System and method of collecting imaging subject positioning information for x-ray flux control
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas Toth, David Hoffman
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Abstract
A system and method of diagnostic imaging is provided that includes positioning a subject in an imaging device, collecting positioning information of the subject from at least one sensor disposed in proximity of the imaging device, and determining a relative position of the subject within the imaging device from at least the position information. The present invention automatically selects a proper attenuation filter configuration, corrects patient centering, and corrects noise prediction errors, thereby increasing dose efficiency and tube output.
Claims32
A tomographic system comprising:
- a rotatable gantry having a bore centrally disposed therein;
- a table movable within the bore and configured to position a subject for tomographic data acquisition within the bore;
- a high frequency electromagnetic energy projection source positioned within the rotatable gantry and configured to project high frequency electromagnetic energy toward the subject;
- a detector array disposed within the rotatable gantry and configured to detect high frequency electromagnetic energy projected by the projection source and impinged by the subject;
- and
- at least one sensor to provide subject position feedback.
A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program representing a set of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
- receive feedback regarding a subject position from at least one sensor of an imaging device;
- and
- determine a centering error from the feedback.
A method of imaging comprising the steps of:
- positioning a subject in an imaging device;
- collecting positioning information of the subject from at least one sensor disposed in proximity to the imaging device;
- and
- determining a relative position of the subject within the imaging device from at least the position information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.