Photon counting computed tomography system
By installing memory for the detector module of the photon counting computed tomography system and sending configuration instructions using the data management module, directly reading parameters from the local area, the problem of too long system boot time is solved and rapid startup is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202323277717.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-12-01
AI Technical Summary
The photon counting computed tomography system has a long boot time, which makes the system unavailable in the face of emergencies.
Install memory for each detector module in the photon counting computed tomography system, store configuration parameters required for initialization, and send configuration instructions through the data management module, directly read parameters from the local memory for configuration, avoiding the remote rack Control module reads.
It significantly improves the parameter configuration efficiency of the photon counting detector module, shortens the system's boot time, and ensures that the system can start quickly in an emergency situation.
Smart Images
Figure CN222323573U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of medical equipment, and in particular, relates to a photon counting computer tomography system. Background Art
[0002] Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is a form of computed tomography (CT) that uses a photon counting detector (PCD) to detect X-rays. This technology has the advantages of zero dark noise, high image grayscale depth, large dynamic range, low radiation dose required for imaging, and multi-spectral imaging.
[0003] Unlike traditional CT systems, during the power-on initialization phase, the PCCT system needs to use the processor to continuously send a large number of parameters stored in the local memory to the photon counting detector module, thereby realizing the parameter configuration of the photon counting detector and thus ensuring the image quality.
[0004] However, the configuration of a large number of parameters of the photon counting detector will undoubtedly consume a lot of time, which results in a very long startup time for the PCCT system, which can even be as long as half an hour. When faced with emergencies, the PCCT system will become unavailable. Utility Model Content
[0005] The embodiment of the present application provides a photon counting computer tomography system, which can solve the problem of long startup time of the photon counting computer tomography system.
[0006] The present application embodiment provides a photon counting computer tomography system, comprising:
[0007] A detector module system, the detector module system includes at least one photon counting detector module, each photon counting detector module includes a memory, and the memory stores configuration parameters for initializing the photon counting detector module;
[0008] A data management module is connected to the detector module system and is used to send configuration instructions to the detector module when the photon counting computer tomography system is powered on. The configuration instructions are used to trigger the detector module system to initialize the configuration of each photon counting detector module.
[0009] Each photon counting detector module is used to respond to the configuration instruction, read the configuration parameters from the memory of each photon counting detector module, and perform parameter configuration according to the read configuration parameters.
[0010] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the photon counting detector module further includes a data acquisition unit connected to the memory, and the data acquisition unit includes:
[0011] A system-on-chip connected to a memory of the photon counting detector module and used for reading configuration parameters stored in the memory;
[0012] The dedicated integrated chip is connected to the system-level chip, and is used to receive the configuration parameters sent by the system-level chip, and perform parameter configuration on the photon counting detector module based on the configuration parameters.
[0013] Optionally, in another possible implementation of the first aspect, the photon counting computer tomography system further includes:
[0014] At least two rack modules;
[0015] The rack control module is connected to each rack module and is used to decouple the dependencies between the rack modules when the photon counting computer tomography system is powered on.
[0016] Optionally, in yet another possible implementation of the first aspect, the at least two rack modules include a network power supply, a tube, a main rotation, a bed and a collimator.
[0017] Optionally, in another possible implementation of the first aspect, the photon counting computer tomography system further includes:
[0018] The first processing module is connected to each rack module and is used to send an initialization instruction to each rack module after at least one rack module fails to initialize, so that each rack module is reinitialized.
[0019] Optionally, in another possible implementation of the first aspect, the data management module is connected to each photon counting detector module via a detector interface board.
[0020] Optionally, in yet another possible implementation of the first aspect, the data acquisition unit in each photon counting detector module is connected to the corresponding memory via a serial peripheral interface.
[0021] Optionally, in another possible implementation of the first aspect, the memory is a NOR flash memory.
[0022] Optionally, in another possible implementation of the first aspect, the data management module is a field programmable gate array FPGA data management module.
