Methods and apparatus for efficient data acquisition in CT scanners
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorTin-Su Pan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one aspect, the present invention is a method for imaging an object utilizing a multi-slice CT imaging system having an x-ray source, a detector array, and a data acquisition system coupled to the detector array, the data acquisition system having a number of data acquisition input channels less than a total number of detector cells in the detector array. The method includes steps of: positioning the object between the x-ray source and the detector array; projecting an x-ray beam towards the object; and selectively reconfiguring a coupling of selected detector cells to the data acquisition input channels to increase a number of image slices received by the data acquisition system.
Claims20
A method for imaging an object utilizing a multislice CT imaging system having an x-ray source, a detector array, and a data acquisition system coupled to the detector array, the data acquisition system having a number of data acquisition input channels less than a total number of detector cells in the detector array;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning the object between the x-ray source and the detector array;
- projecting an x-ray beam towards the object;
- and
- selectively reconfiguring a coupling of selected detector cells to the data acquisition input channels to increase a number of image slices received by the data acquisition system.
A multi-slice imaging system comprising:
- a multi-slice detector array having a fan angle width θ comprising multiple rows extending along a z-axis and configured to collect a maximum of N slices of image data;
- an x-ray source having an x-ray beam directed towards said detector array;
- a data acquisition system coupled to said detector array, said data acquisition system having input processors together having a number of data acquisition input channels fewer in number than a total number of detector cells in said detector array;
- and
- a multiplexer array coupled between said detector and said input processors and configured to selectively reconfigure a coupling of selected ones of said detector cells to said data acquisition input channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.