Systems and methods for a stationary ct imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021378618-A1
Application number	US-202117342324-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2021
Priority date	Jun 8, 2020
Publication date	Dec 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for stationary CT imaging. In one embodiment, an imaging system comprises a stationary distributed x-ray source unit comprising a plurality of emitters positioned to emit x-ray beams through the imaging volume, one or more detector arrays extending around at least a portion of an imaging volume, each detector array comprising a plurality of detector elements, each detector element configured to receive x-ray beams from more than one emitter, and an anti-scatter device configured to be positioned between one or more emitters of the plurality of emitters and an object in the imaging volume.

First claim

1 . A stationary computed tomography (CT) system, comprising:
a stationary distributed x-ray source unit comprising a plurality of emitters positioned to emit x-ray beams through an imaging volume; one or more detector arrays extending around at least a portion of the imaging volume, each detector array comprising a plurality of detector elements, each detector element configured to receive x-ray beams from more than one emitter; and an anti-scatter device configured to be positioned between one or more emitters of the plurality of emitters and an object in the imaging volume.

2 . The stationary CT system of claim 1 , wherein each emitter is configured to emit a respective x-ray beam having a full fan-beam and wherein the anti-scatter device comprises a plurality of collimators each configured to truncate a corresponding x-ray beam to form a partial fan-beam.

3 . The stationary CT system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of emitters includes a first emitter, a second emitter, and a third emitter, and wherein the plurality of collimators comprises a first collimator, a second collimator, and a third collimator, the first collimator positioned proximate the first emitter and configured to truncate a first x-ray beam emitted from the first emitter to form a first partial fan-beam having a first angular range, the second collimator positioned proximate the second emitter and configured to truncate a second x-ray beam emitted from the second emitter to form a second partial fan-beam having a second angular range, and the third collimator positioned proximate the third emitter and configured to truncate a third x-ray beam emitted from the third emitter to form a third partial fan-beam having a third angular range, the first angular range different than the second angular range and the third angular range and the second angular range different than the third angular range.

4 . The stationary CT system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray source unit comprises an x-ray source ring encircling the imaging volume with the plurality of emitters positioned around the x-ray source ring, and wherein the anti-scatter device comprises a first plurality of collimators positioned around a first ring-shaped actuator and a second plurality of collimators positioned around a second ring-shaped actuator, and wherein the first ring-shaped actuator and the second ring-shaped actuator are movable to truncate one or more x-ray beams to form one or more partial fan-beams.

5 . The stationary CT system of claim 1 , wherein each emitter is configured to emit a respective x-ray beam having a full fan-beam and wherein the anti-scatter device comprises a plurality of collimators each configured to break up a corresponding full fan-beam into a series of narrower fan-beams.

6 . The stationary CT system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detector arrays and the x-ray source unit are displaced along a z-axis of the imaging volume, wherein each emitter is configured to emit a respective x-ray beam having a full fan-beam, and wherein the anti-scatter device comprises one or more collimators each positionable to collimate a corresponding full fan-beam along the z-axis to form a collimated fan-beam that impinges on some but not all of a subset of detector elements of the one or more detector arrays along the z-axis.

7 . The stationary CT system of claim 6 , further comprising a computing device configured to determine an amount of scatter based on output from the subset of the detector elements along the z-axis and correct output from all of the plurality of detector elements based on the amount of scatter.

8 . The stationary CT system of claim 1 , further comprising a source controller for triggering the plurality of emitters to emit the x-ray beams.

9 . The stationary CT system of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion the emitters of the plurality of emitters are triggered simultaneously.

10 . The stationary CT system of claim 8 , wherein each emitter of the plurality of emitters is triggered separately.

11 . The stationary CT system of claim 8 , further comprising a computing device configured to reconstruct one or more images from projection data acquired by the one or more detector arrays upon the plurality of emitters being triggered to emit the x-ray beams.

12 . The stationary CT system of claim 8 , wherein when the plurality of emitters is triggered, the x-ray source does not rotate around the imaging volume.

13 . The stationary CT system of claim 12 , wherein the x-ray source unit and the one or more detector arrays form an imaging unit configured to translate vertically along the imaging volume when the plurality of emitters is triggered.

14 . A method for a stationary computed tomography (CT) system, comprising:
activating a plurality of emitters of a stationary distributed x-ray source unit to emit x-ray beams toward an object within an imaging volume, where the x-ray source unit does not rotate around the imaging volume; collimating at least a portion of the x-ray beams to reduce scatter via an anti-scatter device positioned between the x-ray source unit and the object; receiving attenuated x-ray beams with one or more detector arrays; and reconstructing one or more images from projection data obtained from the one or more detector arrays.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the x-ray source unit and the one or more detector arrays form an imaging unit, and further comprising translating the imaging unit vertically along the imaging volume while the plurality of emitters is activated.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein collimating at least the portion of the x-ray beams comprises collimating a first x-ray beam emitted by a first emitter of the plurality of emitters to have a partial fan-beam with a first angular range and collimating a second x-ray beam emitted by a second emitter of the plurality of emitters to have a partial fan-beam with a second angular range that is different than the first angular range.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein collimating the first x-ray beam and collimating the second x-ray beam comprises adjusting a positon of a first ring-shaped actuator including a first plurality of collimators and/or adjusting a positon of a second ring-shaped actuator including a second plurality of collimators.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein collimating at least the portion of the x-ray beams comprises collimating a first x-ray beam emitted by a first emitter of the plurality of emitters to form two or more partial fan-beams.

19 . A stationary computed tomography (CT) system, comprising:
an imaging unit comprising:
a stationary distributed x-ray source unit comprising a plurality of emitters positioned to emit x-ray beams through an imaging volume, where the x-ray source unit does not rotate around the imaging volume;
one or more detector arrays extending around at least a portion of the imaging volume, each detector array comprising a plurality of detector elements; and
an anti-scatter device comprising a plurality of collimators, wherein each x-ray beam is configured to be collimated by one or more collimators of the plurality of collimators; and
one or more computing devices configured to, during a scan of an object within the imaging volume, translate the imaging unit vertically along the object, activate the plurality of emitters, sample the plurality of detector elements to obtain projection data, and reconstruct one or more images from the projection data.

Assignees

• Ge Prec Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• De Man Bruno Kristiaan Bernard
• Pack Jed Douglas
• Wu Mingye
• Smith Chad Allan
• Thibault Jean-Baptiste

Classifications

• G06T12/20

  Inverse problem, i.e. transformations from projection space into object space · CPC title

• G06T12/00

  Tomographic reconstruction from projections · CPC title

• A61B6/4405

  the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• A61B6/06

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• A61B6/0407

  Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body · CPC title