Patent US6275559B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6275559B1
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Method and system for diagnosing faults in imaging scanners
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1999-10-08
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Granted: 2001-08-14
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Expires: 2019-10-08
Abstract
Abstract A system is provided for identifying faults in a non-OEM computed tomography system having components in connection with the detectors to reconstruct an image. Then, correlation values are derived from baseline reference data files and current data files collected after a fault is suspected in the CT system. The correlation values are compared against a threshold to identify suspect detectors and a pattern recognition algorithm is applied to determine if the suspect detectors are faulty or if one of the components processing the output signals has failed. If baseline files are unavailable, the identification of faulty components is accomplished by performing correlation between the current data files and average profile values.
Inventors
- 👤 Vipin Kewal Ramani
- 👤 Rasiklal Punjalal Shah
- 👤 Peter Michael Edic
- 👤 Shankar Visvanathan Guru
- 👤 Abdalmajeid Musa Alyassin
- 👤 Randal Vincent Dusing
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 08:09
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0007; A; A61; A61B; A61B6/00; A61B6/58; A61B6/582; A61B6/583
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A diagnostic system for identifying faults in an imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components in connection with the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the plurality of detectors, said diagnostic system comprising: a memory storing at least one current data file which includes data output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system; and a processor in connection with the memory for processing said at least one current data file to identify faulty detector and component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A diagnostic system for identifying faults in an imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components in connection with the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the plurality of detectors, said diagnostic system comprising: a memory storing at least one current data file which includes data output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system; and a processor in connection with the memory for processing said at least one current data file to identify faulty detector and component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic system is used to identify faults in a non-OEM imaging system by only utilizing non-proprietary information contained in said at least one current data file.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one current data file includes at least one of the following: detector output signal data, source fan data, detector fan data, filtered data, convolved data, and image data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is a computed tomography system having a radiation source projecting a fan beam of radiation and the output signals generated by the detectors are proportional to the intensity of radiation impinging at each respective detector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The diagnostic system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one current data file includes a plurality of profiles collected at a plurality of scan angles, each respective of said plurality of profiles including measurement values representative of intensity signals from the detectors, wherein said plurality of profiles are used to reconstruct a cross-sectional image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one current data file includes a plurality of current measurement values P ik , each of the measurement values P ik corresponding to the signals generated by the i th detector at k th profile.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The diagnostic system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate average profile values P k which are calculated as follows: P k = ∑ i = 1 m P ik i .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain correlation values by correlating the measurement values P ik with the average profile values P k , wherein the correlation values are calculated as follows: C i =corr ( P ik , P k ).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The diagnostic system of claim 8 , wherein the correlation values are compared against a threshold to identify detectors which are suspected of faulty operations.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a predetermined pattern of suspect detectors has occurred based on the correlation values, and further wherein the processor is configured to identify a faulty component which corresponds to such predetermined pattern.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The diagnostic system of claim 6 , wherein the memory stores at least one baseline reference data file which includes data output by one of the plurality of components while the imaging system is operating properly.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The diagnostic system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one baseline reference data file includes a plurality of baseline reference measurement values B ik , each of the baseline reference measurement values B ik corresponding to the signals generated by the i th detector at k th profile.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The diagnostic system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain correlation values by correlating the current measurement values P ik with the baseline reference measurement values B ik , wherein the correlation values are calculated as follows: C i =corr ( P ik , B ik ).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The diagnostic system of claim 13 , wherein the correlation values are compared against a threshold to identify detectors which are suspected of faulty operations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a predetermined pattern of suspect detectors has occurred based on the correlation values, and further wherein the processor is configured to identify a faulty component which corresponds to such predetermined pattern.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The diagnostic system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface in connection with the processor for displaying possible faulty components in the computed tomography system and recommend repair procedure actions based on identified failures.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
176 words
A diagnostic system for identifying faults in a non-OEM imaging system without utilizing proprietary information, said non-OEM imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components in connection with the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the plurality of detectors, said diagnostic system comprising: means for collecting at least one current data file including data output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system, said at least one current data file including processed output signals generated by said plurality of detectors at a plurality of scan angles; means for obtaining at least one baseline reference data file including data that would be output by said one of the plurality of components if the imaging system is operating faultlessly; means for comparing said at least one current data file with said at least one baseline reference data file using a correlation operation to produce correlation values; and means for identifying faulty detector and component based on the correlation values.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
