KR20200033419A - Method and Apparatus for x-ray imaging, computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are an X-ray imaging method, an X-ray imaging device and a computer-readable recording medium. The method for performing X-ray imaging on the head of a patient in an X-ray imaging device including a camera comprises the steps of: acquiring a first camera image by imaging one side of the head of a patient by using a camera; extracting position information of one or more feature parts of the head of the patient based on the acquired first camera image and head shape information of a person; aligning the head of the patient to a reference position for X-ray imaging based on the extracted position information of the feature parts; and performing X-ray imaging on the aligned head of the patient.

Description

Method and Apparatus for x-ray imaging, computer-readable recording medium}

The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging method, an X-ray imaging apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium.

The X-ray imaging apparatus, which is widely used in the medical technology field, irradiates an X-ray to a human body and acquires an image of the inside of the human body. Through this, an abnormality in the human body is detected.

In particular, among X-ray imaging devices, a panoramic imaging device mainly used in dentistry can generate images of teeth and alveolar bones, which are objects for image generation, in one two-dimensional plane, so as to determine the prognosis of orthodontic treatment, and the state of tooth extraction. It is useful for a variety of diagnostic purposes, such as checking the alveolar bone height.

Also, among the X-ray imaging devices, dental CT imaging devices are very helpful in grasping the state of the anatomical structures such as the thickness of the alveolar bone and the location of major nerves for implantation.

As described above, an X-ray imaging apparatus used for diagnostic purposes in dentistry is generally a sensor that irradiates X-rays generated from a generator and reaches X-rays that reach the X-rays with or without partially transmitting the body of the examinee. It is received through. Then, the received X-rays are converted into electrical signals to obtain projection data. In particular, such an X-ray imaging apparatus may generate electrical signals necessary for generating X-ray image data by continuously irradiating and receiving X-rays while rotating the generator and the detector around a rotation axis.

For such X-ray imaging, it is necessary to first align the posture of the examinee.

In general, the examinee will hold the handle and fix the chin to the pedestal when shooting. In addition, for stable posture fixation, the examinee may be biting the bite block with his teeth. However, if a bite block is used as a reference point depending on the oral cavity shape of the anterior part of the examinee, a difference between the preselected archery trajectory and the trajectory of the examinee may occur. And it will do the alignment of the examinee to correct the actual trajectory of the examinee.

Specifically, the laser beam is irradiated to the head of the examinee, and the feature of the head of the examinee determines whether the laser beam is irradiated and aligned with a reference line formed on the surface of the head of the examinee. Representative examples of such features are the canine (canine) of the examinee or the Frankfurt line (the line connecting the lower part of the eye with the nostril).

However, in the case of the examinee, there may be cases where the canine is not visible from the side of the person with a small mouth. In this case, it is inevitable to estimate the position of the canine and roughly align with the laser reference line, thereby causing distortion such as enlargement or reduction of the image.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically align the established archery trajectory and the actual archery trajectory easily, and through this, an X-ray imaging method and X-ray imaging to minimize distortion of the image. It is to provide a computer-readable recording medium in which a device and a computer program are recorded.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient alternative means for aligning the pendulum even when alignment with a laser beam is difficult.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a more accurate method for determining the alignment of a pendulum according to real-time accumulation and updating of data.

A method of performing X-ray imaging of the head of an examinee in an X-ray imaging apparatus including the camera of the present invention for achieving the above object, acquires a first camera image by photographing one side of the head of the examinee with the camera To do; Extracting location information of one or more features of the head of the examinee based on the acquired first camera image and shape information of the head of a person; Aligning the head of the examinee with a reference location for the X-ray imaging based on the location information of the extracted feature; And X-ray photographing the aligned tofu head.

In addition, the shape information preferably includes a plurality of shape markers located on any one or more of the surface and the inside of the head of the person.

Furthermore, the feature part is a canine, and the shape mark may include information on any one or more of the position of the chin of the head of the person, the position of the lip height and the position of the mouth, and the position information of the canine of the head of the person. have.

On the other hand, the feature portion is a Frankfurt line, and the shape mark includes information on any one or more of the position of the ear of the head of the person, the position of the eye and the position of the nose, and the position information of the Frankfurt line of the person's head Can be done with

And, it is preferable that the shape information is obtained from the head of the examinee.

In addition, it is preferable that the shape information is obtained from a plurality of tofu other than the tofu head.

