Method for Calibrating the Position of a Laser Fan Beam Relative to the Projection Geometry of an X-Ray Device and X-Ray Device

• US 20100246778A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Möller, Thomas, Heigl, Benno, Lautenschläger, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3764 with a rotating C-arm having a cone beam emitting source
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms

Abstract

For detecting the relative location of a laser or laser fan beam relative to the x-ray geometry of an x-ray device, a method for calibrating the position of the laser fan beam generated by a laser in relation to the projection geometry of the x-ray device is proposed. The x-ray device comprises an x-ray imaging system featuring an x-ray source and an x-ray detector. The x-ray source, the x-ray detector, the laser, and an imaging facility are arranged on a support. An optical x-ray calibration phantom is used for the calibration. The position of the imaging facility relative to the projection geometry is determined. The position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging facility is determined. The position of the laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry is reconstructed.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for calibrating a position of a laser fan beam generated by a laser relative to a projection geometry of an x-ray device having an x-ray image system and an imaging device, comprising:

determining a position of the imaging device relative to the projection geometry;

determining a position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging device; and

reconstructing the position of the laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the position of the imaging device relative to the projection geometry and the position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging device are determined by an optical x-ray calibration phantom.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the position of the imaging device relative to the projection geometry is determined by:

recording an image of the calibration phantom by the imaging device;

determining a position of the imaging device relative to the calibration phantom based on the image;

recording an x-ray image of the calibration phantom by the x-ray imaging system;

determining a position of the projection geometry of the x-ray imaging system relative to the calibration phantom based on the x-ray image; and

calculating the position of the imaging device relative to the projection geometry based on the position of the imaging device relative to the calibration phantom.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging device is determined by:

recording an image of the calibration phantom illuminated by the laser fan beam by the imaging device;

extracting a projection line of the laser fan beam on the calibration phantom from the image;

determining a three-dimensional location of the projection line relative to the calibration phantom using a surface geometry of the x-ray phantom and a position of the imaging device relative to the calibration phantom from the image; and

reconstructing a plane of the laser fan beam from the three-dimensional location of the projection line.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging device is determined by:

recording two images of the calibration phantom illuminated by the laser fan beam by the imaging device and a second image device respectively;

extracting a projection line of the laser fan beam on the surface from the two images;

determining a three-dimensional location of the projection line relative to the calibration phantom using a surface geometry of the x-ray phantom and positions of the imaging device and the second image device relative to the calibration phantom from the images; and

reconstructing a plane of the laser fan beam from the three-dimensional location of the projection line.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the calibration phantom is a surface of a patient.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the laser, the imaging device, and an x-ray source and an x-ray detector of the x-ray imaging system are arranged on a support.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the support is a C-arm.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a plurality of imaging devices are arranged on the support.

25. An x-ray device, comprising:

an x-ray imaging system comprising an x-ray source and an x-ray detector that records an x-ray image of an object;

a laser that generates a laser fan beam for illuminating the object;

an imaging device that records an image of the object; and

a computation unit that;

determines a position of the imaging device relative to a projection geometry of the x-ray device;

determines a position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging device; and

calibrates a position of the laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry by reconstructing the position of the laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry.

26. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the x-ray source, the x-ray detector, the laser, and the imaging device are arranged on a support.

27. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the support is a C-arm and is able to be adjusted in three dimensions.

28. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the imaging device comprises a camera.

29. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a second laser that generates a second laser fan beam for generating a laser cross with the laser fan beam.

30. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the imaging device or the laser is arranged on the x-ray detector.

31. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the object is a calibration phantom.

32. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the calibration phantom comprises a structure that is both x-ray-visible and optically visible.

33. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the calibration phantom comprises a known structure of a surface geometry.