General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Baojun Li

Jiang Hsieh

Gopal Biligeri Avinash

Stephen Wayne Metz

Jean-Baptiste Thibault

Rowland F Saunders

Peter Michael Edic

Bruno Kristiaan Bernard De Man

Bernhard Erich Hermann Claus

John Michael Sabol

Renuka Uppaluri

Roy-Arnulf Helge Nilsen

Xianfeng Ni

John Lawrence Seamans

Kenny Kishan Israni

Thomas L Toth

Jeffrey Wayne Eberhard

Xiaoye Wu

Jed Douglas Pack

Darin Robert Okerlund

Anne Lindsay Hall

Abdelaziz Ikhlef

Chad Allan Smith

Naveen Stephan Chandra

Xiangyang Tang

Paavana Sainath

Ron Kent Hockersmith

Vianney Pierre Battle

Tabb A Patz

Yaxi Shen

John M Sandrik

Mary Sue Kulpins

Carson Hale Thomas

Abdulrahman Abdallah Al-Khalidy

Brian D Johnston

Peter S Crandall

Tammy Michael Merisotis

Yogesh Srinivas

Gerald Paul Schulte

Steven W Metz

Roy-Amulf Helge Nilsen

A system, method, and apparatus includes a computed tomography (CT) system having a rotatable gantry, an x-ray source, a generator, a detector having pixels and positioned to receive x-rays, and a computer. The computer is programmed to acquire CT data representative of an object, determine a first subset of the CT data, determine a second subset of the CT data, and determine a difference between the first and second subsets of the CT data to identify a motion region in the object. The computer is also programmed to update image data reconstructed from a first portion of the first subset of the CT data and corresponding to the region and reconstruct an image based on the updated image data and non-updated image data. The non-updated image data is reconstructed from a second portion the first subset of the CT data.

System and method of increasing temporal resolution of an X-ray image

An imaging system includes a two-dimensional detector having a plurality of cells wherein each cell is configured to detect energy or signal passing through an object. The imaging system includes a computer programmed to acquire imaging data for the plurality of cells, identify a cell to be corrected, based on the imaging data, interpolate Iand Ifor the identified cell based on neighbor cells, and calculate local gradients gand gbetween the identified cell and its neighbor cells based on the interpolation. The computer is further programmed to calculate weighting factors wand wbased on the local gradients, calculate a corrected final value I(0,0) for the identified cell, and correct the identified cell with the corrected final value.

Adaptive gradient weighting technique for detector bad cell correction

A method for reconstructing images of structures undergoing physiological motion comprises acquiring a first volume of data over a first motion cycle. The first volume comprises a first overlap volume. A second volume of data is acquired over a second motion cycle and comprises a second overlap volume. The first and second overlap volumes comprise like anatomical regions with respect to each other. A reconstructed volume of data is formed based on temporal data within the first and second overlap volumes.

Method and apparatus for reconstructing images of moving structures based on motion cycle temporal data

A method is provided that includes acquiring a first set of image data from X-rays produced at a first energy level and a second set of image data from X-rays produced at a second energy level. The method includes generating a first noise mask for a first basis material and a second noise mask for a second basis material and removing pixels corresponding to cross contaminating structural information from the first noise mask and the second noise mask. The method includes processing a first materially decomposed image generated from the first set of image data and the second set of digital data using the second noise mask after removal of the cross contaminating structural information and processing a second MD image generated from the first set of image data and the second set of digital data using the first noise mask after removal of the cross contaminating structural information.

Noise reduction method for dual-energy imaging

System and method of increasing temporal resolution of an x-ray image

An imaging system includes a rotatable gantry having an opening therein to receive a subject to be scanned and configured to rotate about a central axis in a rotation direction. The imaging system also includes a first x-ray source coupled to the rotatable gantry at a first position, wherein the first position is offset from the central axis of the rotatable gantry by a first distance. Further, the imaging system includes a second x-ray source coupled to the rotatable gantry at a second position, wherein the second position is offset from the central axis of the rotatable gantry by a second distance, wherein the second position is offset from the first position in a direction coincident with the rotation direction, and wherein the second position is offset from the first position in a direction parallel to the central axis.

Multiple X-ray tube system and method of making same

A system and method includes using a point spread function based rule to classify regions in a dataset and processing the dataset based on the point spread function based classification.

System and method for processing imaging data

A method includes using a point spread function based rule to classify regions in a dataset.

Classification methods and apparatus

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments during backprojection of filtered two-dimensional into three dimensional image each voxel is analyzed for inconsistent contributions based on at least two criteria and each of the inconsistent contributions is either replaced or excluded from the backprojection.

Systems, methods and apparatus for consistency-constrained filtered backprojection for out-of-focus artifacts in digital tomosythesis

A mammography system includes a patient support with a breast opening. Beneath the patient support, an x-ray source transmits x-rays through a breast of a patient extending through the opening. An opposing x-ray detector receives the x-rays to obtain an x-ray image of the breast. The x-ray source and x-ray detector rotate around the opening while maintaining a fixed relation relative to one another, and a container is filled with a fluid and positioned proximate to and aligned with the opening to receive the breast. An ultrasound transmitter transmits sound waves through the breast when positioned within the fluid. An opposing ultrasound receiver receives the sound waves to obtain an ultrasound image of the breast. In a preferred embodiment, the mammography system positions the ultrasound transmitter and/or ultrasound receiver at a first position when obtaining the x-ray image of the breast and a second position when obtaining the ultrasound image of the breast. In other preferred embodiments, mammography methods correspond thereto.

Combining X-ray and ultrasound imaging for enhanced mammography

A method includes mechanically correcting for a keystone effect on an x-ray detector.

Methods and apparatus for keystone effect

An imaging system includes at least two x-ray sources, an x-ray detector assembly and an attenuation filter. The at least two x-ray sources are displaced along a z-axis and configured to alternately emit x-ray beams. The x-ray detector assembly is configured to detect the x-ray beams. The attenuation filter is mounted proximate the at least two x-ray sources and is configured to provide different amounts of x-ray attenuation to the x-ray beams along the z-axis.

Apparatus and method for z-location dependent x-ray beam filtration for imaging system

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a specialized back-projection process reconstructs a finely detailed and crisp three-dimensional image (3-D) from a series of two-dimensional (2-D) images by pre-filtering the 2-D images with a first group of settings before back-projecting the 2-D images into a 3-D image, and then post-filtering the 3-D image with another group of settings. In some embodiments, the first group of settings and the second group of settings are synergistically optimized in relation to each other to provide emphasis on a structure of interest in the object.

Systems, methods and apparatus for filtered back-projection reconstruction in digital tomosynthesis

A method for creating a variable slice thickness for displaying an imaged object is disclosed. The method includes acquiring a plurality of projection images from a plurality of different projection angles within a defined sweep angle, reconstructing a plurality of object images from the plurality of projection images, each object image having a first slice thickness, and applying a function rule to combine images, whole images or portions thereof or attributes thereof, of the plurality of projection images, of the plurality of object images, or of both, thereby providing for the display of the object utilizing a second slice thickness that varies from the first slice thickness.

Method and system to generate object image slices

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Baojun Li