Panoramic imaging using multi-spectral X-ray source
First Claim
1. A panoramic x-ray system comprising:
- a gantry;
at least one x-ray source mounted on the gantry and configured to selectively output x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic and x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic, the second energy characteristic being different from the first energy characteristic;
a controller configured to control the at least one x-ray source to produce x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic during a first time period and to produce x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic during a second time period temporally adjacent to the first time period; and
a receptor configured to generate an image data set comprising a plurality of image frames including a first frame and a second frame, the receptor mounted on the gantry and positioned to receive x-ray radiation from the at least one x-ray source, wherein the receptor is configured to output the first frame of the image data set based on x-ray radiation received during the first time period at a first gantry position and the second frame of the image data set based on x-ray radiation received during the second time period at a second gantry position successive to the first position,wherein the x-ray source selectively switches outputting x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second andwherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for obtaining a panoramic image are provided. One system includes a gantry, an x-ray source, a receptor, and at least one controller. The x-ray source is mounted on the gantry and is configured to alternatively output x-ray radiation at a first energy level and x-ray radiation at a second energy level. The receptor is mounted on the gantry so that x-ray radiation from the x-ray source impinges on the receptor. The receptor is configured to output a plurality of frames of data including a first frame and a second frame sequential to the first frame. The controller is configured to control the x-ray source so that data in the first frame is generated based on x-ray radiation of the first energy level and data in the second frame is based on x-ray radiation of the second energy level.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A panoramic x-ray system comprising:
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a gantry; at least one x-ray source mounted on the gantry and configured to selectively output x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic and x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic, the second energy characteristic being different from the first energy characteristic; a controller configured to control the at least one x-ray source to produce x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic during a first time period and to produce x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic during a second time period temporally adjacent to the first time period; and a receptor configured to generate an image data set comprising a plurality of image frames including a first frame and a second frame, the receptor mounted on the gantry and positioned to receive x-ray radiation from the at least one x-ray source, wherein the receptor is configured to output the first frame of the image data set based on x-ray radiation received during the first time period at a first gantry position and the second frame of the image data set based on x-ray radiation received during the second time period at a second gantry position successive to the first position, wherein the x-ray source selectively switches outputting x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 37)
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15. A panoramic x-ray system comprising:
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a gantry; an x-ray source mounted on the gantry and configured to output x-ray radiation having a plurality of energies, the plurality of energies including first and second energies; and a detector panel mounted on the gantry and positioned to receive x-ray radiation from the x-ray source, the detector panel configured to distinguish between radiation having the first energy and radiation having the second energy and to output a plurality of image frames of data including a first frame based on detection of the radiation at a first gantry position having the first energy, and the second frame based on detection of the radiation at a second gantry position successive to the first position having the second energy, the second frame being temporally adjacent to the first frame, wherein the x-ray source selectively switches outputting x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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16. A method of obtaining a panoramic image, the method comprising:
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generating x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic; detecting, with a receptor mounted on a gantry, a first frame of image data based on the x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic; generating x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic; detecting, with the receptor, a second frame of image data, the second frame being temporally adjacent to the first frame and based on the x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic impinging the receptor; rotating the gantry; and generating a panoramic image based at least in part on the first and second frames of image data, wherein the x-ray radiation is selectively switched between the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 39)
accelerating, by the first voltage, a first electron stream from the first cathode to the at least one anode to generate the x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic, and wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic comprises applying a second voltage between a second cathode and the at least one anode; and accelerating, by the second voltage, a second electron stream from the second cathode to the at least one anode to produce the x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic.
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24. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic comprises:
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applying a first voltage to a first cathode; applying a second voltage to a first anode; and generating an electron stream interacting with the first anode to generate x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic, and wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic comprises; applying a third voltage to a second anode; applying at least one of the first voltage and a fourth voltage to a second cathode; and generating an electron stream interacting with the second anode to generate x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic.
