Novel Laser Scanning Technology for Computed Radiography

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是提高计算机放射成像系统的尺寸，鲁棒性，患者吞吐量和图像质量。运营效率日益推动着行业向数字成像发展。计算机放射照相设备通常比数字放射照相系统便宜，但被认为提供的图像质量较低，患者吞吐量较低。我们的技术将使计算机放射照相在图像质量和吞吐量的基础上更有效地竞争，同时在资本支出方面保持其成本优势。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to improve the size, robustness, patient throughput and image quality of Computed Radiography systems. Operational efficiencies are increasingly driving the industry toward digital imaging. Computed radiography equipment is generally less expensive than digital radiography systems, but is perceived as offering somewhat lower image quality, and a lower patient throughput. Our technology would enable computed radiography to compete more effectively on an image quality and throughput basis, while maintaining its cost advantage in terms of capital expense. We propose to apply a technology that has recently become available, i.e. Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) arrays in the laser scanning source. VCSEL arrays can be fabricated monolithically on a single chip with a very precise spacing and good performance uniformity. The array can replace the flying spot scanners which use a single laser and a rotating mirror. This will result in a more compact and more robust scanner. In addition, the technology enables a linescan mode of operation. This ability shifts the normal trade-offs between scan speed and image quality to a more favorable point. Such linescan units have been demonstrated with discrete lasers, but the manufacturing of such systems is challenging. Our project will test the feasibility of this approach by evaluating the performance of available laser arrays, and then incorporating these laser arrays into a demonstration board that includes the VCSEL array, a lens array, and driver circuitry. The performance characteristics of the demo board relevant to computed radiography performance will be evaluated. The demonstration board will then be incorporated into a system, and the modulated transfer function (MTF) of the system will be measured and compared to a standard system. In a Phase II program, a full size prototype would be built, and the performance of scanners operated in both point scan and linescan mode would be fully characterized.