Smart digital breast tomography image acquisition system and method

A method for determining the need for generation of enhanced diagnostic images of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an imaging system comprising:
• i. a radiation source operable at to emit radiation,
• ii. a detector alignable with the radiation source, the detector having a surface on which an object to be imaged is adapted to be positioned;
• and
• iii. a controller operably connected to the radiation source and the detector to control the operation of the radiation source and detector to generate image data in an imaging procedure performed by the imaging system, the controller including a central processing unit and interconnected database for processing the image data from the detector to create images,
• iv. a display operably connected to the controller for presenting information to a user;
• and
• v. a user interface operably connected to the controller to enable user input to the controller,
• b. positioning the object on the surface between the radiation source and the detector;
• c. acquiring one or more initial projection images of the object;
• d. reconstructing an initial 3D image of the object from the one or more initial projection images;
• e. analyzing the initial projection images or the initial 3D image to locate one or more triggering attributes, characteristics or findings within the object;
• f. determining one or more imaging parameters for a set of one or more additional projection images of the object, the set of additional projection images to be acquired at one or more x-ray tube positions different than employed for acquiring the one or more initial projection images if one or more triggering attributes, characteristics or findings are located in the object;
• g. acquiring the set of additional projection images;
• h. processing the initial 3D image and the set of additional projection images to form an enhanced 3D image;
• and
• i. comparing the enhanced 3D image to a stop criterion.