Analogic Corporation

Analogic Corporatiom

Douglas Q Abraham

Yesna Oyku Yildiz

Hans J Weedon

David Rozas

Bernard M Gordon

Basak Ulker Karbeyaz

Sergey Simanovsky

Ram Naidu

Zhengrong Ying

Enrico Dolazza

David A Schafer

Charles H Shaughnessy

Anton M Deykoon

David Winston

Guy M Besson

Peter Daniel Shippen

Chitra Subramanian

Carl DeVincent

Eric N Finck

Paul Wagoner

Iosef Izrailit

Richard B Johnson

Michael Sloutsky

Peter Bukhovko

Dong-Yueh Liang

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for creating virtual channels in an imaging modality. The imaging modality comprises a plurality of charge integrating channels. Information yielded from two or more charge integrating channels during a same or similar acquisition view may be combined to yield a virtual channel that represents a portion of the detection surface substantially equivalent to an area comprised by the two or more charge integrating channels. In one embodiment, within a same acquisition view, some virtual channels may comprise a different number of charge integrating channels than other virtual channels. Also, different sets of virtual channels may be created for a same acquisition view to produce different images from a single set of data, for example, where there may be overlap between virtual channels such that the same charge integrating channel is comprised in more than one virtual channel.

Charger integration-based virtual CT detector

A receiving antenna for wirelessly receiving data between a stator of a computed tomography (CT) imaging modality and a rotor of the CT imaging modality is provided. The rotor rotates about a rotational axis. The receiving antenna includes a dielectric portion and a conductive portion coupled to the dielectric portion. A second surface of the conductive portion extends between a first end and a second end along a conductive axis that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis. The second surface of the conductive portion has a first length at a first length location along a first length axis that is substantially parallel to the conductive axis. The second surface of the conductive portion has a second length at a second length location along a second length axis that is substantially parallel to the conductive axis. The first length is different than the second length.

Data transfer across a rotating boundary of a computed tomography imaging apparatus

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for resetting an integration circuit () of a detector cell or an electronics arrangement () thereof. When a voltage signal output by the integration circuit () exceeds a specified threshold (e.g., indicating that a specified number of radiation photons have been detected), a charge injection circuit () is configured to inject charge into the integration circuit (). The injected charge is typically opposite in polarity to stored charge that is stored by a capacitor () of the integration circuit () and is configured to counteract the stored charge. In this way, a voltage potential at the capacitor () decreases, causing the voltage signal output by the integration circuit () to decrease. Moreover, a number of resets per measurement interval may be recorded to determine an average current output by a radiation detection element of the detector cell over the measurement interval to facilitate acquiring photon integration readings.

Hybrid photon counting data acquisition system

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described herein for transferring communication information between a stationary unit and a movable (e.g., rotating) unit, or between two movable units without contact between the units. A transmitter is configured to translate digital information into an analog signal which may be fed to an input coupler positioned within a channel of an electrically conductive member (e.g., on a first unit, such as a stationary unit). The current of the signal induces a signal in an output coupler (e.g., on a second unit, such as a movable unit). Voltage characteristics of the induced signal (e.g., which substantially correspond to voltage characteristics of the signal fed into the input coupler) may subsequently be used to reconstruct the digital data at a receiver. In this manner, information can be communicated between two non-contacting units.

Contactless communication signal transfer

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for generating an output of a detector cell of a photon counting detector array. A counter block generates integration data and photon counting data associated with the photon counting detector array. Responsive to a number of detection events counted during a measurement interval (e.g., a view) not exceeding a first detection event count threshold, a first output may be generated based upon the photon counting data. Responsive to the number of detection events exceeding a second detection event count threshold, a second output may be generated based upon the integration data. Responsive to the number of detection events being between the first detection event count threshold and the second detection event count threshold, a blended output may be generated based upon the photon counting data and the integration data.

Data acquisition system of photon counting detector array

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for measuring the attenuation of a line integral through an object via a photon counting cell () and via an energy integrating cell (). That is, an imaging apparatus is provided that comprises a radiation source () and a detector array (). The detector array is comprised of both photon counting cells () and energy integrating cells () arranged such that, during an examination of the object, attenuation of a line integral through the object is measured by at least one photon counting cell and at least one energy integrating cell. In this way, at least two substantially complete views of an object may be acquired, one from measurements yielded from the photon counting cell (and other photon counting cells) and one from measurements yielded from the energy integrating cell (and other energy integrating cells).

Detector array comprising energy integrating and photon counting cells

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for counting detection events on a detector cell of a photon counting detector array. An electronics arrangement of the detector cell comprises a digital discriminator which is configured according to an impulse response of the detector cell or, more particularly, an impulse response of a radiation detection element of the detector cell (e.g., where the radiation detection element is configured to convert energy of the radiation photon into electrical charge). The digital discriminator is configured to analyze a digital representation of a voltage signal of the detector cell and to compare a result of the analysis to one or more metrics derived based upon the impulse response of the detector cell to identify voltage pulses of the voltage signal that are indicative of detection events.

