System and method for monitoring X-rays received by a portable imaging detector

• US 8,213,573 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Liu, James Zhengshe, Gao, Feng (Frank), Liu, Chuande, Xue, Ping, Omernick, Jon, Langler, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Courtney
• Application Number:
  US12/763,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 378/62, 378/98.8
• US Class Current: 378/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure

Abstract

A method for imaging an object includes radiating the object of interest and sensing the radiation that penetrates through the object using a detector having at least one active area and at least one inactive area, determining when the radiation is completed using information received from the inactive area of the imaging detector, and reconstructing an image of the object using information received from the active area of the imaging detector. A medical imaging system and a computer-readable medium are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for imaging an object, said method comprising:

radiating the object of interest;

selecting an active area and an inactive area on an imaging detector;

determining when the radiation of the object is completed using information received from the inactive area of the imaging detector; and

reconstructing an image of the object using information received from the active area of the imaging detector.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising scanning the object of interest using a portable X-ray detector.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein selecting an inactive area further comprises selecting an inactive area that includes a plurality of rows of pixels located proximate to an edge of the imaging detector.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein selecting an inactive area further comprises selecting an inactive area that includes at least one row of pixels that divides the active area into a plurality of active areas.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

selecting an inactive area that includes at least one row of pixels that divides the active area into a plurality of active areas;

interpolating the information corresponding to the selected inactive area to reconstruct an image of the object being scanned.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising reconstructing an image of the object using information received only from the active area of the imaging detector.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining when the radiation is completed using photon count information read from the inactive area of the imaging detector.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

scrubbing the imaging detector;

determining when radiating the object of interest has been initiated using the imaging detector;

finishing scrubbing the imaging detector when radiating the object of interest has been determined; and

sensing a completion of the radiation after the scrubbing is finished.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising reading an offset image from the X-ray detector.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

determining when counts information received from the inactive area falls below a predetermined threshold; and

reading the counts information from the active area when the counts information obtained from the inactive area is below the predetermined threshold.

11. A medical imaging system comprising:

a portable X-ray detector configured to receive X-rays from an X-ray source; and

a detector controller coupled to the portable X-ray detector, the detector controller configured to;

determine when an X-ray exposure of an object has been initiated;

select an active area and an inactive area on an imaging detector;

determine when the X-ray exposure is completed using information received from the inactive area of the imaging detector; and

reconstruct an image of the object using information received from the active area of the imaging detector.

12. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 11 wherein in the detector controller is further programmed to select an inactive area that includes a plurality of rows of pixels located proximate to an edge of the imaging detector.

13. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 11 wherein in the detector controller is further programmed to select an inactive area that includes at least one row of pixels dividing the active area.

14. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 11 wherein in the detector controller is further programmed to:

select an inactive area that includes at least one row of pixels that divides the active area into a plurality of active areas;

interpolate the information corresponding to the selected inactive area; and

reconstruct an image of the object being scanned using the information from the active area and the interpolated information.

15. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 11 wherein in the detector controller is further programmed to:

determine counts information received from the inactive area falls below a pre-determined threshold; and

read the counts information from the active area when the counts information obtained from the inactive area is below the predetermined threshold.

16. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 11 wherein in the detector controller is further programmed to:

scrub the portable X-ray detector

determine when the X-ray exposure has been initiated; and

finish the scrubbing the portable X-ray detector when X-ray exposure has been determined; and

monitoring the completion of the X-ray exposure.

17. A tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program configured to:

determine when an X-ray exposure of an object has been initiated;

select an active area and an inactive area on an imaging detector;

determine when the exposure is completed using information received from the inactive area of the imaging detector; and

reconstruct an image of the object using information received from the active area of the imaging detector.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said program is further configured to:

select an inactive area that includes at least one row of pixels that divides the active area into a plurality of active areas;

interpolate the information corresponding to the selected inactive area; and

reconstruct an image of the object being scanned using the information from the active area and the interpolated information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said program is further configured to:

determine when counts information received from the inactive area falls below a pre-determined threshold; and

read the counts information from the active area when the counts information obtained from the inactive area is below the predetermined threshold.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said program is further configured to:

determine when the scanning of the object of interest has been initiated; and

finish a scrubbing operation when scanning of the object of interest has been initiated.