General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Prismatic Sensors Ab

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology, LLC

General Electric Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

David Michael Hoffman

Haochuan Jiang

Thomas L Toth

Robert F Senzig

Michael F Hoge

John Eric Tkaczyk

Yanfeng Du

James Walter LeBlanc

Jeffrey Alan Kautzer

August O Englert

James Scott Vartuli

Bing A Shen

Jerome Stephen Arenson

Hui David He

Robert J Riedner

David Leo McDaniel

Steven Jude Duclos

Hui Hu

Guy M Besson

Paul Richard Granfors

Christopher David Unger

Vivek Bhatt

Oded Meirav

J Eric Tkaczyk

Dennis H Pritzkow

Peter S Shelley

Michael Thomas Mruzek

Neil W Loomis

Jiang Hsieh

George E Possin

James Wilson Rose

Charles D Greskovich

Joseph James Lacey

Brian David Yanoff

Mats Danielsson

Abdelaziz Ikhlef

William Edward Burdick, Jr

Donald Thomas McGrath

Clifford Bueno

Jonathan David Short

Bruce Matthew Dunham

Jonathan Richard Schmidt

William Paul Minnear

Jack D Kingsley

Jason Stuart Katcha

Stanley Haim Fox

Phil E Pearson, Jr

Armin H Pfoh

Dennis J Cotic

Gregory Scott Zeman

Jonathan Alan Murray

Brian Joseph Graves

Mahesh Raman Narayanaswamy

George E Seidenschnur

Willi W Hampel

Francois Kotian

Gary R Strong

Brian D Johnston

Joseph P Chernoch

Martin Kinfei Lee

George R Lang

Erdogan O Gurmen

Eti Ganin

John Michael Cuffe

Baiju Zacharia Babu

Roger S Ehle

Thomas M Golner

Richard J Ruzga

Matthew R Schedler

Laurel J Zech

Ralph C Ehlert

Timothy J Sporer

A radiation detector having an energy-integrating detection layer and at least one direct-conversion detection layer is described. In certain embodiments, the direct-conversion layer is impacted first by an incident X-ray beam, such that X-ray photons stopped at the direct-conversion layer are generally lower in energy than those which reach the energy-integrating detection layer. The data acquired using the direct-conversion layers and energy-integrating layers may be combined to provide additional spectral discrimination, such as in material decomposition or contrast-enhancement applications.

Layered radiation detector

Disclosed are methods and devices for estimating object scatter and/or internal scatter in a multi-level photon-counting x-ray detector, as well as x-ray tomographic imaging while correcting for object and internal scatter. The x-ray detector has at least two layers of detector diodes mounted in an edge-on geometry, e.g. designed for 1) estimating the object scatter contribution to the counts in a top layer of the at least two layers based on difference(s) in counts between the top layer and lower layer(s) under the assumption the object scatter has a slowly varying spatial distribution, and/or 2) estimating counts from reabsorption of photons that have Compton scattered inside the detector based on selectively blinding some detector elements from primary radiation by placing a highly attenuating beam stop on top of the detector elements, in lower layer(s) or in both top layer and lower layer(s), and measuring the counts in those detector elements.

Scatter estimation and/or correction in x-ray imaging

A collimator for an imaging detector assembly of a computed tomography imaging system is provided. The collimator includes a collimator module that includes a primary collimation grid having a first edge and a second edge. The primary collimation grid includes multiple radiation absorbing elements spaced apart from each other and configured to provide primary beam collimation. A first radiation absorbing element is disposed on the first edge and a second radiation absorbing element is disposed on the second edge. The collimator module includes multiple plates located on a side of the primary collimation grid and configured to absorb scattered radiation. A respective plate of the multiple plates is disposed over a respective radiation absorbing element of the multiple radiation absorbing elements of the primary collimation grid except the second radiation absorbing element disposed on the second edge of the primary collimation grid.

Modular collimator for imaging detector assembly

A radiation detector includes a scintillator layer configured to absorb radiation emitted from a radiation source and to emit optical photons in response to the absorbed radiation. The radiation detector also includes a photodetector layer configured to absorb the optical photons emitted by the scintillator layer. The radiation detector further includes a reflector configured to reflect the optical photons emitted by the scintillator layer towards the photodetector layer and to absorb select wavelengths of optical photons associated with an afterglow emitted by the scintillator layer.

Reflector for radiation detector

A CT system includes a rotatable gantry having an opening to receive an object to be scanned, an x-ray source configured to project an x-ray beam toward the object, and a detector array configured to detect x-rays passing through the object. The detector array includes a first array of pixels positioned to receive x-rays that pass to the detector array outside a first field-of-view (FOV) to a second FOV, the first array of pixels providing a first resolution, and a second array of pixels positioned to receive x-rays passing through the first FOV, the second array of pixels providing a second resolution that is different from the first resolution. The system includes a data acquisition system (DAS) configured to receive outputs from the detector array, and a computer programmed to acquire projections of imaging data of the object, and generate an image of the object using the imaging data.

