Systems and methods for focus control in X-rays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12501533-B2
Application number	US-202418650039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2024
Priority date	Apr 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A method may include obtaining a feedback or a reference value of a tube voltage applied to a radiation source of a radiation device for generating radiation rays. The method may also include determining, based on the feedback or the reference value of the tube voltage, a specific value of a focusing parameter associated with a focusing device of the radiation device. The method may further include causing the focusing device to shape a focus of the radiation rays according to the determined value of the focusing parameter. The focus of the radiation rays may satisfy an operational constraint under the specific value of the focusing parameter.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A system, comprising:
at least one storage device storing executable instructions, and at least one processor in communication with the at least one storage device, when executing the executable instructions, causing the system to perform operations including:
obtaining a reference value of a tube voltage applied to an x-ray radiation source of an x-ray radiation device for generating x-ray radiation rays;
determining, based on the reference value of the tube voltage, a specific value of a focusing parameter associated with a focusing device of the x-ray radiation device; and
causing the focusing device to shape a focus of the x-ray radiation rays according to the determined value of the focusing parameter, wherein the reference value of the tube voltage is determined based on a reference waveform of the tube voltage.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reference waveform is defined by one or more switching parameters of the tube voltage, and the one or more switching parameters include at least one of
a first voltage, a second voltage higher than the first voltage, a first time length that it takes for the tube voltage to change from the first voltage to the second voltage, a second time length that it takes for the tube voltage to change from the second voltage to the first voltage, a third time length that the tube voltage is maintained at the first voltage, or a fourth time length that the tube is maintained at the second voltage.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a second reference waveform is defined by a change of the focusing parameter with time; and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
determining the second reference waveform based on the switching parameters of the reference waveform.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
obtaining projection data generated by detecting at least a portion of the x-ray radiation rays by a detector of the x-ray radiation device; and generating, based on the projection data, one or more images using an energy imaging technique.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the focus of the x-ray radiation rays satisfies an operational constraint under the specific value of the focusing parameter, the operational constraint includes that a size of the focus of the x-ray radiation rays is in a range.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the focus of the x-ray radiation rays satisfies an operational constraint under the specific value of the focusing parameter, the operational constraint includes that a size of the focus of the x-ray radiation rays is equal to a fixed value.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing parameter is a focusing voltage, the focusing device is configured to shape the focus of the x-ray radiation rays by generating an electric field under the focusing voltage.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing parameter is a focusing current, the focusing device is configured to shape the focus of the x-ray radiation rays by generating a magnetic field under the focusing current.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine, based on the reference value of the tube voltage, the specific value of the focusing parameter associated with the focusing device, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
obtaining a relationship between the tube voltage and the focusing parameter with respect to a specific size of the focus; and determining, based on the relationship, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the relationship between the tube voltage and the focusing parameter includes a first portion corresponding to a rising edge that the tube voltage increases from a first voltage to a second voltage and a second portion corresponding to a falling edge that the tube voltage decreases from the second voltage to the first voltage.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein to determine, based on the relationship, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
determining whether the reference value of the tube voltage belongs to the falling edge or the rising edge; and determining, based on a determined result and the relationship between the tube voltage and the focusing parameter, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the relationship between the tube voltage and the focusing parameter further includes multiple groups of values of the tube voltage and the focusing parameter, each group including a value of the tube voltage and a corresponding value of the focusing parameter.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the relationship between the tube voltage and the focusing parameter includes multiple groups of ranges of the tube voltage and values of the focusing parameter, each group including a range of the tube voltage and a corresponding value of the focusing parameter.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein to determine, based on the relationship, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
determining a specific range of the tube voltage where the reference value belongs to; and determining, based on a changing rate of the tube voltage, the relationship, and the specific range of the tube voltage, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein to determine, based on the reference value of the tube voltage, the specific value of the focusing parameter associated with the focusing device, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
obtaining a relationship between the focusing parameter and time with respect to a specific size of the focus; and determining, based on the relationship between the focusing parameter and time and a current time point when the reference value of the tube voltage is obtained, the specific value of the focusing parameter corresponding to the reference value of the tube voltage.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein to obtain the relationship between the focusing parameter and the time with respect to the specific size of the focus, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to perform the operations including:
determining, based at least in part on a first time length that it takes for the focusing parameter to change from a minimum value to a maximum value when the tube voltage switches from a first reference voltage to a second reference voltage within the first time length, a first changing rate of the focusing parameter changing from the minimum value to the maximum value; determining, based at least in part on a second time length that it takes for the focusing parameter to change from the maximum value to the minimum value when the tube voltage switches from the second reference voltage to the first reference voltage within the second time length, a second changing rate of the focusing paramet

Assignees

• Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhu Guoping
• Wu Jinglin
• Zhang Tieshan
• Chen Siming
• Chu Xu

Classifications

• H05G1/58

  Switching arrangements for changing-over from one mode of operation to another, e.g. from radioscopy to radiography, from radioscopy to irradiation {or from one tube voltage to another} · CPC title

• H01J35/147

  Spot size control · CPC title

• H05G1/52 Primary

  Target size or shape; Direction of electron beam, e.g. in tubes with one anode and more than one cathode · CPC title

• A61B6/4021

  involving movement of the focal spot · CPC title

• A61B6/405

  Source units specially adapted to modify characteristics of the beam during the data acquisition process (A61B6/4021, A61B6/4035 take precedence) · CPC title