Universal Interface For Medical Imaging Receptors

• US 20080219541A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varex Imaging Corporation
• Original Assignee: InfiMed, Inc. (New York) (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Khutoryansky, Oscar, Hopkins, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition

Abstract

The present invention provides a plurality of interchangeable modules each of which is adapted to interface with at least one image receptor having predetermined physical interface parameters, including means for receiving image data from the at least one image receptor, processing means for converting the received image data into a converted, common format, and bus means for adapting to and communicating with a mother board. The interchangeable modules can be embodied in a plurality of daughter boards that are adapted for electrical connection to a mother board. Each daughter board can include the physical interface corresponding with the image receptor for which it has been programmed to receive data, with the physical interface being adapted for extending outwardly from a cabinet enclosing the daughter board and the mother board.

Claims

1. An image data processing system comprising:

generic image data processing circuitry adapted to receive image data in a generic format, to process the generic format image data and to send commands in a generic command format;

generic format conversion circuitry adapted to receive image receptor output data, to convert the image receptor output data into generic format image data, to send generic format image data to said generic image data processing circuitry, to receive generic format commands from said generic image data processing circuitry and to convert the generic format commands into image receptor commands; and

a bus adapted to receive image receptor output data, to send the image receptor output data to said generic format conversion circuitry, and to receive image receptor commands from said generic format conversion circuitry;

wherein;

the image receptor output data may be any type of a plurality of types of image receptor output data; and

the image receptor commands may be any type of a plurality of types of image receptor commands.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said generic format conversion circuitry comprises at least one FPGA.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one FPGA comprises a scaler module, a defect correction module and a gamma LUT module.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first room; and

a second room;

wherein a first bus portion extends into said first room, with said first bus portion being adapted to receive image receptor output data of a first type from the plurality of types of image receptor data; and

wherein a second bus portion extends into said second room, with said second bus portion being adapted to receive image receptor output data of a second type from the plurality of types of image receptor data, with the second type being different than the first type.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first image receptor, operatively connected to said bus to receive image receptor commands of a first image receptor command type from said bus, and to supply image receptor output data of a first image receptor output data type to said bus;

a second image receptor, operatively connected to said bus to receive image receptor commands of a second image receptor command type from said bus, and to supply image receptor output data of a said image receptor output data type to said bus;

with said first image receptor being a static image receptor; and

a second image receptor, with said second image receptor being a dynamic image receptor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said generic format conversion circuitry comprises an embedded processor adapted to receive the generic format commands from the generic image data processing circuitry and to convert the generic format commands into the image receptor commands, wherein the image receptor commands may be any type of a plurality of types of image receptor commands.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said generic format conversion circuitry comprises:

an input frame buffer;

a defect correction circuit;

a scaler; and

a gamma lookup table;

wherein said input frame buffer, said defect correction circuit, said scaler and said gamma lookup table are adapted to co-operatively correct, manipulate and convert the image receptor specific output data into the generic format image data, wherein the image receptor output data may be any type of a plurality of types of image receptor output data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of types of image receptor output data include at least two of the following types:

a first type associated with a first receptor type used only for static radiographic exposures;

a second type associated with a second receptor type used for dynamic fluoroscopic applications;

a third type associated with a third receptor type used for cardiac studies; and

a fourth type associated with a fourth receptor type used for chest exams.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of types of image receptor output data include:

a first type associated with a radiographic image receptor;

a second type associated with a fluoroscopic image receptor.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of types of image receptor output data include:

a first type having a first set of predetermined interface parameters; and

a second type having a second set of predetermined interface parameters.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of types of image receptor output data include:

a first type having a first interface format; and

a second type having a second interface format.

12. An image data processing system comprising:

generic image data processing circuitry adapted to receive image data in a generic format, to process the generic format image data and to send commands in a generic command format;

generic format conversion circuitry adapted to receive image receptor output data, to convert the image receptor output data into generic format image data, to send generic format image data to said generic image data processing circuitry, to receive generic format commands from said generic image data processing circuitry and to convert the generic format commands into image receptor commands;

a bus adapted to receive image receptor output data, to send the image receptor output data to said generic format conversion circuitry, and to receive image receptor commands from said generic format conversion circuitry; and

a plurality of interchangeable modules, each interchangeable module being adapted to receive image receptor commands from said bus, to send the image receptor commands to a respective external image receptor, to receive the image receptor output data from its corresponding external image receptor, and to send the image receptor data to said bus;

wherein;

the plurality of external image receptors include more than one type of image receptor;

the image receptor output data includes more than one type of image receptor output data; and

the image receptor commands include more than one type of image receptor commands.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of image receptor interface circuitry portions are adapted to interface with at least two of the following types of external image receptors:

a first receptor type used only for static radiographic exposures;

a second receptor type used for dynamic fluoroscopic applications;

a third receptor type used for cardiac studies; and

a fourth receptor type used for chest exams.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of image receptor interface circuitry portions are adapted to interface with at least the following types of external image receptors:

a radiographic image receptor; and

a fluoroscopic receptor.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of image receptor interface circuitry portions are adapted to interface with at least the following types of external image receptors:

a first receptor type having a first set of predetermined interface parameters; and

a second receptor type having a second set of predetermined interface parameters.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of image receptor interface circuitry portions are adapted to interface with at least the following types of external image receptors:

a first receptor type having a first interface format; and

a second receptor type having a second interface format.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising a mother board and a plurality of daughter boards wherein:

said generic image data processing circuitry and said generic format conversion circuitry are located on said mother board; and

said plurality of image receptor interface circuitry portions are each respectively located on a corresponding daughter board of said plurality of daughter boards.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:

said mother board comprises mother board stacking hardware; and

each of said plurality of daughter boards comprises daughter board stacking hardware, with the mother board stacking hardware, the daughter board stacking hardware and the bus being engageable so that said plurality of said daughter boards can be stacked on said mother board and electrically connected to it through said bus.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said daughter boards of said plurality of daughter boards are structured to be interchangeable.

20. An image data receiving and processing system comprising:

generic image data processing circuitry adapted to receive image data in a generic format, to process the generic format image data and to send commands in a generic command format;

generic format conversion circuitry adapted to receive image receptor output data, to convert the image receptor output data into generic format image data, to send generic format image data to said generic image data processing circuitry, to receive generic format commands from said generic image data processing circuitry and to convert the generic format commands into image receptor commands;

a bus/interface assembly adapted to receive image receptor output data, to send the image receptor output data to said generic format conversion circuitry, and to receive image receptor commands from said generic format conversion circuitry;

a plurality of image receptors, with each image receptor being adapted to receive image receptor commands from said bus/interface assembly, to generate image receptor output data in response to the image receptor commands and to radiation received from an external source, and to send the image receptor output data to said bus/interface assembly;

wherein said plurality of image receptors includes at least one radiographic based image receptor and at least one non-radiographic based image receptor.