System for quantitative radiographic imaging

Abstract

A system for spectroscopic imaging of bodily tissue in which a scintillation screen and a charged coupled device (CCD) are used to accurately image selected tissue. An x-ray source generates x-rays which pass through a region of a subject's body, forming an x-ray image which reaches the scintillation screen. The scintillation screen reradiates a apatial intensity pattern corresponding to the image, the pattern being detected by a CCD sensor. The image is digitized by the sensor and processed by a controller before being stored as an electronic image. Each image is directed onto an associated respective CCD or amorphous silicon detector to generate individual electronic representations of the separate images.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . An x-ray imaging device comprising: 
 a support surface that supports a region of interest of a patient to be imaged between an x-ray source and an x-ray conversion device, the conversion device having a first two-dimensional area and emitting a signal correlated with the received radiation, said signal extending across the first two-dimensional area; and    a solid state device having a two dimensional array of pixels and generating an electronic representation of the region of interest, the signal received at the array of pixels extending across a second two-dimensional area.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the first and second two-dimensional areas have the same dimensions.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a display that displays the electronic representation of the region of interest.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a frame holding the source and the solid state device in fixed relation to each other.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a data storage device that electronically stores the electronic representation of the region of interest.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a radiation source positioned above the patient whose tissue is being examined.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the solid state device comprises an integrated silicon circuit.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the array of pixels is larger than 512×512 pixels.  
     
     
         9 . An x-ray imaging device comprising: 
 a support surface that supports a region of interest of a patient to be imaged between an x-ray source and an x-ray detector, the detector including a solid state device having a two dimensional array of pixels and generating an electronic representation of the region of interest, the signal received at the array of pixels; and    a controller connected to the detector to control readout of image data to an electronic memory.    
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the detector comprises a cassette.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a display that displays the electronic representation of the region of interest.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a frame holding the source and the solid state device in fixed relation to each other.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a data storage device that electronically stores the electronic representation of the region of interest.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a radiation source positioned above the patient.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the solid state device comprises an integrated silicon circuit.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the array of pixels is larger than 512×512 pixels.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the detector includes an amorphous silicon sensor.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a fiber optic coupler.