Apparatus for determining an effective energy spectrum of an X-ray tube

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining an effective energy spectrum of an X-ray tube. It is described to provide (210) a temporally varying acceleration voltage of an X-ray tubefor a time period. A temporally varying X-ray tube current is also provided (220) for the time period. At least one product of the temporally varying X-ray tube current and a time interval is determined (230). An effective energy spectrum of the X-ray tube is determined (250) as a function of the at least one product of the temporally varying X-ray tube current and the time interval and as a function of the voltage of the X-ray tube.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a device for determining the effective energy spectrum of an X-ray tube, a system for determining target-related quantities based on X-ray image data, a method for determining the effective energy spectrum of an X-ray tube, and a system for determining an effective energy spectrum based on X-ray images. A method for determining a target-related quantity from data, as well as a computer program element and a computer-readable medium. Background technique [0002] Next-generation X-ray imaging sees "X-ray color" when images are acquired with spectrally sensitive detectors, compared to traditional "grayscale" imaging using spectrally integrating detectors. The ability to derive spectrally differently weighted information from the same image view enables well-known and widely discussed new diagnostic features such as material separation, material identification, beam hardening correction, and quantitative imaging. [0003] For spe...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Even very small spectral changes (for example, the ratio between high-energy X-ray photons and low-energy X-ray photons) can cause severe artifacts in diagnostic features such as material separation

[0004] Typically, the exact tube spectrum is measured during the calibration procedure, however, there are many effects affecting the spectrum on a short time scale and these cannot be accounted for during the actual imaging process

For example, the applied tube voltage may drift during the imaging procedure, or voltage ripples of varying magnitude may occur

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