Canon Medical Systems Corporation

Other

Kevin Christopher Zimmerman

Xiaohui Zhan

John Baumgart

Liang Cai

James Begelman

Thomas Labno

Yi Qiang

Hiroaki Miyazaki

Akira Nishijima

Richard Thompson

Xiaochun Lai

Zhihong Ye

Cai Liang

Takashi Ohshima

A computer-tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising an imaging data acquisition system. The imaging data acquisition system includes a detector section, an aggregation section, and a storage section. The detection section includes a plurality of detector elements configured to convert radiation into electric signals. The aggregation section aggregates imaging data carried by the electric signals from the detector section. The storage section is arranged in a manner corresponding to the detector elements regarding an output from the detector section and an input to the aggregation section. The storage section includes a predetermined number of non-volatile memories configured to store the imaging data from the corresponding detector elements.

Computed tomography (CT) imaging system, radiation imaging system, and method of acquiring CT imaging data

A computer-tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising an imaging data acquisition system. The imaging data acquisition system includes a plurality of sets of a detector section, a storage section, and an aggregation section. The detector section includes a plurality of detector elements each being configured to convert radiation into electric signals. The aggregation section is configured to aggregate imaging data carried by the electronic signals from the detector section. The storage section is connected with an output of the detector section and an input of the aggregation section. The storage section comprises a predetermined number of non-volatile memories to store the imaging data from the corresponding detector elements.

Imaging system and data acquisition method and structure thereof

A method and apparatus for diagnosing and/or calibrating underperforming pixels in detectors in a small pixelated photon counting CT system utilizes a series of tests on image data acquired in-situ as part of a series of calibration scans in the CT system. Tests are performed on the acquired data to determine the existence of underperforming pixels within the detectors such that the information acquired by those pixels can be replaced by alternate data from surrounding pixels (e.g. by interpolation). The underperforming pixels are stored in 'bad' pixel tables and may be specific to a type of image (e.g., spectral or counting) and a specific protocol.

Bad detector calibration methods and workflow for a small pixelated photon counting CT system

According to one embodiment, a photon-counting detector (PCD) includes a plurality of macro-pixels. The plurality of macro-pixels arranged on a semiconductor crystal has a first face and a second face. The first face and the second face are parallel. Each macro-pixel from the plurality of macro-pixels is configured to acquire projection data for generating a reconstructed image. The plurality of macro-pixels each includes at least one large micro-pixel is disposed within the each macro-pixel and at least two small micro-pixels is disposed within the each macro-pixel. Each of the at least two small micro-pixels has a surface area that is less than a surface area of the at least one large micro-pixel.

Photon counting detector and x-ray computed tomography apparatus

A method and apparatuses are provided to estimate, for two or more detector elements in an array of photon-counting detector elements, respective energy spectra of an X-ray beam incident on the corresponding detector elements from an X-ray source, the energy spectra being estimated by modeling X-ray attenuation as a function of X-ray energy when an X-ray beam is transmitted through a filter and set, for each detector element of the two or more detector elements, a first energy threshold of an energy range that is detected by the each detector element, the first energy threshold of the each detector element being based on the estimated energy spectra of the each detector element.

Method and apparatus with photon-counting x-ray detectors having for spatially-varying energy bin thresholds

A method and apparatuses are provided to identify and correct partial volume errors (PVEs) in material decomposition of a spectral computed tomography (CT) scan, due to different X-ray trajectories incident on a same macro-pixel passing through different material components (e.g., bone and water). Macro-pixels are virtual crystals generated by aggregating the signals/counts from several smaller actual pixels (i.e., micro-pixels) of a detector array. Thus, when a PVE is identified within a macro-pixel, the separate signals/counts from the micro-pixels can be used for material decomposition, instead of the aggregated signals/counts of the macro-pixel, thereby providing improved spatial resolution of the material components and, at least partial, overcoming the PVE. A measure of the difference between spectrally-resolved counts based a material projection lengths (e.g., from a calibrated lookup table) and the measured counts of the macro-pixel can be used to identify PVEs, e.g., when the difference measure exceeds a predefined threshold.

Method and apparatus for partial volume identification from photon-counting macro-pixel measurements

A gun frame comprising one or more regions to which a non-lethal (e.g., a flashlight or laser sight) or less-lethal component (e.g., tear gas, pepper spray, or an electrical weapon) may be attached is disclosed. The gun frame may also support a dual-trigger system. A gun comprising the disclosed gun frame with the dual triggering system comprises one trigger which fires a traditional gun's payload, and a second trigger which causes a non-lethal or less-lethal component to fire, while blocking the accidental firing of the traditional payload. Most embodiments of the gun comprising the disclosed frame also have a rechargeable battery, preferably mounted on the gun's magazine, which powers those components requiring electricity.

Growing community of inventors

Sturtevant, WI, United States of America

Kevin Christopher Zimmerman