Handheld X-ray system interface with tracking feature

• US 8,174,358 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Butzine, Jonathan Mark, Hannon, Jeremy Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US12/786,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20110291800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1, 340/12.22, 340/12.23, 340/12.24, 340/12.29, 340/4.1, 378/114, 378/205, 378/98, 378/101, 378/117, 250/338.1, 250/342, 192/129, 192/130
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/468 allowing annotation or message recording
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/544 dependent on patient size
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/587 Alignment of source unit to detector unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/588 Setting distance between source unit and detector unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/589 Setting distance between source unit and patient

Abstract

In one embodiment, an X-ray system includes a handheld X-ray interface device. The handheld X-ray interface device includes a wireless interface for communicating with an imaging system and a tracking device configured to provide a location and/or to track movement of the handheld X-ray interface device relative to the imaging system, wherein the location or tracked movement of the handheld X-ray interface device is communicated to the imaging system as an input for at least one control function of the imaging system.

Claims

1. An X-ray system comprising:

an imaging system including a source of X-ray radiation, an X-ray image receptor, control circuitry for controlling the source of X-ray radiation, and a wireless interface; and

a handheld interface device configured to communicate wirelessly with the imaging system;

wherein the imaging system is configured to track a location of the handheld interface device and to use the location as an input for at least one control function of the imaging system, and the imaging system is configured to record at least one location of the handheld interface device and to use the recorded location as input for an X-ray image acquisition sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is mobile, and is configured to follow the handheld interface device as it is displaced in a building.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is configured to command movement of the X-ray source based upon the location of the handheld interface device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is configured to record a plurality of locations of the handheld interface device and to use the recorded locations as inputs for determining a tomographic sweep by the X-ray source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is configured to use the location of the handheld interface device for computation of a source-to-image distance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the imaging system is configured to use a further location of the handheld interface device for computation of a source-to-patient distance.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the imaging system is configured to use the source-to-image distance and the source-to-patient distance for computation of a patient thickness.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the imaging system is configured to use the computed patient thickness to set an X-ray dose parameter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is configured to use the location of the handheld interface device for computation of orthogonality between the image receptor and the X-ray source.

10. An X-ray system comprising:

a handheld X-ray interface device comprising a wireless interface for communicating with an imaging system, a tracking device configured to provide a location and/or to track movement of the handheld X-ray interface device relative to the imaging system, and an input device configured to indicate to the imaging system to record the location of the handheld X-ray interface device, wherein the location or tracked movement of the handheld X-ray interface device is communicated to the imaging system as an input for at least one control function of the imaging system, and the handheld X-ray interface device is configured to command the imaging system to perform a specific X-ray image acquisition sequence by using a recorded location of the handheld X-ray interface device as input.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the tracking device comprises an accelerometer, a magnetometer, an inclinometer, or a gyroscope.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the handheld X-ray interface device is configured to command movement of the imaging system via the location or tracked movement of the handheld X-ray interface device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the handheld X-ray interface device is configured to provide the location of the handheld X-ray interface device to the imaging system for computation of a source-to-image distance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the handheld X-ray interface device is configured to provide a further location of the handheld X-ray interface device to the imaging system for computation of a source-to-patient distance.

15. A method for tracking the location of a handheld interface device, comprising:

establishing wireless communication between an imaging system and a handheld interface device, the imaging system comprising a source of X-ray radiation, an X-ray image receptor, control circuitry for controlling the source of X-ray radiation, and a first wireless interface, the handheld interface device comprising a second wireless interface for communicating wirelessly with the imaging system and a tracking device configured to provide a location and to track movement of the handheld interface device;

transmitting the location or tracked movement of the handheld interface device relative to the imaging system;

using the location or tracked movement of the handheld interface device as an input to control at least one function of the imaging system;

the imaging system recording the location or tracked movement of the handheld interface device transmitted from the handheld interface device; and

the imaging system utilizing the recorded location or tracked movement of the handheld interface device as input for an X-ray image acquisition sequence.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the imaging system is mobile, and is configured to follow the handheld interface device as it is displaced in a building.