Specimen radiography with tomosynthesis in a cabinet with geometric magnification
The aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a method and system for producing tomosynthesis images of a breast specimen with the capability of attaining images with geometric magnification. In one embodiment, an x-ray source delivers x-rays through a specimen of excised tissue and forms an image at a digital x-ray detector with the resultant image enlarging as the specimen is moved closer to the x-ray source. Multiple x-ray images are taken as the x-ray source moves relative to the stationary breast specimen. The source may travel substantially along a path while the detector remains stationary throughout and the source remains substantially equidistant from the specimen platform. The set of x-ray image data taken at the different points are combined to form a tomosynthesis image that can be viewed in different formats, alone or as an adjunct to conventional specimen radiography.
1. A cabinet x-ray system for of obtaining geometric magnifying specimen x-ray images, projection x-ray images, and reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images of the specimen, the system comprising:
a moveable cabinet defining a walled enclosure surrounding an interior chamber and a door configured to cover the interior chamber;
an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray detector, a specimen platform including a magnification tray that is positioned at a distance above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen in the cabinet and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the x-ray source to or along a plurality of positions within the interior chamber relative to the specimen disposed on the specimen platform;
a controller configured to:
a) selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the specimen to the flat panel digital x-ray detector at selected positions of the x-ray source relative to the specimen such that the isocenter of the emitted x-rays at the selected positions is located at the flat panel digital x-ray detector surface, wherein the controller is configured to:
b) control the flat panel digital x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when the x-ray source is energized at the selected positions, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at standard imaging angle of about 0°;
c) create a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from a collection of projection x-ray images;
d) process the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image; and
e) selectively display the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.
2. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the moveable cabinet comprises a sampling chamber within the interior chamber for containing the specimen.
3. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the specimen platform is configured for excised tissue, organ or bone specimens.
4. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the specimen platform is capable of being positioned within the chamber at a plurality of distances above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen.
5. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the magnification tray is a non-metallic, radio-translucent material.
6. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , further comprising an x-ray cabinet wherein the specimen platform is configured for any organic or inorganic specimen that fits inside the x-ray cabinet.
7. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is mounted in the moveable cabinet.
8. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray source is a moveable x-ray source, the cabinet x-ray system including a device to move or position the x-ray source within the moveable cabinet.
9. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the motion control mechanism is configured to move the x-ray source along a path substantially defining an arc.
10. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the flat panel digital x-ray detector is in a stationary or fixed position within the moveable cabinet.
11. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the motion control mechanism is configured to move the x-ray source along a path in a range from about 350° to 10° or from about 340° to 20° or vice versa or a maximum of about 335° to 25° or vice versa.
12. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the motion control mechanism is configured to move the x-ray source from back to front or front to back in the moveable cabinet.
13. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the x-ray within the moveable cabinet source is from side to side such that the spread of the x-ray beam along the path is within the spread of the x-ray beam when the x-ray source is at the standard imaging angle of about 0°.
14. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , in which the x-ray source is a minimum 50 kVp and 1000 μa X-ray source.
15. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , in which the x-ray source is a micro-focus X-ray source.
16. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , in which the flat panel digital x-ray detector comprises a CMOS x-ray detector.
17. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , in which the controller is configured to supply standard two-dimensional x-ray images.
18. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , in which the controller is configured to interpolate the projection x-ray images gathered and calculate a tomosynthetic x-ray image.
19. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises one or more processors and computer readable program code or non-transitory machine readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the controller, is configured to provide built-in filters allowing higher in-plane resolution and image quality of the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images during magnification for greater diagnostic confidence.
20. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to reconstruct three-dimensional tomosynthetic x-ray images from two-dimensional projection x-ray images in real-time and on-demand.
21. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes graphic processor unit (GPU) technology and is configured to deliver real-time three-dimensional image reconstruction of tomosynthetic x-ray images by utilizing graphic processor unit (GPU) technology.
22. The cabinet x-ray system of claim 1 , wherein the specimen platform is configured for a breast specimen of a person.
23. A method for obtaining x-ray images of a specimen in a cabinet x-ray system, processing and displaying a two-dimensional x-ray specimen radiography image and projection x-ray images of the specimen, wherein the cabinet x-ray system comprising a moveable cabinet defining a walled enclosure surrounding an interior chamber and a door configured to cover the interior chamber; an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray detector, a specimen platform including a magnification tray that is positioned at a distance above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen, and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the x-ray source to or along a plurality of positions within the interior chamber relative to the specimen disposed on the specimen platform; and a controller configured to selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the specimen to the flat panel digital x-ray detector at selected positions of the x-ray source relative to the specimen, wherein the method comprises:
controlling the flat panel digital x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when the x-ray source is energized at the selected positions such that the isocenter of the emitted x-rays at the selected positions is located at the detector surface, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at standard imaging angle of about 0°;
creating a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from a collection of projection x-ray images;
processing the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image; and
selectively displaying the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.
24. The method of claim 23 , comprising concurrently displaying both the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the specimen comprises an organic item, excised tissue, organ, or bone specimen.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the specimen comprises organic or inorganic specimens that are suitably sized fit within the interior chamber of the cabinet.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the controller is mounted in the movable cabinet of the cabinet x-ray system.
28. The method of claim 23 , comprising using the controller to move the x-ray source to a plurality of positions within the moveable cabinet along a path defining an arc.
29. The method of claim 23 , comprising maintaining the flat panel digital x-ray detector in a stationary or fixed position within the moveable cabinet, while moving the x-ray source to one or more positions within the moveable cabinet.
30. The method of claim 23 , comprising moving the x-ray source along a path within the moveable cabinet, where the x-ray source is moved on the path along a range from about 350° to 10°.
31. The method of claim 23 , comprising moving the x-ray source within the moveable cabinet is from back to front or front to back.
32. The method of claim 23 , comprising moving the x-ray source within the moveable cabinet from side to side along a path such that the spread of the x-ray beam along the path is within the spread of the x-ray beam when the x-ray source is at the standard imaging angle of about 0°.
33. The method of claim 23 , wherein the specimen platform is capable of being positioned within the chamber at a plurality of distances above the flat panel digital x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen.
34. The method of claim 33 , further including moving the specimen platform from a distance above the flat digital x-ray panel to a different distance above the flat digital x-ray panel to change the geometric magnification imaging of the specimen.