Apparatus and method for two-view tomosynthesis imaging
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorBernhard Erich Hermann Claus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a directed to an apparatus for tomosynthesis imaging, wherein the apparatus comprises an x-ray source configured to irradiate an object with a beam of x-rays and a detector configured to detect the x-ray beam that passes through the object. The apparatus further comprises a computer programmed to perform a scan, wherein the scan comprises a translation of at least one of the x-ray source and the detector along a path, an acquisition of a tomosynthesis image dataset, and a reconstruction of one or more three-dimensional (3D) volumes adapted to one or more predetermined view directions, wherein at least one of the one or more predetermined view directions is aligned outside of a central view direction.
Claims24
An apparatus for tomosynthesis imaging comprising:
- an x-ray source configured to irradiate an object with a beam of x-rays;
- a detector configured to detect the x-ray beam that passes through the object;
- and
- a computer programmed to:
- perform a single scan, the single scan comprising:
- a translation of at least one of the x-ray source and the detector along a path during the single scan;
- an acquisition of a tomosynthesis image dataset during the single scan;
- and
- a reconstruction of two or more three-dimensional (3D) volumes respectively adapted to two or more predetermined view directions from the tomosynthesis image dataset, wherein at least one of the two or more predetermined view directions is aligned outside of a central view, the at least one predetermined view direction corresponding to a location of the x-ray source different than a location of the x-ray source corresponding to the central view, the at least one redetermined view direction being non-orthogonal to an x-ray detector plane of the detector and distinct from a view direction of the central view.
A method of forming three-dimensional images of an object, the method comprising:
- irradiating the object with a beam of x-rays at a plurality of positions along a path during a single scan, wherein the beam of x-rays is emitted from an x-ray source;
- acquiring a tomosynthesis image dataset based on x-rays detected by an x-ray detector during the single scan;
- and
- reconstructing two or more three-dimensional (3D) volumes from the tomosynthesis image dataset, wherein the reconstructing of the two or more 3D volumes is adapted to two or more predetermined view directions, and wherein at least one of the two or more predetermined view directions is aligned outside of a central view direction, the at least one predetermined view direction corresponding to a location of the x-ray source different than a location of the x-ray source corresponding to the central view the at least one predetermined view direction being non-orthogonal to an x-ray detector plane of the x-ray detector and distinct from a view direction of the central view.
A tomosynthesis Imaging system for forming three-dimensional images of an object, the system comprising:
- an x-ray source configured to irradiate the object with x-rays;
- an x-ray detector positioned relative to the x-ray source to detect x-rays transmitted by the x-ray source;
- and
- a computer programmed to:
- translate one of the x-ray source and the x-ray detector during a single scan such that one of the x-ray source and the x-ray detector travels along a path with respect to an object to be imaged during the single scan;
- acquire a tomosynthesis image dataset;
- and
- reconstruct two or more three-dimensional (3D) volumes from the tomosynthesis image dataset, wherein the two or more 3D volumes correspond to two or more predetermined view directions, respectively, and wherein at least one of the two or more predetermined view directions is oriented outside of a central view direction, the at least one predetermined view direction corresponding to a location of the x-ray source different than a location of the x-ray source corresponding to the central view, the at least one predetermined view direction being non-orthogonal to an x-ray detector plane of the x-ray detector and distinct from a view direction of the central view.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.