X-ray imaging system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10285656-B2
Application number	US-201514974132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Oct 18, 2010
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

An X-ray imaging system uses an X-ray source to emit an X-ray beam for exposing a desired radiation field. A camera is configured to capture a current image of the radiation field and to display a current image of the radiation field before the exposure is activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable imaging apparatus comprising:
an x-ray assembly enclosed by a housing configured to be held in one hand, the x-ray assembly comprising:
an X-ray source within the housing configured to emit an X-ray beam;
a light source within the housing configured to emit light;
a collimator within the housing proximate the X-ray source and the light source, the collimator having an aperture to define an X-ray radiation field on a portion of a patient to be exposed by the emitted X-ray beam, and to define an illumination field, coinciding with the radiation field on said portion of the patient, to be illuminated by the emitted light; and
a video camera within the housing configured to capture and communicate a video image of the illuminated radiation field on the portion of the patient, the video image captured through the aperture of the collimator; and

a display on the housing communicatively connected to the video camera to receive and display the captured video image of the illuminated radiation field on the portion of the patient.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collimator aperture comprises a variable aperture to adjust a size of the radiation field, and wherein the light source is configured so that a size of the illumination field is adjusted simultaneously with the size of the radiation field.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the radiation field is substantially equivalent to a field of view of the video camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the light source is configured to project a cursor within the illumination field such that the projected cursor is visible within the illumination field on the portion of the patient and is visible on the video display of the portion of the patient.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the video camera is positioned in the apparatus such that a side of the aperture facing the X-ray source is in a field of view of the video camera and is visible on the display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display includes a digital generated cursor configured to indicate a center of the radiation field.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source, the video camera, and the X-ray source are all disposed on one side of the collimator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to detect a position of a radiographic detector prior to emitting the X-ray beam, and wherein the display comprises a cursor configured to indicate the detected position of the detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the cursor is configured to outline physical boundaries of the detector corresponding to the detected position of the detector.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the cursor is configured to indicate a detected tilt, skew, rotational position, or a combination thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a wireless receiver for receiving a radiographic image captured by the detector in response to the X-ray beam and transmitted from the detector to the apparatus; and
a frame buffer for storing the radiographic image, and connected to the display for displaying the radiographic image.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cursor is configured to display physical locations of the corners of the detector corresponding to the detected position of the detector.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cursor is configured to display physical locations of the sides of the detector corresponding to the detected position of the detector.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the video camera is positioned in the apparatus such that a central axis of the X-ray beam coincides with a center of a field of view of the video camera.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises an articulating screen, a touch screen, or a combination thereof.

16. A method of operating an X-ray system having a hand-held X-ray source assembly and a DR detector, a video camera and a collimator in the hand-held X-ray source assembly, and a display screen on the hand-held X-ray source assembly, the method comprising:
viewing the display screen while manually supporting and aiming the video camera in the hand-held X-ray source assembly until a video image of a target portion of a subject appears in the display screen as captured by the video camera through an aperture in the collimator;
activating an X-ray source in the hand-held X-ray source assembly to radiographically expose the target portion of the subject through the aperture in the collimator;
capturing a radiographic image of the target portion of the subject in a digital detector exposed by the activated X-ray source;
the digital detector transmitting the captured radiographic image to the hand-held X-ray source assembly; and
displaying the captured radiographic image of the target portion of the subject on the display screen.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
activating a light source in the hand-held X-ray source assembly to illuminate the target portion of the subject through the aperture in the collimator.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting a position of the digital detector and displaying one or more cursors on the display screen that indicate the detected position of the digital detector.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
adjusting the aperture of the collimator in the hand-held X-ray source assembly to increase or decrease a size of the target portion of the subject to be radiographically exposed.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
activating a light source in the hand-held X-ray source assembly to illuminate an area of the target portion of the subject through the aperture in the collimator; and
automatically adjusting the illuminated area of the target portion of the subject corresponding to the adjusted aperture of the collimator.

21. A hand held X-ray system comprising:
an X-ray source assembly that is activatable to emit X-rays toward an object;
a video camera to capture a video image of the object to be exposed to the emitted X-rays;
a DR detector behind the object to capture a radiographic image of the object exposed by the emitted X-rays;
means for detecting a position of the DR detector prior to activating the X-ray source; and
a video display screen on the hand-held X-ray source assembly, wherein the video display screen is configured to display simultaneously a video image of the object to be exposed to the emitted X-rays captured by the video camera and a cursor indicating the detected position of the DR detector prior to activating the X-ray source and to display the cursor and the video image of the object while an operator manually aims the hand held X-ray system toward the object.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the video display screen is further configured to display at least a portion of the object to be exposed by the emitted X-rays prior to activating the X-ray source and while the operator manually aims the hand held X-ray system, to receive the radiographic image of the object captured by the DR detector after activating the X-ray source, and to display the radiographic image of the object captured by the DR detector.

Assignees

• Carestream Health Inc

Inventors

• Wang Xiaohui
• Hobert Kevin J
• Foos David H

Classifications

• A61B6/08

  Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams · CPC title

• A61B6/4405 Primary

  the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• A61B6/06

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• A61B6/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B6/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title