Patent Application
20140093039
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0108932, filed on Sep. 28, 2012 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation detection, radiography imaging and image reconstruction system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A radiography imaging apparatus irradiates a target object with radiation and analyzes radiation having passed through the target object to examine an internal structure of the target object. Permeability differs according to tissues constituting the target object, and thus, the internal structure of the target object may have an attenuation coefficient representing permeability as a numeric value. A radiography imaging apparatus may comprise a radiography imaging apparatus transmitting X-ray radiation using a rotatable C-arm, for example, having a radiation detector and emitter located at opposite ends of the C-arm rotatable around a patient or may comprise a relatively complex computed tomography (CT) scanning apparatus for omni-directional transmission of X-ray radiation around the patient. The systems reconstruct an image using a computer. The CT apparatus may be referred to as a computer tomography apparatus, a computerized tomography apparatus, or the like.
A radiation detection unit of the CT apparatus is configured in such a way that a plurality of detection modules is arranged in array form and are connected to a back plane (BP) board to collect data through a cable to transmit X-ray data, for example. Multiple (e.g. tens of) detection modules may be included in a radiation detection unit so that when each detection module is connected to the BP board through a cable, the size of the X-ray detection unit may be increased and contact error between cables may occur due to the structure of densely arranged detection modules. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and related problems.
A system according to invention principles provides a radiography imaging system having a plurality of detection modules sequentially transmitting data where individual detection modules communicate with a back plane (BP) board in a wireless manner advantageously reducing the size of a radiation detection unit and preventing connector contact error.
A radiography imaging apparatus comprises a radiation source to generate radiation for irradiation of a patient. A radiation detection unit comprises a plurality of detection modules to detect radiation having passed through the patient and to convert the radiation into an electrical signal and to convert the electrical signal into a digital signal to provide digital data. A data collection unit collects the digital data from the plurality of detection modules for use in generation of a radiography image of the patient, wherein each of the plurality of detection modules transmits the digital data to a neighboring detection module, and at least one of the plurality of detection modules transmits cumulative digital data acquired from the plurality of detection modules to the data collection unit.
In a feature of the invention each of the plurality of detection modules transmits the digital data to a neighboring adjacent detection module and the radiation source and the radiation detection unit are installed in a gantry rotated about the patient. The data collection unit is formed on a back plane (BP) board of a frame with the plurality of detection modules installed thereon and each of the plurality of detection modules transmits the digital data to a neighboring detection module in a single direction using a wired communication method. In one embodiment the wired communication method is performed through a cable installed in a frame with the plurality of detection modules installed therein. A last detection module, receiving digital data, transmits the received digital data and digital data acquired by the last detection module, comprising the cumulative digital data, to the data collection unit using a wired communication method.
In another embodiment, the detection modules transmit the digital data to a neighboring adjacent detection module in a single direction using a wireless communication method. A last detection module, receiving digital data, transmits the received digital data and digital data acquired by the last detection module, comprising the cumulative digital data, to the data collection unit using a wireless communication method. The wireless communication method uses at least one of, Zigbee, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), radio frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth, and near field communication (NFC). Further, the plurality of detection modules receives power through a power cable installed in the frame.
In another feature of the invention, a plurality of detection modules detect radiation having passed through a patient, convert the radiation into an electrical signal and convert the electrical signal into a digital signal to provide digital data. The data collection unit collects the digital data from the plurality of detection modules for use in generation of a radiography image of the patient. Each of the plurality of detection modules transmits the digital data to a neighboring adjacent detection module, and at least one of the plurality of detection modules transmits cumulative digital data acquired from the plurality of detection modules to the data collection unit.
In a further feature of the invention, a radiography imaging apparatus comprises a radiation source to generate radiation for irradiation of a patient. A radiation detection unit comprises a plurality of detection modules to detect radiation having passed through the patient to convert the radiation into an electrical signal and to convert the electrical signal into a digital signal to provide digital data. A data collection unit collects the digital data from the plurality of detection modules for use in generation of a radiography image of the patient wherein each of the plurality of detection modules transmits the digital data, to provide cumulative digital data acquired from the plurality of detection modules, to the data collection unit using a wireless communication method.
