# US 12,461,046 B2 · X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,461,046 B2 - Document ID: US12461046B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/278,744 - Filed: 2022-03-02 - Published: 2024-05-02 - Granted: 2025-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-04 - Assignees: Multict Imaging Ltd - Applicants: Multict Imaging Ltd - Inventors: Nathan Hermony - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12461046B2 ## CPC - G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/035: {Mechanical aspects of CT} - A61B 6/4007: {characterised by using a plurality of source units} - A61B 6/4014: {arranged in multiple source-detector units} - A61B 6/503: {for diagnosis of the heart} - G01N 2223/33: scanning, i.e. relative motion for measurement of successive object-parts - G01N 2223/3303: object fixed; source and detector move - G01N 2223/3308: object translates - G01N 2223/405: mapping of a material property - G01N 2223/419: computed tomograph - G01N 2223/6123: bone mineral - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner includes a plurality of X-Ray sources and detectors mounted about an opening where scanning takes place. The X-Ray sources and detectors are arranged to oscillate back and forth in opposing first and second rotational directions about the opening, or in the same rotational direction about the opening, in order to generate a cross-sectional image of an object located within the opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner comprising a scanning setup comprising more than two X-Ray sources and more than two detectors mounted about an opening defining a volume useful field of view (FOV) where scanning takes place, the X-ray sources being distributed to provide substantially uniform coverage of the FOV by being arranged at angular positions to collectively span 360 degrees around the FOV, wherein a scanning setup is arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation of the scanner in order to generate scanned slice data of an object located within the opening, wherein the X-Ray sources are arranged in sets and all X-Ray sources in a certain set are arranged to emit X-ray radiation towards a similar common detector, and wherein at least some of the detectors are of inverse-geometry CT architecture in that they are sized to be smaller than the scanner's FOV, and wherein some X-Ray sources are arranged to be sequentially activated during rotation, and during each activation only one X-Ray source in a set is activated, and wherein the CT scanner is controlled to activate at least some of the X-Ray sources at different powers in order to reduce radiation to a scanned object while obtaining scanned slice data of the object, by determining instances during a CT examination where certain X-Ray sources of the CT scanner are activated at different powers, and wherein a different power comprises providing to the X-Ray source with different current and/or voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein the detectors are solid state detectors arranged for photon counting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein the X-Ray sources and detectors are arranged to rotate in the same rotational direction about the axis of rotation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The CT scanner of claim 3, wherein an angular rotation ‘alpha’ of less than about 180 degrees, is arranged to provide scanned slice data of an object. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The CT scanner of claim 4, wherein scanned slice data comprises one or more slices along the scanner's axis of rotation that are generally one aside to the other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The CT scanner of claim 4, wherein after completing an angular rotation of about ‘alpha’ the scanner continues to rotate in the same rotational direction an additional angular rotation, also of about ‘alpha’ in order to obtain additional scanned slice data of the object along the scanner's axis of rotation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The CT scanner of claim 6, wherein ‘alpha’ is defined between a first angular spacing A1 and a second angular spacing A2, wherein A1=360 degrees divided by the number of X-ray sources and A2=360 degrees divided by the number of detectors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The CT scanner of claim 4, wherein after completing an angular rotation of about ‘alpha’ in a first rotational direction the scanner oscillates back to rotate in an opposing second rotational direction, also of about ‘alpha’ in order to obtain additional slice data of the object along the scanner's axis of rotation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1 and comprising an ‘n’ number of X-Ray sources and an ‘m’ number of detectors generally evenly spaced apart one from the other by about 360/‘n’ for the sources and about 360/‘m’ for the detectors, and wherein a complete first scanned slice of data of an object is obtained while rotating between about 360/‘n’ and about 360/‘m’ around the object and a subsequent complete second scanned slice of data of the same object is obtained while rotating between about 360/‘n’ and about 360/‘m’ around the same object in the same rotational direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1 and comprising an ‘n’ number of X-Ray sources and an ‘m’ number of detectors, at least some of which being non-evenly spaced apart one from the other, and scanned slice data of an object is obtained while rotating between about 360/‘n’ according to the sources and about 360/‘m’ according to the detectors around the object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein X-Ray sources in a certain set are arranged circumferentially adjacent one to the other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein not all X-Ray sources in a certain set are circumferentially adjacent one to the other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein at least some of the detectors are regular CT detectors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The CT scanner of claim 13 and being used for imaging and calculating calcium scoring with lower speed of rotation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1 and being arranged to utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) based reconstruction methods to assist in creation of additional views to further reduce rotational angles to generate slices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1, wherein the CT scanner is defined having a maximal field of view (FOV) when all X-ray sources are used for obtaining the scanned slice data, and wherein the CT scanner is configured to adapt a smaller FOV than the maximal FOV by activating only some of the X-ray sources for obtaining the scanned slice data of an object. