Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/46—Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient
  • A61B6/461—Displaying means of special interest
  • A61B6/463—Displaying means of special interest characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/08—Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/46—Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient
  • A61B6/467—Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient characterised by special input means
  • A61B6/469—Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient characterised by special input means for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/48—Diagnostic techniques
  • A61B6/488—Diagnostic techniques involving pre-scan acquisition
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/54—Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
  • A61B6/548—Remote control of the apparatus or devices

Definitions

• the invention relates to an assistance system and a method for the planning of imaging parameters that are used by a main imaging system, particularly by an X-ray device.
• the invention comprises an assistance system for the planning of geometrical imaging parameters which are used for the imaging of an object with a main imaging system and which are in a broad sense related to the geometry of the imaging process.
• the "main imaging system” may for example be an X-ray device, a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) or SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) device, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device, or an ultrasound (US) device.
• the assistance system comprises the following components:
• An image processing system comprising a display unit, wherein said image processing system is coupled to the aforementioned camera and furthermore adapted to display on said display unit a geometrically registered overlay of an optical image of the object generated by said camera and of a graphical representation of imaging parameters.
• the "geometrical registration" means that the geometrical data which are encoded by the geometrical imaging parameters are displayed at the correct corresponding locations in the optical image.
• the aforementioned assistance system has the advantage that it allows an observation and a selection of geometrical imaging parameters on a monitor with the help of a video image of the object. This is much easier and often also more accurate than the immediate setting of said parameters.
• the values of the geometrical imaging parameters that are graphically represented in the overlay may be theoretically available and/or actually chosen values. Preferably, available and actually set values are displayed simultaneously but distinct, for instance in different colors. Thus for example all available dose-measuring-fields can be indicated on the overlay image in grey while the currently activated measuring fields are shown in color or otherwise highlighted.
• the geometrical imaging parameters which can be planned with the help of the assistance system may particularly relate to at least one dose-measuring-field that is used for the dose control of an X-ray imaging system.
• the imaging parameters may for example define the location and/or size of the activated dose-measuring-field.
• the geometrical imaging parameters may relate to the setting of a collimator of an X-ray imaging system.
• the irradiated region of interest may be chosen by the medical staff from a remote location, e.g. from a shielded control room.
• the geometrical imaging parameters may furthermore relate to marks
• the image processing system comprises an input device like a touch screen, a keyboard or a mouse for the interactive setting of imaging parameters.
• the camera may in principle be arranged at any place from where it can generate the desired optical image of the object.
• the camera is optically coupled (e.g. via a mirror) into the optical path of the main imaging system, thus seeing the object from exactly the same perspective.
• the invention further relates to a method for the planning of geometrical imaging parameters that are used during the imaging of an object with a main imaging system, wherein said method comprises the following steps:
• the method comprises in general form the steps that can be executed with an assistance system of the kind described above. Therefore, reference is made to the preceding description for more information on the details, advantages and improvements of that method.
• values for the geometrical imaging parameters are interactively chosen with the help of the displayed overlay and then applied by the main imaging system.
• the use of the displayed overlay allows both a comfortable and accurate setting of the imaging parameters.
• the object and/or the main imaging system is repositioned according to the displayed overlay.
• an image processing software may be provided which recognizes the position of the object on the optical image and then automatically transfers the main imaging system into a position that correctly maps the region of interest.
• the invention comprises a record carrier, for example a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a compact disc (CD), on which a computer program for the planning of geometrical imaging parameters that are used during the imaging of an object with a main imaging system is stored, wherein said program is adapted to execute a method of the aforementioned kind.
• a record carrier for example a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a compact disc (CD)
• CD compact disc
• the left part of the Figure shows a conventional X-ray system 10 comprising an X-ray source 13, a collimator 12 with four shutters, and an X-ray detector 11.
• a (transparent drawn) patient table 2 with a patient 1 lying on it is disposed between the X-ray source 13 and the detector 11.
• X-ray projections of the chest of the patient 1 can be generated, wherein the exact location and size of the irradiated region of interest is determined by the position of the shutters in the collimator 12.
• the X-ray dose is controlled and limited by a ⁇
• the active measuring fields can be selected before an exposure depending on the region of interest to be X-rayed.
• the measuring fields are indicated by markings 3 on the surface of the X-ray detector 11.
• the markings are hardly visible and thus the correct selection of measuring fields and the correct positioning of the patient in relation to the markings is difficult. This often ends in wrong exposures with sub-optimal image quality which sometimes even have to be repeated, thus burdening the patient with additional dosage.
• an assistance system 20 for the planning of geometrical imaging parameters is proposed.
• Said assistance system 20 comprises a video camera 21 (e.g. a CCD camera) which is adapted to generate a digital optical image of the patient 1 on the table 2.
• said camera 21 is fixed to the collimator 12 at an angle of 90° with respect to the optical path of the X-ray system 10, wherein a mirror 14 (which is transparent for X-rays) deflects light rays coming in through the shutters of the collimator 12 towards the camera.
• a mirror 14 which is transparent for X-rays
• the camera 21 avoids errors due to a parallax that would arise with an arrangement of the camera parallel to the collimator/X-ray tube.
• the optical image of the camera 21 is transferred to the computer 25 (workstation) of an image processing system 22, wherein the computer is equipped with the conventional components like CPU, memory, I/O interfaces and the like together with appropriate software.
• the computer 25 is preferably also connected to the X-ray apparatus 10 in order to sense and/or set imaging parameters of the X-ray device 10 and for the processing of images generated by said device.
• the main function of the computer 25 is the display of an image 27 of the patient 1 that was taken by the camera 21 on the monitor 26 together with an overlay 28 that represents certain geometrical imaging parameters.
• the overlay 28 represents the location of dose-measuring-fields with respect to the patient 1 and left/right markers 30.
• the measuring fields and the markers can be displayed at the correct position because the geometrical relation between the camera 21 and the X-ray device 10 is assumed to be known, thus allowing a geometrically correct registration of the camera image 27 with geometrical parameter n
• the computer 25 may not only display the available measuring fields 28, but also indicate the currently selected or activated measuring field(s) 29.
• This active measuring field 29 may for example be shown in a different color or highlighted.
• the user may then interactively change or choose the activated measuring field 29 via the keyboard 23 or the mouse 24.
• the monitor 26 is built as a touch screen on which the user can manipulate graphical objects by simply touching them with a finger (e.g. activate a measuring field 29).
• the assistance system 20 can be used to set the position of virtual markers 30 which indicate the left and right side of the patient on the resulting X-ray image 27.
• the virtual markers 30 may for example be shifted on a touch screen with the fingers to a target location, from which they are transferred to the corresponding location on the digital X-ray image 27 that is generated by the detector 11.
• the assistance system 20 may also be used to monitor and/or set the shutter positions of the collimator 12. In this case, the currently chosen radiation field would be indicated on the optical image 27 of the patient 1. This enables a setting of correctly positioned shutters in a comfortable and accurate way that is new in this area (only for radiotherapy an overlay of the calculated radiation area to a CT image was described in JP 63294839 A2).

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Apparatus For Radiation Diagnosis (AREA)
• Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)

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Cited By (8)

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• 2005
  • 2005-09-29 EP EP05789053A patent/EP1799109A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-09-29 US US11/576,530 patent/US7494276B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-09-29 WO PCT/IB2005/053216 patent/WO2006038165A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-09-29 CN CN200580034021.4A patent/CN101035466A/zh active Pending
  • 2005-09-29 JP JP2007534165A patent/JP2008515476A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (6)

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