X-ray CT scanner with two-dimensional X-ray detector having unequal element pitch in slice-thickness direction
First Claim
1. An X-ray CT scanner in which an X-ray beam is radiated and scanned in a predetermined slice-thickness direction, a direction orthogonal to the slice-thickness direction being defined as a channel direction, an object being placed in a position to be radiated by the X-ray beam, the scanner comprising:
- a two-dimensional X-ray detector having a plurality of X-ray detecting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array constituting both rows arranged along the slice-thickness direction and columns arranged along the channel direction, each X-ray detecting element providing a detected signal, X-ray detecting elements constituting each row of the two-dimensional array being formed on unequal element pitches;
a data acquisition system having a plurality of data acquiring elements arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows corresponding to the slice-thickness direction and columns corresponding to the channel direction, configured to acquire signals detected by the two-dimensional X-ray detector and to produce digital data based on the detected signals, each row of the two-dimensional array of data acquiring elements has fewer number of elements than each row of the two-dimensional array of X-ray detecting elements;
switching means comprising a group of switches electrically intervening between the X-ray detector and the data acquiring system, each switch being on/off switchable, said group of switches electrically independently connecting each of the X-ray detecting elements of each row of detecting elements to all the data acquiring elements of a respective row of data acquiring elements;
means for electrically combining the detected signals provided by X-ray detecting elements residing in at least two columns designated in the array of the X-ray detecting elements row by row into a signal corresponding to multiple slices and for providing the combined signal to a particular data acquiring element of the respective row in the array of the data acquiring elements by controlling the switch means in accordance with a designated slice-thickness condition relating to the multiple slices; and
means for producing multiple slice images from the digital data provided by the data acquisition system in response to the slice-thickness condition.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-slice X-ray CT scanner is provided to realize high resolution and a wide scanned region in a slice-thickness direction for an object. In the X-ray CT scanner, an X-ray beam for slice imaging is radiated toward an object and scanned in a predetermined slice-thickness direction, a direction orthogonal to the slice-thickness direction being defined as a channel direction. The scanner comprises a two-dimensional X-ray detector, a data acquisition system, and an electrically combining unit. The detector has a plurality of X-ray detecting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array of both rows in the slice-thickness direction and columns in the channel direction, the detecting elements of each row being arranged in unequal pitches. The data acquisition system has a plurality of data acquiring elements arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns, acquiring signals detected by the two-dimensional X-ray detector, and producing digital data proportional to the detected signals. The electrically combining unit electrically combines more than two columns of all the columns in the array of the X-ray detecting elements into at least two columns of all the columns in the array of the data acquiring elements in accordance with a given slice imaging condition. For example, each row of the array of the data acquiring elements are less in number of elements than each row of the array of the X-ray detecting elements.
27 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An X-ray CT scanner in which an X-ray beam is radiated and scanned in a predetermined slice-thickness direction, a direction orthogonal to the slice-thickness direction being defined as a channel direction, an object being placed in a position to be radiated by the X-ray beam, the scanner comprising:
-
a two-dimensional X-ray detector having a plurality of X-ray detecting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array constituting both rows arranged along the slice-thickness direction and columns arranged along the channel direction, each X-ray detecting element providing a detected signal, X-ray detecting elements constituting each row of the two-dimensional array being formed on unequal element pitches; a data acquisition system having a plurality of data acquiring elements arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows corresponding to the slice-thickness direction and columns corresponding to the channel direction, configured to acquire signals detected by the two-dimensional X-ray detector and to produce digital data based on the detected signals, each row of the two-dimensional array of data acquiring elements has fewer number of elements than each row of the two-dimensional array of X-ray detecting elements; switching means comprising a group of switches electrically intervening between the X-ray detector and the data acquiring system, each switch being on/off switchable, said group of switches electrically independently connecting each of the X-ray detecting elements of each row of detecting elements to all the data acquiring elements of a respective row of data acquiring elements; means for electrically combining the detected signals provided by X-ray detecting elements residing in at least two columns designated in the array of the X-ray detecting elements row by row into a signal corresponding to multiple slices and for providing the combined signal to a particular data acquiring element of the respective row in the array of the data acquiring elements by controlling the switch means in accordance with a designated slice-thickness condition relating to the multiple slices; and means for producing multiple slice images from the digital data provided by the data acquisition system in response to the slice-thickness condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. The scanner of claim 18, wherein all the detecting elements of the second group are aligned along each row in the order of largeness of the element pitches from a position adjacent to the first group to each end.
Specification