Image correction method for an X-ray detector

• US 6,600,159 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ruetten, Walter, Overdick, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moran, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US09/925,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.11, 250/581, 250/584, 250/586, 250/361.R, 250/362, 250/363.09
• US Class Current: 250/370.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/17 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/40 Stabilisation of spectrometers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

The invention relates to an image correction method for an X-ray detector which includes a rear-mounted light source with improved correction of the after-image effects.

The invention is based on the recognition of the fact that the so-called gain effects cannot be eliminated by means of known methods. The gain effects, however, give rise to an increase of the amplification by a few percents, and hence to a bright image with artefacts, already in the case of customary diagnostic X-ray doses.

In accordance with the invention the gain effects are measured by acquisition of light source images by means of the build-in light source; the strength of the gain effect as well as a correction factor are determined pixel by pixel on the basis thereof. The pixel values of the bright image are corrected by means of the correction factor.

Claims

1. An image correction method for a flat dynamic X-ray detector which includes a sensor matrix whose photodiodes are preceded by a scintillator for converting the X-rays into light and succeeded by a light source for uniform illumination of all photodiodes, characterized in that the gain effect is individually determined for each matrix cell of the sensor matrix in that

the sensor matrix is illuminated at least once, after the decaying of any gain effects due to X-ray exposure (2), by means of the light source (5) instead of the X-ray source (1), the light source reference image thus acquired being stored,

at a later instant, before the decaying of the gain effects due to X-ray exposure, the sensor matrix is illuminated again by means of the light source (5) instead of the X-ray source (2), the light source image thus acquired being stored,

a correction value (K) is calculated pixel by pixel as the quotient of the pixel values (C) of the light source image and the pixel values (A) of the light source reference image, and

subsequently a corrected pixel value (E) is determined, while taking into account the correction value (K), from every pixel value (D) measured pixel by pixel under the influence of X-rays.

2. An image correction method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the corrected pixel value (E) is determined by calculating the quotient of the pixel value (D), measured under the influence of the X-rays, and the relevant correction value (K).

3. An image correction method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a further correction value (K′

) is calculated from at least one previous correction value (K) by extrapolation and subsequently a corrected pixel value (E) is determined by calculating pixel by pixel the quotient of each pixel value (D), measured under the influence of the X-rays, and the further correction value (K′

).

4. An image correction method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that together with the image correction method at least one further image correction method that is known per se is carried out for the correction of residual signal effects.

5. An X-ray device which includes a flat dynamic X-ray detector (4) with a sensor matrix whose photodiodes are preceded by a scintillator for converting the X-rays (2) into light and succeeded by a light source (5) for uniform illumination of all photodiodes, and also includes at least one correction unit (6) which acquires the image signals from the light source, produced by the sensor matrix, before and after the decaying of any gain effects due to X-rays (2), the correction unit (6) correcting the image signals of the instantaneous bright images in dependence on the presence of gain effects as well as on their intensity.