Method for generating 3-dimensional images

• US 5,623,528 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takeda, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Application Number:
  US08/207,669
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 378/2, 378/21-25, 378/41, 378/43, 378/171, 250/582, 250/583
• US Class Current: 378/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4216 using storage phosphor screens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/044 using laminography or tomosynthesis

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images and, more particularly, a method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images capable of aligning completely registered 3-dimensional positions thereof. At least one 2-dimensional radiation image of a subject carried by a radiant ray which has passed through a subject is obtained by irradiating a radiant ray from a plurality of positions, which differ from one another, toward said subject, 2-dimensional pixel data which denotes pixel values at respective points on said 2-dimensional radiation image is obtained by repeatedly scanning an image in a main scanning direction which intersects a sub-scanning direction while sequentially moving in said specified sub-scanning direction on this 2-dimensional radiation image, and 3-dimensional pixel data which denotes the pixel values corresponding to 3-dimensional points inside said subject are obtained based on the 2-dimensional pixel data.

Claims

1. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images comprising a step for obtaining at least one 2-dimensional radiation image of a subject carried by a radiant ray which has passed through a subject is obtained by irradiating a radiant ray from a plurality of positions, which differ from one another, toward said subject;

a step for obtaining 2-dimensional pixel data which denotes pixel values at respective points on said 2-dimensional radiation image by repeatedly scanning an image in a main scanning direction which intersects a sub-scanning direction while sequentially moving in said specified sub-scanning direction on this 2-dimensional radiation image; and

a step for obtaining 3-dimensional pixel data which denotes the pixel values corresponding to 3-dimensional points inside said subject based on the 2-dimensional pixel data,

wherein said 2-dimensional radiation image is one 2-dimensional radiation image obtained by simultaneously irradiating a radiant ray toward said subject from a plurality of irradiating positions which differ from one another.

2. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated to said subject whose parts other than a part from which said 3-dimensional image data is desired are covered with a radiation shield.

3. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of irradiating positions are set so that a straight line which connect through said plurality of irradiating positions extends in a direction corresponding to one of said main scanning direction and said subnscanning direction on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

4. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated onto said subject to which markers are attached to recognize a plurality of images of said markers which are obtained on said 2-dimensional radiation image, and an angle formed by a straight line, which connects through said plurality of images, and one of said main scanning direction and said sub-scanning direction is obtained.

5. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein a maximum distance Δ

max between a plurality of points formed on said 2-dimensional radiation image by a radiant ray which has been irradiated from a plurality of irradiating positions and has passed through one point inside said subject, respective pluralities of points corresponding to each point inside said subject on said 2-dimensional radiation image are evaluated within said maximum distance Δ

max, and said 3-dimensional pixel data is obtained based on respective 2-dimensional pixel data obtained from said respective pluralities of points.

6. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 5, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated to said subject to which markers are attached at a radiation irradiation side thereof, a plurality of images of said markers obtained on said 2-dimensional radiation image are recognized, and said maximum distance Δ

max is set according to distances among said plurality of images.

7. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 5, a plurality of points having the same pixel value which exist within said maximum distance Δ

max with a specified permissible difference are regarded as a plurality of candidate points corresponding to the specified points in said subject, and said plurality of points corresponding to said specified points are found by recognizing a continuity of these candidate points on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

8. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 7, a representative pixel value of a plurality of pixels which exist within specified regions around respective pixels on said 2-dimensional radiation image is regarded as a base pixel value for said respective pixels and said continuity is recognized based on a differential component between the pixel values of respective pixels and said base pixel value.

9. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 5, a smoothing processing is given to said 2-dimensional radiation image based on said 2-dimensional pixel data for obtaining pluralities of points corresponding to respective points in said subject on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

10. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 9, wherein said smoothing processing differs with each region on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

11. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein a desired tomographic image of said subject is generated according to said 3-dimensional image data and displayed.

12. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein an image of said subject projected in a desired direction is generated according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

13. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in a case that said subject is an alive subject whose bone is partly cut away, an image of said subject projected in a desired direction is generated according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

14. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in a case that said subject is an alive subject, a pixel value of a bone of said subject is obtained according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

15. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of 2-dimensional images which are projected in directions differing from one another as much as an angle corresponding to a parallax are generated and displayed.

16. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of a silver halide film and an accelerated phosphorescence fluorescent is used as a radiation sensor for obtaining said 2-dimensional radiation image.

17. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images comprising a step for obtaining at least one 2-dimensional radiation image of a subject carried by a radiant ray which has passed through a subject is obtained by irradiating a radiant ray from a plurality of positions, which differ from one another, toward said subject;

a step for obtaining 2-dimensional pixel data which denotes pixel values at respective points on said 2-dimensional radiation image by repeatedly scanning an image in a main scanning direction which intersects a sub-scanning direction while sequentially moving in said specified sub-scanning direction on this 2-dimensional radiation image; and

a step for obtaining 3-dimensional pixel data which denotes the pixel values corresponding to 3-dimensional points inside said subject based on the 2-dimensional pixel data,

wherein said 2-dimensional radiation image is one 2-dimensional radiation image obtained by sequentially irradiating a radiant ray toward said subject from a plurality of irradiating positions which differ from one another.

18. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated to said subject whose parts other than a part from which said 3-dimensional image data is desired are covered with a radiation shield.

19. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein said plurality of irradiating positions are set so that a straight line which connect through said plurality of irradiating positions extends in a direction corresponding to one of said main scanning direction and said sub-scanning direction on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

20. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated onto said subject to which markers are attached to recognize a plurality of images of said markers which are obtained on said 2-dimensional radiation image, and an angle formed by a straight line, which connects through said plurality of images, and one of said main scanning direction and said sub-scanning direction is obtained.

21. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein a maximum distance Δ

max between a plurality of points formed on said 2-dimensional radiation image by a radiant ray which has been irradiated from a plurality of irradiating positions and has passed through one point inside said subject, respective pluralities of points corresponding to each point inside said subject on said 2-dimensional radiation image are evaluated within said maximum distance Δ

max, and said 3-dimensional pixel data is obtained based on respective 2-dimensional pixel data obtained from said respective pluralities of points.

22. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 21, wherein the radiant ray is irradiated to said subject to which markers are attached at a radiation irradiation side thereof, a plurality of images of said markers obtained on said 2-dimensional radiation image are recognized, and said maximum distance Δ

max is set according to distances among said plurality of images.

23. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 21, a plurality of points having the same pixel value which exist within said maximum distance Δ

max with a specified permissible difference are regarded as a plurality of candidate points corresponding to the specified points in said subject, and said plurality of points corresponding to said specified points are found by recognizing a continuity of these candidate points on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

24. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 23, a representative pixel value of a plurality of pixels which exist within specified regions around respective pixels on said 2-dimensional radiation image is regarded as a base pixel value for said respective pixels and said continuity is recognized based on a differential component between the pixel values of respective pixels and said base pixel value.

25. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 21, a smoothing processing is given to said 2-dimensional radiation image based on said 2-dimensional pixel data for obtaining pluralities of points corresponding to respective points in said subject on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

26. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 25, wherein said smoothing processing differs with each region on said 2-dimensional radiation image.

27. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein a desired tomographic image of said subject is generated according to said 3-dimensional image data and displayed.

28. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein an image of said subject projected in a desired direction is generated according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

29. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein, in a case that said subject is an alive subject whose bone is partly cut away, an image of said subject projected in a desired direction is generated according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

30. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein, in a case that said subject is an alive subject, a pixel value of a bone of said subject is obtained according to said 3-dimensional pixel data and displayed.

31. A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein a plurality of 2-dimensional images which are projected in directions differing from one another as much as an angle corresponding to a parallax are generated and displayed.

32. (NEW) A method for generating 3-dimensional radiation images in accordance with claim 17, wherein one of a silver halide film and an accelerated phosphorescence fluorescent is used as a radiation sensor for obtaining said 2-dimensional radiation image.