43 results about "K-edge" patented technology

A dual-energy x-ray imaging system searches a moving automobile for concealed objects. Dual energy operation is achieved by operating an x-ray source at a constant potential of 100 KV to 150 KV, and alternately switching between two beam filters. The first filter is an atomic element having a high k-edge energy, such as platinum, gold, mercury, thallium, lead, bismuth, and thorium, thereby providing a low-energy spectrum. The second filter provides a high-energy spectrum through beam hardening. The low and high energy beams passing through the automobile are received by an x-ray detector. These detected signals are processed by a digital computer to create a steel suppressed image through logarithmic subtraction. The intensity of the x-ray beam is adjusted as the reciprocal of the measured automobile speed, thereby achieving a consistent radiation level regardless of the automobile motion. Accordingly, this invention provides images of organic objects concealed within moving automobiles without the detritus effects of overlying steel and automobile movement.

In embodiments of the invention, a radiosensitizer or other agent is relatively uniformly accumulated in the cells of a tumor. An external monochromatic x-ray beam, which is tuned to a predetermined energy level associated with k-edge effects in the agent, is then directed to the tumor. The monochromatic x-ray beam activates the release of additional localized radiation from the agent. The additional radiation destroys the DNA of at least some tumor cells, making those tumor cells incapable of reproduction and repair. In embodiments of the invention, a single monochromatic x-ray beam source is used for both imaging and radiotherapy.

The methods proposed comprise detection of gadolinium presence in tissues and organs of human body, utilized in refining the position of malignant neoplasm and radiation treatment of said neoplasm with the purpose of damaging its cells. In order to determine the refined position of the malignant neoplasm discovered in the result of preceding diagnostics, scanning is performed of part (7) of patient body (5) in which said neoplasm is located, after introduction of gadolinium into the patient body. The scanning is performed by displacement of zone (4) of radiation concentration created by intersection of several X-ray beams having radiation energy corresponding to K-edge of gadolinium atoms absorption. The refined information is acquired using detectors (6) sensitive to Kalpha-radiation of gadolinium atoms, to which secondary radiation is transported arising in zone (4) of concentration. Then scanning is performed of region of the malignant neoplasm location utilizing the same means as in the first stage. At that, sources (1) of X-ray radiation are switched with control means (9) into elevated intensity mode, sufficient for radiation damage of the malignant neoplasm tissues. To transfer radiation from the sources into zone of concentration, and secondary radiation-to the detectors, different combinations are used of collimators, X-ray lenses (2, 3) and half-lenses, constituting together with sources and detectors a roentgenooptical system (8).

A diagnostic imaging system in an example comprises a high frequency electromagnetic energy source, a detector, a data acquisition system (DAS), and a computer. The high frequency electromagnetic energy source emits a beam of high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged and be resolved by the system. The detector receives high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the high frequency electromagnetic energy source. The DAS is operably connected to the detector. The computer is operably connected to the DAS and programmed to employ an inversion table or function to convert N+2 measured projections at different incident spectra into material specific integrals for N+2 materials that comprise two non K-edge basis materials and N K-edge contrast agents. N comprises an integer greater than or equal to 1.

The invention relates to a CT imaging system for determining the flow of a substance within an object, wherein the CT imaging system comprises a polychromatic X-ray source and an energy-resolving X-ray detector for obtaining detection signals depending on the X-ray radiation after passing through the object. A calculation unit (12) determines a k-edge 5 component of the substance from the detection signals, and a reconstruction unit (13) reconstructs a time series of k-edge image from the determined k-edge component. A flow determination unit (14) determines flow values indicative for the flow within the object from the time series of k-edge images.

The present invention relates to an imaging system for imaging an object (20) comprising a polychromatic radiation source (2) and an energy resolving radiation detector (6). The imaging system comprises further a driving device for moving the object (20) and the radiation source (2) relatively to each other, in order to acquire truncated projections from different directions. A calculation unit determines a k-edge component at least of one of the object (20) and a substance within the object (20) from the truncated projections and determines non-truncated projections from the determined k-edge component. A reconstruction unit constructs the object using the non-truncated projections.

