System and method for synchronization of the acquisition of images with the cardiac cycle for dual energy imaging
First Claim
1. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
- monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
recording an offset image wherein said offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure; and
combining the X-ray image and the offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for improving the image quality of an X-ray image of a patient in a dual energy X-ray imaging system is provided. The system includes a heart cycle monitor, and X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector. A patient is positioned between the X-ray emitter and the X-ray detector. The heart cycle monitor monitors the cardiac cycle of the patient to detect a cardiac trigger. Once the cardiac trigger has been detected, the X-ray emitter emits high energy and low energy X-rays through the patient and the X-ray detector detects the emissions and forms images. The X-ray detector then performs a number of scrubs. Then the X-ray emitter acquires at least one offset image. The offset and the X-ray images are then combined to form X-ray images that may then be employed for dual energy X-ray processing.
34 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
recording an offset image wherein said offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure; and
combining the X-ray image and the offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
recording an offset image;
combining the X-ray image and the offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient; and
introducing at least one scrub after imaging the patient to reduce artifacts in the image.
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15. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
recording an offset image;
combining the X-ray image and the offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient; and
introducing at least one scrub between said high kVp X-ray imaging and said low kVp X-ray imaging.
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16. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
recording a first offset image wherein said first offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
recording a second offset image wherein said second offset image is acquired without any X-ray exposure; and
combining said first X-ray image and said first offset and said second X-ray image and said second offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
recording a first offset image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
recording a second offset image;
combining said first X-ray image and said first offset image and said second X-ray image and said second offset image to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient; and
introducing at least one scrub after recording said first offset image to reduce artifacts in the image.
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26. A method for synchronizing the acquisition of images of an X-ray system with the cardiac cycle of a patient to aid in X-ray imaging of a patient, said method including the steps of:
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monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a first cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy to form a first X-ray image;
recording a first offset image;
monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle for a second cardiac trigger;
imaging the patient in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy to form a second X-ray image;
recording a second offset image;
combining said first X-ray image and said first offset and said second X-ray image and said second offset to determine an improved X-ray image of the patient; and
introducing at least one scrub between at least one of;
said first X-ray image and said first offset; and
said second X-ray image and said second offset.
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27. A system for improving the image quality of a patient in an X-ray imaging system, said system including:
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a heart cycle monitor for monitoring the cardiac cycle of the patient to determine a first cardiac trigger and a second cardiac trigger;
an X-ray emitter coupled to said heart cycle monitor for emitting X-rays in response to said first cardiac trigger and emitting X-rays through the patient; and
an X-ray detector detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image, acquiring an offset image without any X-ray exposure and combining said X-ray image and said offset image to form an X-ray image of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system for improving the image quality of a patient in an X-ray imaging system, said system including:
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a heart cycle monitor for monitoring the cardiac cycle of a patient to determine a first cardiac trigger and a second cardiac trigger, wherein said heart cycle monitor monitors the patient'"'"'s heart cycle to predict the arrival of the cardiac triggers;
an X-ray emitter coupled to said heart cycle monitor for emitting X-rays in response to said first cardiac trigger and emitting X-rays through the patient;
an X-ray detector detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said first cardiac trigger to form an X-ray image, acquiring an offset image and combining said X-ray image and said offset image to form an X-ray image of the patient, wherein said X-ray detector introduces at least one scrub after detecting X-rays to reduce artifacts in the image.
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38. A system for improving the image quality of a patient in an X-ray imaging system, said system including:
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a heart cycle monitor for monitoring the cardiac cycle of the patient to determine a first cardiac trigger and a second cardiac trigger;
an X-ray emitter coupled to said heart cycle monitor for emitting X-rays in response to said first cardiac trigger at a first X-ray energy and emitting X-rays in response to said second cardiac trigger at a second X-ray energy; and
an X-ray detector detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said first cardiac trigger to form a first X-ray image, detecting a first offset image acquired without any X-ray exposure, detecting the X-rays emitted by said X-ray emitter in response to said second cardiac trigger to form a second X-ray image, detecting a second offset image acquired without any X-ray exposure, and combining said first X-ray image and said first offset image and said second X-ray image and said second offset image to form an X-ray image of the patient.
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Specification