General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Bwi Company Limited S.a.

Jean-Francois Larroux

Uwe Wiedmann

Julien Bouhraoua

Aurelien Gadenne

Denis Perrillat-Amede

Peter Michael Edic

Bruno Kristiaan Bernard De Man

Jed Douglas Pack

Jiahua Fan

Mark Alan Frontera

Naveen Stephan Chandra

Yannan Jin

Philippe Ernest

John Moore Boudry

Dominique Poincloux

Adam Israel Cohen

Ryan James Lemminger

Paul Marie Degoul

Priti Madhav

Eric Biehr

Vijay Subramanian

Systems/techniques that facilitate correction of intra-scan focal-spot displacement are provided. In various embodiments, a system can access a first gantry angle of a medical scanner. In various aspects, the system can determine a first displacement of a focal-spot of the medical scanner based on the first gantry angle, by referencing a mapping that correlates gantry angles to focal-spot displacements. In various instances, the system can compensate, via one or more focal-spot position adjusters of the medical scanner, for the first displacement.

Correction of intra-scan focal-spot displacement

In the present invention, a high-voltage DC/DC converter suitable for powering x-ray tubes and the like provides control of a voltage applied to a resonant circuit at least in part according to a timing of a monitored voltage on the resonator thereby compensating for variations in the parameter stability of the resonant circuit, nonlinearity in the resonant gain curve and frequency dependencies.

High-performance DC/DC converter with resonator sensing

An imaging system includes a computed tomography (CT) acquisition unit and a processing unit. The CT acquisition unit includes an X-ray source and a CT detector. The processing unit is configured to determine a voltage delivery configuration for the X-ray source based on at least one of a patient size, a clinical task, or scan parameters. The voltage delivery configuration includes at least one of a transition configuration or a voltage threshold. The transition configuration corresponds to a transition between a high voltage and a low voltage. Portions of acquired data acquired above the voltage threshold are grouped as high energy data and portions acquired below the voltage threshold are grouped as low energy data. The processing unit is also configured to implement the voltage delivery configuration on the CT acquisition unit, and to control the CT acquisition unit to perform an imaging scan using the determined voltage delivery configuration.

Systems and methods for dual-energy computed tomography imaging

An x-ray system for simultaneously or concurrently measuring currents of multiple emitters is provided. The x-ray system includes a high voltage direct current (DC) supply configured to supply tube current to the multiple emitters and plural emitter circuits. Each of these circuits includes each comprising an alternating current (AC) voltage supply, at least one of the multiple emitters operatively coupled to the AC voltage supply and the high voltage DC supply, and a circuit coupling the AC voltage supply and the high voltage DC voltage supply to the at least one of the multiple filaments. At least one of the emitter circuits has a current measurement device between the high voltage DC supply and the emitter.

X-ray systems having individually measurable emitters

Rise times and fall times provided by a high voltage generator are controlled to maintain image quality during such scans. The rise and fall times are controlled by first measuring rise and fall times at each transition. Then, a closed-loop controller is used to adjust control parameters of the high voltage generator, based on an error determined from the measurement, to achieve substantially constant rise and fall times. This invention may be based on the implementation of two closed-loop controllers on rise and fall time of fast-kV exposures. As a result, image quality may be improved and system calibration time may be reduced.

Energy imaging with controlled rise and fall times

The present inventors have recognized that fall times between high-kV to low-kV levels (during a 'dual energy' or 'fast-kV' energy scan) are linked to the discharge of HV (high voltage) capacitance. In an embodiment of the invention, a high voltage generator may be activated during fall transitions from first to second energy levels in order to substantially maintain a predetermined fall transition time. Accordingly, substantially equal energy distributions between high-kV and low-kV levels may be achieved.

Energy imaging with generally constant energy separation

Acquisition of X-ray transmission data at three or more energy levels is described. Various implementations utilize generator waveforms that utilize fast-switching, slow-switching, or a combination of fast- and slow-switching to transition between X-ray energy levels. In addition, various sampling arrangements for sampling and/or binning three or more energy levels of X-ray transmission data are discussed. The use of these data in subsequent processing steps, such for material decomposition and/or improvement of dual-energy material decomposition processing, are also described.

Multi-energy X-ray imaging

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Buc, France

Jean-Francois Larroux