Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Klaus Juergen Engel

Gereon Vogtmeier

Christoph Herrmann

Thomas Koehler

Ewald Roessl

Roger Steadman Booker

Dieter Geller

Christian Baeumer

Herman Stegehuis

Bernd Menser

Michael Grass

Herfried Karl Wieczorek

Joerg Bredno

Hanns-Ingo Maack

Gerhard Martens

Dirk Schaefer

Heiner Daerr

Ira Micah Blevis

Norbert Conrads

Heidrun Steinhauser

Rainer Kiewitt

Bernd Schweizer

Guenter Zeitler

Alberto Fazzi

Frank Verbakel

Andriy Yaroshenko

Helko Lehmann

Antonius Johannes Maria Nellissen

Olivier Ecabert

Chrysi Papalazarou

Sebastian Siegmund Schusser

Eric Cornelius Egbertus Van Grunsven

Steffen Gunther Hohmann

An image processing system and related method. The system comprises an input interface (IN) for receiving dark-field image data obtained from imaging of an object (OB) with an X-ray imaging apparatus (XI). A corrector module (CM) of the system (IPS) is configured to perform a correction operation to correct said dark-field image data for Compton scatter to obtain Compton-Scatter corrected image data. The so Compton scatter corrected image data is output by an output interface (OUT) of the system.

Scatter correction for dark field imaging

An interventional X-ray system is proposed, the system including a multi X-ray source unit positioned below a patient table. This 'multiblock' may comprise several x-ray sources with focal spot positions distributed along the x-y (table) plane. The x-ray sources are operable in a switching scheme in which certain x-ray sources may be activated in parallel and also sequential switching between such groups is intended. The switching may be carried out so that several images with different projection angles can be acquired in parallel. In other words, an optimal multi-beam X-ray exposure is suggested, wherein fast switching in one dimension and simultaneous exposure in the 2nd dimension is applied.

System and method for multi-beam X-ray exposure for 4D imaging

A medical imaging system for providing X-ray image data of an object including at least one X-ray detector, an X-ray source arrangement, and a patient configured to receive an object for imaging a region of interest of the object. The at least one X-ray detector is movably mounted above the patient table; and the at least one X-ray detector and the X-ray source arrangement are movable independently. The X-ray source arrangement includes a physical trajectory support structure and is configured to provide X-ray radiation to the region of interest from a number of positions forming a concave open trajectory, wherein a portion of the trajectory and/or the physical trajectory support structure is located below the patient table; and wherein two end regions of the trajectory are extending on the two lateral sides of above the table.

Providing X-ray image data of an object

The invention relates to a method and a pulse processing circuit () for the processing of current pulses (CP) generated by incident photons (X) in a piece of converter material, for instance in a pixel () of a radiation detector. Deviations of the pulse shape from a reference are detected and used to identify pulse corruption due to pile-up effects at high count rates and/or charge sharing between neighboring pixels. The deviation detection may for instance be achieved by generating, with a pulse shaper (), bipolar shaped pulses from the current pulse (CP) and/or two shaped pulses of different shapes which can be compared to each other.

Pulse processing circuit with correction means

The invention relates to a detector () for detecting radiation, especially x-ray radiation used in a computed tomography system. The detector comprises a direct conversion material () for converting radiation into electrons and holes, which are used for generating an electrical detection signal. The direct conversion material is illuminated with illumination light being broadband visible and/or broadband infrared light for reducing, in particular, eliminating, a polarization of the direct conversion material, which may occur when being traversed by the radiation to be detected and which may reduce the detection performance. By reducing the polarization of the direct conversion material the detection performance can be improved.

Detector

The invention relates to the field of X-ray differential phase contrast imaging. For scanning large objects and for an improved contrast to noise ratio, an X-ray device () for imaging an object () is provided. The X-ray device () comprises an X-ray emitter arrangement () and an X-ray detector arrangement (), wherein the X-ray emitter arrangement () is adapted to emit an X-ray beam () through the object () onto the X-ray detector arrangement (). The X-ray beam () is at least partial spatial coherent and fan-shaped. The X-ray detector arrangement () comprises a phase grating () and an absorber grating (). The X-ray detector arrangement () comprises an area detector () for detecting X-rays, wherein the X-ray device is adapted to generate image data from the detected X-rays and to extract phase information from the X-ray image data, the phase information relating to a phase shift of X-rays caused by the object (). The object () has a region of interest () which is larger than a detection area of the X-ray detector () and the X-ray device () is adapted to generate image data of the region of interest () by moving the object () and the X-ray detector arrangement () relative to each other.

