U.S. patent application number 17/070474 was filed with the patent office on 2021-02-25 for detector module, detector and medical device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Neusoft Medical Systems Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shuangxue LI, Shanshan LOU, Jun YU.
Application Number | 20210052237 17/070474 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005196893 |
Filed Date | 2021-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210052237 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YU; Jun ; et al. |
February 25, 2021 |
DETECTOR MODULE, DETECTOR AND MEDICAL DEVICE
Abstract
Methods, devices, systems and apparatus for arranging detector
sub-modules in a medical device are provided. In one aspect, a
detector includes a housing and a plurality of detector modules
arranged in parallel along a direction on the housing and
configured to detect rays emitted from a radiation source and
attenuated by a subject. Each of the plurality of detector modules
includes a support extending in the direction and a plurality of
detector sub-modules arranged on the support along the direction. A
top surface of each of the plurality of detector sub-modules is
tangent to a respective spherical surface of a corresponding target
sphere of at least two target spheres having different radiuses,
and a respective sphere center of each of the at least two target
spheres is substantially overlapped with a focal spot of the
radiation source.
Inventors: |
YU; Jun; (Shenyang, CN)
; LI; Shuangxue; (Shenyang, CN) ; LOU;
Shanshan; (Shenyang, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Neusoft Medical Systems Co., Ltd. |
Shenyang |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005196893 |
Appl. No.: |
17/070474 |
Filed: |
October 14, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16458959 |
Jul 1, 2019 |
10881367 |
|
|
17070474 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 6/032 20130101;
A61B 6/4266 20130101; A61B 6/4429 20130101; G01T 1/16 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 6/00 20060101
A61B006/00; A61B 6/03 20060101 A61B006/03 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 29, 2018 |
CN |
201810712864.4 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for detecting rays emitted from a radiation source
and attenuated by a subject, the apparatus comprising: a support
extending in a first direction, a top of the support comprising a
plurality of positioning surfaces and a plurality of protrusions
along the first direction, the plurality of positioning surfaces
being spaced by the plurality of protrusions along the first
direction; and a plurality of detector sub-modules arranged on the
plurality of positioning surfaces of the support along the first
direction, each of the plurality of detector sub-modules being
arranged on a respective positioning surface of the plurality of
positioning surfaces and being positioned between two respective
adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions on both ends
of the respective positioning surface along the first direction,
wherein a top surface of each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules is tangent to a respective spherical surface of a
corresponding target sphere of at least two target spheres having
different radiuses, and wherein a respective sphere center of each
of the at least two target spheres is substantially overlapped with
a focal spot of the radiation source.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detector
sub-modules comprises first and second detector sub-modules, and
the at least two target spheres comprise first and second target
spheres, wherein the first detector sub-module has a first top
surface tangent to a first spherical surface of the first target
sphere, and the second detector sub-module has a second top surface
tangent to a second spherical surface of the second target sphere,
and wherein the first target sphere has a larger radius than the
second target sphere, and a first distance between the first
detection sub-module and a midpoint of the support in the first
direction is larger than a second distance between the second
detection sub-module and the midpoint of the support in the first
direction.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a line connecting a midpoint
of the support and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a
second direction, and the first direction and the second direction
define a plane, wherein, for each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules, an arc of the top surface of the detector sub-module
on the plane is tangent to a target circle of the corresponding
target sphere on the plane at a midpoint of the arc, and wherein
the first detector sub-modules are arranged at two side of the
support, the second detector sub-modules are arranged at a middle
of the support, the second detector sub-modules and the first
detector sub-modules form a peak-like stepped structure in the
plane.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
positioning surfaces is tangent to a respective position sphere,
and sphere centers of the respective positioning spheres are
substantially overlapped with the focal spot of the radiation
source, and wherein at least two of the respective position spheres
of the plurality of positioning surfaces have different
radiuses.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a line connecting a midpoint
of the support and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a
second direction, and the first direction and the second direction
define a plane, and wherein, for each of the plurality of
positioning surfaces, an arc of the positioning surface on the
plane is tangent to a corresponding positioning circle that is an
orthographic projection of the respective positioning sphere of the
positioning surface on the plane.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of positioning
surfaces and the plurality of protrusions are distributed in the
first direction and symmetrical relative to a line connecting a
midpoint of the support and the focal spot of the radiation source,
and wherein radiuses of the respective position spheres of the
plurality of positioning surfaces increase from the midpoint of the
support to the ends of the support.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein top surfaces of at least two
detector sub-modules in the plurality of detector sub-modules are
tangent to respective spherical surfaces of a same target sphere of
the at least two target spheres, and wherein the at least two
detector sub-modules are symmetrically distributed relative to a
line connecting a midpoint of the support and the focal spot in the
first direction.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: second protrusions
on the ends of the top of the support in the first direction,
wherein the plurality of positioning surfaces are between the
second protrusions.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for each of the plurality of
detector sub-modules, the respective positioning surface is tangent
to a corresponding position sphere, and the top surface of the
detector sub-module is tangent to the respective sphere surface of
the corresponding target sphere of the at least two target spheres,
and wherein a difference between a first radius of the
corresponding positioning sphere and a second radius of the
corresponding target sphere is substantially identical to a
thickness of the detector sub-module along a second direction
defined by a line connecting a midpoint of the support and the
focal spot of the radiation source.
