Methods and systems for monitoring events related to X-ray tubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12137512-B2
Application number	US-202117165388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 2, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

The present approach relates to generating one or both of a failure prediction indication for an X-ray tube or a remaining useful life estimate for the X-ray tube. In one implementation, a complexity of a regression model is selected based on the operating points utilized by an imaging system for the X-ray tube, where the regression model estimates coefficients utilized by a static tube model in estimating health (e.g., thickness) of the electron emitter of the X-ray tube, which in turn may be used in predicting remaining useful life of an electron emitter of the X-ray tube. In another implementation, replacement of an X-ray tube or a component of a filament drive circuit coupled to the X-ray tube may be detected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for constructing an X-ray tube model for utilizing in assessing health of an X-ray tube, comprising:
acquiring training data points for a respective X-ray tube after installation of the X-ray tube in an imaging system;
determining a number of operating points utilized in the imaging system for the respective X-ray tube; and
selecting a regression model from a plurality of regression models based on the number of operating points, wherein each regression model uses the training data points to derive respective values for a plurality of coefficients.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating points comprise mA-kV settings that characterize each respective training data point.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each regression model of the plurality of regression models comprises a different number of coefficients for the plurality of coefficients, or a different form of the regression model.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising constructing the X-ray tube model using the plurality of coefficients estimated by the selected regression model.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the X-ray tube model returns an estimate of a variable related to emitter resistance in response to input data points.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the X-ray tube model comprises a model relating X-ray tube voltage and electron emitter current with X-ray tube current.

Assignees

• Ge Prec Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Inamdar Munish Vishwas
• Panchal Kiran
• Xu Rui
• Wiedmann Uwe

Classifications

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G16H40/40 Primary

  for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades · CPC title

• G01N23/046

  using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/586 Primary

  Detection of faults or malfunction of the device · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title