Digital angiography system with automatically determined frame rates
First Claim
1. A method of generating diagnostic images at a plurality of overlapping positions along a patient including at least first, second, and third contiguous positions, the method comprising:
- selecting at least a first set of reference dwell times during which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the first position and a first selected imaging rate at which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the first position, a second set of reference dwell times over which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the second position, a third set of reference dwell times over which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the third position;
injecting the subject with a radiopaque dye adjacent the first position;
at the first position, generating the diagnostic images at the first imaging rate and displaying the generated diagnostic images on a human-readable display;
manually indexing to the second position in accordance with the human-readable display;
measuring a first actual dwell time over which the diagnostic images are generated at the first position;
comparing the first actual dwell time with the first set of reference dwell times;
adjusting the second imaging rate in accordance with the comparison between the first actual and reference dwell times;
at the second position, generating the diagnostic images at the adjusted second imaging rate and converting the generated images into a human-readable display;
manually indexing to the third position in accordance with the human-readable display;
measuring a second actual dwell time over which images are generated at the second position;
comparing the first and second actual dwell times with the reference dwell times;
adjusting the third imaging rate in accordance with the comparison between the actual and reference dwell times;
at the third position, generating the diagnostic images at the adjusted third imaging rate and converting the generated images into a human-readable display.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A subject is positioned on a patient support (12) between an x-ray source (10) and a radiation detector assembly (14). The x-ray source is gated (36) on or open prior to triggering (38) a video camera (26) of the x-ray detector assembly to generate an electronic frame image representation. The patient support is moved to generate reference images at positions (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) and the resultant reference images are stored in a reference image memory (42). A radiopaque dye is injected adjacent a first position (1) and the x-ray source and camera are triggered at a first rate indicated by a scan program memory (50). The generated images are displayed on a video monitor until a radiologist decides that the radiopaque dye has moved downstream sufficiently that it is time to index to a second position (2). The radiologist presses an index button (68) causing the patient to be indexed. A timer (48) compasses the actual dwell time that images were collected in the first position (1) with a set of reference dwell times (72). In accordance with the comparison, a second frame rate from the scan program memory is incremented or decremented (74). Images are then generated in the second position with the adjusted second frame rate. This process is repeated for each of a plurality, e.g., five or six positions.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of generating diagnostic images at a plurality of overlapping positions along a patient including at least first, second, and third contiguous positions, the method comprising:
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selecting at least a first set of reference dwell times during which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the first position and a first selected imaging rate at which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the first position, a second set of reference dwell times over which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the second position, a third set of reference dwell times over which the diagnostic images are to be generated at the third position; injecting the subject with a radiopaque dye adjacent the first position; at the first position, generating the diagnostic images at the first imaging rate and displaying the generated diagnostic images on a human-readable display; manually indexing to the second position in accordance with the human-readable display; measuring a first actual dwell time over which the diagnostic images are generated at the first position; comparing the first actual dwell time with the first set of reference dwell times; adjusting the second imaging rate in accordance with the comparison between the first actual and reference dwell times; at the second position, generating the diagnostic images at the adjusted second imaging rate and converting the generated images into a human-readable display; manually indexing to the third position in accordance with the human-readable display; measuring a second actual dwell time over which images are generated at the second position; comparing the first and second actual dwell times with the reference dwell times; adjusting the third imaging rate in accordance with the comparison between the actual and reference dwell times; at the third position, generating the diagnostic images at the adjusted third imaging rate and converting the generated images into a human-readable display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. In an x-ray diagnostic method in which an x-ray source is selectively gated to irradiate and not irradiate a supported subject, an x-ray detector assembly receives x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the subject and converts the x-rays into optical images, a video camera converts the optical images into electronic image representations, the video camera which is triggered subsequent to the gating of the x-ray source to irradiate the subject, and in which the subject support and the x-ray source/x-ray detector assembly move relative to each other such that a plurality of positions are selectively examined and at least the x-ray source is gated a plurality of times in each position at a selected gating rate such that a plurality of image representations in each position are generated, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:
adjusting a frame rate with which the video camera is triggered in accordance with a duration over which image representations were collected at the preceding positions.
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5. In an x-ray diagnostic method in which an x-ray source is selectively gated to irradiate and not irradiate a supported subject, an x-ray detector assembly receives x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the subject and converts the x-rays into an electronic image representation, and in which the subject support and the x-ray source/x-ray detector assembly move relative to each other such that a plurality of positions are selectively examined and at least the x-ray source is gated a plurality of times in each position at a selected gating rate such that a plurality of image representations in each position are generated, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:
at a second and subsequent positions, adjusting the rate at which the x-ray source is gated to pass radiation through the subject to generate electronic image representations in accordance with a duration over which image representations were collected at the preceding positions. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A radiology method comprising:
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releasing a radiopaque dye into a subject; selectively gating an x-ray source to irradiate and not irradiate the subject; receiving x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the subject and converting the x-rays into an electronic image representation; moving the subject and the radiation source relative to each other to each of a plurality of positions; gating the x-ray source a plurality of times in each position at a selected gating rate such that a plurality of image representations in each position are generated; analyzing the electronic image representations to determine progress of the radiopaque dye; adjusting the rate at which the x-ray source is gated in accordance with the determined progress of the radiopaque dye.
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10. In a radiology apparatus which includes a subject support, an x-ray source which is selectively gated to irradiate and not irradiate the supported subject, an x-ray detector assembly for receiving x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the subject and converting the x-rays into an electronic image representation, and in which the subject support and the x-ray source/radiation detector assembly are movable relative to each other such that a plurality of overlapping positions are selectively examinable and in which at least the x-ray source dwells at each position for a dwell time while the x-ray source is triggered a plurality of times such that a plurality of the electronic image representations are generated at each position, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:
a rate adjusting means for adjusting a rate at which the x-ray source is triggered to pass radiation through the subject to generate the electronic image representations in accordance with the dwell time at preceding positions.
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11. A radiology apparatus comprising:
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a subject support; an x-ray source which is selectively gated to irradiate and not irradiate the supported subject; an x-ray detector assembly for receiving x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the subject and converting the x-rays into an electronic image representation, (i) the subject support and (ii) the x-ray source and the radiation detector assembly being movable relative to each other such that a plurality of overlapping positions are selectively examinable, the x-ray source being triggered a plurality of times at each position such that a plurality of the electronic image representations are generated at each position; a video camera connected with the radiation detector for converting the detected radiation into electronic image representations, the video camera being triggered subsequent to the x-ray source; a rate adjusting means for adjusting a frame rate with which the video camera is triggered in accordance with a duration over which the x-ray source and the video camera were triggered at preceding positions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. In a radiological diagnostic apparatus which includes a patient support, an x-ray source which is selectively gated to irradiate and not irradiate the supported patient, an x-ray detector assembly for receiving x-rays from the x-ray source which have passed through the patient and converting the x-rays into an electronic image representation, and in which the patient support and the x-ray source/radiation detector assembly are movable relative to each other such that a plurality of overlapping positions are selectively examinable and in which at least the x-ray source is triggered a plurality of times at each position such that a plurality of the electronic image representations are generated at each position, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING:
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an electronic image analyzer for analyzing the electronic image representations to determine progress of a peak concentration of a radiographic dye through the subject; a rate adjusting means for adjusting a rate at which the x-ray source is triggered to pass radiation through the patient to generate the electronic image representations in accordance with the determined progress of the radiopaque dye concentration. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification