X-ray source exposure energy switching device and method, main controller and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical imaging, and discloses an X-ray source exposure energy switching device and method, a main controller and a storage medium, the main controller is used for controlling a digital analog converter to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energy, and the voltage parameters are loaded to different voltage output circuits. And then, the main controller respectively controls each voltage output circuit to be independently switched on, and the output voltage output to the analog controller is switched, so that the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source is realized. The digital-to-analog converter only needs to consume time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter for the first time, and then the main controller switches the conduction and cut-off of the corresponding voltage output circuit to realize voltage switching, and the digital-to-analog converter does not need to establish the voltage again, so that the time for switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source is shortened, and the switching efficiency is improved. And the imaging quality can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical imaging technology, and in particular to an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, method, main controller and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the medical imaging industry, the requirements for X-ray imaging are gradually increasing. In order to eliminate the artifact problems caused by traditional imaging solutions and reduce the radiation dose received by patients, a dual-energy exposure imaging solution has been proposed.

[0003] At present, there are mainly the following dual-energy exposure solutions on the market: 1) Use two X-ray sources to expose two different energies to form different imaging effects. Since one machine requires two ray sources, the cost is very high; 2) Use two different filters to switch continuously in front of the ray port to achieve different ray energy effects, but this single-dry method has high requirements on the power and dose angle distribution of the ray source, and because the switching is controlled by a motor, the two filters will jitter during the switching process, affecting the imaging quality; 3) Use the X-ray source to continuously switch the exposure energy to form different imaging effects, but the switching speed is slow. With the development of flat-panel detectors, the detector window opening speed can achieve a switching frequency of about 200Hz. If the switching speed of the X-ray source is too slow, it will greatly affect the detection efficiency and image quality. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, method, main controller and storage medium to solve the problem that the existing dual-energy exposure solution uses more devices when switching exposure energy, has high cost, and has a slow switching speed that easily affects the imaging quality.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, the device comprising a main controller, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog controller and a plurality of voltage output circuits, wherein a first output end of the main controller is respectively connected to an input end of each voltage output circuit via the digital-to-analog converter, a second output end of the main controller is respectively connected to a control end of each voltage output circuit, and an output end of each voltage output circuit is respectively connected to the analog controller;

[0006] The main controller controls the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameter of each exposure energy is loaded to different voltage output circuits respectively;

[0007] The main controller controls each voltage output circuit to be turned on individually to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

[0008] Beneficial effects: The present invention uses a main controller to control the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energies, and loads the voltage parameters to different voltage output circuits. Then, the main controller controls each voltage output circuit to be turned on separately, and switches the output voltage output to the analog controller, thereby realizing the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source. The digital-to-analog converter only needs to spend time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter for the first time. The main controller can subsequently switch the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding voltage output circuit to realize the voltage switching, without the need for the digital-to-analog converter to establish the voltage again, thereby reducing the time for switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source, which is beneficial to improving the imaging quality.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the plurality of voltage output circuits include at least a first voltage output circuit and a second voltage output circuit;

[0010] An interlocking circuit is formed between the first voltage output circuit and the second voltage output circuit. When the first voltage output circuit is turned on, the second voltage output circuit is turned off; when the second voltage output circuit is turned on, the first voltage output circuit is turned off.

[0011] Beneficial effect: The present invention sets multiple voltage output circuits as interlocking circuits. When one of the voltage output circuits is turned on, the other voltage output circuits are cut off. On the one hand, the X-ray source can only output rays of one exposure energy at the same time to prevent crosstalk; on the other hand, it can avoid multiple output voltages being output to the analog controller at the same time, preventing circuit failure or damage, thereby protecting the circuit.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the device further includes an XOR gate and a common switch, the first voltage output circuit includes a first switch, and the second voltage output circuit includes a second switch;

[0013] The input end of the first switch and the input end of the second switch are respectively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, the control end of the first switch and the control end of the second switch are respectively connected to the second output end of the main controller, and the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch are respectively connected to the input end of the common switch;

[0014] The input end of the XOR gate is connected to the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch respectively, the output end of the XOR gate is connected to the input end of the common switch, and the output end of the common switch is connected to the analog controller.

