Photon-counting ct-system with reduced detector counting-rate requirements
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsUwe Wiedmann, Daniel David Harrison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various of the disclosed embodiments contemplate systems and methods that compensate for the limited dynamic range of certain X-Ray detector systems, such as CAT-Scan detector systems. In some embodiments, the system alternates between different photon emission flux values and then gives more consideration to an attenuation value associated with a more favorable detection flux. In this manner, different object densities may be accounted for and may be more properly imaged despite the particular characteristics of the X-Ray system.
Claims23
A method to accommodate detector behavior when generating at least a portion of an X-ray image comprising:
- emitting a first plurality of photons;
- collecting at a detector at least some of the first plurality of photons at a first detection flux;
- emitting a second plurality of photons;
- collecting at the detector at least some of the second plurality of photons at a second detection flux, wherein the second detection flux is greater than the first detection flux;
- determining a first relation between the first detection flux and a reference flux;
- determining a second relation between the second detection flux and a reference flux;
- and
- generating at least a portion of an X-ray image based on the first relation and the second relation.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to cause a system to:
- emit a first plurality of photons;
- collect at a detector at least some of the first plurality of photons at a first detection flux;
- emit a second plurality of photons;
- collect at the detector at least some of the second plurality of photons at a second detection flux, wherein the second detection flux is greater than the first detection flux;
- determine a first relation between the first detection flux and a reference flux;
- determine a second relation between the second detection flux and a reference flux;
- and
- generate at least a portion of an X-ray image based on the first relation and the second relation.
A system to accommodate detector behavior when generating at least a portion of an X-ray image comprising:
- a first X-ray source configured to emit a first plurality of photons;
- a second X-ray source configured to emit a second plurality of photons, the second plurality of photons comprising more photons than the first plurality of photons;
- a first detector configured to receive at least some of the first plurality of photons;
- a second detector configured to receive at least some of the second plurality of photons;
- a first flux determiner configured to determine a first flux at which the at least some of the first plurality of photons are collected at the first detector;
- a second flux determiner configured to determine a second flux at which the at least some of the second plurality of photons are collected at the second detector;
- one or more computer systems configured to:
- determine a first relation between the first detection flux and a reference flux;
- determine a second relation between the second detection flux and a reference flux;
- and
- generate at least a portion of an X-ray image based on the first relation and the second relation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.