Automated receptor tracking to diagnostic source assembly
First Claim
1. A system for calculating an optimal position of an image receptor based on the position of a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly, said system including:
- a system controller for receiving positional data from said diagnostic source assembly and calculating an optimal position for said image receptor based on said positional data received from said manually positioned diagnostic source assembly on a per-exposure basis.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for automatically positioning an image receptor based on the position of a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly in an X-ray imaging device is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the automated tracking system, an operator manually positions a diagnostic source assembly (DSA) over the area of a patient to be imaged. Sensors in the diagnostic source assembly transmit the position of the DSA to a system controller. The system controller then calculates an optimal position of an image receptor based on the position of the DSA. Once the optimal position is calculated, the system controller sends the optimal position to a motor drive, which positions the image receptor in the calculated optimal position. Position sensors in the image receptor then send positional data of the image receptor to the system controller, which verifies that the image receptor is in the calculated optimal position. If the operator wishes to manually adjust the image receptor, they may override the motor drive and do so. The automated tracking system provides for reduced total imaging time and increased cost effectiveness over prior X-ray imaging systems by reducing the number of retakes required to obtain a satisfactory X-ray image. Reducing retakes also results in decreased exposure to radiation by the patient being imaged which is healthier to the patient.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A system for calculating an optimal position of an image receptor based on the position of a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly, said system including:
a system controller for receiving positional data from said diagnostic source assembly and calculating an optimal position for said image receptor based on said positional data received from said manually positioned diagnostic source assembly on a per-exposure basis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
6. A system for automatically positioning an image receptor in a medical imaging system, said system including:
-
a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly;
an automatically positioned image receptor;
a system controller for receiving positional data from said manually positioned diagnostic source assembly, calculating an optimal position for said automatically positioned image receptor with respect to the position of said manually positioned diagnostic source assembly and transmitting said optimal position to a motor drive; and
a motor drive for automatically positioning said image receptor in response to said optimal position. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for automatically positioning an image receptor, said method including the steps of:
-
calculating an optimal image receptor position based on the position of a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly; and
automatically positioning said image receptor based on said optimal image receptor position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 22)
-
-
18. A method for calculating an optimal position of an image receptor based on the position of a manually positioned diagnostic source assembly, said method including the steps of:
-
receiving positional data from said manually positioned diagnostic source assembly; and
calculating an optimal position of said image receptor based on the position of aid manually positioned diagnostic source assembly using a system controller per-exposure basis. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
Specification