X-ray apparatus including x-ray reflector and method for operating the x-ray apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229411-B2
Application number	US-201916526186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

An X-ray apparatus includes an X-ray source embodied to generate X-rays; an X-ray detector; and an X-ray reflector. The X-ray reflector is embodied to reflect X-rays generated by the X-ray source such that the reflected X-rays hit the X-ray detector. The X-ray detector is in particular embodied to detect the X-rays. The X-ray apparatus can, on the one hand, enlarge the available space above a patient. Furthermore, focusing via the X-ray reflector enables the power of the X-ray source to be increased while retaining a constant spatial resolution or the spatial resolution to be improved while retaining a constant power of the X-ray source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray apparatus, comprising:
an X-ray source embodied to generate X-rays;
an X-ray detector; and
an X-ray-reflector, embodied to reflect the X-rays generated by the X-ray source such that reflected X-rays hit the X-ray detector, wherein
the X-ray reflector and the X-ray detector are rotatable simultaneously about at least one of a common first axis of rotation and
a common second axis of rotation.

2. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-rays generated by the X-ray source are propagated between the X-ray source and the X-ray-reflector along a first direction, and wherein the X-rays are propagated between the X-ray-reflector and the X-ray detector along a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction.

3. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray detector is arranged orthogonally to the second direction.

4. The X-ray apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the X-ray reflector is arranged orthogonally to a third direction, wherein the third direction is a bisector of a negative first direction and the second direction.

5. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray reflector is arranged orthogonally to a third direction, wherein the third direction is a bisector of a negative first direction and the second direction.

6. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray-reflector is embodied to focus the X-rays generated by the X-ray source.

7. The X-ray apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes a concave side, embodied to reflect the X-rays generated by the X-ray source.

8. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes at least one of a coated mirror, a multi-layer mirror, and a crystal monochromator.

9. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a Fresnel zone plate and a refractive X-ray lens.

10. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray-reflector is embodied to focus the X-rays generated by the X-ray source.

11. The X-ray apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes a concave side, embodied to reflect the X-rays generated by the X-ray source.

12. The X-ray apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes at least one of a coated mirror, a multi-layer mirror, and a crystal monochromator.

13. The X-ray apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes at least one of a coated mirror, a multi-layer mirror, and a crystal monochromator.

14. The X-ray apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising at least one of a Fresnel zone plate and a refractive X-ray lens.

15. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes at least one of a coated mirror, a multi-layer mirror, and a crystal monochromator.

16. The X-ray apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of a Fresnel zone plate and a refractive X-ray lens.

17. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray-reflector includes a multi-layer mirror, wherein the X-rays generated by the X-ray source are monochromatic, and wherein a layer thickness of the multi-layer mirror is matched to a wavelength of the monochromatic X-rays.

18. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a patient support apparatus, wherein the patient support apparatus is arranged in a beam path of the X-rays between the X-ray reflector and the X-ray detector.

19. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a Fresnel zone plate and a refractive X-ray lens.

20. An X-ray apparatus, comprising:
an X-ray source embodied to generate X-rays;
an X-ray detector;
an X-ray-reflector, embodied to reflect the X-rays generated by the X-ray source such that reflected X-rays hit the X-ray detector; and
at least one of a Fresnel zone plate and a refractive X-ray lens.

21. The X-ray apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising a patient support apparatus arranged in a beam path of the X-rays, generated by the X-ray source, between the X-ray reflector and the X-ray detector.

22. A method for operating an X-ray apparatus, comprising:
receiving an examination region;
generating X-rays via an X-ray source of the X-ray apparatus;
first setting of at least one of a position and an orientation of an X-ray reflector of the X-ray apparatus so that the X-rays generated by the X-ray source are reflected by the X-ray-reflector to irradiate the examination region; and
detecting the X-rays via an X-ray detector of the X-ray apparatus, wherein
the X-ray reflector and the X-ray detector are rotatable simultaneously about at least one of a common first axis of rotation; and
a common second axis of rotation.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first setting of at least one of the position and the orientation of the X-ray-reflector of the X-ray apparatus includes first setting of the at least one of the position and the orientation of the X-ray reflector of the X-ray apparatus such that an angle of reflection of the X-rays generated by the X-ray source corresponds to a specified angle of reflection.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
second setting of at least one of a position and an orientation of the X-ray detector of the X-ray apparatus so that the X-ray detector is arranged orthogonally to the X-rays reflected by the X-ray-reflector.

25. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
second setting of at least one of a position and an orientation of the X-ray detector of the X-ray apparatus so that the X-ray detector is arranged orthogonally to the X-rays reflected by the X-ray-reflector.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program segments downloadable and executable by a processor, to perform the method of claim 22 , when the program segments are executed by the processor.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program segments downloadable and executable by a processor, to perform the method of claim 25 , when the program segments are executed by the processor.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Wiets Michael
• Wiets Philipp

Classifications

• A61B6/54

  Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis · CPC title

• A61B6/4233

  using matrix detectors · CPC title

• A61B6/40 Primary

  Arrangements for generating radiation specially adapted for radiation diagnosis · CPC title

• G21K2201/062

  the element being a crystal · CPC title

• G21K1/067

  using surface reflection, e.g. grazing incidence mirrors, gratings (multilayer mirrors G21K1/062) · CPC title