connected on the said primitive event word splicer during incident ability.
The signal output part of crystal look-up table, position signalling digital integrator, X position signalling digital integrator, Y position signalling digital integrator is connected on the said primitive event word splicer.
The signal output part of position signalling digital integrator also is connected on said energy discrimination device and the primitive event word splicer through said incident energy calculator.
The signal output part of energy discrimination device is connected on the said primitive event word splicer.
From the position of detector module and time signal at first through base line restorer with pile up restorer, move and the influence of pile-up events with the erasure signal baseline.As a kind of implementation, some somes signals before base line restorer can arrive incident average, and as the reference value of baseline, and input signal is deducted corresponding reference value reach the purpose that baseline recovers.As a kind of implementation, pile up restorer and can utilize calculated in advance signal stored waveform template that input signal is carried out matching treatment, and then the incident after will piling up is separated and reduction.
The time of advent, detector extracted the time of advent of incident from time signal.As a kind of implementation, the time of advent, detector can adopt the method that rising edge is differentiated, perhaps constant component is differentiated (Constant Fractional Discriminator, method CFD).
The event time computer is the time value of unit to giving one the time of advent of incident with the system clock.As a kind of implementation, the event time computer can be that an enumerator adds one and latchs output unit.
Digital integrator carries out integral processing to position signalling.The essence of integration is the accumulation of quantities of charge.As a kind of implementation, digital integrator can adopt accumulator that the value of the digital signal in a period of time scope is added up.The starting point of the time of integration can be the aforesaid incident time of advent, and terminal point can be determined by integration time constant.
The incident energy calculator is extracted the energy information of incident from the integrated value of position and signal.As a kind of implementation, the incident energy calculator can be a look-up table, and the content of table is the integration numerical value and the relation of the demarcation between the actual event energy of position and signal.
The event location computer from position signalling the calculating incident in the two-dimensional coordinate value of detector surface.As a kind of implementation, the event location computer can calculate x position and position and ratio as the X position coordinates of incident, calculate y position and position and ratio as the Y position coordinates of incident.Because detector often adopts the form of crystal array, therefore the surperficial two-dimensional coordinate value that calculates can correspond to the corresponding crystal unit through the crystal look-up table, and as final event location output.
The energy discrimination device is through confirming to the judgement of incident energy whether the incident that detector captures is a good incident.As a kind of implementation, the energy discrimination device can be a comparator, and the upper and lower bound of comparator has been represented the set energy window of system respectively.
Latch output after the format permutation of relevant information primitive event word by appointment of incident that primitive event word splicer will be through energy discrimination.
Single event engine of the present invention separates the single event in the system and handles.Because each primitive event detector detects the single event that the primitive event of output all belongs to system; Therefore the single event engine can scan each primitive event detection module; When it has primitive event word when output, read the primitive event word, and the form that is rearranged for the system event word gets final product.
The coincident event engine detects and handles the coincident event in the system.The basic skills of coincidence detection is to judge whether be positioned at two times of advent in the primitive event word to meet time window, if then be judged as a coincident event.Fig. 3 has provided the realization instance of a coincidence detection.
In real system, because the influence of scattering may cause false coincident event.Can adopt the form of exclusive comparison to the method for removing of false coincident event, if, then think false coincident event, otherwise then think the true coincidence incident promptly in the window two or above coincident event taking place at the same time.The coincident event engine is exported after to the format combination relevant information of detected true coincidence incident according to the system event word.
Random event engine of the present invention detects and handles the random event in the system.Basic skills with machine testing is a primitive event to be postponed the back carry out coincidence detection with another primitive event, if then be judged as a random event.Fig. 4 has provided the realization instance that a random event detects, and the random event engine is exported after to the format combination relevant information of detected random event according to the system event word.
Sequential event engine of the present invention produce can the insertion system data flow time scaling information.In the data acquisition of dynamic imaging pattern, time scaling information can be demarcated the moment of the data that collected, thereby is that follow-up date processing and three-dimensional reconstruction based on timeslice provides possibility.As a kind of implementation, the sequential event engine can be the output of latching of one-level or some grades of enumerators.The sequential event engine is exported according to the form of system event word the time scaling data that produce.
The system event transmission mechanism scans each system event buffer memory according to certain mechanism, and forms final list mode data output.Fig. 5 has provided the realization instance of a system event transmission mechanism.It mainly selects logic to form by a variable connector and a scanning.Scanning selects logic that each system event buffer memory is carried out poll scanning, if having system event in the incident buffer memory, variable connector then reads a system event and output.The mode of poll scanning can be disposed by a system event scan templates.Through this template, can select to scan or ignore certain type system event.
Totally digitilized electronic system proposed by the invention can be under the control of image workstation online adjustment duty and running parameter.System's control receives control command and parameter from image workstation with query interface.Control command can include but not limited to: system works pattern, image data stream mode, collection beginning, collection suspend, gather end etc.Parameter can include but not limited to: acquisition time, energy discrimination window, meet time window etc.The total digitalization electronic system also can be to image workstation transmitting system status information; In addition; In gatherer process, also can send the real-time status information of collection in real time, include but not limited to: single event counting rate, coincident event counting rate, random event counting rate, validity event number, collection persistent period etc.
The system works pattern of totally digitilized electronic system proposed by the invention can include but not limited to general source figure (flood image) pattern and meet pattern.The realization of system works pattern can realize through the system event scan templates described in 8.Under general source figure (flood image) pattern, the system event scan templates will be configured to only scanning system single event buffer memory, and ignore every other system event buffer memory.Meeting under the pattern, the system event scan templates will be configured to ignore system's single event buffer memory.Meet the image data stream mode of the system that can also be provided with under the pattern, including but not limited to static data drainage pattern and Dynamic Data Acquiring pattern.Under the static data drainage pattern, the system event scan templates be configured to ignore system's single event buffer memory and system sequence incident buffer memory.Under the Dynamic Data Acquiring pattern, being configured to of system event scan templates ignored system's single event buffer memory, but comprises system sequence incident buffer memory.
Totally digitilized electronic system proposed by the invention all adopts digital circuit to realize except that A/D converter spare.Its concrete implementation platform comprises but is not limited to one or more pieces special ICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit; ASIC), one or more pieces field programmable logic array (Field Programmable Gate Array; FPGA), one or more pieces digital signal processor spares (Digital Signal Processor, DSP) and common treatment device such as one or more pieces single-chip microcomputers, microprocessor etc.Its concrete implementation can be the interconnection between one or more circuit board and the circuit board.