Method and system for controlling X-Ray radiation dosage applied in an X-Ray CT system

An X-Ray computer assisted tomography (X-Ray CT) system comprising:

• a gantry having an opening configured to receive a patient and a tube-detector system configured to rotate 360 degrees around a z-axis extending along a length of the patient, the tube-detector system of the gantry comprising:
• an X-Ray tube configured to apply X-Ray radiation to anatomy of the patient in an x-y plane at a plurality of angles during each of one or more 360 degree rotations along a length of the z-axis that intersects the x-y plane;
• and
• an X-Ray detector disposed opposite the X-Ray tube and configured to detect the X-Ray radiation;
• an image processor configured to acquire and process X-Ray projections of anatomy of the patient provided by the tube-detector system to reconstruct a three dimensional (3D) image of the anatomy of the patient;
• and
• a processor configured to control a dosage of the X-Ray radiation applied to the anatomy of the patient by:
• causing a same dosage of the X-Ray radiation to be applied in the x-y plane to a posterior of the patient and to an anterior of the patient at a first portion along the length of the z-axis;
• determining, using one or more images acquired from a camera, a location of a radiosensitive portion of the anatomy of the patient along the length of the z-axis;
• and
• causing a varied dosage of the X-Ray radiation to be applied in the x-y plane at a second portion along the length of the z-axis based on the determined location of the radiosensitive portion along the length of the z-axis, the varied dosage comprising a first dosage applied to the posterior of the patient and a second dosage applied to the anterior of the patient, the second dosage applied to the anterior of the patient being less than the first dosage applied to the posterior of the patient.

A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling radiation dosage of an X-Ray CT system comprising:

• applying X-Ray radiation to anatomy of a patient along the length of a z-axis in an x-y plane at a plurality of angles during each of one or more 360 degree rotations around the z-axis, the z-axis extending along a length of the patient and intersecting the x-y plane;
• acquiring X-Ray projections of the anatomy of the patient to reconstruct a three dimensional (3D) image of the anatomy;
• and
• controlling a dosage of the X-Ray radiation applied to the anatomy of the patient by:
• causing a same dosage of the X-Ray radiation to be applied in the x-y plane to a posterior of the patient and to an anterior of the patient at a first portion along the length of the z-axis;
• determining, using one or more images acquired from a camera, a location of a radiosensitive portion of the anatomy of the patient along the length of the z-axis;
• and
• causing a varied dosage of the X-Ray radiation to be applied in the x-y plane at a second portion along the length of the z-axis based on the determined location of the radiosensitive portion along the length of the z-axis, the varied dosage comprising a first dosage applied to the posterior of the patient and a second dosage applied to the anterior of the patient, the second dosage applied to the anterior of the patient being less than the first dosage applied to the posterior of the patient.