Method for canceling impact of physical property variability on image quality performance of digital imaging system

• US 7,903,839 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agfa Nv (Agfa-Gevaert N.V.)
• Original Assignee: AGFA Healthcare NV (Agfa-Gevaert N.V.)
• Inventors: Cresens, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker; Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roz; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/428,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20070009096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 378/207
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms

Abstract

A method for canceling the impact of the physical property variability on the image quality performance of a digital imaging system, obtained during quality control (QC) analysis using a serial numbered quality control (QC) target by applying physical property deviation controlled behavior model corrections to the raw image quality performance. The serial numbered QC-target used for the QC analysis comprises target-specific, measured physical property data encoded in- or outside of QC-target.

Claims

1. Method for canceling the impact of the physical property variability of quality control targets on the image quality performance of a digital imaging system comprising:

obtaining image data for quality control analysis of a first quality control target identified by a unique serial number;

determining raw image quality performance parameters for the image data;

obtaining quality control target specific physical property data for the first quality control target by reference to its unique serial number, the quality control target specific physical property data characterizing deviations in physical properties between the first quality control target and a second reference quality control target;

obtaining behavior models for the image quality performance parameters under analysis;

obtaining image quality performance acceptance criteria;

generating physical property neutralized image quality performance parameters by correcting the raw image quality performance parameters using the behavior models and the quality control target specific physical property data to correct for differences between the first quality control target and the second reference quality control target;

comparing the physical property neutralized image quality performance parameters to the image quality performance acceptance criteria to determine the image quality performance of the digital imaging system; and

taking images of objects with the digital imaging system.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said image data for quality control analysis are obtained by X-ray exposure of the first quality control target in a computed radiography (CR) or direct radiography system (DR).

3. Method according to claim 1 wherein said raw image quality performance parameters are calculated using image quality analysis algorithms on relevant image data available within the image data of the first quality control target.

4. Method according to claim 1 wherein said quality control target specific physical property data are available as patterns inside the image data itself that are detected, extracted and decoded by dedicated algorithms.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein said quality control target specific physical property data are available as hard- and/or software scannable and/or decodable patterns on a serial-number label adhered to the first quality control target.

6. Method according to claim 1 wherein said quality control target specific physical property data are available as hard- and/or software readable and decodable data stored in a non-volatile memory device attached in- or outside the first quality control target.

7. Method according to claim 1 wherein said quality control target specific physical property data are linked to the serial number and are available as data that are stored and that are accessible in an external, persistent repository.

8. Method according to claim 1 wherein said behavior models include mathematical equations or statistically processed result-measurements performed with several type-identical quality control targets comprising materials with measured physical properties.

9. Method according to claim 1 wherein said image quality performance acceptance criteria are established for a nominal image acquisition system in combination with the second reference quality control target.

10. Method according to claim 1 further comprising creating a quality control analysis report.

11. Method for canceling the impact of the physical property variability of quality control targets on the image quality performance of a digital imaging system comprising:

obtaining image data for quality control analysis of a first quality control target;

determining raw image quality performance parameters for the image data;

obtaining quality control target specific physical property data for the first quality control target, the quality control target specific physical property data characterizing deviations in physical properties between the first quality control target and a second reference quality control target;

obtaining behavior models for the image quality performance parameters under analysis;

obtaining image quality performance acceptance criteria;

generating physical property neutralized image quality performance parameters by correcting the raw image quality performance parameters using the behavior models and the quality control target specific physical property data to correct for differences between the first quality control target and the second reference quality control target;

comparing the physical property neutralized image quality performance parameters to the image quality performance acceptance criteria to determine the image quality performance of the digital imaging system; and

taking images of objects with the digital imaging system.

12. Method according to claim 11 wherein said image data for quality control analysis are obtained by X-ray exposure of the first quality control target in a computed radiography (CR) or direct radiography system (DR).

13. Method according to claim 11 wherein said raw image quality performance parameters are calculated using image quality analysis algorithms on relevant image data available within the image data of the first quality control target.

14. Method according to claim 11 wherein said quality control target specific physical property data are available as patterns inside the image data itself that are detected, extracted and decoded by dedicated algorithms.

15. Method according to claim 11 wherein said behavior models include mathematical equations or statistically processed result-measurements performed with several type-identical quality control targets comprising materials with measured physical properties.