Phase contrast imaging

US9084528B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KONINIKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. · NL

Inventors

• Dieter Geller · Aachen, DE
• Klaus Juergen Engel · Aachen, DE
• Gereon Vogtmeier · Aachen, DE
• Thomas Koehler · Norderstedt, DE
• Ewald Roessl · Ellerau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 3, 2010
• Grant date: Jul 21, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B6/4441
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

X-ray devices for Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) are often built up with the help of gratings. For large field-of-views (FOV), production cost and complexity of these gratings could increase significantly as they need to have a focused geometry. Instead of a pure PCI with a large FOV, this invention suggests to combine a traditional absorption X-ray-imaging system with large-FOV with an insertable low-cost PCI system with small-FOV, The invention supports the user to direct the PCI system with reduced FOV to a region that he regards as most interesting for performing a PCI scan thus eliminating X-ray dose exposure for scanning regions not interesting for a radiologist. The PCI scan may be generated on the basis of local tomography.