Method and system for tomosynthesis projection images enhancement
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorSylvain Bernard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and system for obtaining images of an object of interest using a system comprising an x-ray source facing a detector. The method and system enable the acquiring of a plurality of 2D projection images of the object of interest in a plurality of orientations. A selected 2D projection image such as the zero projection of the plurality of projections can be enhanced by using at least a subset of the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images. The obtained enhanced 2D projection image is displayed for review.
Claims18
A method for obtaining at least one enhanced image of an object of interest using a system comprising an x-ray source facing a detector, the method comprising:
- moving the x-ray source to a plurality of positions relative to the detector, the detector being stationary, and acquiring a 2D tomosynthesis projection image of the object of interest at each of the plurality of positions;
- enhancing each acquired 2D tomosynthesis projection image;
- projecting each enhanced image on an isocentric virtual detector to produce a plurality of virtual projections, wherein the normal to the isocentric virtual detector points towards the x-ray source for each position of the plurality positions to produce a plurality of virtual projections;
- and
- displaying successively the virtual projections.
A system for obtaining enhanced images of an object of interest comprising:
- an imaging system comprising an x-ray source and a detector configured to acquire 2D tomosynthesis projection images of the object of interest by moving the x-ray source to a plurality of positions relative to the detector, the detector being stationary, wherein a 2D tomosynthesis projection image is acquired at each of the plurality of positions;
- a processing unit configured enhance each of the acquired 2D tomosynthesis projection images, and project each enhanced image on an isocentric virtual detector to produce a plurality of virtual projections, wherein the normal to the isocentric virtual detector points towards the x-ray source for each position of the plurality positions to produce a plurality of virtual projections;
- and
- a display configured to successively display the virtual projections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.