Patent ID: 7082182
Filing Date: 2006-07-25
Classification: A61B,B82Y,G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method to operate a computed tomography device, the computed tomography device including an x-ray source, the x-ray source comprising a cathode with a plurality of individually programmable electron emitting units that each emit an electron beam upon an application of an electric field, an anode target that emits an x-ray beam upon impact by the emitted electron beam, a collimator, and an x-ray detecting unit, the method comprising: applying the electric field to at least a first of the plurality of individually programmable electron emitting units to cause the emission of an electron beam; focusing the emitted electron beam at one of a plurality of focal points on the anode target; impacting the anode target with the emitted electron beam to form an emitted x-ray radiation beam; collimating the emitted x-ray radiation beam; passing the collimated x-ray radiation beam through an object; detecting the x-ray radiation beam with the x-ray detecting unit; and recording the detected x-ray radiation beam as an x-ray radiation image, wherein the object is on an object stage and the method further comprises: rotating the object on the object stage through a set of angles; and repeating, after each rotation of the object, the steps of applying, focusing, impacting, collimating, passing, detecting, and recording to obtain a series of x-ray radiation images.