[0023] Optionally, in yet another possible implementation of the first aspect, the photon counting computer tomography system further includes:
[0024] The second processing module is connected to each photon counting detector module, and is used to send an initialization instruction to the detector module system after at least one photon counting detector module fails to initialize, so that each photon counting detector module is reinitialized.
[0025] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects: by adding a memory to all photon counting detector modules in a photon counting computed tomography system, the memory stores the configuration parameters required for initializing the corresponding photon counting detector modules, and the detector module system is connected to a data management module. Thus, during system startup, each photon counting detector module does not need to read the configuration parameters from a remote rack control module, but instead responds to the configuration instructions sent by the data management module and directly reads the configuration parameters from the local memory, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of the photon counting detector module parameter configuration and thereby shortening the startup time of the photon counting computed tomography system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.
[0027] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a photon counting computer tomography system provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a photon counting detector module provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the initialization process of a photon counting computer tomography system provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0030] Description of reference numerals:
[0031] 100 - photon counting computer tomography system; 110 - detector module system; 111 - photon counting detector module; 112 - memory; 120 - data management module; 200 - data acquisition unit; 201 - system-level chip; 202 - dedicated integrated chip; 210 - sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.
[0033] In the related technology, unlike the traditional CT system, the PCCT system needs to use the processor to continuously send a large number of parameters stored in the local memory to the photon counting detector module during the power-on initialization phase, so as to configure the parameters of the photon counting detector and ensure the image quality. However, the configuration of a large number of parameters of the photon counting detector will undoubtedly consume a lot of time, which leads to a very long startup time of the PCCT system, which can even take up to half an hour. When faced with emergencies, the PCCT system will be unavailable.
[0034] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a photon counting computer tomography system, in which a memory is added to all photon counting detector modules in the photon counting computer tomography system, and the memory stores the configuration parameters required for initializing the corresponding photon counting detector modules. In addition, the detector module system is connected to a data management module. In this way, during the system startup process, each photon counting detector module does not need to read the configuration parameters from a remote rack control module, but instead responds to the configuration instructions sent by the data management module and directly reads the configuration parameters from the local memory, which significantly improves the efficiency of the photon counting detector module parameter configuration and thereby shortens the startup time of the photon counting computer tomography system.
[0035] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0036] Reference Figure 1 , shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a photon counting computer tomography system provided in an embodiment of the present application. For ease of description, only the parts related to the embodiment of the present application are shown.
[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the photon counting computed tomography system 100 includes: a detector module system 110 and a data management module 120 . The detector module system 110 includes at least one photon counting detector module 111 . Each photon counting detector module 111 includes a memory 112 .
[0038] The memory 112 in each photon counting detector module 111 stores configuration parameters for initializing the photon counting detector module 111. The data management module 120 is connected to the detector module system 110, specifically, the data management module 120 is connected to each photon counting detector module 111, and is used to send configuration instructions to the detector module system 110 when the photon counting computed tomography system 100 is powered on, and the configuration instructions are used to trigger the detector module system 110 to initialize the configuration of each photon counting detector module. Each photon counting detector module is used to respond to the configuration instructions, read the configuration parameters from the memory of each photon counting detector module, and perform parameter configuration according to the read configuration parameters.
[0039] It should be noted that when the photon counting computer tomography system 100 is powered on, the data management module 120 is powered on first, and then the data management module 120 sends a configuration command to all photon counting detector modules 111. After receiving the configuration command, each photon counting detector module 111 reads the configuration parameters in the corresponding memory 112. The advantage of this is that the photon counting detector module 111 does not need to read the configuration parameters from the remote rack control module, and each photon counting detector module 111 can be initialized in parallel, thereby saving initialization time and shortening the startup time of the photon counting computer tomography system 100.
[0040] As an example, the configuration parameters required for initializing the photon counting detector module 111 stored in the memory 112 in different photon counting detector modules 111 may be the same or different, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. As an example, the configuration parameters required for initializing the photon counting detector module 111 may be sensitivity, measurement range, resolution, etc.