In addition, the shape information is characterized in that the information obtained by averaging the information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information.

Meanwhile, the shape information is preferably obtained through artificial intelligence learning using information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information as an input value.

In addition, the method of taking the X-ray may include: capturing and storing a second camera image by photographing one side of the aligned head of the patient with the camera; Obtaining information of the head of the examinee corresponding to the shape information from the stored second camera image; And updating the shape information through artificial intelligence learning by adding the obtained information on the head of the examinee to the input value.

In addition, the shape information is preferably obtained from any one or more of a three-dimensional CT image of the head of the person and a camera image of one side of the head of the person.

In addition, the X-ray imaging apparatus further includes a byte block, and further comprising the step of acquiring the position of the anterior teeth of the head of the examinee in the byte block, wherein extracting location information of the feature comprises: the first camera image. , It is preferable to extract the location information of the feature based on the shape information and the location of the anterior teeth.

X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object, a camera for acquiring a first camera image by photographing one side of the head of the patient; A storage unit that stores shape information of a human head; A control unit extracting location information of one or more features of the head of the examinee based on the acquired first camera image and the shape information; An alignment unit that aligns the head of the examinee with a reference position for X-ray imaging based on the location information of the extracted feature; And an X-ray imaging unit for X-ray imaging the aligned head of the examinee.

In addition, the feature part is a canine, and the shape information includes one or more information of a position of a chin, a lip height and a position of the head of the person and a position information of a canine of the person's head. desirable.

In addition, the feature part is the Frankfurt line, and the shape information includes one or more information of the position of the ear hole of the person's head, the position of the eye and the position of the nose, and the position information of the Frankfurt line of the person's head desirable.

Further, the shape information may be obtained through artificial intelligence learning using information corresponding to a shape of a plurality of heads other than the head of the examinee as an input value.

In addition, the camera acquires a second camera image by photographing one side of the aligned head of the pendulum, and the controller acquires information of the head of the pendulum corresponding to the shape information from the acquired second camera image. And, it is possible to update the shape information through artificial intelligence learning by adding the obtained information of the head of the examinee to the input value.

Meanwhile, a computer program for performing the X-ray imaging method may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to easily automatically and automatically set a set of archery trajectories and an actual archery trajectory, thereby minimizing image distortion.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an efficient alternative means for aligning the pendulum even when alignment with a laser beam is difficult.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, another object of the present invention can provide a more accurate method of determining the pendulum alignment according to real-time accumulation and update of data.

1 is an exemplary view showing an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view showing a state in which an examinee is aligned in an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating an X-ray imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a schematic diagram for explaining features according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an X-ray imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following merely illustrates the principles of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art may implement various principles included in the concept and scope of the present invention and implement the principles of the present invention, although not explicitly described or illustrated in the present specification. In addition, all conditional terms and examples listed in this specification are intended to be expressly intended only for the purpose of understanding the concept of the present invention in principle, and should be understood as not limited to the specifically listed examples and states. do.

In addition, it should be understood that all detailed descriptions that list the principles, aspects and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific embodiments, are intended to include structural and functional equivalents of these matters. It should also be understood that these equivalents include all currently invented equivalents as well as equivalents to be developed in the future, ie all devices invented to perform the same function regardless of structure.

Thus, for example, it is to be understood that the flow charts herein represent conceptual views of exemplary circuits embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, all flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo-codes, etc. are understood to represent various processes performed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processor is clearly depicted, which may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium. Should be.

The functionality of the various elements shown in the figures, including a processor or functional block marked with a similar concept, may be provided by the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in connection with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functionality may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared.

Also, the clear use of terms presented in terms of processors, controls, or similar concepts should not be interpreted exclusively by reference to hardware capable of executing software, and without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, ROM for storing software. It should be understood as implicitly including (ROM), RAM and non-volatile memory. Other hardware for governors may also be included.

In the claims of the present specification, elements expressed as means for performing the functions described in the detailed description include all types of software including, for example, combinations of circuit elements performing the above functions, firmware / micro code, and the like. It is intended to include all methods of performing a function, and is combined with appropriate circuitry for executing the software to perform the function. The present invention, as defined by these claims, is equivalent to that any means capable of providing such functions are understood from this specification, since the functions provided by the various listed means are combined and combined with the manner required by the claims. It should be understood as.

