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.
Claims25
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;
- a first filtering apparatus comprising 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 by rotation of the first filtering apparatus before 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 by rotation of the first filtering apparatus before the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to the second energy state;
- and
- wherein a plane of the first filter through which the HF electromagnetic energy beams pass when the source is energized to the first energy state is parallel with an axis of rotation of the first filtering apparatus, and a plane of the second filter through which the HF electromagnetic energy beams pass when the source is energized to the second energy state is parallel with the axis of rotation of the axis of rotation of the first filtering apparatus.
A method of acquiring imaging data at more than one chromatic energy comprising the steps of:
- projecting a first beam of electromagnetic energy from an x-ray source along a single projection path between the x-ray source and a detector and toward a subject to be scanned;
- positioning a first filter of a first filtering apparatus in the single projection path before projection of the first beam;
- projecting a second beam of electromagnetic energy from the x-ray source along the single projection path between the x-ray source and the detector and toward the subject;
- and
- positioning a second filter of the first filtering apparatus in the single projection path before projection of the second beam, by rotation of the first filtering apparatus about an axis of rotation of the first filtering apparatus, wherein a plane of the first filter through which the first beam passes is parallel with the axis of rotation, and a plane of the second filter through which the second beam passes is parallel with the axis of rotation.
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 at least a first filter of a first filtering apparatus, between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject before energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the first voltage, wherein a plane of the first filter through which the first beam passes is parallel with an axis of rotation of the first filtering apparatus;
- 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
- rotate the first filtering apparatus about the axis of rotation and position a second filter of the first filtering apparatus between the HF electromagnetic energy source and the subject before energization of the HF electromagnetic energy source to the second voltage, wherein a plane of the second filter through which the second beam passes is parallel with the axis of rotation of the first filtering apparatus.
A filtering apparatus for a radiation emitting imaging system, the filtering apparatus comprising:
- an axis of rotation;
- a first filter connected to the filtering apparatus, the first filter having a first filtering power;
- and
- a second filter connected to the filtering apparatus, the second filter having a second filtering power;
- and
- wherein a plane of the first filter through which radiation passes is parallel with the axis of rotation, and a plane of the second filter through which the radiation passes is parallel with the axis of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.