Photon counting detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10575801-B2
Application number	US-201715617994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A photon-counting detector includes a first subset of detector modules and at least one second subset of detector modules. Each detector module has power-consuming circuitry. Power-consuming circuitry of detector modules in the first subset is configured, in an operational mode in which the detector modules are powered on, to consume a first amount of power. Correspondingly, power-consuming circuitry of detector modules in the at least one second subset is configured, in the operational mode, to consume a second amount of power that is lower than the first amount of power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photon-counting detector comprising:
a first subset of detector modules; and
at least one second subset of detector modules, wherein,
each detector module has power-consuming circuitry comprising analog processing circuitry and digital processing circuitry, the analog processing circuitry of detector modules in said first subset is configured, in an operational mode in which said detector modules are powered on, to consume a first non-zero amount of power, and
the analog processing circuitry of detector modules in said at least one second subset is configured, in said operational mode, to consume a second non-zero amount of power that is lower than said first non-zero amount of power.

2. The photon-counting detector according to claim 1 , wherein,
said first subset of detector modules is a central subset of detector modules;
said at least one second subset of detector modules is at least one peripheral subset of detector modules arranged on a respective side of said central subset along an axis of said photon-counting detector;
said analog processing circuitry of said detector modules in said central subset is configured, in said operational mode, to consume said first non-zero amount of power; and
said analog processing circuitry of said detector modules in said at least one peripheral subset is configured, in said operational mode, to consume said second non-zero amount of power.

3. The photon-counting detector according to claim 2 , comprising:
a first peripheral subset of detector modules arranged on a first side of said central subset along said axis of said photon-counting detector; and
a second peripheral subset of detector modules arranged on a second, opposite side of said central subset along said axis of said photon-counting detector.

4. The photon-counting detector according to claim 1 , wherein each power-consuming circuitry is a respective application specific integrated circuit, ASIC.

5. The photon-counting detector according to claim 4 , wherein
each ASIC comprises at least one respective input channel connected to a respective detector element in said detector module;
each input channel comprises a respective amplifier;
said respective amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said first subset is configured, in said operational mode, to consume a third non-zero amount of power; and
said respective amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset is configured, in said operational mode, to consume a fourth non-zero amount of power that is lower than said third non-zero amount of power.

6. The photon-counting detector according to claim 4 , wherein
each ASIC comprises at least one respective input channel connected to a respective detector element in said detector module;
each input channel comprises a respective charge sensitive amplifier;
said respective charge sensitive amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said first subset has a first non-zero current consumption in said operational mode; and
said respective charge sensitive amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset has a second non-zero current consumption in said operational mode, said second non-zero current consumption is lower than said first non-zero current consumption.

7. The photon-counting detector according to claim 4 , wherein
each ASIC comprises multiple input channels connected to a respective detector element in said detector module;
each input channel comprises a respective charge sensitive amplifier;
a total current consumption of said respective charge sensitive amplifiers in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset is lower than a total current consumption of said respective charge sensitive amplifiers in said ASICs of said detector modules in said first subset.

8. The photon-counting detector according to claim 7 , wherein
said first subset comprises multiple silicon detector modules; and
said at least one second subset comprises multiple silicon detector modules.

9. The photon-counting detector according to claim 1 , wherein,
said photon-counting detector is a photon-counting edge-on detector and each detector module having a respective edge facing incident X-rays; and
a total area of said edges of said multiple detector modules is greater than 200 centimeters squared (cm 2 ).

10. An X-ray detector system comprising:
a photon-counting detector according to claim 1 ; and
a detector controller connected to said photon-counting detector and configured to
i) select an operational mode for detector modules in said at least one second subset based on a control signal; and
ii) control said detector modules in said at least one second subset to operate in said selected operational mode in which said analog processing circuitry of said detector modules in said at least one second subset is configured to consume a non-zero amount of power that is lower than a non-zero amount of power consumed by said analog processing circuitry of said detector modules in said first subset.

11. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , wherein
each power-consuming circuitry is a respective application specific integrated circuit, ASIC;
each ASIC comprises at least one respective input channel connected to a respective detector element in said detector module;
each input channel comprises a respective amplifier; and
said detector controller is configured to set a current input to said respective amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset at a non-zero current level that is lower than a non-zero current level of a current input to said respective amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said first subset.

12. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , wherein
each power-consuming circuitry is a respective application specific integrated circuit, ASIC;
each ASIC comprises multiple input channels connected to a respective detector element in said detector module;
each input channel comprises a respective charge sensitive amplifier; and
said detector controller is configured to set a respective current input to said respective charge sensitive amplifier in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset so that a total current consumption of said respective charge sensitive amplifiers in said ASICs of said detector modules in said at least one second subset is lower than a total current consumption of said respective charge sensitive amplifiers in said ASICs of said detector modules in said first subset.

13. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , wherein said detector controller is configured to select said operational mode based on said control signal generated by a user input device.

14. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , wherein said detector controller is configured to select said operational mode based on said control signal representing an imaging mode among multiple imaging modes for said photon-counting detector, wherein each imaging mode of said multiple imaging modes is adapted to at least one respective organ or tissue to be imaged.

15. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of said photon-counting detector and generate said control signal representing a temperature of said photon-counting detector.

16. The X-ray detector system according to claim 10 , wherein said detector controller is configured to s

Assignees

• Prismatic Sensors Ab

Inventors

• Danielsson Mats
• Karlsson Staffan
• Liu Xuejin
• Sjölin Martin
• BJÖRKLID Anders
• Hjärn Torbjörn

Classifications

• A61B6/4035

  the source being combined with a filter or grating · CPC title

• A61B6/482

  involving multiple energy imaging · CPC title

• A61B6/4488

  Means for cooling (A61B6/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B6/4241 Primary

  using energy resolving detectors, e.g. photon counting · CPC title

• G01T1/17

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector {(pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R)} · CPC title