Imaging systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969274-B2
Application number	US-201916368862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

An image acquisition apparatus includes: a positioner controller communicatively coupled to a positioner, wherein the positioner controller is configured to generate a control signal to cause the positioner to rectilinearly translate a patient support relative to an imager, and/or to rectilinearly translate the imager relative to the patient support; an imaging controller configured to operate the imager to generate a first plurality of two-dimensional images for a patient while the patient is supported by the patient support, and while the positioner rectilinearly translates the patient support and/or the imager; and an image processing unit configured to obtain the first plurality of two-dimensional images and arrange the two-dimensional images relative to each other to obtain a first composite image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:
a positioner controller communicatively coupled to a positioner, wherein the positioner controller is configured to generate a control signal to cause the positioner to rectilinearly translate a patient support relative to an imager, and/or to rectilinearly translate the imager relative to the patient support;
an imager comprising a gate control circuit, wherein the gate control circuit is configured to collect image signals from two or more lines of imager elements simultaneously;
an imaging controller configured to operate the imager to generate a first plurality of two-dimensional images for a patient while the patient is supported in a horizontal position by the patient support, the first plurality of two-dimensional images comprising three or more images generated from the image signals and having respective centers aligned along a rectilinear path; and
an image processing unit configured to obtain the first plurality of two-dimensional images and arrange the two-dimensional images relative to each other to obtain a first composite image and compare the first composite image to a reference image generated prior to the first composite image to determine a desired positioning of the patient for a treatment.

2. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to obtain the first composite image by performing image stitching using the two-dimensional images.

3. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to identify an overlapping region of at least two of the two-dimensional images.

4. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first composite image covers at least a portion of the patient that is at least 100 cm in length.

5. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging controller is also configured to operate the imager to generate a second plurality of two-dimensional images for the patient; and
wherein the image processing unit is configured to obtain the second plurality of two-dimensional images and arrange the two-dimensional images in the second plurality of two-dimensional images relative to each other to obtain a second composite image.

6. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first composite image comprises a left or right side view of the patient, and wherein the second composite image comprises a top or bottom view of the patient.

7. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging controller is configured to operate the imager to generate the first plurality of two-dimensional images at 10 frames per second or higher.

8. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition apparatus is communicatively coupled to an image energy source, wherein the image energy source is coupled in a half-fan configuration with respect to a treatment machine, and wherein the patient support is located off-isocenter with respect to the treatment machine.

9. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of two-dimensional images is obtained at a same isocenter position associated with a treatment machine.

10. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a CT image processor configured to construct a volumetric image based on the first composite image.

11. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is also configured to obtain a volumetric image based on the first plurality of two-dimensional images.

12. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging controller is also configured to control a radiation source to deliver radiation continuously for at least 2 seconds.

13. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging controller is also configured to control a radiation source to deliver radiation in pulses.

14. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to obtain couch positions for the patient support or imager positions for the imager, and utilize the couch positions and/or the imager positions to arrange the two-dimensional images with respect to a reference coordinate for the composite image.

15. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is also configured to obtain meta data for the respective two-dimensional images, and utilize the meta data to map the two-dimensional images to a reference coordinate for the composite image.

16. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imager has a first dimension measured in a first direction that is perpendicular to the rectilinear path, wherein the first dimension of the imager is sufficient to cover all anatomical features of interest along the rectilinear path, to thereby obviate a need to move the imager in the first direction as the imager is positioned along the rectilinear path.

17. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging controller is configured to operate the imager to generate the three or more images while the positioner rectilinearly translates the patient support and/or the imager along the rectilinear path.

18. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:
a positioner controller communicatively coupled to a positioner, wherein the positioner controller is configured to generate a control signal to cause the positioner to rectilinearly translate a patient support relative to an imager, and/or to rectilinearly translate the imager relative to the patient support;
an imager comprising a gate control circuit, wherein the gate control circuit is configured to collect image signals from two or more lines of imager elements simultaneously;
an imaging controller configured to operate the imager to generate a first plurality of two-dimensional images for a patient while the patient is supported by the patient support the first plurality of two-dimensional images comprising three or more images generated from the image signals and having respective centers aligned along a rectilinear path;
an image processing unit configured to obtain the first plurality of two-dimensional images and arrange the two-dimensional images relative to each other to obtain a first composite image; and
an image comparator configured to compare at least a part of the first composite image with at least a part of a reference image to align the at least a part of the first composite image with the at least a part of the reference image to determine a desired positioning of the patient for a treatment.

19. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the positioner controller is configured to move the patient support relative to a treatment system based on an alignment between the at least a part of the first composite image and the at least a part of the reference image.

20. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the imaging controller is configured to operate the imager to generate the three or more images while the positioner rectilinearly translates the patient support and/or the imager along the rectilinear path.

21. The image acquisition apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reference image comprises at least a part of a CT image generated during treatment planning.

22. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:
a positioner controller communicatively coupled to a positioner, wherein the positioner controller is configured to generate a control signal

Assignees

• Siemens Healthineers Int Ag

Inventors

• Rose Steven
• Lehmann Mathias
• Graf Andres

Classifications

• A61B6/0407 Primary

  Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body · CPC title

• A61B6/035

  Mechanical aspects of CT · CPC title

• A61B6/5241

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

• A61B6/465

  adapted to display user selection data, e.g. graphical user interface, icons or menus · CPC title

• A61B6/469

  for selecting a region of interest [ROI] · CPC title