Medical image diagnostic apparatus and medical image diagnostic method

• US 10,111,639 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Karahashi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Midkiff, Anastasia
• Application Number:
  US14/982,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/035 Mechanical aspects of CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5288 involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5294 involving using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/28 Measuring or recording actual exposure time; Counting number of exposures; Measuring required exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/38 Exposure time time switches in general H01H43/00 and subgroups

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a medical image diagnostic apparatus includes an X-ray tube, a rotor and processing circuitry. The X-ray tube radiates an X-ray. The rotor holds the X-ray tube, and rotates together with the X-ray tube at least any of a first rotation speed used for scanning an object and a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed. The processing circuitry acquires information on a waiting time up to timing of exposure by the X-ray tube. The processing circuitry further controls a rotation speed of the rotor during the waiting time in accordance with the information on the waiting time.

Claims

1. A medical image diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an X-ray tube configured to radiate an X-ray;

a rotor configured to hold the X-ray tube and rotate together with the X-ray tube at least two predetermined, constant rotational speeds, including a first rotation speed used for scanning an object and a second, non-zero rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed; and

processing circuitry configured to

acquire information on a waiting time until a time of exposure by the X-ray tube, and

control a rotation speed of the rotor during the waiting time in accordance with the acquired information on the waiting time.

2. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire, as the information on the waiting time, information on an exposure waiting time that occurs at a time of executing a contrast X-ray exposure plan.

3. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire, as the information on the waiting time, information on a waiting time that occurs due to a restriction on a heat capacity of the X-ray tube.

4. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

acquire information on a current position of a top plate on which the object is placed, and

estimate the information on the waiting time in accordance with the current position of the top plate and a position of the top plate when exposure by the X-ray tube is ended.

5. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an X-ray exposure plan is ended, the processing circuitry is configured to control the rotation speed of the rotor in accordance with a time elapsed from the end of the X-ray exposure plan.

6. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when movement of at least one of a top plate and the rotor is started by an instruction that is given by a user via an input circuit, the processing circuitry is configured to estimate the waiting time until the time of exposure by the X-ray tube that occurs due to the movement, and use information on the estimated waiting time as the information on the waiting time.

7. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when one of a plurality of X-ray exposure plans is selected to be started, the processing circuitry is configured to estimate the waiting time until the time of exposure by the X-ray tube, based on information on the selected plan, and use information on the estimated waiting time as the information on the waiting time.

8. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the X-ray exposure plan whose start is selected is a plan that requires at least one of utilization of a contrast medium, utilization of a large intestine injector, electrocardiographic synchronization, and respiratory synchronization.

9. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an instruction to start X-ray radiography is given, the processing circuitry is configured to obtain a waiting time from a moment at which the instruction is given to the time of X-ray exposure, and use information on the obtained waiting time as the information on the waiting time.

10. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a predetermined X-ray exposure plan is selected to be started, the processing circuitry is configured to instruct an imaging apparatus to accelerate the rotation speed of the rotor up to a rotation speed required for the predetermined X-ray exposure plan, and instruct the imaging apparatus to start X-ray exposure according to the predetermined X-ray exposure plan when the rotation speed of the rotor reaches the rotation speed required for the predetermined X-ray exposure plan.

11. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a length of a period up to the exposure by the X-ray tube is less than a predetermined length, the processing circuitry is configured to control the rotation speed of the rotor to maintain a current rotation speed.

14. The medical image diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the rotation speed of the rotor during the waiting time to include a period during which the rotation speed of the rotor is set at a fixed, non-zero rotation speed other than the first rotation speed.

12. A medical image diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a rotor configured to hold an X-ray tube and rotate together with the X-ray tube; and

processing circuitry configured to control a rotation speed of the rotor in a time period until exposure by the X-ray tube such that the rotor rotates at a first, non-zero rotation speed lower than a second rotation speed required for the exposure by the X-ray tube.

13. A medical image diagnostic method for a medical image diagnostic apparatus that includes an X-ray tube configured to radiate an X-ray, a rotor configured to hold the X-ray tube, and rotate together with the X-ray tube at least two predetermined, constant rotational speeds, including a first rotation speed used for scanning an object and a second, non-zero rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed, the medical image diagnostic method comprising:

acquiring information on a waiting time until a time of exposure by the X-ray tube; and

controlling a rotation speed of the rotor during the waiting time in accordance with the information on the waiting time.