Method and system for determining virtual outputs for a multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus

1. A method of determining at least one virtual output for a multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus:

receiving multiple outputs from the multi-energy imaging apparatus generated by multiple dissimilar absorbed x-ray spectra;

determining a general algorithm based on an x-ray imaging apparatus application, physical properties of the x-ray imaging apparatus or an x-ray source exposure settings;

substituting the multiple outputs as inputs into the general algorithm to determine parameters and generate a virtual output algorithm for the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus and the determined application; and

utilizing the virtual output algorithm and at least one input based on an X-ray spectrum property to generate the at least one virtual output.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple outputs received from the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus are obtained from some or all of the layers of the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus; and

wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus is a single-shot multi-layer x-ray imaging apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein some or all of the at least one virtual output generated by the virtual output algorithm are used for the correction of faulty array pixels, lines or regions in one or more sensor layers of the multi-layer x-ray imaging apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple outputs received from the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus are obtained from two or more x-ray exposures taken at different x-ray source exposure settings; and

wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus is a multi-shot x-ray imaging apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the x-ray source exposure settings comprise source voltage, source current or source filtration.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the general algorithm comprises:

determining the x-ray application that the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus is being used for; and

selecting the general algorithm based on the determined application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the general algorithm comprises:

selecting S i =c·e −b·l i a for a multi-layer x-ray imaging apparatus (where a, b and c are parameter, S i is the signal at each layer and l i is the defined layer number) as the general algorithm.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the general algorithm comprises:

selecting S i =c·e −b·l i for a multi-layer x-ray imaging apparatus (where b and c are parameter, S i is the signal at each layer and l i is the defined layer number) as the general algorithm.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the general algorithm comprises:

selecting

S

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t

i

b

t

i

b

+

t

i

⁢

c

·

e

-

b

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t

a

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d

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t

dt for a multi-layer x-ray imaging apparatus (where b and c are parameter, t i b is a thickness of a scintillator pre-filtering of each layer, and t i is a layer's scintillator thickness) as the general algorithm.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the general algorithm comprises:

selecting a minimization algorithm as the general algorithm.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing the virtual output algorithm comprises:

obtaining virtual outputs with a smaller of a noise component than the outputs obtained from the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing the virtual output algorithm comprises:

obtaining virtual outputs with a smaller object scattered radiation component than the outputs obtained from the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein some or all of the at least one virtual output generated by the virtual output algorithm are used for obtaining bone mineral density or bone mineral area density measurements.

14. An x-ray imaging system for determining at least one virtual output for the x-ray imaging system comprising:

an x-ray source;

a multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus including at least one sensor layer;

a processor for receiving multiple inputs from the x-ray imaging apparatus generated by multiple dissimilar absorbed x-ray spectra and for determining at least one virtual output for the x-ray imaging apparatus, the processor further including a computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that, if executed, cause the processor to:

determine a general algorithm based on an x-ray imaging apparatus application, physical properties of the x-ray imaging apparatus and/or exposure settings of the x-ray source;

substitute the multiple outputs of the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus as inputs into the general algorithm to determine parameters for a virtual output algorithm for the x-ray imaging apparatus and the determined application; and

utilize the virtual output algorithm and at least one spectral input based on an X-ray spectrum property to generate the at least one virtual output.

15. The x-ray imaging system of claim 14 wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus comprises:

a set of sensor layers.

16. The x-ray imaging system of claim 15 wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus comprises:

at least two sensor layers.

17. The x-ray imaging system of claim 16 wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus further comprises:

at least one mid-filter layer between at least two of the at least two sensor layers.

18. The x-ray imaging system of claim 17 wherein the mid-filter layer comprises a metallic material filter, a photoconductor layer or a scintillator layer.

19. The x-ray imaging system of claim 16 wherein the multi-energy x-ray imaging apparatus further comprises:

at least one anti-grid layer between at least two of the at least two sensor layers.

20. The x-ray imaging system of claim 16 where at least one of the sensor layers comprises a scintillator-infused glass substrate layer.

21. The x-ray imaging system of claim 16 where at least one of the sensor layers comprises a flexible substrate layer and an x-ray absorber.

22. The x-ray imaging system of claim 15 wherein each of the at least one sensor layer comprises:

a photoconductor layer or a scintillator layer.

23. The x-ray imaging system of claim 22 wherein photoconductor or scintillator layers of adjacent sensor layers are adjacent each other.