X-ray computed tomography system using a multipixel photon counter

A photon-counting K-edge x-ray Computed Tomography (CT) system is useful for discriminating photon energy and for decreasing absorbed dose for patients. The CT system is of the first generation type and consists of an x-ray generator, a turn table, a translation stage, a two-stage controller, a multipixel photon counter (MPPC) module, a 0.5-mm-thick zinc oxide (ZnO) scintillator, a counter board (CB), and a personal computer (PC). Tomography is accomplished by repeating the translation and rotation of an object. Penetrating x-ray photons from the object are detected by the scintillator in conjunction with the MPPC module, and the event signals are counted by the CB. Without using energy discriminating, photon counting CT was carried out by controlling x-ray spectra.