Image processing apparatus, image processing method thereof, and image processing system thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9471980-B2
Application number	US-201414459873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

The image processing apparatus includes a receiver for receiving a first image acquired by photographing scattered radiation of X-rays existing in a closed space and a second image acquired by photographing the closed space; and an image processor for generating a third image by combining the first image and the second image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing an image during a medical imaging, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a first image acquired by photographing scattered radiation of X-rays existing in a closed space and a second image acquired by photographing the closed space; and
an image processor configured to generate a third image by combining the first image and the second image,
wherein the third image comprises information regarding the scattered radiation of the X-rays existing in the closed space.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processor is configured to combine the first image and the second image by matching corresponding points of the first image and the second image in the closed space.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display the third image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an X-ray sensor configured to measure an amount of the scattered radiation at a position in the closed space and to transmit information regarding the amount of the scattered radiation to the receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the image processor is configured to estimate an absolute value of the amount of the scattered radiation in a region of the closed space by using the information regarding the amount of scattered radiation and the first image, and to indicate the estimated absolute value in the third image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the closed space comprises a first region having the amount of the scattered radiation greater than a reference value, and the image processor is configured to generate the third image by differently marking the first region from a second region, which is exclusive of the first region, based on the estimated absolute value, so that the first region is displayed in the third image visually different from the second region.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the image processor is configured to determine whether a first region having the amount of the scattered radiation greater than a reference value exists in the closed space based on the estimated absolute value and to output at least one of an additional image and a sound informing that the first region exists.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first camera configured to acquire the first image; and
a second camera configured to acquire the second image.

9. A method of processing an image during a medical imaging, the method comprising:
receiving a first image acquired by photographing scattered radiation of X-rays existing in a closed space;
receiving a second image acquired by photographing the closed space; and
generating a third image by combining the first image and the second image,
wherein the third image comprises information regarding the scattered radiation of the X-rays existing in the closed space.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the generating the third image comprises:
combining the first image and the second image by matching corresponding points of the first image and the second image in the closed space.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
displaying the third image.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
measuring an amount of the scattered radiation at a position in the closed space.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating the third image comprises:
estimating an absolute value of the amount of the scattered radiation in a region of the closed space by using the measured amount of the scattered radiation and the first image; and
indicating the estimated absolute value in the third image.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the closed space comprises a first region having the amount of the scattered radiation greater than a reference value, and the generating the third image comprises:
generating the third image by differently marking the first region from a second region, which is exclusive of the first region, based on the estimated absolute value.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining whether a first region, in which the amount of scattered radiation exceeds a reference value, exists in the closed space based on the estimated absolute value; and
outputting at least one of an additional image and a sound informing about an existence of the first region in response to a determination that the first region exists.

16. An X-ray apparatus comprising:
an X-ray device which is disposed in a closed space, and configured to irradiate X-rays to an object and acquire an X-ray image of the object;
an X-ray camera configured to photograph scattered radiation of the X-rays existing in the closed space;
a camera configured to photograph the closed space;
an image processor configured to generate a third image by combining a first image acquired by the X-ray camera and a second image acquired by the camera; and
a display configured to display the third image,
wherein the third image comprises information regarding the scattered radiation of the X-rays existing in the closed space.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the X-ray device comprises:
a high voltage generator configured to generate a high voltage;
an X-ray irradiation unit configured to generate the X-rays by using the high voltage supplied from the high voltage generator and to irradiate the X-rays to the object; and
a detector configured to detect the X-rays having passed through the object.

18. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
measuring an amount of the scattered radiation at a location in the closed space; and
controlling a sound output unit configured to output a warning sound when the measured amount of scattered radiation at the location exceeds a reference value.

19. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
measuring an amount of the scattered radiation at one or more locations in the closed space; and
controlling a display configured to display a warning message in the third image when the measured amount of the scattered radiation at the one or more the locations is greater than a reference value.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processor is configured to output any one or any combination of a warning image and a warning sound when a region having an amount of the scattered radiation that is greater than a reference value exists in the closed space.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Qin
• Kim Eung-Bum

Classifications

• A61B6/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B6/4441

  the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm · CPC title

• G06T7/0028

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2207/20216

  Image averaging · CPC title

• A61B6/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title