IP Library Granted Patent US 7,601,973
Granted Patent B2
US 7,601,973 · App. 11/351,231 · Granted Oct 13, 2009

Radiography system and method for recording X-rays in phosphor layers

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,601,973
App. No.
11/351,231
Granted
Oct 13, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a radiography system with a recording device and to a corresponding method for recording X-rays in storage phosphor layers. In order to improve a picture quality of an X-ray, a recording control is provided for controlling the recording device such that in a first phosphor layer having a first thickness, an X-ray with a first energy limit of the X-ray radiation is recorded, and in a second phosphor layer, having a second thickness which is greater than the first thickness, an X-ray with a second energy limit of the X-ray radiation is recorded, the second energy limit of the X-ray radiation being greater than the first energy limit of the X-ray radiation.

Claims (22)

1. A radiography system, comprising:

a recording device for recording X-rays in phosphor layers with the use of X-ray radiation,

a recording control for controlling the recording device to record:

1) in a first phosphor layer having a first thickness d1, an X-ray with a first energy limit of the X-ray radiation, and

2) in a second storage phosphor layer having a second thickness d2 which is greater than the first thickness d1, an X-ray with a second energy limit of the X-ray radiation, the second energy limit of the X-ray radiation being greater than the first energy limit of the X-ray radiation,

a read-out device for reading out the X-rays recorded in the phosphor layers and comprising an irradiation device for irradiating a phosphor layer with stimulation light which can stimulate the phosphor layer into emitting emission light, and

a read-out control for controlling the irradiation device to emit stimulation light pulses with a specific pulse duration Ts, the pulse duration Ts of the stimulation light pulses being shorter in first read-out mode for reading out the first phosphor layer than in a second read-out mode for the second phosphor layer.

2. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy limit of the X-ray radiation is in the range of between 40 and 70 KeV.

3. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the second energy limit of the X-ray radiation is in the range of between 70 and 150 KeV.

4. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first thickness d1 of the first phosphor layer is between 100 and 750 μm.

5. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the second thickness d2 of the second phosphor layer is between 750 and 1000 μm.

6. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second phosphor layer comprises needle-shaped phosphor structures.

7. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the recording device is controlled by the recording control to record:

in the first phosphor layer an X-ray with a first intensity of the X-ray radiation, and

in the second phosphor layer an X-ray with a second intensity of the X-ray radiation, the second intensity of the X-ray radiation being smaller than the first intensity of the X-ray radiation.

8. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the read-out device is able to produce a picture made of up of pixels during the read-out of a phosphor layer, the size (B z , B v ) of the pixels being smaller in the first read-out mode than in the second read-out mode.

9. The radiography system according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation device is controlled by the read-out control to generate the stimulation light with a smaller intensity in the first read-out mode than the intensity of the stimulation light in the second read-out mode.

10. The radiography system according to claim 1 , the read-out device comprising a detector for collecting emission light stimulated in the phosphor layer, the detector and the phosphor layer being moveable relative to one another with a relative speed, the relative speed being lower in the first read-out mode than in the second read-out mode.

11. A method for recording X-rays in phosphor layers using X-ray radiation, the method comprising:

recording in a first phosphor layer having a first thickness d1, an X-ray with a first energy limit of the X-ray radiation

recording in a second phosphor layer having a second thickness d2 which is greater than the first thickness d1, an X-ray with a second energy limit of the X-ray radiation, the second energy limit of the X-ray radiation being greater than the first energy limit of the X-ray radiation, and

controlling an irradiation device to emit stimulation light pulses, which stimulate the phosphor layer into emitting emission light, with a specific pulse duration Ts, the pulse duration Ts of the stimulation light pulses being shorter in a first read-out mode for the first phosphor layer than in second read-out mode for the second phosphor layer.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: AGFA HEALTHCARE NV
To: AGFA NV
Reel/Frame 047634/0308 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2017
From: AGFA-GEVAERT HEALTHCARE GMBH
To: AGFA HEALTHCARE NV
Reel/Frame 042755/0946 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2006
From: FRANKENBERGER, JORG; FASBENDER, ROBERT; HERRMANN, CLEMENS; LAMOTTE, JOHAN; MAIR, STEPHAN; SCHERER, HORST
To: AGFA-GEVAERT HEALTHCARE GMBH
Reel/Frame 017781/0150 →