10. A detector comprising: a housing; and a plurality of detector
modules arranged in parallel along a first direction on the housing
and configured to detect rays emitted from a radiation source and
attenuated by a subject, wherein each of the plurality of detector
modules comprises: a support extending in the first direction, a
top of the support comprising a plurality of positioning surfaces
and a plurality of protrusions along the first direction, the
plurality of positioning surfaces being spaced by the plurality of
protrusions along the first direction, and a plurality of detector
sub-modules arranged on the plurality of positioning surfaces of
the support along the first direction, each of the plurality of
detector sub-modules being arranged on a respective positioning
surface of the plurality of positioning surfaces and being
positioned between two respective adjacent protrusions of the
plurality of protrusions on both ends of the respective positioning
surface along the first direction, wherein a top surface of each of
the plurality of detector sub-modules is tangent to a respective
spherical surface of a corresponding target sphere of at least two
target spheres having different radiuses, and wherein a respective
sphere center of each of the at least two target spheres is
substantially overlapped with a focal spot of the radiation
source.
11. The detector of claim 10, wherein the plurality of detector
sub-modules comprise first and second detector sub-modules, and the
at least two target spheres comprise first and second target
spheres, wherein the first detector sub-module has a first top
surface tangent to a first spherical surface of the first target
sphere, and the second detector sub-module has a second top surface
tangent to a second spherical surface of the second target sphere,
and wherein the first target sphere has a larger radius than the
second target sphere, and a first distance between the first
detection sub-module and a midpoint of the support in the first
direction is larger than a second distance between the second
detection sub-module and the midpoint of the support in the first
direction.
12. The detector of claim 11, wherein a line connecting a midpoint
of the support and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a
second direction, and the first direction and the second direction
define a plane, wherein, for each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules, an arc of the top surface of the detector sub-module
on the plane is tangent to a target circle of the corresponding
target sphere on the plane at a midpoint of the arc, and wherein
the first detector sub-modules are arranged at two side of the
support, the second detector sub-modules are arranged at a middle
of the support, the second detector sub-modules and the first
detector sub-modules form a peak-like stepped structure in the
plane.
13. The detector of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of
positioning surfaces is tangent to a respective position sphere,
and sphere centers of the respective positioning spheres are
substantially overlapped with the focal spot of the radiation
source, and wherein at least two of the respective position spheres
of the plurality of positioning surfaces have different
radiuses.
14. The detector of claim 13, wherein a line connecting a midpoint
of the support and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a
second direction, and the first direction and the second direction
define a plane, and wherein, for each of the plurality of
positioning surfaces, an arc of the positioning surface on the
plane is tangent to a corresponding positioning circle that is an
orthographic projection of the respective positioning sphere of the
positioning surface on the plane.
15. The detector of claim 13, wherein the plurality of positioning
surfaces are distributed in the first direction and symmetrical
relative to a line connecting a midpoint of the support and the
focal spot of the radiation source, and wherein radiuses of the
respective position spheres of the plurality of positioning
surfaces increase from the midpoint of the support to the ends of
the support.
16. The detector of claim 10, wherein the top surfaces of at least
two detector sub-modules in the plurality of detector sub-modules
are tangent to respective spherical surfaces of a same target
sphere of the at least two target spheres, and wherein the at least
two detector sub-modules are symmetrically distributed relative to
a line connecting a midpoint of the support and the focal spot in
the first direction.
17. The detector of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of
detector modules further comprises second protrusions on both ends
of the top of the support in the first direction to cooperate with
the housing, and wherein the plurality of positioning surfaces are
between the second protrusions, wherein, for each of the plurality
of detector sub-modules, the respective positioning surface is
tangent to a corresponding position sphere, and the top surface of
the detector sub-module is tangent to the respective sphere surface
of the corresponding target sphere of the at least two target
spheres, and wherein a difference between a first radius of the
corresponding positioning sphere and a second radius of the
corresponding target sphere is identical to a thickness of the
detector sub-module along a second direction defined by a line
connecting a midpoint of the support and the focal spot of the
radiation source.
18. A medical device comprising: a scanning gantry comprising a
bore to accommodate a subject; a radiation source configured to
emit rays to the subject; a scanning table configured to support
the subject; and a detector configured to detect the rays
attenuated by the subject and convert the detected rays into
electrical signals, the detector and the radiation source being
opposite inside the scanning gantry; wherein the detector
comprises: a housing; and a plurality of detector modules arranged
in parallel along a first direction on the housing and configured
to detect rays emitted from a radiation source and attenuated by a
subject, wherein each of the plurality of detector modules
comprises: a support extending in the first direction, a top of the
support comprising a plurality of positioning surfaces and a
plurality of protrusions along the first direction, the plurality
of positioning surfaces being spaced by the plurality of
protrusions along the first direction, and a plurality of detector
sub-modules arranged on the plurality of positioning surfaces of
the support along the first direction, each of the plurality of
detector sub-modules being arranged on a respective positioning
surface of the plurality of positioning surfaces and being
positioned between two respective adjacent protrusions of the
plurality of protrusions on both ends of the respective positioning
surface along the first direction, wherein a top surface of each of
the plurality of detector sub-modules is tangent to a respective
spherical surface of a corresponding target sphere of at least two
target spheres having different radiuses, and wherein a respective
sphere center of each of the at least two target spheres is
substantially overlapped with a focal spot of the radiation
source.
19. The medical device according claim 18, further comprising: a
raster between the subject and the detector, wherein the raster has
a respective raster height for each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules, and the respective raster height depends on a radius
of the corresponding target sphere whose spherical surface is
tangent to the top surface of the detector sub-module.
