Methods and devices for quantitative analysis of x-ray images
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to network enabled analysis of x-ray images. Also described are devices comprising calibration phantoms; methods of using these devices; methods of formulating databases containing information regarding x-ray images; the databases themselves; and methods of manipulating the information and databases.
1. A computer program product for generating a density calibration curve from a digital x-ray image of an anatomic structure, the x-ray image including a wedge-shaped calibration phantom having length (L) and thickness (I) that varies non-linearly along the length, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:
(a) program code for measuring attenuation at a multitude of points in the x-ray image of the calibration phantom;
(b) program code for measuring attenuation of at least one point of known density in the x-ray image of the anatomical structure;
(c) program code for generating a calibration curve that describes the relationship between attenuation measured in (a) and (b) and material thickness; and
(d) program code for translating the calibration curve describing thickness into a curve describing calcium concentration.
2. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein each point in (c) is at a known distance from a selected part of the calibration phantom.
3. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration phantom comprises aluminum and the calibration curve describes aluminum thickness.
4. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the x-ray image is a dental x-ray.
5. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration curve is generated in a network environment.
6. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein, in (d), the at least one point of known density in the anatomical structure is in muscle, fat, or air.
7. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein the fat is subcutaneous fat.
8. The computer product according to claim 1 , further comprising program code for diagnosing osteoporosis if bone mineral density is below a reference standard.