Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080230709 | ENERGY DISCRIMINATING DETECTOR DIFFERENT MATERIALS DIRECT CONVERSION LAYERS - A diagnostic imaging system includes a high frequency electromagnetic energy source that emits a beam of high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged. An energy discriminating (ED) detector receives high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the high frequency electromagnetic energy source. The ED detector includes a first direct conversion layer and a second direct conversion layer. The first direct conversion layer comprises a first direct conversion material and the second direct conversion layer comprises a second direct conversion material that is different from the first direct conversion material. A data acquisition system (DAS) is operably connected to the ED detector and a computer operably connected to the DAS. | 09-25-2008 |
20080240339 | ENERGY DISCRIMINATING DETECTOR WITH DIRECT CONVERSION LAYER AND INDIRECT CONVERSION LAYER - A diagnostic imaging system includes a high frequency electromagnetic energy source that emits a beam of high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged. An energy discriminating (ED) detector receives high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the high frequency electromagnetic energy source. The ED detector includes a direct conversion layer dynamically operable in a photon counting mode in one view and in an integrating mode in another view and an indirect conversion layer. A data acquisition system (DAS) is operably connected to the ED detector and a computer operably connected to the DAS. | 10-02-2008 |
20080273666 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DENSITY AND EFFECTIVE ATOMIC NUMBER IMAGING - A system and method of density and effective atomic number imaging include a computer programmed to acquire projection data from the detector of an unknown material at the time of projection data acquisition. The computer is also programmed to generate a density image for the unknown material based on a calibration of two or more known basis materials and to generate an effective atomic number (Z) for the unknown material based on the calibration of two or more known basis materials and based on a function arctan of a ratio of atomic numbers of the two or more known basis materials. The density and effective atomic number images are stored to a computer readable storage medium. | 11-06-2008 |
20080304618 | DIRECT CONVERSION ENERGY DISCRIMINATING CT DETECTOR WITH OVER-RANGING CORRECTION - A CT detector capable of energy discrimination and direct conversion is disclosed. The detector includes multiple layers of semiconductor material with the layers having varying thicknesses. The detector is constructed to be segmented in the x-ray penetration direction so as to optimize count rate performance as well as avoid saturation. The detector also includes variable pixel pitch and a flexible binning of pixels to further enhance count rate performance. | 12-11-2008 |
20090039273 | HIGH DQE PHOTON COUNTING DETECTOR USING STATISTICAL RECOVERY OF PILE-UP EVENTS - A photon-counting detector includes a direct conversion material constructed to directly convert an energy of at least one incident photon to an electrical signal indicative of the energy level of the at least one individual photon and a data acquisition system (DAS). The DAS includes a first comparator having a first signal level threshold that is less than an electrical signal level that is indicative of a maximum energy of a spectrum of photons, the first comparator configured to output a count when the electrical signal level exceeds the first signal level threshold, and a second comparator having a second signal level threshold that is greater than or equal to the electrical signal level indicative of the maximum energy of the spectrum of photons, the second comparator configured to output a count when the electrical signal exceeds the second signal level threshold. The DAS further includes a device configured to determine a photon count based on the counts from the first and second comparators and to output the photon count for image reconstruction. | 02-12-2009 |
20090052621 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BASIS MATERIAL DECOMPOSITION WITH K-EDGE MATERIALS - A diagnostic imaging system includes a high frequency electromagnetic energy source that emits a beam of high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged, a detector that receives high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the high frequency electromagnetic energy source, and a data acquisition system (DAS) operably connected to the detector. A computer is operably connected to the DAS and is programmed to generate corresponding sets of projection values for three or more energy spectra through employment of attenuation coefficients of three or more basis materials to simulate responses of the diagnostic imaging system to a plurality of lengths of the three or more basis materials wherein the three or more basis materials comprise two or more non K-edge basis materials and one or more K-edge basis materials. | 02-26-2009 |