20. The medical device according claim 18, further comprising: at
least one processor; and at least one non-transitory machine
readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor
having machine-executable instructions stored thereon that, when
executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one
processor to perform operations comprising: receiving raw data
generated by the detector; obtaining processed data by correcting
noise differences in the raw data based on the different radiuses
of the at least two target spheres; and reconstructing an image
based on the processed data.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 16/458,959 filed on Jul. 1, 2019, which
claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810712864.4
and filed on Jun. 29, 2018. The contents of these applications are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of
medical devices and in particular to a detector module, a detector
and a medical device.
[0003] With continuous development of medical treatment level, more
and more medical devices such as a Computed Tomography (CT) device
and an angiography machine are used to assist with medical
diagnosis or treatment. For example, a CT device may be used to
detect a disease of a human body. The CT device may detect X rays
penetrating through the human body by a detector and convert
received optical signals into electrical signals. A plurality of
detector sub-modules mounted on a housing of the detector are used
to realize photo-electric conversion. To ensure diagnosis effect of
the detector, it is desired to mount more detector sub-modules on
the housing of the detector.
[0004] NEUSOFT MEDICAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (NMS), founded in 1998
with its world headquarters in China, is a leading supplier of
medical equipment, medical IT solutions, and healthcare services.
NMS supplies medical equipment with a wide portfolio, including CT,
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), digital X-ray machine,
ultrasound, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Linear Accelerator
(LINAC), and biochemistry analyser. Currently, NMS' products are
exported to over 60 countries and regions around the globe, serving
more than 5,000 renowned customers. NMS's latest successful
developments, such as 128 Multi-Slice CT Scanner System,
Superconducting MRI, LINAC, and PET products, have led China to
become a global high-end medical equipment producer. As an
integrated supplier with extensive experience in large medical
equipment, NMS has been committed to the study of avoiding
secondary potential harm caused by excessive X-ray irradiation to
the subject during the CT scanning process.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present disclosure provides methods, devices, systems
and apparatus for arranging detector sub-modules on a housing of a
detector of a medical device, e.g., a CT device.
[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure features an apparatus
for detecting rays emitted from a radiation source and attenuated
by a subject, the apparatus including: a support extending in a
first direction and a plurality of detector sub-modules arranged on
the support along the first direction. A top surface of each of the
plurality of detector sub-modules is tangent to a respective
spherical surface of a corresponding target sphere of at least two
target spheres having different radiuses, and a respective sphere
center of each of the at least two target spheres is substantially
overlapped with a focal spot of the radiation source.
[0007] In some examples, the plurality of detector sub-modules
includes first and second detector sub-modules, and the at least
two target spheres include first and second target spheres. The
first detector sub-module has a first top surface tangent to a
first spherical surface of the first target sphere, and the second
detector sub-module has a second top surface tangent to a second
spherical surface of the second target sphere. The first target
sphere has a larger radius than the second target sphere, and a
first distance between the first detection sub-module and a
midpoint of the support in the first direction is larger than a
second distance between the second detection sub-module and the
midpoint of the support in the first direction.
[0008] The top surface of each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules can be tangent to the respective spherical surface of
the corresponding target sphere at a center of the top surface.
[0009] In some examples, a line connecting a midpoint of the
support and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a second
direction, and the first direction and the second direction define
a plane. For each of the plurality of detector sub-modules, an arc
of the top surface of the detector sub-module on the plane can be
tangent to a target circle of the corresponding target sphere on
the plane at a midpoint of the arc, and a distance between a circle
center of the target circle and the focal spot of the radiation
source can be less than 1 mm.
[0010] The plurality of detector sub-modules can be symmetrically
distributed relative to a line connecting a midpoint of the support
and the focal spot of the radiation source in the first
direction.
[0011] Top surfaces of at least two detector sub-modules in the
plurality of detector sub-modules can be tangent to respective
spherical surfaces of a same target sphere of the at least two
target spheres. The at least two detector sub-modules can be
symmetrically distributed relative to a line connecting a midpoint
of the support and the focal spot in the first direction.
[0012] In some implementations, the apparatus includes first
protrusions on both ends of a top of the support in the first
direction. The top of the support can include a plurality of
positioning surfaces between the first protrusions and spaced by
second protrusions. Each of the plurality of detector sub-modules
can be placed on a respective positioning surface of the plurality
of positioning surfaces. The respective positioning surface can be
tangent to a corresponding position sphere, and the top surface of
the detector sub-module can be tangent to the respective sphere
surface of the corresponding target sphere of the at least two
target spheres. A sphere center of the corresponding positioning
sphere can be substantially overlapped with the focal spot of the
radiation source. A difference between a first radius of the
corresponding positioning sphere and a second radius of the
corresponding target sphere can be substantially identical to a
thickness of the detector sub-module along a second direction
defined by a line connecting a midpoint of the support and the
focal spot of the radiation source.
[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure features a detector
including a housing and a plurality of detector modules arranged in
parallel along a first direction on the housing and configured to
detect rays emitted from a radiation source and attenuated by a
subject. Each of the plurality of detector modules includes: a
support extending in the first direction and a plurality of
detector sub-modules arranged on the support along the first
direction. A top surface of each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules is tangent to a respective spherical surface of a
corresponding target sphere of at least two target spheres having
different radiuses, and a respective sphere center of each of the
at least two target spheres is substantially overlapped with a
focal spot of the radiation source.
