X-ray imaging apparatus, medical image processing apparatus, X-ray imaging method and medical image processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9480438-B2
Application number	US-201414220759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray image acquisition part, a control system and a display processing part. The X-ray image acquisition part is configured to acquire X-ray image data of an object using at least one imaging system. The control system is configured to control the imaging system to acquire frames of X-ray image data corresponding to mutually different directions by moving the imaging system. At least one of the frames of the X-ray image data are acquired during a movement of the imaging system. The display processing part is configured to generate stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:
at least one imaging system, having an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector, configured to acquire X-ray image data of an object;
a control system configured to control the imaging system to acquire frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to mutually different directions by moving the imaging system, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired during a movement of the imaging system; and
a display processing circuit configured to generate stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data, acquired during movement of the imaging system and corresponding to positions which are between and not including ends of a movement range of the imaging system.

2. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said control system is configured to control the imaging system to reciprocate the imaging system to acquire the frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to mutually different directions in each of an outward way and a return way of the imaging system.

3. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said control system is configured to control the imaging system to acquire the frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to not less than three different directions while the imaging system is moving in at least one direction; and
said display processing circuit is configured to generate the frames of image data, which can be stereoscopically viewed from mutually different directions, by sequentially generating one frame of stereoscopically visible image data based on two frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to two different directions.

4. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said control system is configured to control the imaging system to acquire the frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to not less than three different directions while the imaging system is moving in at least one direction; and
said display processing circuit is configured to generate one frame of image data, which can be stereoscopically viewed from mutually different directions, based on the frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to the not less than three different directions.

5. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said display processing circuit is configured to generate the stereoscopically visible image data with coordinate conversion processing of the frames of the X-ray image data, the coordinate conversion processing converting a direction of the frames of the X-ray image data, corresponding to a moving direction of the imaging system, to a horizontal direction of a display unit for the stereoscopically visible image data.

6. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a specification circuit configured to specify at least one of whether the imaging system is reciprocated, the different directions to acquire the frames of the X-ray image data, and the frames of the X-ray image data used for generating one frame of the stereoscopically visible image data.

7. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said display processing circuit is configured to generate the stereoscopically visible image data with a motion correction between the frames of the X-ray image data, corresponding to a same direction, acquired at mutually different timings by the imaging system.

8. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said control system is configured to move the imaging system along a locus having a shape of an ellipse or a character of eight, a projection of the locus on a plane being pendular.

9. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said display processing circuit is configured to generate the stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data acquired during an accelerating period or on decelerating period of the imaging system.

10. An X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a difference in angle between exposure directions of X-rays exposed in order to acquire two-parallax images consisting of the stereoscopically visible image data is set within a range from 1 degree to 3 degrees.

11. A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
an image acquisition circuit configured to acquire frames of X-ray image data corresponding to not less than three different directions, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired using a single imaging system, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired during a movement of the imaging system and corresponding to positions which are between and not including ends of a movement range of the imaging system; and
a display processing circuit configured to generate stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data.

12. A medical image processing apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein said display processing circuit is configured to generate frames of image data, which can be stereoscopically viewed from mutually different directions, by sequentially generating one frame of stereoscopically visible image data based on two frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to two different directions.

13. A medical image processing apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein said display processing circuit is configured to generate one frame of image data, which can be stereoscopically viewed from mutually different directions, based on the frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to the not less than three different directions.

14. An X-ray imaging method comprising:
acquiring X-ray image data of an object using at least one imaging system;
controlling the at least one imaging system to acquire frames of the X-ray image data corresponding to mutually different directions by moving the at least one imaging system, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired during a movement of the at least one imaging system; and
generating stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data, acquired during the movement of the at least one imaging system and corresponding to positions which are between and not including ends of a movement range of the imaging system.

15. A medical image processing method comprising:
acquiring frames of X-ray image data corresponding to not less than three different directions, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired using a single imaging system, the frames of the X-ray image data being acquired during a movement of the imaging system and corresponding to positions which are between and not including ends of a movement range of the imaging system; and
generating stereoscopically visible image data based on the frames of the X-ray image data.

Assignees

• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Takuya
• Takemoto Hisato

Classifications

• A61B6/5264

  due to motion · CPC title

• A61B6/486

  involving generating temporal series of image data · CPC title

• A61B6/466

  adapted to display 3D data · CPC title

• A61B6/022 Primary

  Stereoscopic imaging · CPC title

• A61B6/54

  Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis · CPC title