Patents by Inventor Tilman Donath

Tilman Donath 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: 8374309
    Abstract: An arrangement and a method are disclosed for projective and/or tomographic phase-contrast imaging using X-ray radiation. In at least one embodiment, one or more phase grids is/are arranged in the beam path such that during a rotation of the at least one X-ray source, the examination object is scanned with different spatial orientations of the grid lines relative to the examination object such that the complete refraction angle, and hence the complete phase shift gradient, can be determined for each X-ray beam from the two scans with differently oriented phase grids in order to be able to show the phase shift of an examination object in terms of projections or in a tomographic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Tilman Donath, Martin Hoheisel, Christian David, Eckhard Hempel, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 8165270
    Abstract: In a method for the production of x-ray-optical gratings composed of a first material forming of periodically arranged grating webs and grating openings, a second material is applied by electroplating to fill the grid openings. The electroplating is continued until a cohesive layer of the second material with uniform height is created over the grating webs with this layer having a large absorption coefficient, the absorption properties of the grating structure of the grating are homogenized, so an improvement of the measurement signals that are generated with this grating is improved. Moreover, the mechanical stability of gratings produced in such a manner is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Paul Scherrer Institut, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Barbara Matthis, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 8009796
    Abstract: An x-ray CT system that generates tomographic phase contrast or dark field exposures, has at least one grating interferometer with three grating structures arranged in series in the radiation direction, with a modular design of the second and third grating structures. The distance between the first grating structure of the x-ray source and the second grating structure (fashioned as a phase grating) of the respective grating/detector modules is adapted, depending on the fan angle, corresponding to a period of the grating structure of the x-ray source projected onto the grating detector module at a respective fan angle (?i).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Stefan Popescu, Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Franz Pfeiffer
  • Patent number: 7983381
    Abstract: An x-ray CT system for x-ray phase contrast and/or x-ray dark field imaging has a grating interferometer that has a first grating structure that has a number of band-shaped x-ray emission maxima and minima arranged in parallel, the maxima and minima exhibiting a first grating period, a second band-shaped grating structure that produces, as a phase grating, a partial phase offset of x-ray radiation passing therethrough and that exhibits a second grating period, a third band-shaped grating structure with a third grating period with which relative phase shifts of adjacent x-rays and/or their scatter components are detected, and a device for value-based determination of the phase between adjacent x-rays and/or for value-based determination of the spatial intensity curve per detector element perpendicular to the bands of the grating structures. The third grating structure has a grating period that is larger by a factor of 2 to 5 than the grating period of the first grating structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Publication number: 20100246769
    Abstract: In a method for the production of x-ray-optical gratings composed of a first material forming of periodically arranged grating webs and grating openings, a second material is applied by electroplating to fill the grid openings. The electroplating is continued until a cohesive layer of the second material with uniform height is created over the grating webs with this layer having a large absorption coefficient, the absorption properties of the grating structure of the grating are homogenized, so an improvement of the measurement signals that are generated with this grating is improved. Moreover, the mechanical stability of gratings produced in such a manner is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Barbara Matthis, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Publication number: 20100177864
    Abstract: An arrangement and a method are disclosed for projective and/or tomographic phase-contrast imaging using X-ray radiation. In at least one embodiment, one or more phase grids is/are arranged in the beam path such that during a rotation of the at least one X-ray source, the examination object is scanned with different spatial orientations of the grid lines relative to the examination object such that the complete refraction angle, and hence the complete phase shift gradient, can be determined for each X-ray beam from the two scans with differently oriented phase grids in order to be able to show the phase shift of an examination object in terms of projections or in a tomographic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Tilman Donath, Martin Hoheisel, Christian David, Eckhard Hempel, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Publication number: 20100091936
    Abstract: An x-ray CT system for x-ray phase contrast and/or x-ray dark field imaging has a grating interferometer that has a first grating structure that has a number of band-shaped x-ray emission maxima and minima arranged in parallel, the maxima and minima exhibiting a first grating period, a second band-shaped grating structure that produces, as a phase grating, a partial phase offset of x-ray radiation passing therethrough and that exhibits a second grating period, a third band-shaped grating structure with a third grating period with which relative phase shifts of adjacent x-rays and/or their scatter components are detected, and a device for value-based determination of the phase between adjacent x-rays and/or for value-based determination of the spatial intensity curve per detector element perpendicular to the bands of the grating structures. The third grating structure has a grating period that is larger by a factor of 2 to 5 than the grating period of the first grating structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Franz Pfeiffer, Stefan Popescu
  • Publication number: 20100080341
    Abstract: An x-ray CT system that generates tomographic phase contrast or dark field exposures, has at least one grating interferometer with three grating structures arranged in series in the radiation direction, with a modular design of the second and third grating structures. The distance between the first grating structure of the x-ray source and the second grating structure (fashioned as a phase grating) of the respective grating/detector modules is adapted, depending on the fan angle, corresponding to a period of the grating structure of the x-ray source projected onto the grating detector module at a respective fan angle (?i).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Stefan Popescu, Christian David, Tilman Donath, Eckhard Hempel, Martin Hoheisel, Franz Pfeiffer