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US 10,209,376 B2Granted
Systems for image detection
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGil Kovalski, Jean-Paul Bouhnik, Jonathan Sachs, Yariv Grobshtein, Yulim Zingerman, Arie Eshco, Yaron Hefetz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A customizable and upgradable imaging system is provided. Imaging detector columns are installed in a gantry to receive imaging information about a subject. Imaging detector columns can extend and retract radially as well as be rotated orbitally around the gantry. The gantry can be partially populated with detector columns and the detector columns can be partially populated with detector elements.
Claims18
An imaging system, comprising:
- a gantry having a bore configured to accept a patient, the bore defining a circumference and a central axis extending along a center of the bore, the gantry configured to rotate about the center of the bore;
- between five and nine imaging detector columns attached to the gantry, each detector column comprising a detector arm and a detector head, each detector arm extending radially toward the center of the bore from the gantry, each detector head coupled to a corresponding detector arm and comprising at least one detector element, wherein each detector head is configured to be radially articulable toward and away from the center of the bore, and each detector head is configured to be pivotable with respect to the corresponding detector arm around a sweep pivot axis, each sweep pivot axis extending parallel to the central axis extending along the center of the bore;
- and
- at least one processor operably coupled to the detector columns and configured to independently control the between five and nine imaging detector columns, and to acquire imaging information with the detector elements, wherein the gantry includes additional gantry locations configured for installation of additional detector columns, the imaging system configured for the additional gantry locations to be vacant when the at least one processor acquires the imaging information with the between five and nine imaging detectors.
1 more element
An imaging system, comprising:
- a gantry having a bore configured to accept a patient, the bore defining a circumference and a central axis extending along a center of the bore, the gantry configured to rotate about the center of the bore;
- plural imaging detector columns attached to the gantry, each detector column comprising a detector arm and a detector head, each detector arm extending radially toward the center of the bore from the gantry, each detector head coupled to a corresponding detector arm and comprising at least one detector element, wherein each detector head is configured to be radially articulable toward and away from the center of the bore, and each detector head is configured to be pivotable with respect to the corresponding detector arm around a sweep pivot axis, each sweep pivot axis extending parallel to the central axis extending along the center of the bore, wherein each detector head defines a length extending along the corresponding sweep pivot axis, wherein at least some of the detector heads include plural detector element locations extending along the length, each detector element location configured to accept a corresponding detector element, each detector element configured to receive photons during acquisition of imaging information, wherein the system is configured for some of the detector element locations to be vacant during acquisition of imaging information;
- and
- at least one processor operably coupled to the detector columns and configured to independently control the imaging detector columns, and to acquire imaging information with the detector elements.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- attaching between five and nine imaging detector columns to a gantry, the gantry having a bore configured to accept a patient, the bore defining a circumference and a central axis extending along a center of the bore, the gantry configured to rotate about the center of the bore, each detector column comprising a detector arm and a detector head, each detector arm extending radially toward the center of the bore from the gantry, each detector head coupled to a corresponding detector arm and comprising at least one detector element, wherein each detector head is configured to be radially articulable toward and away from the center of the bore, and each detector head is configured to be pivotable with respect to the corresponding detector arm around a sweep pivot axis, each sweep pivot axis extending parallel to the central axis extending along the center of the bore, wherein the detector columns are distributed along half or less of the circumference of the bore;
- independently controlling, with at least one processor, the between five and nine imaging detector columns to acquire imaging information with the detector elements;
- and
- reconstructing an image using the imaging information.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.