Claims
- 1. A volume CT scanner for scanning an object including:
- a target;
- means for generating an electron beam and linearly scanning the beam along said target to form a succession of cone-shaped x-ray beams;
- a vane collimator disposed to receive said successive cone-shaped x-ray beams and form a succession of adjacent parallel fan-shaped x-ray beams which successively irradiate adjacent planar slices along the length of a volume of said object to be Scanned; and a single detector array extending along said length comprising a plurality of adjacent longitudinally elongated detector elements extending across each of said beams for receiving said receiving said succession of transmitted parallel fan-shaped x-ray beams and successively generating data signals representative of the amplitude of each of said transmitted parallel fan-shaped x-ray beams across each of said beams as they are transmitted through and along said volume, each of said longitudinally elongated detector elements being arranged to successively receive said plurality of said transmitted x-ray beams representing a plurality of planar slices in said volume.
- 2. A volume CT scanner for scanning a volume of an object comprising:
- means for generating and linearly scanning an electron beam;
- a target for receiving said electron beam whereby, as the beam is scanned linearly along said target, successive cones of x-rays are generated;
- a vane collimator including a plurality of spaced vanes defining slots disposed to receive said cones of x-rays and form a succession of thin-spaced, fan-shaped x-ray beams, one for each of said cones as they are opposite a slot to scan said fan-shaped beams linearly along the length of the volume of said object to be scanned;
- means for providing relative rotation between said fan beams and said object;
- a single array elongated detector elements extending along the length of the volume to be scanned for receiving said fan-shaped x-ray beams transmitted through said object and generating a succession of data signals representative of the x-ray transmission through said object across each of said beams, along said length for each of said fan-shaped x-ray beams; and
- means for processing said signals to provide an image of the volume of said object.
- 3. A volume CT scanner for scanning objects comprising:
- means for generating an electron beam;
- a target for receiving said electron beam and generating a cone of x-rays;
- means for deflecting said electron beam so that it scans linearly along said target to form successive cones of x-rays;
- a collimator disposed opposite said target to receive said cones of x-rays, said collimator comprising a plurality of parallel spaced vanes forming a plurality of slots, each of said slots receiving said x-rays and forming a fan-shaped x-ray beam, whereby a plurality of parallel spaced fan beams are successively formed along the length of the volume of said objects to be scanned; and
- a detector assembly comprising of a single array extending across each of said fan-shaped beams and extending over said length of adjacent elongated detector elements for receiving said succession of transmitted fan-shaped beams and generating successive signals representative of x-ray intensity angularly across each of said beams.
- 4. A volume CT scanner as in claim 3 including a second collimator having spaced vanes forming a plurality of slots disposed adjacent said detector assembly to further collimate said fan-shaped beam.
- 5. A volume scanner as in claim 3 including means for providing relative rotation between the x-ray source and detectors and the object.
- 6. A volume scanner as in claim 5 wherein the target is a flat target scanned in a plane which is parallel to the axis of rotation.
- 7. A volume scanner as in claim 5 wherein the target is a curved target scanned in a plane which includes the axis of rotation.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/675,420 filed 3 Jul. 1996, now abandoned, which is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 08/294,964, filed 24 Aug. 1994, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1528574 |
Oct 1978 |
GBX |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
675420 |
Jul 1996 |
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Parent |
294964 |
Aug 1994 |
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