Recording a panorama dataset of an examination object by a movable medical x-ray device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11172902-B2
Application number	US-202016784429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2020
Priority date	Feb 25, 2019
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for recording a panorama dataset of an examination object by a movable medical x-ray device, to a medical x-ray device, and to a computer program product for carrying out the method. The medical x-ray device has an x-ray source, which emits a bundle of x-rays, wherein a first image segment, which maps at least one part of the examination object, is recorded at a first point in time. Position data is acquired, which maps the spatial position of the x-ray device at this first point in time. At least one further image segment along an imaging path is recorded after there has been a movement of the x-ray device, wherein the imaging path lies in one plane, wherein a central ray of the bundle of x-rays emitted by the x-ray source does not run in parallel to the plane in which the imaging path lies. Additionally, position data is acquired, which maps the spatial position of the x-ray device at the time of the recording of the at least one further image segment. The acquired position data is uniquely assigned to the recorded image segments. The panorama dataset is assembled from at least two image segments with the position data assigned thereto from a set of all recorded image segments with the position data assigned thereto.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for recording a panorama dataset of an examination object by a movable medical x-ray device having an x-ray source, the method comprising:
emitting a bundle of x-rays by the x-ray source of the medical x-ray device;
recording a first image segment at a first point in time, wherein the recording of the first image segment maps at least one part of the examination object;
acquiring position data, which maps a spatial position of the medical x-ray device at the first point in time;
identifying geometrical structures and/or anatomical structures in the first image segment;
determining one or more of an orientation, alignment, or location of the identified geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures in the first image segment relative to the position data of the medical x-ray device;
adapting an imaging path based on the one or more of the orientation, alignment, or location of the identified geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures determined in the first image segment;
recording at least one further image segment along the imaging path after a movement of the medical x-ray device, wherein the imaging path lies in a plane, and wherein a central ray of the emitted bundle of x-rays does not lie in parallel to the plane in which the imaging path lies;
acquiring further position data, which maps a spatial position of the medical x-ray device at the time of the recording of the at least one further image segment;
uniquely assigning the acquired further position data to the recorded at least one further image segment; and
assembling the panorama dataset from at least two image segments with the position data assigned thereto from a set of all recorded image segments with the position data assigned thereto.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical x-ray device has at least one diaphragm,
wherein a ray path of the bundle of x-rays emitted by the x-ray source is restricted in a direction of propagation by the at least one diaphragm,
wherein a transmission window is formed by diaphragm leaves,
wherein a longitudinal axis of the transmission window runs in a direction of a greatest extent of the transmission window,
wherein the longitudinal axis of the transmission window is determined by an alignment of the diaphragm leaves, and
wherein the longitudinal axis of the transmission window at the time of the recording of the at least one further image segment is not aligned in parallel to an axis between the spatial position of the medical x-ray device at a point in time of the recording of the at least one further image segment and a spatial position of the medical x-ray device at a time of the recording of an image segment before the point in time of the recording of the at least one further image segment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an approach position is determined by the panorama dataset, which is moved to with the medical x-ray device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the anatomical structures in the first image segment is undertaken by an anatomy atlas.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures in the first image segment is undertaken by machine learning.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adapting of the imaging path is undertaken by a virtual completion of the identified geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after the recording of at least one further image segment along the imaging path established, an end point of the imaging path is determined by the geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures identified therein.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical x-ray device has at least one diaphragm,
wherein a ray path of the bundle of x-rays emitted by the x-ray source is restricted in a direction of propagation by the at least one diaphragm,
wherein a transmission window is formed by diaphragm leaves,
wherein a longitudinal axis of the transmission window runs in a direction of a greatest extent of the transmission window,
wherein the longitudinal axis of the transmission window is determined by an alignment of the diaphragm leaves, and
wherein the longitudinal axis of the transmission window at the time of the recording of the at least one further image segment is not aligned in parallel to an axis between the spatial position of the medical x-ray device at a point in time of the recording of the at least one further image segment and a spatial position of the medical x-ray device at a time of the recording of an image segment before the point in time of the recording of the at least one further image segment, and
wherein the transmission window for recording of a next further image segment is adapted by the identified geometrical structures and/or the anatomical structures.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adapting of the imaging path comprises alignment information, and
wherein an optimal imaging of a geometrical structure of the geometrical structures and/or an anatomical structure of the anatomical structures in the at least one further image segment is achieved by the alignment information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray device is positioned along the adapted imaging path by a graphical representation of a predetermined position on the imaging path and a graphical representation of the position data at the respective time, and
wherein the graphical representation of the predetermined position on the imaging path and the graphical representation of the position data at the respective time are made congruent by moving the x-ray device into the predetermined position on the adapted imaging path.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of panorama datasets is created, and
wherein the plurality of panorama datasets is assembled into one common panorama dataset.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position data of the x-ray device is shown on a visual display unit.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position data of a fixed-location reference point is acquired relative to the spatial position of the x-ray device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a distance between the spatial position of the x-ray device and the reference point is shown on a visual display unit.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the spatial position of the x-ray device and a position on the imaging path is shown on a visual display unit.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an approach position by the panorama dataset; and
moving the medical x-ray device to the approach position semi-automatically or automatically.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a graphical representation of the panorama dataset is shown on a visual display unit.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein patient positioning information is assigned to the panorama dataset.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the panorama dataset is registered to changed patient positioning information.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical x-ray device has a movement facility, and
wherein the position data of the x-ray device is acquired via changes within the movement facility and/or relative to a mounting of the movement facility.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the movement facility has at least one wheel, and
wherein the position data of the x-ray device is acquired via changes in a wheel position of the at le

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Gemmel Alexander
• Kreher Björn
• Kunze Holger
• Weiten Markus
• Magaraggia Jessica
• Kleinszig Gerhard
• Lenich Tobias
• Zaus Edgar

Classifications

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• A61B6/42

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

• A61B6/032 Primary

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/40 Primary

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

• A61B6/5241

  combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching · CPC title