Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Philips Gmbh

André Goossen

Hanns-Ingo Maack

Michael Grass

Raoul Florent

Jens Von Berg

Hanno Heyke Homann

Frank Bergner

Claire Levrier

Christoph Kurze

Dirk Manke

Liesbet Hilde Hadewijch Roose

Marc Hensel

An X-ray imaging apparatus (XI) including an X-ray source (XS) with a cathode (C) and an anode (A). The source (XS) is to generate an X-radiation beam (XB). An X-ray detector (XD) detects the X-radiation after interaction with an imaged object (OB). The beam (XB) has different spectra on its anode side (AS) and cathode side (CS) caused by the heel effect when the X-ray source (XS) is in operation. -ray imaging apparatus (XI) has a heel-effect-harnessing (HH) mechanism configured to cause a pixel (PX) of the detector (XD) to be alternately exposed to both, the anode side (AS) and the cathode side (CS) of the beam (XB).

Multi-spectral x-ray imaging using conventional equipment

An X-ray apparatus for image acquisition and a related method. The apparatus comprises a field-of-view corrector (CS) configured to receive a scout image (SI) acquired by the imager with a tentative collimator setting in a pre-shot imaging phase where said imager operates with a low dosage radiation cone causing the detector to register the scout image. The low dosage cone has, in the detector's image plane, a first cross section smaller than the total area of the detector surface. The field-of-view corrector (CS) uses said scout image to establish field-of-view correction information for a subsequent imaging phase where the imager is to operate with a high dosage radiation cone, the high dosage higher than the low dosage.

X-ray collimator size and position adjustment based on pre-shot

The invention relates to peripheral equalization during a mammography X-ray examination. High contrast tissue pixel values are removed from the background estimate by finding the minimum intensity values of the pixel located in the neighborhood, which have approximately the same distance to the skin line. Thus, high attenuating pixel values may be removed from the estimate and replaced by lower attenuating tissue pixel values. After a minimum filtration, a conventional peripheral equalization is performed. This may result in less overshoots and intensity values for higher attenuating structures in the peripheral region may become more consistent with intensity values for higher attenuating structures in the fully compressed region.

Minimum background estimation for peripheral equalization

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Radbruch, Germany

André Goossen