General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Timothy Mathew Behlmer

Brandon Allan Smith

Kenwood Dayton

Ross Christopher Stalter

Michael Smith

Jonathan Boutot

Robert Surma

Dominic Joseph Crotty

Changlyong Kim

Ronald George Kulas

Gregory Gabrysiak

Benjamin Bichler

John Gilmore

Various systems and methods are provided for an integrated filter assembly including at least one bowtie filter and at least one beam hardening filter mounted on a carriage. In one embodiment, an imaging system may include a first carriage including at least one beam hardening filter and at least one bowtie filter, a second carriage including at least two additional bowtie filters, and a carriage driving system for moving the carriages to selectively position the at least one beam hardening filter and one of the bowtie filters in a path of an X-ray beam. The at least one beam hardening filter may overlap with at least one of the bowtie filters.

Systems and methods for an integrated filter assembly with two carriages

Various methods and systems are provided for an integrated filter assembly including a plurality of bowtie filters and a hardening filter mounted on a single carriage. In one embodiment, an imaging system may include a carriage including a hardening filter and one or more bowtie filters, and a filter driving system for moving the carriage to selectively position the hardening filter and one of the one or more bowtie filters in a path of a radiation beam between a radiation source and an imaging subject, the hardening filter at least partially overlapping with at least one of the one or more bowtie filters. In this way, a single carriage may include a plurality of filters which may be selectively positioned in a path of the radiation beam entering a subject without having to stack multiple carriages and switch carriages between scans.

Methods and systems for integrated filter system

Imaging apparatus

A collimator includes a panel and one or more blades. The panel defines an exit port, and the one or more blades are held between the panel and an X-ray source to cover at least a portion of the exit port. Each of the one or more blades has a primary blocking member and a secondary blocking member with material densities sufficient to block X-ray radiation. The primary blocking member shapes an X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray source. The secondary blocking member is secured in a fixed position relative to the primary blocking member between the primary blocking member and the panel to block scatter radiation from the X-ray beam from emanating through the exit port. The primary blocking member has a substantially non-planar surface facing toward the X-ray source. The secondary blocking member has a substantially planar surface facing toward the X-ray source.

X-ray collimator for imaging system

A support structure is disclosed. The support structure has at least one cover installed to cover a side of the support structure. The cover is raised pivotally by at least one primary support mechanism. The cover may be secured in place by an additional support mechanism. The additional support mechanism may be set in two different positions, one that allows for load on the primary support mechanism and another that does not allow for load on the primary support mechanism.

Support structure with raisable cover

Growing community of inventors

Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Timothy Mathew Behlmer