US 11,675,096 B2
Photon-counting X-ray detector and method for operating a photon-counting X-ray detector
Edgar Goederer, Forchheim (DE); Martin Hupfer, Erlangen (DE); Bjoern Kreisler, Hausen (DE); and Martin Petersilka, Adelsdorf (DE)
Assigned to SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/116,068.
Claims priority of application No. 19217565 (EP), filed on Dec. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0190979 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. G01T 1/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01T 1/247 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photon-counting X-ray detector comprising:
a converter element to convert X-rays into electric signals, the converter element including a first electrode and a plurality of sensor pixel electrodes, wherein a detection volume of the converter element is created between each sensor pixel electrode and the first electrode; and
a plurality of pixel elements, each sensor pixel electrode and each detection volume of the converter element being assigned to a respective pixel element of the plurality of pixel elements, wherein
a first signal processing stage of each respective pixel element processes the electric signals from the pixel element assigned to the respective pixel element, the first signal processing stage including at least one signal amplifier and at least one comparator to provide a digital pixel signal at a respective signal output of the first signal processing stage of the respective pixel element, and
the respective signal outputs of the first signal processing stage of at least one group of pixel elements being coupled via signal technology to a common second signal processing stage, the common second signal processing stage including
a multiplicity of digital logic elements to digitally process the digital pixel signals provided, and
a configurable switching matrix for interconnecting, via signal technology, at least one partial number of the multiplicity of digital logic elements with the respective signal outputs of the first signal processing stage of the at least one group of pixel elements, to provide, following a configuration of the configurable switching matrix, a processing chain for digital processing of the digital pixel signals provided for each respective signal output of the first signal processing stage of the at least one group of pixel elements.