Device and method for x-ray phase contrast imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949705-B2
Application number	US-201514919926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A device for slot scanning phase contrast x-ray imaging, includes an x-ray emitter, a plurality of x-ray gratings, a patient couch, and an x-ray detector. Position marker elements are arranged and configured in the beam path of the x-ray emitter such that the position marker elements are visible in an x-ray image. In the x-ray image, a relative position of an object on the patient couch in relation to an x-ray beam fan of the x-ray emitter may be established from a location and a distance of the position marker elements from one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for slot scanning phase contrast x-ray imaging, the device comprising:
an x-ray emitter;
a plurality of x-ray gratings;
a patient couch;
an x-ray detector;
a plurality of position marker elements arranged in a beam path of the x-ray emitter, the plurality of position marker elements being configured and arranged to be visible in an x-ray image, wherein a first position marker element is arranged on one x-ray grating of the plurality of x-ray gratings and a second position marker element is arranged on the patient couch; and
an image processing unit configured to register a relative position of an object on the patient couch in relation to an x-ray beam fan of the x-ray emitter based on a location and a distance of the plurality of position marker elements from one another in the x-ray image.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of position marker elements comprises a plurality of second position marker elements, the plurality of second position marker elements comprising the second marker element, and
wherein the plurality of second position marker elements are arranged on a surface of a couch board of the patient couch in a longitudinal direction of the couch board.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to establish the location and the distance of the plurality of position marker elements from one another.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each position marker element of the plurality of position marker elements is configured as a cross, a circular ring or a triangle.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of position marker elements include regions that are visible in a dark-field image, a phase contrast image, an absorption image, or any combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein each position marker element of the plurality of position marker elements has a layer thickness of 10 μm to 500 μm and a diameter of 150 μm to 25 mm.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to establish the location and the distance of the plurality of position marker elements from one another.

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein each position marker element of the plurality of position marker elements is configured as a cross, a circular ring or a triangle.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of position marker elements include regions that are visible in a dark-field image, a phase contrast image, an absorption image, or any combination thereof.

10. The device of claim 2 , wherein each position marker element of the plurality of position marker elements has a layer thickness of 10 μm to 500 μm and a diameter of 150 μm to 25 mm.

11. A method for slot-scanning phase contrast x-ray imaging, the method comprising:
establishing, by an image processing unit with the aid of position marker elements visible in an x-ray image and are arranged in a beam path of an x-ray emitter, a relative position of an object to be irradiated in relation to an x-ray beam fan of the x-ray emitter based on a location and a distance of the position marker elements from one another in the x-ray image,
wherein a first position marker element is arranged on an x-ray grating and a second position marker element is arranged on a patient couch supporting the object.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein image processing software is used to establish the location and the distance of the first position marker element from the second position marker element.

Assignees

• Freudenberger Joerg
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Freudenberger Jörg

Classifications

• A61B6/484 Primary

  involving phase contrast X-ray imaging · CPC title

• A61B6/4035

  the source being combined with a filter or grating · CPC title

• A61B6/5235

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

• A61B6/4291

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

• A61B6/0492

  using markers or indicia for aiding patient positioning · CPC title