The above objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent through the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the technical spirit of the present invention. There will be. In addition, in the description of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an exemplary view showing an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 of the present invention is an apparatus for generating an X-ray image including the shape of an anatomical structure of a patient's body, and includes a dental panoramic imaging device or a dental CT imaging device. It can take the form.

That is, the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pedestal 190, a support pillar 185, a monitor 175, a gantry 130, a handle 195, and a head unit 180 ). The supporter 190 is configured to face the bottom surface on which the device 10 is installed in order to support the standing of the X-ray imaging apparatus 10, and the support pillar 185 stands vertically from the supporter 190 and slides. The height can also be adjusted in this way. The monitor 175 is a configuration that allows a user to check the use of the device 10 (eg, rotation of the gantry, starting and ending CT imaging, etc.). The gantry 130 may be located below the head portion 180 above the device 10.

2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2, the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an X-ray imaging unit 100, a control unit 140, a storage unit 150, an alignment unit 160, and a camera 170 ) By default.

Also, the X-ray imaging unit 100 may include a generator unit 110 and a gantry 130 to which the sensor unit 120 is attached. The generator part 110 and the sensor part 120 may be attached to both ends of a rotating means called a gantry 130. The gantry 130 may rotate around a rotation axis forming a straight line in the vertical direction perpendicular to the bottom surface on which the device 100 is installed. As the gantry 130 rotates, the sensor unit 120 can also perform a rotational movement around the rotation axis.

The alignment unit 160 may further include at least one of a chin-nest 161 and a bite block 163. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bib 161 is a part where the examinee 400 bites the chin. In addition, the bite block 163 is a part that the examinee 400 can bite into a tooth. The main use of the bite block 163 is also to align the posture of the head of the examinee 400.

3 is an exemplary view showing a state in which an examinee is aligned in an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3, for alignment of the pendulum, the length direction of the gantry 130 may be set to coincide with the left and right directions of the head 400 of the pendulum. The camera 170 may be attached to the generator 110 to photograph one side of the head 400 of the examinee.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an X-ray imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 including the camera 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the method for performing X-ray imaging of the head 400 of the patient may include the camera ( 170) acquiring a first camera image by photographing one side of the head 400 of the examinee (S100); Extracting location information of one or more features of the examinee head 400 based on the acquired first camera image and shape information of the head of the person (S200); Aligning the head of the examinee 400 with a reference location for X-ray imaging based on the extracted location information of the feature (S300); And X-ray photographing the aligned tofu head 400 (S400).

The person may be one or more persons other than the subject, the subject of the X-ray imaging. In addition, when it is desired to utilize the existing data of the examinee, the examinee may be the person or included in the person.

It is preferable that the shape information is stored in advance. To this end, the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 preferably includes a storage unit 150 for such storage.

Preferably, the shape information includes a plurality of shape marks located on any one or more of the surface and the inside of the head of the person. The shape marker may be any one or more of coordinates, angles, and lengths, or combinations thereof, which form representative characteristics of the head of a person, that is, a representative characteristic that may represent appearance.

5 is a schematic diagram for explaining features according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first camera image may be a side image of the head 400 of the examinee as shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the feature part is a canine 410a, and the shape mark is any one or more information of the position of the chin of the head of the person, the height of the lips and the position of the mouth and the head of the person. Location information of the canine 410a may be included.

When looking at a person's side face, the root part of the anterior teeth and the longitudinal center of the canine 410a generally coincide. Accordingly, the canine 410a can represent the position of the arch arch trajectory, and may be a main feature for the alignment of the head 400 of the patient in dental X-ray imaging to photograph the arch.

In addition, the feature part is the Frankfurt line 410b, and the shape mark is one or more information of the position of the ear of the head of the person, the position of the eye and the position of the nose, and the position information of the Frankfurt line 410b of the person's head It may include. The Frankfurt line 410b may be a line connecting the ear hole and the lower part of the eye.

The Frankfurt line 410b on the person's side face may be another important feature in that it can indicate whether the tilted angle, that is, the tilting angle is appropriate, as well as the position of the head 400 of the examinee.

And, it is preferable that the shape information is obtained from the head 400 of the examinee.

In addition, the shape information may be obtained from a plurality of tofu other than the examinee tofu 400.

