Patents by Inventor Tom Francke

Tom Francke 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: 7134761
    Abstract: An arrangement for emitting light includes a hermetically sealed casing with a window, a layer of a fluorescent substance arranged within the casing covering at least a major part of the window, an electron emitting cathode arranged within the casing, and an anode. The casing is filled with a gas suitable for electron avalanche amplification. In operation, the cathode and anode are held at an electric potential such that said emitted electrons are accelerated and avalanche amplified in the gas. The layer of the fluorescent substance is arranged to emit light through the window in response to avalanche amplified electron bombardment and/or ultraviolet light emitted from the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Light-Lab AB
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 7127029
    Abstract: A scanning-based arrangement for obtaining tomosynthesis data of an object (5) at high repetition rate comprises a support structure (11); scanning-based apparatuses (10) fixedly arranged on the support structure and each including (i) radiation source (1), and (ii) a radiation detector (6) comprising a stack of line detectors (6a), each being directed towards the radiation source to allow a ray bundle (b1, . . . , bn, . . . , bN) of radiation that propagates in a respective one of various different angles (?1, . . . , ?n, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Publication number: 20060210016
    Abstract: A scanning-based apparatus for obtaining tomosynthesis data of an object performing a periodic movement comprises a radiation source emitting radiation around an axis of symmetry; a radiation detector comprising line detectors, each being directed towards the divergent radiation source to allow a ray bundle of the radiation that propagates in a different angle to enter the line detector after having been transmitted through the object, and to be detected repeatedly therein; and a movement device provided for moving the radiation source and the radiation detector relative to the object linearly in a path orthogonal to the symmetry axis, and a distance which is sufficient for scanning each of the line detectors across the entire object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 7099436
    Abstract: A method for the detection of ionizing radiation including directing ionizing radiation towards an object to be examined, preventing Compton scattered radiation from being detected, and detecting ionizing radiation spatially resolved as transmitted through the object to reveal a spatially resolved density of the object. The ionizing radiation is provided within a spectral range such that more photons of the ionizing radiation are Compton scattered than absorbed through the photoelectric effect in the object, thereby reducing the radiation dose to the to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: XCounterAB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Christer Ullberg
  • Patent number: 7027561
    Abstract: A dual-energy scanning-based radiation detecting apparatus comprises a line detector; a device for scanning said line detector across an object while said line detector is exposed to an ionizing radiation beam, which has impinged on said object, to thereby record a plurality of line images of said object; a filter device arranged in the path of said ionizing radiation beam upstream of said object to filtrate said ionizing radiation beam, the filter device being capable of operating in two operation modes having different filter characteristics; and a control device for altering operation mode of the filter device subsequent to at least every second of said line images being recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Christer Ullberg
  • Publication number: 20060071168
    Abstract: A radiation detector for imaging a sheet-shaped beam (11) of ionizing radiation comprises an electron multiplication chamber (12) filled with a medium for electron multiplication; and a solid multichannel structure (14) arranged in the path of the sheet-shaped beam within the chamber, wherein the structure liberates electrons (16a) in response to being exposed to the radiation. An electron detecting means (17d) is provided for detecting the electrons spatially resolved to thereby image the sheet-shaped beam. The structure (14) is of a scintillating material, so that said the structure emits scintillating light in response to being exposed to the radiation; and detecting means (19-20) are provided for detecting scintillating light (18) emitted from the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Vladimir Peskov, Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 7020237
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining tomosynthesis data of an object comprises a source emitting radiation centered around an axis of symmetry; a radiation detector comprising a stack of line detectors, each being directed towards the source at a respective angle; and a device for moving the source and the radiation detector relative the object linearly in a direction orthogonal to the symmetry axis, while each of the line detectors is adapted to record line images of radiation as transmitted through the object in the respective angle. A device is provided for rotating the radiation detector around a rotation axis orthogonal to the symmetry axis, and the device for moving is further arranged to repeat the essential linear movement of the source and the radiation detector relative the object, while each of the line detectors is adapted to record a further plurality of line images of radiation as transmitted through the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Xcounter AB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Skiff Sokolov
  • Patent number: 7016458
