Radiation field and dose control

• US 9,370,330 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Quam, Steve D, Uvarov, Mikhail, Zhang, Hongxuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kao, Glen
• Application Number:
  US14/174,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 350/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/544 dependent on patient size
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/046 varying the contour of the field, e.g. multileaf collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/10 Scattering devices; Absorbing devices; Ionising radiation filters

Abstract

A system and method includes a matrix of elements, each of the elements comprising a respective radiation-attenuating material providing a respective radiation attenuation profile over a respective area of the matrix, and wherein at least one of the elements is independently-controllable to change its respective radiation attenuation profile over its respective area.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an x-ray radiation collimator comprising;

a matrix of elements, each of the elements comprising a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over a respective area of the matrix, and

wherein at least one of the elements is independently-controllable by control signals to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area, wherein the control signals are generated based on an imaging plan and gated by blood pressure signals.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by moving at least a portion of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the elements that is independently-controllable connects to the matrix by a hinge, wherein the x-ray radiation-attenuating material rotates on the hinge to swing away from a plane of the matrix and wherein the angle at which the element swings by the hinge from the plane of the matrix effects the respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the elements that is independently-controllable connects to the matrix by a spool, wherein the radiation-attenuating material rolls on or off of the spool and wherein the amount of which the element rolls on or off the spool affects the respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the changing of the attenuation coefficient is effected by at least one of:

applying an electrical potential to the x-ray radiation-attenuating material; and

heating or cooling the x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

7. The system according to claim 1, the x-ray radiation collimator further comprising:

a second matrix of elements, where each of the second matrix of elements comprises a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over a respective area of the second matrix, and

wherein at least one of the second matrix of elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the second matrix of elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

9. The system according to claim 7, the x-ray radiation collimator further comprising:

a third matrix of elements, where each of the third matrix of elements comprises a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over a respective area of the third matrix, and

wherein at least one of the third matrix of elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the second matrix of elements and at least one of the third matrix of elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the planes of the first matrix and the second matrix are located parallel to one another.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an x-ray radiation emitting device to emit x-ray radiation toward the x-ray radiation collimator,

wherein at least one of the matrix of elements is independently-controllable to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by moving at least a portion of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material such that a portion of the emitted x-ray radiation may pass through at least a portion of its area without being attenuated by the x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

an x-ray radiation detector to detect x-ray radiation attenuated by one or more of the elements of the x-ray radiation collimator; and

a processor to determine whether the detected x-ray radiation conforms to an x-ray radiation profile and, in a case that the detected x-ray radiation does not conform to the x-ray radiation profile, to control one or more of the elements to change the x-ray radiation attenuation profile of the one or more of the elements over their respective areas.

14. A method comprising:

controlling, via control signals, at least one of a matrix of elements of an x-ray radiation collimator to change a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile of the at least one of the matrix of elements over a respective area of the matrix, wherein each of the elements comprises a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area; and

generating the control signals based on an imaging plan, wherein the control signals are gated by blood pressure signals.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising controlling at least one of the elements to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by moving at least a portion of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising controlling at least one of the elements to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

controlling at least one of a second matrix of elements of the x-ray radiation collimator to change a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile of the at least one of the second matrix of elements over a respective area of the second matrix,

wherein each of the second matrix of elements comprises a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising controlling at least one of the elements to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

controlling at least one of a third matrix of elements to change a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile of the at least one of the third matrix of elements over a respective area of the matrix,

wherein each of the third matrix of elements comprises a respective x-ray radiation-attenuating material providing a respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising controlling at least one of the second matrix of elements and at least one of the third matrix of elements to change its respective x-ray radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by changing an attenuation coefficient of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

21. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

emitting x-ray radiation toward the radiation collimator; and

controlling at least one of the matrix of elements to change its respective radiation attenuation profile over its respective area by moving at least a portion of its x-ray radiation-attenuating material such that a portion of the emitted x-ray radiation may pass through at least a portion of its area without being attenuated by the x-ray radiation-attenuating material.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

detecting x-ray radiation attenuated by one or more of the elements of the x-ray radiation collimator;

determining whether the detected x-ray radiation conforms to a x-ray radiation profile; and

in a case that the detected x-ray radiation does not conform to the x-ray radiation profile, controlling one or more of the elements to change the x-ray radiation attenuation profile of the one or more of the elements over their respective areas.