Identifiable anti-scatter grid for a radiographic imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016712-B2
Application number	US-202218028045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2022
Priority date	May 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for making an anti-scatter grid for a radiographic imaging device identifiable. A method for providing an anti-scatter grid ( 100 ) for a radiographic imaging device comprises forming, by an additive manufacturing process, a grid pattern ( 110 ) in accordance with a product specification of the anti-scatter grid ( 100 ) to be provided; and forming, by an additive manufacturing process, a number of structural modifications ( 121 ) in or at the grid pattern in a manner making the number of structural modifications ( 121 ) image-based recognizable when the anti-scatter grid ( 100 ) is viewed according to its intended use in a viewing direction from a radiation source of the radiographic imaging device, and in a unique identification pattern ( 120 ) creating a unique identifier to make the anti-scatter grid to be provided identifiable among one or more others.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for providing an anti-scatter grid for a radiographic imaging device, the method comprising:
forming, by an additive manufacturing process, a grid pattern in accordance with a product specification of the anti-scatter grid to be provided; and
forming, by an additive manufacturing process, a number of structural modifications in or at the grid pattern in a manner making the number of structural modifications image-based recognizable when the anti-scatter grid is viewed according to its intended use in a viewing direction from a radiation source of the radiographic imaging device, and in a unique identification pattern creating a unique identifier to make the anti-scatter grid to be provided identifiable among one or more others.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is formed to be recognizable by forming at least a part of the number of structural modifications at one or more walls and/or surfaces forming the grid pattern.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is at least partly formed by locally shifting one or more walls forming the grid pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is at least partly formed by forming a local variation of thickness of one or more walls forming the grid pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is at least partly formed by forming a local protrusion at one or more walls forming the grid pattern.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is at least partly formed by a local material recess at the grid pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grid pattern comprises an area of interest and a periphery at least partially circumventing the area of interest; wherein the number of structural modifications is formed on the periphery; and wherein a shape and/or dimension of individual ones of the number of structural modifications is varied to form the identification pattern.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of structural modifications is at least partly formed by locally applying a second material different to a first material used to form the grid pattern to appear differently in image data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification pattern comprises at least one partial pattern that is redundant within the identification pattern.

10. A method for making a specific anti-scatter grid identifiable among one or more others, the anti-scatter grids being manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising:
capturing, by an imaging device, the specific anti-scatter grid in image data, the anti-scatter grid being viewed according to its intended use in a viewing direction from a radiation source;
processing, by a data processing unit, the captured image data to extract an identification pattern formed by a number of structural modifications formed in or at a grid pattern formed by the additive manufacturing process in accordance with a product specification of the anti-scatter grid;
generating, by the data processing unit, based on the extracted identification pattern, a unique identifier data assigned to the specific anti-scatter grid; and
recording the unique identifier data in relationship to the specific anti-scatter grid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the imaging device is a radiographic imaging device.

12. A device for identifying a specific anti-scatter grid among one or more others, the device comprising:
a data processing unit, configured to:
obtain image data of the specific anti-scatter grid, the anti-scatter grid being viewed in viewing direction from a radiation source in accordance with its intended use;
process the obtained image data to extract an identification pattern formed by a number of structural modifications formed in or at a grid pattern, formed in accordance with a product specification of the anti-scatter grid;
generate, based on the extracted identification pattern, a unique identifier data assigned to the specific anti-scatter grid; and
record the identifier data in relationship to the specific anti-scatter grid.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the data processing unit is further configured to:
obtain software application program data comprising a unique software identifier data;
compare the unique software identifier data with the unique identifier data assigned to the specific anti-scatter grid; and
block access to the software application if there is no match between the compared identifier data, or allow access to the software application if there is a match between the compared identifier data.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the data processing unit is further configured to obtain, based on the identifier data of the specific anti-scatter grid, a calibration data set dedicated to the specific anti-scatter grid and configured to calibrate an imaging system for the specific anti-scatter grid.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Jacobs Johannes Wilhelmus Maria
• Miller Lester Donald
• Singh Nishant
• Menser Bernd

Classifications

• G21K1/025

  using multiple collimators, e.g. Bucky screens; other devices for eliminating undesired or dispersed radiation · CPC title

• A61B6/4494

  Means for identifying the diagnostic device · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• A61B6/4291 Primary

  the detector being combined with a grid or grating · CPC title