Scintillator aspects of compton scattered X-ray visualization, imaging, or information providing

• US 7,711,089 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, Victoria Y. H., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Lord, Robert W., Boyden, Edward S., Whitmer, Charles, Jung, Edward K. Y., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Leuthardt, Eric C., Foster, Glenn B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Jurie
• Application Number:
  US11/786,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 378 70- 90, 250/370.08, 250/370.09, 250/370.11
• US Class Current: 378/87
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/201 by measuring small-angle scattering

Abstract

A visualization or imaging system involves inducing and/or detecting Compton scattered X-rays to provide information or a visual representation of a portion of an individual. In one approach, the Compton scattered X-rays are converted to a visible or detectible representations through scintillation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

inducing Compton scattering in at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual in a manner that produces scattered X-rays;

responsive to the induced Compton scattering, visualizing, imaging, or providing information, at least partially through the at least some matter, and

wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information includes converting the scattered X-rays into scintillated viewable and/or visible light of a type detectable by a user. wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information, at least partially through the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual is performed at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with an individual-based physiological process.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

presenting the scintillated viewable and/or visible light is displayed over at least one display, and wherein the at least one display includes at least one from a group, the group includes at least one of glasses, a computer-type display, a television-type display, a hospital type display, or a monitor type display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inducing Compton scattering in at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual in a manner that produces scattered X-rays comprises:

inducing Compton scattering in at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual in a manner that produces scattered X-rays over an X-ray visualization, imaging, or information providing depth range, and

wherein the X-ray visualization, imaging, or information providing depth range extends to a prescribed visualization, imaging, or information providing depth into the at least some matter of at least a portion of the individual.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualizing,

imaging, or providing information at least partially through the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual comprises:

outputting the at least one scintillated viewable and/or visible light directly to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualizing,

imaging, or providing information, at least partially through the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual comprises:

outputting the at least one scintillated viewable and/or visible light to a photodetector, whose output is of a type detectable by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information, at least partially through the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual is performed at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with a user-observable physiological process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein Compton scattering in at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual in a manner that produces scattered X-rays includes:

inducing Compton scattering in at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual in a manner that produces scattered X-rays through a substantially homogenous region of the at least one individual.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein scintillated viewable and/or visible light includes at least one from a group, the group including a viewable and/or visible light, an infrared light, or an ultraviolet light.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially processing information associated with the visualizing, imaging, or providing information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize a jaw motion in the individual.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially deconvoluting information associated with the visualizing, imaging, or providing information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is greater than a rate at which heart beating causes deformation of a heart muscle in the individual.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize blood flow through a vasculature in the individual.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize motion of skeletal bones in response to changes in a body position of the individual.

15. A method, comprising:

directing at least one applied X-ray toward at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual, the portion extending in a portion of the at least one individual through a substantial X-ray deposition into the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual; and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information relative to the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual based at least in part on Compton scattering of scattered X-rays primarily in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information is at least partially performed by converting the scattered X-rays into a scintillated viewable and/or visible light,

wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information relative to the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual by directing at least one applied X-ray into the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual is performed at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with an individual-based physiological process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the scintillated viewable and/or visible light is displayed over at least one display, and wherein the at least one display includes at least one from a group, the group includes at least one of glasses, a computer-type display, a television-type display, a hospital type display, or a monitor type display.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least partially processing information associated with the visualizing, imaging, or providing information.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least partially filtering information associated with the visualizing, imaging, or providing information.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize motion of skeletal bones in response to changes in a body position of the individual.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is greater than a rate at which heart beating causes deformation of a heart muscle in the individual.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize blood flow through a vasculature in the individual.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize a jaw motion in the individual.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device configured to visualize, image, or provide information through at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual based at least in part on Compton scattering of scattered X-rays at least partially in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual,

wherein the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device includes a scintillator of a type configured to converting the scattered X-rays into user viewable and/or visible light,

wherein the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device configured to visualize, image, or provide information at least partially using X-rays has a response rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with an individual-based physiological process.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device includes at least one from a group, the group includes at least one of glasses, a computer-type display, a television-type display, a hospital type display, or a monitor type display.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device includes a fluoroscope.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein output light from the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device is viewable and/or visible to a human.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein output light from the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device is at a level corresponding to a detection sensitivity of a machine.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the individual includes at least one from a group, the group including human, an animal, a plant, and an organism.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the scintillator-based viewer, imager, or information providing device comprises a video display of the captured physical motion.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the response rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is greater than a rate at which heart beating causes deformation of a heart muscle in the individual, and wherein the video display comprises a dynamic visualization of deformation of the heart muscle.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the response rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize blood flow through a vasculature in the individual, and wherein the video display comprises a dynamic visualization of the blood flow.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize motion of skeletal bones in response to changes in a body position of the individual, wherein the video display comprises a dynamic visualization of the motion of skeletal bones.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the response rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion is a rate sufficient to visualize a jaw motion in the individual, and wherein the video display comprises a dynamic visualization the jaw motion.