In addition, the shape information is characterized in that the information obtained by averaging the information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information. Here, the arithmetic operation means that the numerical information such as dimensions and coordinates of each head is grouped with corresponding ones in each head, and then averaging them.

In addition, the corresponding in the present invention may mean a correspondence between identical features in different heads. That is, the height of the nose of the head A and the height of the nose of the head B are "correspondence".

Meanwhile, the shape information may be obtained through artificial intelligence learning using information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information as an input value.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the artificial intelligence learning means may be implemented by a deep neural network (DNN). However, it is not limited thereto. Deep neural network (DNN) may mean an artificial neural network (ANN) including a plurality of hidden layers between an input layer and an output layer. Deep neural networks have the advantage of being able to model complex nonlinear relationships by learning various nonlinear relationships, including the multiple hidden layers.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an X-ray imaging method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, in the method of performing X-ray imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention, a second camera image is obtained by photographing one side of the aligned head 400 of the patient with the camera 170 Storing (S500); Obtaining information of the head portion 400 corresponding to the shape information from the stored second camera image (S600); And updating the shape information through learning of the examinee tofu 400 by adding the obtained information of the examinee tofu 400 to the input value (S700).

As described above, it is possible to continuously and efficiently update the shape information by continuously collecting data for generating shape information during X-ray imaging and using it as an input value of artificial intelligence learning.

In addition, the shape information is preferably obtained from any one or more of a three-dimensional CT image of the head of the person and a camera image of one side of the head of the person.

When using a 3D CT image, not only the surface of the head of a person, but also a shape index existing inside the head can be utilized, and thus it is possible to determine whether more accurate shape information is stored and aligned. In addition, there is an advantage that unnecessary radiation can be excluded when using a camera image.

In addition, the X-ray imaging apparatus 10 further includes a byte block 163, and further comprising the step of acquiring the position of the anterior teeth of the head 400 of the examinee in the byte block. In the extracting of the location information, it is preferable to extract location information of a feature based on the location of the first camera image, the shape information, and the anterior teeth.

That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to obtain the position of the anterior teeth as described above by arranging the pressure point sensors in the byte block 163.

X-ray imaging apparatus 10 of the present invention for achieving the above object is, as shown in Figure 2, the camera 170 to obtain a first camera image by photographing one side of the head 400 of the examinee; A storage unit 150 for storing shape information of a human head; A control unit 140 for extracting location information of one or more features of the head portion 400 based on the acquired first camera image and the shape information; An alignment unit 160 that aligns the head 400 of the examinee with a reference position for X-ray imaging based on the location information of the extracted feature; And it characterized in that it comprises an X-ray imaging unit 100 for X-ray imaging the aligned head portion 400.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the alignment unit 160 may further include at least one of a chin-nest 161 and a bite block 163. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bib 161 is a part where the examinee 400 bites the chin. In addition, the bite block 163 is a part that the examinee 400 can bite into a tooth. The main use of the bite block 163 is also to align the posture of the head of the examinee 400.

In addition, the storage unit 150 may store data and may be a computer-readable medium, specifically, a recording device such as a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, etc. It can be implemented including.

In addition, the feature part is a canine 410a, and the shape information includes information on any one or more of the position of the chin of the head of the person, the height of the lips and the position of the mouth and the canine 410a of the person's head. It is desirable to include location information.

In addition, the feature part is the Frankfurt line 410b, and the shape information includes any one or more information of the position of the ear of the head of the person, the position of the eye, and the position of the nose and the Frankfurt line 410b of the person's head. It is desirable to include location information.

In addition, the shape information may be obtained through artificial intelligence learning using information corresponding to shapes of a plurality of heads other than the examinee head 400 as an input value.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the artificial intelligence learning means may be implemented by a deep neural network (DNN). However, it is not limited thereto. Deep neural network (DNN) may mean an artificial neural network (ANN) including a plurality of hidden layers between an input layer and an output layer.

In addition, the camera 170 acquires a second camera image by photographing one side of the aligned head portion 400, and the controller 140 is configured to access the shape information from the acquired second camera image. It is possible to acquire the corresponding information of the examinee head 400 and add the obtained information of the examinee head 400 to the input value to update the shape information through artificial intelligence learning.

Meanwhile, a computer program for performing the X-ray imaging method may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

That is, the X-ray imaging method according to various embodiments of the present invention described above may be implemented as a computer program and provided to a server or devices in a state stored in various non-transitory computer readable media.

