Driving of an X-ray detector to compensate for cross scatter in an X-ray imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10788595-B2
Application number	US-201716078811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for imaging an object. It is described to receive (110) by at least a portion of first pixels of a first area (A, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8) of an X-ray detector (20) first radiation emitted by at least one X-ray source (30). The X-ray detector is configured such that X-ray radiation received by a pixel leads to the generation of signal in that pixel. A plurality of first signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of first pixels are stored (120) in at least one first plurality of storage nodes associated with the first area. Second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source (30) is received (150) by at least a portion of second pixels of a second area (B, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8; C) of the X-ray detector. A plurality of second signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of second pixels are stored (190) in at least one second plurality of storage nodes associated with the second area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for imaging an object, comprising:
an X-ray detector;
at least one X-ray source;
wherein the at least one X-ray source is configured to be positioned relative to the X-ray detector such that at least a part of the region between the at least one X-ray source and the X-ray detector is an examination region for accommodating an object;
wherein the X-ray detector comprises a plurality of X-ray detecting areas, the plurality of X-ray detecting areas comprising a first area comprising a plurality of first pixels and a second area comprising a plurality of second pixels;
wherein a first radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by at least a portion of the first pixels, and a second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by at least a portion of the second pixels, and the first radiation is a pulse of radiation and the second radiation is another pulse of radiation that is different than the first radiation, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the X-ray radiation received by a pixel leads to the generation of signal in that pixel;
wherein the X-ray detector comprises at least one first plurality of storage nodes associated with the first area and at least one second plurality of storage nodes associated with the second area, wherein the at least one first plurality of storage nodes is configured to store a plurality of first signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of first pixels and the at least one second plurality of storage nodes is configured to store a plurality of second signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of second pixels;
wherein the at least one second plurality of storage nodes is configured to store the plurality of second signals after the at least one first plurality of storage nodes is configured to store the plurality of first signals; and
wherein the X-ray detector comprises at least one reset, the at least one reset configured to reset the plurality of first pixels and configured to reset the plurality of second pixels, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the first radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of first pixels before the at least one reset resets the plurality of second pixels and the detector is configured such that the at least one reset resets the plurality of second pixels before the second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of second pixels.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the X-ray detector comprises at least one first read out associated with the at least one first plurality of storage nodes and at least one second read out associated with the at least one second plurality of storage nodes, wherein the at least one first read out is configured to read out the plurality of first signals and the at least one second read out is configured to read out the plurality of second signals, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of second pixels before read out of the plurality of the first signals is finished.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of second pixels before the at least one reset resets the plurality of first pixels, and the X-ray detector is configured such that the at least one reset resets the plurality of first pixels before a third radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of first pixels.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the third radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by the portion of first pixels before read out of the plurality of the second signals is finished.

5. An X-ray detector for imaging an object, wherein, the X-ray detector comprises a plurality of X-ray detecting areas, the plurality of X-ray detecting areas comprising a first area comprising a plurality of first pixels and a second area comprising a plurality of second pixels;
wherein first radiation emitted by at least one X-ray source is received by at least a portion of the first pixels, and second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is received by at least a portion of the second pixels, and the first radiation is a pulse of radiation and the second radiation is another pulse of radiation that is different than the first radiation, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the X-ray radiation received by a pixel leads to the generation of signal in that pixel;
wherein the X-ray detector comprises at least one first plurality of storage nodes associated with the first area and at least one second plurality of storage nodes associated with the second area, wherein the at least one first plurality of storage nodes is configured to store a plurality of first signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of first pixels and the at least one second plurality of storage nodes is configured to store a plurality of second signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of second pixels;
wherein, the at least one second plurality of storage nodes is configured to store the plurality of second signals after the at least one first plurality of storage nodes is configured to store the plurality of first signals; and
wherein the X-ray detector comprises at least one reset, the at least one reset configured to reset the plurality of first pixels and configured to reset the plurality of second pixels, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that the first radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is receivable by the portion of first pixels before the at least one reset resets the plurality of second pixels and the detector is configured such that the at least one reset resets the plurality of second pixels before the second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source is receivable by the portion of second pixels.

6. A method for imaging an object, comprising:
receiving by at least a portion of first pixels of a first area of an X-ray detector first radiation emitted by at least one X-ray source, and the first radiation is a pulse of radiation, wherein the X-ray detector is configured such that X-ray radiation received by a pixel leads to the generation of signal in that pixel;
storing, in at least one first plurality of storage nodes associated with the first area, a plurality of first signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of first pixels;
resetting the plurality of second pixels;
receiving by at least a portion of second pixels of a second area of the X-ray detector second radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source, and the second radiation is a pulse of radiation that is different than the first radiation; and
storing, in at least one second plurality of storage nodes associated with the second area, a plurality of second signals representative of corresponding signals on the plurality of second pixels.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
reading out by at least one first read out associated with the at least one first plurality of storage nodes the plurality of first signals.

8. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
resetting the plurality of first pixels; and
receiving by the portion of first pixels of the first area of the X-ray detector a third radiation emitted by the at least one X-ray source.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
reading

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Alving Peter Lex
• Steinhauser Heidrun
• Stegehuis Herman

Classifications

• H04N25/771

  comprising storage means other than floating diffusion · CPC title

• H04N23/30

  for generating image signals from X-rays · CPC title

• A61B6/4233 Primary

  using matrix detectors · CPC title

• G01T1/2928 Primary

  using solid state detectors · CPC title

• G01T1/20184

  Detector read-out circuitry, e.g. for clearing of traps, compensating for traps or compensating for direct hits · CPC title