# US 10,368,822 B2 · Iterative X-ray imaging optimization method and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,822 B2 - Document ID: US10368822B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/840,675 - Filed: 2015-08-31 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-31 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Giovanni John Jacques Palma; Razvan Gabriel Iordache; Serge Louis Wilfrid Muller; Laurence Vancamberg - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368822B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT} - A61B 6/4435: {the source unit and the detector unit being coupled by a rigid structure} - A61B 6/469: {for selecting a region of interest [ROI]} - A61B 6/502: {for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - A61B 6/5247: {combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound} - A61B 6/545: {involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters} - G06T 12/20: Inverse problem, i.e. transformations from projection space into object space - A61B 6/025: {Tomosynthesis} - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - G06T 2211/424: Iterative - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method of optimizing images of a patient utilizing a medical imaging device includes the steps of providing a medical imaging device having an x-ray source, an x-ray detector, a controller for adjusting the positions of the x-ray source and detector, an image reconstructor/generator connected to the x-ray detector to receive x-ray data and reconstruct an x-ray image, and a processor connected to the image reconstructor/generator and the controller to perform analyses on the x-ray image, acquiring a first data set S1 of images, processing the first data set S1 to reconstruct a first computerized data set D1, analyzing the first computerized data set D1, acquiring at least one additional data set Sn in response to the analysis of the first computerized data set D1 and processing the at least one additional data set Sn in combination with the first data set S1 to reconstruct an optimized computerized data set Dn. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for optimizing medical images of a patient comprising the steps of; providing a medical imaging device having an x-ray source for emitting x-rays, an x-ray detector for detecting the x-rays emitted from the x-ray source, a controller for adjusting the positions of the x-ray source and the x-ray detector relative to one another, an image generator operably connected to the x-ray detector to receive x-ray data therefrom to generate processed data, and a processor operably connected to the image generator and the controller and configured to perform analysis on an x-ray image; acquiring a first data set S1; processing the first data set S1 using the processor to obtain a first processed or computerized data set D1 and first volume V1; analyzing data contained in the first computerized data set D1; performing an acquisition of at least one additional data set S2, S3, . . . , or Sn based on an analysis result of the first computerized data set D1 and first volume V1, wherein n (where n is ≥1) image data sets S1 to Sn each include a different number of images; processing the first data set S1 in combination with the at least one additional data set S2, S3, . . . , or Sn using the processor to obtain a second processed or computerized data set D2 and second volume V2; and combining the first volume V1 and the second volume V2 to form an enhanced volume Vn. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring at least one additional data set S2, S3, . . . , or Sn comprises: acquiring a first additional data set S2; processing the first additional data set S2 in combination with the first data set S1 to reconstruct a second computerized data set D2; analyzing the second computerized data set D2; acquiring a second additional data set S3; and processing the second additional data set S3 in combination with the first data set S1 and the first additional data set S2 to reconstruct a third computerized data set D3. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional data set S2, S3, . . . , or Sn has a number of images less than that of the first data set S 1. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising processing the first additional data set S2 in combination with the first data set S1 and non-image contextual data to reconstruct the second computerized data set D2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the step of analyzing the first computerized data set D1 comprises: determining an image quality of at least one ROI identified in the first computerized data set D1; and determining an optimal orientation for acquiring the first additional data set S2 including the at least one ROI. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the step of analyzing the first computerized data set D1 comprises identifying a number of ROIs in the first computerized data set D1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first additional data set S2 has a number of images less than the first data set S1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the step of analyzing the second computerized data set D2 comprises: determining an image quality enhancement of the at least one ROI in the second computerized data set D2; and determining an optimal orientation for acquiring the second additional data set S3 including the at least one ROI. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step of acquiring the first additional data set S2 comprises acquiring at least one image of each of the ROIs for inclusion in the first additional data set S2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the step of acquiring at least one image of each of the ROIs comprises acquiring at least one magnified image of each of the ROIs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the second additional data set S3 has a number of images less than the first additional data set S2.