Techniques for patient positioning quality assurance prior to mammographic image acquisition
Techniques for patient positioning quality assurance prior to mammographic image acquisition are described. A system may include an x-ray source configured to expose human tissue to radiation. An x-ray detector module may be configured to detect the radiation and generate a pre-diagnostic image of the human tissue. A position analysis module may be configured to receive the pre-diagnostic image and determine whether the human tissue is positioned correctly based upon one or more predefined positioning criteria. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store the results of the positional analysis module determination. A display may be configured to display the determination of the position analysis module within a user interface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
obtaining a pre-diagnostic image of a human tissue from an x-ray imaging system;
detecting one or more anatomical landmarks in the pre-diagnostic image;
comparing, with a position analysis module, the one or more detected anatomical landmarks in the pre-diagnostic image to one or more predefined positioning criteria; and
determining, with the position analysis module, a positioning condition of the human tissue based at least in part on the comparing of the one or more detected anatomical landmarks in the pre-diagnostic image to the one or more predefined positioning criteria.
2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the human tissue is a breast, and further comprising obtaining a diagnostic mammogram of the breast based at least in part on the determined positioning condition.
3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a radiation level used to obtain the pre-diagnostic image is less than a radiation level to obtain a diagnostic image.
4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-diagnostic image is of a lower resolution than a diagnostic image.
5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-diagnostic image is an automated exposure control (AEC) scout image.
6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-diagnostic image is of a mediolateral oblique (MLO) view of a breast.
7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-diagnostic image is of a cranial-caudal (CC) view of a breast.
8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more predefined positioning criteria are compared to at least one of a location, a position, a size, and a proximity of the one or more detected anatomical landmarks.
9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more detected anatomical landmarks are selected from the group consisting of an inframammary fold, a nipple, pectoral muscles, or a chest wall.
10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more predefined positioning criteria include a comparison between the pre-diagnostic image and one or more of previous pre-diagnostic images or previous diagnostic images.
11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying, by a display device, a determination of the position analysis module within a user interface.
12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-diagnostic image is of a substantially similar resolution to a diagnostic image.
13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a diagnostic image is automatically taken based upon a determination of the position analysis module.
14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a diagnostic image procedure is automatically stopped based upon a determination of the position analysis module.
15. The computer implemented computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a diagnostic image procedure is interrupted in response to receiving a user input based upon a determination of the position analysis module.
16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a second user input subsequent to the interrupted diagnostic image procedure; and
obtaining a second pre-diagnostic image of the human tissue based at least in part on the second user input.
17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting one or more anatomical landmarks in the second pre-diagnostic image;
comparing, with the position analysis module, the one or more detected anatomical landmarks in the second pre-diagnostic image to the one or more predefined positioning criteria; and
determining, with the position analysis module, a second positioning condition of the human tissue based at least in part on the comparing of the one or more detected anatomical landmarks in the second pre-diagnostic image to the one or more predefined positioning criteria.
18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 16 , further comprising sending a determination signal based at least in part on the determined positioning condition.
19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 18 , wherein the determination signal comprises at least one of an audio notification, a haptic notification, and a visual indication.
20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the human tissue to a pre-diagnostic radiation by an x-ray source;
detecting the pre-diagnostic radiation at an x-ray detector; and
obtaining the pre-diagnostic image from the detected pre-diagnostic radiation.