[0015] Beneficial effect: The present invention utilizes an XOR gate to realize the interlocking operation between the first switch and the second switch. The turn-on signals of the first switch and the second switch are the two inputs of the XOR gate. Only when the first switch and the second switch are not turned on at the same time, the output of the XOR gate is valid and the common switch will be turned on, ensuring that only one voltage is output to the analog controller at the same time, thereby protecting the circuit.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the common switch, the first switch and the second switch are triodes or field effect transistors.

[0017] Beneficial effect: The present invention utilizes field effect tubes or triodes to realize the conduction and cutoff of the voltage output circuit. The field effect tubes or triodes can quickly complete the on-off operation, thereby further reducing the switching time of the output voltage and improving the processing efficiency.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the main controller outputs a timing switching signal to the control end of each voltage output circuit through the second output end, so as to control each voltage output circuit to be turned on respectively.

[0019] Beneficial effect: The present invention utilizes the timing relationship contained in the timing switching signal to control each voltage output circuit to be turned on in sequence, thereby realizing voltage switching. There is no need for a digital-to-analog converter to re-establish the voltage, thus reducing the voltage switching time.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the timing switching signal includes a plurality of conduction signal values ​​arranged in sequence, and the conduction signal values ​​correspond one-to-one to the voltage output circuits;

[0021] When the control terminal signal value of the target voltage output circuit is the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is turned on; when the control terminal signal value of the target voltage output circuit is not the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is cut off.

[0022] Beneficial effect: The present invention uses the main controller to output a conduction signal value corresponding to the voltage output circuit one by one to control the corresponding voltage output circuit to be turned on and ensure that other voltage output circuits are in a cut-off state. Through the timing output of different conduction signal values, the output voltage of the voltage output circuit is switched, without the need for a digital analog converter to re-establish the voltage, thereby reducing the voltage switching time.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the analog controller is a high voltage power supply analog control chip;

[0024] The high voltage power supply analog control chip is used to switch the tube voltage of the X-ray source according to the switching of the output voltage to achieve the exposure energy switching of the X-ray source.

[0025] Beneficial effects: The present invention utilizes a high-voltage power supply analog control chip to accurately control the tube voltage of the X-ray source to adjust the exposure energy of the X-ray source, thereby performing dual-energy exposure imaging and improving the quality of the formed image.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an X-ray source exposure energy switching method, which is applied to a main controller of an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, the device also includes a digital-to-analog converter, an analog controller and a plurality of voltage output circuits, the first output end of the main controller is respectively connected to the input end of each voltage output circuit via the digital-to-analog converter, the second output end of the main controller is respectively connected to the control end of each voltage output circuit, and the output end of each voltage output circuit is respectively connected to the analog controller; the method includes:

[0027] Controlling the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameter of each exposure energy is loaded into different voltage output circuits respectively;

[0028] Each voltage output circuit is controlled to be turned on individually to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

[0029] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a main controller, comprising: a memory and a processor, the memory and the processor are communicatively connected to each other, the memory stores computer instructions, and the processor executes the X-ray source exposure energy switching method of the first aspect or any corresponding embodiment thereof by executing the computer instructions.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, the computer instructions being used to enable a computer to execute the X-ray source exposure energy switching method of the first aspect or any corresponding embodiment thereof.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0032] The X-ray source exposure energy switching device proposed in the present invention uses a main controller to control the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energies, and loads the voltage parameters to different voltage output circuits. Then, the main controller controls each voltage output circuit to be turned on separately, and switches the output voltage output to the analog controller, thereby realizing the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source. The digital-to-analog converter only needs to spend time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter for the first time. The main controller 101 subsequently switches the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding voltage output circuit to realize the voltage switching, and there is no need for the digital-to-analog converter to establish the voltage again, thereby reducing the time of switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source, which is beneficial to improving the imaging quality and reducing the radiation dose received by the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0034] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of an X-ray source exposure energy switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of another X-ray source exposure energy switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of another X-ray source exposure energy switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of an X-ray source exposure energy switching method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 is a flow chart of another method for switching exposure energy of an X-ray source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the main controller of an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] In order to eliminate the artifact problem of traditional X-ray imaging solutions and reduce the radiation dose received by patients, a dual-energy exposure imaging solution has been proposed. There are many dual-energy exposure solutions on the market, such as: 1) using two X-ray sources to expose two different energies to form different imaging effects; 2) using two different filters to continuously switch in front of the ray port to achieve different ray energy effects; 3) using the X-ray source to continuously switch the exposure energy to form different imaging effects.

