Electronically steerable x-ray imaging system for precision breast cancer detection

An electronically steerable x-ray imaging system, comprising:

• an electronically steerable x-ray source including an x-ray beam generator to emit an x-ray beam;
• a Janus sphere array to enable electronic steering of the x-ray beam by adjusting a deflection angle of the x-ray beam, wherein the Janus sphere array comprises a plurality of Janus spheres each comprising two hemispherical regions formed from distinct materials having different x-ray refractive indices;
• an imaging target comprising human breast tissue to receive the x-ray beam;
• a sensor array positioned to detect the imaging target and to detect a plurality of x-ray data post-penetration through the human breast tissue;
• a computer system including a processor configured to perform the following:
• receive the plurality of x-ray data from the sensor array;
• reconstruct an image from the plurality of x-ray data using a Multiplicative Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (MART) algorithm, wherein the MART algorithm iteratively refines the image by computing a forward projection from a current image estimate, comparing the forward projection with the plurality of x-ray data to identify projection errors, and applying multiplicative correction factors to voxel values of the current image estimate based on the projection errors;
• optimize tumor visibility and minimize noise contained in the image, wherein the sensor array is capable of detecting a tumor between about 2-4 mm within the human breast tissue;
• and
• adjust, in real-time and in a closed-loop feedback manner during an ongoing scan, the deflection angle of the Janus sphere array and one or more steering parameters of the electronically steerable x-ray source based on (i) intermediate reconstruction outputs of the MART algorithm and (ii) a tissue density and one or more structural features identified from the plurality of x-ray data.

A method for detecting a tumor present in human breast tissue using an electronically steerable x-ray imaging system, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a breast within an imaging area in optical view of an electronically steerable x-ray source and a sensor array;
• electronically steering, via a Janus sphere array, an x-ray beam emitted from an x-ray beam generator to focus the x-ray beam on an imaging target;
• adjusting a deflection angle of the x-ray beam in real-time based on a tissue density and one or more structural features;
• collecting, via the sensor array, a plurality of x-ray data post-penetration through the breast;
• transmitting the plurality of x-ray data to a computer system, the computer system operating a processor configured to perform the following steps:
• reconstructing, via a Multiplicative Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (MART) algorithm, the plurality of x-ray data to produce an image, wherein the MART algorithm iteratively updates voxel values of the image by (i) computing a forward projection from a current image estimate, (ii) comparing the forward projection against the plurality of x-ray data to identify projection errors, and (iii) applying multiplicative correction factors derived from the projection errors to the voxel values;
• evaluating one or more reconstruction quality metrics generated by the MART algorithm during the reconstructing;
• dynamically updating, in a closed-loop feedback manner during the reconstructing, the deflection angle of the Janus sphere array and one or more steering parameters of the electronically steerable x-ray source based on the one or more reconstruction quality metrics, such that intermediate reconstruction outputs of the MART algorithm refine image fidelity during an ongoing scan;
• and
• optimizing the image to enhance visibility and to minimize noise contained in the image to enable detection of a tumor present in the breast, wherein the tumor is between about 2 and 4 millimeters in diameter.