Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100042434 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISCOVERING INFORMATION IN MEDICAL IMAGE DATABASE - A system for obtaining information related to diagnostic imaging performance at a site has a user instruction interface for obtaining an operator request for information related to image quality for stored diagnostic images. A data processor is in communication with at least one database of stored patient diagnostic images and is programmed with instructions for retrieving one or more patient diagnostic images from the database of patient diagnostic images according to the operator request from the user instruction interface, for analyzing the image quality of the one or more patient diagnostic images as specified in the operator request, and for providing at least output information about the image quality analysis to a data mining engine. The data mining engine is programmed with instructions to process the output information that is obtained from the data processor and to provide information related to image quality according to the output information. | 02-18-2010 |
20100080355 | ACQUISITION OF HIGH SPEED DUAL-ENERGY IMAGES USING A SINGLE PIXILATED DIGITAL DETECTOR - A method is disclosed for acquiring a high speed dual-energy image pair using a pixilated digital detector. A single pixilated digital detector acquires and encodes two separate images in effectively one image, eliminating the need to read out a first image prior to acquiring a second image. The encoded information is then utilized to obtain two distinct dual-energy images which may be decomposed to form bone and soft-tissue only images. | 04-01-2010 |
20100104066 | INTEGRATED PORTABLE DIGITAL X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM - A mobile digital radiography system of a type including a mobile x-ray source; a mobile computer, the computer having a display for radiographic images and related information; a digital radiography detector, the detector and x-ray source in communication with and under control of the computer, means operatively associated with the computer for sending and receiving data concerning a patient, such data including diagnostic results, diagnostic images and requests for additional services, to and from separate image archiving and information systems; means operatively associated with the computer for comparing data from separate hospital image archiving and radiology information systems from a prior examination of a patient with data from a current examination of a patient using the mobile digital radiography system; and means operatively associated with the computer for aiding bedside interpretation of a patient's condition in view of the comparing of data from prior and current examinations. | 04-29-2010 |
20110033101 | GRID SUPPRESSION IN IMAGING - A method for providing a diagnostic image as a combination of two or more images executed, at least in part, on a control logic processor. The method includes obtaining at least first and second image data of a subject and analyzing both the first and second image data to identify at least grid orientation and spacing. Grid suppression is applied to the first and second image data and the grid suppressed first and second image data is pre-processed. The method then combines the grid suppressed first and second image data and decomposes the combined data to obtain one or more diagnostic images for display. The one or more diagnostic images are displayed on a display that is associated with the control logic processor. | 02-10-2011 |
20110246521 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISCOVERING IMAGE QUALITY INFORMATION RELATED TO DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PERFORMANCE - A system for discovering information related to diagnostic imaging performance at a medical imaging site. The system includes at least one database of stored digital diagnostic images; and a user instruction interface for obtaining an operator request for information related to image quality of the stored digital diagnostic images. A data processor is in communication with the at least one database, the data processor being programmed with instructions to use only information found within the stored digital diagnostic images themselves. A data mining engine is in communication with the data processor, the data mining engine being programmed with instructions to use only information found within the retrieved digital diagnostic images themselves. | 10-06-2011 |
20110249791 | EXPOSURE CONTROL USING DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY DETECTOR - A method for sensing a level of ionizing radiation directed from a radiation source through a subject and toward a digital radiography detector, executed at least in part by a logic processor, obtains image data that relates the position of the subject to the digital radiography detector and assigns one or more radiant-energy sensing elements of the digital radiography detector as one or more exposure control sensing elements. The one or more exposure control sensing elements are sampled one or more times during exposure to measure the exposure directed to the subject. A signal is provided to terminate exposure according to exposure measurements obtained from the one or more exposure control sensing elements within the digital radiography detector. | 10-13-2011 |
20110249792 | CONFIGURABLE AEC SENSOR FOR AN X-RAY SYSTEM - A method for sensing a level of ionizing radiation directed from a radiation source through a subject and toward an imaging detector, the method executed at least in part by a logic processor, obtains positional coordinate data that is indicative of at least a portion of the subject to be exposed to radiation and that defines a radiation measurement area relative to the subject. The method assigns one or more sensing elements to sense radiation within the radiation measurement area. A measurement signal is acquired from each of one or more assigned sensing elements. | 10-13-2011 |
20110249799 | DISPLAY OF AEC SENSOR LOCATION - A method for indicating a position of a radiation energy sensor element in a radiographic imaging system, the method executed at least in part by a computer, identifies the position of the radiation energy sensor element relative to a subject to be imaged and displays the identified position relative to the subject. | 10-13-2011 |