In yet another feature of the invention, a method of controlling a radiography imaging apparatus comprising a plurality of detection modules to detect radiation and a data collection unit to receive data from the plurality of detection modules, comprises irradiating a patient with radiation. The method uses a plurality of detection modules to detect radiation having passed through the patient, converts the detected radiation into an electrical signal and converts the electrical signal into a digital signal to provide digital data. The method transmits the digital data between neighboring adjacent detection modules of a plurality of detection modules, in a single direction and transmits cumulative digital data acquired from the plurality of detection modules to a data collection unit.
These and/or other aspects of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Hereinafter, a radiography imaging apparatus is described in detail with regard to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Radiation is a combination of energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves, which is emitted when an unstable radiation nuclide is converted into a more stable nuclide. A representative example of such radiation may include infrared rays and visible rays as well as X-rays, ultrasound waves, alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, and neutron rays. As used herein, for convenience of description, radiation comprises X-ray radiation, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. An X-ray imaging apparatus is usable for intra-oral X-ray imaging and mammography for breast imaging, for example, by acquiring an image at an angle or images at various angles during a scan by a CT scan unit. A CT scan two dimensional (2D) image or a three dimensional (3D) image data set may be derived by reconstruction and combination of image data acquired at one or more angles.
The X-ray source 111 includes an X-ray tube to generate X-rays generated in response to power received from an external power supply (not shown). When a high voltage is applied between a cathode and an anode of the X-ray tube, thermions are accelerated and collide with a target material of the anode to generate the X-rays. A generator generating the high voltage may be installed inside or outside the gantry 103. Energy of the X-rays is adjustable according to a tube voltage applied to the X-ray source 111 and intensity or dose of the X-rays is adjustable according to the tube current and a desired X-ray exposure time. The energy, intensity, or dose of the X-rays may be determined according to the type or thickness of the target patient, a diagnosis purpose, or the like.
The X-ray source 111 may generate monochromatic X-rays or polychromatic X-rays. When the X-ray source 111 generates polychromatic X-rays having a specific energy band, the energy band of the irradiated X-rays may be defined by an upper limit and a lower limit. The upper limit of the energy band, that is, maximum energy of the irradiated X-rays is adjustable according to the amplitude of the tube voltage. The lower limit of the energy band, that is, minimum energy of the irradiated X-rays is adjustable according to a filter. The filter passes or filters X-rays in a specific energy band. A filter for filtering X-rays in a low energy band may be installed in X-ray generator 111 (or elsewhere) having an adjustable lower energy band limit that may be raised increasing average energy of X-rays, for example.
The X-ray detection unit 120 includes a plurality of detection modules arranged in an array form. An individual detection module detects X-rays having passed through the target patient, converts the detected X-rays into an electrical signal to acquire digital X-ray data, and transmits the digital X-ray data to the controller 141. The X-ray detection unit 120 is described in detail with reference to
Referring to
The X-ray source 111 and X-ray detection unit 120 installed in the gantry 103 are fixed opposite to each other such that the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray source 111 are detected by the X-ray detection unit 120. In response to initiation of computed tomography, the driver 130 provides rotation force to the gantry 103. X-rays pass through target patient 30 from the X-ray source 111 while the gantry 103 rotates about the bore 105 and are detected by X-ray detection unit 120. The controller 141 controls rotation speed and rotation number of the gantry 103 through the driver 130. A collimator 113 is installed on a front surface of the X-ray source 111, and is used to adjust the width of X-ray beam radiated from the X-ray source 111. Thus, the collimator 113 reduces scattering rays to reduce over exposure of the target patient 30. In addition, although not shown, a collimator may also be installed on a front surface of the X-ray detection unit 120, to detect X-rays limited to a specific region of interest. The collimator installed on the front surface of the X-ray detection unit 120 removes scattered X-rays and adjusts the width of the detected X-ray beam to determine the thickness of a slice.
Referring to
In addition, the light receiving devices 121a may be formed of materials to detect visible rays, such as a-Si or the like. In the direct conversion method, the light receiving devices 121a may be formed of materials that directly detect X-rays, such as a-Se, CdZnTe, HgI2, PbI2, or the like.
