89 results about "Anti-scatter grid" patented technology

A mammography system using a tissue exposure control relying on estimates of the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast and of breast density to automatically derive one or more technic factors. The system further uses a tomosynthesis arrangement that maintains the focus of an anti-scatter grid on the x-ray source and also maintains the field of view of the x-ray receptor. Finally, the system finds an outline that forms a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast in the image, and uses for further processing, transmission or archival storage the data within said reduced field of view.

Grids and collimators, for use with electromagnetic energy emitting devices, include at least a metal layer that is formed, for example, by electroplating / electroforming or casting. The metal layer includes top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of solid integrated walls. Each of the solid integrated walls extends from the top to bottom surface and has a plurality of side surfaces. The side surfaces of the solid integrated walls are arranged to define a plurality of openings extending entirely through the layer. At least some of the walls also can include projections extending into the respective openings formed by the walls. The projections can be of various shapes and sizes, and are arranged so that a total amount of wall material intersected by a line propagating in a direction along an edge of the grid is substantially the same as another total amount of wall material intersected by another line propagating in another direction substantially parallel to the edge of the grid at any distance from the edge. Methods to fabricate these grids using copper, lead, nickel, gold, any other electroplating / electroforming materials or low melting temperature metals are described.

A mammographic imaging system is optimized for use with a single fixed size flat panel digital image receptor. It accommodates compression devices (paddles) of varying sizes, and positions them properly in the field of view of the image receptor. When a compression paddle with size smaller than the field of view of the image receptor is used, the compression paddle can be shifted laterally in the direction parallel to the chest wall, so as to facilitate different views of different size breasts, and permit the image receptor to image as much of the desired tissue as possible. An automatic x-ray collimator restricts the x-ray illumination of the breast in accordance with compression paddle size and location in the field of view. An anti-scatter grid, mounted inside the image receptor enclosure, just below the top cover of the enclosure, can be retracted out of the field of view of the image receptor for use in magnification imaging.

A radiation detector (30) for a computed tomography scanner (12) includes a support structure (62). An alignment board (60) secures to the support structure (62) and includes photolithographically defined alignment openings (70) arranged to define a spatial focal point (34) relative to the alignment board (60). An anti-scatter element (32) is disposed on the support element (62) and includes one or more protrusions (86) which mate with the alignment openings (70) of the alignment board (60) to align the anti-scatter element (32) with the spatial focal point (34). A detector board (104) includes alignment structures (106) that align the detector board (104) with the anti-scatter element (32).

Grids and collimators, for use with electromagnetic energy emitting devices, include at least a metal layer that is formed, for example, by electroplating / electroforming or casting. The metal layer includes top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of solid integrated walls. Each of the solid integrated walls extends from the top to bottom surface and has a plurality of side surfaces. The side surfaces of the solid integrated walls are arranged to define a plurality of openings extending entirely through the layer. At least some of the walls also can include projections extending into the respective openings formed by the walls. The projections can be of various shapes and sizes, and are arranged so that a total amount of wall material intersected by a line propagating in a direction along an edge of the grid is substantially the same as another total amount of wall material intersected by another line propagating in another direction substantially parallel to the edge of the grid at any distance from the edge. Methods to fabricate these grids using copper, lead, nickel, gold, any other electroplating / electroforming materials, metal composites or low melting temperature metals are described.

Methods to fabricate high aspect ratio powder composite microstructures is provided by filling a molding composition containing a powdered material and a binder into a patterned mold, and releasing the cured composite microstructures from the mold. An alternate method is by filling a mix of powdered dense metals and low-melt alloys into a patterned mold, and releasing the melted and solidified composite microstructures from the mold. The mold is derived from lithographically defined parent mold. One example of the application is in the field of x-ray anti-scatter grids and nuclear collimators.

It is described a portable X-ray system (200), which has sensing means for detecting whether an anti scatter grid (230) is attached to a portable detector (240) or not. The system is able to automatically change the default exposure settings (265a, 265b, 265c, 265d), when a grid (230) is removed or attached to the portable detector (240). Thus, the risk of an under- or an over-exposure of the image will be reduced.

Methods and apparatuses for advanced, multiple-projection, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning systems include combinations of a conical collimator; a high-resolution two-dimensional detector; a portable, power-capped, variable-exposure-time power supply; an exposure-time control element; calibration monitoring; a three-dimensional anti-scatter-grid; and a gantry-gantry base assembly that permits up to seven projection angles for overlapping beams. Such systems are capable of high precision bone structure measurements that can support three dimensional bone modeling and derivations of bone strength, risk of injury, and efficacy of countermeasures among other properties.

