EP-4735915-A1 - MODULAR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY DETECTOR CONFIGURATION

EP4735915A1EP 4735915 A1EP4735915 A1EP 4735915A1EP-4735915-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a detection system (100) for a computed tomography system (200). The detection system (100) comprises a first detector (110) and a second detector (120), each detector being configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200) impinging onto the respective detector. The detection system further comprises a repositioning mechanism (130) configured for repositioning at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) with respect to the other one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120).

Inventors

KOEHLER, THOMAS
VOGTMEIER, GEREON
JOHNSON, MARK THOMAS
WEISS, STEFFEN

Assignees

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240617

Claims (1)

CLAIMS: 1. A detection system (100) for a computed tomography system (200), the detection system comprising a first detector (110) configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200) impinging onto the first detector (110); a second detector (120) configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200) impinging onto the second detector (120); and a repositioning mechanism (130) configured for repositioning at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) with respect to the other one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120); wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) comprises a guiding mechanism configured for guiding the at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) along a predetermined track from a first position to a second position, and/or wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) comprises a rotating mechanism configured for rotating the at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) with respect to a rotational axis essentially parallel to a direction of the X-ray radiation; wherein the first detector (110) and/or the second detector (120) comprises an anti-scatter grid (160) configured for suppressing scattered X-ray radiation reaching the respective detector, wherein the anti-scatter grid (160) is configured for aligning a focus of the anti-scatter grid (160) with respect to an X-ray source (210) of the computed tomography system (200); and wherein the anti-scatter grid (160) is a one -dimensional anti-scatter grid, and wherein the anti-scatter grid (160) is configured for adjusting a direction of grid lines of the one -dimensional antiscatter grid with respect to an aspect ratio of a detection area (140) of the computed tomography system (200). 2. The detection system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) are configured for forming a detection area (140) of the computed tomography system (200). 3. The detection system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) is configured for adjusting an aspect ratio of the detection area (140) of the computed tomography system (200). 4. The detection system (100) according to any of claims 2 to 3, wherein the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) are configured for forming the detection area (140) essentially without a gap in-between the first detector (110) and the second detector (120). 5. The detection system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) comprises a locking mechanism configured for locking in place the at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) in at least one of the first position and the second position. 6. The detection system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) is configured for adjusting an angular tilt of the first detector (110) and/or the second detector (120) with respect to a direction of the X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200). 7. The detection system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second detector (120) differs from the first detector (110) with respect to a spectral response to the X-ray radiation. 8. The detection system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detection system (100) comprises at least one third detector configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200) impinging onto the third detector, and wherein the repositioning mechanism (130) is configured for repositioning the at least one third detector with respect to the first detector (110) and the second detector (120). 9. A computed tomography system (200), the computed tomography system comprising the detection system (100) according to any of claims 1 to 8; an X-ray source (210) configured for emitting X-ray radiation; and a collimator (220) configured for collimating the X-ray radiation to a detection area (140) formed by the first detector (110) and the second detector (120). 10. A method of imaging a subject (150) with a computed tomography system (200) according to claim 9, the method comprising the steps of: providing (SI 10) a computed tomography system (200) according to claim 9; determining (S120) a detection area (140) for imaging the subject (150); repositioning (S 130) at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) with respect to the other one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) to form the determined detection area (140); and imaging (S140) the subject (150). 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method comprises the step of locking in place the at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120) after the step of repositioning the at least one of the first detector (110) and the second detector (120). 12. The method according to any of claims 10 or 11, wherein the method comprises the step of adjusting an angular tilt of the first detector (110) and/or the second detector ( 120) with respect to a direction of the X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system (200).

Description

MODULAR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY DETECTOR CONFIGURATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a detection system for a computed tomography system, a computed tomography system comprising the detection system, and a method of imaging a subject with the computed tomography system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Today computed tomography CT imaging systems are quite expensive due to the large detector area that has to be provided due to the required coverage in both, the direction of the longitudinal extension of the patient to be imaged and the direction of the rotational scanning movement of the CT system. However, not in all cases a large detector is necessary and, depending on the application, a smaller field of view of the detection system, i.e. the extension of the detector in the rotation direction, may be acceptable. At the same time, a larger coverage in patient direction, i.e. the longitudinal axis of the scanning movement of the CT scanner, either allows for a faster scan to avoid movement artifacts and also reduces total scan time and/or allows for scanning of dynamic events. CN 104 983 439 A describes a computed tomography scanner including a rotating disc provided with a plurality of flat panel detectors. US 2020/323500 Al describes a medical imaging system including a detector configured to detect radiation that has passed a collimator, wherein the detector includes a plurality of detector tiles and at least one detector tile is movebale with respect to other detector tiles. JP H03 279887 A describes a nuclear medicine apparatus including a plurality of radiation detectors arranged adjacent to each other at an angle with respect to their detection surfaces. The inventors of the present invention have thus found that it would be advantageous to have an improved detection system for a computed tomography system that at least partially solves these problems and allows an adjustment of the detection area of the computed tomography system in order adapt to the needs of the specific imaging procedure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved detection system for a computed tomography system that allows flexible adaption of the detection area to the needs of a specific imaging procedure. The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims. The described embodiments similarly pertain to the detection system for a computed tomography system, the computed tomography system comprising the detection system, and the method of imaging a subject with the computed tomography system. The embodiments described further may be combined in any possible way. Synergistic effects may arise from different combinations of the embodiments although they might not be described in detail. Further on, it shall be noted that all embodiments of the present invention concerning a method might be carried out with the order of the steps as described, nevertheless this has not to be the only and essential order of the steps of the method. The herein presented methods can be carried out with another order of the disclosed steps without departing from the respective method embodiment, unless explicitly mentioned to the contrary hereinafter. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a detection system for a computed tomography system. The detection system comprises a first detector configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system impinging onto the first detector, and a second detector configured for detecting X-ray radiation of the computed tomography system impinging onto the second detector. The detection system further comprises a repositioning mechanism configured for repositioning at least one of the first detector and the second detector with respect to the other one of the first detector and the second detector. Thus, a modular concept for reconfigurable detector sub-areas that can be moved to different positions is provided. The detection system can thus be adapted to different required area coverages as detector sub-areas may be moved to different positions. Different geometry setups of the detection system can be used for imaging and flexibility in positioning of the detection system with different configurations is provided. Different geometry settings of the detection area of the computed tomography system can be preferred for different applications. For example, for brain scans, pediatric imaging or extremity imaging, the complete field of view of the detection system in the rotation direction of the computed tomography scanner may be not required as the object to be imaged can be smaller in size than the maximum field of view of the detection system. However, increasing the extension of the coverage of the detection system in the patient direction may be quite interesting, as doubling the detector cover