[0014] In some examples, the plurality of detector sub-modules
include first and second detector sub-modules, and the at least two
target spheres include first and second target spheres. The first
detector sub-module has a first top surface tangent to a first
spherical surface of the first target sphere, and the second
detector sub-module has a second top surface tangent to a second
spherical surface of the second target sphere, and the first target
sphere has a larger radius than the second target sphere, and a
first distance between the first detection sub-module and a
midpoint of the support in the first direction is larger than a
second distance between the second detection sub-module and the
midpoint of the support in the first direction.
[0015] The top surface of each of the detector sub-modules can be
tangent to the respective spherical surface at a center of the top
surface.
[0016] In some cases, a line connecting a midpoint of the support
and the focal spot of the radiation source defines a second
direction, and the first direction and the second direction define
a plane. For each of the plurality of detector sub-modules, an arc
of the top surface of the detector sub-module on the plane can be
tangent to a target circle of the corresponding target sphere on
the plane at a midpoint of the arc, and a distance between a circle
center of the target circle and the focal spot of the radiation
source can be less than 1 mm.
[0017] The plurality of detector sub-modules can be symmetrically
distributed relative to a line connecting a midpoint of the support
and the focal spot in the first direction.
[0018] In some cases, the top surfaces of at least two detector
sub-modules in the plurality of detector sub-modules are tangent to
respective spherical surfaces of a same target sphere of the at
least two target spheres. The at least two detector sub-modules can
be symmetrically distributed relative to a line connecting a
midpoint of the support and the focal spot in the first
direction.
[0019] In some implementations, each of the plurality of detector
modules further includes first protrusions on both ends of a top of
the support in the first direction to cooperate with the housing.
The top of the support can include a plurality of positioning
surfaces between the first protrusions and spaced by second
protrusions. Each of the plurality of detector sub-modules can be
placed on a respective positioning surface of the plurality of
positioning surfaces. The respective positioning surface can be
tangent to a corresponding position sphere, and the top surface of
the detector sub-module can be tangent to the respective sphere
surface of the corresponding target sphere of the at least two
target spheres. A sphere center of the corresponding positioning
sphere can be substantially overlapped with the focal spot of the
radiation source, and a difference between a first radius of the
corresponding positioning sphere and a second radius of the
corresponding target sphere can be identical to a thickness of the
detector sub-module along a second direction defined by a line
connecting a midpoint of the support and the focal spot of the
radiation source.
[0020] A further aspect of the present disclosure features a
medical device including: a scanning gantry including a bore to
accommodate a subject, a radiation source configured to emit rays
to the subject, a scanning table configured to support the subject,
and a detector configured to detect the rays attenuated by the
subject and convert the detected rays into electrical signals, the
detector and the radiation source being opposite inside the
scanning gantry. The detector includes: a housing and a plurality
of detector modules arranged in parallel along a first direction on
the housing and configured to detect rays emitted from a radiation
source and attenuated by a subject.
Each of the plurality of detector modules includes: a support
extending in the first direction, and a plurality of detector
sub-modules arranged on the support along the first direction. A
top surface of each of the plurality of detector sub-modules is
tangent to a respective spherical surface of a corresponding target
sphere of at least two target spheres having different radiuses,
and a respective sphere center of each of the at least two target
spheres is substantially overlapped with a focal spot of the
radiation source.
[0021] The medical device can further include a raster between the
subject and the detector. The raster can have a respective raster
height for each of the plurality of detector sub-modules, and the
respective raster height can depend on a radius of the
corresponding target sphere whose spherical surface is tangent to
the top surface of the detector sub-module.
[0022] The medical device can further include at least one
processor and at least one non-transitory machine readable storage
medium coupled to the at least one processor having
machine-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed
by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to
perform operations including: receiving raw data generated by the
detector, obtaining processed data by correcting noise differences
in the raw data based on the different radiuses of the at least two
target spheres, and reconstructing an image based on the processed
data.
[0023] The details of one or more examples of the subject matter
described in the present disclosure are set forth in the
accompanying drawings and description below. Other features,
aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent
from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Features of the
present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not
limited in the following figures, in which like numerals indicate
like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a stereoscopic view of a medical device according
to one or more examples of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a stereoscopic view of a detector of the medical
device shown in FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a stereoscopic view of a detector module of the
detector shown in FIG. 2.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a front view of the detector module shown in FIG.
3.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a stereoscopic view of a support of the detector
module shown in FIG. 3.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the medical device
shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] FIG. 1 is a stereoscopic view of a medical device 10
according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.
Descriptions will be made with the medical device 10 as a CT
device. The CT device 10 includes a scanning gantry 11, a radiation
source 12 and a detector 13. The scanning gantry 11 includes a bore
111 for accommodating a subject 14. The radiation source 12 and the
detector 13 are oppositely provided inside the scanning gantry 11.
The subject 14, for example, a patient, is placed on a scanning
table 15 and may be located in the bore 111 together with the
scanning table 15. The radiation source 12 and the detector 13 may
rotate relative to the scanning gantry 11 and the subject 14.
