Chest radiography image contrast and exposure dose optimization

• US 9,101,325 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaohui, Huo, Zhimin, Richard, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Harandi, Siamak
• Application Number:
  US13/607,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,067 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4035 the source being combined with a filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/50 specially adapted for specific body parts; specially adapted for specific clinical applications
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5252 removing objects from field of view, e.g. removing patient table from a CT image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters

Abstract

A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image of a patient. The method includes providing a default set of technique settings for the chest x-ray, wherein the default set is selectable by an operator command and includes using a peak kilovoltage exposure setting that is below 90 kVp with beam filtration of the x-ray, and applying a rib contrast suppression algorithm to the digital chest x-ray image data acquired from the exposure.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image of an adult patient, comprising:

providing a default set of technique settings for acquisition of image data from an x-ray exposure of the adult patient'"'"'s chest, the default set being selectable by an operator command and includes using a peak kilovoltage exposure setting that is below 90 kVp with beam filtration of the x-ray;

Acquiring the image data of the adult patient'"'"'s chest using the default set of technique settings;

applying a rib contrast suppression algorithm to the acquired image data to generate the digital chest x-ray image; and

Displaying or storing the digital chest x-ray image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the exposure setting is no higher than about 80 kVp.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the default set of technique settings can be edited following their selection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the chest x-ray image is an anteroposterior or posteroanterior.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtration is at least equivalent to 0.1 mm copper.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the default set of technique settings varies according to patient size.

7. A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image of an adult patient, comprising:

accessing an operator instruction that specifies default settings that include exposure at a peak kilovoltage setting that is at or below 90 kVp and filtration equivalent to 0.1 mm copper;

obtaining image data from an x-ray exposure of the adult patient'"'"'s chest at the specified default settings; and

displaying or storing images of the obtained image data with and without rib contrast suppression processing.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the exposure peak kilovoltage setting is no higher than about 80 kVp.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising accepting an operator selection that indicates a relative patient size and adjusting the peak kilovoltage setting and filtration level according to the size selection.

10. A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image for an adult patient, comprising:

providing filtration equivalent to at least 0.1 mm copper to an x-ray radiation source;

exposing the chest of the adult patient with exposure from the x-ray radiation source at a peak kilovoltage setting that is at or below 90 kVp to acquire the chest x-ray image;

displaying the acquired chest x-ray image;

processing the acquired x-ray image using rib contrast suppression to generate a rib contrast suppressed chest x-ray image; and

displaying or storing the rib contrast suppressed chest x-ray image.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the exposure peak kilovoltage setting is no higher than about 80 kVp.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the chest x-ray image is an anteroposterior or posteroanterior.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising accepting an operator instruction selecting a level for the rib contrast suppression.