[0042] The first solution mentioned above is very expensive, as one machine requires two radiation sources. The second solution has high requirements on the power and dose angle distribution of the radiation source, and because it uses motor control during switching, the two filters will jitter during the switching process, which will also affect the imaging quality. The third solution is also the most common dual-energy solution on the market, and this dual-energy solution has been used in the field of bone density for a long time.

[0043] However, the third solution currently on the market has a disadvantage of slow switching speed. Because the same machine outputs two energies, the system will give switching time, closed-loop processing time, filament adjustment time, and tube voltage establishment time. The accumulation of multiple times leads to this slow switching phenomenon. In the past, flat-panel detectors had slow processing speeds, so the switching speed requirements were not high and could be used in conjunction. With the development of flat-panel detectors, the window opening speed of the detector can already achieve a switching frequency of about 200Hz. Increasing the switching speed can effectively improve detection efficiency and image quality.

[0044] In addition, there are two basic solutions on the market for achieving dual-energy switching through a radiation source: 1) Analog control: a given exposure voltage is output through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and the analog control chip automatically performs closed-loop control. The reason why the speed of this solution cannot be improved is that the digital-to-analog converter DAC has a voltage establishment time limit, that is, the digital-to-analog converter DAC needs to re-establish the voltage every time the voltage is switched, which seriously affects the switching speed; 2) Digital control: a microcontroller (Micro Controller Unit, MCU) is used to directly give a drive pulse to control the tube voltage and tube current output. This can reduce the establishment time of the digital-to-analog converter DAC voltage, but it also brings about the problem of complicated closed-loop calculation of the controller and limited processing speed.

[0045] Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention proposes an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, which uses MCU to control DAC to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energies, and loads the voltage parameters to different voltage output circuits. The MCU switches the output voltage output to the analog controller by switching the conduction and cutoff of the voltage output circuit, thereby realizing the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source. In this way, the DAC only needs to spend time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter, and then the voltage switching can be realized by switching the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding voltage output circuit through the MCU, without the need to establish the voltage again, thereby reducing the time of switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source, which is conducive to improving the imaging quality.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an X-ray source exposure energy switching device is provided, such as Figure 1As shown, the X-ray source exposure energy switching device includes a main controller 101, a digital-to-analog converter 102, an analog controller 103, and a plurality of voltage output circuits 104. The first output end of the main controller 101 is connected to the input end of each voltage output circuit 104 via the digital-to-analog converter 102, the second output end of the main controller 101 is connected to the control end of each voltage output circuit 104, and the output end of each voltage output circuit 104 is connected to the analog controller 103.

[0047] Specifically, the main controller 101 controls the digital-to-analog converter 102 to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameters of each exposure energy are respectively loaded into different voltage output circuits 104. The main controller 101 controls each voltage output circuit 104 to be turned on separately to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller 103 switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

[0048] In some optional embodiments, when it is necessary to output voltage parameters corresponding to multiple exposure energies, the main controller 101 first determines the exposure energy level to be output according to system requirements or external input signals (for example, in medical imaging equipment, according to the imaging mode selected by the user), and the main controller 101 sends these exposure energy-related digital signals to the digital-to-analog converter 102. Then, the digital-to-analog converter 102 converts the received digital signals into analog voltage signals. For example, in an 8-bit DAC, if the input digital signal is "11111111", an analog voltage close to the reference voltage will be output; if the input digital signal is all "00000000", the output voltage is close to 0V. In this way, by changing the digital signal sent to the digital-to-analog converter 102 by the main controller 101, the DAC can be accurately controlled to output multiple different voltage parameters, thereby achieving the output of multiple exposure energies.