A read-out circuit is formed on the substrate 121b so as to read the electric charges generated by the light receiving devices 121a as an electrical signal such as a voltage signal or a current signal and to input the electrical signal to the data acquisition unit 122. The data acquisition unit 122 includes a substrate 122b and analog-to-digital conversion modules 122a formed thereon. When the electrical signal is input to the data acquisition unit 122 from the detector 121, the analog-to-digital conversion modules 122a convert the analog electrical signal into a digital electrical signal to provide digital X-ray image representative data. The data acquisition unit 122 is also referred to as a data acquisition system (DAS).
Individual analog-to-digital conversion modules 122a include a plurality of channels, and one analog-to-digital conversion module 122a receives the electrical signal from a plurality of pixels of the detector 121 and converts the electrical signal into a digital signal. To this end, as shown in
Referring back to
The X-ray detection unit 120 includes n (≧3) detection modules 125. The plurality of detection modules 125 transmit the digital X-ray data in a particular direction, in one embodiment. Specifically, a detection module receiving the digital X-ray data re-transmits the received digital X-ray data and digital X-ray data acquired by a data acquisition unit of the corresponding detection module to an adjacent detection module so the digital X-ray data is sequentially and cumulatively transmitted.
However, it is not necessary to cumulatively transmit the digital X-ray data. For example, one of the detection modules 125 having received data from the previous detection module 125 may instantly transmit the data to the next detection module 125 without waiting for the data to be cumulated with another data. Also, the last detection module 125, right after receiving data from an adjacent detection module 125, also transmits the data to the data acquisition unit 122 without waiting for respective pieces of data detected by all the other detection modules 125.
Individual units of the plurality of detection modules 125 are advantageously connected to each other in a daisy chain form and the communication unit 124 includes a buffer to temporarily or non-temporarily store data.
As shown in
The nth detection module 125-n that lastly receives data, transmits accumulated data to the data collection unit 123. In this case, as shown in
Referring to another example shown in
Thus, digital X-ray data is transmitted from the first detection module 125-1 to the nth detection module 125-n using a wireless communication method. The nth detection module 125-n receives the cumulative digital X-ray data acquired from the modules from the first detection module 125-1 to the nth detection module 125-n and transmits the received cumulative digital X-ray data to the data collection unit 123. In this case, the communication unit 124 of the nth detection module 125-n transmits data to the data collection unit 123 through the cable (124) using a wired method, as shown in
In another example shown in
Although not shown in
The data collection unit 223 receives digital X-ray data from each of the plurality of detection modules 225 using a wireless communication method. The received digital X-ray data is transmitted to the controller 141 (
In addition, the acquired digital X-ray data is transmitted to a neighboring detection module in one direction (514) where the n detection modules are connected to each other in a daisy chain form. A first detection module transmits digital X-ray data to a second adjacent detection module, and the second detection module transmits digital X-ray data acquired by the second detection module together with the digital X-ray data received from the first detection module, to an adjacent third detection module. The digital X-ray data is transmitted up to an nth detection module in this manner. In order to transmit digital X-ray data to a neighboring detection module, a wired communication method or a wireless communication method may be used. As previously described with regard to the computed tomography apparatuses, neighboring detection modules may be connected to each other through a flexible cable, a wireless communication module may be installed in each detection module so as to receive or transmit data from a neighboring detection module using a wireless method, or a cable may be installed in a frame of an X-ray detection unit such that a connection terminal and the cable are connected to each other so as to transmit and receive data when each detection module is installed on the frame. When transmission of digital X-ray data is completed up to the nth detection module (YES of 515), digital X-ray data accumulated in the nth detection module is transmitted to a data collection unit (516). The data collection unit is formed on a BP board of the X-ray detection unit and transmits collected digital X-ray data to a controller installed outside a gantry or in a workstation to perform image reconstruction or the like.
As is apparent from the above description, in a radiography imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the same, a plurality of detection modules may sequentially transmit data or each detection module may communicate with a BP board using a wireless method, thereby reducing the size of a radiation detection unit and preventing contact error of connectors. Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
The above-described apparatuses and methods can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the execution of software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, an RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein. The functions and process steps herein may be performed automatically or wholly or partially in response to user command. An activity (including a step) performed automatically is performed in response to executable instruction or device operation without user direct initiation of the activity. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2012-0108932 | Sep 2012 | KR | national |
