Generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a body part by an X-ray machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245001-B2
Application number	US-201715614838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2017
Priority date	Jun 7, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an X-ray machine and a method for the operation of the X-ray machine for generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a body part. The method includes supplying a first X-ray capture of the body part; an automatic analysis of the first X-ray capture; an evaluation of the suitability of at least one further capture angle by the computing unit in the light of a result from the automatic analysis; setting of a second capture angle on the X-ray machine, either automatically by the computing unit or manually by an operator; a manually controlled approach to the set second capture angle by a capture unit of the X-ray machine; and capture of the second X-ray capture from the approached second capture angle by the capture unit to provide an improved method for operation of an X-ray machine for generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a body part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for an operation of an X-ray machine for generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a target portion of a body part, the method comprising:
supplying a first X-ray capture of the target portion of the body part, captured at a first capture angle, to a computing unit of the X-ray machine, wherein the body part comprises a portion of a blood vessel or an organ;
automatically analyzing the supplied first X-ray capture of the target portion of the body part by the computing unit, wherein a center line of the portion of the blood vessel or the organ is identified;
evaluating a suitability of at least one further capture angle, by the computing unit, based on the identified center line from the automatic analysis as an axis of rotation;
setting a second capture angle on the X-ray machine, with respect to a same target portion of the body part, either automatically by the computing unit, wherein a result from the evaluation is taken into account, or manually by an operator, wherein a result from the evaluation is displayed to the operator by a display unit of the X-ray machine, wherein the second capture angle is a different capture angle than the first capture angle;
controlling an approach to the set second capture angle using a capture unit of the X-ray machine about the axis of rotation;
capturing the second X-ray capture at the set second capture angle by the capture unit; and
generating the three-dimensional reconstruction of the same target portion of the body part using the first X-ray capture and the second X-ray capture.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the generation of the three-dimensional reconstruction for the first X-ray capture from a plurality of options for captures by the X-ray machine;
automatically setting at least one capture parameter for the first X-ray capture;
setting the first capture angle;
controlling an approach to the set first capture angle using the capture unit of the X-ray machine; and
capturing the first X-ray capture at the set first capture angle by the capture unit.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting includes specifying the target portion of the body part to be reconstructed, and
wherein the setting of the first capture angle proceeds automatically.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the capturing of the first X-ray capture having a plurality of individual images, the second X-ray capture having a plurality of individual images, or both the first and the second X-ray captures comprises automatic variation of the capture angle during capture of the first and/or second X-ray capture by less than 10 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatic analysis comprises detection of the target portion of the body part, comprising one or more of at least one region of the body part with specified characteristics, a position of the body part, an orientation of the body part, at least one dimension of the body part, a course of the body part, or the axis of rotation about which the second X-ray capture is tilted relative to the first X-ray capture.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the detection is of a region of the blood vessel, wherein the blood vessel has a stenosis.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation of suitability includes one or more of the following criteria:
an angular difference between the first capture angle and the at least one further capture angle;
a probability of the X-ray machine colliding with a further item of equipment, the operator, a patient, or a combination thereof;
a dose burden for the patient;
approachability of the capture angle by the capture unit;
a path length of the X-rays in the patient; or
a number of further body parts superposed over the body part in the X-ray capture in accordance with a model.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation of suitability takes account of at least one minimum requirement and, in the event of the at least one minimum requirement not being met by the evaluated capture angle, the computing unit prevents the evaluated capture angle from being set as the second capture angle and/or warns the operator in the event of the evaluated capture angle being set as the second capture angle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one minimum requirement includes a specified angular amount by which the first and second capture angles differ.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray machine comprises a patient table with an electrical adjustment function, the electrical adjustment function being disabled during capture of the first X-ray capture and/or the second X-ray capture, or
adjustment of the patient table is detected by a detection unit and taken into account during the setting of the second capture angle.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically preselecting correlated frames of the first and second X-ray captures by the computing unit based on the automatic analysis and/or of the evaluation of suitability for the generation of the three-dimensional reconstruction.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing the second X-ray capture;
evaluating the suitability of at least one further capture angle for the generation of an improved three-dimensional reconstruction of the same target portion of the body part, by the computing unit, based on a result from the automatic analysis;
providing a third X-ray capture at a third capture angle, with respect to the same target portion of the body part, for the generation of the improved three-dimensional reconstruction;
setting a third capture angle on the X-ray machine;
controlling an approach to the set third capture angle using the capture unit of the X-ray machine; and
capturing the third X-ray capture at the set third capture angle using the capture unit for the generation of the improved three-dimensional reconstruction of the same target portion of the body part, wherein the third capture angle is a different capture angle than the first capture angle and the second capture angle.

13. An X-ray machine for capture of at least two X-ray images for generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a target portion of a body part, wherein the body part comprises a portion of a blood vessel or an organ, the X-ray machine comprising:
a capture unit; and
a computing unit configured to:
automatically analyze at least one first X-ray capture of the target portion of the body part supplied to the computing unit, wherein the first X-ray capture is captured at a first capture angle using the capture unit and wherein a center line of the portion of the blood vessel or the organ is identified, and
evaluate a suitability of at least one further capture angle for the generation of the three-dimensional reconstruction of a same target portion of the body part based on the identified center line from the automatic analysis as an axis of rotation,

wherein the capture unit is configured to capture a second X-ray capture at a second capture angle through a rotation of capture unit about the axis of rotation, with respect to the same target portion of the body part, for the generation of the three-dimensional reconstruction, wherein the second capture angle is a different capture angle than the first capture angle.

14. A method for an operation of an X-ray machine for generation of a three-dimensional reconstruction of a body part, the method comprising:
supplying a first X-ray capture of the body part, captured at a first capture angle, to a computing unit of the X-ray machine;
automatically analyzing the supplied first X-ray

Assignees

• Redel Thomas
• Scheuering Michael
• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Redel Thomas
• Scheuering Michael

Classifications

• A61B6/545

  involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/5205 Primary

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data · CPC title

• A61B6/504 Primary

  for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography · CPC title

• A61B6/547

  involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device · CPC title

• A61B6/027

  characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral · CPC title