Patents by Inventor Aurelien Gadenne

Aurelien Gadenne has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11000248
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for dual energy imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises controlling an x-ray source with a first voltage to generate x-rays at a first energy, controlling the x-ray source with a second voltage to generate x-rays at a second energy lower than the first energy, and controlling a current of the x-ray source to peak above a target current when a voltage of the x-ray source is transitioning from the first voltage to the second voltage. In this way, the duration for transitioning from the first voltage to the second voltage is reduced, thereby enabling faster voltage switching of the x-ray source, improved energy separation in acquired projection data, and improved image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
    Inventors: Aurelien Gadenne, Benoit Grigis, Jean-François Larroux, Elie Herve
  • Publication number: 20210100517
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for dual energy imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises controlling an x-ray source with a first voltage to generate x-rays at a first energy, controlling the x-ray source with a second voltage to generate x-rays at a second energy lower than the first energy, and controlling a current of the x-ray source to peak above a target current when a voltage of the x-ray source is transitioning from the first voltage to the second voltage. In this way, the duration for transitioning from the first voltage to the second voltage is reduced, thereby enabling faster voltage switching of the x-ray source, improved energy separation in acquired projection data, and improved image quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Aurelien Gadenne, Benoit Grigis, Jean-Francois Larroux, Elie Herve
  • Patent number: 10530261
    Abstract: In the present invention, a high-voltage DC/DC converter suitable for powering x-ray tubes and the like provides control of a voltage applied to a resonant circuit at least in part according to a timing of a monitored voltage on the resonator thereby compensating for variations in the parameter stability of the resonant circuit, nonlinearity in the resonant gain curve and frequency dependencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aurelien Gadenne, Julien Bouhraoua, Jean-Francois Larroux
  • Publication number: 20190058404
    Abstract: In the present invention, a high-voltage DC/DC converter suitable for powering x-ray tubes and the like provides control of a voltage applied to a resonant circuit at least in part according to a timing of a monitored voltage on the resonator thereby compensating for variations in the parameter stability of the resonant circuit, nonlinearity in the resonant gain curve and frequency dependencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Aurelien Gadenne, Julien Bouhraoua, Jean-Francois Larroux
  • Patent number: 9992855
    Abstract: Rise times and fall times provided by a high voltage generator are controlled to maintain image quality during such scans. The rise and fall times are controlled by first measuring rise and fall times at each transition. Then, a closed-loop controller is used to adjust control parameters of the high voltage generator, based on an error determined from the measurement, to achieve substantially constant rise and fall times. This invention may be based on the implementation of two closed-loop controllers on rise and fall time of fast-kV exposures. As a result, image quality may be improved and system calibration time may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Larroux, Julien Bouhraoua, Aurelien Gadenne
  • Patent number: 9970889
    Abstract: The present inventors have recognized that fall times between high-kV to low-kV levels (during a “dual energy” or “fast-kV” energy scan) are linked to the discharge of HV (high voltage) capacitance. In an embodiment of the invention, a high voltage generator may be activated during fall transitions from first to second energy levels in order to substantially maintain a predetermined fall transition time. Accordingly, substantially equal energy distributions between high-kV and low-kV levels may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Larroux, Julien Bouhraoua, Aurelien Gadenne, Uwe Wiedmann, Mark Frontera
  • Publication number: 20160192466
    Abstract: Rise times and fall times provided by a high voltage generator are controlled to maintain image quality during such scans. The rise and fall times are controlled by first measuring rise and fall times at each transition. Then, a closed-loop controller is used to adjust control parameters of the high voltage generator, based on an error determined from the measurement, to achieve substantially constant rise and fall times. This invention may be based on the implementation of two closed-loop controllers on rise and fall time of fast-kV exposures. As a result, image quality may be improved and system calibration time may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Larroux, Julien Bouhraoua, Aurelien Gadenne
  • Publication number: 20160192465
    Abstract: The present inventors have recognized that fall times between high-kV to low-kV levels (during a “dual energy” or “fast-kV” energy scan) are linked to the discharge of HV (high voltage) capacitance. In an embodiment of the invention, a high voltage generator may be activated during fall transitions from first to second energy levels in order to substantially maintain a predetermined fall transition time. Accordingly, substantially equal energy distributions between high-kV and low-kV levels may be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Larroux, Julien Bouhraoua, Aurelien Gadenne, Uwe Wiedmann, Mark Frontera