20090080601 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLEXIBLY BINNING ENERGY DISCRIMINATING DATA - A CT detector includes a direct conversion material configured to generate electrical charge upon reception of x-rays, a plurality of metallized anodes configured to collect electrical charges generated in the direct conversion material, at least one readout device, and a redistribution layer having a plurality of electrical pathways configured to route the electrical charges from the plurality of metallized anodes to the at least one readout device. A plurality of switches is coupled to the plurality of electrical pathways between the plurality of metallized anodes and the at least one readout device, wherein each of the plurality of switches includes an input line electrically coupled to one of the plurality of metallized anodes, a first output node electrically coupled to the at least one readout device, and a second output node electrically coupled to at least one other switch of the plurality of switches. | 03-26-2009 |
20090128216 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TIME-TO-VOLTAGE CONVERSION WITH LOCK-OUT LOGIC - An event time stamping system comprising a current source, an integrator comprising an input and an output, and configured to output a voltage proportional to the length of time the current source is coupled to the input, and one or more switches configured to couple the current source to the input of the integrator upon receipt of an event signal and configured to de-couple the current source from the input of the integrator upon receipt of a control trigger. The system further comprises a lock-out signal generator configured to generate a lock-out signal, and a controller coupled to the one or more switches, wherein the controller is configured to generate the control trigger based on the lock-out signal to ensure a minimum integration time. | 05-21-2009 |
20090129537 | DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM FOR PHOTON COUNTING AND ENERGY DISCRIMINATING DETECTORS - A data acquisition system including a readout Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) having a plurality of channels, each channel having a time discriminating circuit and an energy discriminating circuit, wherein the ASIC is configured to receive a plurality of signals from a semiconductor radiation detector. The data acquisition system also includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) electrically coupled to the ASIC and configured to provide a reference signal to the ASIC used in the generation of digital outputs from the ASIC, and a controller electrically coupled to the ASIC and to the DAC, the controller configured to instruct the DAC to provide the reference signal to the ASIC. | 05-21-2009 |
20090129538 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF ENERGY INTEGRATING AND PHOTON COUNTING USING LAYERED PHOTON COUNTING DETECTOR - A diagnostic imaging system includes an x-ray source that emits a beam of x-ray energy toward an object to be imaged and an energy discriminating (ED) detector that receives the x-ray energy emitted by the x-ray energy source. The ED detector includes a first layer having a first thickness, wherein the first layer comprises a semiconductor configurable to operate in at least an integrating mode and a second layer having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and configured to receive x-rays that pass through the first layer. The system further includes a data acquisition system (DAS) operably connected to the ED detector and a computer that is operably connected to the DAS. The computer is programmed to identify saturated data in the second layer and substitute the saturated data with non-saturated data from a corresponding pixel in the first layer. | 05-21-2009 |
20090132789 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CHANNEL-SPECIFIC CONFIGURATION IN A READOUT ASIC - An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) comprising a plurality of channels, each channel having circuitry for time and energy discrimination, a plurality of programmable registers, each programmable register configured to output at least one configuration parameter for the circuitry, and a channel-select register configured to identify a channel of the plurality of channels to be configured. The ASIC further includes a configuration-select register configured to identify the programmable register to be used for channel configuration, and a communications interface configured to transmit instructions received from a controller to one of the channel-select register, the configuration-select register, and the plurality of programmable registers. | 05-21-2009 |
20090232277 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSPECTION OF ITEMS OF INTEREST IN OBJECTS - An inspection system is provided. The inspection system includes at least one radiation source including single or multiple energies and configured to transmit a radiation beam through an object under inspection. The inspection system further includes an array of detectors configured to receive multiple radiation beams transmitted through the object, wherein the array of detectors are oriented at different angles with respect to the radiation beam and wherein at least one of the radiation source, and the array of detectors or the object is configured to be actuated in a translational direction relative to each other. The inspection system further includes processing circuitry coupled to the array of detectors and configured to generate a three dimensional image of the object. | 09-17-2009 |
