X-ray detector and X-ray system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9907523-B2
Application number	US-201414541264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	May 16, 2012
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An X-ray detector has a first detector module, a second detector module and manipulation means. The first detector module includes a first detection region arranged in a first detection plane, the second detector module includes a second detection region arranged in a second detection plane, which is adjacent to the first detection region. The manipulation means is configured to orient the first detection plane of the first detector module and the second detection plane of the second detector module to each other such that a first normal to surface of the first detection plane and a second normal to surface of the second detection plane intersect within a reference region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An X-ray detector comprising:
a first detector module including a first detection region arranged in a first detection plane;
a second detector module including a second detection region arranged in a second detection plane, which is movably attached to the first detector module; and
a manipulator that orients the first detection plane of the first detector module and the second detection plane of the second detector module to each other such that a first normal to a surface of the first detection plane and a second normal to a surface of the second detection plane intersect within a reference region; wherein
the X-ray detector includes at least a further detector module including a further detection region arranged in a further detection plane, which is arranged relative to the first detector module and the second detector module such that the first detection plane, the second detection plane, and the further detection plane are distributed with their respective centroids tangentially on a circular path at an adjustable radius;
the manipulator orients the further detection plane of the further detector module relative to the first detection plane and the second detection plane such that the first normal and the second normal to the surfaces of the first detection plane and the second detection plane, together with a further normal to a surface of the further detection plane, intersect within the reference region;
the manipulator provides the first detector module and/or the further detector module with a torque; and
the first detector module, the second detector module, and the further detector module are supported relative to one another by springs that distribute the torque evenly among all the first detector module, the second detector module, and the further detector module in order to orient the first detector module, the second detector module, and the further detector module along the circular path.

2. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module, the second detector module, and the further detector module are coupled to one another such that, when adjusting the radius, an adjustable angle between the first normal and the second normal to the surfaces of the first detection plane and the second detection plane corresponds to an adjustable angle between the second normal and the further normal to the surfaces of the second detector plane and the further detection plane.

3. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module includes a plurality of sensor elements arranged along a first direction and grouped to form a first detector line and the second detector module includes a plurality of sensor elements arranged along a second direction and grouped to form a second detector line,
wherein the first direction and the second direction are parallel to each other.

4. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 3 , wherein a plurality of line-shaped detector modules are arranged such that the X-ray detector forms a cylindrical surface section with an adjustable radius.

5. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module includes a plurality of sensor modules arranged in a first and a third direction and the second detector module includes a plurality of sensor modules arranged in a second and a fourth direction,
wherein the first direction and the second direction are parallel to each other and the third direction and the fourth directions extend along the circular path as tangents.

6. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module is supported relative to the second detector module such that the first detector module and the second detector module; are rotatable relative to each other around a rotational axis for adjusting an orientation of the first normal and the second normal to the surfaces of the first detection plane and the second detection plane.

7. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 6 , wherein
the rotational axis is formed on a common edge of the first detector module and the second detector module on a side of the first detection region and the second detection region; or
the rotational axis is formed between and/or parallel to an edge of the first detector module on the side of the first detection region and an edge of the second detector module on the side of the second detection region.

8. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module and the second detector module are supported relative to each other by a movable connective element.

9. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the movable connective element is a spring, a hinge, or joint.

10. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the movable connective element is a spring with a defined bending point that defines a rotational axis around which the first detector module and the second detector module are supported relative to each other to be rotatable.

11. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first detector module and the second detector module are connected relative to each other by a first spring and the second detector module and the further detector module are connected relative to one another by a second spring, the first spring and the second springs having equal spring stiffness.

12. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the first detector module includes a scattered radiation grid along a first direction which extends perpendicularly from the first detection plane along the first normal to the surface of the first detection plane as a plate element and the second detector module includes a scattered radiation grid along a second direction which extends perpendicularly from the second detection plane along the second normal to the surface of the second detection plane as a plate element, and
the first direction and the second direction are parallel to each other.

13. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the manipulator varies an angle between the first detector module and the second detector module.

14. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the manipulator varies a distance between the first detector module and the further detector module, and
the first detector module, the second detector module, and the further detector module are connected relative to one another by springs that orient the X-ray detector along the circular path when varying the distance.

15. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the manipulator includes an element of variable length between the first detector module and the second detector module that varies an angle between the first detector module and the second detector module.

16. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the manipulator includes a crankshaft or eccentric shaft that varies an angle between the first detector module and the second detector module.

17. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first normal to the surface of the first detection plane is located in a centroid of the first detection region and the second normal to the surface of the second detection plane is located in a centroid of the second detection region.

18. The X-ray detector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein all the detector modules are coupled to one another such that all normals to the surfaces of the respective detection planes are in a normal plane.

19. An X-ray detector c

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Hofmann Thomas
• Hebele Stefan
• Schlechter Thomas

Classifications

• A61B6/4266 Primary

  characterised by using a plurality of detector units (A61B6/4014 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01T1/243

  Modular detectors, e.g. arrays formed from self contained units (constructional or manufacturing details H10W90/00) · CPC title

• H01L27/14636

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14806

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A61B2562/164

  the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier · CPC title