Multi-spectral x-ray imaging using conventional equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016711-B2
Application number	US-202017637954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

An X-ray imaging apparatus (XI) including an X-ray source (XS) with a cathode (C) and an anode (A). The source (XS) is to generate an X-radiation beam (XB). An X-ray detector (XD) detects the X-radiation after interaction with an imaged object (OB). The beam (XB) has different spectra on its anode side (AS) and cathode side (CS) caused by the heel effect when the X-ray source (XS) is in operation. -ray imaging apparatus (XI) has a heel-effect-harnessing (HH) mechanism configured to cause a pixel (PX) of the detector (XD) to be alternately exposed to both, the anode side (AS) and the cathode side (CS) of the beam (XB).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An X-ray imaging apparatus, comprising:
an X-ray source comprising a cathode and an anode configured to generate an X-ray beam;
an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray beam after interaction with an imaged object, the X-ray beam having different spectra on an anode side and a cathode side caused by a heel effect when the X-ray source is in operation; and
a heel-effect-harnessing mechanism configured to cause a pixel of the X-ray detector to be alternately exposed to the anode side and the cathode side of the X-ray beam by changing an imaging geometry by controlling actuators in concert with a timing of read-out activity, the actuators acting on at least one of the X-ray source, a patient examination table, and the X-ray detector.

2. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heel-effect-harnessing mechanism causes a relative motion between the object and the X-ray beam.

3. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the relative motion is caused by motion of at least a part of a support on which the imaged object resides during imaging, and/or or is caused by a motion of the X-ray source.

4. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the relative motion of the X-ray source is transversal and/or is rotatory so that respective positions of the anode and the cathode are changed.

5. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heel-effect-harnessing mechanism causes a motion of the support and/or the X-ray source so as to increase a distance between the X-ray source and the object.

6. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of pixels is exposed to obtain two sets of intensity readings for the plurality of pixels, at least one for each of the two spectra, the X-ray apparatus further including a spectral imaging processor configured to compute spectral imagery for the object based one two sets of intensity readings.

7. A method for acquiring an image in an X-ray imaging apparatus, the method comprising:
providing an X-ray source comprising a cathode and an anode, the X-ray source being configured to generate an X-ray beam;
providing an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray beam after interaction with an imaged object, the X-ray beam having different spectra on an anode side and a cathode side caused by a heel effect when the X-ray source is in operation; and
alternately exposing a pixel of the X-ray detector to the anode side and the cathode side of the X-ray beam by changing a imaging geometry by controlling actuators in concert with a timing of read-out activity, the actuators acting on at least one of the X-ray source, a patient examination table, and the detector.

8. A method for acquiring an image in an X-ray imaging apparatus, the method comprising:
providing an X-ray source to generate an X-ray beam;
providing an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray beam after interaction with an imaged object; and
alternately exposing a pixel of the X-ray detector to the X-ray beam at first and second spectrum by moving a movable filter arranged between the X-ray source and the object so as to change at least locally a spectrum of the X-ray beam into the first and second spectrum.

9. The method as per claim 8 , wherein two measurement values are detected at different spectra by alternately exposing the pixel, and further comprising processing the two measurement values by a spectral imaging algorithm.

10. The method as per claim 9 , wherein the spectral imaging algorithm is implemented as a machine learning algorithm.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Goossen André
• Grass Michael

Classifications

• A61B6/5264

  due to motion · CPC title

• A61B6/4452

  the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other · CPC title

• A61B6/0487

  Motor-assisted positioning · CPC title

• A61B6/5258

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise · CPC title

• A61B6/482

  involving multiple energy imaging · CPC title