Automated apparatus to improve image quality in x-ray and associated method of use

Abstract

A system or method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray, which includes a depth sensing device to measure a depth of at least one body part of a patient from the depth sensing device and a control unit to calculate a thickness and/or circumference of the body part using the depth information. The calculated thickness and circumference information is used to determine an optimal level of x-ray exposure for the body part. The system or method also includes a camera to identify the body part that needs to be examined and to detect any motion of the identified body part.

1 . A system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging comprising:
 an x-ray tube emitting x-rays;   a depth sensing device measuring a depth of at least one body part of a patient, wherein the depth represents a distance between the depth sensing device and the body part;   a control unit comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores depth reference data that represents the distance between the depth sensing device and the body part, wherein the depth reference data is used to calculate one of a thickness of the body part and a circumference of the body part, wherein the calculated thickness or circumference is used to determine an optimal level of x-ray exposure to the at least one body part of a patient in real time;   a camera configured to obtain a depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient; and   a display device configured to simultaneously display the depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient based on an input signal from the camera.   
     
     
         2 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit also utilizes dose information, exposure data, and technique information, to determine the optimal level of x-ray exposure to the at least one body part of a patient in real time and the depth image view includes a depth map of objects in a field of view of the camera. 
     
     
         3 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 1 , wherein the x-ray tube, the control unit, and the depth sensor are components in a CT scanner. 
     
     
         4 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 1 , wherein the real-time optimal level of x-ray exposure for the body part is utilized for determining a patient geometry during a fluoroscopy, wherein the patient geometry is further used for determining at least one of a patient entrance exposure and a peak skin dose. 
     
     
         5 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to generate technique selection that enables a user to control the x-ray tube to emit an optimal amount of x-rays for the body part based on the thickness or circumference of the body part in relation to the real time optimal level of x-ray exposure for the body part, wherein the technique selection comprises at least one of the following parameters used to control the x-ray tube: kilovoltage, milliamperage, seconds, grid, focal spot, source-image distance (SID) geometry, and filtration. 
     
     
         6 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 5 , wherein the technique selection is generated automatically by the control unit. 
     
     
         7 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 1 , wherein data representing the thickness or circumference of the body part is formatted in accordance with a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, wherein the thickness or circumference data is configured to be inserted into one of a header field of a DICOM object, and further comprising enabling, with the control unit is configured to enable the user to perform quality control of the amount of x-rays emitted based on at least the thickness or circumference data, and wherein the control unit is configured to display the thickness or circumference data on the display device. 
     
     
         8 . A method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging comprising:
 measuring a depth of at least one body part of a patient with a depth sensing device, wherein the depth represents a distance between the depth sensing device and the body part;   storing depth reference data in a memory associated with a control unit, wherein the depth reference data represents the depth of the body part;   calculating one of a thickness of the body part and a circumference of the body part using the depth reference data;   determining a real time optimal level of x-ray exposure of the body part using one of the thicknesses of the body part and the circumference of the body part in combination with one or more of dose information, exposure data, and technique information;   utilizing a camera to obtain a depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient; and   utilizing a display device to simultaneously display the depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient based on an input signal from the camera.   
     
     
         9 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 8 , further comprising utilizing the control unit to determine the optimal level of x-ray exposure to the at least one body part of a patient in real time using dose information, exposure data, and technique information and utilizing the camera to create a depth map of objects in a field of view of the camera to form the depth image view. 
     
     
         10 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 8 , further comprising utilizing the x-ray tube, the control unit, and the depth sensor as components in a CT scanner. 
     
     
         11 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 8 , further comprising utilizing the patient geometry for determining at least one of a patient entrance exposure and a peak skin dose after the real-time optimal level of x-ray exposure for the body part determines a patient geometry during a fluoroscopy. 
     
     
         12 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 8 , further comprising configuring the control unit to generate a technique selection that enables a user to control the x-ray tube to emit an optimal amount of x-rays for the body part based on the thickness or circumference of the body part in relation to the real time optimal level of x-ray exposure for the body part, wherein the technique selection comprises at least one of the following parameters used to control the x-ray tube: kilovoltage, milliamperage, seconds, grid, focal spot, source-image distance (SID) geometry, and filtration. 
     
     
         13 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 12 , further comprising automatically generating the technique selection with the control unit. 
     
     
         14 . The method for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray according to  claim 8 , further comprising enabling with the control unit to enable the user to perform quality control of the amount of x-rays emitted based on at least the thickness or circumference data, and wherein the control unit is configured to display the thickness or circumference data on the electronic device, wherein data representing the thickness or circumference of the body part is formatted in accordance with a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, wherein the thickness or circumference data is configured to be inserted into one of a header field of a DICOM object. 
     
     
         15 . A system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging comprising:
 an x-ray tube emitting x-rays;   a depth sensing: device;   an image receptor;   a control unit comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores depth reference data that represents the distance between the depth sensing device and the image receptor, wherein the depth reference data is used to calculate one of a thickness of the body part and a circumference of the body part, wherein the calculated thickness or circumference is used to determine an optimal level of x-ray exposure to the at least one body part of a patient in real time:   a camera configured to obtain a depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient; and   a display device configured to simultaneously display the depth-image view of the at least one body part of a patient based on an input signal from the camera.   
     
     
         16 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 15 , wherein the camera with the control unit determines the edges of the image receptor to calculate the thickness of at least one body part of a patient. 
     
     
         17 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 15 , wherein the camera with the control unit determines the presence and position of at least Automatic Exposure Control (AEC). 
     
     
         18 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to alert a user if an identified body part is not centered , wherein the camera is configured to capture a plurality of frames of the patient’s body, where said control unit is configured to detect a motion of the patient by comparing at least one frame previously captured by the camera, and wherein the control unit is configured to alert the user if any motion is detected. 
     
     
         19 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to alert a user when a wrong body part of a patient is positioned between the x-ray tube and the image receptor. 
     
     
         20 . The system for improving quality in projection and tomographic x-ray imaging according to  claim 19 , wherein the thickness of the body part or a circumference of the body part are shown on the display device.