Arrangement and method for image combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532764-B2
Application number	US-201214348148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

It is possible, by use of a calibration scale shown in partial X-ray images, for non-overlapping partial X-ray images to be combined and assigned to one another. Therefore the individual x-ray images which are not overlapping can be related spatially. In this manner x-ray images only have to be made of surgically significant regions and therefore the x-ray exposure of a patient is reduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for aligning x-ray images, the apparatus comprising:
a linear calibration device having at least one type of spherically shaped X-ray markers being included in the X-ray images to be associated with each other, said spherically shaped X-ray markers including at least a first type of x-ray markers and a second type of x-ray markers having a different diameter than said first type of x-ray markers, wherein said first and second type x-ray markers are disposed according to a coding; and
a correspondence module for establishing a locality of selected ones of said spherically shaped x-ray markers, wherein the locality is established by correspondence of respective partial sections on a basis of an electronically recallable characteristic of said linear calibration device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said linear calibration device has a linear design.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein distances between said first and/or second type x-ray markers are identical.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said spherically shaped x-ray markers have different x-ray absorptions.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each individual one of said spherically shaped x-ray markers correspond to one bit of a binary sequence.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a selection unit for selecting said spherically shaped x-ray markers.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a center-point establishment unit for determining center points of selected ones of said spherically shaped x-ray markers.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a straight-line formation unit, wherein a partial straight line is formed in each x-ray image using at least two center points of selected ones of said spherically shaped x-ray markers.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising an alignment unit, wherein the partial straight line is aligned on a basis of an alignment axis.

10. A method for aligning x-ray images, which comprises steps of:
placing at least one calibration scale on or next to a part of a patient being imaged; and
imaging the calibration scale in conjunction with the part of the patient, the calibration scale having spherically shaped X-ray markers including a first type of x-ray markers and a second type of x-ray markers having a different diameter than the first type of x-ray markers, the calibration scale being imaged with the spherically shaped X-ray markers in each of the X-ray images, the first and second type x-ray markers are disposed according to a coding;
taking a plurality of the x-ray images of the part of the user resulting in the x-ray images pertaining to different regions of the part of the user; and
aligning the plurality of the x-ray images into a larger x-ray image, an alignment of the x-ray images with each other being dependent on a calibration scale portion imaged in each x-ray image.

11. The method according to claim 10 , which further comprises establishing a locality of selected ones of the spherically shaped x-ray markers in the x-ray images on a basis of an electronically stored characteristic of the calibration scale.

Assignees

• Graumann Rainer
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Graumann Rainer

Classifications

• A61B6/4423

  related to hygiene or sterilisation · CPC title

• A61B6/4266

  characterised by using a plurality of detector units (A61B6/4014 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B6/12

  Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies · CPC title

• A61B6/5235

  combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT · CPC title

• A61B2090/364

  Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body · CPC title