Self-calibrated tomosynthetic, radiographic-imaging system, method, and device
First Claim
1. A device for recording radiographic images of a selected object irradiated by a source of radiation comprising:
- (a) a support;
(b) a first radiographic recording medium supported on the support for recording a projected radiographic image of the selected object;
(c) a second radiographic recording medium supported relative to the support in fixed position relative to the first radiographic recording medium and at a selected orientation relative to the first radiographic recording medium for recording a projected radiographic image; and
(d) a radiopaque fiducial reference supported relative to the support at a fixed position relative to the first and second radiographic recording mediums to permit a projected radiographic image of the radiopaque fiducial reference to be recorded on the second radiographic recording medium wherein the fiducial reference includes a frequency indicator for exhibiting a selected frequency pattern at the fiducial reference.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-calibrating tomosynthetic x-ray system is provided. A calibrated device for recording radiographic images of a selected object irradiated by a source of radiation includes a first radiolucent radiographic recording medium in the form of a CCD device for recording a first projected radiographic image of the selected object. A second radiographic recording medium in the form of a CCD device is supported in fixed generally parallel position relative to the first radiographic recording medium to permit radiation from the source to pass through the first radiographic recording medium and to impinge upon the second radiographic recording medium for recording a second projected radiographic image of the selected object. A radiopaque fiducial reference in the form of a grid is supported in fixed position generally between the first and second radiographic recording mediums to permit a projected image of the radiopaque fiducial reference to be recorded on the second radiographic recording medium. Projected radiographic images of the object and the fiducial reference are then recorded at different arbitrary relative positions between the source of radiation and the object, the fiducial reference, and the recording mediums. An image of a selected object at a selected slice position through the object is synthesized from selected projected radiographic images of the object and the fiducial reference recorded by the calibrated device.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A device for recording radiographic images of a selected object irradiated by a source of radiation comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a first radiographic recording medium supported on the support for recording a projected radiographic image of the selected object; (c) a second radiographic recording medium supported relative to the support in fixed position relative to the first radiographic recording medium and at a selected orientation relative to the first radiographic recording medium for recording a projected radiographic image; and (d) a radiopaque fiducial reference supported relative to the support at a fixed position relative to the first and second radiographic recording mediums to permit a projected radiographic image of the radiopaque fiducial reference to be recorded on the second radiographic recording medium wherein the fiducial reference includes a frequency indicator for exhibiting a selected frequency pattern at the fiducial reference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for tomosynthesis of multiple object images of a selected object comprising:
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(a) an image detector positioned at a fixed position relative to the selected object for detecting said multiple object images; (b) a fiducial reference positioned at a fixed position relative to the selected object for producing multiple reference images on said image detector to yield composite images of said reference and object images detected upon said image detector; and (c) an image synthesizer for analyzing parameters related to positions and sizes of reference images of said composite images detected upon said image detector to produce image translation data, and for reconstructing a tomographic slice from said composite images and said image translation data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for tomosynthesis of multiple projected object images of a selected object comprising:
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(a) an image detector for detecting multiple projected object images at different relative positions to the selected object; (b) a fiducial reference located at a fixed reference position relative to the selected object for producing multiple projected reference images upon said image detector; and (c) an image synthesizer for analyzing parameters related to positions and sizes of the reference images detected upon said image detector to produce image translation data, and for reconstructing a tomographic slice from said object images and said image translation data.
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25. A method for synthesizing an image of a selected object at a selected slice position through the selected object from a plurality of images of the selected object comprising:
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(a) providing at least one recording means for recording images of the selected object; (b) providing at least one fiducial reference in fixed position relative to the recording means; (c) maintaining the selected object in fixed position relative to the recording means and the fiducial reference; (d) providing at least one imaging source for producing images of the object and the fiducial reference to be recorded on the recording means; (e) varying the relative positions between (1) the imaging source and (2) the object, the fiducial reference and the recording means; (f) recording images of the object and the fiducial reference on the recording means at different arbitrary relative positions between (1) the imaging source and (2) the object, the fiducial reference and the recording means; and (g) synthesizing an image of the selected object at a selected slice position through the object from selected images of the object and the fiducial reference recorded on the recording means. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A system for synthesizing an image of a selected object at a selected slice position through the selected object from a plurality of recorded images of the selected object comprising:
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(a) at least one recording means for recording images of the selected object; (b) at least one fiducial reference held in fixed position relative to the recording means; (c) holder means for holding the recording means and the fiducial reference in fixed position relative to the selected object; (d) at least one imaging source for producing images of the object and the fiducial reference to be recorded on the recording means; (e) position varying means for varying the relative positions between (1) the imaging source and (2) the object, the fiducial reference and the recording means so that images of the object and the fiducial reference are recorded on the recording means at different arbitrary relative positions between (1) the imaging source and (2) the object, the fiducial reference and the recording means; and (f) an image synthesizer for synthesizing an image of the selected object at a selected slice position through the object from selected recordings of the images of the object and the fiducial reference recorded on the recording means. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A system for synthesizing a tomographic image of a selected object at a selected slice position through the selected object, the system comprising:
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(a) a fiducial reference held in a fixed-position relative to the selected object; (b) an image projector for projecting object images of the selected object and reference images of said fiducial reference; (c) an image detector located at a fixed position relative to the selected object for detecting said object images and said reference images projected by the image projector; and (d) an image synthesizer for comparing parameters related to positions and sizes of reference images detected upon said image detector to parameters of the fiducial reference to produce image translation data, and for reconstructing the tomographic image from said object images and said image translation data. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63)
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64. A method of tomosynthesis of projected images of a selected object comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning a fiducial reference at a fixed position relative to the selected object; (b) projecting object images of the selected object and reference images of the fiducial reference; (c) detecting said projected object images and said projected reference images at a fixed location relative to the selected object to produce image data; (d) comparing parameters related to positions and sizes of the detected reference images to parameters of the fiducial reference to produce image translation data; and (e) reconstructing a tomographic slice of the selected object from said image translation data and said image data. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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Specification