Automatic patient positioning system

1. A patient positioning system for positioning a patient relative to radiographic equipment, such system comprising:

a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such 3D optical imaging system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane;

a table apparatus for supporting the patient and for moving the table relative to the radiographic equipment in response to positioning signals;

a processor responsive to data from the radiographic equipment and the data from the 3D optical imaging system for producing the positioning signals; and

wherein the line projector is a collimated line strip.

2. The system recited in claim 1 wherein the radiographic equipment is computed tomography equipment.

3. A patient positioning system for positioning a patient relative to radiographic equipment, such system comprising:

a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such 3D optical imaging system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane;

a table apparatus for supporting the patient and for moving the table relative to the radiographic equipment in response to positioning signals;

a processor responsive to data from the radiographic equipment and the data from the 3D optical imaging system for producing the positioning signals;

wherein the radiographic equipment is computed tomography equipment; and

wherein the computed tomography equipment has a bore for receiving the table as such table passes from a region external of the bore into the bore, and wherein the 3D optical imaging system has a field of view, such field of extending from the region external of the bore and into a portion internal of the bore.

4. The system recited in claim 3 wherein the 3D optical imaging system is fixed relative to the radiographic equipment.

5. The system recited in claim 4 wherein the portion of the field of view extending into the bore includes therein a portion of the patient when the patient is positioned in the bore.

6. The system recited in claim 5 wherein the 3D optical imaging system is fixed relative to the radiographic equipment.

7. A method for positioning a patient relative to radiographic equipment with a patient positioning system comprising: a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such optical system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane of the system; a table apparatus for supporting the patient and for moving the table relative to the radiographic equipment in response to positioning signals; a processor responsive to data from the radiographic equipment and the data from the a 3D optical imaging system for producing the positioning signals, such method comprising:

performing a calibration process to generate coordination transformation between a coordinate system used by the 3D optical imaging system and a coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system, comprising:

fixing a phantom on the table;

scanning the phantom with the 3D optical imaging system;

scanning the phantom with the radiological imaging system;

constructing a 3D mesh from the imaging system scan in the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system;

identifying landmarks for both the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan;

using a registration process to map the landmarks from the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan to generate the coordination transformation between the coordinate system used by the 3D optical image scanning system and the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system.

8. A method for positioning a patient relative to radiographic equipment with a patient positioning system comprising: a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such optical system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane of the system; a table apparatus for supporting the patient and for moving the table relative to the radiographic equipment in response to positioning signals; a processor responsive to data from the radiographic equipment and the data from the a 3D optical imaging system for producing the positioning signals, such method comprising:

performing a calibration process to generate a coordination transformation between a coordinate system used by the 3D optical imaging system and a coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system;

with the patient on the table, scanning the patient with the 3D optical imaging system to obtaining optical energy intensity data and depth data over a field of view of the 3D optical scanning system;

constructing a 3D mesh of the patient from the data obtained with the 3D optical imaging system;

identifying a body section of the patient on the constructed mesh to be radiologically scanned;

specifying a scan range of the identified section in the coordinate system of the radiographic imaging system based on the specified scan range and the generated coordinate transformation.

9. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the calibration comprises:

fixing a phantom on the table;

scanning the phantom with the 3D optical imaging system;

scanning the phantom with the radiological imaging system;

constructing a 3D mesh from the imaging system scan in the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system;

identifying landmarks for both the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan;

using a registration process to map the landmarks from the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan to generate the coordination transfoimation between the coordinate system used by the 3D optical image scanning system and the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system.

10. A method for displaying temporal changes in a patient positioned within the bore of radiographic equipment comprising: a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such optical system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane of the system; and a table apparatus for supporting the patient, such method comprising:

performing a calibration process to generate a coordination transformation between a coordinate system used by the 3D optical imaging system and a coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system;

with the patient positioned in the bore, continuously scanning the patient in real time with a portion of the field of view extending into the bore with the 3D optical scanning;

constructing a 3D mesh of the portion of the patient being optically scanned;

identifying temporal changes in the mesh topology; and

displaying such temporal changes as a surrogate for patient breathing and/or movement used into the 3D optical image scanning system in the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system using the generated coordination transformation.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the calibration comprises:

fixing a phantom on the table;

scanning the phantom with the 3D optical imaging system;

scanning the phantom with the radiological imaging system;

constructing a 3D mesh from the imaging system scan in the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system;

identifying landmarks for both the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan;

using a registration process to map the landmarks from the radiological imaging system scan and the 3D optical image scan to generate the coordination transformation between the coordinate system used by the 3D optical image scanning system and the coordinate system used by the radiological imaging system.

12. A patient positioning system for positioning a patient relative to radiographic equipment, such system comprising:

a 3D optical imaging system for optically scanning the patient, such 3D optical imaging system having a focal plane and providing, for each position on the object, data representative of the intensity of reflected energy received by the system from such position and data representative of distance from such position on the object to the focal plane;

a table apparatus for supporting the patient and for moving the table relative to the radiographic equipment in response to positioning signals;

a processor responsive to data from the radiographic equipment and the data from the 3D optical imaging system for producing the positioning signals;

wherein radiographic equipment has a bore for receiving the table as such table passes from a region external of the bore into the bore, and wherein the 3D optical imaging system has a field of view, such field of extending from the region external of the bore and into a portion internal of the bore.