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The CT scanner of claim 1 and comprising an ‘n’ number of X-Ray sources and an ‘m’ number of detectors generally evenly spaced apart one from the other by about 360/‘n’ for the sources and about 360/‘m’ for the detectors, and wherein scanned slice data of an object is obtained while oscillating between about 360/‘n’ and about 360/‘m’ around the object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The CT scanner of claim 17, wherein the ‘m’ number of detectors is: 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, or 36 and the ‘n’ number of X-Ray sources is: 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, or 36. ### Claim 19 An X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner comprising a scanning setup comprising a plurality of X-Ray sources and detectors mounted about an opening defining a volume useful field of view (FOV) where scanning takes place, the X-ray sources being distributed to provide substantially uniform coverage of the FOV by being arranged at angular positions to collectively span 360 degrees around the FOV, wherein the X-Ray sources and detectors are arranged to perform alpha sized rotational motions in the same rotational direction about the scanner's axis of rotation in order to generate scanned slice data of an object located within the opening, wherein the X-Ray sources are arranged in sets and all X-Ray sources in a certain set are arranged to emit X-ray radiation towards a similar common detector, and wherein some X-Ray sources are arranged to be sequentially activated during rotation, and during each activation only one X-Ray source in a set is activated, and wherein at least some of the detectors are of inverse-geometry CT architecture in that they are sized to be smaller than the scanner's FOV, and wherein the CT scanner is controlled to activate at least some of the X-Ray sources at different powers in order to reduce radiation to a scanned object while obtaining scanned slice data of the object, by determining instances during a CT examination where certain X-Ray sources of the CT scanner are activated at different powers, and wherein a different power comprises providing to the X-Ray source with different current and/or voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The CT scanner of claim 19, wherein said alpha is less than about 180 degrees about the scanner's axis of rotation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The CT scanner of claim 20, wherein the detectors are solid state detectors arranged for photon counting. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The CT scanner of claim 19, wherein X-Ray sources in a certain set are arranged circumferentially adjacent one to the other. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The CT scanner of claim 19, wherein not all X-Ray sources in a certain set are circumferentially adjacent one to the other. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The CT scanner of claim 19, wherein at least some X-Ray sources are controlled to emit X-ray radiation towards different detectors in different angles and scans of the object. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The CT scanner of claim 24, wherein controlling an X-Ray source to emit radiation towards a different detector than previously is by controlling a collimator or the X-ray source and its associated collimator to direct the emitted radiation towards the different detector. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The CT scanner of claim 19 further comprising an ‘n’ number of X-Ray sources evenly spaced apart one from the other around the scanner's FOV by about 360/‘n’ degrees. ### Claim 27 A method for medical imaging comprising the steps of: providing an X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner comprising a plurality of X-Ray sources and detectors mounted about an opening defining a volume useful field of view (FOV) where scanning is designed to take place, the X-ray sources being distributed to provide substantially uniform coverage of the FOV by being arranged at angular positions to collectively span 360 degrees around the FOV, locating an object to be scanned within the opening, and performing alpha sized rotational motions in the same rotational direction about the scanner's axis of rotation in order to generate scanned slice data of the object located within the opening, wherein the X-Ray sources are arranged in sets and all X-Ray sources in a certain set are arranged to emit X-ray radiation towards a similar common detector, and wherein some X-Ray sources are arranged to be sequentially activated during rotation, and during each activation only one X-Ray source in a set is activated, and wherein at least some of the detectors are of inverse-geometry CT architecture in that they are sized to be smaller than the scanner's FOV, and wherein the CT scanner is controlled to activate at least some of the X-Ray sources at different powers in order to reduce radiation to a scanned object while obtaining scanned slice data of the object, by determining instances during a CT examination where certain X-Ray sources of the CT scanner are activated at different powers, and wherein a different power comprises providing to the X-Ray source with different current and/or voltage. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein said alpha is less than about 180 degrees about the scanner's axis of rotation. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The CT scanner of claim 28, wherein ‘alpha’ is defined between a first angular spacing A1 and a second angular spacing A2, wherein A1=360 degrees divided by the number of X-ray sources and A2=360 degrees divided by the number of detectors.