Apparatus and method for data acquisition using an imaging apparatus

A method, comprising:

• integrating input charge during an integration period via an integrator of a current-to-frequency converter, wherein the input charge is indicative of radiation detected by a detector tile of an imaging system;
• generating a pulse with a comparator of the current-to-frequency converter when the integrated charge exceeds a predetermined threshold during the integration period;
• sampling the integrated charge at a beginning of the integration period and at an end of the integration period;
• converting the sampled integrated charge into a digital signal;
• and
• estimating the input charge for the integration period based on the sampled integrated charge when less than a predetermined number of pulses is generated during the integration period.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a radiation source that generates radiation that traverse an examination region;
• a detector array that detects radiation that traverses the examination region;
• and
• a reconstructor that reconstructs the output of the detector array to generate volumetric image data indicative of the examination region;
• wherein the detector array includes a plurality of detector tiles, and a detector tile includes:
• a scintillator array;
• a photosensor array optically coupled to the scintillator array, wherein the photosensor array includes a plurality of photosensitive pixels;
• a current-to-frequency (I/F) converter, including:
• an integrator that integrates charge output by a photosensitive pixel during an integration period and generates a signal indicative thereof;
• and
• a comparator generates a pulse when the generated signal exceeds a predetermined threshold during the integration period;
• circuitry that samples the generated signal at a beginning of the integration period and at an end of the integration period and generates digital data indicative thereof;
• and
• logic that estimates the charge at the input of the integrator based on the generated digital data if the comparator generates less than a predetermined number of pulses in the integration period and based on pulses generated by the comparator if the comparator generates at least the predetermined number of pulses is in the integration period.