Ct imaging apparatus, information processing apparatus, ct imaging method, information processing method, and recording medium

A CT imaging apparatus comprising:

• an X-ray generator that emits an X-ray beam;
• an X-ray detector that detects said X-ray beam;
• a support that supports said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector such that said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector oppose each other;
• a rotation driving unit that rotates said support around a rotation axis line located between said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector;
• a display that displays a panoramic tomographic image that is an image of a dental arch of a subject;
• and
• a processor;
• wherein the processor is configured to perform:
• a first position setting step that receives an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a mesiodistal direction on said panoramic tomographic image displayed on said display, and sets a first position on said panoramic tomographic image based on the designation operation;
• a fluoroscopic imaging executing step that irradiates said subject with the X-ray beam along a fluoroscopic imaging direction having a tangential direction component at said first position on said panoramic tomographic image by controlling said X-ray generator, said X-ray detector, and said rotation driving unit, and acquires a fluoroscopic image;
• a second position setting step that receives an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a buccolingual direction on said fluoroscopic image displayed on said display, and sets a second position based on the designation operation;
• an imaging region setting step that sets an imaging region of CT imaging based on said second position;
• and
• a CT imaging executing step that irradiates said imaging region set by said imaging region setting step with an X-ray cone beam by controlling said X-ray generator, said X-ray detector, and said rotation driving unit, and executes said CT imaging.

An information processing apparatus that processes information causing an X-ray imaging apparatus to execute X-ray imaging, said information processing apparatus comprising:

• a display that displays a panoramic tomographic image that is an image of a dental arch of a subject;
• a first position setting unit that receives an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a mesiodistal direction on said panoramic tomographic image displayed on said display, and sets a first position on said panoramic tomographic image based on the designation operation;
• a fluoroscopic imaging information providing unit that provides information executing X-ray imaging for acquiring a fluoroscopic image by irradiating said subject with an X-ray beam along a fluoroscopic imaging direction having a tangential direction component at said first position of said panoramic tomographic image to said X-ray imaging apparatus;
• a second position setting unit that receives an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a buccolingual direction on said fluoroscopic image that is acquired by said X-ray imaging apparatus and displayed on said display, and sets a second position based on the designation operation;
• an imaging region setting unit that sets an imaging region of CT imaging based on said second position;
• and
• a CT imaging information providing unit that provides information executing said CT imaging by irradiating said imaging region with an X-ray cone beam to the X-ray imaging apparatus capable of executing the CT imaging.

A CT imaging method comprising:

• displaying a panoramic tomographic image of a dental arch of a subject on a display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a mesiodistal direction on said panoramic tomographic image displayed on said display in said panoramic tomographic image displaying step, and setting a first position on said panoramic tomographic image based on the designation operation;
• acquiring a fluoroscopic image by irradiating said subject with an X-ray beam along a fluoroscopic imaging direction having a tangential direction component at said first position of said fluoroscopic image set in said first position setting step;
• displaying said fluoroscopic image acquired in said fluoroscopic image acquiring step on said display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a buccolingual direction on said fluoroscopic image displayed on said display in said fluoroscopic image displaying step, and setting a second position based on the designation operation;
• setting an imaging region of CT imaging based on said second position set in said second position setting step;
• and
• executing said CT imaging by irradiating said imaging region when setting the imaging region with an X-ray cone beam.

An information processing method of processing information causing an X-ray imaging apparatus to execute X-ray imaging, said information processing method comprising:

• displaying a panoramic tomographic image of a dental arch of a subject on a display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a mesiodistal direction on said panoramic tomographic image displayed on said display in said panoramic tomographic image displaying step, and setting a first position on said panoramic tomographic image based on the designation operation;
• providing information executing X-ray imaging for acquiring a fluoroscopic image by irradiating said subject with an X-ray beam along a fluoroscopic imaging direction having a tangential direction component at said first position of said panoramic tomographic image set in said first position setting step to said X-ray imaging apparatus;
• displaying said fluoroscopic image acquired by said X-ray imaging apparatus on said display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a buccolingual direction on said fluoroscopic image displayed on said display in said fluoroscopic image displaying step, and setting a second position based on the designation operation;
• setting an imaging region of CT imaging based on said second position set in said second position setting step;
• and
• providing information executing said CT imaging by irradiating said imaging region set when setting the imaging region with an X-ray cone beam to the X-ray imaging apparatus capable of executing the CT imaging.

A non-transitory recording medium having a computer-readable program recorded on the medium, said program causing a computer to execute:

• displaying a panoramic tomographic image of a dental arch of a subject on a display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a mesiodistal direction on said panoramic tomographic image displayed on said display in said panoramic tomographic image displaying step, and setting a first position on said panoramic tomographic image based on the designation operation;
• providing information executing X-ray imaging for acquiring a fluoroscopic image by irradiating said subject with an X-ray beam along a fluoroscopic imaging direction having a tangential direction component at said first position of said panoramic tomographic image set in said first position setting step to an X-ray imaging apparatus;
• displaying said fluoroscopic image acquired by said X-ray imaging apparatus on said display;
• receiving an input of a designation operation to designate a position in a buccolingual direction on said fluoroscopic image displayed on said display in said fluoroscopic image displaying step, and setting a second position based on the designation operation;
• setting an imaging region of CT imaging based on said second position set in said second position setting step;
• and
• providing information executing said CT imaging by irradiating said imaging region set by said second position setting step with an X-ray cone beam to the X-ray imaging apparatus capable of executing the CT imaging.