US 7,072,436 B2Granted

Volumetric computed tomography (VCT)

AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University

InventorNorbert J. Pelc

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Abstract

The present invention provides a volumetric computed tomography (VCT) system capable of producing data for reconstructing an entire three-dimensional (3D) image of a subject during a single rotation without suffering from cone beam artifacts. The VCT system comprises an array of source positions distributed along a line parallel to an axis of rotation, a plurality of collimators, and an array of x-ray detectors. In a preferred embodiment, a reversed imaging geometry is used. A 2D array of source positions provides x-rays emanating from each focal spot toward an array of detectors. The x-rays are restricted by a collimator array and measured by a detector array separately per each source position. The axial extent of the source array and the detector array are comparable to or larger than the axial extent of the portion of the object being imaged.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A volumetric computed tomography (VCT) system capable of producing, in one single rotation, x-ray measurements for reconstructing a plurality of image slices through a portion of a subject positioned along an axis of rotation, said VCT system comprising:

an x-ray source array having a plurality of source positions for producing x-rays emanating from each of said source positions, said source positions being displaced one from the other in the direction of the axis of rotation, wherein said x-ray source array is a two-dimensional scanned anode x-ray source;
a collimator to partly limit the divergence of the x-rays emanating from each of the source positions, wherein the divergence is partly limited in the direction of the axis of rotation;
an array of x-ray detector elements for acquiring x-ray measurements for each of said source positions separately, said array containing elements that are spaced one from the other in the direction of the axis of rotation;
and
means for rotating said source array and said detector array about said axis of rotation,
wherein each source position illuminates multiple x-ray detector elements in the direction of the axis of rotation,
wherein said x-ray source array and said array of x-ray detector elements have comparable extent in the direction of the axis of rotation.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/226,096Filed 22 Aug 2002 · us provisional application
Priority: 24 Aug 2001
Published: US 2003/0043957 A16 Mar 2003
Granted: 4 Jul 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A61B 6/032
Computed tomography [CT]: transmission computed tomography [CT]
A61B 6/4028
Involving movement of the focal spot: resulting in acquisition of views from substantially different positions, e.g. EBCT
A61B 6/4085
Specially adapted for producing a particular type of beam: cone-beams
A61B 6/466
Displaying means of special interest: adapted to display 3D data