A method for correcting image artifacts is proposed. The artifacts occur as a result of an anti scatter grid connected rigidly to an x-ray detector in recording three-dimensional image datasets. Two-dimensional projection images of an object are recorded from different recording geometries for reconstruction the three-dimensional image dataset. A calibration image is recorded for each recording geometry. An average image from all recorded calibration images is established. Subtraction images are established by subtracting the average image from the corresponding calibration images. Noise is removed from the subtraction images. The subtraction images and the average image are stored. A correction image is established for each recording geometry by addition of the subtraction image assigned to the recording geometry and of the average image and is used for correcting the projection image.

A method of determining disturbing signal frequencies in a signal representation of radiation image originating from the presence of an anti-scatter grid during image acquisition, the signal representation being generated by an image read out and digitizing process, whereby the digitizing of an image of a simulated anti-scatter grid is simulated and the signal resulting from this simulation is evaluated to determine the disturbing frequencies.

A method, system, and apparatus including an x-ray detector unit that includes an anti-scatter grid free of at least one of a top cover and a bottom cover, a flat panel x-ray detector having an x-ray conversion layer, and an integrated anti-scatter grid assembly configured to provide structural support to the anti-scatter grid and to provide mechanical protection to the flat panel x-ray detector. The anti-scatter grid is configured to absorb a plurality of scattered x-rays impinging on the anti-scatter grid while substantially allowing un-scattered x-rays to pass through the anti-scatter grid. The x-ray conversion layer is configured to convert an x-ray into visible light or an electronic signal. The flat panel x-ray detector is fixed relative to the anti-scatter grid such that the anti-scatter grid remains stationary relative to the flat panel x-ray detector during operation of the x-ray detector.

The invention relates to an Anti-Scatter-Grid (1) that consists of carrier walls (10) and, transversal thereto, partition walls (20). Noses (22) of the partition walls (20) are inserted into holes (11) of the carrier walls (10) and fixed thereto by laser welding. The noses (22) preferably project from the backside of the carrier walls in order to facilitate welding and alignment. Moreover, various tools are proposed that assist the accurate assembling of the Anti-Scatter-Grid.

An anti-scatter grid (5) for an X-ray device, comprising a plurality of lead lamellae (51) focussed downward and a fixed grid- focus distance (202) and having a filler material (52) therebetween. The width of the lamellae (51) at the edges of the grid (5) is less than that at the centre of the grid (5), and / or the width of the filler material portions (52) is greater at the edges than at the centre of the grid (5). Thus, when the source-to-image distance (SID, 203) varies relative to the grid-focus distance (202), the transmission of the primary radiation beam at the edges of the grid (5) is not adversely affected.

A method of determining disturbing signal frequencies in a signal representation of radiation image originating from the presence of an anti-scatter grid during image acquisition, the signal representation being generated by an image read out and digitizing process, whereby the digitizing of an image of a simulated anti-scatter grid is simulated and the signal resulting from this simulation is evaluated to determine the disturbing frequencies.

A method for manufacturing an anti-scatter grid including arranging a plurality of elongated metal ribbons of radio-opaque material so that each ribbon is substantially straight and lies in a plane that passes through a focal point of the grid, and placing the elongated ribbons under tension. A first sheet of radioluscent material is secured to top edges of the ribbons, and a second sheet of radioluscent material is secured to bottom edges of the ribbons. The ribbons are arranged such that the first and second radioluscent sheets are substantially parallel. Then the tension is removed from the ribbons.

The invention provides an X-ray anti-scatter grid lattice structure, which comprises an anti-scatter grid lattice array module group, a left support seat and a right support seat, wherein the anti-scatter grid lattice array module group comprises a plurality of anti-scatter grid lattice modules, each anti-scatter grid lattice module comprises an anti-scatter grid lattice thin plate and separation strips, the middle separation strips are respectively arranged at the two ends of the anti-scatter grid lattice thin plate, the left support seat is provided with a plurality of left support seat micro grooves, the right support seat is provided with a plurality of right support seat micro grooves, and the two ends of the anti-scatter grid lattice thin plate provided with the separation strips are respectively matched in the left support seat micro grooves and the right support seat micro grooves. According to the X-ray anti-scatter grid lattice structure, the left support seat micro grooves and the right support seat micro grooves can be manufactured by adopting a conventional processing process, and meanwhile, the separation strips are also made by adopting the conventional processing process, so the requirements of the position precision of the anti-scatter grid lattice structure and the like are met, and meanwhile, the manufacturing cost and the manufacturing difficulty of the anti-scatter grid lattice structure are also greatly reduced.