The invention discloses an optimized K-edge imaging method. According to the method, imaging is performed at front and rear X-ray energy sections of K-edge to improve the known material imaging contrast. The widths of the front and rear X-ray energy sections of the K-edge determine the contrast and the noise level of two energy spectrum CT (Computed Tomography) images; aiming at the problem of way of setting the widths of the front and rear X-ray energy sections of the K-edge, a signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) is introduced as an optimization criterion; under the constraint of the optimization criterion, the width of the optimal X-ray energy section is selected, and then K-edge imaging is performed. According to the imaging method, the greatest contrast difference can be obtained while the miniaturization of noise of two reconstructed energy spectrum CT image interesting regions is guaranteed, so that the purpose of improving the known material imaging contrast is achieved. The method can be used for the field of biomedical CT imaging.

The present invention relates to a medical X-ray examination apparatus and method for performing k-edge imaging of an object of interest including material showing k-edge absorption. To allow the use of conventional detector technology, which does not suffer from the limitation to provide very high k-rate capabilities a method is proposed comprising the steps of:emitting polychromatic X-ray radiation (4; 4a, 4b),Bragg filtering said polychromatic X-ray radiation by a Bragg filter such that radiation (16) transmitted through said Bragg filter (14; 14a, 14b) passes through said object (5),detecting X-ray radiation after passing through said object (5),acquiring projection data at at least two different Bragg reflection angles of said Bragg filter (14; 14a, 14b), andreconstructing a k-edge image from the acquired projection data.

The invention relates to a medical X-ray examination apparatus (1) for performing K-edge imaging. The medical X-ray examination apparatus (1) comprises an imaging unit (21), which is configured to spectrally decompose an X-ray absorption spectrum to image the X-ray absorption spectrum as a conventional X-ray absorption image (23a) and a K-edge absorption image (23b). The conventional X-ray absorption image (23a) includes data elements representing the anatomical background of an object of interest. The K-edge absorption image (23b) includes data elements representing quantitative information of local densities of material showing K-edge absorption within the object of interest. The imaging unit (21) comprises a spatial resolution reducer for reducing the spatial resolution of the K-edge absorption image, so that with a medical X-ray examination apparatus according to the invention an increased sensitivity of the selective imaging of a K-edge absorption image is achieved as compared to the sensitivity of the selective imaging of a K-edge absorption image of a known medical X-ray examination apparatus.

The present invention relates to a medical X-ray examination apparatus and method for performing k-edge imaging of an object of interest including material showing k-edge absorption. To allow the use of conventional detector technology, which does not suffer from the limitation to provide very high k-rate capabilities a method is proposed comprising the steps of: —emitting polychromatic X-ray radiation (4; 4a, 4b), —Bragg filtering said polychromatic X-ray radiation by a Bragg filter such that radiation (16) transmitted through said Bragg filter (14; 14a, 14b) passes through said object (5), —detecting X-ray radiation after passing through said object (5), —acquiring projection data at at least two different Bragg reflection angles of said Bragg filter (14; 14a, 14b), and —reconstructing a k-edge image from the acquired projection data.

The invention relates to a method and a device for determining the distribution of an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) marker (16) in a body volume (14). The body volume (14) is irradiated with a beam of rays (12) from an X-ray source (10) with a first ray component with a quantum energy just above and a second ray component with a quantum energy just below the K-edge of the XRF marker (16). Secondary radiation emitted from the body volume (14) is detected in a location-resolved way by a detector (30). To separate the X-ray fluorescence components in the secondary radiation from background radiation, the body volume is irradiated for a second time with a beam of rays from which the first ray component has been substantially removed by a filter (22) made from the material of the XRF marker.

The present invention relates to an imaging system for imaging an object (20) comprising a polychromatic radiation source (2) and an energy resolving radiation detector (6). The imaging system comprises further a driving device for moving the object (20) and the radiation source (2) relatively to each other, in order to acquire truncated projections from different directions. A calculation unit determines a k-edge component at least of one of the object (20) and a substance within the object (20) from the truncated projections and determines non-truncated projections from the determined k-edge component. A reconstruction unit constructs the object using the non-truncated projections.

