Imaging Tabletop Deflection Delta Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cantilevered tabletops in imaging systems deflect under weight, causing height variations that introduce step artifacts and degrade image spatial resolution, and existing solutions like stiffening the tabletop or using auxiliary catchers increase costs or system complexity.
Innovation Solution
A deflection delta predictor estimates the weight of a subject or object to predict and correct for tabletop deflection, adjusting the vertical height and image registration to maintain consistent image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the tabletop is stiffened to reduce deflection, then deflection is reduced, but costs and tabletop thickness increase, which changes the attenuation profile and degrades image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter being controlled from physical stiffness to computational correction. Instead of modifying the tabletop's physical properties (which increases cost and thickness), the system measures the actual deflection and applies computational corrections to the imaging data, achieving the same stability goal through parameter transformation from mechanical to digital domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical solution (stiffening the tabletop) with a computational approach. The deflection measurement system and correction algorithms substitute for mechanical reinforcement, eliminating the need for thicker, more expensive tabletop structures while achieving equivalent or superior stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If an auxiliary catcher is used to prevent tabletop deflection, then deflection is reduced, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the deflection compensation function from the mechanical support structure and relocates it to the computational processing domain. By separating the measurement function (sensors) from the correction function (algorithms), the system eliminates the need for mechanical catchers while achieving the same stabilizing effect through data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces measurement sensors as intermediaries between the tabletop and the correction system. These sensors provide real-time deflection data that mediates the correction process, allowing the system to respond to actual deflection conditions without requiring complex mechanical intervention devices.
3Measurement precision
If optics are used to estimate deflection, then deflection measurement is achieved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the tabletop support system self-measuring through integrated sensors that directly monitor deflection at the source. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external optical measurement systems, as the structure itself provides the measurement capability through embedded sensors that detect its own deflection state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces optical measurement systems with a computational sensing approach. Instead of using optical transmitters and receivers to infer deflection, the system uses direct mechanical/electrical sensors that measure deflection physically and convert it to electrical signals for computational processing, simplifying the measurement subsystem.
Data Source
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AI summary
An imaging system (500) includes a first scanner (502) with a first examination region (504) and a subject support (506). The subject support includes a tabletop (620) that positions a subject or object at at least two different positions in the examination region. A deflection of the tabletop is different at the at least two different positions. The subject support further includes a base (508) that positions the tabletop vertically in the examination region. A deflection delta predictor (522) predicts a deflection delta of the tabletop between the at least two different positions. The predicted deflection delta is used to correct for the deflection delta.