[0031] The radiation source 12 is configured to emit rays to the
subject 14. The radiation source 12 may emit fan-shaped or
cone-shaped ray beams, where each ray beam includes a plurality of
rays. The radiation source 12 emits the ray beams onto the subject
14 from a focal spot of the radiation source 12. The radiation
source 12 may include a ray tube (not shown) and a pressure
generator (not shown). The pressure generator provides high voltage
electricity to the ray tube and thus the ray tube emits rays. In
the example, the rays are X rays.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a stereoscopic view of a detector 13 according to
one or more examples of the present disclosure. The detector 13
includes a housing 30 extending in an arc shape and a plurality of
detector modules 40 arranged in parallel on the housing 30. The
detector 13 is configured to detect rays attenuated by the subject
14 (hereinafter may also be referred to as attenuated rays) and
convert the detected rays into electrical signals. As shown in FIG.
2, each detector module 40 extends in a Z direction in which the
subject 14 travels or moves, and is parallel to each other along
the Z direction. In the X-Y plane, a plurality of detector modules
40 are arranged in an arc shape, and a circle center of a circle
where the arc shape is located is overlapped with the focal spot of
the radiation source 12 or near the focal spot. For example, a
distance between the circle center of the circle and the focal spot
is less than 1 mm, so that rays in the fan-shaped or cone-shaped
ray beams emitted by the radiation source 12 may be vertically
incident to the detector module 40. The detector 13 may also
include a plurality of fans 50 provided on at a side portion of the
housing 30. The fans 50 are configured to dissipate heat for the
detector 13 to avoid an excessively high temperature when the
detector 13 works.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a stereoscopic view of a detector module 40
according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. FIG. 4
is a front view of a detector module 40 according to one or more
examples of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4,
the detector module 40 is configured to detect attenuated rays 122.
The detector module 40 includes a support 41 extending in the Z
direction and a plurality of detector sub-modules 42 arranged on
the support 41 in the Z direction.
[0034] The detector sub-module 42 is configured to detect the
attenuated rays 122 and convert the detected rays into electrical
signals. When the rays emitted by the radiation source 12 pass
through the subject 14, the rays are attenuated by the subject 14.
Because the rays have different attenuation degrees for different
tissues and structures in the subject 14, the attenuated rays 122
passing through the subject 14 have different strengths. Optical
signals for the attenuated rays 122 are detected and converted into
electrical signals by the detector sub-module 42. The strengths of
the electrical signals represent strengths of optical signals for
the attenuated rays 122. For example, the strengths of electrical
signals generated by each detector sub-module 42 can be in direct
proportion to the strengths of optical signals for the attenuated
rays 122.
[0035] In some examples, the detector sub-module 42 includes a
scintillator array (not shown), a photodiode (not shown) and a
substrate (not shown). The scintillator array is used to detect the
attenuated rays 122 and convert the detect rays into visible light.
The photodiode is used to obtain electrical signals based on the
visible light and the substrate is used to support the scintillator
array and the photodiode. The scintillator array may have an array
size of 32.times.16 or 16.times.16.
[0036] In other examples, the detector sub-module 42 includes a
cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) crystal, and the CZT crystal is
configured to detect the attenuated rays 122 and convert the
detected rays into electrical signals.
[0037] The plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are arranged on the
support 41 along the Z direction. Each of the plurality of detector
sub-modules 42 extends along a direction parallel to a direction
where the support 41 extends locally, e.g., a direction where
individual positioning surfaces 413 of the support 41 extends (as
shown in FIG. 5), so that respective top surfaces on the detector
sub-modules 42 to detect the attenuated rays 122 are tangent to
spherical surfaces of at least two target spheres. Sphere centers
of the at least two target spheres are substantially overlapped
with the focal spot 121 of the radiation source 12. The plurality
of detector sub-modules 42 are distributed on the spherical
surfaces of the at least two target spheres in the Z direction. The
at least two target spheres are concentric but different in
radius.
[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates a structure of the detector module 40 and
a positional relationship of the detector module 40 relative to the
radiation source 12 in a Y-Z plane as an example. A Y direction is
defined by a line connecting the focal spot 121 of the radiation
source 12 and a midpoint of the support 41. As shown in FIG. 4, it
is assumed that the at least two target spheres respectively
correspond to at least two target circles 61, 62 in the Y-Z plane.
That is, the orthographic projection of the at least two target
spheres in the Y-Z plane is the at least two target circles 61, 62.
The top surface of the detector sub-module 42 to detect attenuated
rays 122 on the Y-Z plane corresponds to an arc 421 and the arc 421
is substantially located at the circumference of one of the target
circles 61, 62. In other words, the arc 421 on the top surface of
the detector sub-module 42 is substantially tangent to the
corresponding target circle. In addition, since the target spheres
are different in radius, the target circles 61, 62 are also
different in radius. In this way, rays emitted by the radiation
source 12 may be vertically incident at a position where the arc
421 on the top surface of the detector module 40 is tangent to one
of the target circles 61, 62. As shown in FIG. 4, the arc 421 on
the top surface of the detector sub-module 42 on the Y-Z plane is
tangent to the target circle 62, so that rays emitted by the
radiation source 12 may be vertically incident at the top surface
of the detector sub-module 42. In this way, when electrical signals
generated by the detector module 40 are processed subsequently, it
is not required or necessary to correct the impact of an angle
formed by the attenuated rays 122 and the top surface of the
detector sub-module 42 on a ray path, thereby simplifying denoising
processing of data.