[0049] The X-ray source exposure energy switching device proposed in the embodiment of the present invention uses the main controller 101 to control the digital-to-analog converter 102 to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energies, and loads the voltage parameters to different voltage output circuits 104. Then, the main controller 101 controls each voltage output circuit 104 to be turned on separately, and switches the output voltage output to the analog controller 103, thereby realizing the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source. The digital-to-analog converter 102 only needs to spend time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter for the first time, and the main controller 101 subsequently switches the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding voltage output circuit 104 to realize the voltage switching, without the need for the digital-to-analog converter 102 to establish the voltage again, thereby reducing the time of switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source, which is conducive to improving the imaging quality.

[0050] In some optional embodiments, the plurality of voltage output circuits include at least a first voltage output circuit and a second voltage output circuit, wherein an interlocking circuit is formed between the first voltage output circuit and the second voltage output circuit, and when the first voltage output circuit is turned on, the second voltage output circuit is cut off; when the second voltage output circuit is turned on, the first voltage output circuit is cut off.

[0051] It should be noted that the multiple voltage output circuits may also include a third voltage output circuit, a fourth voltage output circuit, and an Nth voltage output circuit. When one of the voltage output circuits is turned on, the other voltage output circuits are cut off. In other words, an interlocking circuit is formed between the multiple voltage output circuits. The interlocking circuit is a circuit protection mechanism for ensuring that two or more voltage output circuits 104 cannot be turned on at the same time, so as to avoid multiple output voltages being output to the analog controller 103 at the same time.

[0052] In this embodiment, multiple voltage output circuits 104 are set as interlocking circuits. When one of the voltage output circuits is turned on, the other voltage output circuits are cut off. On the one hand, the X-ray source can only output rays of one exposure energy at the same time to prevent crosstalk; on the other hand, it can avoid multiple output voltages being output to the analog controller 103 at the same time, preventing circuit failure or damage, thereby protecting the circuit.

[0053] In some optional embodiments, the X-ray source exposure energy switching device further includes an XOR gate and a common switch, the first voltage output circuit includes a first switch, and the second voltage output circuit includes a second switch. The input end of the first switch and the input end of the second switch are respectively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, the control end of the first switch and the control end of the second switch are respectively connected to the second output end of the main controller, and the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch are respectively connected to the input end of the common switch.

[0054] In addition, the input end of the XOR gate is connected to the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch respectively, the output end of the XOR gate is connected to the input end of the common switch, and the output end of the common switch is connected to the analog controller.

[0055] It should be noted that the XOR gate has two inputs and one output, and its logical function is that when the two input signals are different, the output is valid; when the two input signals are the same, the output is invalid. The present invention uses an XOR gate to realize the interlocking operation between the first switch and the second switch. The turn-on signals of the first switch and the second switch are the two inputs of the XOR gate. Only when the first switch and the second switch are not turned on at the same time, the output of the XOR gate is valid, and the common switch will be turned on, ensuring that only one voltage is output to the analog controller at the same time, thereby protecting the circuit. If the first switch and the second switch are turned on at the same time, the output of the XOR gate is invalid, indicating that this situation is not allowed, and the common switch is cut off to prevent the voltage from being output to the analog controller.

[0056] Exemplarily, the common switch, the first switch and the second switch are triodes or field effect transistors, which can quickly complete on-off operations and quickly realize the conduction and cutoff of the voltage output circuit 104, thereby further reducing the switching time of the output voltage and improving processing efficiency.

[0057] In some optional implementations, the main controller 101 outputs a timing switching signal to the control end of each voltage output circuit 104 through the second output end, so as to control each voltage output circuit 104 to be turned on respectively.

[0058] Exemplarily, taking the device having a first voltage output circuit and a second voltage output circuit as an example, the timing switching signal can be a periodically changing pulse signal, and the first voltage output circuit is set to be turned on during the high level period of the pulse signal, and the second voltage output circuit is set to be turned on during the low level period, so that each voltage output circuit is controlled to be turned on in turn according to a certain timing relationship, thereby realizing voltage switching, eliminating the need for a digital-to-analog converter to re-establish the voltage, and reducing the voltage switching time.