Scanning system for differential phase contrast imaging

A radiation detector () includes a semiconductor element () for generating positive holes and electrons, a cathode () formed on a first surface of the semiconductor element () and a plurality of segmented anodes () formed on a second surface of the semiconductor element (), the second surface being in opposed relation to the first surface. Additionally, a plurality of segmented steering electrodes () are positioned adjacent the plurality of segmented anodes (). Moreover, a plurality of doping atoms are located above at least a portion of the plurality of segmented anodes () for reducing the voltage difference between the plurality of segmented anodes () and the plurality of segmented steering electrodes ().

Photon counting semiconductor detectors

The invention relates to a method and an imaging system () for generating X-ray images. The system () comprises at least one X-ray source, preferably an array of X-ray sources (-), and an X-ray detector () with an array of sensitive pixels (-). A collimator () is arranged between the X-ray source and the detector such that two openings (P) of the collimator () allow the passage of X-rays towards two neighboring pixels (-) while the region between said pixels is substantially shielded. This shielding of the usually insensitive regions between pixels reduces unnecessary X-ray exposure. A sufficiently large X-ray intensity can be achieved by using a plurality of small X-ray sources (-).

X-ray imaging with pixelated detector

The present invention discloses a pixilated direct conversion photon counting detector with a direct conversion material layer and a pixilated electrode. Individual electrode pixels are segmented into three segments (), wherein one of the segments () is operated at a more electrically repellant value than that of the other two (). Said other two segments are connected to electric circuitry () that is arranged to generate signals which are indicative of a count of electrons or holes that approach each of the respective electrode pixel segments and to subtract the generated signals from each other.

Direct conversion photon counting detector

The present invention relates to phase-contrast imaging which visualizes the phase information of coherent radiation passing a scanned object. Focused gratings are used which reduce the creation of trapezoid profile in a projection with a particular angle to the optical axis. A laser supported method is used in combination with a dedicating etching process for creating such focused grating structures.

Tilted gratings and method for production of tilted gratings

X-ray devices for Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) are often built up with the help of gratings. For large field-of-views (FOV), production cost and complexity of these gratings could increase significantly as they need to have a focused geometry. Instead of a pure PCI with a large FOV, this invention suggests to combine a traditional absorption X-ray-imaging system with large-FOV with an insertable low-cost PCI system with small-FOV, The invention supports the user to direct the PCI system with reduced FOV to a region that he regards as most interesting for performing a PCI scan thus eliminating X-ray dose exposure for scanning regions not interesting for a radiologist. The PCI scan may be generated on the basis of local tomography.

Phase contrast imaging

An X-ray image acquisition apparatus employing phase-contrast imaging with enlarged field of view includes an X-ray source, an X-ray detector element having a detector size, a beam splitter grating and an analyzer grating. An object is arrangeable between the X-ray source and detector. The beam splitter grating and the analyzer grating are arrangeable between the X-ray source and detector. The X-ray source, the beam splitter grating, the analyzer grating and the X-ray detector are operatively coupled such that a phase-contrast image of the object is obtainable. The apparatus is configure to acquire a phase-contrast image having a field of view larger than the detector size. The X-ray detector element is displaceable where, by the displacement of the X-ray detector, a phase-contrast image of the enlarged field of view is obtainable.

Apparatus for phase-contrast imaging comprising a displaceable X-ray detector element and method

In radiation-sensitive detector devices, such as direct conversion detectors, charges are drifting within an externally applied electric field towards collecting electrodes (), which are segmented (e.g. representing a pixel array). At the gaps between segments, electrical field lines can leave the detector, and charges drifting along those field lines can be trapped within the gap. This can be avoided by external electrodes () which push electric field lines back into the direct conversion material.

Radiation-sensitive detector device with charge-rejecting segment gaps

The present invention generally refers to a correction method for grating-based X-ray differential phase contrast imaging (DPCI) as well as to an apparatus which can advantageously be applied in X-ray radiography and tomography for hard X-ray DPCI of a sample object or an anatomical region of interest to be scanned. More precisely, the proposed invention provides a suitable approach that helps to enhance the image quality of an acquired X-ray image which is affected by phase wrapping, e.g. in the resulting Moir&#xe9; interference pattern of an emitted X-ray beam in the detector plane of a Talbot-Lau type interferometer after diffracting said X-ray beam at a phase-shifting beam splitter grating. This problem, which is further aggravated by noise in the obtained DPCI images, occurs if the phase between two adjacent pixels in the detected X-ray image varies by more than &#x3c0; radians and is effected by a line integration over the object's local phase gradient, which induces a phase offset error of &#x3c0; radians that leads to prominent line artifacts parallel to the direction of said line integration.

Correction method for differential phase contrast imaging

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 ().

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Aachen, Germany

Klaus Juergen Engel