Systems and methods for tissue discrimination via multi-modality coded aperture x-ray imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399788-B2
Application number	US-202016743718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for tissue discrimination are disclosed. The systems and the methods utilize coded x-ray beams. Transmission signals and scatter signals are utilized to determine tissue properties.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising:
an x-ray source that, in use, produces an x-ray energy;
a first coded aperture positioned to receive the x-ray energy, the first coded aperture, in use, produces at least two coded x-ray beams from the x-ray energy;
a sample mount having a sample location positioned to allow the at least two coded x-ray beams to pass through the sample location, the sample mount configured to retain a sample at the sample location;
a second coded aperture positioned to receive the at least two coded x-ray beams, the second coded aperture, in use, isolates transmission signals and scatter signals from each of the at least two coded x-ray beams;
an x-ray detector array comprising a plurality of x-ray detector pixels, the plurality of x-ray detector pixels positioned to receive the transmission signals and the scatter signals;
a processor in direct or indirect electronic communication with the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and the x-ray detector array; and
a memory having stored thereon a tissue identification algorithm and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: direct the x-ray source to emit the x-ray energy; direct the first coded aperture to produce the at least two coded x-ray beams from the x-ray energy; record a relative position of the sample location; direct the second coded aperture and the x-ray detector array to acquire transmission data and diffraction data for each of the at least two coded x-ray beams; determine one or more properties of a tissue sample positioned within the sample location of the sample mount using the tissue identification algorithm and the transmission data and/or the diffraction data; and generate a report including the relative position of the sample location and the one or more properties of the tissue sample.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more source-side collimators configured to receive the x-ray energy from the x-ray source and collimate the x-ray energy prior to the arrival of the x-ray energy at the first coded aperture.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more source-side collimators configured to work jointly with the first coded aperture to collimate the at least two coded x-ray beams.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first coded aperture is configured to provide a first unique code to each of the at least two coded x-ray beams.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a relative motion between the sample location of the sample mount and the at least two coded x-ray beams is substantially limited to a motion that is substantially perpendicular to the at least two coded x-ray beams.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sample location of the sample mount is configured to move relative to the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and/or the x-ray detector array.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a mount translation stage coupled to the sample mount and configured to provide a movement of the sample location.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and the x-ray detector array are configured to move relative to the sample location of the sample mount.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a system translation stage coupled to the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and the x-ray detector array, and configured to provide a movement of the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and the x-ray detector array.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a system motor coupled to the system translation stage and configured to move the x-ray source, the first coded aperture, the second coded aperture, and the x-ray detector array via the system translation stage.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second coded aperture comprises a plurality of second coded aperture pixels, wherein the second coded aperture is configured to provide a second unique code to each of the plurality of second coded aperture pixels within the second coded aperture.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tissue identification algorithm comprises a machine-learning-based classification algorithm that is trained on raw, non-reconstructed data.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the tissue identification algorithm does not reconstruct raw data prior to making a determination of a likelihood of cancer.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate a transmission image from the transmission signals and a scatter image from the scatter signals.

15. A method comprising:
a) transmitting at least two coded x-ray beams from a coded x-ray source into a sample;
b) receiving transmission signals corresponding to each of the at least two coded x-ray beams;
c) receiving scatter signals corresponding to each of the at least two coded x-ray beams;
d) determining, using a computer-executed tissue identification algorithm, one or more tissue properties based on the transmission signals and/or the scatter signals; and
e) generate a report including the one or more tissue properties.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the coded x-ray source includes an x-ray source and a coded aperture, and the step a) includes transmitting an x-ray energy from the x-ray source through the coded aperture to generate the at least two coded x-ray beams.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising moving the sample to a different position and repeating steps a), b), c), d), and e).

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executed tissue identification algorithm comprises a machine-learning-based classification algorithm that is trained on raw, non-reconstructed data.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising generating a transmission image from the transmission signals and a scatter image from the scatter signals.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising overlaying the transmission image and the scatter image.

Assignees

• Univ Duke

Inventors

• Greenberg Joel Alter
• Kapadia Anuj J

Classifications

• A61B6/545

  involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/5217

  extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data · CPC title

• G01T1/1615

  using both transmission and emission sources simultaneously (SPECT imaging G01T1/1642; PET imaging G01T1/2985; detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects G01V5/20) · CPC title

• A61B6/06

  Diaphragms · CPC title

• A61B6/50

  specially adapted for specific body parts; specially adapted for specific clinical applications · CPC title