Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Guenter Zeitler

Christoph Herrmann

Christian Baeumer

Cornelis Reinder Ronda

Roger Steadman Booker

Herbert J Schreinemacher

Norbert Conrads

Roger Steadman

Oliver Muelhens

Roland Proksa

Thomas Frach

Charles Loeb Truwit

Torsten Solf

Rainer Pietig

Christoph Loef

Walter Ruetten

Detlef Uwe Wiechert

Jens Wiegert

Simha Levene

Kai Eck

Matthias Simon

Klaus Juergen Engel

Rainer Kiewitt

Carolina Ribbing

Gordian Prescher

Matthias Bertram

Georg Rose

Rolf Juergen Weese

Ewald Rössl

Olaf Wischhusen

Klaus Jürgen Engel

Astrid Lewalter

Hans Krüger

Disclosed herein is a medical system () comprising a memory () storing machine executable instructions (). The medical system further comprises an anatomical detection module (). The anatomical detection module is configured for detecting an anatomical deviation in response to inputting tomographic medical scout image data (). The anatomical detection module is configured for outputting a localization () of the anatomical deviation in the tomographic medical scout image data if the anatomical deviation is detected. The medical system further comprises a processor () configured for controlling the medical system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive () the tomographic medical scout image data, receive () the localization of the anatomical deviation from the anatomical detection module in response to inputting the tomographic medical scout image data into the anatomical detection module, and provide () a warning signal () if the localization is received.

Automated scout scan examination

A host lattice modified GOS scintillating material and a method for using a host lattice modified GOS scintillating material is provided. The host lattice modified GOS scintillating material has a shorter afterglow than conventional GOS scintillating material. In addition, a radiation detector and an imaging device incorporating a host lattice modified GOS scintillating material are provided. A spectral filter may be used in conjunction with the GOS scintillating material.

Scintillating material and related spectral filter

An apparatus includes an integrator () that produces a pulse having a peak amplitude indicative of the energy of a detected photon. First discharging circuitry () discharges the integrator () at a first discharging speed, and second discharging circuitry () discharges the integrator () at a second discharging speed. The first discharging speed is less than the second discharging speed.

Spectral photon counting detector

The invention relates to a radiation detector that is particularly suited for energy resolved single X-ray photon detection in a CT scanner. In a preferred embodiment, the detector has an array of scintillator elements in which incident X-ray photons are converted into bursts of optical photons. Pixels associated to the scintillator elements determine the numbers of optical photons they receive within predetermined acquisition intervals. These numbers can then be digitally processed to detect single X-ray photons and to determine their energy. The pixels may particularly be realized by avalanche photodiodes with associated digital electronic circuits for data processing.

Single photon radiation detector

The invention relates to a GdOS:Nd fluorescent material and the use of Ndas emitter in suitable materials.

Fluorescent material for use in CT applications

The invention is directed at an apparatus (), an imaging device and a method for detecting X-ray photons, in particular photons () in a computer tomograph. Photons () are converted into an electrical pulse and compared against a threshold using a discriminator (). The electrical network () performing these functions comprises a switching element (), that can modify the electrical path () along which the process signals travel. The trigger signal (V) for actuating the switching element () is derived from an electrical state of the electrical path (). If a pulse associated to a photon () is detected, the switching element () is actuated in order to avoid that the processing of the charge pulse stemming from a first photon () is affected by a subsequent second photon ().

Apparatus, imaging device and method for detecting X-ray radiation

The present invention relates to processing electronics () for a detector () of an X-ray imaging device (), the processing electronics () with a pulse counter section () having at least one count output () and with an integrator section () having an intensity output (), wherein the processing electronics () is adapted to be connected to a sensor () in such a manner that X-ray photons () arriving at the sensor () can be processed by the pulse counter section (), by the integrator section (), or both, and wherein the processing electronics () comprises a processor () adapted to be connected to the count output () and to the intensity output () and adapted to output a count result (K) that takes into account both count information (N) obtained at the count output () and intensity information (I) obtained at the intensity output (), so that the count result (K) contains information (N) obtained from the pulse counter section () and information (M) obtained from the integrator section (). The present invention further relates to a corresponding detector element () for a detector (), an X-ray imaging device (), a method for determining a count result (K) from a detector element (), a computer program, a data carrier and a detector () for an X-ray imaging device ().

Processing electronics and method for determining a count result, and detector for an X-ray imaging device

The invention relates to a radiation detector (), particularly an X-ray detector, which comprises at least one sensitive layer () for the conversion of incident photons (X) into electrical signals. A two-dimensional array of electrodes () is located on the front side of the sensitive layer (), while its back side carries a counter-electrode (). The size of the electrodes () may vary in radiation direction (y) for adapting the counting workload of the electrodes. Moreover, the position of the electrodes () with respect to the radiation direction (y) provides information about the energy of the detected photons (X).

