# US 11,026,643 B2 · Interferometer grating support for grating-based x-ray imaging and/or a support bracket therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,643 B2 - Document ID: US11026643B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/463,857 - Filed: 2017-11-30 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-06 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Roland Proksa; Thomas Koehler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026643B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/035: {Mechanical aspects of CT} - A61B 6/4035: {the source being combined with a filter or grating} - A61B 6/484: {involving phase contrast X-ray imaging} - G21K 1/06: using diffraction, refraction or reflection, e.g. monochromators (G21K1/10, G21K7/00 take precedence) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G21K: HANDLING OF PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; IRRADIATION DEVICES; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES ## Abstract An interferometer grating support (118) of an imaging system (100) configured for grating-based x-ray imaging includes at least two elongate supports (302) separated from each other by a non-zero distance, wherein the at least two elongate supports have a first end (312) and a second end (316). The grating support further includes a first arc shaped grating (202) affixed to the first end and a second arc shaped grating (204) affixed to a second end (316). A non-transitory computer readable medium is configured with computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a computer cause the processor to: move a grating support, which supports G0 and G1 gratings of an interferometer and a bowtie filter, into a region between a low energy photon filter and a beam collimator, which are between a radiation source and an examination region, for a grating-based x-ray imaging scan. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interferometer grating support of an imaging system configured for grating-based x-ray imaging, comprising: at least two elongate supports separated from each other by a non-zero distance, wherein the at least two elongate supports have a first end and a second end; a first arc shaped grating affixed to the first end of the at least two elongate supports; and a second arc shaped grating affixed to the second end of the at least two elongate supports; wherein the first arc shaped grating includes a source grating of an interferometer and the second arc shaped grating includes a phase or absorber grating of the interferometer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The grating support of claim 1, further comprising: a bowtie filter disposed between the at least two elongate supports, the first arc shaped grating, and the second arc shaped grating. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The grating support of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first arc shaped grating and the second arc shaped grating is a value between eight and thirty centimeters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The grating support of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first arc shaped grating and the second arc shaped grating is on an order of ten or twenty centimeters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The grating support of claim 1, wherein a first arc of the first arc shaped grating and a second arc of the second arc shaped grating follow perimeters of concentric circles with a center point corresponding to a focal spot location in the system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The grating support of claim 1, wherein the at least two elongate supports taper from the second arc shaped grating to the first arc shaped grating and are symmetric about a vertical line through a center of the at least two elongate supports. ### Claim 7 An imaging system configured for grating-based x-ray imaging, comprising: a gantry; a radiation source located at the gantry; a detector array disposed across an examination region from the radiation source; a grating support disposed between the radiation source and the examination region; and an interferometer, including: a first arc shaped source grating; a second arc shaped phase grating, wherein the grating support supports the first arc shaped source grating and the second arc shaped phase grating; and an absorber grating disposed between the examination region and the detector array. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a support bracket configured to support only the grating support. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a support bracket configured to support the grating support and at least one other beam conditioning component. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The imaging system of claim 9, further comprising: a sub-system configured to move the support bracket within the sub-system to position the grating support or the at least one other beam conditioning component in a path of an x-ray beam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The imaging system of claim 9, further comprising: a low energy photon filter disposed between the radiation source and the first arc shaped source grating, wherein the grating support supports the low energy photon filter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The imaging system of claim 9, further comprising: a beam collimator disposed between the second arc shaped phase grating and the examination region, wherein the grating support supports the beam collimator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a low energy photon filter disposed between the radiation source and the first arc shaped source grating. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a beam collimator disposed between the second arc shaped phase grating and the examination region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The imaging system of claim 7, further comprising: a bowtie filter between the first arc shaped source grating and the second arc shaped phase grating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The imaging system of claim 15, wherein the grating support includes: at least two elongate supports separated from each other by a non-zero distance, wherein the first arc shaped source grating is affixed to a first end of the at least two elongate supports, the second arc shaped phased grating is affixed to a second end of the at least two elongate supports, and the bowtie filter is disposed between the at least two elongate supports, the first arc shaped source grating, and the at second arc shaped phase grating. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The imaging system of claim 16, wherein a distance between the at least two elongate supports at the first end is less than a distance between the at least two elongate supports at the second end. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer readable medium configured with computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to: move a grating support configured to support source and phase gratings of an interferometer and a bowtie filter into a region between a low energy photon filter and a beam collimator located between a radiation source and an examination region for a grating-based x-ray imaging scan. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: control the radiation source to emit x-ray radiation; control a detector array to detect the emitted x-ray radiation and generate a signal indicative thereof; and control a reconstructor to reconstruct the signal and generate a phase contrast image. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: move the grating support out of the region between the low energy photon filter and the beam collimator; and move a different beam conditioning component into the region between the low energy photon filter and the beam collimator for a conventional scan. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: control the radiation source to emit x-ray radiation; control a detector array to detect the emitted x-ray radiation and generate a signal indicative thereof; and control a reconstructor to reconstruct the signal and generate a conventional image.