# US 2014/0153697 A1 · X-ray imaging apparatus and method for controlling the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153697 A1 - Document ID: US20140153697A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/919,496 - Filed: 2013-06-17 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Choong Hwan CHOI; Do Kwan OH; Woo Sup HAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153697A1 ## CPC - A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis} - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/0407: {Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body} - A61B 6/08: Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams - A61B 6/4233: {using matrix detectors} - A61B 6/4464: {the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling} - A61B 6/467: {characterised by special input means} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - Y10S 378/901: Computer tomography program or processor - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract Disclosed herein are an X-ray imaging apparatus which recognizes a marker located at a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from an image of a subject imaged by a camera and which controls a respective movement of each of an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector to a respective position which corresponds to the recognized marker, and a method for controlling the same. An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube which radiates X-rays toward a subject, an X-ray detector which detects X-rays which propagate through the subject, an imaging unit which generates an image of the subject, a recognizer which recognizes a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from the image of the subject, and a position controller which controls a movement of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to a position corresponding to the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: an X-ray tube which radiates X-rays toward a subject; an X-ray detector which detects X-rays which propagate through the subject; an imaging unit which generates an image of the subject; a recognizer which recognizes a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from the generated image of the subject; and a position controller which controls a respective movement of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to a respective position which corresponds to the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging, wherein the recognizer comprises a marker recognizer which recognizes a marker from the generated image of the subject in order to recognize the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging of the subject, and the marker is located at a target position of the subject. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position controller controls each of a center of an X-ray radiation region of the X-ray tube and a center of an X-ray detection region of the X-ray detector to match with a position of the marker. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position controller comprises: a position calculator which calculates the position of the marker; and a control amount calculator which pre-stores information relating to a relative position between the generated image of the subject and at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, and which calculates a control amount for causing respective positions of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to respectively correspond to the calculated position of the marker based on the relative position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marker recognizer recognizes at least one of a shape, a color, a material and a size of the marker. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the marker comprises an object having a recognizable feature and comprises a user's hand having a specific shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the marker recognizer recognizes an object having the at least one of the shape, the color, the material, and the size of the marker from the generated image of the subject. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit comprises a wide-angle camera having an angle of view such that the image of the subject is generated in a single stage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the imaging unit is mounted in the X-ray tube, and the position calculator updates a position calculation result of the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging while the X-ray tube moves to the respective position which corresponds to the part to be subjected X-ray imaging. ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: a gantry which comprises an X-ray tube which radiates X-rays toward a subject and an X-ray detector which detects X-rays which propagate through the subject; a slider which moves the subject to a bore of the gantry; an imaging unit which generates an image of the subject; a recognizer which recognizes a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from the generated image of the subject; and a position controller which controls a movement of the slider such that a position of the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging corresponds to a respective position of at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, wherein the recognizer comprises a marker recognizer which recognizes a marker from the generated image of the subject in order to recognize the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging of the subject, and the marker is located at a target position of the subject. ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the position controller comprises: a position calculator which calculates a position of the marker; and a control amount calculator which pre-stores information relating to a relative position between the generated image of the subject and at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, and which calculates a control amount for causing the slider to move based on the pre-stored information relating to the relative position. ### Claim 14 (canceled) ### Claim 15 A method for controlling an X-ray imaging apparatus which comprises an X-ray tube which radiates X-rays toward a subject and an X-ray detector which detects X-rays which propagate through the subject, the method comprising: generating an image of the subject; recognizing a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from the generated image of the subject; and controlling a respective movement of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to a respective position which corresponds to the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging, wherein the recognizing the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging comprises recognizing a marker from the generated image of the subject, the marker being located at a target position of the subject. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling the respective movement of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to the position which corresponds to the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging comprises controlling each of a center of an X-ray radiation region of the X-ray tube and a center of an X-ray detection region of the X-ray detector to match with a position of the marker. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling the respective movement of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to the position which corresponds to the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging comprises pre-storing information relating to a relative position between the generated image of the subject and at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, calculating a position of the marker, and calculating a control amount for causing respective positions of each of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector to respectively correspond to the calculated position of the marker based on the relative position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising pre-storing information relating to a feature which comprises information relating to at least one of a shape, a color, a material and a size of the marker. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the marker comprises an object having a recognizable feature and comprises a user's hand having a specific shape. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the recognizing the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging of the subject comprises recognizing an object having the feature which comprises the information relating to at least one of the shape, the color, the material, and the size of the marker from the generated image of the subject. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the image of the subject is generated by using a wide-angle camera having an angle of view such that the image of the subject is generated in a single stage. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, wherein: an imaging unit is mounted in the X-ray tube, and the calculating the position of the marker comprises updating a position calculation result of the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging while the X-ray tube moves to the respective position which corresponds to the part to be subjected X-ray imaging. ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 A method for controlling an X-ray imaging apparatus which comprises a gantry which comprises an X-ray tube which radiates X-rays toward a subject and an X-ray detector which detects X-rays which propagate through the subject, the method comprising: moving a slider, on which the subject is located, to a bore of the gantry; generating an image of the subject; recognizing a part to be subjected to X-ray imaging from the generated image of the subject; and controlling a movement of the slider such that the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging corresponds to a respective position of at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, wherein the recognizing the part to be subjected to X-ray imaging comprises recognizing a marker from the generated image of the subject, the marker being located at a target position of the subject. ### Claim 26 (canceled) ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein the controlling the movement of the slider comprises pre-storing information relating to a relative position between the generated image of the subject and at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector and calculating a control amount for causing the slider to move based on the pre-stored information relating to the relative position. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method according to claim 27, wherein the calculating the control amount for causing the slider to move comprises calculating a control amount for causing the slider to move such that a position of the marker corresponds to at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector. ### Claim 29 (canceled) ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit comprises a camera having a wide-angle lens which covers an entirety of a patient table in a single stage.