The present invention provides a transmission type X-ray tube and a reflection type X-ray tube. The transmission type X-ray tube comprises a target and a filter material. The target has at least one element which produces X-rays as being excited. The X-rays comprise characteristic Kα and Kβ emission energies of the element for producing images of an object impinged by the X-rays. The filter material through which the X-rays pass has a k-edge absorption energy that is higher than the Kα emission energies and is lower than the Kβ emission energies. The thickness of the filter material is at least 10 microns and less than 3 millimeters.

A piezoelectric ceramic that contains an alkali niobate compound as its main ingredient. The alkali niobate compound has a perovskite crystal structure represented by AmBO3 and contains an alkali metal. There exists Sn in part of site A, and Zr in part of site B. A radial distribution function obtained from a K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum of Sn has a first peak intensity P1 at a first distance from a Sn atom and a second peak intensity P2 at a second distance from the Sn atom. The second distance is greater than the first distance, and the peak intensity ratio P1 / P2 is 2.7 or less.

The invention relates to a CT imaging system for determining the flow of a substance within an object, wherein the CT imaging system comprises a polychromatic X-ray source and an energy-resolving X-ray detector for obtaining detection signals depending on the X-ray radiation after passing through the object. A calculation unit (12) determines a k-edge 5 component of the substance from the detection signals, and a reconstruction unit (13) reconstructs a time series of k-edge image from the determined k-edge component. A flow determination unit (14) determines flow values indicative for the flow within the object from the time series of k-edge images.

The invention relates to the technical field of imaging, and provides a K-edge imaging method. The K-edge imaging method comprises the steps of acquiring the energy resolution of a detector, and determining a Gaussian convolution kernel according to the energy resolution; obtaining a theoretical attenuation coefficient curve; obtaining a first smooth attenuation coefficient curve according to theGaussian convolution kernel and the theoretical attenuation coefficient curve; obtaining a second smooth attenuation coefficient curve according to the first smooth attenuation coefficient curve in combination with spectral information in an energy window; and selecting positions of the energy window according to the second smooth attenuation coefficient curve. When the position of the energy window is selected, the influences of the energy resolution of the detector and the spectral information in the energy window are considered, and the positions of the energy window with the maximum attenuation coefficient difference can be well selected under different energy window width requirements, so that subtraction imaging is carried out by using the difference of K-absorption edge as much as possible, and the optimal image quality is obtained.

The methods comprise detection of gadolinium in human tissues and organs by refining the position of malignant neoplasm and radiation treatment of the neoplasm in order to damage its cells. Refined position of the malignant neoplasm is determined by introducing gadolinium into the patient body and scanning part of the patient body in which the neoplasm is located. The scanning is performed by displacement of zone of radiation concentration created by intersection of several X-ray beams having radiation energy corresponding to K-edge of gadolinium atoms absorption. The refined information is acquired using detectors sensitive to Kα-radiation of gadolinium atoms, to which secondary radiation is transported arising in zone of concentration. Scanning is performed of the region of the malignant neoplasm location utilizing the same means as in the first stage. Sources of X-ray radiation are switched with control means into elevated intensity mode, sufficient for radiation damage of the malignant neoplasm tissues.

The invention relates to a medical X-ray examination apparatus (1) for performing K-edge imaging. The medical X-ray examination apparatus (1) comprises an imaging unit (21), which is configured to spectrally decompose an X-ray absorption spectrum to image the X-ray absorption spectrum as a conventional X-ray absorption image (23a) and a K-edge absorption image (23b). The conventional X-ray absorption image (23a) includes data elements representing the anatomical background of an object of interest. The K-edge absorption image (23b) includes data elements representing quantitative information of local densities of material showing K-edge absorption within the object of interest. The imaging unit (21) comprises a spatial resolution reducer for reducing the spatial resolution of the K-edge absorption image, so that with a medical X-ray examination apparatus according to the invention an increased sensitivity of the selective imaging of a K-edge absorption image is achieved as compared to the sensitivity of the selective imaging of a K-edge absorption image of a known medical X-ray examination apparatus.