Medical imaging device and method controlling one or more parameters of a medical imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624602-B2
Application number	US-201815949148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 13, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments include a medical imaging device and a method controlling one or more parameters of a medical imaging device. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving image data representing a first image of an object to be imaged using the radiation source and detecting a plurality of positions of respective predetermined features in the first image. Based upon the detected positions, a boundary of an imaging area of the object to be imaged is determined. Based on the determined boundary, one or more parameters of the radiation source unit are controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling one or more parameters of a medical imaging device including a radiation source unit, the method comprising:
receiving image data representing a first image of an object to be imaged using the radiation source unit;
detecting respective positions of respective features in the first image;
determining a boundary of an imaging area of the object to be imaged, based upon the respective positions detected; and
controlling one or more parameters of the radiation source unit based upon the boundary determined,
wherein the detecting of the respective positions comprises:
evaluating one or more portions of the first image with respect to a model of the respective features,
assigning a probability value to each of the one or more portions of the first image based upon the one or more portions evaluated, and
determining that one or more of the one or more portions of the first image corresponds with the respective feature based upon a corresponding probability value assigned.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining at least one of an object size and an object orientation of the object to be imaged, based upon the respective positions detected.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the radiation source unit include at least one of
a position of the radiation source unit, and
one or more collimator settings of a collimator of the radiation source unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
identifying a background portion of the first image and a foreground portion of the first image based upon data in the received image data representing one or more image channels; and
determining the boundary based upon the identifying of the background portion of the first image and of the foreground portion of the first image.

5. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
determining object orientation based upon an angle of a line intersecting two or more of the respective positions detected; and
orientating the boundary of the imaging area of the object to correspond with the object orientation determined.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more parameters of the radiation source unit include at least one of
a position of the radiation source unit, and
one or more collimator settings of a collimator of the radiation source unit.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more parameters of the radiation source unit include at least one of
a position of the radiation source unit, and
one or more collimator settings of a collimator of the radiation source unit.

8. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
identifying a background portion of the first image and a foreground portion of the first image based upon data in the received image data representing one or more image channels; and
determining the boundary based upon the identifying of the background portion of the first image and of the foreground portion of the first image.

9. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
determining whether a first part of the foreground portion of the first image meets the boundary; and
adjusting, in response to the determining indicating that the first part of the foreground portion of the first image meets the boundary, the boundary to encompass the first part of the foreground portion of the first image.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
determining whether there is a background portion of the first image between the first part of the first image and the boundary; and
adjusting, in response to the determining indicating that there is a background portion of the first image between the first part of the first image and the boundary, the boundary so as to relatively reduce a size of the background portion.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object to be imaged is a body part of a human or animal subject, the respective features include anatomical features of the subject, and the first part includes a distal end of the object to be imaged.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the object to be imaged is a body part of a human or animal subject, the respective features include anatomical features of the subject, and the first part includes a distal end of the object to be imaged.

13. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
determining whether a first part of the foreground portion of the first image meets the boundary; and
adjusting, in response to the determining indicating that the first part of the foreground portion of the first image meets the boundary, the boundary to encompass the first part of the foreground portion of the first image.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
determining whether there is a background portion of the first image between the first part of the first image and the boundary; and
adjusting, in response to the determining indicating that there is a background portion of the first image between the first part of the first image and the boundary, the boundary so as to relatively reduce a size of the background portion.

15. A medical imaging device, comprising:
a processor arranged to:
receive image data representing a first image of an object to be imaged using a radiation source unit of the medical imaging device;
determine a boundary of an imaging area of the object to be imaged, based upon respective positions of features in the first image, wherein to detect the respective positions of features in the first image, the processor being further arranged to
evaluate one or more portions of the first image with respect to a model of the respective features,
assign a probability value to each of the one or more portions of the first image based upon the one or more portions evaluated, and
determine that one or more of the one or more portions of the first image corresponds with the respective feature based upon a corresponding probability value assigned; and

control one or more parameters of the radiation source unit based upon the boundary determined.

16. The medical imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of a position and an orientation of the radiation source unit.

17. The medical imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the radiation source unit includes a collimator to collimate a beam of radiation emitted from the radiation source unit, wherein the processor is further arranged to control one or more collimator settings based upon the boundary determined.

18. The medical imaging device of claim 15 , further comprising a camera, arranged to generate the first image, the camera being separate from the radiation source unit.

19. The medical imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the medical imaging device is an x-ray radiography device and wherein the radiation source unit comprises an X-ray source.

20. The medical imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further arranged to:
detect respective positions of the respective features in the first image; and
determine the boundary of an imaging area of the object to be imaged, based upon the respective positions detected.

21. The medical imaging device of claim 16 , wherein the radiation source unit includes a collimator to collimate a beam of radiation emitted from the radiation source unit, wherein the processor is further arranged to control one or more collimator settings based upon the boundary determined.

22. The medical imaging device of claim 16 , further comprising a camera, arranged to generate the first image, the ca

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Chang Yao-Jen
• Chen Terrence
• Tamersoy Birgi
• Singh Vivek Kumar
• Oepping Susanne
• Nanke Ralf

Classifications

• A61B6/40

  Arrangements for generating radiation specially adapted for radiation diagnosis · CPC title

• A61B6/06

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• G16H50/20

  for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems · CPC title

• A61B6/08

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

• A61B6/542 Primary

  involving control of exposure · CPC title