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining tomographic data of an object comprises a radiation source (50), a detector (42) comprising multiple line detectors (41), an object region (53) arranged in the radiation path between the source and the detector, and a device (54) for moving the source and detector relative the object, while each of the line detectors records multiple line images of radiation as transmitted through the object. The source emits radiation within a large angle to irradiate the object completely in one dimension (y), and the line detectors are sited in rows (71) and columns (72), wherein the line detectors in each row together define an opening angle (?) large enough to detect the object completely in the dimension (y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Xcounter AB
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 7006597
    Abstract: A method for examination of a subject comprises the steps of: administering (32) a contrast-enhancing agent into a subject (7, 42) to be examined, the contrast-enhancing agent introducing density variations in the subject; directing (33) ionizing radiation (3) towards the subject; and detecting (34) ionizing radiation spatially resolved as transmitted through the subject, while Compton scattered radiation (3a, 3c) in the subject is essentially prevented from being detected. The ionizing radiation directed towards the subject is provided within a spectral range so that more photons of the ionizing radiation are Compton scattered than absorbed through the photoelectric effect in the subject to thereby detect the density variations introduced by the contrast-enhancing agent in the subject spatially resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 6970533
    Abstract: A scanning-based radiation detector apparatus for recording an image of an object comprises a 1D detector unit exposed to a fan-shaped ionizing radiation beam, after having interacted with the object; a device for moving the 1D detector unit and the fan-shaped beam relative the object while repeatedly detecting to thereby create a 2D image of the object; and a control device for controlling the repeated detections. The one-dimensional detector unit has an ionizing radiation sensitive thickness, which is larger than the thickness of the fan-shaped beam when impinging on the one-dimensional detector unit. To obtain a short exposure time of each 1D image, but still a high spatial resolution in the 2D image, a 1D image of the fan-shaped beam is recorded every n'th length unit of the movement, where n is not lower than essentially half the thickness of the fan-shaped beam in that length unit, but lower than the ionizing radiation sensitive thickness of the 1D detector unit in that length unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Christer Ullberg
  • Publication number: 20050226367
    Abstract: A scanning-based arrangement for obtaining tomosynthesis data of an object (5) at high repetition rate comprises a support structure (11); scanning-based apparatuses (10) fixedly arranged on the support structure and each including (i) radiation source (1), and (ii) a radiation detector (6) comprising a stack of line detectors (6a), each being directed towards the radiation source to allow a ray bundle (b1, . . . , bn, . . . , bN) of radiation that propagates in a respective one of various different angles (?1, . . . , ?n, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Publication number: 20050226368
    Abstract: A scanning-based arrangement for obtaining imaging data of an object at high repetition rate comprises a support structure; scanning-based apparatuses fixedly arranged on the support structure and each including (i) a radiation source, and (ii) a radiation detector comprising a stack of line detectors, each being directed towards the radiation source to allow a ray bundle of radiation to enter the line detector; an object table arranged in the radiation path of one of the scanning-based apparatuses; and a device provided for rotating the support structure relative the object table so that the object table will successively be arranged in the radiation path of each of the scanning-based apparatuses, during which rotation each of the line detectors in each of the radiation detectors is adapted to record a plurality of line images of radiation as transmitted through the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Publication number: 20050152491
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining tomosynthesis data of an object comprises a source emitting radiation centered around an axis of symmetry; a radiation detector comprising a stack of line detectors, each being directed towards the source at a respective angle; and a device for moving the source and the radiation detector relative the object linearly in a direction orthogonal to the symmetry axis, while each of the line detectors is adapted to record line images of radiation as transmitted through the object in the respective angle. A device is provided for rotating the radiation detector around a rotation axis orthogonal to the symmetry axis, and the device for moving is further arranged to repeat the essential linear movement of the source and the radiation detector relative the object, while each of the line detectors is adapted to record a further plurality of line images of radiation as transmitted through the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Skiff Sokolov
  • Publication number: 20050119563
