Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

G.e. Medical Systems, S.a.

Andreas Rick

Serge Muller

Laurent Launay

Jean Lienard

Jean-Pierre Saladin

Elisabeth Soubelet

Régis Vaillant

Luc Miotti

Sylvie Bothorel

Sébastien Gicquel

Fran&ccedil;ois Nicolas

Sophie Seggar

Luc Mioitti

Francois Nicolas

Lauent Launay

Jean-Luc Baudry

A region of interest is selected in an input image, such as a digital or analog image form a mammography apparatus. Display parameters for the input image or a part thereof are determined as a function of the region of interest. The image or a part thereof is displayed using the determined parameters. Choosing display parameters as a function of the region of interest optimizes the display of the possible region of interest without any adjustment by the operator.

Method and apparatus for displaying images of an object

A method and apparatus for correcting the density of an image in radiography comprising an X-ray source, an image recording placed facing the source, and a support on which an object and surroundings to be X-rayed are intended to be positioned. The method comprises acquiring an image as a mask image; acquiring at least one image as an injected image after injecting a contrast agent into the object to be imaged; and determining corrected images of the mask image and of the injected image from acquisition parameters of the apparatus, from a composition of the imaged object and surroundings and from a composition of the injected contrast agent.

Method and apparatus for correcting the contrast density of a radiography image

A method and apparatus for reconstructing an image of an organ or body part from at least two images of the organ or body part taken using radiography in two positions of the organ or body part separated by a rolling movement of the organ or body part. The rolling movement of the organ or body part is determined between two positions, extracting motion vectors for the surface of the organ or body part, interpolating motion vectors between the motion vectors extracted, and reconstructing an image of the organ or body part. The method and apparatus allows the three-dimensional structure of the tissue to be reconstructed while reducing ambiguities due to the presence of a lesion overlaying the tissue.

Method and apparatus for reconstructing an image of an object

A method and device for sampling a fragment of tissue in which a contrast medium is injected into an organ to be examined and highlights parts containing that contrast medium in an image obtained by emitting a beam of X-rays. At least one pair of radiographic images is captured from a first position and a second position of an X-ray emitter during a phase of increasing attenuation due to the contrast medium. A specific area is identified from the pair of images in which a tissue fragment is to be sampled. The images of the pair of images are combined to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of the specific area.

Method and device for sampling tissue during a radiological examination

A mammography apparatus and method having an X-ray tube, an image receiver, the image receiver having one edge in contact with a patient, a compression paddle between the tube and the receiver, able to be moved up and down parallel to a direction of propagation of the X-rays, means for keeping the compression paddle in position in the radiation propagation direction, the compression paddle, in its compression position, being movable in at least one direction perpendicular to the direction of X-ray propagation and parallel to the contact edge of the image receiver. This allows a patient's breast to be rolled and presented to the image receiver in different positions thereby reducing ambiguities in possible detection of a lesion due to layers of tissue overlapping when images are taken.

Mammography apparatus and method

Method and apparatus for a radiographic image of an object obtained by a radiography apparatus containing an X-ray emitter, in which an anti-scatter grid placed between the object and a radiographic image receiver is displaced, on rectilinear translation in its plane, when acquiring the images, between a starting position and an arrival position, according to a time displacement law of reference, at a greater rate of displacement in proximity to a starting position and to the arrival position. A measurement of the energy received in the form of X-radiation by the receiver is used to modify the rate of displacement of the grid at every instant.

Method and apparatus for obtaining an image by radiography with an anti-scatter grid

The method comprises a histogram of the radiographed image, i.e., a real histogram, a mathematical model of the image chain and the object obtained by calibration. The mathematical model of the image chain and the object and a set of parameters of acquisition, of the detector, of the positioner and of the object are used to determine two values of gray level, gray min and gray max, delimiting a useful zone and the part below gray min and the part above gray max are suppressed in the real histogram, i.e., a limited histogram. A set of rules is applied to the limited histogram in order to determine the level of brightness (WL) and the contrast (WW) is obtained from the brightness and possibly from one or more parameters selected by the user or fixed a priori.

