Spiral scan computed tomography apparatus with multiple x-ray sources

US5604778A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Arkadiusz Polacin · Erlangen, DE
• Christoph Suess · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 11, 1995
• Grant date: Feb 18, 1997
• Expiry date: Oct 11, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2223/612
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A spiral scan computed tomography apparatus has multiple x-ray sources with their respective foci symmetrically arranged on a circle concentric with a measurement field around which the x-ray sources are rotated in order to spirally scan an examination subject while a relative motion between the x-ray sources and a patient support is produced along a longitudinal direction of the patient support. X-rays attenuated by the examination subject are detected by a stationary detector ring, or by a number of detector arrays which co-rotate with the x-ray sources on the gantry. The scan time can thereby be decreased in comparison to known systems or, within the same scan time a higher x-ray power can be achieved.