[0039] The arc 421 on the top surface of the detector sub-module 42
on the Y-Z plane is tangent to the corresponding target circles 61,
62 at or near the midpoint of the arc 421. In an example, the arc
421 on the top surface of the detector sub-module 42 on the Y-Z
plane is tangent to the target circle 62 at the midpoint of the arc
421, and the distance between the circle center of the
corresponding target circle and the focal spot 121 of the radiation
source 12 is less than 1 mm. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the
arc 421 on the top surface of the detector sub-module 42 on the Y-Z
plane is tangent to the corresponding target circle 62 at the
midpoint of the arc 421. The rays emitted from the focal spot 121
of the radiation source 12 is vertically incident on the midpoint
of the arc 421. The quality of an image reconstructed by the CT
device 10 according to projection data converted from electrical
signals generated by the detector sub-module 42 is relatively
high.
[0040] In another example, the arc 421 is tangent to the
corresponding target circle 62 near the midpoint of the arc 421. At
this case, the circle center of the corresponding target circle is
located near the focal spot 121 of the radiation source 12, and
rays emitted from the focal spot 121 may be vertically incident
near the midpoint of the arc 421 of the detector sub-module 42.
When the detector sub-modules 42 are mounted on the support 41, it
may be difficult to ensure that the target circle corresponding to
each detector sub-module 42 is tangent to the arc 421 of the
detector sub-module 42 at the midpoint of arc 421. If the distance
between the focal spot 121 and the circle center of the
corresponding target circle is within a relatively small deviation
range, e.g., less than 1 mm, the impact of the relatively small
deviation range on the quality of an image reconstructed based on
the electrical signals generated by the detector sub-module 42 can
be small. Accordingly, requirements of medical diagnosis can be
satisfied. In an example, after the detector sub-module 42 is
mounted on the support 41, a distance between the circle center of
the target circle tangent to the arc 421 of the detector sub-module
42 and the focal spot 121 of the radiation source 12 is less than 1
mm, and thus it is ensured that the rays emitted from the focal
spot 121 of the radiation source 12 are vertically incident at a
position near the midpoint of the arc 421, thereby ensuring that
the quality of the reconstructed image satisfies the
requirements.
[0041] A distance between a position of the detector sub-module 42
and the midpoint of the support 41 in the Z direction corresponds
to a radius of the target sphere associated with the detector
sub-module 42. When the distance is larger, the radius is larger.
With reference to FIG. 4, in an example, the radiuses of the
plurality of target circles 61, 62 for the detector sub-modules 42
in the Z direction from the midpoint of the support 41 to both ends
of the support 41 gradually increase.
[0042] If the radius of the target circle corresponding to the
detector sub-module 42 is larger, the distance between the arc 421
and the focal spot 121 is larger. For illustrative purpose, FIG. 4
only illustrates eight detector sub-modules 42. However, in a
practical application, the number of the detector sub-modules 42 is
not limited herein, for example, the number of the detector
sub-modules 42 may be 16. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the
plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are arranged on positioning
surfaces 413 of the support 41 (as shown in FIG. 5) that correspond
to the spherical surfaces of the two target spheres. The arcs 421
of the plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are tangent to two
target circles 61, 62 with the focal spot 121 as the circle center.
The radius R1 of the target circle 61 corresponding to the detector
sub-modules 42 near the midpoint of the support 41 is less than the
radius R2 of the target circle 62 corresponding to the detector
sub-modules 42 on both ends of the support 41. FIG. 4 is merely an
illustrative example and the number of the target circles is not
limited to the example shown in FIG. 4. In other examples, the arcs
421 of the plurality of detector sub-modules 42 may be tangent to
three or more target circles.
[0043] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 2, the detector module 40
is formed by splicing a plurality of detector sub-modules 42 with
the same cubic in the Z direction. The radiuses of the target
circles corresponding to the detector sub-modules 42 from the
midpoint of the support 41 to both ends of the support 41 in the Z
direction gradually increase, and a width of each of the plurality
of detector sub-modules 42 at both ends of the support 41 in the X
direction is the same as a width of each of the plurality of
detector sub-modules 42 near the midpoint of the support 41 in the
X direction. In this case, since a gap between adjacent detector
sub-modules 42 in the X direction may be set to be relatively
small, scanning data may be effectively collected, thereby
improving the quality of the reconstructed image.
[0044] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 4, the arcs 421 of at
least two detector sub-modules 42 are tangent to the same target
circle, that is, the distance between each of the at least two
detector sub-modules 42 and the focal spot 121 of the radiation
source 12 is the same. Thus, the path travelled by the attenuated
rays 122 detected by each of the at least two detector sub-modules
42 is the same. When the electrical signals generated by the
plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are corrected, the same
correction model is used for the detector sub-modules 42 having the
same distance from the focal spot 121 of the radiation source 12.
Thus, subsequent data may be processed more easily. In an example,
the respective top surfaces of at least two adjacent detector
sub-modules 42 are tangent to a spherical surface of the same
target sphere. In another example, the respective top surfaces of
at least two non-adjacent detector sub-modules 42 are tangent to a
spherical surface of the same target sphere. In other examples, at
least two adjacent detector sub-modules 42 and at least two
non-adjacent detector sub-modules 42 are tangent to a spherical
surface of the same target sphere. In the example shown in FIG. 4,
the top surfaces of a plurality of adjacent detector sub-modules 42
near the midpoint of the support 41 are tangent to the same target
sphere, and the top surfaces of a plurality of detector sub-modules
42 at both ends of the support 41 are tangent to another target
sphere. In another example, the top surfaces of the plurality of
detector sub-modules near the midpoint of the support 41 may be
tangent to a plurality of target spheres with different radiuses
and/or the top surfaces of the detector sub-modules 42 at both ends
of the support 41 may be tangent to a plurality of target spheres
with different radiuses.
