Patent · US Expired

Methods and apparatus for modulating x-ray tube current

US5696807A · kind A · utility

48Cited by
4References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 5, 1996
Grant dateDec 9, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 5, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05G1/44
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention, in one form, is a system for modulating x-ray tube current as a function of gantry angle and slice location in a computed tomography system. In one embodiment, a desired noise level for a final image is selected, and a desired minimum x-ray photon reading and a desired average x-ray photon reading are identified to produce an image in accordance with the desired noise level. During scanning, actual x-ray photon readings are used with the desired average x-ray photon reading and the desired minimum x-ray photon reading to generate an x-ray modulating factor. This modulating factor is then used to modulate the x-ray tube current.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.