Method of automatic determination of the contrast and brightness of a digital radiographic image

Method and apparatus for examination of a breast, in which a contrast medium is injected in the breast to be examined, an X-ray beam is emitted in the direction of the breast; a plurality of digital images of the X-ray beam is taken after it has crossed the breast, and a representative image of the contrast produced in the tissues of the breast is calculated from the digital images.

Method and apparatus for radiological examination by injection of a contrast medium

A method of calibration for reconstructing three-dimensional models from images obtained by a tomography apparatus comprising a radiation detector and an X-ray source which can move with respect to the detector. In the method a set of markers are placed in the field of the X-rays and the positions of the projections of the markers onto the images acquired are processed so as to deduce from this the position of the source at the time of acquisitions, the markers being carried by one and the same support. The markers are fixed with respect to the support and the positions of the projections of the markers onto the images acquired are processed so as to deduce from this the position of the markers in space.

Method of calibration for reconstructing three-dimensional models from images obtained by tomograpy

Method of improved detection of elements of interest by means of a detection system in a digital radiographic image of an object, acquired on an acquisition chain, comprising a first calibration phase in which the performances of the detection system are established. For such purpose, a calibration curve with several dimensions is determined by means of a mathematical model of the acquisition chain and object, in order to express a false positive probability as a function of a set of parameters corresponding to the acquisition chain and object. In the course of a second phase of use, a false positive probability value is determined for each pixel of the image. One then selects among the pixels of the digital radiographic image acquired those whose probability value obtained satisfies a predetermined criterion.

Method for detection of elements of interest in a digital radiographic image

Method and apparatus and computer programs and computer medium for improving quality of a radiographic image of an object obtained by an X-ray apparatus containing an antidiffusion grid, placed between the object and a receiver of radiographic images, The grid is displaced in rectilinear translation in its plane on pickup of the image, between two positions according to a time displacement law which is a continuous curve with a time precision of approximately &plusmn;10% presenting at least five separate parts, the displacement taking place at constant speed over at least two parts and at variable speed over at least one part.

Method and apparatus for radiographic imaging having an antidiffusion grid

Method and apparatus for medical radiology and, in particular, galactography in the field of mammography. The method of obtaining radiological images in galactography comprises acquiring of a first radiological image of the breast in a compressed state: introducing a contrast medium in a part of the breast; acquiring at least a second radiological image of the breast in the compressed state and with contrast medium; and partial or complete subtraction of the first image in relation to the second image, or vice versa. An apparatus for use of the method comprises means for maintaining a breast compressed or immobilized and means for holding a catheter or the like for introducing a contrast medium in the breast.

Method and apparatus for mammography

Method and system for compensating for the thickness of an organ in a radiology instrument, in which an image of the radiological thicknesses of the organ through which the X-ray beam has passed is calculated on the basis of a digitized image, the thickness image is filtered using a low-pass filter in order to obtain a low-frequency image, the low-frequency image is subtracted from the radiological thickness image in order to obtain a contrast image, the low-frequency image is processed using a pre-recorded table taking into account a contract &khgr; selected by a user in order to obtain an image with reduced dynamic range, and the image with reduced dynamic range is added to the contrast image in order to obtain a compensated thickness image, the pixels having a level below or above a predetermined threshold being returned at least to the value of the threshold, while preserving the differences and real ratios between the anatomical structures.

Method and system of compensation of thickness of an organ

The movement of an anti-scatter grid in a radiography apparatus is a continuous curve having point symmetry with respect to the point whose time coordinate is equal to half the exposure time, and for which the space derivative of the time variable has two linear portions which are symmetrical with respect to a symmetry axis passing through the middle of the range of movement of the grid. The grid is moved with a high rate of movement close to the starting position and the end position.

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Schwerte, Germany

Andreas Rick