Radiographic apparatus

• US 6,643,351 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Morita, Eiichi, Ueno, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BRUCE, DAVID VERNON
• Application Number:
  US10/068,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378/8, 378/15, 378/62, 378/901
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/006 Inverse problem, transformation from projection-space into object-space, e.g. transform methods, back-projection, algebraic methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 378/901 Computer tomography program or processor

Abstract

A driver drives an X-ray tube and a flat panel X-ray detector synchronously to scan sectional planes to be imaged of an object under examination. A back projection unit projects projection data detected in varied scan positions to predetermined lattice points of a three-dimensional lattice virtually set to the region of interest of the object radiographed. An image reconstruction is carried out to generate three-dimensional volume data of the region of interest. The three-dimensional volume data of the region of interest is generated quickly without repeating a radiographic operation.

Claims

1. A radiographic apparatus for obtaining images of sectional planes in a region of interest of an object under examination by an image reconstruction using projection data acquired by radiographing the object from varied scan positions, said apparatus comprising:

a radiation source for irradiating said object with penetrating electromagnetic waves;

an area detector opposed to said radiation source across said object for detecting electromagnetic waves transmitted through said object;

scanning means for synchronously moving said radiation source and said area detector for scanning action; and

a back projection unit for performing an image reconstruction to generate three-dimensional volume data of the region of interest by projecting projection data detected in the varied scan positions back to predetermined lattice points of a three-dimensional lattice virtually set to the region of interest of the object radiographed.

2. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a filtering unit for performing an |ω

| filtering process on the projection data detected in the varied scan positions, and outputting the projection data to said back projection unit.

3. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said area detector is a flat panel detector or an image intensifier.

4. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means is arranged to move one of said radiation source and said area detector linearly in a first direction, and to move the other linearly in synchronism therewith in a second direction parallel and counter to said first direction.

5. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means is arranged to revolves said radiation source in one of parallel planes opposed to each other across the object, and to revolve said area detector in synchronism therewith in the other parallel plane in a direction counter to a direction of revolution of said radiation source.

6. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means is arranged to set two arcuate tracks on a circumferential track around the object to be opposed to each other across the object, to move said radiation source along one of said arcuate tracks, and to move said area detector in synchronism therewith along the other arcuate track to maintain a fixed distance from said radiation source.

7. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said area detector is a flat panel detector or an image intensifier.

8. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said scanning means is arranged to move one of said radiation source and said area detector linearly in a first direction, and to move the other linearly in synchronism therewith in a second direction parallel and counter to said first direction.

9. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said scanning means is arranged to revolves said radiation source in one of parallel planes opposed to each other across the object, and to revolve said area detector in synchronism therewith in the other parallel plane in a direction counter to a direction of revolution of said radiation source.

10. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said scanning means is arranged to set two arcuate tracks on a circumferential track around the object to be opposed to each other across the object, to move said radiation source along one of said arcuate tracks, and to move said area detector in synchronism therewith along the other arcuate track to maintain a fixed distance from said radiation source.

11. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said scanning means is arranged to move one of said radiation source and said area detector linearly in a first direction, and to move the other linearly in synchronism therewith in a second direction parallel and counter to said first direction.

12. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said scanning means is arranged to revolves said radiation source in one of parallel planes opposed to each other across the object, and to revolve said area detector in synchronism therewith in the other parallel plane in a direction counter to a direction of revolution of said radiation source.

13. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said scanning means is arranged to set two arcuate tracks on a circumferential track around the object to be opposed to each other across the object, to move said radiation source along one of said arcuate tracks, and to move said area detector in synchronism therewith along the other arcuate track to maintain a fixed distance from said radiation source.

14. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said scanning means is arranged to move one of said radiation source and said area detector linearly in a first direction, and to move the other linearly in synchronism therewith in a second direction parallel and counter to said first direction.

15. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said scanning means is arranged to revolves said radiation source in one of parallel planes opposed to each other across the object, and to revolve said area detector in synchronism therewith in the other parallel plane in a direction counter to a direction of revolution of said radiation source.

16. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said scanning means is arranged to set two arcuate tracks on a circumferential track around the object to be opposed to each other across the object, to move said radiation source along one of said arcuate tracks, and to move said area detector in synchronism therewith along the other arcuate track to maintain a fixed distance from said radiation source.

17. A radiographic apparatus for obtaining images of sectional planes in a region of interest of an object under examination by an image reconstruction using projection data acquired by radiographing the object from varied scan positions, said apparatus comprising:

a radiation source for irradiating said object with penetrating electromagnetic waves in form of a divergent beam;

an area detector opposed to said radiation source across said object for detecting electromagnetic waves transmitted through said object;

scanning means for setting two non-orbital tracks opposed to each other across the object, moving said radiation source along one of said non-orbital tracks, and moving said area detector in synchronism therewith along the other non-orbital track;

a convolution unit for performing a convolution process on the projection data detected in the varied scan positions; and

a back projection unit for performing the image reconstruction to generate three-dimensional volume data of the region of interest by projecting the projection data convoluted by said convolution unit back to predetermined lattice points of a three-dimensional lattice virtually set to the region of interest of the object radiographed.

18. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein:

said scanning means is arranged to move one of said radiation source and said area detector linearly in a first direction, and to move the other linearly in synchronism therewith in a second direction parallel and counter to said first direction, with the sectional planes to be imaged of the object placed in between; and

said back projection unit is arranged to project the projection data for the varied scan positions back to the predetermined lattice points of the three-dimensional lattice, coordinates of said projection data being corrected according to an angle formed between a virtual center axis of revolution extending substantially through the center of the region of interest of the object and perpendicular to the sectional planes to be imaged, and a straight line extending from said radiation source in each of said varied scan positions to the center of said area detector.

19. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said area detector is a flat panel detector or an image intensifier.

20. A radiographic apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said area detector is a flat panel detector or an image intensifier.