Method and system for focal spot tracking and reducing scatter cross talk in medical imaging
AssigneeGE Precision Healthcare LLC
InventorsShefali Saxena, Mark Adamak, Biju Jacob
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various methods and systems are provided for a sensor design in a computed tomography (CT) detector of a medical imaging system. In one embodiment, a detector array may include a post-patient collimator assembly arranged between a detector array and an x-ray source, the collimator assembly having a plurality of collimator plates aligned substantially parallel with a radial direction of an imaging system, a plurality of imaging sensors located in the detector array, and a plurality of non-imaging sensors located in the detector array. In another embodiment, a method may include correcting an imaging sensor signal based on a signal output from a non-imaging sensor.
Claims20
A detector array, comprising:
- a collimator assembly arranged between the detector array of a detector assembly and an x-ray source, the collimator assembly having a plurality of collimator plates aligned substantially parallel with a radial direction of an imaging system;
- a plurality of imaging sensors located in the detector array;
- and
- a plurality of non-imaging sensors located in spaces between the plurality of imaging sensors, wherein the spaces are aligned with the plurality of collimator plates and the plurality of non-imaging sensors includes dedicated sensors for focal spot tracking, and specialized sensors for one or more of temperature sensing, humidity sensing, and strain-gauge measurement sensing.
A method, comprising:
- correcting an imaging sensor signal from an imaging sensor of a detector array based on a signal output from a non-imaging sensor of the detector array to correct for focal motion, wherein the non-imaging sensor is configured as a dedicated sensor for focal spot tracking, and wherein the signal output from the dedicated sensor includes one or more of a focal motion sensitivity and a collimator plate alignment measurement;
- and
- correcting the imaging sensor signal based on the signal output from the non-imaging sensor to achieve a target alignment of a collimator plate of a collimator assembly of a detector assembly by adding the signal of the dedicated sensor into a channel of the imaging sensor when the collimator plate is experiencing a positive shift from the target alignment of the collimator plate, and subtracting the signal of the dedicated sensor from the channel of the imaging sensor when the collimator plate is experiencing a negative shift from the target alignment of the collimator plate.
An x-ray imaging system, comprising:
- an x-ray source positioned on one side of a subject to be imaged;
- a detector assembly arranged opposite of the x-ray source on an opposite side of the subject, the detector assembly comprising:
- a detector array having a plurality of imaging sensors arranged in columns with spaces between the columns;
- a collimator assembly positioned adjacent to the detector array, the collimator assembly including a plurality of post-patient collimator plates extending away from a face of the detector array, perpendicular to the face of the detector array, and aligned with the spaces between the columns of the plurality of imaging sensors;
- a plurality of non-imaging sensors positioned in at least one of the spaces between the columns of the plurality of imaging sensors, wherein the plurality of non-imaging sensors includes dedicated sensors for focal spot tracking that extend parallel from a bottom edge of, and aligned with, a collimator plate of the plurality of collimator plates, and specialized sensors for one or more of temperature sensing, humidity sensing, and strain-gauge measurement sensing that extend parallel from a bottom edge of, and aligned with, the dedicated sensor;
- at least one gap between imaging sensor channels;
- and
- a computing device comprising a processor and executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the processor to correct an output signal of the plurality of imaging sensors based on an output of the plurality of non-imaging sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.