Radiation detector with multiple electrodes on a sensitive layer

The invention relates to a radiation detector (), particularly for X-rays (X) and for &#x3b3;-rays, which comprises a combination of (a) at least one primary conversion layer (-) with a low attenuation coefficient for the photons and (b) at least one secondary conversion layer () with a high attenuation coefficient for the photons. In preferred embodiments, the primary conversion layer (-) may be realized by a silicon layer coupled to associated energy-resolving counting electronics (-). The secondary conversion layer () may be realized for example by CZT or GOS coupled to energy-resolving counting electronics or integrating electronics. Using primary conversion layers with low stopping power allows to build a stacked radiation detector () for spectral CT in which the counting rates of the layers are limited to feasible values without requiring unrealistic thin layers.

Radiation detector with several conversion layers

A radiation detector () includes an array of scintillator pixels () in optical communication with a photosensor. The scintillator pixels () include a hygroscopic scintillator () and one or more hermetic covers (). A desiccant () may be disposed between a hermetic cover () and the scintillator () or between the hermetic covers ().

Protection of hygroscopic scintillators

The present invention relates to an apparatus () for generating countable pulses () from impinging X-ray () in an imaging device (), in particular in a computer tomograph, the apparatus () comprising a pre-amplifying element () adapted to convert a charge pulse () generated by an impinging photon () into an electrical signal () and a shaping element () having a feedback loop () and adapted to convert the electrical signal () into an electrical pulse (), wherein a delay circuit () is connected to the feedback loop () such that a time during which the feedback loop () collects charges of the electrical signal () is extended in order to improve an amplitude of the electrical pulse () at an output () of the shaping element (). The invention also relates to a corresponding imaging device () and a corresponding method.

Apparatus and method for generating countable pulses from impinging X-ray photons; and corresponding imaging device

A beverage dispensing device including a housing, a tapping device for dispensing a beverage, a beverage container connectable with the tapping device, a freshness indicator device, a data input unit for recording replacement of the beverage container, a temperature sensor for measuring the storage temperature of the beverage, a temperature controller for adjusting the cooling temperature of a chiller, a storage unit for storing the freshness criteria, and a processing unit. The temperature sensor transmits the current beverage storage temperature to the processing unit and the processing unit calculates, depending on a recorded storage temperature period and based on stored freshness criteria, the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage. The processing unit transmits the calculated data to the display.

Beverage dispensing device with freshness indicator

The present invention relates to an apparatus () for counting X-ray photons (). The apparatus () comprises a sensor () adapted to convert a photon () into a charge pulse, a processing element () adapted to convert the charge pulse () into an electrical pulse () and a first discriminator () adapted to compare the electrical pulse () against a first threshold (TH) and to output an event () if the first threshold (TH) is exceeded. A first counter () counts these events (), unless counting is inhibited by a first gating element (). The first gating element () is activated when the first discriminator () outputs the event (), and it is deactivated, when the processing of a photon () is found to be complete or about to be completed by a measurement or by the knowledge about the time that it takes to process a photon () in the processing element (). By activating and deactivating the first counter () pile-up events, i.e. pile-up of multiple electrical pulses (), can be addressed. The invention also relates to a corresponding imaging device and a corresponding method.

Apparatus, imaging device and method for counting X-ray photons

A hot axial pressing method for sintering a ceramic powder, particularly doped Gd2O2S, comprises the step of placing a first porous body (), the ceramic powder () and a second porous body () into a mould shell () supported by a support (). The ceramic powder () is located between the porous bodies (). Gaseous components are evacuated from the ceramic powder () up to an ambient pressure of less than 0.8 bar. The porous body () and the ceramic powder () are heated to a maximum temperature of at least 900&#xb0; C. and are applied to a pressure up to a maximum pressure of at least 75 Mpa. According to the invention the variation in time of the heating step and the variation in time of the pressure applying step is adjusted to each other such that the mould shellis held by the porous bodies () and/or the ceramic powder () in a state where the mould shell () and the support () are disconnected with respect to each other.

Hot axial pressing method

The present invention is directed towards an uniaxial pressing and heating apparatus for the production of ceramic materials comprising a heater (), a mold () and a die (), wherein a mold () is arranged inside a heater () and the mold () receives a die () at at least one opening and wherein the die () is actuated under pressure into the mold (), wherein the ratio of the length of the heater () and the length of the mold () is from &#x2267;1.5 to &#x2266;4. The invention is further directed towards a process for the production of ceramics and towards a ceramic material.

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Aachen, Germany

Guenter Zeitler