An analyzer (124) includes a quantifier (204) configured to quantify an amount of contrast material representing scar tissue created by ablation for tissue of interest in contrast enhanced imaging data and a recommender (210) configured to generate a signal indicative of a recommendation to further ablate the tissue of interest in response to the quantified amount of the contrast material not satisfying a pre-determined threshold. A method includes obtaining contrast enhanced image data indicative of scar tissue created by ablation of tissue of interest, quantifying an amount of contrast material for the scar tissue in the tissue of interest, and generating a signal indicative of a recommendation to further ablate the tissue of interest in response to the quantified amount of the contrast material not satisfying a pre-determined threshold.

A method is for processing a first image data set including a first image value tuple associated with a volume element of a region of an object to be imaged. In an embodiment, a second image data set is generated based upon the first image data set, including a second image value tuple associated with the volume element, a base material decomposition being capable of being carried based upon the second image data set and based upon a base material set; a starting area and a target area are selected as a function of the base material set, the first image value tuple being located in the starting area; the second image value tuple is ascertained based upon the first image value tuple, the second image value tuple being associated with the first image value tuple via image value tuple imaging and being located in the target area.

An apparatus for determining material property, includes: an interface configured to obtain a first HU value associated with a first image of an object, and to obtain a second HU value associated with a second image of the object, wherein the first image is created using a first energy having a first energy level, and wherein the second image is created using a second energy having a second energy level that is different from the first energy level; and a processing unit configured to determine a weighted property value for the object based at least in part on the first HU value and the second HU value.

There is provided a circuit (502; 503; 504) configured for operation with a multi-bin photon-counting x-ray detector (20) having multiple energy thresholds, wherein said circuit (502; 503; 504) is configured to obtain or generate several Total Time-Over-Threshold (TTOT) signals corresponding to several different energy thresholds, and provide energy integrating information based on said several TTOT signals.

The invention relates to an X-ray detector device (10) for detection of X-ray radiation at an inclined angle relative to the X-ray radiation, an X-ray imaging system (1), an X-ray imaging method, and a computer program element for controlling such device or system for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The X-ray detector device (10) comprises a cathode surface (11) and an anode surface (12). The cathode surface (11) and the anode surface (12) are displaced by a separation layer (13) allowing charge transport (T) between the cathode surface (11) and the anode surface (12) in response to X-ray radiation incident during operation on the cathode surface (11). The anode surface (12) is segmented into anode pixels (121) and the cathode surface (11) is segmented into cathode pixels (111). At least one of the cathode pixels (111) is assigned to at least one of the anode pixels (121) in a coupling direction (C) inclined relative to the cathode surface (11). At least one of the cathode pixels (111) is configured to be at a voltage offset relative to an adjacent cathode pixel and at least one of the anode pixels (121) is configured to be at a voltage offset relative to an adjacent anode pixel (121). The voltage offset is configured to converge the charge transport (T) in a direction parallel to the coupling direction (C).

A photon-counting X-ray computed tomography (CT) apparatus of an embodiment includes photon-counting CT detection circuitry, integral CT detection circuitry, switching circuitry, and a feedback capacitance. Photon-counting CT detection circuitry outputs count values for respective energy bins, based on voltage pulses output from a feedback capacitance with electric charges output from an X-ray detection element configured to detect incident X-rays. Integral CT detection circuitry outputs an integral value, based on the voltage pulses output from the feedback capacitance with the electric charges output from the X-ray detection element. Switching circuitry switches between a case of transmitting the electric charges output from the X-ray detection element to the photon-counting CT detection circuitry and a case of transmitting the electric charges output from the X-ray detection element to the integral CT detection circuitry. The feedback capacitance is connected with the photon-counting CT detection circuitry and the integral CT detection circuitry in parallel.

A method includes receiving radiation with a hybrid data detection system of an imaging system. The hybrid data detection system includes a hybrid data detector array with a set of spectral detectors and a set of integrating detectors that are arranged along a transverse axis of an examination region. The method further includes generating a set of truncated spectral projections with the first set of spectral detectors. The method further includes estimating a set of spectral projections for the integrating detectors. The method further includes combining the set of truncated spectral projections and the estimated set of spectral projections. The method further includes estimating a set of spectral projections based on the combined set to produce a complete set of spectral projections. The method further includes processing the complete set of spectral projections to generate volumetric image data.

There is provided a method and corresponding system and apparatus for image reconstruction based on image data from a photon-counting multi-bin x-ray detector. The method includes determining (S1) parameter(s) of a given functional form of the relationship between comparator settings expressed in voltage in the read-out chain of the x-ray detector and the corresponding energy threshold values expressed in energy based on a fitting procedure between a first set of data representative of a measured pulse height spectrum and a second set of data representative of a reference pulse height spectrum. The method also includes performing (S2) image reconstruction based on the image data and the determined parameter(s). In this way, efficient high-quality image reconstruction can be achieved.

A method for image reconstruction is disclosed, based upon a first plurality of spectral raw data sets. The method includes forming a second plurality of virtual raw data sets; reconstructing an auxiliary image data set on the basis of a virtual raw data set. A first material is selected from a material group which comprises a plurality of materials. Material-specific maps are generated for a number of second materials of the material group. A determination of material line integrals take place, for the second materials with forward projection of the respective material-specific map. Subsequently, synthetic projection data sets are determined for each material. Finally, a reconstruction of at least one image data set takes place on the basis of the synthetic projection data sets for a number of materials of the material group. An image reconstruction device and a computed tomography system are also disclosed.

A system and corresponding method for detecting one or more high-atomic-number elements in a patient includes a Bremsstrahlung x-ray source that produces x-rays in an energy spectrum including an energy of at least 160 kiloelectron-volts (keV), a filter configured to absorb the x-rays in a region of the energy spectrum, and a collimator configured to receive the x-rays and output a collimated x-ray beam to be incident on a patient. The system and method can also include one or more collimated, energy-resolving x-ray detectors to detect fluorescent radiation emitted from the one or more high-atomic-number elements in the patient in response to the collimated x-ray beam incident on the patient. An alternative x-ray source can include a radioactive isotope. Scanning of the x-ray beam may also be performed. Embodiments enable practical clinical, in vivo measurements of lead in bone.