IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,779,791
Granted Patent B2
US 10,779,791 · App. 15/923,497 · Granted Sep 22, 2020

System and method for mobile X-ray imaging

Inventors: John Eric Tkaczyk (Delanson, NY); David Allen Langan (Clifton Park, NY); Peter William Lorraine (Niskayuna, NY); Biju Jacob (Niskayuna, NY); Feng Pan (Clifton Park, NY); Hao Lai (Rexford, NY)
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
A61B6/542A61B6/4028A61B6/4405A61B6/5294
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,779,791
App. No.
15/923,497
Granted
Sep 22, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for X-ray imaging includes determining one or more pre-shot parameters corresponding to a region of interest in a subject based on an optical image of the region of interest obtained from an optical sensor. The method further includes controlling an X-ray device to generate a pre-shot X-ray image using a first X-ray dosage, based on the one or more-pre-shot parameters. The method also includes determining at least one main-shot parameter based on the pre-shot X-ray image. The method includes controlling the X-ray device to generate a main-shot X-ray image using a second X-ray dosage greater than the first X-ray dosage, based on the at least one main-shot parameter.

Claims (47)

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more pre-shot parameters corresponding to a region of interest in a subject based on an optical image of the region of interest obtained from an optical sensor;

controlling an X-ray device to generate a pre-shot X-ray image using a first X-ray dosage, based on the one or more pre-shot parameters, wherein generating the pre-shot X-ray image comprises:

generating a plurality of pre-shot X-ray images corresponding to a plurality of focal spot positions, wherein the plurality of focal spot positions corresponds to a plurality of inclination angles of an X-ray source of the X-ray device;

determining an optimal focal spot position among the plurality of focal spot positions based on the plurality of pre-shot X-ray images; and

selecting the pre-shot X-ray image among the plurality of pre-shot X-ray images corresponding to the optimal focal spot position;

analyzing the pre-shot X-ray image to verify presence of an image of an anatomy of the subject in the pre-shot X-ray image;

determining at least one main-shot parameter based on the pre-shot X-ray image;

when the image of the anatomy of the subject is present in the pre-shot X-ray image, controlling the X-ray device to generate the main-shot X-ray image using a second X-ray dosage greater than the first X-ray dosage, based on the at least one main-shot parameter; and

aborting acquisition of the main-shot X-ray image when the image of the anatomy of the subject is not present in the pre-shot X-ray image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting an optimal pre-shot X-ray image among the plurality of pre-shot X-ray images corresponding to the optimal focal spot position;

determining an image intensity value corresponding to the optimal pre-shot X-ray image based on intensity of pixel values of the optimal pre-shot X-ray image;

comparing the image intensity value with a pre-determined intensity threshold value; and

aborting acquisition of the main-shot X-ray image if the image intensity value is less than the pre-determined intensity threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more-pre-shot parameters comprises deriving three-dimensional positional information of the region of interest in the subject based on at least one of a stereo parallax technique, a three-dimensional depth point-cloud mapping technique, and a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technique.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional position information of the region of interest in the subject is derived based on a depth information corresponding to the region of interest detected by a depth sensor and the optical image of the region of interest in the subject.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one main-shot parameter comprises selecting a view angle of the X-ray device from a configurational atlas catalog.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one main-shot parameter comprises registering the pre-shot X-ray image with a reference anatomical image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one main-shot parameter comprises estimating an attenuation of an X-ray beam generated from the X-ray device, by the anatomy in the region of interest of the subject.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one main-shot parameter comprises retrieving stored parameter values from a memory unit based on at least one of a view angle of the X-ray device, an attenuation of an X-ray beam by the anatomy in the region of interest of the subject, a position of the anatomy in the region of interest of the subject.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one main-shot parameter comprises determining a position of the anatomy in the region of interest of the subject based on at least one of a face detection technique and an object detection technique.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pre-shot parameters comprise a lateral size of the subject, a thickness of a subject, a habitus of the subject, X-ray attenuating properties in the region of interest of the subject, geometric properties of the anatomy, and a parameter indicating alignment of an X-ray source of the X-ray device, the anatomy, and an X-ray detector of the X-ray device.

11. A system comprising:

an optical sensor configured to obtain an optical image of a region of interest in a subject;

an X-ray device configured to:

generate a pre-shot X-ray image, using a first X-ray dosage, based on one or more pre-shot parameters;

generate a main-shot X-ray image, using a second X-ray dosage greater than the first X-ray dosage, based on at least one main-shot parameter; and

an image processing unit communicatively coupled to the optical sensor and the X-ray device, wherein the image processing unit is configured to:

determine the one or more pre-shot parameters based on the optical image;

determine the at least one main-shot parameter based on the pre-shot X-ray image;

analyze the pre-shot X-ray image to verify presence of an image of an anatomy of the subject in the pre-shot X-ray image; and

abort acquisition of the main-shot X-ray image when the image of the anatomy of the subject is not present in the pre-shot X-ray image; and

wherein the image processing unit is further configured to:

generate a plurality of pre-shot X-ray images, by the X-ray device, corresponding to a plurality of focal spot positions, wherein the plurality of focal spot positions corresponds to a plurality of inclination angles of an X-ray source of the X-ray device; and

estimate an optimal focal spot position, by the image processing unit, based on the plurality of pre-shot X-ray images.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the optical sensor comprises at least one of a camera and a depth sensor.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing unit is further configured to:

select an optimal pre-shot X-ray image among the plurality of pre-shot X-ray images corresponding to the optimal focal spot position;

determine an image intensity value corresponding to the optimal pre-shot X-ray image based on intensity values of pixels of the optimal pre-shot X-ray image;

compare the image intensity value with a pre-determined intensity threshold value; and

abort acquisition of the main-shot X-ray image if the image intensity value is less than the pre-determined intensity threshold value.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to generate the one or more-pre-shot parameters by deriving three-dimensional positional information of the anatomy of the subject based on at least one of a stereo parallax technique, a three-dimensional depth point-cloud mapping technique, and a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technique.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to determine the at least one main-shot parameter by selecting a view angle of the X-ray device from a configurational atlas catalog.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to register the pre-shot X-ray image with a reference anatomical image.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image processing unit is configured to determine the at least one main-shot parameter by estimating attenuation of an X-ray beam generated from the X-ray device, by the anatomy in the region of interest of the subject.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more pre-shot parameters comprise a lateral size of the subject, a thickness of a subject, a habitus of the subject, X-ray attenuating properties in the region of interest of the subject, geometric properties of the anatomy, and a parameter indicating alignment of an X-ray source of the X-ray device, the anatomy, and an X-ray detector of the X-ray device.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded May 8, 2025
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
Reel/Frame 071225/0218 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2018
From: TKACZYK, JOHN ERIC; LANGAN, DAVID ALLEN; LORRAINE, PETER WILLIAM; JACOB, BIJU; PAN, FENG; LAI, HAO
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 045255/0614 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190282194A1 · Sep 19, 2019
Cited By (1)
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