Analogic Corporation

Olivier Tousignant

Sorin Marcovici

Wei Zhao

Enrico Dolazza

Luc Laperriere

Jonathan Greenspan

Basak Ulker Karbeyaz

Doug Q Abraham

One or more techniques and/or systems are described for addressing (e.g., during calibration) pixel-by-pixel variations in an image modality that utilizes photon counting techniques, such as by adjusting a number of photons detected by certain pixels (e.g., redistributing or reallocating detected photons among pixels). Such variations may cause an effective area of one or more pixels of a detector array to be larger than the effective area of other pixels, resulting in more photons being counted by some pixels than others, which can degrade resulting images. Accordingly, photons are redistributed as provided herein so that, when exposed to substantially uniform radiation, photon counts of neighboring pixels are substantially equal, statistical noise among neighboring pixels is substantially equal, and a signal-to-noise ratio among neighboring pixels is substantially equal. By redistributing photons as described herein, a spatial uniformity and/or a modulated transfer function (MTF) associated with a detector array may be improved.

Photon count correction

Tomosynthesis data may be acquired from an ionizing radiation source that substantially continuously emits radiation while its position is varied relative to a photon counting detector. The detector detects photons comprised within the radiation and photon data indicative of the detected photons is generated. The photon data may comprise data related to a detected photon's detection time, detection location on the detector, energy level, and/or trajectory from the radiation source, for example. The photon data of various photons may be compiled into a plurality of bins and, through reconstruction and tomosynthesis techniques, produce synthesized images of various tomography planes of an object under examination. In this way, the tomosynthesis techniques rely on counting photons rather than measuring their energy to create synthesized images.

Method of and apparatus for continuous wave tomosynthesis using photon counting

One or more techniques and/or systems described herein provide for creating detector elements that are configured to be overlaid, such that at least a portion of gap between two detector elements is situated in a plane that is not parallel to a plane through which primary radiation travels. That is, a first detector element comprises a portion that is configured to overlap a portion of a second detector element. The detector element(s) may be direct conversion or indirect conversion detector elements. Moreover, one or more electrodes may be placed within the gap and/or along an edge of the detector element to assist in the movement of charge generated by a charge producing portion of the detector element.

Overlapping detector elements of a detector array for a radiation system

Tomosynthesis data may be acquired from a radiation source that substantially continuously emits radiation while its position is varied relative to a photon counting x-ray detector. The detector detects photons comprised within the radiation and photon data indicative of the detected photons is generated. The photon data may comprise data related to a detected photon's detection time, detection location on the detector, energy level, and/or trajectory from the radiation source, for example. The photon data of various photons may be compiled into a plurality of bins and, through reconstruction and tomosynthesis techniques, produce synthesized images of various tomography planes of an object under examination. In this way, the tomosynthesis techniques rely on counting photons rather than measuring their energy to create synthesized images.

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Olivier Tousignant