X-ray CT system, information processing method, and storage medium

• US 20050041772A1
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishide, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,145,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/488 involving pre-scan acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/612 biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 378/901 Computer tomography program or processor

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray CT system making it possible to readily plan a scan in consideration of past patient exposures. An X-ray CT system performs a scan so as to irradiate X-rays, which are generated from an X-ray tube, to a subject from a plurality of directions, and reconstructs tomographic images of the subject. An information processing method implemented in the X-ray CT system comprises: a step of sampling information on a patient exposure the subject has received during a scan performed for reconstructing tomographic images, which is appended to each of the reconstructed tomographic images, on the basis of identification information with which the subject is identified; a step of creating a distribution of patient exposures calculated relative to an axis orthogonal to the scanning directions on the basis of the sampled information on the patient exposure (an estimated patient exposure, which is estimated in planning a scan, and an exposure limit); and a step of displaying the created exposure distribution.

Claims

1. An X-ray CT system for performing a scan so as to irradiate X-rays, which are generated from an X-ray tube, to a subject from a plurality of directions, and for reconstructing tomographic images of the subject, comprising:

a sampling device for sampling information on an exposure said subject has received during a scan performed for constructing tomographic images, which is appended to each of the reconstructed tomographic images, on the basis of identification information with which said subject is identified;

a creating device for creating a distribution of exposures, which are calculated relative to an axis orthogonal to the scanning directions, on the basis of the sampled information on the exposure; and

a display device on which said created exposure distribution is displayed.

2. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein on said display device, said exposure distribution is displayed while being superposed on a scanogram that is produced by transporting said subject with said X-ray tube fixed at a predetermined position.

3. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein on said display device, said exposure distribution is displayed while being superposed so that the positions in said scanogram and the positions indicated in said exposure distribution agree with each other relative to the axis orthogonal to the scanning directions.

4. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein on said display device, an exposure said subject receives when scanned is indicated while being added to a value indicated by said calculated exposure distribution.

5. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein on said display device, an exposure said subject receives when scanned is indicated during scan planning while being added to a value indicated by said calculated exposure distribution.

6. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein said identification information contains any of an identifier (ID) assigned to a subject and a subject name.

7. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein based on the identification information with which said subject is identified, said sampling device samples information on an exposure appended to each of tomographic images reconstructed over a predetermined period of time.

8. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein when said sampling device samples pieces of information on a plurality of exposures to the same position on the axis orthogonal to the scanning directions, said creating device creates an exposure distribution using the cumulative information of the pieces of information on the plurality of exposures.

9. An X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein a permissible value of an exposure said subject receives over the predetermined period of time is indicated.

10. An information processing method to be implemented in an X-ray CT system that performs a scan so as to irradiate X-rays, which are generated from an X-ray tube, to a subject from a plurality of directions, and reconstructs tomographic images of said subject, said information processing method comprising:

a sampling step of sampling information on an exposure said subject has received during a scan performed for reconstructing tomographic images, which is appended to each of the reconstructed tomographic images, on the basis of identification information with which said subject is identified;

a creating step of creating a distribution of exposures, which are calculated relative to an axis orthogonal to the scanning directions, on the basis of the sampled information on the exposure; and

a display step of displaying the created exposure distribution.

11. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said display step, said exposure distribution is displayed while being superposed on a scanogram that is produced by transporting a subject with said X-ray tube fixed at a predetermined position.

12. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said display step, said exposure distribution is displayed while being superposed so that the positions in said scanogram and the positions indicated in said exposure distribution agree with each other relative to the axis orthogonal to the scanning directions.

13. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said display step, an exposure said subject receives when scanned is indicated while being added to a value indicated by said calculated exposure distribution.

14. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said display step, an exposure said subject receives when scanned is indicated during scan planning while being added to a value indicated by said calculated exposure distribution.

15. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said identification information contains any of an identifier (ID) assigned to a subject and a subject name.

16. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said sampling step, information on an exposure appended to each of the tomographic images reconstructed over a predetermined period of time is sampled based on the identification information with which said subject is identified.

17. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said creating step, when pieces of information on a plurality of exposures to the same position on the axis orthogonal to the scanning directions are sampled at said sampling step, said exposure distribution is created using the cumulative information of the pieces of information on the plurality of exposures.

18. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at said display step, a permissible value of an exposure said subject receives over the predetermined period of time is indicated.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for controlling an X-ray CT system that performs a scan so as to irradiate X-rays, which are generated from an X-ray tube, to a subject from a plurality of directions, and reconstructs tomographic images of said subject, said program configured to:

sample information on an exposure the subject has received during a scan performed for reconstructing tomographic images, which is appended to each of the reconstructed tomographic images, on the basis of identification information with which the subject is identified;

create a distribution of exposures, which are calculated relative to an axis orthogonal to the scanning directions, on the basis of the sampled information on the exposure; and

display the created exposure distribution.