IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,610,055
Granted Patent B2
US 9,610,055 · App. 14/789,371 · Granted Apr 4, 2017

X-ray CT apparatus and image processing apparatus

Inventors: Hiroki Taguchi (Otawara, JP); John Gulik (Bunkyo, JP)
Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
A61B6/5205A61B6/032A61B6/482A61B6/488A61B6/5258A61B6/5282G06T5/002G06T5/50G06T11/005G06T11/60A61B6/06G06T2207/10081G06T2211/408
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,610,055
App. No.
14/789,371
Granted
Apr 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The X-ray CT apparatus includes an X-ray tube, a high-voltage power supply, an X-ray detector and a processing circuitry. The processing circuitry reconstructs, as a first image, any of a monochromatic X-ray image and a polychromatic X-ray image on a basis of pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning an object, the polychromatic X-ray image being taken in a first X-ray energy band. The processing circuitry reconstructs, as a second image, a polychromatic X-ray image taken in a second X-ray energy band wider than the first X-ray energy band on a basis of a pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning the object. The processing circuitry identifies an area of a correction target in the first image as a correction area. The processing circuitry corrects the correction area in the second image on a basis of the first image.

Claims (77)

1. An X-ray CT apparatus, comprising:

an X-ray tube configured to emit X-rays;

a high-voltage power supply configured to apply a tube voltage to the X-ray tube;

an X-ray detector including a plurality of X-ray detection elements, and configured to detect the X-rays; and

a processing circuitry configured to:

reconstruct, as a first image, any of a monochromatic X-ray image and a polychromatic X-ray image on a basis of pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning an object, the polychromatic X-ray image being taken in a first X-ray energy band;

reconstruct, as a second image, a polychromatic X-ray image taken in a second X-ray energy band wider than the first X-ray energy band on a basis of a pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning the object;

identify an area of a correction target in the first image as a correction area; and

correct the correction area in the second image on a basis of the first image.

2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to generate the first image from multiple types of the pre-reconstruction data based on a multi-energy scan.

3. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to adopt the second image that is any of the polychromatic X-ray image based on a single energy scan, the polychromatic X-ray image based on one mode of a multi-energy scan, and the polychromatic X-ray image where polychromatic X-ray image elements based on respective modes of the multi-energy scan are blended together.

4. An X-ray CT apparatus, comprising:

an X-ray tube configured to emit X-rays;

a high-voltage power supply configured to apply a tube voltage to the X-ray tube;

an X-ray detector including a plurality of X-ray detection elements, and configured to detect the X-rays; and

a processing circuitry configured to:

generate, as first pre-reconstruction data, any of pre-reconstruction data with monochromatic X-rays, and pre-reconstruction data with polychromatic X-rays on a basis of pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning an object, the pre-reconstruction data being in a first X-ray energy band;

identify a range of a correction target as a correction range in the first pre-reconstruction data on a basis of the first pre-reconstruction data and a second pre-reconstruction data with polychromatic X-rays, the second pre-reconstruction data being acquired by scanning the object and being in a second X-ray energy band wider than the first X-ray energy band;

correct the correction range in the second pre-reconstruction data on a basis of the first pre-reconstruction data; and

reconstruct a corrected image on a basis of the corrected second pre-reconstruction data.

5. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate subtraction pre-reconstruction data by performing subtraction between the first pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data; and

generate the corrected second pre-reconstruction data using the subtraction pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data.

6. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

set a reconstruction range in the first pre-reconstruction data, and generate subtraction pre-reconstruction data by performing subtraction between the reconstruction range of the first pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data; and

generate the corrected second pre-reconstruction data using the subtraction pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data.

7. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing circuitry and a memory, wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

reconstruct, as a first image, any of a monochromatic X-ray image and a polychromatic X-ray image on a basis of pre-reconstruction data acquired by an X-ray detector detecting X-rays having been emitted by an X-ray tube and transmitted through an object, the polychromatic X-ray image being taken in a first X-ray energy band;

reconstruct, as a second image, a polychromatic X-ray image taken in a second X-ray energy band wider than the first X-ray energy band on a basis of a pre-reconstruction data;

identify an area of a correction target in the first image as a correction area; and

correct the correction area in the second image on a basis of the first image.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to generate the first image from multiple types of the pre-reconstruction data based on a multi-energy scan.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to adopt the second image that is any of the polychromatic X-ray image based on a single energy scan, the polychromatic X-ray image based on one mode of a multi-energy scan, and the polychromatic X-ray image where polychromatic X-ray image elements based on respective modes of the multi-energy scan are blended together.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate a subtraction image by performing subtraction between the first image and the second image; and

generate a corrected image using the subtraction image and the second image.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate a correction area image including a partial area of the subtraction image in the first image; and

generate the corrected image by aligning and combining the correction area image and the second image with each other.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to change a combining ratio between the correction area image and the second image.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate a first correction area image that is a part of the first image including a partial area in the subtraction image;

generate a second correction area image where only the partial area in the subtraction image is extracted from the second image;

generate a blend image by blending the first correction area image and the second correction area image;

generate a partially deducted image that is the second image from which the partial area of the subtraction image is deducted; and

generate the corrected image by aligning and combining the blend image and the partially deducted image with each other.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to change a combining ratio between the blend image and the partially deducted image.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to perform subtraction between the first image and the second image having CT values closest to each other, if the second image is a polychromatic X-ray image where polychromatic X-ray image elements based on respective modes of a multi-energy scan are blended together.

16. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing circuitry and a memory, wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate, as first pre-reconstruction data, any of pre-reconstruction data with monochromatic X-rays, and pre-reconstruction data with polychromatic X-rays on a basis of pre-reconstruction data acquired by scanning an object with an X-ray CT apparatus, the pre-reconstruction data being in a first X-ray energy band;

identify a range of a correction target as a correction range in the first pre-reconstruction data on a basis of the first pre-reconstruction data and a second pre-reconstruction data with polychromatic X-rays, the second pre-reconstruction data being acquired by scanning the object and being in a second X-ray energy band wider than the first X-ray energy band;

correct the correction range in the second pre-reconstruction data on a basis of the first pre-reconstruction data; and

reconstruct a corrected image on a basis of the corrected second pre-reconstruction data.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

generate subtraction pre-reconstruction data by performing subtraction between the first pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data; and

generate the corrected second pre-reconstruction data using the subtraction pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to:

set a reconstruction range in the first pre-reconstruction data, and generate subtraction pre-reconstruction data by performing subtraction between the reconstruction range of the first pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data; and

generate the corrected second pre-reconstruction data using the subtraction pre-reconstruction data and the second pre-reconstruction data.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2016
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040602/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2016
From: TAGUCHI, HIROKI; GULIK, JOHN
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040345/0728 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-136599 · Jul 2, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160000396A1 · Jan 7, 2016