Noise discrimination in photon counting system

Radiation flux can be adjusted 'on the fly' as an object () is being scanned in a security examination apparatus. Adjustments are made to the radiation flux based upon radiation incident on a first radiation detector () in an upstream portion () of an examination region. The object under examination is thus exposed to different radiation flux in coordination with a downstream motion () of the object relative to a second radiation detector (). The radiation flux is adjusted so that a sufficient number of x-rays (that traverse the object) are incident on the second radiation detector. Images of the object can then be generated based upon data from the second radiation detector, where these images are thus of a desired/higher quality.

Radiation modulation in a security examination apparatus

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for creating virtual channels in a photon emitting imaging modality. The imaging modality comprises a plurality of photon counting channels. Information yielded from two or more photon counting channels during a same or similar acquisition view may be combined to yield a virtual channel that represents a portion of the detection surface substantially equivalent to an area comprised by the two or more photon counting channels. In one example, within a same acquisition view, some virtual channels may comprise a different number of photon counting channels than other virtual channels. Also, different sets of virtual channels may be created for a same acquisition view to produce different images from a single set of data, for example, where there may be overlap between virtual channels such that the same photon counting channel is comprised in more than one virtual channel.

Photon counting-based virtual detector

One or more techniques and/or systems for combining images of objects are disclosed where an image of a first object is to be inserted into an image of a second object in such a manner as to make the insertion substantially undetectable by a human observer of the combined image. An object generator generates a substantially artifact free image of a first object. An object locator orients the first object image according to a desired insertion point in a second object image. A forward projector converts the first object image into projection space data of the first object, and a combiner combines the first object projection space data with the second object projection space data. The combined projection space data is converted to image space data by a reconstructor, and the resulting combined image space data can be displayed on a monitor for human observation.

Image combining

One or more techniques and/or systems for detecting edges in images of objects subjected to imaging using imaging apparatus are disclosed, such that the effect of image noise on the edge detection can be mitigated. Ratios of intensity values (e.g., signal values) for a subject region (e.g., a pixel) and respective adjacent regions are determined. An adaptive threshold value is determined for respective adjacent region pairs. The ratio value is compared to the adaptive threshold value for respective adjacent region pairs, to determine whether an edge is present between the respective adjacent region pairs.

Edge detection

Techniques and systems for segmenting one or more objects in a subject image resulting from subjecting one or more objects to imaging using an imaging apparatus are disclosed, such that limitations of image noise, object proximity, image intensity variations, shape complexity, and/or computational resources may be mitigated. Merely border edges of objects in a subject image can be generated, for example, by using edge detection and discarding interior edges. Geometric difference values of the identified boundaries of the objects in the subject image can be calculated. One or more transitions between objects can be identified by using the geometric difference values, for example, which may result in data that represents a location in the image of an object to be segmented.

Image object separation

A system is described for correcting a switched input A/D converter circuit that performs a plurality of A/D conversions. The system includes an oversampling circuit, a switched input controller, separation circuitry, and a signal processing subsystem. The oversampling circuit is configured to convert one or more input analog signals into oversampled output signals. The switched input controller is configured to switch a separate calibration signal into the oversampling circuit, as a replacement for the input analog signal, for at least some of the A/D conversions. The separation circuitry is configured to separate the oversampled output signal from the calibration signal. The signal processing subsystem is configured to synchronously and separately process the oversampled output signal and the calibration signal so as to substantially reduce unwanted correlated response of the switched input A/D converter circuit.

Method and system for correcting switched input A/D converters

Arrangements of X-ray inspection systems are described. An X-ray inspection system may include a shielded housing with a tunnel passageway and entrance and exit ports. The system may include an X-ray inspection station defining a rectilinear coordinate system, an X-ray source, and a detection system for generating images of articles that are located in the inspection station. A conveyor assembly may be included. A plurality of flexible X-ray attenuating, spaced-apart, hanging strips may be distributed within the shielded housing between the ports and across the entire tunnel passageway. The X-ray inspection system may include at least one curtain of flexible X-ray attenuating hanging strips. Each curtain may include a plurality of sets of contiguous strips, the strips of each set being of equal length and distributed across the tunnel passageway. The strips of at least one set are shorter than the strips of at least one other set.

X-ray inspection systems with improved radiation attenuation shielding

A data acquisition system for use in a CT scanner comprises an analog-to-digital converter for generating digital signals in response to analog signals representative of projection data taken at a relatively constant sampling rate; and an interpolation filter for generating projection data for a plurality of predetermined projection angles as a function of the digital signals irrespective of the sampling rate.

Growing community of inventors

Topsfield, MA, United States of America

Douglas Q Abraham