Systems and methods for image acquisition
View Patent ↗An imaging system includes a first image element in a first row, a second image element in the first row, a third image element in a second row, the third image element and the first image element being in a first column, a gate driver, a first electrical line extending from the gate driver, wherein the first and the second image elements are connected to the first electrical line, a second electrical line, wherein the first image element is connected to the second electrical line, and a third electrical line, wherein the third image element is connected to the third electrical line.
1. An imaging system, comprising:
a first image element in a first row;
a second image element in the first row;
a third image element in a second row, the third image element and the first image element being in a first column;
a gate driver;
a first electrical line extending from the gate driver, wherein the first and the second image elements are electrically coupled to the first electrical line;
a second electrical line, wherein the first image element is electrically coupled to the second electrical line; and
a third electrical line, wherein the third image element is electrically coupled to the third electrical line;
wherein the first electrical line is electrically coupled to the third image element in the second row.
2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the third image element is spaced apart from the first image element such that one or more additional image element is located therebetween.
3. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more additional image element comprises three additional image elements located consecutively in the first column.
4. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more additional image element comprises a fourth image element in a third row.
5. The imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising circuitry for generating a control signal that causes the gate driver to access respective image signals from the first and the fourth image elements simultaneously.
6. The imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising an amplifier connected to the second electrical line for selectively either receiving a signal from one of the first and the fourth image elements, or receiving a signal derived from signals from both of the first and the fourth image elements.
7. The imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the gate driver is configured to cause a first signal from the first image element and a second signal from the fourth image element be collected via the second electrical line.
8. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the gate driver is configured to cause the first and the second signals be collected simultaneously.
9. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the gate driver is configured to cause the first and the second signals be collected one after another.
10. The imaging system of claim 9 , further comprising a processor for generating an image using the first and the second signals, wherein one of the first and the second signals forms a first point of the image, and another of the first and the second signals forms a second point of the image.
11. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second electrical line is approximately perpendicular to the first electrical line, and at least a portion of the third electrical line is approximately perpendicular to the first electrical line.
12. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a first amplifier connected to an end of the second electrical line, and a second amplifier connected to an end of the third electrical line.
13. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a first connecting pad connected to an end of the second electrical line, and a second connecting pad connected to an end of the third electrical line.
14. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image element generates a signal in response to light photons.
15. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image element generates a signal in response to radiation.
16. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising circuitry for generating a control signal that causes the gate driver to access respective image signals from the first and the third image elements simultaneously.
17. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second electrical line is electrically connected to only a subset of image elements in the first column, the subset of image elements including the first image element.
18. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second electrical line is configured to deliver signal from the first image element to a first node, and the third electrical line is configured to deliver signal from the third image element to a second node, so that the signals from the first and third image elements remain separated after they are collected.
19. A control module configured for:
generating a control signal to access a first image signal from a first image element, a second image signal from a second image element, and a third image signal from a third image element;
wherein the first image element and the third image element are located in a first row, the second image element is located in a second row, the first and the second image elements are located in a column, the first image element is connected to a first electrical line for transmitting the first image signal, and the second image element is connected to a second electrical line for transmitting the second image signal.
20. The control module of claim 19 , further configured for generating a control signal to access a fourth image signal from a fourth image element located in the first column, the fourth image being between the first and the second image elements.
21. The control module of claim 20 , further comprising a node for combining the first image signal from the first image element and the fourth image signal from the fourth image element to form an aggregate signal.
22. The control module of claim 20 , further comprising a processor for generating an image using the first image signal from the first image element and the fourth image signal from the fourth image element, wherein the first image signal forms a first point of the image, and the fourth image signal forms a second point of the image.
23. The control module of claim 20 , further comprising circuitry for allowing the first and the fourth image signals be selectively collected either simultaneously, or one after another.
24. The control module of claim 19 , wherein the first electrical line is connected to a first amplifier, and the second electrical line is connected to a second amplifier.
25. The control module of claim 19 , wherein the first electrical line has a first end connected to a first node, and the second electrical line has a second end connected to a second node, such that the first and second image signals received at the respective first and second nodes remain separated after they are collected.
26. The control module of claim 19 , wherein the first electrical line is electrically connected to only a subset of image elements in the column, the subset of image elements including the first and second image elements.
27. The control module of claim 19 , further comprising a gate driver, wherein the first image element in the first row is coupled to the gate driver through a gate line, the gate line connecting to another image element in another row that is different from the first row.
28. A method for collecting image signals, comprising:
accessing a first image signal from a first image element in a first row and a second image signal from a second image element in a second row, wherein the first and the second image elements are located in a column; and
accessing a third image signal from a third image element in the first row;
wherein the first, second, and third image signals are accessed simultaneously, the first image signal is accessed using a first electrical line, and the second image signal is accessed using a second electrical line;
wherein the first electrical line has a first end connected to a first node, and the second electrical line has a second end connected to a second node, such that the first and second image signals received at the respective first and second nodes remain separated after they are collected.
29. A method for collecting image signals, comprising:
accessing a first image signal from a first image element in a first row and a second image signal from a second image element in a second row, wherein the first and the second image elements are located in a column; and
accessing a third image signal from a third image element in the first row;
wherein the first, second, and third image signals are accessed simultaneously, the first image signal is accessed using a first electrical line, and the second image signal is accessed using a second electrical line;
wherein the first electrical line is electrically connected to only a subset of image elements in the column, the subset of image elements including the first and second image elements.
30. A method for collecting image signals, comprising:
accessing a first image signal from a first image element in a first row and a second image signal from a second image element in a second row, wherein the first and the second image elements are located in a column; and
accessing a third image signal from a third image element in the first row;
wherein the first, second, and third image signals are accessed simultaneously, the first image signal is accessed using a first electrical line, and the second image signal is accessed using a second electrical line;
wherein the first image element in the first row is coupled to a gate driver through a gate line, the gate line connecting to another image element in another row that is different from the first row.
31. An imaging system, comprising:
a plurality of rows of image elements;
a gate driver;
a first gate line extended from the gate driver, wherein the first gate line is electrically connected to every Nth one of the rows of image elements; and
a first node for receiving a first image signal from a first image elements in one of the rows.
32. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein each of the image elements is configured to generate a signal in response to light photons.
33. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein each of the image elements includes a portion of a conversion panel and a portion of a photo detector array.
34. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein Nth=2nd.
35. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein Nth=4th.
36. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein Nth=8th.
37. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein the first gate line is electrically connected to only every Nth one of the rows of image elements.
38. The imaging system of claim 31 , wherein the gate driver is configured to cause image signals from the image elements that are in the every Nth one of the rows to be collected simultaneously.
39. The imaging system of claim 31 , further comprising a second gate line extended from the gate driver, wherein the second gate line is electrically connected to every Nth one of the rows of image elements, wherein the every Nth one of the rows of image elements connected to the second gate line are adjacent to the respective Nth one of the rows of image elements connected to the first gate line.
40. The imaging system of claim 39 , further comprising an input for allowing a user to determine whether to activate the first and second gate lines simultaneously or sequentially.
41. The imaging system of claim 31 , further comprising a second node for receiving a second image signal from a second image element in another one of the rows.
42. The imaging system of claim 41 , wherein the first and second image elements are in a same column.
43. The imaging system of claim 42 , wherein the gate driver is configured to cause the first and second image signals to be collected at the respective first and second nodes simultaneously.