System and methods for the reduction and elimination of image artifacts in the calibration of X-ray imagers

A method of creating an image of an object comprising the steps of:

• transmitting x-rays in a path including a target object and calibration markers arranged in a predetermined pattern;
• receiving the transmitted x-rays;
• deriving a digital image representing the object and the calibration markers;
• and
• de-emphasizing the representations of the calibration markers in the digital image.

A computer system comprising:

• a first computer memory storing a digital image representing anatomy of a patient, the digital image including representations of calibration markers that at least partially occlude portions of the patient anatomy;
• a second memory storing instruction for performing image processing operations on the digital image to de-emphasize the representations of the calibration markers;
• and
• a processor coupled to the first and second memory for executing the instructions stored in the second memory.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• an x-ray source for generating x-rays;
• semi-transparent calibration markers positioned in a path of the x-rays;
• an x-ray receiving device for receiving the generated x-rays and deriving a digital image representing objects through which the generated x-rays have passed, the digital image including representations of the calibration markers;
• and
• a processor coupled to the x-ray receiving device for performing image processing operations on the digital image, the digital processing operations removing distortion from the image by performing intrinsic calibration on the image based on projections of the semi-transparent calibration markers in the image.