Systems and methods for dynamic optimization of image

• US 20060065844A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hopkins, Forrest Frank, Zelakiewicz, Scott Stephen, Couture, Aaron Judy, Bueno, Clifford, Mohr, Gregory Alan, FitzGerald, Paul Francis
• Application Number:
  US10/955,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/370.90
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/30 for generating image signals from X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

An imaging system for dynamically optimizing an image is provided. The imaging system includes a source of radiation, and a detector assembly configured to generate an image signal based on an incidence of radiation on a scintillator assembly. At least one or more properties of the generated image signal are determined from the incidence of radiation on the detector assembly. The one or more properties of the image signal may also be determined from one or more detector operational parameters. The imaging system also includes a detector adjustment circuitry that is configured to adjust the one or more detector operational parameters based on the generated image signal.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a source of radiation;

a detector unit configured to generate an image signal, wherein one or more properties of the image signal are determined based on an incident radiation on the detector and on one or more detector operational parameters; and

detector adjustment circuitry configured to automatically adjust the one or more detector operational parameters based on the image signal.

2. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to adjust the one or more detector operational parameters in substantially real time.

3. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the image signal is generated based on a direct conversion of radiation incident on the detector unit.

4. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the image signal is generated based on an indirect conversion of radiation incident on the detector unit and wherein the indirect conversion facilitates recognition of the radiation by the detector unit.

5. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the source of radiation comprises an X-ray source, a gamma ray source, a near-infrared radiation source, an infrared radiation source, an ultraviolet radiation source, an electromagnetic radiation source or a neutron beam source.

6. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust a binning mode of the detector unit based on the image signal.

7. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust an analog to digital conversion ramp applied to the image signal.

8. The imaging system as recited in claim 7, wherein the analog to digital conversion ramp is adjusted based upon at least one of a desired noise level or a desired frame rate.

9. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adapt a graded pixel map used by the detector unit to generate the image signal.

10. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust the exposure time of the detector unit to the radiation.

11. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust the bias of one or more photodiodes used by the detector unit to generate the image signal.

12. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust the one or more detector operational parameters based on the image signal and an operator selected viewing mode.

13. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust the one or more detector operational parameters based on the image signal and a current X-ray energy profile.

14. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to automatically adjust the one or more detector operational parameters for an operator selected region of interest within an image generated from the image signal.

15. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector operational parameters include at least one of a sampling rate, an analog-to-digital conversion ramp, a timing of digital conversion, a gain in the digital conversion, a pixel rejection flag, a signal-to-noise ratio in the detector, or a contrast-to-noise ratio.

16. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein a pixel acceptance ratio or a signal-to-noise ratio in the detector is controlled based on a binning mode.

17. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry performs a dynamic or a continuous adjustment of the image signal based on a direction of a system operator.

18. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector operational parameters control a contrast of an image generated from the image signal.

19. The imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detector operational parameters configure a read-out circuitry coupled to the detector unit.

20. A detector assembly, comprising:

a detector unit configured to generate respective electrical signals in response to radiation incident on the detector surface;

read out circuitry configured to acquire the respective electrical signals and to generate an image signal based upon the respective electrical signals;

detector control circuitry configured to set one more operational parameters for at least one of the read out circuitry or the analog-to-digital converter; and

detector adjustment circuitry configured to automatically adjust at least one of the one or more detector operational parameters based on the digital signal.

21. The detector assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the detector unit is configured to generate an electrical signal based on a direct conversion of the radiation incident on the detector unit.

22. The detector assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the detector unit comprises a scintillator assembly coupled to a photodetector assembly to provide an indirect conversion of the radiation incident on the detector unit and wherein the scintillator assembly and the photodetector assembly are configured to emit light signals in response to the radiation incident on the scintillator assembly and to generate an electrical signal based on the emitted light signals from the scintillator assembly respectively.

23. The detector assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the read-out circuitry generates an analog image signal.

24. The detector assembly as recited in claim 23, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to generate a digital image signal based on the analog image signal.

25. An image processing workstation, comprising:

image processing circuitry configured to process a digital signal generated by a detector assembly in response to radiation incident on a detector unit in the detector assembly; and

detector adjustment circuitry configured to adjust at least one operational parameter of the detector based on the digital signal.

26. The image processing workstation as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

configuration circuitry configured to provide user provided settings to the detector adjustment circuitry, wherein the user provided settings include information about a binning mode configuration, information about conversion ramps, information about tolerable signal-to-noise ratios, contrast-to-noise ratios, selection of one or more regions of interest on a generated image, an optimization initiation, or mode switching.

27. A method for adjusting one or more detector operating parameters in an imaging system, comprising:

generating an analog image signal based upon the incidence of radiation on a detector assembly;

converting the analog image signal to a digital image signal; and

automatically adjusting at least one of the steps of generating the analog image signal and converting the analog image signal based upon the digital image signal.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the step of automatically adjusting occurs in substantially real time.

29. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising adjusting a binning mode in the detector assembly to increase a signal-to-noise ratio, a contrast-to-noise ratio or a frame rate of the image projected.

30. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising adjusting a read-out circuitry in the detector assembly to reject unacceptable pixels, to skip the unacceptable pixels or to modify any signal from the unacceptable pixels.

31. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising automatically adjusting an analog to digital conversion ramp applied to the image signal.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, comprising adjusting the analog to digital conversion ramp based upon at least one of a desired noise level or a desired frame rate.

33. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising performing an adjustment of the image to optimize subsequent frames of the image based on a mean image signal level of the image.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the step of performing the adjustment of the image occurs in substantially real time.

35. The method as recited in claim 37, comprising automatically adjusting a bias of one or more photodiodes used by the detector unit to generate the image signal.

36. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising automatically adjusting the one or more detector operational parameters based on the image signal and an operator selected viewing mode.

37. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising automatically adjusting the one or more detector operational parameters based on the image signal and a current X-ray energy profile

38. The method as recited in claim 27, comprising automatically adjusting the one or more detector operational parameters for an operator selected region of interest within an imge gernated from the image signal.

39. A computer-readable media, comprising:

code adapted to adjust an operation for reading out of a detector to generate an analog signal or an operation for converting the analog image signal to a digital image signal.

40. The computer readable media as recited in claim 39, comprising code adapted to select one or more regions of interest in a generated image based on the digital image signal.

41. The computer readable media as recited in claim 40, comprising code adapted to provide differential image improvement or to improve image quality in the one or more regions of interest in the generated image.

42. A method of modifying an imaging system, comprising:

installing detector adjustment circuitry in one of a detector assembly and a computer, wherein the detector adjustment circuitry is configured to adjust one or more detector operating parameters based upon an image signal generated by the detector assembly

43. A method of modifying an imaging system, comprising:

installing a detector adjustment program on one of a detector assembly and a computer, wherein the detector adjustment program is configured to dynamically adjust one or more detector operating parameters based upon an image signal generated by the detector assembly.

44. A method for inspecting an object in real-time using an imaging system, comprising:

introducing an object between a source of radiation and a detector assembly;

acquiring one or more image signals based on incidence of radiation on the detector assembly and based on one or more detector operating parameters;

automatically adjusting at least the one or more detector operating parameters based on the one or more image signals; and

generating one or more enhanced image signals based on the adjusted one or more detector operating parameters.

45. A method for adjusting the operation of a radiation detector, comprising:

automatically adjusting the operation of a radiation detector based on a digital signal representing the incidence of radiation on the radiation detector.