Method of obtaining X-ray CT image and apparatus for utilizing the same method

• US 4,624,007 A
• Filed: 02/22/1984
• Issued: 11/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Muranushi, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Charles
• Application Number:
  US06/582,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378/10, 378/20, 378/99, 378/901
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

An X-ray CT diagnostic apparatus includes an unit for producing a scannogram of an object under examination, a unit for designating a plurality of slice positions on the scannogram by utilizing a line/marker generator, a unit for designating an interest region of the designated slice position in the scannogram, which is to be enlarged, by defining a center of the interest region by means of the line/marker generator, and a unit for enlarging and reconstructing the interest region of the designated slice position in such a manner that a center of the enlarged and reconstructed interest region is concident with the center of the interest region which has been designated in the scannogram.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining enlarged X-ray computerized tomographic images in cross-sectional planes of an object under examination at a plurality of designated positions along a curved line, comprising the steps of:

projecting a fan-shaped radiation beam toward the object;

receiving that portion of said fan-shaped radiation beam that has penetrated through the object so as to produce projection data representative of that penetration;

translating the object along the longitudinal axis of the object to obtain a scannogram of the object from said projection data;

displaying said scannogram;

displaying, superimposed upon said scannogram, a plurality of line markers;

manually aligning said line markers with a plurality of corresponding designated positions of said object along said curved line at which the enlarged tomographic images are to be taken;

displaying, superimposed upon said line markers, a plurality of center marks;

manually aligning said center markers with the centers of said designated positions;

successively positioning said source means relative said object in response to said manual alignment of said line markers, to align said fan-shaped beam along said object at successive ones of said designated positions;

effecting a rotation of said source means about the object at each of said successive designated positions to acquire projection data viewed from different directions at said successive designated positions;

reconstructing, in response to both said projection data obtained from said second control means and to said manual alignment of said center markers, enlarged images of said object the centers of which correspond to the centers of said designated positions as evidenced by the locations of said center markers on said displayed scannogram; and

displaying said enlarged tomographic images.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of translating includes obtaining two different scannograms, one being a top view of said object and the other being a side view of said object;

said step of displaying said scannogram includes displaying both of said scannograms;

said step of manually aligning said line markers includes aligning said line markers through both of said displayed scannograms;

and said step of manually aligning said center markers includes aligning said center markers on both of said displayed scannograms to further define the locations in said object of said centers of said designated locations.

3. An X-ray computerized tomographic apparatus for obtaining enlarged X-ray computerized tomographic images in cross-sectional planes of an object under examination at a plurality of designated positions along a curved line, comprising:

source means for projecting a fan-shaped radiation beam toward the object;

detector means for receiving that portion of said fan-shaped radiation beam that has penetrated through the object so as to produce projection data representative of that penetration;

first control means for translating the object along the longitudinal axis of the object to obtain a scannogram of the object from said projection data;

display means for displaying said scannogram, for displaying superimposed upon said scannogram a plurality of line markers which are manually alignable on said scannogram with a plurality of corresponding designated positions of said object along said curved line at which the enlarged tomographic images are to be taken, and for displaying superimposed upon said line markers a plurality of center markers which are manually alignable with the centers of said enlarged designated positions;

addressing means, responsive to said manual alignment of said line markers, for successively positioning said source means relative said object to align said fan-shaped beam along said object at successive ones of said designated positions;

second control means for effecting a rotation of said source means about the object at each of said successive designated positions to acquire projection data viewed from different directions at each of said successive designated positions;

reconstructing means, responsive to both said projection data obtained from said second control means and to said manual alignment of said center markers, for reconstructing enlarged images of said object, the centers of said images corresponding to the centers of said designated positions as evidenced by the locations of said center markers on said displayed scannogram; and

said display means further including means for displaying said enlarged tomographic images.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first control means obtains two different scannograms, one being a top view of said object and the other being a side view of said object;

said display means includes means for displaying both of said scannograms;

said means for manually aligning said line markers includes means for manually aligning said line markers through both of said displayed scannograms; and

said means for manually aligning said center markers includes means for manually aligning said center markers on both of said displayed scannograms to further define the locations in said object of said centers of said designated positions.