System and method for synchronization of the acquisition of images with the cardiac cycle for dual energy imaging

A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:

• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image:
• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
• recording an offset image;
• combining the X-ray image and the offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient;
• and
• introducing at least one scrub after imaging the patient to reduce artifacts in the image.

A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:

• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image;
• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
• recording an offset image:
• combining the X-ray image and the offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient;
• and
• introducing at least one scrub between said high kVp X-ray imaging and said low kVp X-ray imaging.

A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:

• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
• recording a first offset image wherein said first offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure;
• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
• recording a second offset image wherein said second offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure;
• and
• combining said first X-ray image and said first offset and said second X-ray image and said second offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient.

A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:

• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
• recording a first offset image;
• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
• recording a second offset image;
• combining said first X-ray image and said first offset image and said second X-ray image and said second offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient;
• and
• introducing at least one scrub after recording said first offset image to reduce artifacts in the image.

A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:

• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
• imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
• recording a first offset image;
• monitoring the patient's cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger:
• imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
• recording a second offset image;
• combining said first X-ray image and said first offset and said second X-ray image and said second offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient;
• and
• introducing at least one scrub between at least one of:
• said first X-ray image and said first offset;
• and said second X-ray image and said second offset.

A system for improving the image quality of a patient in an X-ray imaging system, said system including:

• a heart cycle monitor for monitoring the cardiac cycle of the patient to determine a first cardiac trigger and a second cardiac trigger;
• an X-ray emitter coupled to said heart cycle monitor for emitting X-rays in response to said first cardiac trigger and emitting X-rays through the patient;
• and
• an X-ray detector detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image, acquiring an offset image without any X-ray exposure and combining said X-ray image and said offset image to form an X-ray image of the patient.

A system for improving the image quality of a patient in an X-ray imaging system, said system including:

• a heart cycle monitor for monitoring the cardiac cycle of the patient to determine a first cardiac trigger and a second cardiac trigger;
• an X-ray emitter coupled to said heart cycle monitor for emitting X-rays in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy and emitting X-rays in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy;
• and
• an X-ray detector detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said first cardiac trigger to form a first X-ray image, detecting a first offset image acquired without any X-ray exposure, detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said second cardiac trigger to form a second X-ray image, detecting a second offset image acquired without any X-ray exposure, and combining said first X-ray image and said first offset image and said second X-ray image and said second offset image to form an X-ray image of the patient.