20120087474 | LOW-DOSE AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL PORTABLE X-RAY IMAGING - A method for obtaining a radiographic image, the method executed at least in part on a computer, generates a first exposure and acquires image data from the first exposure as a first component image. A second exposure is generated using one or more parameters that are adjusted according to an image quality characteristic of the acquired image data from the first exposure. Image data is acquired from the second exposure as a second component image. One or more additional exposures are generated and an additional component image acquired with each additional exposure. A composite image is formed by combining image data content from the first and second component images and the one or more additional component images. | 04-12-2012 |
20130336552 | REGION-SELECTIVE FLUOROSCOPIC IMAGE COMPRESSION - A method for displaying a sequence of fluoroscopic images of a subject defines, within the image area of a digital image receiver and in response to one or more viewer instructions, a region of interest and a background region that lies outside the defined region of interest. A succession of fluoroscopic images is obtained from the digital image receiver and, for image pixels within each of the succession of fluoroscopic images, background region pixel data are encoded and transmitted to the display apparatus using a lossy encoding. Region of interest pixel data is transmitted to the display apparatus using a lossless encoding. The succession of fluoroscopic images is displayed. | 12-19-2013 |
20140105359 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR QUANTITATIVE IMAGING - A system and method for digital x-ray imaging. The method includes emitting a first and second collimated x-ray beam from an x-ray source disposed in a first and second position, respectively. The first and second collimated x-ray beam is directed onto an identified region of interest (ROI) wherein a first and second ROI image is captured, respectively, when the x-ray source is disposed in the first and second position, respectively. The first and second ROI images are processed to extract features from each of the first and second ROI images. The extracted features are analyzed, and an indicator of a disease is generated responsive to the extracted features. The indicator can be stored, displayed, or transmitted. The first and second x-ray sources can be the same or different x-ray sources. | 04-17-2014 |
20140140479 | HYBRID DUAL ENERGY IMAGING AND BONE SUPPRESSION PROCESSING - A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image of a patient, executed at least in part by a computer system, acquires a standard dose radiographic image and a reduced dose radiographic image, wherein the standard dose radiographic image and reduced dose radiographic images are obtained at peak kilovoltage values that differ by at least 10 kVp. A bone-enhanced image is formed by combining data from the standard dose radiographic image and reduced dose radiographic images and bone structure is segmented from the bone-enhanced image. A processed image is formed by suppressing bone contrast from the standard dose radiographic image according to the segmented bone structure. The processed image is displayed, stored, or transmitted. | 05-22-2014 |
20140241490 | EXTREMITY IMAGING APPARATUS FOR CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY - An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography of an extremity has a digital radiation detector and a first device to move the detector along a circular detector path extending so that the detector moves both at least partially around a first extremity of the patient and between the first extremity and a second, adjacent extremity. The detector path has radius R | 08-28-2014 |
20140369459 | MOBILE RADIOGRAPHIC APPARATUS/METHODS WITH TOMOSYNTHESIS CAPABILITY - A mobile radiography apparatus has a moveable (e.g., wheeled) transport frame and an adjustable column mounted at the frame. A boom apparatus supported by the adjustable column can support an x-ray source assembly. Radiation or X-ray source assembly methods and/or apparatus embodiments can provide mobile radiography carts a capability to direct x-ray radiation towards a subject from one or a plurality of different source positions, where the X-ray source assembly includes a first x-ray power source and a second plurality of distributed x-ray sources disposed in a prescribed spatial relationship. | 12-18-2014 |
20150043712 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PORTABLE STEREOSCOPIC TOMOGRAPHY - A portable imaging apparatus for obtaining stereoscopic radiography images has a transport frame that has a support structure and an x-ray source array that is coupled to the support structure and that has three or more x-ray sources, each x-ray source separately energizable to emit radiation toward a subject. There is at least one x-ray detector adapted to acquire digital image data according to radiation received from the x-ray sources of the x-ray source array. An image processor is in signal communication with the at least one x-ray detector and adapted to generate, from the acquired digital image data, a right-eye digital image and a left-eye digital image of the subject. A display apparatus is in signal communication with the image processor and is adapted to display the right-eye and left-eye digital images of the subject to a viewer. | 02-12-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090086924 | RADIOGRAPHIC MARKER FOR INCLINATION ANGLE - A radiography marker for indicating the inclination angle of a radiography receiver has a plate portion defining at least one area transparent to radiation and an angle indicator element attached to the plate portion at a pivot point and adjustable along the plate portion to any of a plurality of angular positions over at least a portion of the at least one area transparent to radiation. At least a portion of the indicator element is radio-opaque. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086926 | EXPOSURE CENTERING APPARATUS FOR IMAGING SYSTEM - A radiation imaging system has a radiation source having an adjustable angular orientation and an emitter that provides an alignment signal and is coupled to the radiation source. A two dimensional radiation image detection device has a receiver that records an image according to radiation emitted from the radiation source, a first sensor coupled in a fixed position relative to the receiver that detects the alignment signal from the emitter and provides a first response signal and a second sensor coupled in a fixed position relative to the receiver that detects the alignment signal from the emitter and provides a second response signal. A control logic processor is in communication with the first and second sensors for receiving the first and second response signals and further in communication with at least one indicator for indicating the alignment of the image detection device relative to the radiation source. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086927 | ALIGNMENT APPARATUS FOR IMAGING SYSTEM USING REFLECTIVE ELEMENT - An apparatus for aligning a radiation source with an image receiver has a first light source coupled to the radiation source and actuable to direct a first beam of light toward the image receiver and a second light source coupled to the radiation source and actuable to direct a second beam of light toward the image receiver. A reflector element is coupled to the image receiver and is disposed to form, when placed in the path of both first and second light beams, a pattern of reflected light that indicates the relative alignment of the image receiver to the radiation source. | 04-02-2009 |
20090129657 | ENHANCEMENT OF REGION OF INTEREST OF RADIOLOGICAL IMAGE - A method for displaying a radiographic image identifies a region of interest in a portion of the radiographic image, suppresses background image content within the identified region of interest, and enhances contrast of the image within the region of interest to form an enhanced region of interest. The enhanced region of interest is displayed within the remaining portion of the radiographic image. | 05-21-2009 |
20100086189 | AUTOMATED QUANTIFICATION OF DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGE QUALITY - A method for determining image quality of a digital radiographic image. The method is executed at least in part by a computer system. The method obtains image data for the digital radiographic image, identifies one or more regions of interest in the digital radiographic image, derives an image quality score that indicates the image quality of the digital radiographic image by computing at least a contrast-to-noise value for image data content within the one or more regions of interest, and reports the derived image quality score for the image. | 04-08-2010 |
20100128063 | RENDERING FOR IMPROVED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE CONSISTENCY - A networked system for rendering diagnostic image data for display has at least one diagnostic imaging apparatus that obtains digital image data for a patient and is in communication with a computer network. At least one consistency control module executes at a networked processor and is operatively responsive to a set of programmed instructions for accessing and detecting the type of image, for identifying one or more control points in the obtained digital image data, for mapping the input code values of the one or more control points to corresponding predetermined code values, for mapping additional input code values to output values according to the mapping of the one or more control points, and for providing rendered image data as output. A DICOM destination in networked communication with the at least one consistency control module stores or displays the rendered image data. | 05-27-2010 |
20100278300 | EXTREMITY IMAGING APPARATUS FOR CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY - An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography of an extremity has a digital radiation detector and a first device to move the detector along a circular detector path extending so that the detector moves both at least partially around a first extremity of the patient and between the first extremity and a second, adjacent extremity. The detector path has radius R | 11-04-2010 |
20110110496 | INTEGRATED PORTABLE DIGITAL X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM - A method for processing a radiographic image of a patient, executed at least in part on a host processor, initiates exposure in response to an instruction entered from an operator console and obtains radiographic image data from a digital detector that is subjected to the exposure. The obtained radiographic image data is analyzed according to a set of predefined criteria for diagnostic suitability of the image. One or more results of the diagnostic suitability analysis at the operator console is indicated and a listing of one or more corrective actions at the operator console according to the indicated results is provided. | 05-12-2011 |
20110176715 | FOUR-DIMENSIONAL VOLUME IMAGING SYSTEM - A method for obtaining a 3-D image. An initial volume image is obtained of a subject wherein the subject is stationary and in a first pose. One or more 2-D images of the subject are obtained as the subject is moving between the first pose and a second pose. An endpoint volume image of the subject with the subject stationary and in the second pose is obtained. At least the initial volume image is modified according to the one or more obtained 2-D images to form at least one intermediate volume image that is representative of the subject's position between the first and second pose. The at least one intermediate volume image can be displayed. | 07-21-2011 |
20120019512 | NOISE SUPPRESSION FOR CONE-BEAM IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION - A method for 3-D volume image reconstruction of a subject, executed at least in part on a computer, obtains image data for 2-D projection images over a range of scan angles. For each of the plurality of projection images, a noise-corrected projection image is generated by steps of transforming the image data according to a variance-stabilizing transform to provide transformed image data, applying Gaussian based noise suppression to the transformed image data, and inverting the transformation of the noise-suppressed transformed image data to generate the noise-corrected projection image. The noise-corrected projection image is stored in a computer-accessible memory. | 01-26-2012 |
20130077741 | EXTREMITY IMAGING APPARATUS FOR CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY - An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography of an extremity has a digital radiation detector and a first device to move the detector along a circular detector path extending so that the detector moves both at least partially around a first extremity of the patient and between the first extremity and a second, adjacent extremity. The detector path has radius R | 03-28-2013 |