[0045] In an example, a plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are
distributed symmetrically relative to a line connecting the
midpoint of the support 41 and the focal spot 121 that is
perpendicular to the direction where the support 41 extends, i.e.,
in the Z direction. The detector sub-modules 42 that are
distributed in the Z direction and symmetrically relative to the
line connecting the midpoint of the support 41 and the focal spot
121 have the same distance from the focal spot 121 of the radiation
source 12. When the rays emitted by the radiation source 12 are
incident to the mutually symmetrical detector sub-modules 42, paths
travelled by the rays are the same. When the electrical signals
generated by the plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are
corrected, data differences generated due to different paths
travelled by the rays detected by different detector sub-modules 42
need to be corrected. For the detector sub-modules 42 having
different distances from the focal spot 121 of the radiation source
12, different correction models are used. For the detector
sub-modules 42 having the same distance from the focal spot 121 of
the radiation source 12, a same correction model is used. The
plurality of detector sub-modules 42 are symmetrically distributed
relative to the line connecting the midpoint of the support 41 and
the focal spot 121 in the direction where the support 41 extends,
such that the data processing may be simplified.
[0046] In some examples, the detector module 40 includes one or
more analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuits (not shown) and a
circuit board 43. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the circuit board 43
can be arranged on a side of the support 41. In some examples, a
respective analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuit is integrated
onto the substrate of each of the detector sub-modules 42. The
analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuit is configured to convert
electrical signals into digital signals and send the digital
signals to the circuit board 43. The circuit board 43 can be
connected to the respective ADC circuits for the detector
sub-modules 42. The circuit board 43 is configured to process the
digital signals and send the digital signals to a data processing
system of the CT device 10. In another example, the ADC circuit is
integrated onto the circuit board 43 which is electrically coupled
with each of the detector sub-modules 42 through a respective
connection line 44. The circuit board 43 is configured to convert
electrical signals generated by the detector sub-module 42 into
digital signals and send the digital signals to the data processing
system of the CT device. In an example, the circuit board 43 is
coupled with a power source (not shown) and supplies power to the
detector sub-modules 42 through the respective connection lines
44.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a stereoscopic view of a support 41 according to
one or more examples of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4
and FIG. 5, at least one first positioning surface 411 is formed on
the top of the support 41. When the detector module 40 is assembled
on the housing 30 of the detector 13, the first positioning surface
411 is cooperated with the housing 30 to fix the detector module
40. In an example, to facilitate assembly of the detector 13 and
the housing 30, the at least one first positioning surface 411 is
provided at the outermost end of the support 41 in the Z direction.
In an example, to tightly connect the detector 13 and the housing
30, the at least one first positioning surface 411 is provided at
both ends of the support 41 in the Z direction, respectively. In
some examples, two first positioning surfaces 411 located on both
ends of the support 41 in the Z direction are arranged
symmetrically relative to the midpoint of the support 41. In the
example shown in FIG. 5, two protrusion blocks 412 are provided at
both ends of the top of the support 41, respectively. The first
positioning surfaces 411 refer to top surfaces of the protrusion
blocks 412.
[0048] A plurality of second positioning surfaces 413 are provided
on the top of the support 41 along the Z direction and located
between two first positioning surfaces 411. To make sure that the
plurality of detector sub-modules 42 may be arranged on the
plurality of second positioning surfaces 413 in the above
arrangement manner, the second positioning surfaces 413 are
distributed onto spherical surfaces of at least two positioning
spheres, where the sphere centers of the at least two positioning
spheres are substantially overlapped with the focal spot 121 of the
radiation source 12. The second positioning surfaces 413 are
tangent to the spherical surfaces of the at least two positioning
spheres. An arc of the second positioning surface 413 on the Y-Z
plane is tangent to a corresponding positioning circle. The
positioning circle is an orthographic projection of the positioning
sphere on the Y-Z plane. At least two positioning spheres have
different radiuses. The radius of the positioning sphere
corresponding to the second positioning surface 413 is greater than
the radius of the target sphere corresponding to the detector
sub-module 42 provided (or arranged) on the second positioning
surface 413, and a difference of the two radiuses defines a
thickness of the detector sub-module 42 in the Y direction, so that
the top surface of the detector sub-module 42 may be tangent to the
target sphere after the detector sub-module 42 is fixedly mounted
on the support 41.
[0049] In some examples, in the Z direction, from the midpoint of
the support 41 to both ends of the support 41, a plurality of
second positioning surfaces 413 are distributed in the direction in
which the support 41 extends and are symmetrically relative to the
line connecting the midpoint of the support 41 and the focal spot
121. In some examples, in the Z direction, from the midpoint of the
support 41 to both ends of the support 41, the radius of the
positioning sphere tangent to the second positioning surface 413
gradually increases. In some examples, both ends of each second
positioning surface 413 in the Z direction are provided with a
protrusion 414, respectively. That is, the second positioning
surface 413 is between two protrusions 414 along the Z direction.
When the detector sub-module 42 is mounted on the second
positioning surface 413, the detector sub-module 42 is clamped
between the protrusions 414 on both ends of the corresponding
second positioning surface 413.
