System and method for colorizing a radiograph from cabinet X-ray systems

A cabinet X-ray image system for obtaining colorized or grey scale density tomosynthetic images of a specimen, the system comprising:

• a cabinet defining an interior chamber;
• a display;
• an X-ray system including:
• an X-ray source;
• a photon counting X-ray detector;
• and
• a specimen platform;
• a motion control mechanism positioned in the interior chamber and 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 photon counting 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 a surface of the photon counting X-ray detector;
• control the photon counting 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 approximately 0°;
• determine the density of different areas of the specimen from data collected from the photon counting X-ray detector of each of the collection of the projection X-ray images of the specimen collected when the X-ray source is energized;
• create a collection of density projections X-ray images of the specimen wherein the density of different areas of the specimen is based on the determined density of different areas of the specimen for each of the collection of projection X-ray images;
• create a density tomosynthetic X-ray image reconstructed from the collection of density projection X-ray images using the determined density of different areas of the specimen for the projection X-ray images;
• process the determined density of different areas of the specimen for the collection of the projection X-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed density 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 display the one or more reconstructed density tomosynthetic X-ray images on the display.

A method for obtaining X-ray images and colorized or grey scale density X-ray images of a specimen using a cabinet X-ray image system, wherein the cabinet X-ray image system comprises:

• a cabinet defining an interior chamber wherein the cabinet comprises a walled enclosure surrounding the interior chamber, a door configured to cover the interior chamber and a sampling chamber for containing the specimen;
• a display;
• an X-ray system including:
• an X-ray source;
• a photon counting X-ray detector;
• and
• a specimen platform;
• and
• a controller;
• wherein the method comprises using the controller to:
• selectively energize the X-ray source to emit X-rays through the specimen to the photon counting X-ray detector;
• control the photon counting X-ray detector to collect an X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• determine the density of different areas of the specimen from data collected from the photon counting X-ray detector of the projection X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• create a density X-ray image of the specimen wherein the different areas of the specimen are indicated as a density or range of densities based on the determined density of different areas of the specimen;
• and
• selectively display the density X-ray image of the specimen on the display.

A method for obtaining X-ray images and colorized or grey scale density X-ray images of a specimen using a cabinet X-ray image system, wherein the cabinet X-ray image system comprises:

• a cabinet defining an interior chamber wherein the cabinet comprises a walled enclosure surrounding the interior chamber, a door configured to cover the interior chamber and a sampling chamber for containing the specimen;
• a display;
• an X-ray system including:
• an X-ray source;
• a photon counting X-ray detector;
• and
• a specimen platform;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• selectively energize the X-ray source to emit X-rays through the specimen to the photon counting X-ray detector;
• control the photon counting X-ray detector to collect a projection X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• determine the density of different areas of the specimen from data collected from the photon counting X-ray detector of the projection X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• create a density X-ray image of the specimen wherein the different areas of the specimen are indicated as a density or range of densities based on the determined density of different areas of the specimen;
• and
• selectively display the density X-ray image of the specimen on the display;
• wherein the method comprises:
• controlling the X-ray detector to collect an X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• determining the density of different areas of the specimen from data collected from the photon counting X-ray detector of the projection X-ray image of the specimen when the X-ray source is energized;
• creating a density X-ray image of the specimen wherein the different areas of the specimen are indicated as a density or range of densities based on the determined density of different areas of the specimen;
• and
• selectively displaying the density X-ray image of the specimen on the display.