Device and method for generating soft tissue contrast images

A method for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said method comprising the steps of:

• emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams by an x-ray source unit,
• actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest,
• wherein said electromagnetic signals are in a frequency range from 10 MHz to 1000 MHz,
• processing said received electromagnetic signals, and
• reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest.

A device for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said device comprising:

• an x-ray source unit for emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams,
• an actuator for actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• an electromagnetic signal receiver for receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest, and
• a signal processor unit for processing said received electromagnetic signals and reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest,
• wherein said signal processor unit is adapted for reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest by use of a model using as model parameters the conductivity distribution, the x-ray absorption distribution and the efficiency distribution of the efficiency of the absorption and scatter of x-ray photons and of the momentum transfer from x-ray photons to electrons of the area of interest.

A device for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said device comprising:

• an x-ray source unit for emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams,
• an actuator for actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• an electromagnetic signal receiver for receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest,
• wherein said electromagnetic signal receiver comprises one or more coils, electrodes and/or dipole antennas for arrangement in close proximity or at the examination object during operation, and
• a signal processor unit for processing said received electromagnetic signals and reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest.

A device for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said device comprising:

• an x-ray source unit for emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams,
• an actuator for actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• an electromagnetic signal receiver for receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest,
• a signal processor unit for processing said received electromagnetic signals and reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest, and
• an x-ray detection unit for detecting x-ray signals from x-ray radiation transmitted through the area of interest of the examination object,
• wherein said signal processor unit is adapted for generating information of the location of the examination object from said detected x-ray signals and for using said information of the location of the examination object in a model used for reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest by setting the conductivity distribution, the x-ray absorption distribution and the efficiency distribution outside the examination object to zero.

A device for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said device comprising:

• an x-ray source unit for emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams,
• an actuator for actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• an electromagnetic signal receiver for receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest,
• a signal processor unit for processing said received electromagnetic signals and reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest, and
• an x-ray detection unit for detecting x-ray signals from x-ray radiation transmitted through the area of interest of the examination object,
• wherein said x-ray detection unit comprises one or more energy-resolving x-ray detectors, and
• wherein said signal processor unit is adapted for deriving Compton-effect related x-ray signals from the x-ray signals received by said one or more energy-resolving x-ray detectors, for generating information of the efficiency distribution of the efficiency of the absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest from said detected Compton-effect related x-ray signals and for using said information of the efficiency distribution in a model used for reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest.

A device for generating soft tissue contrast images of an area of interest of an examination object comprising soft tissue, said device comprising:

• an x-ray source unit for emitting one or more pulsed pencil x-ray beams,
• an actuator for actuating said x-ray source unit along and/or around said area of interest to direct said one or more pencil beams onto said area of interest from various directions,
• an electromagnetic signal receiver for receiving electromagnetic signals from the area of interest resulting from absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest,
• a signal processor unit for processing said received electromagnetic signals and reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest, and
• an x-ray detection unit for detecting x-ray signals from x-ray radiation transmitted through the area of interest of the examination object,
• wherein said x-ray source unit comprises a multi-energy x-ray source for alternately emitting x-ray pulses at at least two different energy levels, and
• wherein said signal processor unit is adapted for deriving Compton-effect related x-ray signals from the x-ray signals received by said x-ray detection unit, for generating information of the efficiency distribution of the efficiency of the absorption and scatter of x-ray photons within the area of interest from said detected Compton-effect related x-ray signals and for using said information of the efficiency distribution in a model used for reconstructing a soft tissue contrast image of the area of interest.