Patent ID: 6501820
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: A61B,G01N,H05G

Abstract:
A method for scanning an examination subject comprising the steps of:disposing an examination subject in a computed tomography scanner having an x-ray radiator with a focus from which an x-ray beam emanates, and having a radiation detector; scanning said examination subject in said scanner by rotating at least said focus around a system axis to irradiate said subject from a plurality of different directions, said detector system producing scanning data dependent on x-rays incident thereon respectively from said different directions; during said scanning of said subject, automatically detecting entry of a body part of an examiner into a first volumetric region and, upon detection of entry of said body part into said region, automatically reducing an effective amount of said x-rays in said first volumetric region, compared to an effective amount of x-rays in a second volumetric region of a same size and at a same distance from said system axis in which no body part of the examiner is disposed; and detecting parameters associated with said body part of said examiner selected from the group consisting of size, position and movement direction, and automatically setting a size of said first volumetric region dependent on at least one of said parameters.