Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of(a) establishing a first electron-accelerating voltage potential between a first cathode and an anode;(b) establishing a second electron-accelerating voltage potential between a second cathode and said anode;(c) emitting a first plurality of electrons from said first cathode and toward said anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;(d) emitting a second plurality of electrons from said second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;(e) directing first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam in alternating pulses through a filter device so as to form an alternating pulse composite x-ray beam;(f) directing said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam with a detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals; and(g) generating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals;wherein said first electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic first kilovolt peak, said second electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic second kilovolt peak, and said second kilovolt peak is different from said first kilovolt peak. 2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said anode includes a single rotating target upon which said first plurality of electrons and said second plurality of electrons impinge. 3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed in an alternating manner. 4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said anode includes a first rotating target upon which said first plurality of electrons impinge, and said anode includes a second rotating target upon which said second plurality of electrons impinge. 5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed in an alternating manner. 6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said filter device includes a first filter and a second filter that respectively have different energy-absorbing characteristics. 7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam is formed so as to have a plurality of x-ray quantity-versus-energy peaks. 8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detector includes at least one array of multiple detector elements for generating said x-ray signals according to the energy intensity of said composite x-ray beam. 9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said x-ray image is generated so as to have differentiable energy-density characteristics on a display. 10. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of:(a) establishing a first electron-accelerating voltage potential between a first cathode and an anode;(b) establishing a second electron-accelerating voltage potential between a second cathode and said anode;(c) emitting a first plurality of electrons from said first cathode and toward said anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;(d) emitting a second plurality of electrons from said second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;(e) directing said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam through a filter device so as to form a composite x-ray beam;(f) directing said composite x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said composite x-ray beam with a detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals; and(g) generating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals;wherein said first electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic first kilovolt peak, said second electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic second kilovolt peak, and said second kilovolt peak is different from said first kilovolt peak;wherein said anode includes a first rotating target upon which said first plurality of electrons impinge, and said anode includes a second rotating target upon which said second plurality of electrons impinge; andwherein steps (c) and (d) are performed simultaneously. 11. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of:(a) establishing a first electron-accelerating voltage potential between a first cathode and an anode;(b) establishing a second electron-accelerating voltage potential between a second cathode and said anode;(c) emitting a first plurality of electrons from said first cathode and toward said anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;(d) emitting a second plurality of electrons from said second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;(e) directing said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam in an alternating fashion through a filter device so as to form an alternating pulse composite x-ray beam having a plurality of x-ray quantity-versus-energy peaks;(f) directing said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam with an energy-differentiating detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals according to the energy intensity of said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam; and(g) generating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals so that said x-ray image has differentiable energy-density characteristics on a display;wherein said first electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic first kilovolt peak, said second electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic second kilovolt peak, and said second kilovolt peak is different from said first kilovolt peak. 12. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said anode includes a single rotating target upon which said first plurality of electrons and said second plurality of electrons impinge, and steps (c) and (d) are performed in an alternating manner. 13. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of:(a) establishing a first electron-accelerating voltage potential between a first cathode and an anode;(b) establishing a second electron-accelerating voltage potential between a second cathode and said anode;(c) emitting a first plurality of electrons from said first cathode and toward said anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;(d) emitting a second plurality of electrons from said second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;(e) directing said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam through a filter device so as to form a composite x-ray beam having a plurality of x-ray quantity-versus-energy peaks;(f) directing said composite x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said composite x-ray beam with an energy-differentiating detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals according to the energy intensity of said composite x-ray beam; and(g) generating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals so that said x-ray image has differentiable energy-density characteristics on a display;wherein said first electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic first kilovolt peak, said second electron-accelerating voltage potential has a characteristic second kilovolt peak, and said second kilovolt peak is different from said first kilovolt peak;wherein said anode includes a first rotating target upon which said first plurality of electrons impinge, said anode includes a second rotating target upon which said second plurality of electrons impinge, and steps (c) and (d) are performed simultaneously. 14. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of:emitting a first plurality of electrons from a first cathode and toward an anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;emitting a second plurality of electrons from a second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;directing said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam alternately through a filter device so as to form an x-ray beam with alternating characteristics;directing said alternating characteristic x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said alternating characteristic x-ray beam with a detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals; andgenerating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals;wherein said filter device includes a first filter and a second filter that respectively have different energy-absorbing characteristics; andwherein said filter device is operable to rotatably interchange the respective positions of said first filter and said second filter as said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam are respectively directed through said filter device. 15. A method of scanning a patient, said method comprising the steps of:emitting a first plurality of electrons from a first cathode and toward an anode so that said first plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a first x-ray beam;emitting a second plurality of electrons from a second cathode and toward said anode so that said second plurality of electrons impinge on said anode and thereby generate a second x-ray beam;directing said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam in an alternating fashion through a filter device so as to form a alternating pulse composite x-ray beam having a plurality of x-ray quantity-versus-energy peaks;directing said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam through said patient and thereafter receiving said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam with an energy-differentiating detector so as to accordingly generate x-ray signals according to the energy intensity of said alternating pulse composite x-ray beam; andgenerating an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals so that said x-ray image has differentiable energy-density characteristics on a display;wherein said filter device includes a first filter and a second filter that respectively have different energy-absorbing characteristics, and said filter device is operable to rotatably interchange the respective positions of said first filter and said second filter as said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam are respectively directed through said filter device. 16. A system for scanning a patient, said system comprising:a first cathode operable to emit a first plurality of electrons;a second cathode operable to emit a second plurality of electrons;an anode for thereon impinging said first plurality of electrons and said second plurality of electrons in an alternating fashion so as to respectively generate a first x-ray beam alternating with a second x-ray beam;a filter device operable to filter said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam so as to form an alternating pulse composite x-ray beam;a detector operable to receive said composite x-ray beam after being directed through said patient and accordingly generate x-ray signals;a display operable to generate an x-ray image in response to said x-ray signals; andat least one controller electrically coupled to said first cathode, said second cathode, said anode, said filter device, said detector, and said display;wherein said filter device includes a first filter and a second filter that respectively have different energy-absorbing characteristics; andwherein said controller is operable to control said filter device so as to rotatably interchange the respective positions of said first filter and said second filter as said first x-ray beam and said second x-ray beam are respectively directed through said filter device. 17. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said anode is rotatable. 18. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said anode includes a single rotatable target upon which said first plurality of electrons and said second plurality of electrons can impinge. 19. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said anode includes a first rotatable target upon which said first plurality of electrons can impinge, and said anode includes a second rotatable target upon which said second plurality of electrons can impinge. 20. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said detector includes at least one array of multiple detector elements for generating said x-ray signals according to the energy intensity of said composite x-ray beam.