X-RAY APPARATUS AND SYSTEM

• US 20170020469A1
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• 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, CHOI, Choong-Hwan, OH, Do-kwan, OH, Hyun-hwa
• Granted Patent: US 10,172,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 obtaining an X-ray image of an object by X-ray imaging the object, the X-ray apparatus comprising:

an X-ray source configured to emit X-rays to the object;

an image obtainer attached to the X-ray source and configured to obtain a representative still image of the object;

an X-ray detector configured to receive X-rays transmitted through the object to obtain an X-ray image of the object;

a controller configured to generate an image marker by applying image processing to the representative still image obtained by the image obtainer and to generate the X-ray image; and

an image output unit configured to display the image marker so that the image marker overlaps a first region of the X-ray image.

2. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image obtainer is further configured to obtain a plurality of still images of the object by photographing the object,

the representative still image is an image that represents a candidate body part of the object, among the plurality of still images, and

the candidate body part is a part of the object to be X-rayed.

3. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the representative still image is a still image obtained by photographing the object immediately prior to capturing the X-ray image of the object.

4. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a direction in which the representative still image is displayed on the image display.

5. The X-ray apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the direction in which the representative still image is displayed based on a certain direction information.

6. The X-ray apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the direction in which the representative still image is displayed by using a geometric information of the X-ray apparatus and an image algorithm.

7. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the image marker by performing the image processing that blurs or mosaics the representative still image.

8. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the image marker by performing the image processing that transforms the representative still image into a cartoon image.

9. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a shape of a candidate body part of the object by performing the image processing on the representative still image, select a pre-stored image similar to the detected shape of the candidate body part of the object, and generate the selected pre-stored image as the image marker, and

the candidate body part is a part of the object to be X-rayed.

10. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a guide image indicating a direction or a positional relationship of the object in the image marker.

11. A method of photographing an object by using an X-ray apparatus and obtaining an X-ray image of the object, the method comprising:

obtaining a representative still image of the object by photographing the object;

generating an image marker by performing image processing on the representative still image; and

obtaining the X-ray image of the object and displaying the image marker on the X-ray image so that the image marker overlaps a region of the X-ray image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the obtaining the representative still image comprises:

obtaining a plurality of still images of the object by photographing the object; and

selecting the representative still image that represents a candidate body part of the object, among the plurality of still images, and

wherein the candidate body part is a part of the object to be X-rayed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the representative still image is a still image, among the plurality of still images, obtained by photographing the object immediately prior to capturing the X-ray image of the object.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting a direction in which the representative still image is displayed, after the selecting the representative still image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting the direction of the representative still image comprises:

adjusting the direction of the representative still image based on a direction information preset in the X-ray apparatus.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the image marker comprises:

generating the image marker by performing the image processing that blurs or mosaics the representative still image.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the image marker comprises generating the image marker by performing the image processing that transforms the representative still image into a cartoon image.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the image marker comprises:

detecting a shape of a candidate body part of the object by performing the image processing on the representative still image;

selecting a pre-stored image similar to the detected shape of the candidate body part of the object, among images pre-stored in the X-ray apparatus; and

generating the selected pre-stored image as the image marker,

wherein the candidate body part is a part of the object to be X-rayed.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a guide image indicating a direction or a positional relationship of the object in the image marker.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which, when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to execute the method of claim 11.