Stationary x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis systems and related methods
AssigneesUniversity of North Carolina, North Carolina State University
InventorsOtto Z. Zhou, Guang Yang, Jianping Lu, David Lalush
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Abstract
Stationary x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis systems and related methods are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein can include an x-ray tomosynthesis system having a plurality of stationary field emission x-ray sources configured to irradiate a location for positioning an object to be imaged with x-ray beams to generate projection images of the object. An x-ray detector can be configured to detect the projection images of the object. A projection image reconstruction function can be configured to reconstruct tomography images of the object based on the projection images of the object.
Claims44
A stationary x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis system comprising:
- an x-ray source that generates x-ray radiation from an array of spatially distributed x-ray focal spots configured to image a human breast from different viewing angles for reconstruction without moving any of the source, the object, or the detector;
- an area x-ray detector configured to detect the projection images of the breast;
- an electronic controller for activating the x-ray radiation from the different x-ray focal spots in the x-ray source in a sequence and for synchronizing x-ray exposure from a given focal spot with image collection by the x-ray detector;
- and
- wherein tomography images of the breast can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the breast collected from different viewing angles.
A stationary x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis system configured to image a human breast from different viewing angles for reconstruction without moving any of the source, the object, or the detector, the system comprising:
- an x-ray source that generates x-ray radiation from an array of x-ray focal spots that are spatially distributed in a substantially straight line parallel to the imaging plane of the x-ray detector;
- an area x-ray detector configured to detect the projection images of the breast;
- an electronic controller for sequentially activating the x-ray radiation from the different x-ray focal spots and varying the intensity of the x-ray radiation based on the distance between the x-ray focal spot and the object to be imaged such that the x-ray dose delivered to the object from every viewing angle is substantially the same;
- and
- wherein tomography images of the object can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the object collected from different viewing angles.
A stationary x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis system configured to image a human breast from different viewing angles for reconstruction without moving any of the source, the object, or the detector, the system comprising:
- an x-ray source that generates x-ray radiation from an array of x-ray focal spots that are spatially distributed along an arc substantially perpendicular to an imaging plane of the x-ray detector, wherein the focal spots are equal distance to the object to be imaged;
- an area x-ray detector configured to detect the projection images of the breast;
- an electronic controller for sequentially activating the x-ray beam from the different x-ray focal spots and delivering the same x-ray tube current to each focal spot;
- and
- wherein tomography images of the object can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the object collected from different viewing angles.
A quasi-monochromatic x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis system configured to image a human breast, the system comprising:
- an x-ray source that generates scanning cone-beam x-ray radiation from an array of spatially distributed x-ray focal spots;
- an energy filter;
- an x-ray detector configured to collect projection images of an object;
- an electronic control circuit that allows imaging of the object by simultaneously activating a plurality of x-ray beams at a given time based on a multiplexing imaging scheme, and synchronizes x-ray exposure with data collection by the x-ray detector;
- and
- a computer program to de-multiplex the projection images;
- wherein tomography images of the object can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the object collected from different viewing angles.
A x-ray digital tomosynthesis system comprising:
- a field emission x-ray source that generates a scanning x-ray beam from an array of spatially distributed x-ray focal spots configured to image an object from different viewing angles for tomosynthesis reconstruction;
- an area x-ray detector configured to detect projection images of the object;
- an electronic controller for activating the x-ray beam from different x-ray focal spots in a sequence, either one beam or a plurality of the beams simultaneously, and for synchronizing x-ray exposure with image collection by the x-ray detector;
- and
- wherein tomography images of the object can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the object from different viewing angles.
A multiplexing x-ray digital tomosynthesis system comprising:
- a field emission x-ray source for generating a scanning x-ray beam from an array of spatially distributed x-ray focal spots configured to image an object from different viewing angles for tomosynthesis reconstruction;
- an area x-ray detector configured to detect the projection images;
- an electronic controller for imaging of the object by simultaneously activating a plurality of the x-ray beams at a given time based on a multiplexing imaging scheme, and for synchronizing x-ray exposure with data collection by the x-ray detector;
- wherein the projection images can be de-multiplexed;
- and
- wherein tomography images of the object can be reconstructed using a plurality of projection images of the object from different viewing angles.
A method of producing tomography images of an object, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of stationary field emission x-ray sources spatially distributed with respect to an object to be imaged;
- irradiating the object with x-ray beams produced by the x-ray sources to generate projection images of the object;
- detecting the projection images of the object;
- and
- reconstructing tomography images of the object based on the projection images of the object.
A method of producing images of an object using at least one of monochromatic and quasi-monochromatic x-ray beams, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of stationary field emission x-ray sources spatially distributed with respect to an object to be imaged;
- irradiating the object with at least one of monochromatic and quasi-monochromatic x-ray beams produced by the x-ray sources to generate projection images of the object;
- detecting the projection images of the object;
- and
- reconstructing displayable images of the object based on the projection images of the object.
A method of producing fan-beam reconstructed tomography images of an object using a cone beam x-ray source, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of stationary field emission x-ray sources spatially distributed in a substantially linear array;
- irradiating the object with x-ray cone beams produced by the x-ray sources to generate two-dimensional projection images of the object;
- placing a linear anti-scattering grid between the object and the detector to reduce scatter of the x-ray cone beams;
- detecting the two-dimensional projection images of the object;
- dividing the two-dimensional projection images into groups of one-dimensional data;
- reconstructing slice images of the object from the groups of one-dimensional data;
- and
- merging the slice images of the object to form a three-dimensional image of the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.