Systems and methods for processing x-ray images

• US 7,158,610 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Technologies Inc (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mostafavi, Hassan
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; Courtney
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US10/656,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20050053196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 378/98.12, 378/98.11, 378/62, 378/115, 378/116, 382/130, 382/254, 382/128, 382/132, 382/284
• US Class Current: 378/98.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5288 involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction

Abstract

A method for processing x-ray images includes collecting a first x-ray image and a second x-ray image, determining a composite image based on the first and second x-ray images, collecting a third x-ray image, and adjusting the third x-ray image based on the composite image. Another method of processing x-ray images includes obtaining a first x-ray image, obtaining a second x-ray image, and determining a composite image based on at least a portion of the first and second x-ray images.

Claims

1. A method of processing a x-ray image, comprising:

collecting a first x-ray image and a second x-ray image;

determining a composite image based on the first and second x-ray images;

collecting a third x-ray image, wherein at least a portion of the first x-ray image and at least a portion of to third x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

enhancing a feature in the third x-ray image by adjusting the third x-ray image based on the composite image;

wherein the third x-ray image is collected without performing a weighted subtraction of the first x-ray image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third x-ray images are generated in a sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third x-ray images each contains an image of at least a portion of an animal body.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a composite image comprises performing a image averaging on the first and second x-ray images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the image averaging is performed using a boxcar averaging technique.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the image averaging is performed based on a weighted average.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises subtracting the composite image from the third x-ray image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a moving feature, which is a characteristic in the third x-ray image due to a movement of the portion of the object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature in the third x-ray image is enhanced without using a contrast media.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first x-ray image and the second x-ray image using x-ray having a same energy level.

11. A system for processing a x-ray image, comprising:

means for collecting a first x-ray image and a second x-ray image;

means for determining a composite image based on the first and second x-ray images;

means for collecting a third x-ray image without performing a weighted subtraction of the first x-ray image, wherein at least a portion of the first x-ray image and at least a portion of the third x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

means for enhancing a feature in the third x-ray image by adjusting the third x-ray image based on the composite image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for determining a composite image comprises means for performing an image averaging on the first and second x-ray images.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for subtracting the composite image from the third x-ray image.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the feature comprises a moving feature, which is a characteristic in the third x-ray image due to a movement of the portion of the object.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for enhancing the feature in the third x-ray image does not include a contrast media.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for generating the first and the second x-ray images using x-ray having a same energy level.

17. A computer readable medium having a set of stored instructions, the execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising:

collecting a first x-ray image and a second x-ray image;

determining a composite image based on the first and second x-ray images;

collecting a third x-ray image, wherein at least a portion of the first x-ray image and at least a portion of the third x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

enhancing a feature in the third x-ray image by adjusting the third x-ray image based on the composite image;

wherein the third x-ray image is collected without performing a weighted subtraction of the first x-ray image.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first, second, and third x-ray images are generated in a sequence.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first, second, and third x-ray images each contains an image of at least a portion of an animal body.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the determining a composite image comprises performing an image averaging on the first and second x-ray images.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the image averaging is performed using a boxcar averaging technique.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the image averaging is performed based on a weighted average.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the adjusting comprises subtracting the composite image from the third x-ray image.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the feature comprises a moving feature, which is a characteristic in the third x-ray image due to a movement of the portion of the object.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the feature in the third x-ray image is enhanced without using a contrast media.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the process further comprises generating the first x-ray image and the second x-ray image using x-ray having a same energy level.

27. A method of processing a x-ray image, comprising:

collecting two or more x-ray images;

determining a composite image using at least two of the two or more x-ray images;

collecting an input x-ray image, wherein at least a portion of one of the two or more x-ray images and at least a portion of the input x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

enhancing a feature of the input x-ray image based on the composite image;

wherein the input x-ray image is collected without performing a weighted subtraction of the two or more x-ray images.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the collecting the two or more x-ray images comprises generating the two or more x-ray images in a sequence.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the input x-ray image contains an image of at least a portion of an animal body.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the determining a composite image comprises performing an image averaging on the at least two of the two or more x-ray images.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the image averaging is performed using a boxcar averaging technique.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the image averaging is performed based on a weighted average.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the enhancing comprises subtracting the composite image from the input x-ray image.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the feature in the input x-ray image is enhanced without using a contrast media.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the input x-ray image contains an image of at least a portion of an animal body.

35. A system for processing an image, comprising:

means for collecting two or more x-ray images;

means for determining a composite image using at least two of the two or more x-ray images;

means for collecting an input x-ray image without performing a weighted subtraction of the two or more x-ray images, wherein at least a portion of one of the two or more x-ray images and at least a portion of the input x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

means for enhancing a feature of the input x-ray image based on the composite image.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for determining a composite image comprises means for performing an image averaging on the at least two of the two or more x-ray images.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for enhancing comprises means for subtracting the composite image from the input x-ray image.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for enhancing the feature in the input x-ray image does not include a contrast media.

39. A computer readable medium having a set of stored instructions, the execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising:

collecting two or more x-ray images;

determining a composite image using at least two of the two or more x-ray images;

collecting an input x-ray image, wherein at least a portion of one of the two or more x-ray images and at least a portion of the input x-ray image comprise images of a same portion of an object; and

enhancing a feature of the input x-ray image based on the composite image;

wherein the input x-ray image is collected without performing a weighted subtraction of the two or more x-ray images.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the collecting the two or more images comprises generating the two or more x-ray images in a sequence.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the determining a composite image comprises performing an image averaging on the at least two of the two or more x-ray images.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the image averaging is performed using a boxcar averaging technique.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the image averaging is performed based on a weighted average.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the enhancing comprises subtracting the composite image from the input x-ray image.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein the feature in the input x-ray image is enhanced without using a contrast media.