A process for deploying an anti-scattering grid in a mammograph is provided. The mammograph comprises a radiation source configured to emit radiation for taking mammographic images of a patient, a radiation detector comprising a network of sensors arranged periodically with a first pitch, and an anti-scattering grid arranged between the source and the detector, the anti-scattering grid comprising radiation adsorbing strips arranged parallel to each other and distributed periodically with a second pitch. The process comprises: displacing the anti-scattering grid relative to the detector or displacing the detector relative to the anti-scattering grid during emission of radiation; adapting the second pitch to the first pitch, wherein displacement is perpendicular to the direction of the strips of the anti-scattering grid, the strips being arranged parallel to a side of the anti-scattering grid positioned against the patient, and altering the positions of the return points between successive periods of the displacement motion.

The present invention relates to acquisition of medical image information of an object. In order to provide a user-friendly alignment of X-ray tube (18) and a detector (24), optionally combined with an anti-scatter grid, an alignment arrangement (200) is proposed, which comprises a tube attachment (26) with a first light projection device (28) and a detector attachment (34) with a second light projection device (36). The first and second light projection devices each generate a light pattern (30, 38) on a projection surface (32). The tube attachment (26) and the detector attachment (34) can be brought into a correct spatial arrangement relative to each other by bringing the first light pattern in a predetermined spatial relation with the second light pattern (38) on the projection surface.

An anti-scatter grid for medical x-ray devices is provided. The anti-scatter grid comprising a number of first elements from a first material with second elements made from a second material integrated therein. In this case the first material is more transparent to radiation than the second material. The second elements are arranged in the first elements such that for stacking of the first elements a grid absorbing scattered radiation is formed by means of second elements for radiation arriving perpendicular to the direction of the stacking of the first elements. The advantage of this is that this anti-scatter grid is able to be produced simply and reliably with a large aspect ratio.

A method, system, and apparatus including an x-ray detector unit that includes an anti-scatter grid free of at least one of a top cover and a bottom cover, a flat panel x-ray detector having an x-ray conversion layer, and an integrated anti-scatter grid assembly configured to provide structural support to the anti-scatter grid and to provide mechanical protection to the flat panel x-ray detector. The anti-scatter grid is configured to absorb a plurality of scattered x-rays impinging on the anti-scatter grid while substantially allowing un-scattered x-rays to pass through the anti-scatter grid. The x-ray conversion layer is configured to convert an x-ray into visible light or an electronic signal. The flat panel x-ray detector is fixed relative to the anti-scatter grid such that the anti-scatter grid remains stationary relative to the flat panel x-ray detector during operation of the x-ray detector.

A system and method for determining the location of an x-ray source of an x-ray machine and adjusting grid lines in an anti-scatter grid are disclosed. An ideal beam path is obtained and is used to adjust grid lines in the anti-scatter grid. In one embodiment, the invention uses a source locator to locate the x-ray source, communicate this location to the said adjustable anti-scatter grid which could align the grid lines mechanically, by means of servos attached to the grid lines, to the ideal x-ray beam path. In other embodiment electrical currents are used to align grid lines with the beam source. By aligning the grid lines with the beam path, images with increased contrast and reduced noise can be produced.

A grid assembly for use with an imaging cassette, for example, a computed radiography cassette, particularly an elongated radiography cassette. The grid assembly includes: an anti-scatter grid; a radiographically translucent enclosure housing the anti-scatter grid and having two ends; a transport member disposed proximate a first end of the enclosure; at least one roller disposed proximate a second end of the enclosure; and a receiving member attached to the enclosure and adapted to removably receive and secure the imaging cassette.

An X-ray detector (2) is disclosed, in particular for a medical imaging device (2, 4). The X-ray detector includes an anti-scatter grid (6) made up of walls (4), a measuring layer (8) including a regular arrangement of measuring cells (10), and an evaluation unit (12). The anti-scatter grid (6) covers the measuring layer (8) and is aligned toward a specific focal point (18). The evaluation unit (12) is configured to determine a focal position (20) of an X-ray source (4) relative to the focal point (18) based on a local intensity difference of X-rays striking the measuring layer (8).