Method for generating an X-ray image dataset

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11540791-B2
Application number	US-202017116073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A method is for generating an X-ray image dataset via an X-ray detector having a converter element and a multiplicity of pixel elements. In an embodiment, the method includes first counting of at least one quantity of count signals dependent upon the incident X-ray radiation in each pixel element of the multiplicity of pixel elements; second counting of at least one quantity of coincidence count signals in each pixel element of the subset of pixel elements with at least one further pixel element of the multiplicity of pixel elements; and generating an X-ray image dataset based upon the at least one quantity of count signals counted in each pixel element of the multiplicity of pixel elements and upon the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals counted in each pixel element of the subset of pixel elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating an X-ray image dataset via a photon-counting X-ray detector, the photon-counting X-ray detector including a converter and a multiplicity of pixel elements, the converter being configured to convert X-ray radiation into an electrical signal, the multiplicity of pixel elements including first pixel elements, and at least a subset of the multiplicity of pixel elements including second pixel elements, the method comprising:
first counting at least one quantity of count signals in a respective first pixel element among the first pixel elements based on X-ray radiation incident on the multiplicity of pixel elements, each count signal among the at least one quantity of count signals being based on a corresponding electrical signal from the converter directly entering the respective first pixel element;
second counting at least one quantity of coincidence count signals in a respective second pixel element among the second pixel elements, a respective coincidence count signal among the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals being based on coincidently occurring electrical signals from the converter directly entering both the respective first pixel element and the respective second pixel element, the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals being counted based on a first output signal of at least one first comparator and a second output signal of at least one second comparator, the at least one first comparator being included in the respective first pixel element, and the at least one second comparator being included in the respective second pixel element; and
generating an X-ray image dataset based on the at least one quantity of count signals and the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the X-ray image dataset comprises:
performing data preprocessing before performing first image reconstruction, the data preprocessing being based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals;
performing second image reconstruction based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals; or
performing postprocessing downstream of performing third image reconstruction, the postprocessing being based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
adapting the at least one quantity of count signals in at least each individual second pixel element among the second pixel elements based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals counted in the individual second pixel element.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the generating the X-ray image dataset comprises:
generating a preliminary image dataset based on the at least one quantity of count signals;
generating a coincidence image dataset based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals; and
applying the coincidence image dataset to the preliminary image dataset.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the generating the X-ray image dataset comprises using a trained function, the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals being an input parameter of the trained function.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein
each respective pixel element among the multiplicity of pixel elements includes a quantity of comparators among a plurality of comparators, each respective comparator among the plurality of comparators including an adjustable energy threshold, the plurality of comparators including the at least one first comparator and the at least one second comparator;
the first counting counts the at least one quantity of count signals based on the first output signal of the at least one first comparator; and
the second counting counts the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals based on the first output signal and the second output signal of the at least one second comparator.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the respective second pixel element is directly adjacent or diagonally adjacent to the respective first pixel element.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting the at least one quantity of count signals in at least each individual second pixel element among the second pixel elements based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals counted in the individual second pixel element.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the X-ray image dataset comprises:
generating a preliminary image dataset based on the at least one quantity of count signals;
generating a coincidence image dataset based on the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals; and
applying the coincidence image dataset to the preliminary image dataset.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the X-ray image dataset comprises using a trained function, the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals being an input parameter of the trained function.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein
each respective pixel element among the multiplicity of pixel elements includes a quantity of comparators among a plurality of comparators, each respective comparator among the plurality of comparators including an adjustable energy threshold, the plurality of comparators including the at least one first comparator and the at least one second comparator;
the first counting counts the at least one quantity of count signals based on the first output signal of the at least one first comparator; and
the second counting counts the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals based on the first output signal and the second output signal of the at least one second comparator.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the adjustable energy threshold of the at least one first comparator and the adjustable energy threshold of the at least one second comparator have a same energy threshold value.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the adjustable energy threshold of the at least one first comparator and the adjustable energy threshold of the at least one second comparator have different energy threshold values.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein
each of the second pixel elements includes two or more comparators; and
the at least one quantity of coincidence count signals includes a plurality of quantities of coincidence count signals, each quantity of coincidence count signals among the plurality of quantities of coincidence count signals being based on a corresponding output signal from a respective comparator among the two or more comparators of the respective second pixel element.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the respective second pixel element is directly adjacent diagonally adjacent to the respective first pixel element.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective second pixel element is directly adjacent or diagonally adjacent to the respective first pixel element.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating coincidence count signals in each of the second pixel elements with respect to between one and 24 first pixel elements,
wherein the second counting counts a single quantity of coincidence count signals for all the first pixel elements.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating coincidence count signals in each of the second pixel elements with respect to between one and 24 first pixel elements,
wherein the second counting counts a separate quantity of coincidence count signals for each of the first pixel elements.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein
the multiplicity of pixel

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Goederer Edgar
• Hupfer Martin
• Kreisler Bjoern
• Petersilka Martin

Classifications

• G06T2211/424

  Iterative · CPC title

• G01T1/247 Primary

  Detector read-out circuitry (for processing gain or off-set correction H04N) · CPC title

• A61B6/4241 Primary

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

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G01T1/161

  Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting {(apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00)} · CPC title