[0041] Optionally, the data management module 120 may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA) data management module. FPGA has a fast running speed and can complete logic operations in a shorter time, because the logic gates of FPGA work in parallel. Compared with the serial mode of the central processing unit (CPU), FPGA has a faster computing speed and can optimize applications with high computing intensity. In addition, FPGA also has the advantages of high flexibility, low cost, and good reusability.
[0042] In a possible implementation, the data management module 120 is connected to each photon counting detector module 111 through a detector interface board. The detector interface board is a device used to connect the data management module 120 and the photon counting detector module 111, which provides functions such as signal transmission, power supply and data communication to ensure that the data management module 120 can effectively communicate with each photon counting detector module 111 and control each photon counting detector module 111. The detector interface board plays the role of a bridge, which can receive configuration instructions from the data management module 120 and pass the configuration instructions to each photon counting detector module 111 so as to configure its parameters. At the same time, the detector interface board can also obtain data from each photon counting detector module 111 and transmit it back to the data management module 120 for processing and analysis.
[0043] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 112 is a computer memory, preferably a non-volatile memory. Because the non-volatile memory can maintain the integrity of the data in the event of a power outage or power failure, and does not require regular refresh. Compared with volatile memory, non-volatile memory can store data for a long time without the need for continuous power supply. In addition, non-volatile memory generally has a faster read and write speed, which can achieve fast data access. There are many types of non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, and flash memory includes NOR flash memory (NOR Flash), NAND flash memory (NAND Flash), etc.
[0044] Preferably, the memory 112 is a NOR flash memory. Compared with NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory has a faster read speed, lower read latency and better random access performance, and is usually used to store small-capacity data, such as configuration files, boot programs, etc.
[0045] In the embodiment of the present application, the photon counting detector module 111 may further include a data acquisition unit 200 connected to the memory 112. During the startup of the photon counting computed tomography system 100, each photon counting detector module 111 reads configuration parameters from the connected memory 112 through its own data acquisition unit 200.
[0046] Optionally, the data acquisition unit 200 in each photon counting detector module 111 is connected to the corresponding memory 112 via a serial peripheral interface (SPI). SPI is a synchronous serial communication interface specification, which is mainly used for short-distance communication. The serial peripheral interface has the following advantages: the serial peripheral interface supports high-speed serial data transmission, can exchange data at a faster speed, and provides an efficient communication method; the serial peripheral interface only requires a small number of lines for connection, and the connection and wiring are simpler than other interface protocols; the serial peripheral interface uses fewer lines and a simple transmission method, so its cost is relatively low. By connecting the data acquisition unit 200 and the memory 112 in the photon counting detector module 111 through the serial peripheral interface, the data acquisition unit 200 can realize high-speed and simple data reading of configuration parameters.
[0047] In one possible implementation, each data acquisition unit 200 includes: a system on chip (SOC), also known as an on-chip chip, connected to the corresponding memory 112, and used to read the configuration parameters stored in the memory; an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), connected to the system chip, and used to receive the configuration parameters sent by the system chip, and configure the photon counting detector module based on the configuration parameters.
[0048] The memory 112 corresponding to the system-on-chip is the memory 112 in the photon counting detector module 111 where the system-on-chip is located.
[0049] See also Figure 2 , shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a photon counting detector module provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the system-level chip 201 is connected to the memory 112 , the system-level chip 201 is connected to the application-specific integrated chip 202 , and the application-specific integrated chip 202 is connected to the sensor 210 .
[0050] The system-on-chip 201 and the memory 112 may be connected via a serial peripheral interface.
[0051] It should be noted that the system-on-chip 201 is an integrated circuit that integrates a complete system and its embedded software. In the system-on-chip 201, the system is integrated on a single chip, including components such as a processor, a memory, and an I / O interface, which are connected through an internal bus to achieve data transmission and sharing. The dedicated integrated chip 202 is an integrated circuit chip with a high degree of customization. It is designed and manufactured according to specific application requirements. The characteristics of the dedicated integrated chip 202 are high integration and customization. The dedicated integrated chip 202 can integrate a large number of logic units, storage units, and mechanical structures in one chip to achieve specific functions. At the same time, the customization level of the dedicated integrated chip 202 is also very high. Designers can customize the hardware and software of the chip according to the requirements of specific applications to meet different needs.
