System and method for indicating association between autonomous detector and imaging subsystem

• US 8,243,882 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jabri, Kadri Nizar, Avinash, Gopal Biligeri, Sabol, John Michael, Marar, Rajeev Ramankutty
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US12/776,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 378/98, 378/98.8, 378114-116
• US Class Current: 378/116
• 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 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A method and a system are disclosed for operating an X-ray imaging subsystem with an X-ray imaging detector. Each subsystem may be one of many that could operate with one another to create X-ray images. An association is established between the imaging subsystem and the imaging detector, and a user-perceptible indication of the association is generated. The user may be prompted to confirm the association. Thereafter, the two subsystems may be used together for X-ray imaging. An X-ray source of the imaging subsystem may be disabled until the association is established or until the confirmation is received.

Claims

1. A method of operation of an X-ray imaging system, comprising:

creating an association between an autonomous imaging subsystem and an autonomous detector subsystem; and

providing a user-perceptible indication of the association on the autonomous imaging subsystem, the autonomous detector subsystem, or both.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a user confirmation of the association between the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystem.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising disabling X-ray emission by one or more X-ray sources of the autonomous imaging subsystem until the association is created or until the user confirmation is received.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising providing a user-perceptible indication on the autonomous imaging subsystem that is comparable with an indication on the autonomous detector subsystem to enable the confirmation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the association comprises communicating an identifying signal of the autonomous imaging subsystem to the autonomous detector subsystem and communicating an identifying signal of the autonomous detector subsystem to the autonomous imaging subsystem;

recognizing the respective identifying signals; and

linking the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystem via a wireless interface based on the respective identifying signals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the respective identifying signals are generated by scanning indicia provided on the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicia comprise one or more barcodes.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising communicating the indentifying signals from a scanning device to one or both of the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystem.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a user-perceptible indication of the association comprises providing a visible, an audible, or a tactile indication, or any combination thereof, on both subsystems.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a user-perceptible indication of the association comprises providing a visible, an audible, or a tactile indication, or any combination thereof, on only the detector subsystem.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous detector subsystem is one of a plurality of autonomous detector subsystems that are within a range and capable of operating with the autonomous imaging subsystem.

12. A method of operation of an X-ray imaging system, comprising:

associating an X-ray imaging subsystem and an X-ray detector subsystem;

generating a user-perceptible indication of the association;

receiving a user confirmation of the association; and

imaging a subject with the X-ray imaging subsystem and the X-ray detector subsystem.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein associating the X-ray imaging subsystem and the X-ray detector subsystem comprises:

wirelessly providing an identifying signal of the X-ray imaging subsystem to the X-ray detector subsystem; and

wirelessly providing an identifying signal of the X-ray detector subsystem to the X-ray imaging subsystem.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising disabling X-ray emission by one or more X-ray sources of the imaging subsystem until the association is established or until the user confirmation is received.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising providing a user-perceptible indication on the imaging subsystem that is comparable with an indication on the detector subsystem to enable the confirmation.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the X-ray detector subsystem comprises an autonomous detector subsystem that is one of a plurality of detector subsystems that are within a range and capable of operating with the X-ray imaging subsystem.

17. An X-ray imaging system comprising:

an autonomous imaging subsystem capable of operation with one or a plurality of autonomous detector subsystems;

a plurality of autonomous detector subsystems capable of operation with the autonomous imaging subsystem; and

wherein at least one of the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystems is configured to create an operative association between the autonomous X-ray imaging subsystem and one of the autonomous detector subsystems, the association permitting wireless exchange of imaging data, and to generate a user-perceptible indication of the association.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystems is configured to provide a user-perceptible indication of the association and to receive a user confirmation of the association.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the autonomous imaging subsystem is configured to disable emission of X-rays from an X-ray source until the association is created or until the confirmation is received.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the autonomous imaging subsystem is configured to provide a user-perceptible indication on the autonomous imaging subsystem that is comparable with an indication on the detector subsystem to enable the confirmation.

21. A method, comprising:

creating an association between an autonomous imaging subsystem and an autonomous detector subsystem;

providing a user-perceptible indication of the association on the autonomous imaging subsystem, the autonomous detector subsystem, or both; and

before the association is created, providing a user-perceptible indication on the autonomous imaging subsystem, the autonomous detector subsystem, or both indicating that no association exists between the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystem.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user-perceptible indication of the association comprises providing a visible, an audible, or a tactile indication, or any combination thereof, on both subsystems.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the user-perceptible indication of the association comprises illuminating a light of a first color, and the indication that no association exists comprises illuminating a light of a second, different color.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving a user confirmation of the association between the autonomous imaging subsystem and the autonomous detector subsystem.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising providing a user-perceptible indication of the user confirmation, and wherein the user-perceptible indication of the user confirmation is different from the user-perceptible indication of the association.