Method and apparatus of multi-energy imaging
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorThomas L. Toth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of multi-energy data acquisition. An imaging system is also provided and includes a number of HF electromagnetic energy filters. The filters include at least a first and a second filter wherein the first filter is positioned in a path of HF electromagnetic energy when an HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a first voltage and the second filter is positioned in the path of HF electromagnetic energy when the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a second voltage.
Claims27
A CT system comprising:
- a rotatable gantry having an opening for receiving a subject to be scanned;
- an HF electromagnetic energy source configured to project a number of HF electromagnetic energy beams toward the subject;
- a generator configured to energize the HF electromagnetic energy source to at least a first energy state and a second energy state;
- and
- a number of HF electromagnetic energy filters positional between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject, the number of HF electromagnetic energy filters including at least a first filter and a second filter wherein the first filter is positioned between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject when the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to the first energy state and the second filter is positioned between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject when the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to the second energy state.
A controller configured to acquire CT imaging data at more than one chromatic energy state, the controller having instructions to:
- energize an HF electromagnetic energy source configured to project an HF electromagnetic energy beam toward a subject to be scanned to a first voltage potential;
- position a first portion of a filtering apparatus between the subject and the HF electromagnetic energy source along a path of rotation during energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the first voltage potential;
- energize the HF electromagnetic energy source to a second voltage potential;
- and
- position a second portion of the filtering apparatus between the subject and the HF electromagnetic energy source along the path of rotation during energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the second voltage potential.
A method of acquiring imaging data at more than one chromatic energy comprising the steps of:
- projecting a first beam of electromagnetic energy along a projection path toward a subject to be scanned;
- positioning a first filter in the projection path during projection of the first beam;
- projecting a second beam of electromagnetic energy along the projection path toward the subject;
- and
- positioning a second filter in the projection path during projection of the second beam.
A computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon and representing a set of instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:
- energize an HF electromagnetic energy source to a first voltage to cause the HF electromagnetic energy source to project a first beam of electromagnetic energy toward a subject to be scanned;
- position a first filter between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject during energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the first voltage;
- energize the HF electromagnetic energy source to a second voltage to cause the HF electromagnetic energy source to project a second beam of electromagnetic energy toward the subject;
- and
- position a second filter between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject during energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the second voltage.
A filtering apparatus for a radiation emitting imaging system, the filtering apparatus comprising:
- a hub having a number of connection ports;
- a first filter connected to the hub at a first connection port, the first filter having a first filtering power;
- and
- a second filter connected to the hub at a second connection port, the second filter having a second filtering power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.