LOW-DOSE X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM

Abstract

A back illuminated sensor is included as a collector component of a detector for use in intraoral and extraoral 2D and 3D dental radiography, digital tomosynthesis, photon-counting computed tomography, positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The disclosed imaging method includes one or more intraoral or extraoral emitters for emitting a low-dose gamma ray or x-ray beam through an examination area; and one or more intraoral or extraoral detectors for receiving the beam, each detector including a back illuminated sensor. Within the detector, the beam is converted into light and then focused and collected at a photocathode layer without passing through the wiring layer of the back illuminated sensor.

Claims

1-53. (canceled)

54. An imaging method, comprising the steps of: (a) causing a radiation beam to travel from an emitter through an examination area for receipt at a detector; (b) using a converter within the detector, transforming the radiation beam that is received into light; (c) using a collector within the detector, transforming the light into electrical signals representative of digital images corresponding to the examination area, the collector comprising photosensitive areas and a wiring layer, wherein the collector is oriented and configured such that, relative to a direction of travel of the light, the photosensitive areas are located in front of the wiring layer, whereby that the light encounters the photosensitive areas without first passing through the wiring layer; and (d) using a transmitter within the detector, transmitting from the detector based on the electrical signals data representative of digital images for display of the digital images on a computing device.

55. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises noise filtering the data representative of digital images.

56. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the detector comprises a pixel gate and has a pixel size from 0.01 microns to 500 microns.

57. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises compiling, based on the data, a series of digital images into a video having a video frame rate ranging from 1 to 10,000 frames per second.

58. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the detector is an intraoral or internal detector.

59. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the detector is an extraoral or external detector.

60. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the beam caused to be emitted comprises one or more intraoral or extraoral sources from the group of electromagnetic radiation, magnetic resonance, positron-emitting radionuclide, and single-photon emission tracer.

61. The imaging method of claim 54, further comprising rotating the emitter, the detector, or both around the examination area using a rotational support and motor.

62-63. (canceled)

64. An imaging method, comprising the steps of: (a) causing a radiation beam to travel from an emitter through an examination area for receipt at a detector; (b) transforming the radiation beam that is received by the detector into light; (c) transforming the light within the detector into electrical signals representative of digital images corresponding to the examination area, the detector comprising photosensitive areas that the light encounters without first passing through any wiring layer of the detector; and (d) transmitting from the detector based on the electrical signals data representative of digital images of the examination area for display of the digital images on a computing device.

65. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the method further comprises noise filtering the data representative of digital images.

66. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the detector comprises a pixel gate and has a pixel size from 0.01 microns to 500 microns.

67. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the method further comprises compiling, based on the data, a series of digital images into a video having a video frame rate ranging from 1 to 10,000 frames per second.

68. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the detector is an intraoral or internal detector.

69. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the detector is an extraoral or external detector.

70. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the beam caused to be emitted comprises one or more intraoral or extraoral sources from the group of electromagnetic radiation, magnetic resonance, positron-emitting radionuclide, and single-photon emission tracer.

71. The imaging method of claim 64, further comprising rotating the emitter, the detector, or both around the examination area using a rotational support and motor.

72-73. (canceled)

74. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the data is transmitted using analog to digital converters.

75. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the data is transmitted using analog to digital converters.

76. The imaging method of claim 54, wherein the emitter, the detector, or both, are mounted to a wall or ceiling by appropriate supports, or are handheld or portable.

77. The imaging method of claim 64, wherein the emitter, the detector, or both, are mounted to a wall or ceiling by appropriate supports, or are handheld or portable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] One or more preferred embodiments of the present invention now will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0053] FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of steps of a method performed by a detector in imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0054] FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of steps of a method performed by a computing device in imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a detector in imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0057] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a front illuminated architecture including a wiring layer and photocathode layer in a conventional sensor.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a back illuminated architecture including a wiring layer and photocathode layer as found in preferred embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0060] Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

[0061] Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.

[0062] Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.

[0063] Regarding applicability in the United States of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) with regard to claim construction, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.

[0064] Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”

[0065] When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers”, “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese”, and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”

[0066] Additionally, as used herein “low-dose” in the context of x-rays and gamma rays is intended to mean “an x-ray or gamma ray beam comprising a low milliamperes setting below the conventional dental imaging standard of 2.5 to 15 milliamperes.”

