Combined image processing computer for medical diagnostics in the fields of radiography and fluoroscopy

A combination radiography and fluoroscopy system, comprising:

• a first radiation generator operable to generate a radiography radiation beam;
• a first radiation receiver disposed in a path of said radiography beam and operable to generate a radiation signal from said radiography radiation beam;
• a second radiation generator that is operable to generate a fluoroscopy radiation beam;
• a second radiation receiver disposed in a path of said fluoroscopy radiation beam and operable to generate a fluoroscopy radiation signal from said fluoroscopy radiation beam;
• a computer system connected to receive said radiography radiation signal from said first radiation receiver and connected to receive said fluoroscopy radiation signal from said second radiation receiver, said computer system including:
• a first signal path for processing said radiography radiation signal to generate a radiography image,
• a second signal path for processing said fluoroscopy radiation signal to generate a fluoroscopy image, said first and second signal paths having common modules that are shared by both said first and second signal paths, said first and second signal paths including path specific modules specific to respective radiography and fluoroscopy signals, said path specific modules being connected in parallel, and
• a monitor connected to outputs of said first and second signal paths to selectively display the radiography image generated by the first signal path and the fluoroscopy image generated by the second signal path.

A method for combining a radiography system and a fluoroscopic system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a radiography radiation generator and receiver for generating a radiography radiation signal from a radiography beam;
• providing a fluoroscopy radiation generator and receiver for generating a fluoroscopy radiation signal from a fluoroscopy beam;
• and
• processing said radiography radiation signal and said fluoroscopy radiation signal in a single computer, said single computer including common modules which process said radiography radiation signal and which process said fluoroscopy radiation signal, and said single computer including path specific processes which process respectively one of the radiation signal and said fluoroscopy radiation signal, said path specific processes being connected in parallel.

A method for combining a radiography system and a fluoroscopic system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a radiography radiation generator and receiver for generating a radiography radiation signal from a radiography beam;
• providing a fluoroscopy radiation generator and receiver for generating a fluoroscopy radiation signal from a fluoroscopy beam;
• and
• processing said radiography radiation signal in a first computer and processing said fluoroscopy radiation signal in a second computer, said first and second computers including a substantially identical program operating on both computers, said substantially identical program having common modules which process said radiography radiation signal in said first computer and said fluoroscopy radiation signal in said second computer, said program having path specific processes which process respectively one of the radiation signal and said fluoroscopy radiation signal, said path specific processes being connected in parallel.

A method for combining a radiography system and a fluoroscopic system, comprising the steps of:

• providing a radiography radiation generator for generating a radiography beam;
• providing a fluoroscopy radiation generator for generating a fluoroscopy beam;
• providing a single radiation receiver for generating a radiography radiation detector signal from the radiography beam and for generating a fluoroscopy radiation detector signal from the fluoroscopy beam;
• and
• processing said radiography radiation detector signal and said fluoroscopy radiation detector signal in a single computer, said single computer including common modules that are shared for processing both said radiography radiation detector signal and said fluoroscopy radiation detector signal, and said single computer having path specific processes which process respectively one of the radiation signal and said fluoroscopy radiation signal, said path specific processes being connected in parallel.