Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Akiengesellschaft

Heinz Horbaschek

Joerg Haendle

Johann Seissl

Hartmut Sklebitz

Anton Nekovar

Ali-Reza Bani-Hashemi

Heinz Eschenbacher

Ulrich Bleitner

In a method and apparatus for processing a radiation image sequence composed of a number of successively acquired radiation images acquired with a dynamic image converter, particularly a solid-state image detector, the images having been acquired with a radiation examination device in a fluoroscopic mode or in a digital cinematographic mode, the spatial frequency spectra of the individual images or frames are subjected to a signal-dependent, temporal filtering with separate filter functions and are merged for forming a filtered overall image.

Method for processing a radiation image sequence composed of a number of successively acquired radiation images acquired with a dynamic image converter

A universal X-ray device has a movably suspended holder at which an X-ray radiator and a radiation detector are arranged, with the radiator being mounted so as to be pivotable around at least one axis perpendicular to the plane of the holder, and with the detector being displaceably mounted in the detector plane.

Universal X-ray device having a pivotally mounted radiator and a displaceably mounted detector

In a method for the operation of a medical X-ray installation having at least one C-arm at which a solid-state image detector is rotatably arranged and also having a control device that controls the operation thereof, whereby the control device determines an arbitrary position for the solid-state image detector relative to the C-arm, for positioning the solid-state image detector, at which the collision risk of the solid-state image detector with an object is lowest; and the image is computationally rotated dependent on the position data of the solid-state image detector after the image exposure in order to enable a perpendicular presentation of the examination region at an output medium.

Medical x-ray installation and method for the operation thereof

In a method and apparatus for producing an overall image from a number of partial images which are produced successively for common playback, a first partial image is produced and stored, and at least a portion of the first partial image, that adjoins a second partial image to be produced, is played back. A survey image is produced for the second partial image and this survey image is simultaneously played back with the first partial image, with overlapping regions adjoining each other. From this simultaneous playback, the correct orientation of the exposure region for the second partial image is selected, and the image acquisition device is correspondingly positioned and the second partial image is produced, The first and second partial images are then joined to form the overall image.

Method and apparatus for producing an overall image from a number of partial images

An x-ray diagnostic system, particularly for cardioangiography, has an x-ray and an x-ray image intensifier/video chain or other x-ray image converters, with the x-ray and the x-ray image intensifier being cyclically moved during the production of a number of successive images. The motion of the vessel due to the heartbeat is compensated with a cardiac motion compensation unit in a small image region having an abnormality to be investigated, particularly a stenosis.

Cardioangiography apparatus

In a method for positioning a catheter that has been inserted into a vessel and a device for implementing the method, the road map technique is used, wherein as a mask image, a three-dimensional mask image of the vessel which is composed of number of individual mask images is employed. From these individual mask images, that individual mask image is selected whose exposure direction corresponds optimally to the exposure direction of an instantaneously captured individual image, in order to combine this selected individual mask image with the instantaneously captured mask image and to display the resulting combined image.

Method for positioning a catheter in a vessel, and device for implementing the method

Radiographic diagnostic device has a projection unit that is formed as a computer tomography system with a radiation emitter and a line detector, which are constructed such that they can be rotated around a projection area opposite one another. A support apparatus with a support plate for an examination subject is provided. The radiographic diagnostic device has an additional radiation receiver allocated to it so that the additional radiation receiver can be moved from a standby position into a pick-up position for receiving a radiation beam that emanates from the radiation emitter of the computed tomography system. Both computed tomography projections and conventional X-ray projections can be obtained with the radiographic diagnostic device when the additional radiation receiver is realized as a radiographic film, a solid-state detector, or a storage foil.

Radiographic diagnostic device with a computed tomography system having a line detector, and a positionable additional radiation detector

An X-ray diagnostics installation has an X-ray source and an X-ray image intensifier video chain, including an X-ray image intensifier, a video camera, a control circuit that derives control pulses for producing images of a subject from data supplied thereto identifying exposure conditions, and a subtraction circuit for forming the difference between stored video signals and continuing, current video signals given the same exposure conditions. The X-ray source is cyclically moved during the production of a number of successive images, with the control circuit deriving the control pulses for the production of images from apparatus positions and, possibly, from the ECG of the subject. The subtraction circuit forms the difference between predetermined video signals stored for different apparatus positions and heart phases of a heart cycle and continuing, current video signals obtained at the same apparatus positions and at the same heart phase.

