Method and computed tomography device and data storage medium for performing a dynamic CT examination on a patient
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsThomas Flohr, Bernhard Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a computed tomography apparatus and operating method, a radiation source and radiation detector are rotated around a system axis, and a patient support plate and diaphragm elements of a diaphragm associated with the x-ray source are also movable in the direction of the system axis. Movement of the patient support plate and the diaphragm plates between respective end positions is coordinated during a dynamic computed tomography examination of a subject so as to reduce and homogenize the dose of x-ray radiation to which the subject is exposed during the examination.
Claims15
A method for operating a computed tomography apparatus comprising a gantry having a stationary part and a rotatable part mounted at the stationary part to rotate around a system axis, an x-ray radiation source and an x-ray radiation detector mounted on the rotatable part opposite each other, said x-ray source emitting an x-ray beam that propagates in a direction toward said system axis, a diaphragm associated with said x-ray source and comprising diaphragm elements that are movable relative to each other to limit a size of said x-ray beam and that are collectively movable in a direction of said system axis, and a patient support plate movable in the direction of said system axis, said method comprising:
- implementing a dynamic computed tomography examination of a body region of a patient on said patient support plate by moving said patient support plate back and forth in said direction of said system axis between a first support plate end position and a second support plate end position;
- while moving said patient support plate back and forth between said first and second support plate end positions, collectively moving said diaphragm elements of said diaphragm also back and forth in said direction of said system axis between a first diaphragm element end position and a second diaphragm element end position;
- and
- coordinating the back and forth movement of said support plate between said first and second support plate end positions and the back and forth movement of said diaphragm elements between said first and second diaphragm element end positions to homogenize a dose of x-ray radiation applied to the patient by said x-ray beam during said dynamic computed tomography examination.
A computed tomography apparatus comprising:
- a gantry having a stationary part and a rotatable part mounted at the stationary part to rotate around a system axis, an x-ray radiation source and an x-ray radiation detector mounted on the rotatable part opposite each other;
- said x-ray source being configured to emit an x-ray beam that propagates in a direction toward said system axis;
- a diaphragm associated with said x-ray source and comprising diaphragm elements that are movable relative to each other to limit a size of said x-ray beam and that are collectively movable in a direction of system axis;
- a patient support plate movable in the direction of said system axis;
- a control unit configured to operate said x-ray radiation source and said diaphragm and said patient support plate to implement a dynamic computed tomography examination of a body region of a patient on said patient support plate by moving said patient support plate back and forth in said direction of said system axis between a first support plate end position and a second support plate end position;
- said control unit being configured, while moving said patient support plate back and forth between said first and second support plate end positions, to collectively move said diaphragm elements of said diaphragm also in said direction of said system axis back and forth between a first diaphragm element end position and a second diaphragm element end position;
- and
- said control unit being configured to coordinate back and forth movement of said support plate between said first and second support plate end positions and back and forth movement of said diaphragm elements between said first and second diaphragm element end positions to homogenize a dose of x-ray radiation applied to the patient by said x-ray beam during said dynamic computed tomography examination.
A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions for operating a computed tomography apparatus comprising a gantry having a stationary part and a rotatable part mounted at the stationary part to rotate around a system axis, an x-ray radiation source and an x-ray radiation detector mounted on the rotatable part opposite each other, said x-ray source emitting an x-ray beam that propagates in a direction toward said system axis, a diaphragm associated with said x-ray source and comprising diaphragm elements that are movable with respect to each other to limit a size of said x-ray beam and that are collectively movable in a direction of said system axis, and a patient support plate movable in a direction of said system axis, said storage medium being loaded into a control unit of said computed tomography apparatus and said programming instructions causing said control unit to:
- implement a dynamic computed tomography examination of a body region of a patient on said patient support plate by moving said patient support plate back and forth in said direction of said system axis between a first support plate end position and a second support plate end position;
- while moving said patient support plate back and forth between said first and second support plate end positions, collectively move said diaphragm elements of said diaphragm also in said direction of said system axis back and forth between a first diaphragm element end position and a second diaphragm element end position;
- and
- coordinate the back and forth movement of said support plate between said first and second support plate end positions and the back and forth movement of said diaphragm elements between said first and second diaphragm element end positions to homogenize a dose of x-ray radiation applied to the patient by said x-ray beam during said dynamic computed tomography examination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.