Apparatus for fully automated x-ray tomography system performance validation according to standards for metrology and image quality testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024328965-A1
Application number	US-202318129536-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2023
Publication date	Oct 3, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for calibrating or validating performance of a computed tomography (CT) scanner including a first element having a first diameter, a second element having a base structure and a first set of test objects that can be coupled to the base structure and separated from one another by a first set of distances. The apparatus also includes a third element having a second diameter and a first length, a fourth element having a first face and a second face parallel to one another with a first depth defined there between. The fourth element can include: a first cavity depressed a second depth into the first face, a fifth element including a plurality of wire pairs and disposed within the first cavity, a second cavity depressed into the first face such that a third depth is defined between a back wall of the second cavity and the second face, a sixth element including a first plurality of holes and a first thickness, the sixth element disposed within the second cavity, and a seventh element including a second plurality of holes and a second thickness, the seventh element disposed on the first face. A center of the first element, the second element, the third element, and the fourth element, respectively, are be aligned along a first axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for validating performance of a computed tomography scanner comprising:
a first element having a first diameter; a second element comprising a base structure and a first set of test objects coupled to the base structure and separated from one another by a first set of distances; a third element having a second diameter and a first length; and a fourth element having a first face and a second face parallel to one another with a first depth defined there between, the fourth element further comprising,
a first cavity depressed a second depth into the first face,
a fifth element including a plurality of wire pairs and disposed within the first cavity,
a second cavity depressed into the first face such that a third depth is defined between a back wall of the second cavity and the second face,
a sixth element including a first plurality of holes and a first thickness, the sixth element disposed within the second cavity, and
a seventh element including a second plurality of holes and a second thickness, the seventh element disposed on the first face, wherein
a center of the first element, the second element, the third element, and the fourth element, respectively, are aligned along a first axis.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fourth element further comprises:
a coupling component located on a third face or a fourth face of the fourth element, the coupling component configured to couple the apparatus to a positioning element, wherein a center of the coupling component is centered along the first axis.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising the positioning element coupled to the coupling component and configured to rotate the apparatus about the first axis.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the positioning element is further configured to move the apparatus in a three-dimensional space between the CT scanner and a detector.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first element is a sphere.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first set of test objects include one or more first spherical elements having a first radius, and one or more second spherical elements having a second radius different from the first radius.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first set of test objects are made from ruby and/or ceramic.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base structure is a ceramic plate.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third element is a cylinder.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wire pairs of the fifth element further include wire pairs ranging in diameter from a smallest wire diameter to a largest wire diameter, further wherein a first wire of each pair is separated from a second wire of the pair by a distance equivalent to the diameter of each wire in the pair.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first thickness of the sixth element is a first predefined percentage of the third depth, and the first plurality of holes include a first hole having a diameter that is equal to the first thickness, a second hole having a diameter that is twice the first thickness, and a third hole having a diameter that is four times the first thickness; and the second thickness of seventh element is a second predefined percentage of the first depth, and the second plurality of holes include a fourth hole having a diameter that is equal to the second thickness, a fifth hole having a diameter that is twice the second thickness, and a sixth hole having a diameter of that is four times the second thickness.

12 . A system comprising:
an apparatus for validating performance of a computed tomography scanner comprising
a first element having a first diameter,
a second element comprising a base structure and a first set of test objects coupled to the base structure and separated from one another by a first set of distances,
a third element having a second diameter and a first length, and
a fourth element having a first face and a second face parallel to one another with a first depth defined there between, the fourth element further comprising,
a first cavity depressed a second depth into the first face,
a fifth element including a plurality of wire pairs and disposed within the first cavity,
a second cavity depressed into the first face such that a third depth is defined between a back wall of the second cavity and the second face,
a sixth element including a first plurality of holes and a first thickness, the sixth element disposed within the second cavity, and
a seventh element including a second plurality of holes and a second thickness, the seventh element disposed on the first face, wherein

a center of the first element, the second element, the third element, and the fourth element, respectively, are aligned along a first axis; and a computing system coupled to a computed tomography (CT) scanner, the computing system including at least one data processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including
receiving, by at least one data processor of a computing system coupled to a computed tomography (CT) scanner, a first CT scan of the apparatus,
determining, by the at least one data processor, one or more first validation metrics for the CT scanner based on the first CT scan,
receiving, by the at least one processor, a second CT scan of the apparatus,
determining, by the at least one processor, one or more second validation metrics for the CT scanner based on the second CT scan,
receiving, by the at least one processor, a third CT scan of the apparatus,
determining, by the at least one processor, one or more third validation metrics for the CT scanner based on the third CT scan,
receiving, by the at least one processor, a first x-ray image of the apparatus,
determining, by the at least one processor, a plurality of fourth validation metrics for the CT scanner based on the first x-ray image, and
providing the one or more first validation metrics, the one or more second validation metrics, the one or more third validation metrics, and/or a plurality of fourth validation metrics.

13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a coupling component coupled to the fourth element on a third face or a fourth face with a center of the coupling component aligned with the first axis, wherein the coupling component is configured to couple the apparatus to a positioning element; and the positioning element communicatively coupled to the computing system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the positioning element to cause the positioning element to rotate the apparatus about the first axis and move the apparatus in a three-dimensional space between the CT scanner and a detector.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least on processor is further configured to perform operations including:
positioning, by the positioning element, the apparatus within the three-dimensional space such that the first CT scan includes the first element; positioning, by the positioning element, the apparatus within the three-dimensional space such that the second CT scan includes the second element; positioning, by the positioning element, the apparatus within the three-dimensional space such that the third CT scan includes the third element; and positioning, by the positioning element, the apparatus within the three-dimensional space such that the first x-ray image includes the first face of the first element.

15 . A method comprising:
receiv

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mayer Thomas

Classifications

• G01N2223/3306

  object rotates · CPC title

• G01N2223/419

  computed tomograph · CPC title

• G01N2223/303

  calibrating, standardising · CPC title

• G01T7/005

  calibration techniques (stabilization of spectrometer G01T1/40) · CPC title

• G01T1/167

  Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination (whole body counters G01T1/163) · CPC title