X-ray diagnostics installation for subtraction angiography

A medical radiological diagnostics system having an automatic exposure unit employs signal acquisition and a processing circuitry for controlling the radiation source so as to obtain easily diagnosed exposures with a low radiation load. This is accomplished by disposing a stray radiation grid between the radiation receiver and a radiation sensor, or by selecting the spacing between the radiation receiver and the radiation sensor such that scattered radiation is not incident on the radiation sensor, or, in a system having an x-ray image intensifier and a light sensor, by supplying the output signal of the light sensor to the control circuit through a high-pass filter. In all versions, the measured signal is not disadvantageously influenced by scattered radiation, so that a correct exposure of x-ray film is possible.

Medical diagnostics system having optimized signal acquisition for

An x-ray diagnostics installation has an x-ray source connected to a parameter setting unit which sets exposure parameters (operating characteristics) of the x-ray source, and an x-ray image intensifier video chain. The x-ray image intensifier video chain includes a processing circuit connected to a video pick-up stage and a motion detector. The processing unit controls the parameters of a filter unit for chronological filtering of the video signal. The motion detector is connected to the parameter setting unit for the x-ray source, and controls the filter unit depending on the exposure parameters which are set for a given exposure, such as the level of the video signal, the tube voltage, the radiation dose, and the imaging format of the x-ray image intensifier, all of which are set at the parameter setting unit and which characterize the exposure.

X-ray diagnostics installation having a motion detector controlling a

An x-ray diagnostics installation has an operating voltage generator, an x-ray tube, an x-ray image intensifier, a video camera, a video amplifier having controllable gain, an integration circuit and a control circuit that acts on the operating voltage for dose rate control. The x-ray diagnostics installation is fashioned such that the control circuit is connected to the video amplifier and to the integration circuit and controls these components such that the gain of the video amplifier is raised when a limit value of the dose rate control is reached, with parameters of the integration circuit being simultaneously modified.

X-ray diagnostics installation

A radiological system includes an image pick-up chain which includes an image processor having at an N-output, at which images having a number of lines which is standard, and an H-output for an H-image having a higher number of lines than the standard image. A video recorder is connectable to the N-output, an H-image playback unit is connectable to the H-output. The video recorder is in the image transmission chain, and has an output connected through an up-scan standards converter to a switch, by means of which the H-image playback unit can be connected to an output of the up-scan standards converter.

Radiological system switchable for image playback with a high number of

An x-ray diagnostics installation has an x-ray image intensifier video chain which includes a semiconductor detector composed of pixels arranged in a matrix, serving as the video pick-up and a detector for identifying the average image brightness at the output luminescence screen of the x-ray image intensifier within a predetermined image region. A first read-out circuit is provided for pixels of a first group in the image, which is operated with a read-out clock at a first frequency, and a second read-out circuit is provided for pixels of a second group distributed over the area of the semiconductor detector, which is operated with a read-out clock at a second frequency. The second frequency is higher than the first frequency. The output signals of the pixels of the second group are supplied to an evaluation circuit, and the output signals of the first group of pixels are supplied to the video chain. Image production parameters, such as image brightness, can be controlled on the basis of the output signals of the second group of pixels.

A radiological system, wherein x-ray images (radiation images) are produced and are converted, through a video chain, for display as a video image, the system having a modulation transfer function, has the capability of influencing the modulation transfer function dependent on ambient light which is present at the display. To that end, a control unit is provided which provides two-dimensional control of the modulation transfer function dependent on illumination which is present in the environment of the display. The control is effected by means of a two-dimensional spatial frequency filter.

Radiological system with control of the modulation transfer function

An x-ray diagnostics installation for intermittent fluoroscopy of an examination subject has an x-ray tube, supplied by a high-voltage generator, an x-ray image intensifier video chain with an image pick-up unit, and control logic for the high-voltage generator and for the video chain which controls the high-voltage supply to continuously operate x-ray tube and which controls read out of the pick-up unit so that the read out is pulsed or intermittent. Read out of the pick-up unit is suppressed for a number of potentially available images, and image playback ensues in the manner of a stroboscope. The high-voltage supply can then be set to values such that the x-ray dose rate of the x-ray tube is lower than the dose rate which is normal for standard fluoroscopy.

Growing community of inventors

Erlangen, Germany

Heinz Horbaschek