    Abstract: A method for examination of a subject comprises the steps of: administering (32) a contrast-enhancing agent into a subject (7, 42) to be examined, the contrast-enhancing agent introducing density variations in the subject; directing (33) ionizing radiation (3) towards the subject; and detecting (34) ionizing radiation spatially resolved as transmitted through the subject, while Compton scattered radiation (3a, 3c) in the subject is essentially prevented from being detected. The ionizing radiation directed towards the subject is provided within a spectral range so that more photons of the ionizing radiation are Compton scattered than absorbed through the photoelectric effect in the subject to thereby detect the density variations introduced by the contrast-enhancing agent in the subject spatially resolved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Publication number: 20050117694
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining tomographic data of an object comprises a radiation source (50), a detector (42) comprising multiple line detectors (41), an object region (53) arranged in the radiation path between the source and the detector, and a device (54) for moving the source and detector relative the object, while each of the line detectors records multiple line images of radiation as transmitted through the object. The source emits radiation within a large angle to irradiate the object completely in one dimension (y), and the line detectors are sited in rows (71) and columns (72), wherein the line detectors in each row together define an opening angle (a) large enough to detect the object completely in the dimension (y).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Publication number: 20050094767
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining coherent scatter imaging data of an object (5) comprises a stack of line detectors (6a1-6an?1, 6an+1-6aN), each being directed towards a small portion of the trajectory (2b) of a radiation beam (2a) passed through the object (5) to allow a ray bundle (b1-bn?1, bn+1-bN) of the radiation beam (2a) as coherently scattered in the object to enter the line detector and be detected therein. Each of the line detectors has an elongated opening (30) for entry of the respective scattered ray bundle; a row of detector elements (27) arranged parallel with the opening; and is of the kind wherein charges or photons generated by interactions between the respective scattered ray bundle and a detection medium and traveling in a direction perpendicular to the respective scattered ray bundle, are detected by the detector elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Christer Ullberg
  • Publication number: 20050078784
    Abstract: A scanning-based radiation detector apparatus and method are disclosed. A one-dimensional detector (16) is exposed to a fan-shaped beam (24) of ionizing radiation from a radiation source (11) as transmitted through an object, where the detector (16) is of the kind wherein charges or photons generated by interactions between the radiation beam (24) and a detection medium and traveling in a direction essentially perpendicular to the radiation beam (24), are detected. A device (17-19, 21-22) moves the detector (16) and the radiation beam (24) relative to the object while the detector (16) is arranged to repeatedly detect to thereby create an image of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 6873682
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording a 2D image of an object comprises a plurality of 1D detector units, each exposed to ionizing radiation, as transmitted through or scattered off the object, and being arranged for 1D imaging of the radiation, to which it is exposed. The detector units are distributed in an array such that the 1D images of the radiation from the detector units are distributed over a substantial portion of the 2D image. The apparatus includes a device for moving the detector units relative the object while the detector units repeatedly detect to create the 2D image of the object; and a control device for controlling the detector units to detect ionizing radiation during a short period of time before or during an initial part of the movement; calculating an optimum exposure time for the repeated detection based on the short period of time detection; and controlling the repeated detection to automatically obtain the optimum exposure time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Stefan Thunberg
  • Publication number: 20050062413
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for emitting light comprising: a hermetically sealed caving (4) including a transparent or translucent window (10); a layer (3) of a fluorescent substance arranged within said casing covering at least a major part of said window; an electron emitting cathode (1) arranged within said casing for emission of electrons; and an anode (2). Said caving is filled with a has suitable for electron avalanche amplification. Said cathode and anode are, during use, held at electric potentials such that said emitted electrons are accelerated and avalanche amplified in said gas: and said layer is arranged to emit light through raid window in response to being bombarded by avalanche amplified electrons and/or in response to being exposed to ultraviolet light as being emitted in the gas due w interactions between the avalanche amplified electrons and the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventor: Tom Francke
  • Patent number: 6856669
    Abstract: A method for detection of ionizing radiation comprises the steps of (i) directing ionizing radiation towards an object to be examined; (ii) preventing Compton scattered radiation, preferably at least 99% of the radiation Compton scattered in said object, from being detected; and (iii) detecting ionizing radiation spatially resolved as transmitted through said object to reveal a spatially resolved density of said object, wherein said ionizing radiation is provided within a spectral range such that more, preferably much more, photons of said ionizing radiation are Compton scattered than absorbed through the photoelectric effect in said object to thereby reduce the radiation dose to said object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: XCounter AB
    Inventors: Tom Francke, Skiff Sokolov