[0059] In some optional embodiments, the timing switching signal includes multiple conduction signal values ​​arranged in sequence, and the conduction signal values ​​correspond one-to-one to the voltage output circuit; when the control end signal value of the target voltage output circuit is the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is turned on; when the control end signal value of the target voltage output circuit is not the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is cut off.

[0060] Exemplarily, the timing switching signal can be a gradient pulse signal (e.g., a conduction signal value with a gradient increase), each gradient corresponds to a conduction signal value, and each voltage output circuit corresponds to a different conduction signal value. When the control terminal signal value of the voltage output circuit itself is the conduction signal value, the voltage output circuit is turned on; if the control terminal signal value is less than or greater than the conduction signal value, the voltage output circuit is in a truncated state.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present invention, the main controller outputs a conduction signal value corresponding to each voltage output circuit to control the conduction of the corresponding voltage output circuit, while ensuring that other voltage output circuits are in a cutoff state. The output voltage of the voltage output circuit is switched by the timing output of different conduction signal values, without the need for the digital analog converter to re-establish the voltage, thereby reducing the voltage switching time.

[0062] In some optional embodiments, the analog controller is a high-voltage power supply analog control chip, which is used to switch the tube voltage of the X-ray source according to the switching of the output voltage to achieve exposure energy switching of the X-ray source.

[0063] It is important to understand that in equipment such as bone density multi-spectral CT, high-voltage power supplies can provide high voltage for X-ray tubes. X-ray tubes are key components for generating X-rays. The high voltage generated by the high-voltage power supply is applied between the two poles of the X-ray tube to accelerate electrons. When electrons are driven by high voltage and hit the anode target of the X-ray tube at high speed, energy conversion occurs, thereby generating X-rays.

[0064] The present invention utilizes a high-voltage power supply analog control chip to accurately control the tube voltage of an X-ray source to adjust the exposure energy of the X-ray source, thereby performing dual-energy exposure imaging and improving the quality of the formed image.

[0065] The X-ray source exposure energy switching device of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to a specific application example.

[0066] In this application example, the tube voltage closed loop of the X-ray source uses analog control to avoid the influence of the digital-to-analog converter DAC settling time, and adopts two or more switching controls for given exposure parameter references. Figure 2 As shown, the microcontroller MCU controls the digital-to-analog converter DAC chip to output two or more reference voltage parameters (VREF1, VREF2, VREF...), and the output voltage is switched through semiconductor devices such as metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors MOSFET and triodes, so as to respectively give different reference voltage parameters to the high-voltage power supply analog control chip, and the high-voltage power supply analog control chip performs fast closed-loop control of the output voltage according to the different reference voltage parameters. At the same time, in order to avoid the simultaneous input of voltage parameters of different exposure energies, the two or more output voltages given to the high-voltage power supply analog control chip can only be valid individually through the logic gate circuit, and cannot be valid at the same time.

[0067] like Figure 3As shown, the high-voltage power supply analog control chip drives the full-bridge inverter unit to convert the energy storage voltage provided by the power supply into an AC voltage, thereby adjusting the tube voltage of the X-ray source. In this way, the influence of the reference voltage given by the microcontroller MCU and the voltage establishment time of the DAC on the exposure energy switching time can be reduced.

[0068] The present invention can be applied to equipment such as bone density multi-spectrum CT, and effectively improves the switching speed of the X-ray source exposure energy through the combination of digital control and analog control. The tube voltage closed loop adopts analog control to reduce the complicated calculations required for the control of the tube voltage, avoid the large amount of consumption caused by the microcontroller MCU due to calculation, and thus save computing resources.

