US 10,488,351 B2Granted

Specimen radiography with tomosynthesis in a cabinet with geometric magnification

AssigneeKUB Technologies Inc.

InventorsVikram Butani, Yan Chen, Timothy Ely, Chester Lowe, Edwin Maria-Selvaraj, Roberto Velasco

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Abstract

The aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a method and system for producing tomosynthesis images of a breast specimen with the capability of attaining images with geometric magnification. In one embodiment, an x-ray source delivers x-rays through a specimen of excised tissue and forms an image at a digital x-ray detector with the resultant image enlarging as the specimen is moved closer to the x-ray source. Multiple x-ray images are taken as the x-ray source moves relative to the stationary breast specimen. The source may travel substantially along a path while the detector remains stationary throughout and the source remains substantially equidistant from the specimen platform. The set of x-ray image data taken at the different points are combined to form a tomosynthesis image that can be viewed in different formats, alone or as an adjunct to conventional specimen radiography.

Claims34

Dependent claims

A cabinet x-ray system for of obtaining geometric magnifying specimen x-ray images, projection x-ray images, and reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images of the specimen, the system comprising:

a moveable cabinet defining a walled enclosure surrounding an interior chamber and a door configured to cover the interior chamber;
an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray detector, a specimen platform including a magnification tray that is positioned at a distance above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen in the cabinet and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the x-ray source to or along a plurality of positions within the interior chamber relative to the specimen disposed on the specimen platform;
a controller configured to:
a) selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the specimen to the flat panel digital x-ray detector at selected positions of the x-ray source relative to the specimen such that the isocenter of the emitted x-rays at the selected positions is located at the flat panel digital x-ray detector surface, wherein the controller is configured to:
b) control the flat panel digital x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when the x-ray source is energized at the selected positions, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at standard imaging angle of about 0°;
c) create a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from a collection of projection x-ray images;
d) process the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
and
e) selectively display the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.

6 more elements

A method for obtaining x-ray images of a specimen in a cabinet x-ray system, processing and displaying a two-dimensional x-ray specimen radiography image and projection x-ray images of the specimen, wherein the cabinet x-ray system comprising a moveable cabinet defining a walled enclosure surrounding an interior chamber and a door configured to cover the interior chamber;

an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray detector, a specimen platform including a magnification tray that is positioned at a distance above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen, and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the x-ray source to or along a plurality of positions within the interior chamber relative to the specimen disposed on the specimen platform;
and a controller configured to selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the specimen to the flat panel digital x-ray detector at selected positions of the x-ray source relative to the specimen, wherein the method comprises:
controlling the flat panel digital x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when the x-ray source is energized at the selected positions such that the isocenter of the emitted x-rays at the selected positions is located at the detector surface, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at standard imaging angle of about 0°;
creating a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from a collection of projection x-ray images;
processing the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
and
selectively displaying the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/696,341Filed 6 Sep 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 7 Sep 2016
Published: US 2018/0067061 A18 Mar 2018
Granted: 26 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01N 23/046
And forming images of the material: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
G01N 23/044
And forming images of the material: using laminography or tomosynthesis
G01N 2223/401
Imaging: image processing
G01N 2223/419
Imaging: computed tomograph