Self-calibrating technique for x-ray imaging scanners
AssigneeCarestream Health, Inc.
InventorsYuan Lin, William J. Sehnert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile radiography apparatus has radio-opaque markers, each marker coupled to a portion of an x-ray head of the mobile radiography apparatus, wherein each of the markers is in a radiation path that extends from an x-ray source. A detector is mechanically uncoupled from the x-ray source for positioning behind a patient. Processing logic is configured to calculate detector position with relation to the x-ray source according to identified marker positions in acquired projection images, remove marker indications in the acquired projection images, reconstruct a volume image according to the acquired projection images, and display one or more portions of the reconstructed volume image.
Claims16
A mobile radiography apparatus having an x-ray head and an x-ray source, comprising:
- a plurality of radio-opaque markers, each marker (i) coupled to a portion of the x-ray head and (ii) disposed in a radiation path extending from the x-ray source to a detector mechanically uncoupled from the x-ray source;
- and
- a control logic processor programmed with processing logic to:
- (i) calculate a detector position relative to the x-ray source according to identified marker positions in acquired projection images;
- (ii) remove marker indications in acquired projection images;
- (iii) reconstruct a volume image according to acquired projection images;
- and
- (iv) display one or more portions of the reconstructed volume image.
A calibration method for a mobile radiography apparatus, the apparatus having an x-ray head and an x-ray source, the method comprising:
- coupling a plurality of radio-opaque markers to a portion of the x-ray head of the mobile radiography apparatus, wherein the markers are disposed in a radiation path extending from the x-ray source to a subject;
- using the x-ray source, acquiring a sequence of 2D projection images of the subject, each of the acquired 2D projection images including marker content representative of one or more of the plurality of markers;
- processing each of the acquired 2D projection images to identify a marker position within the acquired 2D projection image;
- using the identified marker positions, calculating a detector position with relation to the x-ray source;
- processing each of the acquired 2D projection images to remove the marker content;
- reconstructing a volume image from the processed acquired 2D projection images according to the calculated detector position;
- and
- displaying, on a display, one or more portions of the reconstructed volume image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.