Automatic positioning system of computed tomography equipment and the using method thereof
AssigneeNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
InventorsJyh-Cheng Chen, Chien-Heng Liu, Shih-Chun Jin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an automatic positioning system of computed tomography equipment and a method for automatically positioning computed tomography equipment. By the system and the method of the present invention, a geometric locating correction is able to be made on the equipment before operating it. After the correction, the focal spot of the X-ray tube of the computed tomography equipment and the center of the X-ray detector are on the same straight line, so that a projection image close to the real image can be obtained to avoid offset or distortion in subsequent 3D mapping.
Claims4
An automatic positioning system for positioning computed tomography (CT) equipment, which comprises
- a detector fixing jig;
- a calibration bead;
- a flat plate with low X-ray attenuation;
- an X-Y linear moving rail for horizontal and vertical movement;
- an X-ray detector;
- a control module;
- a driving module;
- an image processing unit;
- wherein the X-ray detector is linked to the detector fixing jig which is fixed on the linear moving rail;
- wherein the linear moving rail is installed on a detector end of a CT equipment needed to be positioned and linked with an X-ray tube end of the CT equipment through a rotating arm of CT equipment for allowing the X-ray detector to move horizontally and vertically;
- wherein the calibration bead is embedded in the flat plate with low X-ray attenuation and is placed in front of the window of the X-ray tube;
- wherein the image processing unit is electrically connected to the control module and the driving module is electrically connected to the control module;
- and
- wherein the image processing unit processes an image positioning procedure to calculate space vectors and calculating a displacement vector from the projected image to the center of the X-ray detector, wherein the displacement vector is sent to the control module for being converted into a calibration instruction which is fed back to the control module and the driving module performs displacement and correction on the X-ray detector according to the calibration instruction.
A method for automatically positioning CT equipment, which comprises:
- installing a calibration bead in front of the window of X-ray tube of a CT equipment;
- initiating the CT equipment to irradiate the calibration bead by X-ray to project a first calibration image on an X-ray detector;
- obtaining a coordinate of the first calibration image on the X-ray detector by an image processing unit and calculating a displacement vector from the coordinate to the center of the X-ray detector;
- calculating the displacement vector by an image processing unit to generate a calibration instruction for driving a control module to adjust the position of the X-ray detector, so that the center of the X-ray detector overlaps with the first calibration image;
- obtaining a second calibration image of the calibration bead;
- and confirming that the second calibration image is exactly overlapping with the center of the X-ray detector for completing positioning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.