Method and apparatus for aligning an X-ray source and detector at various source to image distances

1. A method for calibrating the alignment of a source to a detector in a medical imaging system to account for variations due to mechanical or physical misalignments in the system, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a reference position for each of the source and the detector at a known source to image distance;

moving the source to a second source to image distance;

determining an offset between the expected location of the source and the actual location of the source at the second source to image distance;

during operation, moving the source by a distance equivalent to the offset, wherein the source and detector are aligned.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting the position of the detector in at least one direction.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the offset is determined during a calibration process.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the offset is determined during real time operation of the system.

5. A method for calibrating a source and a detector in a digital radiographic system, the method comprising the following steps:

selecting a first source to image distance;

calibrating an alignment of the source and the detector wherein a reference position in at least one of a longitudinal, latitudinal, and vertical direction is determined for each of the source and the detector;

storing the reference positions;

moving the source to at least a second source to image distance;

determining an offset calculated from the misalignment of the source and the detector at the second location as a function of an expected position of at least one of the source and the detector and an actual position of the at least one of the source and the detector;

storing the offset wherein, during operation, the offset is used to align the source with the detector.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the source is mounted to a superstructure and the offset is due to a variation in the superstructure surface.

7. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the detector is mounted to a wall stand.

8. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the source is mounted to a rail system on a ceiling in an examination room and the offset is due to a variation in the height of the ceiling.

9. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the offset is calculated during a calibration procedure.

10. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the offset is calculated during operation of the digital radiographic system.

11. A method for calibrating a digital radiographic imaging system, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) calibrating a home position at a first known source to image distance;

(b) moving the source to a second source to image distance;

(c) directing the source at the detector;

(d) moving the source to an aligned position, wherein the source is aligned with the detector;

(e) calculating an offset as a function of a difference between an expected location of at least one of the source and the detector and the actual location of the at least one of the source and detector the aligned position;

(f) storing the offset; and

(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) to develop a map of offsets for the digital radiographic system.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising the step of correlating the offset to a present location during operation, retrieving the offset, and moving the source to align with the detector at the present location.

13. The method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:

(g) determining a present source to image distance during operation;

(h) determining a first and a second offset at locations before and after the present source to image distance; and

(j) interpolating to obtain an offset at the present source to image distance.

14. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are stored as a function of source to image distance.

15. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are in at least a vertical direction.

16. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are provided in at least one of a longitudinal, latitudinal, and vertical direction.

17. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are provided in each of a vertical, longitudinal, and latitudinal direction.

18. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are provided in an angular direction.

19. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the offsets are provided in a rotational direction.

20. The method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising the step of periodically re-establishing the offsets to correct for operational-induced offsets.