[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, the sensor 210 is responsible for receiving the configuration parameters from the dedicated integrated chip 202 and adjusting its own working state according to these configuration parameters so as to better complete the detection task.
[0053] For example, the sensor 210 may adjust its sensitivity, measurement range, resolution and other parameters according to the configuration parameters to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the detection results.
[0054] The following is based on Figure 2 The specific process of configuring the photon counting detector module parameters is described. First, the data management module 120 sends a configuration command to the system-level chip 201 on all photon counting detector modules 111 through the detector interface board. After receiving the command, the system-level chip 201 reads the configuration parameters from the installed memory 112 through the SPI communication method and sends them to the dedicated integrated chip 202, thereby completing the parameter configuration of the sensor 210.
[0055] It should be noted that during the startup process of the photon counting computed tomography system 100, in addition to initializing each photon counting detector module 111, it is also necessary to initialize multiple rack modules on the PCCT rack, such as network power supply, tube, main rotation, bed and collimator.
[0056] In a possible embodiment, the photon counting computer tomography system 100 further includes: at least two rack modules; and a rack control module connected to each rack module and used to decouple the dependencies between each rack module when the photon counting computer tomography system is powered on.
[0057] Specifically, the network power supply can be composed of a power conditioner, a power filter, a power circuit breaker, a power transformer, etc., which can ensure a stable, reliable and safe power supply for the PCCT frame; the tube is one of the important components in the PCCT frame. The tube generates X-rays and is rotated by the main rotation drive to scan the human body; the bed is a component in the PCCT frame used to carry patients. The height and inclination of the bed can be adjusted according to the patient's body shape and condition to ensure the patient's comfort and the accuracy of the scan; the collimator is composed of multiple metal plates, which are used to limit the irradiation range of X-rays. During the scanning process, the collimator can adjust the angle to adapt to the scanning needs of patients in different parts and different body shapes.
[0058] It should be noted that, due to the dependencies between some rack modules in the photon counting computed tomography system 100, for example, the tube depends on the version information reported by some components after initialization to determine which initialization method to adopt. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, when the photon counting computed tomography system 100 is powered on, the rack control module is powered on, and then the rack control module decouples the dependencies of all rack modules on the PCCT rack, and instead provides version information through the configuration file, so that the parallel initialization of each rack module can be realized, thereby saving the initialization time of each rack module, and further shortening the startup time of the photon counting computed tomography system.
[0059] In the embodiment of the present application, in order to avoid the failure of initialization of one or more rack modules during the startup of the photon counting computer tomography system 100, thereby causing the startup failure of the photon counting computer tomography system 100, the photon counting computer tomography system 100 further includes a first processing module connected to each rack module, and configured to send an initialization instruction to each rack module after at least one rack module fails to initialize, so that each rack module is reinitialized.
[0060] In order to avoid the failure of initialization of one or more photon counting detector modules 111 during the startup of the photon counting computer tomography system 100, thereby causing the startup failure of the photon counting computer tomography system 100, the photon counting computer tomography system 100 also includes a second processing module connected to the detector module system, which is used to send an initialization instruction to the detector module system after at least one photon counting detector module fails to initialize, so that each photon counting detector module is reinitialized.
[0061] The photon counting computed tomography system 100 disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application is configured by adding a memory 112 to all photon counting detector modules 111 in the photon counting computed tomography system 100, and the memory 112 stores the configuration parameters required for initializing the corresponding photon counting detector modules 111. In addition, the detector module system 110 is connected to the data management module 120. In this way, during the system startup process, each photon counting detector module 111 does not need to read the configuration parameters from the remote rack control module, but instead responds to the configuration instructions sent by the data management module 120 and directly reads the configuration parameters from the local memory 112, which significantly improves the efficiency of the parameter configuration of the photon counting detector module 111, thereby shortening the startup time of the photon counting computed tomography system 100.
