IP Library Granted Patent US 8,774,350
Granted Patent B2
US 8,774,350 · App. 13/391,074 · Granted Jul 8, 2014

X-ray CT device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,774,350
App. No.
13/391,074
Granted
Jul 8, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Scattered X-rays scattered by an object or a structure enter in a detector (a shift detector) for detecting the positional shift of an X-ray focal point and become a noise source, thereby deteriorating the positional shift detection precision. In particular, the estimation of the dose of scattered X-rays originating from the object is difficult prior to the measurement, and correction of the scattered X-rays is important in order to precisely calculate the positional shift of the X-ray focal point. In order to address this drawback, according to the present invention, a scattered X-ray detector 6 is provided which measures the dose of scattered rays entering in a shift detector 5 for detecting the positional shift of an X-ray focal point 9 , and has a function that the output by the shift detector 5 is corrected using the scattered ray dose measured by the scattered X-ray detector.

Claims (30)

1. An X-ray CT device comprising:

an X-ray source for emitting X-rays from an X-ray focal point;

a collimator for collimating the X-rays;

a main detector including a plurality of X-ray detector elements disposed in multiple rows to detect X-rays having penetrated an object;

a focal point shift detector for detecting a shift of the X-ray focal point; and

a scattered ray detector for measuring a dose of scattered rays entering the focal point shift detector.

2. The X-ray CT device according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray detector elements serving as the focal point shift detector and the scattered ray detector are determined in accordance with an aperture width of the collimator.

3. The X-ray CT device according to claim 1 , further comprising a slit which forms a penumbra of the X-ray focal point over the focal point shift detector, and which also serves as a shield that prevents X-rays from directly entering in the scattered ray detector.

4. The X-ray CT device according to claim 3 , wherein the slit is provided with a plurality of apertures.

5. The X-ray CT device according to claim 1 , further comprising a slit which forms a penumbra of the X-ray focal point over the focal point shift detector and which also serves as a shield that prevents X-rays from directly entering in the scattered ray detector, wherein

the X-ray CT device simultaneously detects the positional shift of the X-ray focal point and reference correction by selecting the X-ray detector elements serving as the focal point shift detector from a region where X-rays directly enter; the region including the penumbra, and selecting the X-ray detector elements serving as the scattered ray detector from the outside of the region where the X-rays directly enter in accordance with an aperture width of the collimator.

6. The X-ray CT device according to claim 1 , wherein the device uses measured data on different scanner rotating angles in order to estimate a dose of scattered rays entering in the focal point shift detector.

7. The X-ray CT device according to claim 1 , further comprising a unit for detecting a presence of the object between the focal point shift detector and the X-ray focal point and determining whether the collimator needs to be controlled or not.

8. An X-ray CT device comprising:

an X-ray source for emitting X-rays from an X-ray focal point;

a collimator for collimating the X-rays;

a main detector including a plurality of X-ray detector elements disposed in multiple rows to detect X-rays having penetrated an object;

a focal point shift detector for detecting shift of the X-ray focal point; and

a scattered ray detector for measuring a dose of scattered rays entering in the focal point shift detector, wherein

the X-ray CT device controls a range of emitted X-rays entering in the main detector based on data detected by the focal point shift detector and data detected by the scattered ray detector.

9. The X-ray CT device according to claim 8 , wherein the range of the emitted X-rays is controlled by a moving mechanism that moves the collimator.

10. The X-ray CT device according to claim 8 , wherein the range of the emitted X-rays is controlled by a moving mechanism that moves the X-ray focal point.

11. The X-ray CT device according to claim 8 , wherein the range of the emitted X-rays is controlled through a negative feedback control.

12. A method for an X-ray CT device comprising functions of:

emitting X-rays from an X-ray focal point;

collimating the X-rays;

detecting X-rays having penetrated an object;

detecting shift of the X-ray focal point; and

measuring a dose of scattered rays included in output data through the function of detecting shift of the X-ray focal point, wherein

the X-ray CT device corrects a dose of scattered rays in the output data through the function of measuring the dose of scattered rays when the function of detecting shift of the X-ray focal point calculates a shift distance of the X-ray focal point.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2016
From: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
To: HITACHI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 040545/0254 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2012
From: TSUBOTA, YUSHI; WATANABE, FUMITO; UEKI, HIRONORI; KONNO, YASUTAKA; KOJIMA, SHINICHI; SUZUKI, ATSURO
To: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027723/0866 →