Methods and apparatus for pulsed radiation image acquisition
View Patent ↗A method of acquiring at least one image from an image recording medium using a pulsed radiation source is provided. In one aspect, a method of scanning an image recording medium that has been exposed to X-ray radiation comprises providing first radiation along a plurality of scan traces over a surface of the image recording medium such that the first radiation does not impinge on the image recording over at least one interval along each of the plurality of scan traces. The pulsed laser source may reduce and/or eliminate cross-influence artifacts in images resulting from pulsed radiation image acquisition.
1. A method of scanning an image recording medium that has been exposed to x-ray radiation, the method comprising:
providing first radiation along a plurality of scan traces over a surface of the image recording medium such that the first radiation does not impinge on the image recording over at least one interval along each of the plurality of scan traces, wherein the image recording medium emits second radiation in response to the first radiation, and wherein the method further comprises an act of providing detection signal indicative of an amount of second radiation emitted from the image recording medium, and wherein portions of the detection signal resulting from intervals wherein the first radiation is caused to impinge on the image recording medium correspond to image information and portions of the detection signal resulting from intervals wherein the first radiation is prevented from impinging on the image recording medium correspond to environmental information.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first radiation is a laser beam, the method further comprising an act of focusing the laser beam such that it produces a focal spot having a first dimension in a direction along the scan trace.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the act of focusing the laser beam includes an act of focusing the radiation such that the first dimension of the focal spot is substantially less than the pixel length of the plurality of pixel regions.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the act of focusing the radiation includes an act of focusing the radiation such that the first dimension is less than 75% of the pixel length.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the act of pulsing the radiation source includes an act of pulsing the radiation source with at least a 50% duty cycle.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the act of pulsing the radiation source includes an act of pulsing the radiation source with less than a 75% duty cycle.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the act of focusing the radiation includes an act of focusing the radiation such that the first dimension of the focal spot is less than half of the pixel length.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an act of calibrating the image information based, at least in part, on the environmental information.
9. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:
a radiation source adapted to provide first radiation;
a support adapted to position an image recording medium in a proximate relationship with the radiation source;
at least one controller coupled to the radiation source, the at least one controller adapted to control the radiation source such that the first radiation is provided to the image recording medium along a plurality of scan traces such that the first radiation does not impinge on the image recording medium over at least one interval along each of the plurality of scan traces; and
a detector adapted to detect, when present, second radiation emitted from the image recording medium in response to the first radiation, and to provide at least one detection signal indicative of the amount of second radiation detected,
wherein portions of the at least one detection signal resulting from intervals wherein the first radiation is caused to impinge on the image recording medium correspond to image information and portions of the at least one detection signal resulting from intervals wherein the first radiation is prevented from impinging on the image recording medium correspond to environmental information.
10. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the radiation source is configured to cause, in alternation, the first radiation to impinge on the image recording medium and prevent the first radiation from impinging on the image recording medium in a pattern along the plurality of scan traces.
11. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further adapted to control the laser source such the first radiation is provided to each of a plurality of pixel regions that form a grid logically applied to the image recording medium, the plurality of pixel regions having a pixel length in a direction along each of the scan traces and a pixel width in a direction against the plurality of scan traces.
12. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is adapted to control the radiation source such that that the first radiation is applied sequentially to the plurality of pixel regions of the logical grid.
13. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller is adapted to control the radiation source such that the first radiation impinges on the image recording medium along the plurality of scan traces when the first radiation is located essentially within a single one of the plurality of pixel regions and prevents the first radiation from impinging on the image recording medium in locations along the plurality of scan traces when the first radiation would impinge on more than one of the plurality of pixel regions simultaneously.
14. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is adapted to pulse the radiation source along the plurality of scan traces.
15. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is adapted to pulse the radiation source by charging and discharging the radiation source.
16. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is adapted pulse the radiation source by permitting and preventing the first radiation from impinging on the image recording medium.
17. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the radiation source is a laser source configured to produce a laser beam with a focal spot having a first dimension in a direction along the scan trace less than the pixel length of the plurality of pixel regions.
18. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first dimension of the focal spot is less than 75% of the pixel length.
19. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the radiation source is configured to pulse with at least a 50% duty cycle.
20. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the radiation source is configured to pulse with less than a 75% duty cycle.
21. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first dimension of the focal spot is less than half of the pixel length.
22. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising circuitry coupled to the at least one detection signal, the circuitry adapted to modify the image information based, at least in part, on the environmental information.
23. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the circuitry is further adapted to convert portions of the at least one detections signal into a plurality of pixel intensities corresponding to the plurality of pixel regions.
24. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 23 , wherein each portion of the at least one detection signal corresponding to image information is converted into a single respective pixel intensity.
25. An image acquisition apparatus, comprising:
a radiation source adapted to provide first radiation to an image recording medium, the radiation source configured to be pulsed, in alternation, between an on interval and an off interval along a plurality of scan traces;
a detector adapted to detect second radiation emitted from the image recording medium in response to the first radiation, the detector configured to provide a plurality of detection signals corresponding to scanning along each of the plurality of scan traces, respectively; and
circuitry coupled to the detector, the circuitry adapted to convert each of the plurality of detection signals into a plurality of pixel intensities such that each portion of the plurality of detection signals resulting from on intervals is converted into a single respective pixel intensity,
wherein the circuitry is further adapted to convert portions of the plurality of detections signals resulting from off intervals is converted into environmental information and wherein the circuitry determines a value of the single respective pixel intensity based, at least in part, on the environmental information.