20100019163 | Radiation Detector Power Management For Portable/Handheld Applications - A radiation detector includes at least one multiple channel pixellated detector driven via a plurality of pixellated anode electrodes and at least one planar cathode electrode. Each detector is configured to reduce the number of active pixellated anode electrodes until a rate of events detected via at least one corresponding planar cathode electrode exceeds a preset threshold above a background count rate within a predetermined time period. | 01-28-2010 |
20100148082 | Radiation Detecting Pixel Array Signal Routing - An embodiment of the invention includes a radiation detecting pixel array. The radiation detecting pixel array includes a substrate, a plurality of radiation detecting pixels arranged in a grid pattern on the substrate, a signal routing array embedded within the substrate in operative communication with the plurality of radiation detecting pixels, and at least two symmetrical communication channels arranged on each of two sides of the grid pattern. The signal routing array is formed of communication channels configured to provide operative communication between any of the plurality of radiation detecting pixels and each of the at least two symmetrical communication channels. | 06-17-2010 |
20100166142 | METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF HIGH ATOMIC NUMBER ELEMENTS - Disclosed herein is a method for detecting high atomic number elements in an article by using radiation having two different energies. The detecting of high atomic number elements can be accomplished by using an algorithm, curve fitting or using a data table. Disclosed herein too is a radiation system that uses the aforementioned method for detecting high atomic number elements. | 07-01-2010 |
20100327173 | Integrated Direct Conversion Detector Module - A detector module comprises: a direct conversion crystal for converting incident photons into electrical signals, the direct conversion crystal having an anode layer deposited on a first surface and a cathode layer deposited on a second surface; a redistribution layer deposited on the anode layer, the redistribution layer configured to adapt a pad array layout of the direct conversion crystal to a predetermined lead pattern; an integrated circuit in electrical communication with the direct conversion crystal; and a plurality of input/output electrical paths connected to the redistribution layer to provide connectivity between the imaging module and another level of interconnect. | 12-30-2010 |
20100329425 | READOUT ELECTRONICS FOR PHOTON COUNTING AND ENERGY DISCRIMINATING DETECTORS - A data acquisition system includes a charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA) configured to receive a charge from an x-ray detector, the CSA includes a high-gain electronic voltage amplifier, an electrical energy storage device coupled with the amplifier, and an electrical resistor coupled with the amplifier. The data acquisition system includes a baseline sampling circuit configured to receive an output from the CSA and to sample a baseline signal from the CSA, at least one discriminator coupled to an output of the CSA and to an output of the baseline sampling circuit, the at least one discriminator configured to output a voltage if the output of the CSA exceeds a threshold, and a counter coupled to an output of the discriminator and configured to output a digital signal indicative of a photon count received at the x-ray detector and based on the output from the CSA and on the signal from the CSA. | 12-30-2010 |
20110297838 | CHARGE LOSS CORRECTION - The present disclosure relates to the correction of charge loss in a radiation detector. In one embodiment, correction factors for charge loss may be determined based on depth of interaction and lateral position within a radiation detector of a charge creating event. The correction factors may be applied to subsequently measured signals to correct for the occurrence of charge loss in the measured signals. | 12-08-2011 |
20120008828 | TARGET-LINKED RADIATION IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging detection system includes at least one location detection device configured to determine coordinates of a target, at least one detector configured to detect events from a source associated with the target, and a processor coupled in communication with the at least one location detection device and the at least one detector. The processor is configured to receive the coordinates from the at least one location detection device and the events from the at least one detector, translate the events using the coordinates acquired from the at least one location detection device to compensate for a relative motion between the source and the at least one detector, and output a processed data set having the events translated based on the coordinates. | 01-12-2012 |
20130161523 | RADIATION DETECTOR WITH VOLTAGE-BIASED FOCUS GRID - A radiation detector is provided employing a focus grid electrode. The focus grid electrode is biased relative to one or more anode electrodes. In this manner, movement of electrons to the anode electrodes may be enhanced, such as due to a higher electrical field strength in a conversion material and/or due to focusing of the resulting electrical field on the anode electrodes. | 06-27-2013 |