Computerized tomography calibrator
First Claim
1. An industrial computerized tomography calibrator, comprising:
- a plurality of nestable, planar rings, removably received relative one another, and each respectively defining at least one opening of predetermined size situated therein, between their respective inside and outside diameters; and
a plurality of planar inserts for being fit and removably received in said predetermined-size openings;
wherein said rings and inserts are comprised of selected materials having known densities and dimensions;
so that differing combinations of said rings and inserts are provided to establish predetermined density and dimensional material relationships in a given plane, for use in calibrating an industrial computer tomography system; and
further whereinsaid inserts each respectively define a plurality of sub-openings of predetermined size therein, and said calibrator further includes a plurality of planar sub-inserts for being fit and removably received in said sub-openings;
a central ring of said plurality of rings defines a disc with a generally square opening therein, and the remainder of said plurality of rings each respectively define a generally square opening and a separate circular opening therein; and
said sub-openings and sub-inserts are generally rectangular in shape.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A set of interchangeable pieces comprising a computerized tomography calibrator, and a method of use thereof, permits focusing of a computerized tomographic (CT) system. The interchangeable pieces include a plurality of nestable, generally planar mother rings, adapted for the receipt of planar inserts of predetermined sizes, and of predetermined material densities. The inserts further define openings therein for receipt of plural sub-inserts. All pieces are of known sizes and densities, permitting the assembling of different configurations of materials of known sizes and combinations of densities, for calibration (i.e., focusing) of a computerized tomographic system through variation of operating variables thereof. Rather than serving as a phanton, which is intended to be representative of a particular workpiece to be tested, the set of interchangeable pieces permits simple and easy standardized calibration of a CT system. The calibrator and its related method of use further includes use of air or of particular fluids for filling various openings, as part of a selected configuration of the set of pieces.
60 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An industrial computerized tomography calibrator, comprising:
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a plurality of nestable, planar rings, removably received relative one another, and each respectively defining at least one opening of predetermined size situated therein, between their respective inside and outside diameters; and a plurality of planar inserts for being fit and removably received in said predetermined-size openings; wherein said rings and inserts are comprised of selected materials having known densities and dimensions; so that differing combinations of said rings and inserts are provided to establish predetermined density and dimensional material relationships in a given plane, for use in calibrating an industrial computer tomography system; and
further whereinsaid inserts each respectively define a plurality of sub-openings of predetermined size therein, and said calibrator further includes a plurality of planar sub-inserts for being fit and removably received in said sub-openings; a central ring of said plurality of rings defines a disc with a generally square opening therein, and the remainder of said plurality of rings each respectively define a generally square opening and a separate circular opening therein; and said sub-openings and sub-inserts are generally rectangular in shape. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An industrial computerized tomography calibrator, comprising:
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a plurality of nestable, planar rings, removably received relative one another, an each respectively defining at least one opening of predetermined size situated therein, between their respective inside and outside diameters; and a plurality of planar inserts for being fit and removably received in said predetermined-size openings; wherein said rings and inserts are comprised of selected materials having known densities and dimensions; so that differing combinations of said rings and inserts are provided to establish predetermined density and dimensional material relationships in a given plane, for use in calibrating an industrial computer tomography system; and
furtherwherein said inserts each respectively define a plurality of sub-openings of predetermined size therein, and said calibrator further includes a plurality of planar sub-inserts for being fit and removably received in said sub-openings; and wherein said plurality of sub-openings comprise nine sub-openings defined in each insert, said nine sub-openings being situated in a predetermined, fixed spatial pattern and having different dimensional characteristics in grouped sets of three.
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4. An industrial computerized tomography calibrator, comprising:
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a plurality of nestable, planar rings, removably received relative one another, and each respectively defining at least one opening of predetermined size situated therein, between their respective inside and outside diameters; and a plurality of planar inserts for being fit and removably received in said predetermined-size openings; wherein said rings and inserts are comprised of selected materials having known densities and dimensions; so that differing combinations of said rings and inserts are provided to establish predetermined density and dimensional material relationships in a given plane, for use in calibrating an industrial computer tomography system; and
furtherwherein said inserts each respectively define a plurality of sub-openings of predetermined size therein, and said calibrator further includes a plurality of planar sub-inserts for being fit and removably received in said sub-openings; and wherein the thickness of said planar rings, said planar inserts, and said planar sub-inserts is 10 mm, and all of such planar members comprise material having a known, fixed density in a range of from near 0 to 10 gm/cc. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A device to aid in the image focusing of a computer tomography system having computer means with adjustable variables for generating an image from exposure detection data gathered with such system, said device including:
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a plurality of generally planar mother block means, of predetermined size, thickness, and density, for being removably associated with one another, and having primary openings therein, for establishing a dimensionally known planar pattern of such primary openings; a plurality of generally planar insert means, of predetermined size, thickness, and density, and for being removably received in said mother block means primary openings, for filling same; and wherein said mother block means includes a plurality of nestable concentric members and one central disc, each having at least one primary opening therein; so that selected planar configurations of varying combinations of known sizes and densities are provided, to permit adjustment of the system computer means variables for optimum image detection and image contrast and spatial resolution. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A device to aid in the image focusing of a computer tomography system having computer means with adjustable variables for generating an image from exposure detection data gathered with such system, said device including:
