Whole-leg X-ray image processing and display techniques

A method for operating an X-ray examination device having an imaging area with a length which is less than the length of an object to be imaged, comprising:

• acquiring a series of high-resolution input images at selected different positions which overlap along the length of said object;
• processing said series of high-resolution images in accordance with both a first and a second method, said first method determining a low-resolution composite image for providing to said display a composite image which is simultaneously representative of a plurality of said high-resolution acquired images, sand said second method determining a portion of each of said high-resolution images which is to be deleted so as to minimize double display of said overlapped length of said object for providing to said display said series of high-resolution images in a sequential fashion;
• and
• using the display of the acquired images processed by either one of said first or second methods for controllably indicating a position (region of interest) on said display so as to cause control signals to be applied to a gantry control apparatus for centering said X-ray examination device over said region of interest.

Apparatus for operating an X-ray examination device having an imaging area with a length which is less than the length of an object to be imaged, comprising:

• means for acquiring a series of high-resolution input images at selected different positions which overlap along the length of said object;
• processing said series of high-resolution images in accordance with both a first and a second method, said first method determining a low-resolution composite image for providing to said display a composite image which is simultaneously representative of a plurality of said high-resolution acquired images, and said second method determining a portion of each of said high-resolution images which is to be deleted so as to minimize double display of said overlapped length of said object for providing to said display said series of high-resolution images in a sequential fashion;
• and
• means for using the display of the acquired images processed by either one of said first or second methods for controllably indicating a position (region of interest) on said display so as to cause said display to provide a high-resolution image which is centered about said region of interest.

Apparatus for operating an X-ray examination device having an imaging area with a length which is less than the length of an object to be imaged, comprising:

• means for acquiring a series of high-resolution input images at selected different positions which overlap along the length of said object;
• processing said series of high-resolution images in accordance with both a first and a second method, said first method determining a low-resolution composite image for providing to said display a composite image which is simultaneously representative of a plurality of said high-resolution acquired images, and said second method determining a portion of each of said high-resolution images which is to be deleted so as to minimize double display of said overlapped length of said object for providing to said display said series of high-resolution images in a sequential fashion;
• and
• means for using the display of the acquired images processed by either one of said first or second methods for controllably indicating a position (region of interest) on said display so as to cause control signals to be applied to a gantry control apparatus for centering said X-ray examination device over said region of interest.

A method for joining together a series of electronically stored images, comprising:

• acquiring a plurality of images at selected different positions which overlap each other along a given dimension of an object;
• storing each of said acquired images in an electronic memory as a multiple-row array of image pixels;
• searching for correspondingly positioned rows in a portion of each of said stored image arrays which have a position overlap therebetween, said searching being for correspondingly positioned rows which have at least a predetermined minimum degree of similarity for identifiable features contained therein and indicating when a pair of correspondingly positioned rows are found having at least said minimum degree of similarity;
• deleting those rows of pixels in each of said stored image arrays which are between said indicated pair of rows having at least said minimum degree of similarity and an outer edge of said image array;
• and
• joining a portion of each of said image array which remains after said deletion together, said joining being at said correspondingly positioned rows having said at least minimum degree of similarity.

An apparatus for joining together a series of electronically stored images, comprising:

• means for acquiring a plurality of images at selected different positions which overlap each other along a given dimension of an object;
• means for storing each of said acquired images in an electronic memory as a multiple-row array of image pixels;
• means for searching for correspondingly positioned rows in a portion of each of said stored image arrays which have a position overlap therebetween, said searching being for correspondingly positioned rows which have at least a predetermined minimum degree of similarity for identifiable features contained therein and indicating when a pair of correspondingly positioned rows are found having at least said minimum degree of similarity;
• means for deleting those rows of pixels in each of said stored image arrays which are between said indicated pair of rows having at least said minimum degree of similarity and an outer edge of said image array;
• and
• means for joining a portion of each of said image array which remains after said deletion together, said joining being at said correspondingly positioned rows having said at least minimum degree of similarity.