[0062] For example, refer to Figure 3 , a schematic diagram of the initialization process of a photon counting computed tomography system is described. Figure 3 As shown, first, after the photon counting computer tomography system 100 is powered on, the rack control module and the data management module 120 are powered on at the same time. The rack control module decouples the dependencies between all rack modules on the PCCT rack (only the network power supply, tube, main rotation, bed and collimator are shown in the figure), and then after the network power supply is initialized, the other rack modules can be initialized in parallel. After the data management module 120 is powered on, it first sends a configuration command to all photon counting detector modules 111. After receiving the command, each photon counting detector module 111 reads the configuration parameters stored in the memory. In this way, the parallel initialization of each photon counting detector module 111 can be achieved, and there is no need to read the configuration parameters from the rack control computer, thereby saving initialization time. In addition, after all photon counting detector modules 111 are initialized, it is determined again whether all photon counting detector modules 111 are initialized. If not, the initialization of each photon counting detector module 111 is re-executed. If yes, it is continued to determine whether all rack modules are initialized. If not, the initialization of each rack module is re-executed. After all photon counting detector modules 111 and all rack modules are initialized, the initialization is completed.
[0063] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "upward", "vertical", "horizontal", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side" and the like indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.
[0064] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the feature. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.
[0065] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0066] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application, and only specifically describe the technical principles of the present application. These descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present application and cannot be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection of the present application in any way. Based on the explanation here, any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application, and other specific implementation methods of the present application that can be associated with the technicians in this field without creative work, should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.
Claims
1. A photon counting computer tomography system, characterized in that: include: A detector module system (110), the detector module system (110) comprising at least one photon counting detector module (111), each of the photon counting detector modules (111) comprising a memory (112), the memory (112) storing configuration parameters for initializing the photon counting detector module (111); A data management module (120) connected to the detector module system (110) and configured to send a configuration instruction to the detector module when the photon counting computed tomography system (100) is powered on, wherein the configuration instruction is used to trigger the detector module system (110) to perform initialization configuration on each of the photon counting detector modules (111); Each of the photon counting detector modules (111) is used to respond to the configuration instruction, read the configuration parameters from the memory (112) of each of the photon counting detector modules (111), and perform parameter configuration according to the read configuration parameters.
2. The photon counting computer tomography system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photon counting detector module (111) further comprises a data acquisition unit (200) connected to the memory (112), wherein the data acquisition unit (200) comprises: A system-level chip (201) connected to the memory (112) of the photon counting detector module (111) and used for reading configuration parameters stored in the memory (112); A dedicated integrated chip (202) is connected to the system-level chip (201) and is used to receive the configuration parameters sent by the system-level chip (201) and perform parameter configuration on the photon counting detector module (111) based on the configuration parameters.
3. The photon counting computer tomography system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photon counting computer tomography system further comprises: At least two rack modules; A rack control module is connected to each of the rack modules and is used to decouple the dependencies between each of the rack modules when the photon counting computer tomography system (100) is powered on.
4. The photon counting computer tomography system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least two rack modules include a network power supply, a tube, a main rotation, a bed and a collimator.
5. The photon counting computer tomography system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The photon counting computer tomography system (100) further comprises: The first processing module is connected to each of the rack modules and is used to send an initialization instruction to each of the rack modules after at least one of the rack modules fails to initialize, so that each of the rack modules is reinitialized.
6. The photon counting computer tomography system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The data management module (120) is connected to each of the photon counting detector modules (111) via a detector interface board.
7. The photon counting computer tomography system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The data acquisition unit (200) in each of the photon counting detector modules (111) is connected to the corresponding memory (112) via a serial peripheral interface.
8. The photon counting computer tomography system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The memory (112) is a NOR flash memory.
9. The photon counting computer tomography system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The data management module (120) is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) data management module.
10. The photon counting computer tomography system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The photon counting computer tomography system (100) further comprises: The second processing module is connected to each of the photon counting detector modules (111) and is used to send an initialization instruction to the detector module system (110) after at least one of the photon counting detector modules (111) fails to initialize, so that each of the photon counting detector modules (111) is reinitialized.