Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Christoph Kurze

Dirk Manke

Hanns-Ingo Maack

Raoul Florent

Jens Von Berg

Aditya Mehendale

Claire Levrier

Richard Johannus Maria Van De Ven

Sascha Andreas Jockel

André Goossen

Liesbet Hilde Hadewijch Roose

Marc Hensel

Richard Johannes Maria Van De Ven

An X-ray imager has a navigation-aid subsystem including one or more transmitters (TX), one or more receivers (RX) and one or more reflectors (RFL). A radio signal is transmitted by transmitter (TX), is then reflected off reflector RFL and is then received at receiver (RX). The received signal is then resolved into positional correction information that can be used to guide a motion of the imager's tube (S) and or detector (D) to position and/or align the tube (S) and/or detector (D) relative to each other in a desired spatial configuration to ensure optimal imaging results. The imager may be a mobile imaging system with the detector (D) portable.

Tube alignment functionality for mobile radiography systems

An X-ray apparatus for image acquisition and a related method. The apparatus comprises a field-of-view corrector (CS) configured to receive a scout image (SI) acquired by the imager with a tentative collimator setting in a pre-shot imaging phase where said imager operates with a low dosage radiation cone causing the detector to register the scout image. The low dosage cone has, in the detector's image plane, a first cross section smaller than the total area of the detector surface. The field-of-view corrector (CS) uses said scout image to establish field-of-view correction information for a subsequent imaging phase where the imager is to operate with a high dosage radiation cone, the high dosage higher than the low dosage.

X-ray collimator size and position adjustment based on pre-shot

An apparatus () and method for automatically or semi-automatically controlling a collimator (COL) of an x-ray imager () to collimate imager ()'s x-ray beam and adjusting an alignment of the x-ray imager () in respect of an object (PAT). The collimation and alignment operation is based on 3D image data (3DI) of the object (PAT) to be imaged. The 3D image data (3DI) is acquired by a sensor (S). The sensor (S) operates on non-ionizing radiation. The 3D image data (3DI) describes a shape in 3D of the object (PAT) and anatomic landmarks are derived therefrom to define a collimation window (W) for a region of interest (ROI). Based on the collimation window (W) the collimator (COL)'s setting and imager () alignment is adjusted accordingly.

Patient-specific and automatic x-ray system adjustment based on optical 3D scene detection and interpretation

The present invention relates to acquisition of medical image information of an object. In order to provide a user-friendly alignment of X-ray tube and a detector, optionally combined with an anti-scatter grid, an alignment arrangement is proposed, which comprises a tube attachment with a first light projection device and a detector attachment with a second light projection device. The first and second light projection devices each generate a light pattern on a projection surface. The tube attachment and the detector attachment can be brought into a correct spatial arrangement relative to each other by bringing the first light pattern in a predetermined spatial relation with the second light pattern on the projection surface.

Tube-detector alignment using light projections

An X-ray imaging system includes an X-ray tube (), a ceiling suspension () for the X-ray tube, a detector trolley () with an X-ray detector () mounted thereon, an active sensor matrix (), an optical indication unit () and a control unit (). The active sensor matrix () is fixedly mounted on the ceiling suspension (), the optical indication unit () is fixedly mounted to the detector trolley () and is adapted for emitting an optical indication () onto the active sensor matrix (). The control unit () is connected to the active sensor matrix () and is adapted for acquiring the position of the optical indication () on the active sensor matrix () and to create control signals for aligning the detector trolley position and the ceiling suspension position relative to each other.

Control for optically aligning an X-ray tube and X-ray detector

A calibration device () for calibrating an X-ray image apparatus includes a receiving unit () for receiving an image captured by a detection unit () of the X-ray image apparatus () under reference conditions, an analyzing unit () for analyzing the captured image to derive gain correction information, and a calibration unit () for providing calibrating information for calibrating the X-ray image apparatus () based on the derived gain correction information disregarding gain correction of a heel effect.

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Hamburg, Germany

Christoph Kurze