Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Gerhard Hahm

Martin Spahn

Bernhard Sandkamp

Markus Schild

Franz Atzinger

Michael Stark

Fabian Wloka

Christoph Jablonski

Carsten Illenseer

Raphael Henrich

Mathias Hörnig

Hartmut Sklebitz

Stefan Boehm

A method is provided for detecting x-ray quanta incident on a multi-pixel x-ray detector having a two-dimensional matrix composed of measurement-signal-generating pixels, wherein the multi-pixel x-ray detector is embodied as a direct solid-state detector, wherein the pixels, which generate a measurement signal within a predefined time interval and which in addition lie in a contiguous cluster composed of a plurality of pixels, are assigned to an event cluster by an evaluation unit and wherein their measurement signals are drawn upon for the purpose of approximating the position at which the x-ray quantum interacted with the multi-pixel x-ray detector.

Method and device for detecting x-ray quanta

An X-ray detector of conventional design having photodiodes and scintillator material arranged thereon is able, given a suitable read-out frequency matching a low dose to which the flat-panel X-ray detector is subjected, to obtain images during each read-out operation, from which images the energy of individual X-ray quanta can be derived. An item of X-ray-spectrum information about pixels in a grid pattern can be obtained thereby.

Method for obtaining an item of X-ray-spectrum information about pixels in a grid pattern

A sensor element is provided for conversion of x-radiation into an electrical measurement signal, the sensor element including an x-radiation-absorbing fluid arranged in a housing, and a pressure sensor arranged to detect a pressure of the fluid on the pressure sensor and convert the detected pressure into an electrical measurement signal. A plurality of such sensor elements may be arranged in a matrix-type arrangement to form an x-ray detector.

Sensor element and X-ray detector comprising a plurality of sensor elements

In flat-panel X-ray detectors which have a multiplicity of detector elements which are in each case associated with one pixel of an X-ray image, the individual detectors generate offset signals. These offset signals are detected by recording offset images in which there is no X-ray irradiation (dark images). The offset images are recorded after the X-ray images to be corrected in time. If for each X-ray image record, an associated offset image record is generated by using a single offset image or of two, the offset images can be recorded closely in time. Ghosting effects are then not disturbing because the offset images are only used for correcting the X-ray images which cause the ghosting.

Method for generating at least one offset-corrected X-ray image

In an operating method for a medical installation, in particular an x-ray installation. In activation state of the medical installation, a control and evaluation device determines, upon input of a control command, a useful image of a subject. For this purpose, the control and evaluation device receives raw image of the subject acquired by a detector in a first detector mode, and determines the useful image therefrom on the basis of correction data. In a waiting state of the medical installation, the control and evaluation device updates the correction data for the first detector mode repeatedly after the expiration of a basic time interval since the last driving of the detector. For this purpose, the control and evaluation device receives raw data acquired by the detector and uses it to update the correction data. The control and evaluation device updates the correction data for the first detector mode even in the activation state if, since the last updating of the correction data for the first detector mode, at least an additional time interval has elapsed that is greater than the basic time interval.

Operating method and computer program for a medical installation

An X-ray diagnostic installation has an X-ray tube, a voltage generator, a planar solid state X-ray image converter for generating raw images, an image system and a playback device. The image system has a device for offset correction that acquires an offset image and stores it in a correction offset memory. The correction offset memory is preceded by a microphony detector that analyzes the current offset image for disturbances due to microphony and allows storage only of a current offset image, that is free of such disturbances.

X-ray diagnostic installation having a planar solid state X-ray image converter

An x-ray apparatus for generating an image of an examination subject, including an image pattern of an instrument, for the purpose of guiding the instrument, includes dual x-ray sources and a stereo viewer for generating a stereo image of the examination subject from a video signal produced by attenuation of the x-rays by the patient and the instrument, a detector which identifies the presence of the instrument in the video signal and generates an output signal upon detection thereof, a phase-locked loop circuit for generating an image pattern of the instrument from the output of the detector, a mixer which combines the image pattern with the video signal, and a switching stage connected between the output of the phase-locked loop circuit and the mixer, the switching stage having a control input supplied with the output signal from the detector such that the image pattern of the instrument is supplied to the mixer in the absence of an output signal from the detector.

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Erlangen, Germany

Gerhard Hahm