176 words
A diagnostic system for identifying faults in a non-OEM imaging system without utilizing proprietary information, said non-OEM imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components in connection with the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the plurality of detectors, said diagnostic system comprising: means for collecting at least one current data file including data output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system, said at least one current data file including processed output signals generated by said plurality of detectors at a plurality of scan angles; means for obtaining at least one baseline reference data file including data that would be output by said one of the plurality of components if the imaging system is operating faultlessly; means for comparing said at least one current data file with said at least one baseline reference data file using a correlation operation to produce correlation values; and means for identifying faulty detector and component based on the correlation values.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The diagnostic system of claim 17 , wherein said at least one current data file includes at least one of the following: detector output signal data, source fan data, detector fan data, filtered data, convolved data, and image data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
The diagnostic system of claim 17 , wherein said at least one baseline reference data file is obtained while the imaging system is operating properly by collecting data output by said one of the plurality of components.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
120 words
The diagnostic system of claim 17 , wherein: said at least one current data file comprises a plurality of current measurement values P ik , each of the measurement values P ik corresponding to processed signals originally output by the i th detector at k th profile; said at least one baseline reference data file is obtained by calculating average profile values P k which are calculated as follows: P k = ∑ i = 1 m P ik i said correlation values are obtained by correlating the measurement values P ik with the average profile values P k , wherein the correlation values are calculated as follows: C i =corr ( P ik , P k ).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
85 words
A diagnostic method for identifying faults in an imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components coupled to the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the detectors, said diagnostic method comprising the steps of: collecting at least one current data file output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system; and processing said at least one current data file to identify possible faulty detectors and components.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
85 words
A diagnostic method for identifying faults in an imaging system having a plurality of detectors generating output signals and a plurality of components coupled to the detectors for reconstructing images from the output signals generated by the detectors, said diagnostic method comprising the steps of: collecting at least one current data file output by one of the plurality of components after a fault is suspected in the imaging system; and processing said at least one current data file to identify possible faulty detectors and components.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The diagnostic method of claim 21 , wherein said diagnostic method is used to identify faults in a non-OEM imaging system by only utilizing non-proprietary information extracted from said at least one current data file collected.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic method of claim 21 , wherein the imaging system is a computed tomography system having a radiation source projecting a fan beam of radiation and the output signals generated by the detectors are proportional to the intensity of radiation impinging at each respective detector.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
58 words
The diagnostic method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one current data file includes a plurality of profiles collected at a plurality of scan angles, each respective of said plurality of profiles including output signals received from the detectors at a corresponding scan angle, wherein said plurality of profiles is used to reconstruct a cross-sectional image.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
46 words
The diagnostic method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one current data file includes a plurality of current measurement values P ik , each of the measurement values P ik corresponding to the signals generated by the i th detector at k th profile.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
88 words
The diagnostic method of claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: calculating average profile values P k which are calculated as follows: P k = ∑ i = 1 m P ik i calculating correlation values by correlating the measurement values P ik with the average profile values P k , wherein the correlation values are calculated as follows: C i =corr ( P ik , P k ) comparing said correlation values against a threshold to identify detectors which are suspected of faulty operations.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
The diagnostic method of claim 26 , further comprising the steps of: determining whether one of a plurality of predetermined pattern of suspect detectors has occurred; and identifying a faulty component which corresponds to the predetermined pattern.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The diagnostic method of claim 21 , further comprising the step of collecting at least one baseline reference data file output from one of the plurality of components while the imaging system is operating properly.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
50 words
The diagnostic method of claim 28 , wherein the at least one baseline reference data file includes a plurality of baseline reference measurement values B ik , each of the baseline reference measurement values B ik corresponding to the signals generated by the i th detector at k th profile.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
66 words
The diagnostic method of claim 29 , further comprising the steps of: calculating correlation values by correlating the current measurement values P ik with the baseline reference measurement values B ik , wherein the correlation values are calculated as follows: C i =corr ( P ik , B ik ) comparing the correlation values against a threshold to identify detectors which are suspected of faulty operations.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
The diagnostic method of claim 30 , further comprising the steps of: determining whether one of a plurality of predetermined pattern of suspect detectors has occurred; and identifying a faulty component which corresponds to such predetermined pattern.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4853946A
Cited
US6105149A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-13 | 2005-02-12 | 2005-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-13 | 2009-02-12 | 2009-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-13 | 2013-02-12 | 2013-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |