TOMOSYNTHESIS GAIN CALIBRATION AND IMAGE CORRECTION

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method of imaging a breast of a patient at an imaging system including an x-ray source and an x-ray detector, the method comprising:

immobilizing, via an immobilizer unit, the breast;

acquiring a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the breast at different projection angles via the x-ray source and the x-ray detector;

gain correcting the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images via calibrated gain maps for each projection angle of the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images, wherein the calibrated gain maps are based on a high-dose gain map associated with a high-dose x-ray image averaged over a plurality of projection angles during calibration and a plurality of low-dose gain maps associated with each projection angle during calibration, wherein the plurality of low-dose gain maps are decomposed and low-resolution components are extracted such that the calibrated gain maps combine the high-dose gain map with each of the low-resolution components of the plurality of low-dose gain maps of the different projection angles; and

displaying one or more images of the breast based on the gain corrected plurality of tomosynthesis projection images.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising retrieving the calibrated gain maps stored locally at the imaging system.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving the calibrated gain maps remotely stored from the imaging system.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising retrieving the calibrated gain maps associated with a tomosynthesis breast imaging protocol used to acquire the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the breast.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising calibrating the calibrated gain maps prior to imaging the breast of the patient, wherein calibrating the calibrated gain maps comprises:

immobilizing, via the immobilizer unit, a phantom;

acquiring a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the phantom at different projection angles via the x-ray source and the x-ray detector; and

generating the calibrated gain maps based on the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the phantom.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the calibrated gain maps comprises:

generating the high-dose x-ray image by averaging the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the phantom;

generating the high-dose gain map associated with the high-dose x-ray image;

generating the plurality of low-dose gain maps, each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps associated with one of the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection x-ray images of the phantom;

decomposing each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps into at least one component level;

extracting the low-resolution components from the at least one component level for each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps;

combining the high-dose gain map with the each of the low-resolution components of the low-dose gain maps to generate the calibrated gain maps; and

saving the calibrated gain maps.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one component level includes a plurality of component levels.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the calibrated gain maps further comprise extracting high-resolution components from the high-dose gain map.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the low-resolution components comprise one of:

an angle data, a kV data, a filter data, a grid data, and a thickness data.

11 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising identifying suspected abnormalities from the displayed one or more images of the breast that are based on the gain corrected plurality of tomosynthesis projection images.

12 . A tomosynthesis imaging system comprising:

an image acquisition unit including an x-ray source and an x-ray detector configured to acquire tomosynthesis projection images;

an immobilizer unit configured to immobilize a breast of a patient;

a display;

a processor; and

memory storing calibrated gain maps and including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

acquire a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the breast immobilized at the immobilizer unit at different projection angles;

gain correct the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images via the calibrated gain maps for each projection angle of the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images, wherein the calibrated gain maps are based on a high-dose gain map associated with a high-dose x-ray image averaged over a plurality of projection angles during calibration and a plurality of low-dose gain maps associated with each projection angle during calibration, wherein the plurality of low-dose gain maps are decomposed and low-resolution components are extracted such that the calibrated gain maps combine the high-dose gain map with each of the low-resolution components of the plurality of low-dose gain maps of the different projection angles; and

display one or more images of the breast based on the gain corrected plurality of tomosynthesis projection images.

13 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to retrieve the calibrated gain maps stored locally at the imaging system.

14 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to receive the calibrated gain maps remotely stored from the imaging system.

15 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to retrieve the calibrated gain maps associated with a tomosynthesis breast imaging protocol used to acquire the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the breast.

16 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to calibrate the calibrated gain maps prior to imaging the breast of the patient, wherein calibration of the calibrated gain maps comprises:

acquire a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of a phantom immobilized at the immobilizer unit at different projection angles; and

generate the calibrated gain maps based on the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the phantom.

17 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to generate the calibrated gain maps via:

generate the high-dose x-ray image by averaging the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection images of the phantom;

generate the high-dose gain map associated with the high-dose x-ray image;

generate the plurality of low-dose gain maps, each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps associated with one of the acquired plurality of tomosynthesis projection x-ray images of the phantom;

decompose each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps into at least one component level;

extract the low-resolution components from the at least one component level for each of the plurality of low-dose gain maps;

combine the high-dose gain map with the each of the low-resolution components of the low-dose gain maps to generate the calibrated gain maps; and

save the calibrated gain maps.

18 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one component level includes a plurality of component levels.

19 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to extract high-resolution components from the high-dose gain map to generate the calibrated gain maps.

20 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the low-resolution components comprise one of: an angle data, a kV data, a filter data, a grid data, and a thickness data.

21 . The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to identify suspected abnormalities from the displayed one or more images of the breast that are based on the gain corrected plurality of tomosynthesis projection images.