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25. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic comprises:
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applying a first voltage to a cathode; applying a second voltage to a first anode; generating an electron stream from the cathode; and activating at least one electron deflecting electrode to guide the electron stream to the first anode to generate x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic, and wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic comprises; applying a third voltage to a second anode; activating the at least one electron deflecting electrode to guide the electron stream to the second anode to generate x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic.
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26. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic comprises:
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applying a first voltage to a cathode; applying a second voltage to a first anode; generating an electron stream from the cathode; and activating at least one electron deflecting magnet to guide the electron stream to the first anode to generate x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic, and wherein the step of generating x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic comprises; applying a third voltage to a second anode; activating the at least one electron deflecting magnet to guide the electron stream to the second anode to generate x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic.
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27. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein generating a panoramic image includes combining at least a portion of the first frame and at least a portion of the second frame using a subtraction operation.
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28. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, further comprising providing at least one x-ray source comprising at least one light-activatable cathode and at least one anode, wherein each of the generating steps comprises illuminating the at least one cathode with light.
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29. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, further comprising providing an x-ray source comprising a cathode and an anode, the cathode comprising a nanostructured material.
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30. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of the generating steps comprises turning on x-ray emission from at least one x-ray source, the method further comprising:
after the step of detecting the first frame and before the step of generating the x-ray radiation having the second energy characteristic, turning off the emission from the at least one x-ray source.
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39. The method of obtaining a panoramic image as claimed in claim 16, wherein the x-ray radiation is selectively switched at a rate of 100 to 400 times per second.
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31. A method of obtaining a panoramic image, the method comprising:
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generating x-ray radiation having a plurality of energies, the plurality of energies including first and second energies; directing the x-ray radiation toward a subject; a first step of detecting, with a detector panel mounted on a gantry, a first portion of x-ray radiation passing through the subject, the first portion including a first component of x-ray radiation having the first energy and a second component of x-ray radiation having the second energy, the detector panel configured to distinguish between radiation having the first energy and radiation having the second energy, the first detecting step comprising; a first step of distinguishing between the first and second x-ray components, and outputting first and second image frames of data, the first image frame based on at least the first component, and the second image frame, being temporally adjacent to the first image data, based at least on the second component; changing an angular position of the gantry after the first detecting step; and a second step of detecting, with the detector panel, a second portion of x-ray radiation passing through the subject, the second portion including a third component of x-ray radiation having the first energy and a fourth component of x-ray radiation having the second energy, the second detecting step occurring after the step of changing the angular position, the second detecting step comprising a second step of distinguishing between the third and fourth components, and outputting third and fourth image frames of data, the third image frame based on at least the third component, and the fourth image frame based at least on the fourth component wherein the x-ray radiation is selectively switched between the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (32, 40)
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33. A panoramic x-ray system comprising:
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a gantry; at least one x-ray source mounted on the gantry and configured to output x-ray radiation; a controller configured to control the at least one x-ray source to produce x-ray radiation; and a detector mounted on the gantry and positioned to receive x-ray radiation from the at least one x-ray source, the detector including a first receptor and a second receptor, the first receptor configured to output a first frame of image data based on x-ray radiation of a first energy spectrum and the second receptor configured to output a second frame of image data based on x-ray radiation of a second energy spectrum, the second frame being temporally adjacent to the first frame wherein the x-ray source selectively switches outputting x-ray radiation having the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (34, 41)
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35. A method of obtaining a panoramic image, the method comprising:
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generating x-ray radiation; detecting, with a detector mounted on a gantry and having a first receptor and a second receptor, a first frame of image data with the first receptor based on the x-ray radiation having a first energy characteristic; detecting, with the second receptor, a second frame of image data based on the x-ray radiation having a second energy characteristic different than the first energy characteristic, the second image frame being temporally adjacent to the first image data; rotating the gantry; and generating a panoramic image based at least in part on the first and second frames of image data wherein the x-ray radiation is selectively switched between the first energy characteristic and the second energy characteristic at a rate of at least 100 times per second and wherein the gantry is controlled to move the x-ray source and the receptor along a path so that the image data set includes a panoramic image data set that has a curved plane centered on a patient'"'"'s anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (36, 42)
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Specification