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:
Jul. 08, 2008
Filed:
May. 11, 2005
Gary Virshup, Cupertino, CA (US);
James Boye, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Edward J. Seppi, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Heinrich Riem, Wettingen, CH;
Govin Dasani, Epsom, GB;
Edward Shapiro, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Gary Virshup, Cupertino, CA (US);
James Boye, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Edward J. Seppi, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Heinrich Riem, Wettingen, CH;
Govin Dasani, Epsom, GB;
Edward Shapiro, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Varian Medical Systems Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Devices and methods for implementing selective, or asymmetric, attenuation of an x-ray beam. In one example, a filter is provided that is substantially in the form of a wedge where some portions of the filter are thicker, and thus provide greater attenuation, than other, thinner portions of the filter. The filter is situated between the target surface of the anode and the x-ray subject so that x-rays generated by the target pass through the filter before reaching the x-ray subject. Specifically, the filter is oriented so that the thicker portion of the filter receives the higher intensity portion of the x-ray beam, while the thinner portion of the filter receives the relatively lower intensity portion of the x-ray beam. Thus, the gain profile of the x-ray beam is flattened so that the intensity, or flux, of the x-ray beam is relatively uniform throughout a substantial portion of the beam profile.