The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 27, 1999
Thomas L. Toth, Brookfield, WI (US);
George E. Seidenschnur, Waukesha, WI (US);
Neil B. Bromberg, Milwaukee, WI (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention is, in one embodiment, a method for determining tracking control parameters for positioning an x-ray beam of a computed tomography imaging system having a movable collimator positionable in steps and a detector array including a plurality of rows of detector elements. The method includes steps of obtaining detector samples at a series of collimator step positions while determining a position of a focal spot of the x-ray beam; determining a beam position for each detector element at each collimator step utilizing the determined focal spot positions, a nominal focal spot length, and geometric parameters of the x-ray beam, collimator, and detector array; and determining a calibration parameter utilizing information so obtained. For example, in determining a target beam position at which to maintain the x-ray beam, a detector element differential error is determined according to ratios of successive collimator step positions; and a target beam position is selected for an isocenter element in accordance with the determined element differential errors.