Low resolution scintillating array for CT imaging and method of implementing same

An x-ray detector assembly includes a first flat panel digital projection detector and a second flat panel digital projection detector. The x-ray detector assembly further includes a first detector mounting structure configured to align the first flat panel digital projection detector in a first position to block the second flat panel digital projection detector from receiving x-rays emitting from an x-ray source toward the second flat panel digital projection detector in an x-ray penetration direction.

Stacked flat panel x-ray detector assembly and method of making same

An x-ray detector assembly includes a first curvilinear detector assembly comprising a first plurality of detector modules, a second curvilinear detector assembly comprising a second plurality of detector modules, and a first flat panel digital projection detector arranged between the first and second curvilinear detector assemblies such that a first end of the first flat panel digital projection detector is coupled to an inner end of the first curvilinear detector assembly and a second end of the first flat panel projection detector is coupled to an inner end of the second curvilinear detector assembly.

Integrated X-ray detector assembly and method of making same

An x-ray detector assembly includes a curvilinear detector assembly that has a first side section that includes a first plurality of detector modules, a second side section that includes a second plurality of detector modules, and a third section that includes a third plurality of detector modules. The third section is positioned between the first and second side sections in a channel direction. The x-ray detector assembly also includes a first flat panel digital projection detector and a first detector mounting structure that is configured to align the first flat panel digital projection detector in a first position to block the third section of the curvilinear detector assembly from receiving x-rays emitting from an x-ray source toward the curvilinear detector assembly in the x-ray penetration direction.

Stacked x-ray detector assembly and method of making same

A method includes inserting a first x-ray detector between a second x-ray detector and an object.

X-ray detection methods and apparatus

A detector is provided for an x-ray imaging system. The detector includes a photosensitive region with an area less than half of an area of a scintillator cell, from which the photosensitive region receives light.

Detector for an x-ray imaging system

An x-ray source () for performing energy discrimination within an imaging system () includes a cathode-emitting device () for emitting electrons and an anode () that has a target () whereupon the electrons impinge to generate an x-ray beam () with multiple x-ray quantity energy peaks (and). A method of performing energy discrimination in the imaging system () includes emitting the electrons. The x-ray beam () with the x-ray quantity energy peaks (and) is generated. The x-ray beam () is directed through an object () and is thereafter received. An x-ray image having multiple energy differentiable characteristics is generated in response to the x-ray beam () as received.

CT imaging system with multiple peak x-ray source

Cast collimators for use in CT imaging systems are described, as are methods of making them. Such collimators may comprise pre-patient collimators, pre-patient filter/collimator assemblies, and/or post-patient collimators. The filters and/or collimators may be made of any suitable high-density, high atomic number material such as lead, a lead alloy, tantalum, tungsten, tungsten suspended in an epoxy matrix, tungsten suspended in a slurry, or the like. Embodiments of these collimators comprise specially-designed channels and vanes that allow them to be precision cast to the necessary degree of accuracy. These channels and vanes are preferably tapered. These collimators and filter/collimator assemblies help minimize the x-ray dose to the patient by minimizing the scattered radiation creation mechanism and by collimating out much of the scattered radiation that would otherwise be subjected to the patient. These collimators may be cast as either single piece structures, or multiple pieces that can be operatively connected together.

Pre-subject filters for CT detectors and methods of making same

A CT detector capable of energy discrimination and direct conversion is disclosed. The detector includes multiple layers of semiconductor material with the layers having varying thicknesses. The detector is constructed to be segmented in the x-ray penetration direction so as to optimize count rate performance as well as avoid saturation. The detector also includes variable pixel pitch and a flexible binning of pixels to further enhance count rate performance.

Direct conversion energy discriminating CT detector with over-ranging correction

The present invention is a directed to a non-pixelated scintillator array for a CT detector as well as an apparatus and method of manufacturing same. The scintillator array is comprised of a number of ceramic fibers or single crystal fibers that are aligned in parallel with respect to one another. As a result, the pack has very high dose efficiency. Furthermore, each fiber is designed to direct light out to a photodiode with very low scattering loss. The fiber size (cross-sectional diameter) may be controlled such that smaller fibers may be fabricated for higher resolution applications. Moreover, because the fiber size can be controlled to be consistent throughout the scintillator array and the fibers are aligned in parallel with one another, the scintillator array, as a whole, also is uniform. Therefore, precise alignment with the photodiode array or the collimator assembly is not necessary.

CT detector array having non-pixelated scintillator array

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New Berlin, WI, United States of America

David Michael Hoffman