Donald R Wellnitz, Age 60Fitchburg, WI

6403960, Jun 11, 2002

Apr 29, 1999

09/302161

Donald R. Wellnitz - Pleasanton CA
Michael J. Petrillo - Pleasanton CA
Lingxiong Shao - San Jose CA

Koninklijijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Eindhoven

G01T 1164

25036309, 250369

A nuclear medicine imaging system includes the capability to correct for the deadtime, including the capability to correct for spatial variations in deadtime across the imaging surface of a detector. The imaging system includes one or more radiation detectors, each using a large, monolithic scintillation crystal. Each detector has deadtime associated with it. A given detector is used to acquire an energy profile of a patient based on emission radiation. The detector includes a number of timing channels. The energy profile is used to select a zone influence map indicating the extent of spatial overlap in response between the various timing channels. Emission data of the patient is then acquired during an emission scan. During acquisition of the emission data, a rate meter assigned to each timing channel samples the number of counts associated with each timing channel to acquire deadtime data. A unique deadtime function is provided for each unique zone represented in the zone influence map, including each region of overlap.

6754520, Jun 22, 2004

Oct 19, 2001

10/039796

Mark DeSilets - San Jose CA
Timothy Buskard - Livermore CA
Joseph Carter - Los Gatos CA
Jacco Eerden - Eindoven, NL
Donald Wellnitz - Fitchburg WI

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Eindhoven

A61B 505

600415, 600407, 600410, 600425, 606130, 382131, 378205, 25636304, 128906

The invention comprises a system and method for handling a patient in a tomographic imaging system using a plurality of imaging devices. The imaging devices each have a bore through which a patient is translated during scanning. One or more patient support structures extend from the front of the tomographic imaging system, where the patient is initially placed, through the bores of the system. The patient is translated through the bores of the system and along the patient support structures by an actuator.

6961606, Nov 1, 2005

Oct 19, 2001

10/051590

Mark DeSilets - San Jose CA, US
Horace H. Hines - San Jose CA, US
Donald Wellnitz - Fitchburg WI, US

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Eindhoven

A61B005/05

600415, 600407, 600410, 600425, 606130, 382131, 378205, 128906, 25036304

The invention comprises a system and method for creating medical images of a subject patient using a plurality of imaging devices, such as tomographic imaging scanners. The imaging devices each have a bore through which a patient is translated during scanning. The imaging devices can be moved apart to allow greater access to a patient between the bores.

7304307, Dec 4, 2007

Jun 1, 2004

10/561983

Donald R. Wellnitz - Fitchburg WI, US
Michael J. Geagan - Wayne PA, US
Steven R. Martin - Thorofare NJ, US

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Eindhoven

G01T 1/20
G01J 1/42

250369, 250395

A method of generating a filter () for a nuclear medicine system () where the filter selects valid detected radiation events for image processing. A dataset () is provided that is indicative of a plurality of emitted radiation events occurring over a predetermined period of time. Signals representative of the response of a detector to the dataset of the plurality of emitted radiation events are generated. A pattern is determined () based on a correlation of a plurality of signals resulting from the response of the detector to a plurality of single radiation events in the dataset. A filter is generated () based on the correlation pattern. A method and apparatus of using the generated filter is also disclosed.

7626171, Dec 1, 2009

Jan 4, 2007

12/159795

Steven E. Cooke - Garfield Heights OH, US
Donald R. Wellnitz - Fitchburg WI, US
Thomas L. Laurence - North Royalton OH, US

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Eindhoven

G01T 1/164
G01T 1/166

25036303, 25036304

A method of reconstructing time-of-flight (TOF) images includes obtaining a profile of a subject to be imaged in an examination region () of an imaging system (), Events associated with radiation emitted from the subject are detected and converted to electronic data. Electronic data attributable to radiation events located outside the profile are removed and images are reconstructed from the remaining electronic data.

7649175, Jan 19, 2010

Jan 5, 2005

10/597019

Donald R. Wellnitz - Fitchburg WI, US

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v. - Eindhoven

G01T 1/20
G01T 1/161

250362, 2502521, 250361 R, 25036309, 382131

A method for correcting energy values of pulses from a nuclear medicine camera for errors due to Analog to Digital conversion shift includes determining a relationship between a subset of samples selected from a set of samples from the pulse, the relationship being expressed in the form of a code. A conversion table is accessed which provides a list of codes and corresponding conversion factors. The conversion factor for the closest code to that of the subset of samples is selected from the table and applied to an integration of the set of samples to correct the energy value of the pulse.

5508524, Apr 16, 1996

Oct 3, 1994

8/317553

Edward M. Goldberg - Sunnyvale CA
Gerd Muehllehner - Wayne PA
Matthew J. Murphy - Santa Clara CA
Donald R. Wellnitz - Pleasanton CA

ADAC Laboratories, Inc. - Milpitas CA

G01T 120

250369

A system including circuitry within a gamma camera system for generating spatially variant photomultiplier cluster based on a peak photomultiplier and for generating spatially variant weights for photomultipliers of the cluster depending on a cluster type signal. The system includes a first memory circuit addressed by a peak photomultiplier address signal and responsive thereto which generates (1) a unique photomultiplier cluster in geometry and size for the peak photomultiplier and (2) a cluster type. A resolution input signal (high/low) changes the size of the cluster. The first memory is programmable. A second memory responsive to photomultiplier addresses of the cluster and the cluster type, generates weight values for each photomultiplier. The second memory is programmable. The second memory allows weights for individual photomultipliers to be altered based on the geometry and size (e. g.

6291825, Sep 18, 2001

Oct 23, 1998

9/178522

Thomas E. Scharf - San Jose CA
Michael J. Petrillo - Pleasanton CA
Donald R. Wellnitz - Pleasanton CA

ADAC Laboratories - Milpitas CA

G01T 1208

250369

A method and apparatus for selectively integrating PMT channel signals in a gamma camera system are described. A trigger word is decoded to determine which of multiple PMT channels are affected by a given scintillation event. When two scintillation events overlap both spatially and temporally, only those channels which are affected by both events stop integrating in response to the second event. Pre-pulse pile-up is corrected by removing the tail of a preceding pulse from a current pulse using an approximation of the tail of the preceding pulse based upon the instantaneous energy of the current pulse and the current countrate. Extrapolation of the tail of the current pulse may also be performed in essentially the same manner.