US Patent 9370332 Robotic navigated nuclear probe imaging

Robotic navigation is provided for nuclear probe imaging. Using a three-dimensional scanner (19), the surface of a patient is determined (42). A calibrated robotic system positions (48) a nuclear probe about the patient based on the surface. The positioning (48) may be without contacting the patient and the surface may be used in reconstruction to account for spacing of the probe from the patient. By using the robotic system for positioning (48), the speed, resolution and/or quality of the reconstructed image may be predetermined, user settable, and/or improved compared to manual scanning. The reconstruction (52) may be more computationally efficient by providing for regular spacing of radiation detection locations within the volume.