General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Ge-lunar Corporation

James Wear

Randall Payne

David L Ergun

Robert Washenko

Serge Muller

Paul Markwardt

Howard Stavers Barden

Wynn Keith Wacker

Adam Manders

Mehadi Hassan

Daniel Robert Lenz

Robert A Washenko

Darrell Gorsuch

Randall K Payne

Michael Bucholz

Michael Buchholz

The present disclosure relates to a medical imaging system having an X-ray source, a detector and a processing system. The X-ray source is collimated to produce a diverging beam of radiation and transmits X-rays through an object. The detector includes detector pixels arranged in at least one row and is operative to receive the X-ray energy of the X-rays after having passed through the object. The processing system is programmed to select an initial height of the object with respect to the X-ray source plane and determine an initial time delayed summation (TDS) shift frequency based on the initial height. The processing system performs a first scan of the object based on the TDS shift frequency and determines a new height of the object based on a beam angle and an overlap of adjacent images. A new TDS shift frequency is determined based on the new height of the object if the initial height and the new height are not substantially same. The processing system then performs a second scan of the object based on the new TDS shift frequency. The processing system is further programmed to generate an image of the object based on detected X-ray energy at the X-ray detector based on the first scan and the second scan.

System and method for imaging a subject

Various systems are provided for an X-ray system. In one example, an X-ray system comprises an X-ray source positioned opposite to and facing a first side of a table and an X-ray detector positioned directly opposite to and facing a second side of the table, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, wherein the X-ray source is a dual-energy X-ray source configured to scan in a raster pattern. In one example, an object is positioned on the first side of the table.

Methods and systems for a pivoting source with tracking detector for transverse dual energy absorptiometry

The present disclosure relates to a medical imaging system having an X-ray source, a detector and a processing system. The the X-ray source is collimated to produce a diverging beam of radiation and transmits X-rays through an object. The detector includes detector pixels arranged in at least one row and is operative to receive the X-ray energy of the X-rays after having passed through the object. The processing system is programmed to select an initial height of the object with respect to the X-ray source plane and determine an initial time delayed summation (TDS) shift frequency based on the initial height. The processing system performs a first scan of the object based on the TDS shift frequency and determines a new height of the object based on a beam angle and an overlap of adjacent images. A new TDS shift frequency is determined based on the new height of the object if the initial height and the new height are not substantially same. The processing system then performs a second scan of the object based on the new TDS shift frequency. The processing system is further programmed to generate an image of the object based on detected X-ray energy at the X-ray detector based on the first scan and the second scan.

A system for performing a bone density scan of a patient is provided. The system includes a radiation source operative to emit a radiation beam, a radiation detector operative to receive the radiation beam and generate an output signal based at least in part on the received radiation beam, and a controller in electronic communication with the radiation source and the radiation detector and operative to generate at least one of a bone mineral content measurement of the patient, a bone mineral density measurement of the patient, a body composition measurement of the patient, and a body thickness measurement of the patient. The controller is further operative to regulate the radiation beam such that a flux of the radiation beam at the radiation detector is within a target flux range.

System and method for performing a bone density scan of a patient

A system for assessing muscle function of a patient is provided. The system includes: a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry device operative to scan the patient so as to generate a lean mass measurement; a bioelectrical impedance analysis device operative to scan the patient so as to generate an extracellular water volume measurement; and a controller that includes at least one processor and a memory device, the controller in electrical communication with the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry device and the bioelectrical impedance device. The controller is adapted to: receive the lean mass measurement and the extracellular water volume measurement; store the lean mass measurement and the extracellular water volume measurement in the memory device; and generate a muscle assessment indicator of the patient based at least in part on the lean mass measurement and the extracellular water volume measurement stored in the memory device.

System and method for assessing muscle function of a patient

Methods and system for measuring visceral fat mass are provided. One method includes acquiring dual-energy two-dimensional (2D) scan information from a dual-energy X-ray scan of a body and generating a dual-energy X-ray image of the body using the 2D scan information. The method further includes identifying a region of interest using the dual-energy X-ray image and determining a subcutaneous fat mass for each of a plurality of sections of the region of interest. The method also includes determining a visceral fat mass for the region of interest based on the determined subcutaneous fat mass for each of the plurality of sections.

Method and system for measuring visceral fat mass using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry

Methods and apparatus for measuring visceral fat mass are provided. One method includes acquiring dual-energy two-dimensional (2D) scan information from a dual-energy x-ray scan of a body and generating a dual-energy image of the body using the 2D scan information. The method further includes identifying a region of interest using the dual-energy image and determining a subcutaneous fat mass for each of a plurality of sections of the region of interest. The method also includes determining a visceral fat mass for the region of interest based on the determined subcutaneous fat mass for each of the plurality of sections.

Methods and apparatus for measuring visceral fat mass

A scanning bone densitometer includes an x-ray source to produce x-rays and an x-ray detector receiving x-rays emitted from the x-ray source. The x-ray detector includes a cadmium tellurium (CdTe) semiconductor. The scanning bone densitometer also includes a controller moving the x-ray source and the x-ray detector along a transverse scanning path to acquire a plurality of scan images of an object of interest.

Transverse scanning bone densitometer and detector used in same

Steering electrodes are used to improve the uniformity and efficiency of solid-state semiconductor x-ray detectors. The steering electrodes are insulated from the semiconductor material so as to prevent surface current flows that degrade the signal to noise ratio of the detected signal. A simple fabrication technique employing photolithographic techniques may be employed.

Solid-state x-ray detector with support mounted steering electrodes

A monolithic solid-state detector using a staggered arrangement of pixels in multiple rows improves spatial resolution without requiring reduction in pixel size. Parallelogram shapes of CZT monolith allow tiling in one dimension without inefficient zones between monoliths. A scanning device using linear array of detectors with non-rectangular shape and staggered rows of detection elements such that no dead zones occur within a scan field.

Monolithic x-ray detector with staggered detection areas

A monolithic detector uses a grid to block x-rays from inter-pixel regions such as are believed to cause electrical noise in the pixel signals.

Solid state X-ray detector with improved spatial resolution

An energy discriminator, for distinguishing between high and low x-ray energies in a energy sensitive x-ray machine divides high energies into asymmetric regions. The flux rates in each of the asymmetric regions being used to locate the high-energy region in the appropriate high-energy location even in regions of spectral monotonicity. Because two clearly defined spectral peaks need not be present for accurate location of spectral regions in the output of the detector, less filtering and lower tube loading is required.

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Madison, WI, United States of America

James Wear