[0069] The present invention uses analog control to realize hardware closed loop, outputs multiple reference voltage parameters, and then switches the output voltage given to the high-voltage power supply analog control chip through hardware switching to switch the closed loop control, thereby reducing the microcontroller MCU operation time and the voltage establishment time of the digital analog converter DAC, and realizing fast switching of different exposure energies. In addition, the fast switching function of the circuit is realized through semiconductor devices (MOSFET, triode, etc.), and at the same time, the switching circuit adopts an interlocking circuit to realize the uniqueness of the voltage parameters output to the high-voltage power supply analog control chip, thereby ensuring safety and reliability.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment of a method for switching exposure energy of an X-ray source is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in an order different from that shown here.

[0071] In this embodiment, a method for switching exposure energy of an X-ray source is provided, which can be used as follows: Figure 1 The main controller 101 shown, Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for switching exposure energy of an X-ray source according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0072] In step S401 , a digital-to-analog converter is controlled to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameter of each exposure energy is loaded to a different voltage output circuit respectively.

[0073] Step S402, controlling each voltage output circuit to be turned on individually to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

[0074] For example, Figure 5As shown, the present invention can be applied to a multi-energy spectrum CT device for bone density. The dual-energy exposure parameters can be sent to the microcontroller MCU through instructions. After receiving the exposure parameters, the microcontroller MCU immediately controls the digital-to-analog converter DAC to output voltage parameters (i.e., reference voltage) of two or more exposure energies. When the filament preheating is completed, the microcontroller MCU follows the external input hardware switching signal to switch the exposure of two or more energies of high energy and low energy, and finally realizes that the multi-energy spectrum switching frequency of the bone density product can be increased by 5 times.

[0075] The X-ray source exposure energy switching method provided in this embodiment controls the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters corresponding to different exposure energies, and loads the voltage parameters to different voltage output circuits. Then, each voltage output circuit is controlled to be turned on separately, and the output voltage output to the analog controller is switched, thereby realizing the switching of the exposure energy of the X-ray source. The digital-to-analog converter only needs to spend time to establish the voltage when outputting the voltage parameter for the first time, and then the voltage switching can be realized by switching the conduction and cutoff of the corresponding voltage output circuit 104, without the need for the digital-to-analog converter to establish the voltage again, thereby reducing the time of switching the exposure energy of the X-ray source, which is conducive to improving the imaging quality.

[0076] The present invention also provides a main controller, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a main controller provided by an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 6 As shown, the main controller includes: one or more processors 10, a memory 20, and interfaces for connecting various components, including high-speed interfaces and low-speed interfaces. The various components are connected to each other using different buses for communication, and can be installed on a common mainboard or installed in other ways as needed. The processor can process instructions executed in the main controller, including instructions stored in or on the memory to display graphical information of the GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to the interface). In some optional embodiments, if necessary, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used together with multiple memories and multiple memories. Similarly, multiple devices can be connected, and each device provides some necessary operations (for example, as a server array, a group of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Figure 6 A processor 10 is taken as an example.

[0077] The processor 10 may be a central processing unit, a network processor or a combination thereof. The processor 10 may further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be a dedicated integrated circuit, a programmable logic device or a combination thereof. The programmable logic device may be a complex programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, a general purpose array logic or any combination thereof.

[0078] The memory 20 stores instructions executable by at least one processor 10, so that the at least one processor 10 executes the method shown in the above embodiment.

[0079] The memory 20 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required by at least one function; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the main controller, etc. In addition, the memory 20 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state storage device. In some optional embodiments, the memory 20 may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor 10, and these remote memories may be connected to the main controller via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0080] The memory 20 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory; the memory may also include a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory, a hard disk or a solid state drive; the memory 20 may also include a combination of the above types of memory.

[0081] The main controller also includes a communication interface 30 for the main controller to communicate with other devices or a communication network.

