Computer-implemented method, processing apparatus, imaging facility and computer program for specifying a location and/or a thickness of a slice of a patient to be imaged

1 . A computer-implemented method for determining at least one of a location or a thickness of a subsequent slice of a patient by an imaging facility using tomosynthesis imaging, the method comprising:

obtaining three-dimensional image data of the patient from a previously performed imaging procedure, wherein the imaging procedure comprises tomosynthesis imaging or another three-dimensional imaging of the patient, wherein the three-dimensional image data depicts at least a part of an object located at least partly within the patient;

determining, by at least one processor, a location of a longitudinal axis of the object based on the three-dimensional image data;

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one of the location or the thickness for the subsequent slice based at least in part on the location of the longitudinal axis, wherein at least one of the location or the thickness of the subsequent slice is determined so as to encompass a predetermined target position within the patient and at least one longitudinal section of the object; and

generating at least one control parameter, based on at least one of the location or the thickness, the at least one control parameter used for controlling the imaging facility to perform the tomosynthesis imaging of the subsequent slice.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the subsequent slice is determined so that the longitudinal axis of the object is parallel to an image plane spanned by a length and a width of the slice to be imaged or is inclined at an angle of less than 45° to the image plane.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the subsequent slice is determined so that at least a predetermined minimum distance exists between boundary surfaces of the subsequent slice in a direction of the thickness and the predetermined target position.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein for determining the location of the subsequent slice, at least one of the following variables is minimized:

an angle between the longitudinal axis of the object and an image plane spanned by a length and width of the subsequent slice;

a distance between the predetermined target position and a middle of the subsequent slice in a direction of the thickness of the subsequent slice; and/or

a distance between an end of the object in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the object, a position of which is determined as a function of the three-dimensional image data, from a middle of the subsequent slice in the direction of the thickness of the subsequent slice.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining an orientation of the subsequent slice based on an average recording angle of an angular range to be covered within a framework of the tomosynthesis imaging.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the average recording angle is restricted to a predetermined angular interval.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising wherein a two-dimensional x-ray imaging is carried out prior to the tomosynthesis imaging of the subsequent slice, wherein an imaging geometry of the two-dimensional x-ray imaging is determined as a function of the location of the longitudinal axis of the object.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a provisional target position is in a reference coordinate system of a three-dimensional reference image dataset, wherein the three-dimensional reference image dataset images the patient at least partly, wherein the reference coordinate system of the three-dimensional reference image dataset is registered with a facility coordinate system defined with respect to the imaging facility in order to transfer the provisional target position into the facility coordinate system and to determine a target position.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the reference coordinate system is registered with the facility coordinate system based on the three-dimensional reference image dataset and further based on at least two two-dimensional x-rays of the patient by the imaging facility that are recorded with recording angles that differ from one another by at least 30°.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein for determining the thickness of the subsequent slice, a width of an angular range to be covered by a recording angle is determined within a framework of the tomosynthesis imaging or that a position of the subsequent slice is determined based on a position of an isocenter of the tomosynthesis imaging.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a respective tomosynthesis imaging is performed repeatedly, wherein the three-dimensional image data of a prior tomosynthesis imaging procedure carried out is used to control a subsequent tomosynthesis imaging to determine at least one of the location or the thickness of the subsequent slice.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the longitudinal axis of the object and/or further image data that is acquired using tomosynthesis imaging, is evaluated in order to provide at least one control parameter for activation of an actuator system for automated movement of the object to the predetermined target position or is visualized for a user via a display facility in order to support the user in guidance of the object to the predetermined target position.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

activating an imaging facility using the at least one control parameter.

14 . An imaging facility configured to acquire three-dimensional image data of a subsequent slice of a patient by a tomosynthesis imaging, wherein the imaging facility is configured to:

obtain three-dimensional image data from a previously performed tomosynthesis imaging of the patient, wherein the three-dimensional image data of the patient depicts at least one part of an object located at least partly within the patient;

determining, from the three-dimensional image data, a location of a longitudinal axis of the object along which the part of the object extends; and

determining at least one of a location or a thickness of the subsequent slice as a function of the location of the longitudinal axis so that the subsequent slice depicts a predetermined target position within the patient and at least one longitudinal section of the object.

15 . A non-transitory computer implemented storage medium that stores machine-readable instructions executable by at least one processor for determining at least one of a location or a thickness of a slice to be imaged of a patient for a tomosynthesis imaging by an imaging facility, the machine-readable instructions comprising:

obtaining three-dimensional image data of the patient from a preceding tomosynthesis imaging, wherein the three-dimensional image data of the patient depicts at least one part of an object located at least partly within the patient;

determining a location of a longitudinal axis of the object along which the part of the object extends based on the three-dimensional image data;

determining, at least one of the location or the thickness for the subsequent slice based at least in part on the location of the longitudinal axis, wherein at least one of the location or the thickness of the subsequent slice is determined so as to encompass a predetermined target position within the patient and at least one longitudinal section of the object; and

generating at least one control parameter, based on at least one of the location or the thickness, the at least one control parameter used for controlling the imaging facility to perform the tomosynthesis imaging of the subsequent slice.