[0050] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, each detector sub-module 42
is provided on the corresponding second positioning surface 413. In
some examples, the detector sub-module 42 may be detachably fixedly
mounted on the corresponding second positioning surface 413. In
some examples, the detector sub-module 42 may be non-detachably
fixed on the corresponding second positioning surface 413 through
welding, gluing and so on.
[0051] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the CT device 10
shown in FIG. 1. The CT device 10 includes a raster 23 arranged
between the subject 14 and the detector module 40. Raster heights
for the detector sub-modules 42 corresponding to target spheres
with different radiuses are different, that is, the raster height
for the detector sub-module 42 depends on the radius of the target
sphere tangent to the top surface of the detector sub-module 42. A
larger radius corresponds to a larger raster height. The raster 23
is configured to shield scattering of the attenuated rays 122 to be
detected by the detector sub-module 42. The attenuated rays 122 to
be detected by the detector sub-modules 42 corresponding to target
spheres with different radiuses may be scattered to different
degrees due to respective different travel paths. Thus, raster
heights in the raster 23 are different.
[0052] In an example, the CT device 10 includes a controlling
module 18 including scanning table controlling unit 181, a scan
controlling unit 182 and a data collecting unit 183.
[0053] The scanning table controlling unit 181 is configured to
control the scanning table 15 to move. The scan controlling unit
182 is configured to control the rotation speeds and angular
orientations of the radiation source 12 and the detector 13. The
data collecting unit 183 is coupled to the detector 13 to collect
digital signals generated by the detector 13 and provide the
digital signals (hereinafter may also be referred to as data) to a
data processing module 16.
[0054] The data processing module 16 is configured to respectively
process the data from the detector sub-modules 42 corresponding to
target spheres with different radiuses in the same detector module
40. For example, the data processing module 16 is configured to
correct data differences caused by the attenuated rays 122 passing
through different paths and noise differences in the digital
signals based on different radiuses of target spheres. The data
processing module 16 is further configured to provide the processed
data to an image reconstructing module 17, which is configured to
reconstruct an image with the processed data.
[0055] The image reconstructed by the image reconstructing module
17 may be stored in a data storage apparatus 19. In an example, the
data storage apparatus 19 may store intermediate processing data
during an image reconstruction process. In some examples, the data
storage apparatus 19 may include, but not limited to, a magnetic
storage medium or an optical storage medium, such as a hard disk
and a storage chip.
[0056] In an example, the CT device 10 may also include an
inputting apparatus 20 and a displaying apparatus 21. The inputting
apparatus 20 is configured to receive an input from a user and may
include a keyboard and/or another user input apparatus. The
displaying apparatus 21 may be configured to display a
reconstructed image and/or other data. The displaying apparatus 21
may include a liquid crystal display, a cathode-ray tube display
and a plasma display and so on.
[0057] In an example, the CT device 10 may also include a processor
22. The processor 22 may be configured to receive instructions and
scanning parameters and so on that are input through the inputting
apparatus 20. The processor 22 may be configured to provide control
signals and control information to the scanning table controlling
unit 181, the scan controlling unit 182 and the data collecting
unit 183.
[0058] The data processing module 16, the image reconstructing
module 17, the controlling module 18 and the processor 22 of the CT
device 10 may be implemented through software and may also be
implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.
The CT device 10 also includes other components not shown in the
drawings. Taking software implementation as an example, the
processor 22 is further configured to receive raw data generated by
the detector; obtain processed data by correcting noise differences
in the raw data based on the different radiuses of the at least two
target spheres and reconstruct an image based on the processed
data.
[0059] The terms used herein are used for the purpose of describing
a particular example rather than limiting the present disclosure.
Unless otherwise stated, the technical terms or scientific terms
used in the present disclosure should have general meanings that
are understandable by persons of ordinary skills in the art. Unless
otherwise indicated, similar words such as "include" and "contain"
are intended to refer to that an element or an object appearing
before the word "include" and "contain" cover elements or objects
and equivalents listed after the word "include" and "contain" and
do not preclude other elements or objects. Similar words such as
"connect" and "couple" include physical connections, mechanical
connections and electrical connections, directly or indirectly. The
singular forms such as "a", `said", and "the" used in the present
disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include
multiple, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is
also to be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers
to any or all possible combinations that include one or more
associated listed items.
[0060] Examples described in detail herein with the examples
thereof expressed in the drawings. When the above descriptions
involve the drawings, like numerals in different drawings represent
like or similar elements unless stated otherwise. The
implementations described in the above examples do not represent
all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the
contrary, they are examples of an apparatus and a method consistent
with some aspects of the present disclosure described in detail in
the appended claims.
[0061] The examples of apparatuses described above are merely
illustrative and the units described as separate components may be
or not be physically separated, and the components displayed as
units may be or not be physical units, i.e., may be located in one
place, or may be distributed to a plurality of network units. Part
or all of the components may be selected according to actual
requirements to implement the objectives of the solutions in the
examples.
[0062] After considering the specification and practicing the
present disclosure, the persons of skill in the prior art may
easily conceive of other implementations of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure is intended to include any variations, uses
and adaptive changes of the present disclosure. These variations,
uses and adaptive changes follow the general principle of the
present disclosure and include common knowledge or conventional
technical means in the prior art not disclosed in the present
disclosure. The specification and examples herein are intended to
be illustrative only and the real scope and spirit of the present
disclosure are indicated by the claims of the present
disclosure.
[0063] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not
limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the
accompanying drawings and may be modified or changed without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of
protection of the present disclosure is limited only by the
appended claims.
* * * * *