COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATING AND COUNTING DETECTOR ELEMENTS

• US 20120300897A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Flohr, Thomas, Haras, Gabriel, Niederlöhner, Daniel, Pflaum, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/478,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300897A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4014 arranged in multiple source-detector units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4241 using energy resolving detectors, e.g. photon counting
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A computed tomography system includes at least two simultaneously operatable sets of detector elements, with at least one first set of integrating detector elements being designed for integrating radiation measurement and at least one second set of counting detector elements being designed to disperse an incident radiation spectrum into at least two energy bins; and includes a computer system for controlling the CT system and at least once capturing the measurement data of the detector elements with a memory and computer programs contained therein. The computer system is provided with programming so that a first mode is provided for operating only the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and a second mode is provided for the additional or sole operation of the at least one second set of counting detector elements.

Claims

1. A computed tomography system, comprising:

at least two simultaneously operatable sets of detector elements for the simultaneous scanning of an examination object from a plurality of projection angles, at least one first set of integrating detector elements being designed for integrating radiation measurement and at least one second set of counting detector elements being designed to disperse an incident radiation spectrum into at least two energy bins; and

a computer system for controlling the CT system and at least once capturing the measurement data of the detector elements with a memory and computer programs contained therein, the computer system being provided with programming so that a first mode is provided for operating only the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and a second mode is provided for the additional or sole operation of the at least one second set of counting detector elements.

2. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein a first complete software set is present to operate the first mode and a second complete software set is present to operate the second mode.

3. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein a boot manager is provided to start the operating software, being embodied so that the selection for operating the first mode or for operating the second mode can be made in a selection menu of the boot manager.

4. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the memory of the computer system is a removable storage medium, on which only one complete software set for a single operating mode is stored in each instance.

5. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a visual and acoustic warning display is present, which is automatically activated during operation of a selected operating mode.

6. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein input of a password or proof of authorization is needed at the start of at least one selected operating mode.

7. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and the at least one second set of counting detector elements are disposed respectively on physically different detectors.

8. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and the at least one second set of counting detector elements are disposed in one detector.

9. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in lines in the one detector.

10. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in rows in the one detector.

11. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in a checkered manner in the one detector.

12. The computed tomography system of claim 1, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set are disposed in a number of directly adjacent lines and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are disposed in a number of adjoining lines on at least one detector.

13. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and the at least one second set of counting detector elements are disposed respectively on physically different detectors.

14. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the at least one first set of integrating detector elements and the at least one second set of counting detector elements are disposed in one detector.

15. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in lines in the one detector.

16. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in rows in the one detector.

17. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are grouped in a checkered manner in the one detector.

18. The computed tomography system of claim 2, wherein the integrating detector elements of the at least one first set are disposed in a number of directly adjacent lines and the counting detector elements of the at least one second set are disposed in a number of adjoining lines on at least one detector.