Automatic positioning of absorption means in X-ray image acquisition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10271808-B2
Application number	US-201113636454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2011
Priority date	Mar 31, 2010
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to automatic absorption means positioning in X-ray image acquisition. To improve image quality and to optimize the radiation exposure of an object, optimal position for X-ray absorption means is provided. A first sequence ( 113 ) of X-ray images is acquired ( 112 ). For each of the images, the optimal position ( 115 ) for X-ray absorption means is determined ( 114 ). A second sequence ( 117 ) of X-ray images is associated 10 ( 116 ) with corresponding images of the first sequence. The determined optimal position for the absorption means ( 14 ) of the associated corresponding images of the first sequence ( 113 ) is selected for an acquisition of the second sequence ( 117 ). Hence, a situation-specific database with optimized positions for the absorption means is generated on behalf of the first sequence in order to provide the generated position information for the actual acquisition of a 15 second sequence of images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for automatic absorption device positioning in X-ray image acquisition, comprising:
a processing unit; and
a control device coupled to the processing unit and configured to control a position of an imaging device,
wherein the processing unit is adapted to:
i) receive image data of images of a first sequence of sequentially exposed X-ray images of an object;
ii) determine optimal position for an X-ray absorption device for each of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images have different corresponding determined optimal positions;
iii) associate images of a second sequence of X-ray images with corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images by establishing a correspondence for the first sequence of X-ray images and the second sequence of X-ray images based on an imaging angulation and a type of vasculature being imaged; and
iv) select the determined optimal position for the X-ray absorption device of the associated corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images for an acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the second sequence of X-ray images correspond to the at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images,

wherein the control device is configured to receive the selected optimal positions for the second sequence of X-ray images and is configured to position the imaging device during the second sequence of X-ray images.

2. A method for automatic absorption device positioning in X-ray image acquisition, comprising acts of:
a) acquiring image data of images of a first sequence of X-ray images of an object;
b) determining, for each of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images, optimal position for an X-ray absorption device, wherein at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images have different corresponding determined optimal positions;
c) associating images of a second sequence of X-ray images with corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images by establishing a correspondence for the first sequence of X-ray images and the second sequence of X-ray images based on an imaging angulation and a type of vasculature being imaged;
d) selecting the determined optimal position of the associated corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images for an acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the second sequence of X-ray images correspond to the at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images.

3. The method according to claim 2 , comprising acts of acquiring of the second sequence of X-ray images, wherein the determined optimal positions are selected during or prior to the acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images, and positioning the X-ray absorption device according to the selected determined optimal positions.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the images of the first sequence of X-ray images and the images of the second sequence of X-ray images are acquired according to at least one different image acquisition parameter.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one image acquisition parameter comprises image contrast and wherein the images of the first sequence of X-ray images are acquired with a higher image contrast agent than the images of the second sequence of X-ray images.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein act c) comprises spatially aligning images from among the corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images with the associated images of the second sequence of X-ray images; and wherein the respective selected optimal positions are adjusted according to their respective alignments.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein for the alignment, system information is used to account for possible modifications of a relative position of an imaging system and the object of interest between the acquisition of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images and the acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium for automatic X-ray absorption-device positioning, the medium embodying a program having instructions executable by a processor for performing a plurality of acts, among the plurality there being the acts of:
a) acquiring image data of images of a first sequence of X-ray images of an object;
b) determining, for each of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images, optimal position for an X-ray absorption device, wherein at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images have different corresponding determined optimal positions;
c) associating images of a second sequence of X-ray images with corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images by establishing a correspondence for the first sequence of X-ray images and the second sequence of X-ray images based on an imaging angulation and a type of vasculature being imaged; and
d) selecting the determined optimal position of the associated corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images for an acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the second sequence of X-ray images correspond to the at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images.

9. An apparatus for automatic absorption device positioning in X-ray image acquisition, comprising:
a processing unit wherein the processing unit is adapted to:
i) receive image data of images of a first sequence of X-ray images of an object;
ii) determine optimal position of an X-ray absorption device for each of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images have different corresponding determined optimal positions;
iii) associate images of a second sequence of X-ray images with corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images by establishing a correspondence for the first sequence of X-ray images and the second sequence of X-ray images based on an imaging angulation and a type of vasculature being imaged; and
iv) select, for an acquisition of the second sequence of X-ray images, the determined optimal positions for the associated corresponding images of the first sequence of X-ray images, wherein at least two of the second sequence of X-ray images correspond to the at least two of the first sequence of X-ray images.

10. A medical imaging system comprising the apparatus of according to claim 9 , further comprising an X-ray source, and an X-ray detector that are adapted to acquire the images of the first sequence of X-ray images with a higher image contrast agent than the images of the second sequence of X-ray images.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , the act ii) preceding, for a plurality of images from among the first sequence of X-ray images, the act iv).

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , the plurality comprising all of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images.

13. The method of claim 2 , the act b) preceding, for a plurality of images from among the first sequence of X-ray images, the act d).

14. The method of claim 13 , the plurality comprising all of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , the act b) preceding, for a plurality of images from among the first sequence of X-ray images, the act d).

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , the plurality comprising all of the images of the first sequence of X-ray images.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising the X-ray absorption device.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 , the

Assignees

• Auvray Vincent Maurice Andre
• Florent Raoul
• Den Hartog Willem Frederik
• Van Den Houten Peter Willem
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Auvray Vincent Maurice Andre
• Florent Raoul
• Den Hartog Willem Frederik
• Van Den Houten Peter Willem

Classifications

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/4441

  the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm · CPC title

• A61B6/481 Primary

  involving the use of contrast agents · CPC title

• A61B6/06

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• A61B6/5235

  combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT · CPC title