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US 9,168,008 B2Granted
Coarse segmented detector architecture and method of making same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAbdelaziz Ikhlef, Jeffrey Alan Kautzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A CT system includes a rotatable gantry having an opening to receive an object to be scanned, the rotatable gantry having a detector mounting surface, an x-ray source attached to the gantry and configured to project an x-ray beam toward the object, a plurality of detector modules each mounted within one field-of-view (FOV) and mounted directly to the detector mounting surface of the rotatable gantry, a data acquisition system (DAS) configured to receive outputs from at least one of the plurality of detector modules, and a computer programmed to acquire projections of imaging data of the object from the DAS, and generate an image of the object using the imaging data.
Claims17
A computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
- a rotatable gantry having an opening to receive an object to be scanned, the rotatable gantry having a detector mounting surface;
- an x-ray source attached to the gantry and configured to project an x-ray beam toward the object;
- a plurality of detector modules each mounted within one field-of-view (FOV) and mounted directly to the detector mounting surface of the rotatable gantry;
- a data acquisition system (DAS) configured to receive outputs from at least one of the plurality of detector modules;
- and
- a computer programmed to:
- acquire projections of imaging data of the object from the DAS;
- and
- generate an image of the object using the imaging data;
- wherein each of the plurality of detector modules comprises:
- an L-shaped mounting bracket having a first leg and a second leg, wherein the first leg is attached to the detector mounting surface of the rotatable gantry;
- a collimator array attached to the second leg of the L-shaped mounting bracket;
- an electronics board attached to both the second leg of the L-shaped mounting bracket and the collimator array, the electronics board being attached to an underside of the second leg that is opposite from a surface of the second leg at which the x-ray beam strikes the detector module;
- and
- analog to digital (A/D) application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) conversion chips attached to the electronics board that generate digital signals to be provided as the outputs from the detector module.
12 more elements
A method of fabricating a computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
- fabricating a gantry having a detector mounting surface;
- attaching an x-ray source to the gantry such that x-rays emit from the x-ray source and through a rotational axis;
- fabricating each of a plurality of detector modules configured to receive the x-rays from the x-ray source, wherein fabricating each of the plurality of detector modules comprises:
- providing an L-shaped mounting bracket comprising a first leg and a second leg;
- attaching a collimator array to the second leg;
- attaching an electronics board to the second leg and to the collimator array, with the electronics board securing the collimator array to the second leg;
- coupling a diode array comprised of several frontlit diode arrays or backlit diode arrays to the electronics board such that the x-rays pass generally orthogonal to a surface of the diode array;
- and
- coupling a scintillator to the surface of the diode array;
- and
- attaching, within one field-of-view (FOV), each of the plurality of detector modules directly to the detector mounting surface such that the x-rays also emit to the detector modules, with a module mounting surface of the first leg being attached to the detector mounting surface;
- wherein the electronics board is attached to the second leg and to the collimator array such that the electronics board is generally orthogonal to x-rays passing there through and from the x-ray source;
- and
- wherein the collimator array is aligned lengthwise with the second leg, being positioned at an end of the second leg opposite from where the second leg is joined to the first leg.
11 more elements
A computed tomography (CT) detector module comprising:
- a collimator array;
- an electronics board;
- analog to digital (A/D) application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) conversion chips;
- and
- an L-shaped mounting bracket having a first leg and a second leg;
- wherein the first leg is configured to be mounted directly onto a rotatable gantry of a CT system;
- wherein each of the electronics board and the collimator array is mounted on the second leg so as to be positioned orthogonal with respect to x-rays emitted from an x-ray source that is positioned on the rotatable gantry, the collimator array being mounted on the second leg so as to be aligned lengthwise therewith and positioned at an end of the second leg opposite from where the second leg is joined to the first leg;
- and
- wherein the A/D ASIC conversion chips are mounted on the electronics board, with the A/D ASIC conversion chips performing an analog to digital conversion of electrical signals generated by the CT detector module responsive to x-rays received thereby.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.