Compton scattered X-ray visualization, imaging, or information provider in soft matter such as tissue, organs, or blood, and/or in hard matter such as bones or teeth

• US 7,724,871 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Jurie
• Application Number:
  US11/786,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 378 70- 90
• US Class Current: 378/87
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/483 involving scattered radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A system, method, or apparatus provides information relating to at least some tissue-based matter or bone-based matter of an individual responsive to an X-ray applied to the at least some tissue-based matter or bone-based matter. In one approach, the system, method or apparatus determines information at least in part from Compton scattering principles. In one approach, the information can correspond to a range of depths or can indicate depth of features or scattering events. In one approach, the information is responsive to a determined change in direction and/or energy state of photons undergoing Compton scattering.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

applying at least one X-ray having characteristics selected to induce Compton scattering to at least some tissue-based matter of an individual; and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of at least a portion of the individual

at least partially through at least one range of visualizing, imaging, or providing information depths

to at least one prescribed visualizing, imaging, or providing information depth of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual,

at least partially dependent on at least one characteristic of the applied at least one X-ray, and,

wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual includes

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual relying at least partially on energy level changes of X-ray photons during a scattering event within at least some of the at least some tissue-based matter, and further relying at least partially on at least one direction of the X-ray photons before or after the scattering event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual comprises:

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual relying at least partially on an image combination or subtraction resulting from the applied at least one X-ray.

3. A method, comprising:

applying at least one X-ray having characteristics selected to induce Compton scattering to at least some tissue-based matter of an individual; and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of at least a portion of the individual

at least partially through at least one range of visualizing, imaging, or providing information depths

to at least one prescribed visualizing, imaging, or providing information depth of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual,

at least partially dependent on at least one characteristic of the applied at least one X-ray, and,

wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual includes;

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual relying at least partially on energy level changes of X-ray photons during a scattering event within at least some of the at least some tissue-based matter, and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of at least some cancer-based matter.

4. A method, comprising:

applying at least one X-ray having characteristics selected to induce Compton scattering to at least some tissue-based matter of an individual;

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of an at least a portion of the individual

at least partially through at least one range of visualizing, imaging, or providing information depths

to at least one prescribed visualizing, imaging, or providing information depth of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual,

at least partially dependent on an at least one characteristic of the applied at least one X-ray, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual includes;

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual relying at least partially on a difference in energy level between at least one energy level of X-ray photons of the at least one applied X-ray and at least one energy level of X-ray photons of a Compton scattered X-ray from a Compton scattering location within the at least some tissue-based matter, and further relying at least partially on at least one direction of X-ray photons of the at least one applied X-ray or at least one direction of X-ray photons of the Compton scattered X-ray.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristics selected to induce Compton scattering of the at least one applied X-ray include an energy level of at least one X-ray photon included in the at least one applied X-ray.

6. A method, comprising:

applying at least one X-ray having characteristics selected to induce Compton scattering to at least some tissue-based matter of an individual; and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of at least a portion of the individual

at least partially through at least one range of visualizing, imaging, or providing information depths

to at least one prescribed visualizing, imaging, or providing information depth of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual,

at least partially dependent on an at least one characteristic of the applied at least one X-ray; and

wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual includes

determining respective directions of the applied at least one X-ray before and after a scattering event within the at least some tissue-based matter; and

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual relying at least partially on the determined respective directions of the applied at least one X-ray before and after the scattering event within the at least some tissue-based matter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual comprises:

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of at least some fat-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some tissue-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual comprises:

visualizing, imaging, or providing information of at least some bodily-fluid-based matter of the at least the portion of the individual.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a detector assembly of a type responsive to X-rays having characteristics corresponding to Compton scattered X-rays; and

electrical circuitry coupled to the detector assembly and configured to provide information corresponding to an energy level change of X-ray photons from a scattering location within an individual, the information indicating a location within

a depth range extending to a prescribed depth within the individual.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrical circuitry configured to provide information corresponding to an energy level change of X-ray photons from a scattering location is operative at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with an individual-based physiological process.