A method of reconstructing a 3-dimensional image in a proton transmission computerized tomography (CT) apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises the creation of a reconstruction matrix. The matrix is created by directing a plurality of particles to traverse the object; and for each particle, measuring the trajectory and energy of each particle before and after it has traversed the object; for each particle, calculating the water-equivalent path length within the object; and for each particle, calculating the positions at which it entered and exited the object; and adding the water-equivalent path length, entry and exit positions to the reconstruction matrix. This procedure is repeated from a plurality of angular positions surrounding an object to be imaged. Then, a spatially varying 2-dimensional filter function is applied to the reconstruction matrix. Subsequently, a correction factor is applied to the filtered reconstruction matrix to at least partially correct for the finite extent of the matrix.

A system (100) for producing analysis data indicative of presence of one or more predetermined components in a sample (110) is presented. The system includes source equipment (120) for directing a particle stream (130) towards the sample (110), detector equipment (140) for measuring a distribution of particles scattered from the sample (110) as a function of a scattering angle (), and processing equipment (170) for producing the analysis data based on the measured distribution of the scattered particles and on reference information indicative of an effect of the one or more predetermined components on the distribution of the scattered particles. The scattering angle related to each scattered particle is an angle between an arrival direction of the particle stream and a trajectory (160) of the scattered particle. The system utilizes different directional properties of scattering related to different isotopes, different chemical substances, and different isomers.

A scintillation material is longitudinally packaged in a circumferentially surrounding sheath, where the sheath has a lower index of refraction than the scintillation material, to form a scintillation optic or scintillation fiber optic. The scintillation material yields secondary photons upon passage of a charged particle beam, such as a positively charged residual particle beam having transmitted through a sample. The internally generated secondary photons within the sheath are guided to a detector element by the difference in index of refraction. Multiple scintillation optics are assembled to form a two-dimensional scintillation array coupled to a two-dimensional detector array, such as for use in determination of state of the residual charged particle beam, determination of an exit point of the particle beam from the sample, path of the treatment beam, and/or tomographic imaging.

A method of reconstructing a 3-dimensional image in a proton transmission computerized tomography (CT) apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises the creation of a reconstruction matrix. The matrix is created by directing a plurality of particles to traverse the object; and for each particle, measuring the trajectory and energy of each particle before and after it has traversed the object; for each particle, calculating the water-equivalent path length within the object; and for each particle, calculating the positions at which it entered and exited the object; and adding the water-equivalent path length, entry and exit positions to the reconstruction matrix. This procedure is repeated from a plurality of angular positions surrounding an object to be imaged. Then, a spatially varying 2-dimensional filter function is applied to the reconstruction matrix. Subsequently, a correction factor is applied to the filtered reconstruction matrix to at least partially correct for the finite extent of the matrix.

The present invention relates to a system (S) and a process for determining the water equivalent content of a snowpack (Snow Water EquivalentSWE)

A scintillation material is longitudinally packaged in a circumferentially surrounding sheath, where the sheath has a lower index of refraction than the scintillation material, to form a scintillation optic or scintillation fiber optic. The scintillation material yields secondary photons upon passage of a charged particle beam, such as a positively charged residual particle beam having transmitted through a sample. The internally generated secondary photons within the sheath are guided to a detector element by the difference in index of refraction. Multiple scintillation optics are assembled to form a two-dimensional scintillation array coupled to a two-dimensional detector array, such as for use in determination of state of the residual charged particle beam, determination of an exit point of the particle beam from the sample, path of the treatment beam, and/or tomographic imaging.

A scintillation material is longitudinally packaged in a circumferentially surrounding sheath, where the sheath has a lower index of refraction than the scintillation material, to form a scintillation optic or scintillation fiber optic. The scintillation material yields secondary photons upon passage of a charged particle beam, such as a positively charged residual particle beam having transmitted through a sample. The internally generated secondary photons within the sheath are guided to a detector element by the difference in index of refraction. Multiple scintillation optics are assembled to form a two-dimensional scintillation array coupled to a two-dimensional detector array, such as for use in determination of state of the residual charged particle beam, determination of an exit point of the particle beam from the sample, path of the treatment beam, and/or tomographic imaging.

Disclosed are systems, devices and methodologies related to calibration of an ion based imaging apparatus such as a proton computed tomography scanner. In some implementations, energy degrader plates having known water-equivalent thickness (WET) values can be introduced to an ion beam to introduce different energy degradation settings. Energy detector responses to individual ions subject to such energy degradation settings can be obtained. Such responses can be normalized and correlated to water-equivalent path lengths (WEPL) of the ions based on the known WET values. Such calibration utilizing degrader plates can be performed relatively quickly and can yield accurate WEPL values that facilitate estimation of, for example, a CT image based on relative stopping power of an object.

The present invention relates to a system (S) and a process for determining the water equivalent content of a snowpack (Snow Water EquivalentSWE).

A Proton Computed Tomography (pCT) system utilizing proton beams for construction of 3-dimensional density maps of both test phantoms and living tissue. PCT is a much sought-after modality for treatment planning and validation at proton therapy treatment centers, as it would allow in situ imaging with the same beam that is used for the treatment. A pCT system according to the present invention includes gaseous detectors for tracking and energy reconstruction, a shutter system to extend dynamic range features while maintaining good energy resolution, and a method for determining proton energy from a forward-search algorithm utilizing segmentation of energy detector ionization signal readout. The gaseous detectors are Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) based gaseous detectors.