SCANNER DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING

• US 20110222648A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für. Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen Forschungszentrum Fur Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH
• Inventors: Hoeschen, Christoph, Hrabe de Angelis, Martin, Klaften, Matthias, Tischenko, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 8,693,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4028 resulting in acquisition of views from substantially different positions, e.g. EBCT
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

A scanner device for computed tomography imaging of an object, includes a measurement device including a source device arranged for irradiating the object with at least one beam and a detector device arranged for detecting radiation transmitted through the object, wherein the source device has a fixed position relative the detector device, and a carrier device accommodating the object in a position between the source device and the detector device, wherein the measurement device and the carrier device are capable of a scanning movement relative to each other, and the measurement device and the carrier device have a fixed spatial orientation during the scanning movement. Furthermore, a scanning method for computed tomography imaging of an object is described.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A scanner device adapted for computed tomography imaging of an object, comprising:

a measurement device including a source device arranged for irradiating the object with at least one beam and a detector device arranged for detecting radiation transmitted through the object, wherein the source device has a fixed position relative the detector device, and

a carrier device accommodating the object in a position between the source device and the detector device, wherein

the measurement device and the carrier device are capable of a scanning movement relative to each other along a curved scanning line, wherein

the measurement device and the carrier device have a fixed spatial orientation during the scanning movement.

21. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein

the measurement device is arranged with a fixed position and the carrier device is movable relative to the measurement device, or

the carrier device is arranged with a fixed position and the measurement device is movable relative to the carrier de-vice.

22. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein the measurement device or the carrier device is arranged such that the scanning movement is performed along a circular line including the carrier device or the source device, respectively.

23. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein the detector device comprises a plurality of detector elements and wherein

the detector elements are arranged along an angular range being equal to or larger than 180°

relative to the source device, or

the detector elements are arranged along an angular range being less than 180°

relative to the source device and the measurement device and the carrier device are capable of being rotated relative to each other between partial translation phases of the scanning movement.

24. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein the detector elements are arranged as at least one of

a one-dimensional array along at least one of a curved line and a polygonal line,

a two-dimensional array along at least one of a curved area and a polygonal area, and

with equal centre-to-centre spacing.

25. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the carrier device and the measurement device is movable such that at least one of

a distance between the source device and the carrier device can be adjusted, and

a distance of the carrier device relative a plane of the scanning movement can be adjusted.

26. The Scanner device according to claim 20, wherein the source device comprises one single X-ray tube for irradiating the object with one single fan beam.

27. The scanner device according to claim 26, wherein the X-ray tube is capable of generating the fan beam with a fan angle being equal to or larger than 180°

, or

the X-ray tube is capable of generating the fan beam with a fan angle being less than 180° and

the X-ray tube is adapted to be axially rotated so that the fan beam is aligned with the carrier device during the scanning movement.

28. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein the source device has a plurality of beam elements being capable of generating a plurality of fan or pencil beams and wherein

the beam elements are arranged along an angular range being equal to or larger than 180°

relative to the detector device, or

the beam elements are arranged along an angular range being less than 180°

relative to the detector device and the measurement device and the carrier device are capable of being rotated relative to each other between partial translation phases of the scanning movement.

29. The scanner device according to claim 20, wherein a collimator mask is arranged between the source device and the carrier device for irradiating the object with multiple beam components.

30. A scanning method for computed tomography imaging of an object, comprising the steps of:

providing the object on a carrier device in a measurement device between a source device and a detector device, wherein the source device has a fixed position relative the detector device,

irradiating the object with at least one beam created with the source device,

detecting radiation transmitted through the object with the detector device, and

conducting a scanning movement of the measurement device and the carrier device relative to each other along a curved scanning line, wherein the irradiating and detecting steps are repeated with a plurality of different projections angles of the beam relative to the object, wherein

a spatial orientation of the measurement device and the carrier device is fixed during the scanning movement.

31. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein

the measurement device is arranged with a fixed position and the carrier device is moved relative to the measurement device, or

the carrier device is arranged with a fixed position and the measurement device is moved relative to the carrier de-vice.

32. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein the scanning movement is performed along a circular line including the source device or the carrier device.

33. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein

the detector device comprises a plurality of detector elements and wherein the detector elements are arranged along an angular range being equal to or larger than 180°

relative to the source de-vice and the scanning movement comprises one single translation of the measurement device and the carrier device relative to each other covering said angular range, or

the detector elements are arranged along an angular range being less than 180°

relative to the source device and the scanning movement comprises multiple partial translation phases of the measurement device and the carrier device relative to each other, wherein the measurement device and the carrier device are rotated relative to each other between the partial translation phases of the scanning movement.

34. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein at least one of the carrier device and the measurement device is moved for adjusting at least one of

a distance between the source device and the carrier device, and

a distance of the carrier device relative a plane of the scanning movement.

35. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein the source device comprises one single X-ray tube and the object is irradiated with one single fan beam.

36. A scanning method according to claim 35, wherein

the X-ray tube is capable of generating the fan beam with a fan angle being equal to or larger than 180°

, or

the X-ray tube is capable of generating the fan beam with a fan angle being less than 180° and

the X-ray tube is axially rotated so that the fan beam is aligned with the carrier device during the scanning movement.

37. A scanning method according to claim 30, wherein the source device has a plurality of beam elements being capable of generating a plurality of fan or pencil beams and wherein

the beam elements are arranged along an angular range being equal to or larger than 180°

relative to the detector device, or

the beam elements are arranged along an angular range being less than 180°

relative to the detector device and the measurement device and the carrier device are capable of being rotated relative to each other between partial translation phases of the scanning movement.

38. A scanning method according to claim 30, comprising the step of irradiating the object with multiple beam components formed with a collimator mask arranged between the source device and the carrier device.