Patent ID: 6078639
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
A continuous CT scanner for producing a real time image comprising:a stationary gantry portion having an examination region;a rotating gantry portion for continuous rotation about the examination region;an imaging x-ray source mounted to the rotating gantry portion which produces a fan shaped x-ray beam having a plurality of rays through the examination region;a plurality of radiation detectors mounted to one of the rotating and stationary gantry portions and arranged to receive rays of the fan shaped x-ray beam from the imaging x-ray source after the rays pass through the examination region, wherein the plurality of radiation detectors convert detected radiation into electronic data, the electronic data including a plurality of data lines in a fan-beam format;a rebinning processor which interpolates the electronic data from the fan-beam format to a parallel-beam format, said rebinning processor including:a first rolling buffer which stores the electronic data generated by the radiation detectors;an angular view filter which filters the electronic data; and,a second rolling buffer;wherein, the angular view filter retrieves the electronic data from the first rolling buffer, filters the electronic data, and writes the filtered electronic data into a preset location in the second rolling buffer which stores the filtered electronic data such that the rebinning processor accesses the filtered electronic data stored in the second rolling buffer for interpolation into the parallel-beam format; and,a reconstruction processor which convolves and backprojects the electronic data in the parallel-beam format to form in real time an image representation of a subject within the examination region.