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a plurality of generally planar mother block means, of predetermined size, thickness, and density, for being removably associated with one another, and having primary openings therein, for establishing a dimensionally known planar pattern of such primary openings; and a plurality of generally planar insert means, of predetermined size, thickness, and density, and for being removably received in said mother block means primary openings, for filling same; so that selected planar configurations of varying combinations of known sizes and densities are provided, to permit adjustment of the system computer means variables for optimum image detection and image contrast and spatial resolution; and wherein said insert means further define secondary openings therein, and said device further includes secondary inserts of predetermined size, thickness, and density, for being removably received in said secondary openings; and wherein said mother block means includes four two-inch wide nested rings varying from a maximum diameter of fourteen inches to a central ring of two inches in diameter, and further wherein said insert means comprise either circular members having 25 mm in diameter or square members having 25 mm on each side, with said secondary openings thereof comprising squares of varying sizes with sides in a range of from 2 mm to 0.5 mm. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A set of interchangeable pieces for use in focusing the level of detectability and the contrast and spatial resolution of a computer tomography system having settable variables for adjusting effective image detectability and resolution of the system, said pieces including a plurality of nestable, generally planar mother rings, each ring having at least one predetermined opening within its respective circumference for the receipt of planar inserts of predetermined sizes in such openings, and said pieces further including a plurality of removable planar inserts for being received in said mother ring openings, wherein said mother rings and inserts are comprised of materials having known densities, so that different configurations of materials of known sizes and combinations of densities are provided generally in a given plane to be scanned with the computer tomography system for focusing of such system through adjustment of the settable variables thereof;
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wherein said planar inserts each define plural openings therein of predetermined, fixed sizes and relative spacing, and said set of pieces further includes a plurality of sub-inserts for being received in said planar insert openings, so that various configurations of said interchangeable pieces are resolved into selected, progressively smaller orders of magnitude through use of said plurality of sub-inserts; said planar mother rings have an outside diameter preferably in a range of from two to fourteen inches, and said predetermined openings therein are either circular with a radius of about 25 mm, or square with side lengths of about 25 mm; said planar inserts are either generally circular with a radius of 25 mm, or square with side lengths of 25 mm, and said insert openings are generally square with side lengths in a range of from 2 mm to 0.5 mm; and said mother rings, planar inserts, and sub-inserts have about the same predetermined thickness. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A set of interchangeable pieces for use in focusing the level of detectability and the contrast and spatial resolution of a computer tomography system having settable variables for adjusting effective image detectability and resolution of the system, said pieces including a plurality of nestable, generally planar mother rings, each ring having at least one predetermined opening within its respective circumference for the receipt of planar inserts of predetermined sizes in such openings, and said pieces further including a plurality of removable planar inserts for being received in said mother ring openings, wherein said mother rings and inserts are comprised of materials having known densities, so that different configurations of materials of known sizes and combinations of densities are provided generally in a given plane to be scanned with the computer tomography system for focusing of such system through adjustment of the settable variables thereof;
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wherein said planar inserts each define plural openings therein of predetermined, fixed sizes and relative spacing, and said set of pieces further includes a plurality of sub-inserts for being received in said planar insert openings, so that various configurations of said interchangeable pieces are resolved into selected, progressively smaller orders of magnitude through use of said plurality of sub-inserts; wherein the predetermined density of said mother rings, planar inserts, and sub-inserts is in a range of from 2 to 10 gm/cc.
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19. A set of interchangeable pieces for use in focusing the level of detectability and the contrast and spatial resolution of a computer tomography system having settable variables for adjusting effective image detectability and resolution of the system, said pieces including a plurality of nestable, generally planar mother rings, each ring having at least one predetermined opening within its respective circumference for the receipt of planar inserts of predetermined sizes in such openings, and said pieces further including a plurality of removable planar inserts for being received in said mother ring openings, wherein said mother rings and inserts are comprised of materials having known densities, so that different configurations of materials of known sizes and combinations of densities are provided generally in a given plane to be scanned with the computer tomography system for focusing of such system through adjustment of the settable variables thereof;
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wherein said planar inserts each define plural openings therein of predetermined, fixed sizes and relative spacing, and said set of pieces further includes a plurality of sub-inserts for being received in said planar insert openings, so that various configurations of said interchangeable pieces are resolved into selected, progressively smaller orders of magnitude through use of said plurality of sub-inserts; wherein there are a total of four mother rings, seven planar inserts, and sixty-three sub-inserts, for a total of seventy-four pieces comprising a complete set of said interchangeable pieces.
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20. A method of focusing a computer tomography system of the type having a radiation source for exposing an object to be scanned, an exposure support surface for supporting an object to be scanned, detector means for detecting scan information, and computer means with operating variables for processing scan information into images, said method including:
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providing a set of interchangeable pieces, each piece comprising a given material of generally known density and dimensions, said set of pieces including a plurality of nestable mother rings, and inserts for removable selected association with each of said mother rings; assembling at least certain of said pieces into a given configuration thereof, with such configuration being received on the computer tomography system exposure support surface; operating the computer tomography system for exposing the assembled configuration of pieces; and processing detected scan information into images, including adjusting the computer means operating variables so as to obtain optimum image quality based on the known configuration of certain densities and dimensions provided with the assembled pieces. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification