Patent ID: 8737567

Claim:
A system comprising: a gantry that annularly encompasses at least a portion of a subject; a source positioned within and movable relative to the gantry, the source configured to (i) receive a signal, and (ii) emit at least one pulse of x-rays; a detector positioned within and movable relative to the gantry and the source, wherein the detector is configured to detect the at least one pulse of x-rays emitted by the source; a detector control module configured to generate data based on the detected at least one pulse of x-rays; and an image acquisition control module configured to (i) determine whether the source is to provide an output with two pulses or a single energy output (ii) generate the signal for the source based on the determination, (ii) receive the data, and (iii) reconstruct an image based on the data, wherein the source is configured to, in response to the signal indicating for the source to provide the output with the two pulses, emitting from the source a first pulse and a second pulse, and in response to the signal indicating for the source to provide the single energy output, emitting from the source a third pulse, wherein the at least one pulse of x-rays comprises (i) the first pulse and the second pulse, or (ii) the third pulse, and wherein the third pulse has a different magnitude or a different pulse width than at least one of the first pulse and the second pulse.