The non-transitory readable medium means a medium that stores data semi-permanently and that can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short time, such as registers, caches, and memory. Specifically, the various applications or programs described above may be stored and provided in a non-transitory readable medium such as a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, and the like.

In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. In addition, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

10: X-ray imaging apparatus 100: X-ray imaging unit
110: generator unit 120: sensor unit
130: gantry 140: control
150: storage unit 160: alignment unit
161: bib 163: byte block
170: camera 175: monitor
180: head portion 185: support pillar
190: stand 195: handle
400: Sujinja tofu 410a: canine
410b: Frankfurt Line

Claims (17)

In the X-ray imaging apparatus including a camera in the X-ray imaging of the head of the recipient,
Acquiring a first camera image by photographing one side of the head of the examinee with the camera;
Extracting location information of one or more features of the head of the examinee based on the acquired first camera image and shape information of the head of a person;
Aligning the head of the examinee with a reference location for the X-ray imaging based on the location information of the extracted feature; And
X-ray imaging method comprising the step of X-ray imaging the aligned head of the patient. According to claim 1,
The shape information comprises a plurality of shape markers located on any one or more of the surface and the inside of the head of the person X-ray imaging method, characterized in that. According to claim 2,
The feature is a canine,
The shape mark includes one or more pieces of information on the position of the head of the head of the person, the position of the lip height and the position of the mouth, and the position information of the canine of the head of the person. According to claim 2,
The feature is the Frankfurt line,
The shape mark includes at least one of the position of the ear of the head of the person, the position of the eye and the position of the nose, and the position information of the Frankfurt line of the head of the person. According to claim 1,
X-ray imaging method, characterized in that the shape information is obtained from the head of the examinee. According to claim 1,
X-ray imaging method, characterized in that the shape information is obtained from a plurality of tofu other than the head of the examinee. The method of claim 6,
The shape information is X-ray imaging method, characterized in that the information obtained by averaging the information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information. The method of claim 7,
The shape information, X-ray imaging method, characterized in that is obtained through artificial intelligence learning using the information of each of the plurality of heads corresponding to the shape information as an input value. The method of claim 8,
Acquiring and storing a second camera image by photographing one side of the aligned head of the patient with the camera;
Obtaining information of the head of the examinee corresponding to the shape information from the stored second camera image; And
And updating the shape information through artificial intelligence learning by adding the obtained information on the head of the examinee to the input value. According to claim 1,
The shape information,
X-ray imaging method, characterized in that obtained from any one or more of a three-dimensional CT image of the head of the person and a camera image of one side of the head of the person. According to claim 1,
The X-ray imaging apparatus further includes a byte block,
Further comprising the step of obtaining the position of the anterior teeth of the head of the recipient in the byte block,
Extracting the location information of the feature,
X-ray imaging method, characterized in that for extracting the location information of the feature based on the position of the first camera image, the shape information and the anterior teeth. A camera that acquires a first camera image by photographing one side of the head of the recipient;
A storage unit that stores shape information of a human head;
A control unit extracting location information of one or more features of the head of the examinee based on the acquired first camera image and the shape information;
An alignment unit that aligns the head of the examinee with a reference position for X-ray imaging based on the location information of the extracted feature; And
And an X-ray imaging unit configured to X-ray the aligned head of the examinee. The method of claim 12,
The feature is a canine,
The shape information, X-ray imaging apparatus, characterized in that it comprises one or more information of the position of the chin of the head of the person, the height of the lips and the position of the mouth and the position information of the canine of the head of the person. The method of claim 12,
The feature is the Frankfurt line,
The shape information, X-ray imaging apparatus, characterized in that it comprises the position information of any one or more of the position of the ear of the head of the person, the position of the eye and the position of the nose and the Frankfurt line of the person's head. The method of claim 12,
The shape information, X-ray imaging apparatus, characterized in that obtained through artificial intelligence learning using the information corresponding to the shape of a plurality of heads other than the head of the examinee as an input value. The method of claim 15,
The camera,
A second camera image is obtained by photographing one side of the aligned head of the examinee,
The control unit,
It is characterized in that the acquired second camera image acquires information of the head of the examinee corresponding to the shape information, and updates the shape information through artificial intelligence learning by adding the acquired head portion of the head to the input value. X-ray imaging device. A computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program for performing the X-ray imaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is recorded.

Images