Adaptive scanning in an imaging system
An imaging system exposes an object within a region to a beam of penetrating radiation. The beam of penetrating radiation is sensed on a side opposite the region from a source of the beam. An attenuation of the beam caused by passing the beam through the object is determined, the attenuation is compared to a threshold attenuation. If the attenuation exceeds the threshold attenuation, a parameter of the imaging system is adjusted based on the determined attenuation.
1. An imaging system for adaptively scanning a region with a beam of radiation, the imaging system comprising:
a source system configured to:
produce a beam of penetrating radiation, and
scan an object included in a region with the beam of penetrating radiation;
a sensor configured to:
sense radiation from the beam of penetrating radiation that passes through the object, and
produce a representation of the sensed radiation;
a scattered radiation detector configured to:
sense scattered radiation from the region, and
produce a representation of the scattered radiation; and
a controller coupled to the source system, the sensor, and the scattered radiation detector, the controller configured to:
receive the representation of the sensed radiation;
determine, from the representation of the sensed radiation, an amount of attenuation of the beam of penetrating radiation caused by the region;
in response to a determination that the amount of attenuation of the beam exceeds a first threshold, adjust a parameter of the imaging system based on the amount of attenuation;
receive the representation of the scattered radiation;
determine an amount of scattered radiation from the representation of the scattered radiation; and
in response to a determination that the amount of scattered radiation exceeds a second threshold, cause the source system to reduce an intensity of the beam of penetrating radiation.
2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of the imaging system is a parameter of the sensor.
3. The imaging system of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a determination that the amount of attenuation of the beam exceeds a third threshold, adjust a parameter of the beam of penetrating radiation.
4. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a gain of one or more detectors of the sensor.
5. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is an amount of filtering of the sensed radiation.
6. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a collimation of the sensed radiation.
7. The imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a position of one or more detectors of the sensor.
8. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the beam of penetrating radiation is a pulsed beam of x-ray radiation.
9. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of the imaging system is an intensity of the beam of penetrating radiation.
10. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the beam of penetrating radiation is a pulsed beam of penetrating radiation, and wherein the parameter of the imaging system is a frequency of the pulsed beam of penetrating radiation.
11. A method for adaptively scanning a region with a beam of radiation, the method comprising:
producing a beam of penetrating radiation;
scanning an object included in a region with the beam of penetrating radiation;
sensing radiation from the beam of penetrating radiation that passes through the object;
producing a representation of the sensed radiation;
sensing scattered radiation from the region;
producing a representation of the scattered radiation;
receiving the representation of the sensed radiation;
determining, from the representation of the sensed radiation, an amount of attenuation of the beam of penetrating radiation caused by the region;
in response to determining that the amount of attenuation of the beam exceeds a first threshold, adjusting a parameter of a sensor based on the amount of attenuation;
receiving the representation of the scattered radiation;
determining an amount of scattered radiation from the representation of the scattered radiation; and
in response to determining that the amount of scattered radiation exceeds a second threshold, causing a reduction in an intensity of the beam of penetrating radiation.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the parameter of the imaging system is a parameter of the sensor.
13. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the method further comprises, in response to determining that the amount of attenuation of the beam exceeds a third threshold, adjusting a parameter of the beam of penetrating radiation.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a gain of one or more detectors of the sensor.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is an amount of filtering of the sensed radiation.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a collimation of the sensed radiation.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the parameter of the sensor is a position of one or more detectors of the sensor.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beam of penetrating radiation is a pulsed beam of x-ray radiation.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the parameter of the imaging system is an intensity of the beam of penetrating radiation.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beam of penetrating radiation is a pulsed beam of penetrating radiation, and wherein the parameter of the imaging system is a frequency of the pulsed beam of penetrating radiation.