X-ray diagnostics device and method for controlling an X-ray diagnostics device

• US 7,372,944 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bernhardt, Philipp, Hoheisel, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US11/352,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20060182221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 378 96- 97, 378108-112, 378/62, 378/106
• US Class Current: 378/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters

Abstract

The invention relates to an x-ray diagnostics device having an x-ray tube for generating x-rays operated by a high voltage generator, having an x-ray detector for converting incident x-rays into electrical signals, having an image processing system and a control device for the duration of the x-ray pulse, in which parameters of the x-ray diagnostics device can be adjusted, with a computing unit being assigned to the control device, said computing unit determining the spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio on the basis of the parameters and calculating therefrom the duration of the x-ray pulse and/or the remaining parameters required for a recording. The invention further relates to a method of this type for controlling the x-ray diagnostics device, in which the duration of the x-ray pulse is controlled such that the recognizability of relevant, moved objects is maximal.

Claims

1. An X-ray diagnostics device, comprising:

an X-ray tube for generating X-rays;

a high voltage generator for operating the X-ray tube;

an X-ray detector for converting X-rays received by the detector into electrical signals;

an image processing system;

a control device for adjusting a duration of X-ray pulses, the control device configured to adjust a plurality of operating parameters related to operating the X-ray diagnostics device; and

a computing unit assigned to the control device, the computing unit configured to determine a spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio based on the operating parameters, wherein at least one of the following is adjusted by the control device based on the determined spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio;

     1) time duration of the X-ray pulses and

     2) one or more imaging parameters for recording an X-ray image.

2. The X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device for storing characteristics related to examination objects.

3. The X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, further comprising a measuring device assigned to the control device for measuring a thickness of an examination object.

4. The X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter device for moving an optimized filter into a radiation path of the X-ray tube based on a calculation result processed by the computing unit.

5. The X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, wherein electrical signals corresponding to sequential X-ray images are fed to the computing unit for determining a motion speed of an examination object.

6. The X-ray diagnostics device according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters are chosen from the group consisting of a tube voltage, a tube current, an X-ray pulse duration and a filter.

7. A method for controlling an X-ray diagnostics device having

an X-ray tube for generating X-rays and operated by a high voltage generator;

an X-ray detector for converting X-rays received by the detector into electrical signals;

an image processing system; and

a control device for controlling a duration of an X-ray pulse, the method comprising;

providing a moving examination object; and

adjusting the duration of the X-ray pulse such that an X-ray image quality related to an X-ray image recorded from the moving object is maximized, wherein the X-ray image quality is based on a spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio, and further wherein at least one of the following is calculated based on the determined spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio;

     1) time duration of the X-ray pulses, and

     2) one or more imaging parameters for recording the X-ray image.

8. The Method according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the examination object is postulated and used for adjusting the duration of the X-ray pulse without measuring the thickness.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the examination object is determined from a Water Equivalent of the examination object.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the examination object is measured and used for adjusting the duration of the X-ray pulse.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the thickness is measured by mechanical limiters, light sensors or electro-magnetic sensors.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein a motion speed of the examination object is postulated without measuring the motion speed.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein a motion speed of the examination object is determined from an organ program.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein a motion speed of the examination object is determined by comparing at least two sequential X-ray images recorded from the moving examination object.