Contactless measurement and visualization of respiration for chest radiography image examinations

A system, comprising:

• an x-ray imaging system comprising an x-ray source and an x-ray detector spaced from the x-ray source to accommodate a patient to be imaged;
• a sensor having a field of view covering a torso of the patient positioned for a chest radiography image examination, wherein the sensor is configured to continuously capture depth images of the patient's torso;
• and
• a breathing status determination device comprising:
• an input configured to receive depth images continuously captured with a sensor having a field of view covering a torso of a patient positioned for a chest radiography image examination;
• a processor configured to analyze the received depth images to determine a change of depth values inside at least one region-of-interest (ROI) over time that represents a motion of a patient anatomy orthogonal to an image plane of the sensor and/or a motion of a patient anatomy within the image plane of the sensor, wherein the at least one ROI comprises at least two ROIs including a first ROI and a second ROI, wherein the processor is configured to determine a change of depth values inside the first ROI over time that represents a motion of a first patient anatomy orthogonal to the image plane and to determine a change of depth values inside the second ROI over time that represents motion of a second patient anatomy within the image plane, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the breathing signal based on the determined change of depth values inside the first and the second ROIs;
• and
• an output configured to provide the determined breathing signal.

A method for determining a breathing status of a patient in a chest radiography image examination, comprising:

• receiving depth images continuously captured with a sensor having a field of view covering a torso of a patient positioned for the chest radiography image examination;
• analyzing, by a processor, the received depth images to determine a change of depth values inside at least one region-of-interest (ROI) over time that represents a motion of a patient anatomy orthogonal to an image plane of the sensor and/or a motion of a patient anatomy within the image plane of the sensor, wherein the at least one ROI comprises at least two ROIs including a first ROI and a second ROI, wherein the processor is configured to determine a change of depth values inside the first ROI over time that represents a motion of a first patient anatomy orthogonal to the image plane and to determine a change of depth values inside the second ROI over time that represents motion of a second patient anatomy within the image plane;
• determining a breathing signal based on the determined change of depth values inside the first and the second ROIs;
• and
• providing the determined breathing signal.