Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Falko Busse

Michael Overdick

Martin John Powell

Hans-Aloys Wischmann

Walter Rütten

Herfried Karl Wieczorek

Walter Ruetten

Norbert Conrads

Ralf Schmidt

Anthony Roy Franklin

Walter R&uuml;tten

Gerard Francis Harkin

Thomas Gipp

Heinz Van Der Broeck

The invention relates to an X-ray apparatus for forming X-ray images, which apparatus includes an X-ray detector () for the conversion of X-rays into electrical signals, a detector exposure unit () for the emission of electromagnetic radiation in dependence on how first and second exposure parameters, the value of the first exposure parameters being defined by the acquisition mode whereas the second exposure parameters are not defined by the acquisition mode, and also a control unit () for changing and controlling at least one second exposure parameter of the detector exposure unit upon a change of the acquisition mode.

Apparatus and method for reducing image artifacts

The invention relates to a radiation detector for converting electromagnetic radiation () into electric charge carriers. The invention also relates to an X-ray examination apparatus provided with such a radiation detector, and to a method of manufacturing a radiation detector. In order to achieve a small building height of the radiation detector while nevertheless satisfying the same requirements as regards the resetting of the converter arrangement () by means of an illumination device (), it is proposed to provide a supporting layer () underneath a glass plate () with a photosensor arrangement (), which supporting layer on the one hand provides uniform distribution of the light incident from below and on the other hand imparts the necessary stability to the radiation detector. In a further embodiment it is proposed to provide a scatter foil () instead of the supporting layer (), which scatter foil provided the homogeneous light distribution while the supporting function is taken over by the illumination device.

Flat dynamic radiation detector

The invention relates to a method of reading out the sensor elements of a sensor () with a matrix of light-sensitive or X-ray-sensitive sensor elements (S; S. . . ) which are arranged in rows and columns and generate charges in dependence on the incident quantity of radiation, the switches () of the relevant sensor elements being activated via address lines (, . . . ) and the charges of the respective activated sensor elements being drained via read-out lines (, . . . ) so as to be processed further by way of amplifiers (, . . . ) and transfer means (). The invention also relates to a corresponding sensor as well as to an X-ray examination apparatus which includes an X-ray source for emitting an X-ray beam for irradiating an object in order to form an X-ray image, as well as a detector for generating an electrical image signal from said X-ray image. Despite the small incident X-ray doses, adequate amounts of charge, and hence electrical signals, are provided so as to form the image in that ingoing address lines (, . . . ) are selectably connected, by way of individually controllable switch elements (, . . . ) and by means of a switching operation, to each time the respective next address line and the sensor elements of at least two neighboring lines are activated by means of one ingoing signal, and corresponding outgoing read-out lines (, . . . ) are selectably connected, by way of individually controllable switch elements (, . . . ) and by means of a switching operation, to the respective next read-out line in such a manner that the charge signals read out from the activated sensor elements of at least two neighboring columns are combined so as to form one output signal.

Imaging method and apparatus for imaging with low incident radiation

The invention relates to an arrangement with light-sensitive or X-ray-sensitive sensors which are arranged in rows and columns of a matrix and generate charges in dependence on the amount of incident radiation, each sensor including a photosensor element with an intrinsic storage capacitor and/or a storage capacitor connected parallel to its terminals, and also a respective transistor; it also includes at least one switching line for each row of sensors via which the transistors can be activated so that the charges of the relevant activated sensors S can be read out simultaneously via read-out linesin order to ensure that, in conformity with the relevant mode of operation of the arrangement, the switching noise caused by the reading out of the sensors is reduced and/or a higher image repeat rate or more stable operating conditions for the photosensor element, also in the case of large signals, as well as an increase of the dynamic range of the photosensor element become possible in that each sensor S includes a further transistorwhich is connected directly to the photosensor elementand can be activated via at least one control line, both transistorsof each sensor S being connected in series and an electrode of a further capacitorbeing connected to the junction of the two transistors

Sensor matrix

An x-ray detector apparatus comprises an array of detector pixels ( ), each pixel ( ) comprising a conversion element ( ) for converting incident radiation into a charge flow, a charge storage element ( ) and a switching device ( ) enabling the charge stored to be provided to an output of the pixel ( ). A plurality of dose sensing pixels further comprise a dose sensing element ( ) during x-ray exposure results in a change in the charge stored on the charge storage element ( ) and also results in a dose sensing signal being generated which can be read out from the pixel ( ). The dose sensing pixels enable a dose signal to be obtained without reading the charges stored on the pixel charge storage elements, so that dose sensing can be carried out during exposure.

Exposure control in an x-ray image detector

The invention relates to an X-ray examination apparatus in which the X-ray detector and the X-ray source are subject to keeping the temperature constant and to cooling by way of a common cooling circuit. To this end, a cooling medium of constant temperature is applied to the X-ray detector in order to make the X-ray detector operate at uniform ambient temperatures. The temperature of the cooling medium, thus increased a first time, still suffices to perform cooling of the X-ray source Consequently, the heated cooling medium, after application to the X-ray detector , is applied to the X-ray source where a second exchange of heat takes place, so that at the same time the X-ray source is cooled without utilizing an additional cooling circuit. This offers the advantage that relevant X-ray examination apparatus may have a simple construction, that the electronic components used in the construction have a correspondingly prolonged service life due to the constant low temperature, and that the apparatus can operate with a higher mean power as a result of the cooling.

X-ray detector provided with integrated cooling

The invention relates to a sensor and a method of operating a sensor with includes a plurality of sensor elements ( ), each of which includes a radiation-sensitive conversion element ( ) which generates an electric signal in dependence on the incident radiation, and also with means ( to ) for amplifying the electric signal in each sensor element ( ) and a read-out switching element ( ) in each sensor element ( ) which is connected to a read-out line ( ) in order to read-out the electric signal. In order to provide a sensor in which a high stability of the transfer function and a favorable signal-to-noise ratio are ensured while maintaining a comparatively simple and economical construction, the means for amplifying include a respective source follower transistor ( ) whose gate is connected to the conversion element ( ), whose source is connected on the one side to an active load ( ) and on the other side to one side of a sampling capacitor ( ), the other side of the sampling capacitor ( ) being connected to the read-out line ( ) via the read-out switching element ( ), a respective reset element ( ) being connected to the conversion element ( ) so as to reset the conversion element ( ) to an initial state.

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Aachen, Germany

Falko Busse