High spatial resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system
First Claim
1. A high spatial resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
- a support structure including a gantry mounted to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation, the gantry mounted to be pivotable on an axis orthogonal to the axis of rotation during scanning;
a first assembly including an X-ray source mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith for generating a cone X-ray beam, wherein the X-ray source is mounted to move a focal spot through a plurality of planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation during scanning;
a second assembly including a planar X-ray detector mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith wherein the detector is spaced from the source on the gantry for enabling a human or other animal body part to be interposed therebetween so as to be scanned by the X-ray beam to obtain a CT scan and generating output data representative thereof, the output data being a two-dimensional electronic representation of an area of the detector on which an X-ray beam impinges;
and a data processor for processing the output data to obtain an image of the body part.
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Abstract
A high spatial resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is provided. The system includes a support structure including a gantry mounted to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation. The system further includes a first assembly including an X-ray source mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith for generating a cone X-ray beam and a second assembly including a planar X-ray detector mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith. The detector is spaced from the source on the gantry for enabling a human or other animal body part to be interposed therebetween so as to be scanned by the X-ray beam to obtain a complete CT scan and generating output data representative thereof. The output data is a two-dimensional electronic representation of an area of the detector on which an X-ray beam impinges. A data processor processes the output data to obtain an image of the body part.
248 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A high spatial resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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a support structure including a gantry mounted to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation, the gantry mounted to be pivotable on an axis orthogonal to the axis of rotation during scanning; a first assembly including an X-ray source mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith for generating a cone X-ray beam, wherein the X-ray source is mounted to move a focal spot through a plurality of planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation during scanning; a second assembly including a planar X-ray detector mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith wherein the detector is spaced from the source on the gantry for enabling a human or other animal body part to be interposed therebetween so as to be scanned by the X-ray beam to obtain a CT scan and generating output data representative thereof, the output data being a two-dimensional electronic representation of an area of the detector on which an X-ray beam impinges; and a data processor for processing the output data to obtain an image of the body part. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A high spatial resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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a support structure including a gantry mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation; a first assembly including an X-ray source mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith for generating a cone X-ray beam, wherein the X-ray source includes a focal spot that moves through more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation during rotation of the gantry; a second assembly including an X-ray detector mounted on the gantry to rotate therewith, wherein the detector is spaced from the source on the gantry for enabling a human or other animal body part to be interposed therebetween, the detector generating a two-dimensional electronic representation of an area of the detector on which an X-ray beam impinges at each of a plurality of rotational angles of the gantry about the axis wherein the gantry is pivotably mounted on an axis orthogonal to the axis of rotation such that the gantry can pivot about the axis while the detector is generating the two-dimensional representations; and a data processor for creating an image of the body part based upon the two-dimensional electronic representations.
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27. An X-ray computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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a support structure; a first assembly rotatably mounted to the support structure to rotate about an axis of rotation, the first assembly including a cone-beam X-ray source, wherein the X-ray source generates a cone-beam X-ray beam that includes a focal spot; a second assembly rotatably mounted to the support structure, the second assembly including an X-ray detector spaced from the source, the detector generating two-dimensional electronic representations of an area of the detector on which the X-ray beam impinges; wherein the X-ray source is pivotably mounted on a pivot axis not parallel to the axis of rotation such that the focal spot of the X-ray beam moves through more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation during rotation of the X-ray source while the detector is generating the two-dimensional representations; and a data processor programmed to create a CT image based upon two-dimensional electronic representations from the X-ray detector and based upon pivoting of the X-ray source on the pivot axis.
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Specification