High resolution radiation imaging system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A radiation imaging system comprising:
- a photosensor pixel array, said array comprising a plurality of pixels having a predetermined photosensor pixel pitch between adjoining pixels, each of said photosensor pixels being adapted to generate a respective image data signal, said array being adapted to be sequentially disposed in selected ones of a plurality of sequential imaging positions pursuant to a predetermined imaging cycle, each of said sequential imaging positions being selected such that the area imaged by each respective pixel overlaps a portion of the area imaged by said respective pixel while disposed in the preceding imaging position in said predetermined imaging cycle so as to oversample the imaged area; and
an image processor coupled to said photosensor pixel array so as to receive the respective image data signals generated by said photosensor pixels, said image processor being adapted to store said respective image data signals generated during an imaging cycle by said photosensor pixels in each of said respective sequential imaging positions as an unfiltered data set, said image processor further comprising a deblurring filter adapted to selectively filter said data set to generate a non-aliased fine resolution data set having spatial resolution greater than the imaging system Nyquist frequency determined by the pixel pitch of said photosensor array.
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Abstract
A radiation imaging system includes an image detector assembly coupled to an image processor. The image detector assembly includes a photosensor pixel array which is disposed in a plurality of sequential imaging positions pursuant to a predetermined imaging cycle. The image processor stores the respective image data signals from each photosensor pixel in the array from each respective imaging position in a given imaging cycle in an unfiltered interleaved data set, and then apply the unfiltered data to a deblurring filter to generate a non-aliased high resolution data set appropriate for driving a display and analysis module.
42 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A radiation imaging system comprising:
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a photosensor pixel array, said array comprising a plurality of pixels having a predetermined photosensor pixel pitch between adjoining pixels, each of said photosensor pixels being adapted to generate a respective image data signal, said array being adapted to be sequentially disposed in selected ones of a plurality of sequential imaging positions pursuant to a predetermined imaging cycle, each of said sequential imaging positions being selected such that the area imaged by each respective pixel overlaps a portion of the area imaged by said respective pixel while disposed in the preceding imaging position in said predetermined imaging cycle so as to oversample the imaged area; and an image processor coupled to said photosensor pixel array so as to receive the respective image data signals generated by said photosensor pixels, said image processor being adapted to store said respective image data signals generated during an imaging cycle by said photosensor pixels in each of said respective sequential imaging positions as an unfiltered data set, said image processor further comprising a deblurring filter adapted to selectively filter said data set to generate a non-aliased fine resolution data set having spatial resolution greater than the imaging system Nyquist frequency determined by the pixel pitch of said photosensor array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of generating a high resolution image of incident radiation, comprising the steps of:
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sequentially positioning an array of photosensor pixels in first through Kth imaging positions in accordance with a predetermined imaging cycle, said photosensor pixels being disposed in said array in rows and columns having a predetermined photosensor pixel pitch therebetween, each of said sequential imaging positions being selected such that the area imaged by each respective pixel overlaps a portion of the area imaged by said respective pixel while disposed in the preceding imaging position in said predetermined imaging cycle so as to oversample the imaged area; storing the respective image data signals generated in each of the first through Kth imaging positions to form an unfiltered data set; and applying said unfiltered data set to a deblurring filter to form a high resolution data set having spatial resolution greater than the Nyquist frequency determined by the pixel pitch of said photosensor array; said first through Kth imaging positions in said predetermined imaging cycle being disposed such that aliasing errors are cancelled in said high resolution data set. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for increasing the resolvable spatial frequency of a digital radiation imaging system having a plurality of imaging devices, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating multiple exposures of an object to be imaged, each of said exposures being taken in a respective imaging position, each imaging position being disposed in a predetermined spatial relation with regard to the remaining imaging positions such that the area imaged in each respective imaging position overlaps a portion of the area imaged in the preceding imaging position; registering the respective exposures generated in an unfiltered non-aliased data set; and deblurring said unfiltered data set to generate a non-aliased high resolution data set having spatial resolution greater than the Nyquist frequency determined by the pitch of said imaging devices. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An x-ray imaging system comprising:
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a photosensor pixel array, said array comprising a plurality of pixels having a predetermined photosensor pixel pitch between adjoining pixels, each of said photosensor pixels being adapted to generate a respective image data signal, said array being adapted to be sequentially disposed in selected ones of a plurality of sequential imaging positions pursuant to a predetermined imaging cycle, each of said sequential imaging positions being selected such that the area imaged by each respective pixels overlaps a portion of the area imaged by said respective pixel while disposed in the preceding imaging position in said predetermined imaging cycle so as to oversample the imaged area; and an image processor coupled to said photosensor pixel array so as to receive the respective image data signals generated by said photosensor pixels, said image processor being adapted to store said respective image data signals generated during an imaging cycle by said photosensor pixels in each of said respective sequential imaging positions as an unfiltered data set, said image processor further comprising a deblurring filter adapted to selectively filter said data set to generate a non-aliased fine resolution data set having spatial resolution greater than the Nyquist frequency determined by the pixel pitch of said photosensor array; and a display and analysis module coupled to said image processor and adapted to be driven by said fine resolution data to generate an output fine resolution array, said output fine resolution array having a greater number of pixels than said photosensor pixel array, said imaging system being adapted such that each of the fine resolution pixels are driven by an individually-variable signal. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification