Radiation imaging using very slow rotational technique

An imaging method, comprising:

• generating a control signal to control a positioner to rotate a radiation source through an arc path at a rate that is equal to or less than Rmax, Rmax being calculated from α and T using a processing unit, and being equal to α/T, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• obtaining a plurality of images that are generated using radiation from the radiation source while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• determining a digital tomosynthesis image using a subset of the plurality of images;
• where α is an angular spacing between a subset of the images that belongs to a same bin, and T is a period of a physiological motion, wherein at least two images in the subset of the images belonging to the same bin correspond with two different respective positions of the radiation source.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a radiation source;
• a positioner configured to rotate the radiation source along an arc path at a rate that is a equal to or less than Rmax, Rmax being calculated from α and T, and being equal to α/T wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• an imager in operative position relative to the radiation source, wherein the radiation source and the imager are configured to obtain a plurality of images while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• a processor configured to determine a digital tomosynthesis image using a subset of the plurality of images;
• wherein α is an angular spacing between a subset of the images that belongs to a same bin, and T is a period of a physiological motion, wherein at least two images in the subset of the images belonging to the same bin correspond with two different respective positions of the radiation source;
• and
• wherein the imaging system further comprises a processing module configured to calculate Rmax based on the angular spacing.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a radiation source;
• a positioner configured to rotate the radiation source along an arc path at a rate that is a equal to or less than Rmax, Rmax being calculated from α and T, and being equal to α/T, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• an imager in operative position relative to the radiation source, wherein the radiation source and the imager are configured to obtain a plurality of images while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• a processor configured to determine a digital tomosynthesis image using a subset of the plurality of images;
• wherein α is an angular spacing between a subset of the images that belongs to a same bin, and T is a period of a physiological motion, wherein at least two images in the
• subset of the images belonging to the same bin correspond with two different respective positions of the radiation source;
• and
• wherein the imaging system further comprises a processing module configured to calculate Rmax, based on the period of the physiological motion.

An imaging method, comprising:

• generating a control signal to control a positioner to rotate a radiation source through an arc path at a rate that is less than or equal to Rmax, Rmax, being calculated from α and T using a processing unit, and being equal to α/T, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• obtaining a plurality of images that are generated using radiation from the radiation source while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• determining a digital tomosynthesis image using a subset of the plurality of images;
• wherein α is an angular spacing between a subset of the images that belongs to a same bin, and T is a period of a physiological motion, wherein at least two images in the subset of the images belonging to the same bin correspond with two different respective positions of the radiation source;
• and
• wherein the imaging method further comprises calculating Rmax based on the angular spacing.

An imaging method, comprising:

• generating a control signal to control a positioner to rotate a radiation source through an arc path at a rate that is less than or equal to Rmax, Rmax being calculated from α and T using a processing unit, and being equal to α/T, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• obtaining a plurality of images that are generated using radiation from the radiation source while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• determining a digital tomosynthesis image using a subset of the plurality of images;
• wherein α is an angular spacing between a subset of the images that belongs to a same bin, and T is a period of a physiological motion, wherein at least two images in the subset of the images belonging to the same bin correspond with two different respective positions of the radiation source;
• and
• wherein the imaging method further comprises calculating Rmax, based on the period of the physiological motion.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a processing module configured to calculate a maximum rate of rotation based on an angular spacing between two images to be formed;
• a radiation source;
• a positioner configured to rotate the radiation source along an arc path at a rate that is less than 0.25 degree/second, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• an imager in operative position relative to the radiation source, wherein the radiation source and the imager are configured to obtain a plurality of images that includes the two images while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a radiation source;
• a positioner configured to rotate the radiation source along an arc path at a rate that is less than 0.25 degree/second, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• an imager in operative position relative to the radiation source, wherein the radiation source and the imager are configured to obtain a plurality of images while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path;
• and
• a processing module configured to calculate a maximum rate of rotation based on a period of a physiological motion.

An imaging method, comprising:

• calculating a maximum rate of rotation for a radiation source based on an angular spacing between images that belongs to a same bin;
• generating a control signal to control a positioner to rotate the radiation source through an arc path at a rate that is less than 0.25 degree/second, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• obtaining the images that are generated using radiation from the radiation source while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path.

An imaging method, comprising:

• calculating a maximum rate of rotation for a radiation source based on a period of physiological motion;
• generating a control signal to control a positioner to rotate the radiation source through an arc path at a rate that is less than 0.25 degree/second, wherein the rate is a speed of rotation of the radiation source when the radiation source is rotating;
• and
• obtaining a plurality of images that are generated using radiation from the radiation source while the radiation source is at different positions along the arc path.