Adjustable X-ray filter
The present invention pertains to a system and method for adaptive X-ray filtration comprising a volume of X-ray attenuating material with a central less attenuating three-dimensional region. The volume of X-ray attenuating material can be positioned within 10 cm from an X-ray source and rotated around an internal axis of rotation. The volume of X-ray attenuating material can be symmetric around the internal axis while the central less attenuating region can be asymmetric around the internal axis. Rotating the volume by a predetermined angle around the internal axis can change the amount of attenuation of an X-ray beam through the filter. The volume can be rotated by the same predetermined angle as an imaging subject or X-ray source and detector are rotated during X-ray image acquisition.
1. An X-ray filter for X-ray imaging comprising:
a first flexible sheet;
a conformable attenuating media in contact with said first flexible sheet;
a second sheet in contact with said conformable attenuating media; and
a separator in contact with said first sheet and said second sheet and connecting said first sheet and said second sheet, for maintaining a separation distance between said first sheet and said second sheet.
2. The X-ray filter of claim 1 further comprising:
a reservoir for holding excess attenuating media.
3. The X-ray filter of claim 1 wherein said second sheet is a flexible material.
4. The X-ray filter of claim 1 wherein a separation between center points of said first sheet and said second sheet is less that a separation between said first sheet and said second sheet away from said center points.