[0082] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The method according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or can be implemented as a computer code that can be recorded in a storage medium, or can be implemented as a computer code that is originally stored in a remote storage medium or a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium and will be stored in a local storage medium through a network download, so that the method described herein can be stored in such software processing on a storage medium using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware. Among them, the storage medium can be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only storage memory, a random access memory, a flash memory, a hard disk or a solid-state hard disk, etc.; further, the storage medium can also include a combination of the above types of memories. It can be understood that a computer, a processor, a microprocessor controller, or programmable hardware includes a storage component that can store or receive software or computer code. When the software or computer code is accessed and executed by a computer, a processor, or hardware, the method shown in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0083] A part of the present invention may be applied as a computer program product, such as a computer program instruction, which, when executed by a computer, can call or provide the method and / or technical solution according to the present invention through the operation of the computer. Those skilled in the art should understand that the existence of the computer program instruction in a computer-readable medium includes, but is not limited to, a source file, an executable file, an installation package file, etc., and accordingly, the way in which the computer program instruction is executed by the computer includes, but is not limited to: the computer directly executes the instruction, or the computer compiles the instruction and then executes the corresponding compiled program, or the computer reads and executes the instruction, or the computer reads and installs the instruction and then executes the corresponding installed program. Here, the computer-readable medium may be any available computer-readable storage medium or communication medium accessible to the computer.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations are all within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An X-ray source exposure energy switching device, characterized in that: The device comprises a main controller, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog controller and a plurality of voltage output circuits, wherein a first output end of the main controller is respectively connected to an input end of each voltage output circuit via the digital-to-analog converter, a second output end of the main controller is respectively connected to a control end of each voltage output circuit, and an output end of each voltage output circuit is respectively connected to the analog controller; The main controller controls the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameter of each exposure energy is loaded to different voltage output circuits respectively; The main controller controls each voltage output circuit to be turned on individually to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The plurality of voltage output circuits include at least a first voltage output circuit and a second voltage output circuit; An interlocking circuit is formed between the first voltage output circuit and the second voltage output circuit. When the first voltage output circuit is turned on, the second voltage output circuit is turned off; when the second voltage output circuit is turned on, the first voltage output circuit is turned off.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The device further comprises an XOR gate and a common switch, the first voltage output circuit comprises a first switch, and the second voltage output circuit comprises a second switch; The input end of the first switch and the input end of the second switch are respectively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, the control end of the first switch and the control end of the second switch are respectively connected to the second output end of the main controller, and the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch are respectively connected to the input end of the common switch; The input end of the XOR gate is connected to the output end of the first switch and the output end of the second switch respectively, the output end of the XOR gate is connected to the input end of the common switch, and the output end of the common switch is connected to the analog controller.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that The common switch, the first switch and the second switch are triodes or field effect transistors.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The main controller outputs a timing switching signal to the control end of each voltage output circuit through the second output end, so as to control each voltage output circuit to be turned on respectively.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The timing switching signal includes a plurality of conduction signal values ​​arranged in sequence, and the conduction signal values ​​correspond to the voltage output circuits one by one; When the control terminal signal value of the target voltage output circuit is the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is turned on; when the control terminal signal value of the target voltage output circuit is not the target conduction signal value, the target voltage output circuit is cut off.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The analog controller is a high voltage power supply analog control chip; The high voltage power supply analog control chip is used to switch the tube voltage of the X-ray source according to the switching of the output voltage to achieve the exposure energy switching of the X-ray source.

8. A method for switching exposure energy of an X-ray source, characterized in that: A main controller applied to an X-ray source exposure energy switching device, the device also includes a digital-to-analog converter, an analog controller and a plurality of voltage output circuits, the first output end of the main controller is respectively connected to the input end of each voltage output circuit via the digital-to-analog converter, the second output end of the main controller is respectively connected to the control end of each voltage output circuit, and the output end of each voltage output circuit is respectively connected to the analog controller; the method includes: Controlling the digital-to-analog converter to output voltage parameters of multiple exposure energies, wherein the voltage parameter of each exposure energy is loaded into different voltage output circuits respectively; Each voltage output circuit is controlled to be turned on individually to realize the switching of the output voltage, so that the analog controller switches the exposure energy of the X-ray source based on the switching of the output voltage.

9. A main controller, characterized in that: include: A memory and a processor, wherein the memory and the processor are communicatively connected to each other, the memory stores computer instructions, and the processor executes the X-ray source exposure energy switching method according to claim 8 by executing the computer instructions.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a computer to execute the X-ray source exposure energy switching method described in claim 8.

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