[0067] Referring now to the drawings, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.

[0068] Turning now to FIG. 1, a schematic illustration of imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is described. In this respect, a back illuminated sensor preferably is included as a collector component of a detector 2 for use in intraoral and extraoral 2D and 3D dental radiography, digital tomosynthesis, photon-counting computed tomography and PET/SPECT. Specifically, an emitter 1 produces a beam 6 that travels through a patient examination area 7 and that is received at the detector 2. The beam 6 emitted comprises gamma radiation or x-rays (both of which are generally referred to herein simply as x-rays). The detector 2 is shown in FIG. 1 as an extraoral or external detector.

[0069] As schematically represented in FIG. 1A, certain steps preferably are performed within the detector 2, including a step 12 of transforming the beam 6 that is received at the detector 2 into light using a converter; a step 14 of capturing and amplifying electric signals using a collector within the detector to collect the light as it passes to a photocathode layer of the collector without first passing through a wiring layer of the collector, and to convert the light into electrical signals representative of digital images corresponding to the patient examination area 7; and a step 16 of transmitting from the detector 2, based on the electric signals, data representative of digital images for display of digital images to a user on a computing device. The detector 2 is further discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 3.

[0070] Computing devices of users are schematically shown in FIG. 1 as including a desktop or laptop computer 4, a tablet 8, and a smartphone 10. The transmission of the data that is performed at step 16 within the detector preferably is received by such a computing device. Specifically, FIG. 1B schematically shows certain steps preferably performed within such a computing device, including the step 22 of receiving at such computing device the data transmitted from the detector 2 at step 16; the step 24 of processing, noise filtering, reconstructing, and enhancing the received data; and the step 26 of displaying the 2D or 3D digital images to a user on a display of the computing device.

[0071] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of imaging apparatus and methods similar to the illustration of FIG. 1, but in which a back illuminated sensor preferably is included as a collector component in each of two or more detectors 102 for use in photon-counting computed tomography, PET and SPECT in the dental context and digital tomosynthesis. Furthermore, each detector 102 is shown as being mounted on a common support 105 for rotational movement around the patient examination area 107. The emitter 101 is shown in FIG. 2 as being an intraoral or internal source inside of the patient (including, for example, a positron-emitting radiotracer source, or a single-photon emission tracer) as emitting radiation 106.

[0072] It will be appreciated that while detector 2 and detectors 102 have been shown as extraoral or external detectors in the disclosed embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, intraoral or internal detectors can be used in other embodiments of the invention. In any such instance, any detector used preferably includes a collector in which the light is collected at a photocathode layer without passing through a wiring layer. In accordance therewith, the light preferably is collected using a back illuminated sensor such that in the detector beam 206 is converted into light and then focused, filtered, and collected at a photocathode layer without passing through the wiring layer.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a detector used in imaging apparatus and methods in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The direction of travel of beam 206 comprising low-dose gamma rays or X-rays for detection by the detector is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the detector comprises a housing 202 in which is contained and enclosed a coating layer 208, a converter 210, a focusing arrangement 211 (including, for example, a grid), a collector 212, and a transmitter 214. The focusing arrangement 211 preferably comprises a microlens array.

[0074] The collector 212 preferably includes a back illuminated sensor. In this regard, FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a front illuminated architecture including a wiring layer 304 and photocathode layer 302 in a conventional sensor, and for comparison FIG. 5 illustrates a back illuminated architecture including a wiring layer 304 and photocathode layer 302 as found in preferred embodiments of the invention. As seen in FIG. 4, light is collected at area 309 behind wiring layer 304 relative to the direction of travel of light 308 through pixel gate 310, whereas in FIG. 5, light is collected at area 309 before wiring layer 304 relative to the direction of travel of the light 308 through the pixel gate 310.

[0075] Based on the foregoing description, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. For example, one or more of the emitters and detectors may be mounted to a wall or ceiling by appropriate supports, or may be handheld and portable. Rotational support apparatus for the emitters and detectors also may be provided as disclosed, for example, in incorporated references, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,430,563.

[0076] Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.