Apparatus for X-ray imaging an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10779776-B2
Application number	US-201615779107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for X-ray imaging an object. It is described to provide (20) data relating to the detection of X-rays, wherein an X-ray detector is configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray source such that at least a part of a region between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector is an examination region for accommodating an object. An X-ray interferometer arrangement is configured to be positioned relative to the examination region. At least one X-ray dark field factor and at least one transmission factor are determined for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object is determined. An intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object is controlled as a function of the determined at least one dark field factor and the determined at least one transmission factor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for X-ray imaging an object, comprising:
providing data relating to the detection of X-rays, wherein an X-ray detector is configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray source such that at least a part of a region between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector is an examination region for accommodating an object, and wherein an X-ray interferometer is configured to be positioned between the X-ray source and the examination region or the X-ray detector and the examination region;
determining at least one dark field factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object;
determining at least one transmission factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object; and
automatically controlling an intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a function of the determined at least one dark field factor and the determined at least one transmission factor.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a monotonically decreasing function of the determined at least one dark field factor, and/or controlling the intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted toward the at least part of the object as a monotonically decreasing function of the determined at least one transmission factor.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a function of the reciprocal of the square root of the determined at least one transmission factor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the at least one transmission factor, and positioning the X-ray interferometer relative to the examination region such that X-rays detected by the X-ray detector have not all passed through the X-ray interferometer arrangement; and determining at least one dark field factor as a function of the at least one transmission factor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one transmission factor is a fraction of intensity of the X-ray radiation transmitted through the at least part of the object.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one dark field factor is a fraction by which a fringe visibility is reduced by the at least part of the object.

7. An apparatus for X-ray imaging an object, comprising:
an X-ray detector configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray source such that at least a part of a region between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector is an examination region for accommodating the object, the X-ray detector being configured to provide data relating to detection of X-rays having at least partially passed through an X-ray interferometer, wherein the X-ray interferometer is configured to be positioned between the X-ray source and the examination region or the X-ray detector and the examination region; and
a processor configured to determine at least one transmission factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object, the processor being configured to determine at least one dark field factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object, the processor being configured to automatically control an intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a function of the determined at least one transmission factor and the determined at least one dark field factor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to control the intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a monotonically decreasing function of the determined at least one dark field factor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to control the intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a monotonically decreasing function of the determined at least one transmission factor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the X-ray interferometer is positionable relative to the examination region such that X-rays detected by the X-ray detector have not all passed through the X-ray interferometer; and wherein the processor is configured to determine the at least one dark field factor as a function of the at least one transmission factor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a region of interest within the portion of the object, and the wherein the at least one part of the object is the region of interest.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one transmission factor is a fraction of intensity of the X-ray radiation transmitted through the at least part of the object.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one dark field factor is a fraction by which a fringe visibility is reduced by the at least part of the object.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for X-ray imaging an object, the method comprising:
providing data relating to the detection of X-rays, wherein an X-ray detector is configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray source such that at least a part of a region between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector is an examination region for accommodating an object, and wherein an X-ray interferometer is configured to be positioned between the X-ray source and the examination region or the X-ray detector and the examination region;
determining at least one dark field factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object;
determining at least one transmission factor for the X-ray radiation transmitted through at least part of the object; and
automatically controlling an intensity of X-ray radiation to be emitted towards the at least part of the object as a function of the determined at least one dark field factor and the determined at least one transmission factor.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Koehler Thomas
• Maack Hanns-Ingo
• Pralow Thomas

Classifications

• A61B6/405 Primary

  Source units specially adapted to modify characteristics of the beam during the data acquisition process (A61B6/4021, A61B6/4035 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B6/4291

  the detector being combined with a grid or grating · CPC title

• A61B6/5294

  involving using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/542

  involving control of exposure · CPC title

• A61B6/4035

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