Computerized tomography scanner with longitudinal flying focal spot
First Claim
1. A computed tomography scanner including an energy source having a focal spot and a detector array, the array including at least one row of detectors, for scanning an object at successive incremental projection angles about a longitudinal axis, said focal spot having a variable number of positions displaced in a longitudinal direction during a scan of an object so as to define at least two fan beam planes through each row of detectors, at least one of the fan beam planes being non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
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Abstract
In an improved computerized tomography scanner, the X-ray source is configured to have a focal spot that is variable in position in a direction parallel to or substantially parallel to the longitudinal or rotation axis of the scanner. Data are sampled from two different focal spot positions displaced in the longitudinal direction as the gantry rotates through successive projection angles, thereby providing two fan beams at different longitudinal positions. The data may be sampled at a detector array having a single or multiple rows. In this manner, at least two slices are scanned contemporaneously, and thus the scan throughput rate is at least doubled. The invention is further applicable to a system utilizing multiple detector rows.
216 Citations
35 Claims
- 1. A computed tomography scanner including an energy source having a focal spot and a detector array, the array including at least one row of detectors, for scanning an object at successive incremental projection angles about a longitudinal axis, said focal spot having a variable number of positions displaced in a longitudinal direction during a scan of an object so as to define at least two fan beam planes through each row of detectors, at least one of the fan beam planes being non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
- 18. A method of scanning in a computed tomography scanner including an energy source having a focal spot and a detector array, including at least one row of detectors, for scanning an object at successive incremental projection angles about a longitudinal axis comprising varying the position of said focal spot in a longitudinal direction during a scan of an object so as to define at least two fan beam planes through each row of detectors, at least one of the fan beam planes being non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
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35. A method of contemporaneously forming at least two 2D CT slices displaced from one another along the rotation axis of the scanner having a X-ray source defining a focal spot and at least one row of detectors, comprising
moving the focal spot in an oscillatory motion between at least two points displaced from one another in a direction parallel to the rotation axis so as to define at least two fan beam planes through each row of detectors, at least one of the fan beam planes being no-Mperpendicular to the longitudinal axis such that the CT slices are generated from data acquired by projecting X-rays in the fan beam planes.
Specification