IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,335,095
Granted Patent B2
US 10,335,095 · App. 15/225,861 · Granted Jul 2, 2019

Method for local improvement of image quality

Inventor: Thomas Flohr (Uehlfeld, DE)
Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
A61B6/032A61B6/12A61B6/5211A61B6/54G06T11/005A61B6/467
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,335,095
App. No.
15/225,861
Granted
Jul 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method is for local improvement of the image quality of an imaging X-ray acquisition. In an embodiment, the method includes localizing an imaging region of a structure; selecting an environment of the imaging region; setting an acquisition parameter for the environment of the imaging region, wherein the acquisition parameter for the environment of the imaging region is different from a region outside of the environment of the imaging region; and acquiring an image dataset.

Claims (59)

1. A method for local improvement of image quality of an imaging X-ray acquisition, the method comprising:

localizing an imaging region of a structure;

selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure, the environment being a portion of a field of view and including at least a portion of the imaging region and an additional region adjacent to the at least the portion of the imaging region;

setting a first acquisition parameter for the environment, the first acquisition parameter having a value different from a value of a second acquisition parameter for a remainder of the field of view exclusive of the environment, both of the first acquisition parameter and the second acquisition parameter being configured to change at least one of a spatial resolution or a spectral resolution; and

acquiring an image dataset using the first acquisition parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a detector region for acquiring image data for the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first acquisition parameter is configured to increase the spatial resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the setting increases the spatial resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure projected onto the detector region.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first acquisition parameter is configured to change the spectral resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the setting changes the spectral resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure projected onto the detector region.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the localizing an imaging region of a structure or the selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure is performed based upon an action of a user.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the localizing an imaging region of a structure or the selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure is performed by a computing unit.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reconstructing an image based on the image dataset, wherein the first acquisition parameter is a reconstruction parameter.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting a first acquisition parameter comprises using a filter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the filter is set to reduce an X-ray intensity in the remainder of the field of view.

12. A medical device, comprising:

an X-ray detector configured to acquire an image dataset using a first acquisition parameter;

a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the X-ray detector, the at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to

set the first acquisition parameter as a function of an environment of an imaging region of a structure, the environment being a portion of a field of view and including at least a portion of the imaging region and an additional region adjacent to the at least the portion of the imaging region, the first acquisition parameter having a value different from a value of a second acquisition parameter for a remainder of the field of view exclusive of the environment, both of the first acquisition parameter and the second acquisition parameter being configured to change at least one of a spatial resolution or a spectral resolution.

13. The medical device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to assign a detector region for acquiring image data for the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

14. The medical device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to

localize the imaging region of the structure to select the environment of the imaging region of the structure, or to reconstruct an image based on the image dataset.

15. The medical device of claim 12 , further comprising:

an input or output device configured to at least one of localize the imaging region of the structure or select the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

16. The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the spatial resolution or the spectral resolution of the X-ray detector is different in the detector region for acquiring the image data for the environment of the imaging region of the structure and in a further detector region for acquiring image data for the remainder of the field of view.

17. The medical device of claim 12 , further comprising:

a filter configured to reduce an X-ray intensity in the remainder of the field of view.

18. The medical device of claim 12 , wherein the medical device is a computed tomography system or a C-arm angiography system.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first acquisition parameter is configured to increase the spatial resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first acquisition parameter is configured to change the spectral resolution in the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

21. The method of claim 2 , wherein the localizing an imaging region of a structure or the selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure is performed based upon an action of a user.

22. The method of claim 2 , wherein the localizing an imaging region of a structure or the selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure is performed by a computing unit.

23. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

reconstructing an image based on the image dataset, wherein the first acquisition parameter is a reconstruction parameter.

24. The method of claim 2 , wherein the setting a first acquisition parameter comprises using a filter.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the filter is set to reduce an X-ray intensity in the remainder of the field of view.

26. The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to

localize the imaging region of the structure to select the environment of the imaging region of the structure, or to reconstruct an image based on the image dataset.

27. The medical device of claim 13 , further comprising:

an input or output device configured to at least one of localize the imaging region of the structure or select the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

28. The medical device of claim 14 , further comprising:

an input or output device configured to at least one of localize the imaging region of the structure or select the environment of the imaging region of the structure.

29. The medical device of claim 26 , wherein the spatial resolution or the spectral resolution of the X-ray detector is different in the detector region for acquiring the image data for the environment of the imaging region of the structure and in a further detector region for acquiring image data for the remainder of the field of view.

30. The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the medical device is a computed tomography system or a C-arm angiography system.

31. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the spatial resolution in the environment is increased relative to the spatial resolution in the remainder of the field of view by combining a plurality of values of detectors external to the assigned detector region among a plurality of detectors to form a plurality of combined detector values; and

the acquiring an image dataset includes generating the plurality of values using the plurality of detectors.

32. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the first acquisition parameter is configured to increase the spectral resolution in the environment relative to the spectral resolution in the remainder of the field of view by increasing a first quantity of energy channels of each detector in the assigned detector region among a plurality of detectors relative to a second quantity of energy channels of each detector external to the assigned detector region among the plurality of detectors; and

the acquiring an image dataset is performed using the plurality of detectors.

33. A method for local improvement of image quality of an imaging X-ray acquisition, the method comprising:

localizing an imaging region of a structure;

selecting an environment of the imaging region of the structure, the environment being a portion of a field of view;

setting, by an X-ray detector, a first acquisition parameter for the environment, the first acquisition parameter having a value different from a value of a second acquisition parameter for a remainder of the field of view exclusive of the environment, both of the first acquisition parameter and the second acquisition parameter being configured to change at least one of a spatial resolution or a spectral resolution; and

acquiring an image dataset using the first acquisition parameter.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first acquisition parameter has a higher value than the second acquisition parameter.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
To: SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG
Reel/Frame 066267/0346 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2016
From: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
Reel/Frame 039620/0201 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2016
From: FLOHR, THOMAS
To: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 039563/0549 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2015 215 938 · Aug 20, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170053414A1 · Feb 23, 2017