X-ray apparatus and system

• US 10,542,949 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Byeong-won, Song, Jeong-yong, Oh, Do-kwan, Oh, Hyun-hwa, Choi, Choong-hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US16/204,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20190110768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4417 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4452 the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4476 related to motor-assisted motion of the source unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/52 Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/587 Alignment of source unit to detector unit

Abstract

An X-ray apparatus performs image processing on an image of an object photographed by using a camera, and uses the image-processed image as an image marker in an X-ray image. A display is configured to display the X-ray image and the image marker on the region of the X-ray image.

Claims

1. An X-ray apparatus for controlling a position of an X-ray emitter, the X-ray apparatus comprising:

an image obtainer configured to obtain an image of an object by photographing the object;

an image processor configured to identify a candidate region of the object and a central point of the object by performing image processing on the obtained image, and generate a thumbnail image by causing user interfaces (UIs) indicating an irradiation region shape of the X-ray emitter and a central point of the X-ray emitter to overlap the identified candidate region of the object and the identified central point of the object, the candidate region being a region of the object to be X-rayed;

a display configured to display the thumbnail image; and

a controller configured to calculate the irradiation region shape of the X-ray emitter and the position of the X-ray emitter by matching the candidate region of the object and the central point of the object with the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter, respectively, and control the position of the X-ray emitter based on the matched irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the matched central point of the X-ray emitter.

2. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of irradiation regions of the X-ray emitter and a plurality of central points of the X-ray emitter to be matched with the candidate region of the object and the central point of the object are provided, and

wherein the image processor is further configured to generate a plurality of thumbnail images by causing each of the plurality of irradiation regions of the X-ray emitter and each of the plurality of central points of the X-ray emitter to overlap the obtained image.

3. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display is further configured to display the plurality of thumbnail images, and

the X-ray apparatus further comprises:

a user input receiver configured to receive a user input that selects one among the plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the display; and

a driver configured to adjust the plurality of irradiation regions of the X-ray emitter and the position of the X-ray emitter based on the user input.

4. The X-ray apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user input receiver comprises:

a touch screen which is embodied in the display and configured to receive a touch input of a user that touches the one among the plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the display.

5. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor is further configured to convert the irradiation region shape of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter into virtual graphical user interfaces (UIs), and

the display is further configured to display the virtual graphical UIs so that the virtual graphical UIs overlap the obtained image.

6. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display a UI that displays the central point of the object as a first marker and displays the central point of the X-ray emitter as a second marker.

7. The X-ray apparatus of claim 6, wherein a position of the second marker is corrected based on a user input.

8. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify a user who uses the X-ray apparatus and obtains setting information about the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter, and

the image processor is further configured to generate the thumbnail image based on the setting information corresponding to the identified user.

9. The X-ray apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a storage device configured to store the setting information about the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter that is input by the user,

wherein the image processor is further configured to obtain information about the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter by analyzing the setting information stored in the storage device.

10. A method of controlling a position of an X-ray emitter, the method comprising:

obtaining an image of an object by photographing the object;

identifying a candidate region of the object and a central point of the object by performing image processing on the obtained image;

calculating an irradiation region shape of the X-ray emitter and the position of the X-ray emitter by matching the identified candidate region of the object and the identified central point of the object with the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter, respectively, the candidate region being a region of the object to be X-rayed;

generating a thumbnail image by causing information about the calculated irradiation region shape of the X-ray emitter and the calculated position of the X-ray emitter to overlap the obtained image; and

displaying the thumbnail image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a plurality of irradiation regions of the X-ray emitter and a plurality of central points of the X-ray emitter to be matched with the candidate region of the object and the central point of the object are provided, and

the generating the thumbnail image comprises generating a plurality of thumbnail images by causing each of the plurality of irradiation regions of the X-ray emitter and each of the plurality of central points of the X-ray emitter to overlap the obtained image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying the thumbnail image comprises displaying the plurality of thumbnail images, and

the method further comprises:

receiving a user input that selects one among the plurality of thumbnail images on the display; and

adjusting the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the position of the X-ray emitter based on the user input.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the thumbnail image comprises:

converting the candidate region of the object and the central point of the object into virtual graphics; and

displaying a user interface (UI) so that the virtual graphics overlap the obtained image.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying the thumbnail image comprises:

displaying a user interface (UI) that displays the central point of the object as a first marker and displays the central point of the X-ray emitter as a second marker.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the thumbnail image comprises:

identifying a user who uses the X-ray emitter; and

generating the thumbnail image based on setting information about the irradiation region of the X-ray emitter and the central point of the X-ray emitter that is provided by the identified user.