Apparatus and method for diagnosing lesions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9655577-B2
Application number	US-201113980464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2011
Priority date	Jan 19, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for diagnosing lesions. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for diagnosing lesions capable of precisely diagnosing lesions such as breast cancer by digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). The present invention enables the improvement of lesion diagnosis accuracy and early diagnosis rates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for diagnosing lesions, comprising:
(a) generating, by an X-ray source, X-rays that irradiate a subject;
(b) generating 2D images with respect to the subject from the X-rays passing through the subject;
(c) combining the 2D images to generate a 3D image with respect to the subject; and
(d) determining the presence or absence of a lesion of the subject by using the 3D image,
wherein in step (a), the X-ray source rotates intermittently or continuously in accordance with a preset angle range and the generated X-ray irradiates the subject only when the X-ray source stops at a preset angle during intermittent rotation or the generated X-ray irradiates the subject at a preset angle during continuous rotation;
wherein before step (a), a focus location of the X-ray emitted from the X-ray source is calibrated;
wherein the calibrating of the focus location of the X-ray emitted from the X-ray source includes:
(a 11 ) acquiring a plane image for an X-ray passing through a calibration phantom with a plurality of holes;
(a 12 ) setting a calibration region including a plurality of hole regions formed by the plurality of holes from the acquired plane image; and
(a 13 ) determining the X-ray focus location by using the plurality of hole regions included in the set calibration region;
wherein step (a 13 ) includes:
(a 131 ) determining a hole region most adjacent to each edge of the calibration region among the plurality of hole regions included in the set calibration region and thereafter, calculating a distance from a center point of each determined hole region up to the center of a hole region in which a ratio value of the hole region of the calibration phantom to the area is closest to 1;
(a 132 ) generating an arc having the center point of each determined hole region as the center and having each calculated distance as a radius on the calibration region;
(a 133 ) verifying whether coordinates of intersection points of each generated arc are erroneous and thereafter, calculating an average value of the coordinates of the intersection points when the coordinates of the intersection point are not erroneous;
(a 134 ) repeatedly performing steps (a 131 ) to (a 133 ) with respect to all of the plurality of hole regions included in the calibration region; and
(a 135 ) calculating an average value of the average values of the coordinate values of the plurality of intersection points calculated in steps (a 131 ) to (a 134 ) and thereafter, finally determining the calculated average value as the X-ray focus location.

2. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , wherein in step (a 131 ), the distance up to the center of a hole region in which a ratio value of the hole region of the calibration phantom to the area is closest to 1 from the center point of the hole region most adjacent to each edge of the calibration region is calculated by an equation below,

r
i

=

d
×

(

1
-

A
i

A
c

)

wherein, r i represents a distance up to the center of a hole region in which a ratio value of the hole region of the calibration phantom to the area is closest to 1 from a hole region i, d represents a distance up to the center of the hole region most adjacent to the edge of the calibration region from the center of a hole region in which a ratio value of the hole region of the calibration phantom to the area is closest to 1, A i represents an area of the hole region i, and A c represents an area of the hole formed in the calibration phantom.

3. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the X-ray source to rotate by the preset angle range, controls the X-ray source to generate the X-ray to irradiate the subject in accordance with a preset number of irradiation times during the intermittent rotation or controls the X-ray source to generate the X-ray to irradiate the subject at the preset angle in accordance with the preset number of irradiation times during the continuous rotation.

4. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the X-ray source is controlled to rotate in the range of 3°/sec to 5°/sec within the preset angle range.

5. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , wherein in step (d), the subject is a breast of a person to be diagnosed and the lesion is breast cancer.

6. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , wherein in step (a), the preset angle range is −20 degrees to 20 degrees.

7. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequently to step (a),
transmitting an X-ray, that has passed through the subject, through a grid positioned below the subject.

8. The method for diagnosing lesions of claim 7 , wherein the grid includes a body portion, and a plurality of partitions arranged at a predetermined interval in the body portion, and wherein the X-ray passing through the subject transmits through said body portion.

Assignees

• Choi Jae Gu
• Choi Young Wook
• Huh Young
• Keri Korea Electrotechnology Res Inst

Inventors

• Choi Jae Gu
• Choi Young Wook
• Huh Young

Classifications

• A61B6/587

  Alignment of source unit to detector unit · CPC title

• A61B6/025

  Tomosynthesis · CPC title

• A61N2005/1076

  using a dummy object placed in the radiation field, e.g. phantom · CPC title

• A61N5/1081

  Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries · CPC title

• A61B6/5211

  involving processing of medical diagnostic data · CPC title