Computed tomography system and method configured to image at different energy levels and focal spot positions

A method comprising:

• directing an x-ray source to emit different beams of x-rays at different energy levels;
• directing the x-ray source to move a focal spot of the x-ray source between different spot positions such that the focal spot is at different spot positions while the beams are emitted at the different energy levels,
• wherein directing the x-ray source to emit the different beams and to move the focal spot includes directing the x-ray source to repeating emit a first beam at a higher-energy level while the focal spot is in a first spot position, move the focal spot toward a different second spot position, emit a second beam having a lower-energy level while the focal spot is in the second spot position and move the focal spot toward the first spot position;
• receiving higher-energy data while the focal spot is in a first spot position and lower-energy data while the focal spot is in a second spot position;
• interpolating the higher-energy data at the second spot position and the lower-energy data at the first spot position;
• generating higher-energy high-resolution images using the higher-energy data for the first spot position and the higher-energy data for the second spot position;
• generating lower-energy high-resolution images using the lower-energy data for the first spot position and the lower-energy data for the second spot position;
• and
• reconstructing high-resolution images using the lower-energy data for the first spot position and the lower-energy data for the second spot position;
• and
• reconstruction high-resolution material-density images using the higher-energy and lower-energy high-resolution images.

A computed tomography (CT) imaging system comprising:

• an x-ray source configured to be powered by a power system at different operating voltages, the x-ray source operable to emit a beam of x-rays from a focal spot toward an object, the x-ray source operable to move a spot position of the focal spot;
• a detector assembly configured to detect the x-rays attenuated by the object;
• and
• at least one processing unit configured to execute programmed instructions stored in memory, wherein the at least one processing unit, while executing the programmed instructions, is configured to:
• direct the x-ray source to, repeatedly:
• emit a first beam at a higher-energy level from a first spot position;
• move the focal spot toward a second spot position after emitting the first beam from the first spot position;
• emit a second beam at a lower-energy level from the second spot position;
• and
• move the focal spot toward the first spot position after emitting the second beam from the second spot position;
• receive higher-energy data while the focal spot is in a first spot position and lower-energy data while the focal spot is in a second spot position;
• interpolate the higher-energy data at the second spot position and the lower-energy data at the first spot position
• generate higher-energy high-resolution images using the higher-energy data for the first spot position and the higher-energy data for the second spot position;
• generate lower-energy high resolution images using the lower-energy data for the first spot position and the lower-energy data for the second spot position;
• and
• reconstruct high-resolution material-density images using the higher-energy and lower-energy high resolution image.