Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan

Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan, R.o.c

Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council

Yu-Ching Ni

Meei-Ling Jan

Fan-Pin Tseng

Chia-Hao Chang

Sheng-Pin Tseng

Shiang-Lin Hsu

Ho-Hui Hsieh

Tien-Hsiu Tsai

Po-Hsiu Kuo

Wen-Bin Lin

Shu-Chun Chang

Keh-Shih Chiang

A calculation method for a dual-energy X-ray imaging system is provided. The calculation method for the dual-energy X-ray imaging system includes the following steps. A plurality of material attenuation coefficient ratio of the dual-energy projection image are established according to the reference materials with known material characteristics. The effective atomic number of each reference material and the material attenuation coefficient ratio are used to establish a calibration data set. A rational polynomial approximation method is adopted to obtain the characteristic model related to the material attenuation coefficient ratio of the reference material and the effective atomic number of the reference material. The material attenuation coefficient ratio of the dual-energy projection image of unknown material is established. The material attenuation coefficient ratio of the unknown material is substitute into the characteristic model to obtain the effective atomic number corresponding to the unknown material.

Calculation method for a dual-energy X-ray imaging system

A brain-function image data augmentation method includes: a step of providing a target database including a plurality of image-data information; a step of, based on a plurality of image-data expected information in an expectation-value database, calculating a ratio of the plurality of image-data expected information with respect to different ages; a step of, based on the plurality of image-data information and the ratio, obtaining image-data ratio information with respect to an estimated age; a step of establishing a relationship for each pair of the image-data information and the image-data expected information; a step of, based on the relationship, the ratio and the image-data information, calculating an estimated image-data information with respect to the estimated age; and, a step of combining linearly the estimated image-data information and the image-data ratio information so as to generate an augmented image-data information with respect to the estimated age.

Brain-function image data augmentation method

A nuclear image processing method is provided. The method includes the following steps: inputting a normalized standard space nuclear image; selecting a voxel of the normalized standard space nuclear image and collecting the values of the neighbor voxels to form a voxel value set; conducting a data augmentation algorithm to generate a voxel distribution function; calculating an expected value of the distribution and calculating a first standard deviation of the portion over the expected value and a second standard deviation of the portion lower than the expected value; repeating the above steps to calculate the expected value, the first standard deviation and the second standard deviation of the necessary voxels, so as to form an image standardization template set including expected value template, first standard deviation template and the second standard deviation template.

Nuclear image processing method

A geometric calibration method for dual-axis digital tomosynthesis includes the steps of: providing a calibration phantom having a first plate, a second plate parallel to the first plate, and mark points distributed to the first and second plates; arranging any mark point at the first plate not to be vertically collinear with a mark point at the second plate; projecting the calibration phantom onto a planar detector to obtain a projected calibration-phantom image; deriving a conversion relationship between the mark point and the corresponding projected position at the planar detector to further establish a projection matrix related to an imaging system; and, applying the projection matrix to calculate a plurality of geometric parameters. In addition, a geometric calibration system for dual-axis digital tomosynthesis is also provided.

Geometric calibration method and system for dual axis digital tomosynthesis

A tomography method includes: a step of having a photon counting detector to undergo a relative motion with respect to an X-Ray source, and capturing 2&#xd7;N projected energy spectral data at 2&#xd7;N individual discrete projection angles that divide the relative motion, the N being a positive integer; a step of reforming the 2&#xd7;N projected energy spectral data at the 2&#xd7;N individual discrete projection angles and establishing corresponding projection intensity data; and, a step of basing on the projection intensity data and the 2&#xd7;N projected energy spectral data at the 2&#xd7;N individual discrete projection angles to calculate the material decomposition images. In addition, a tomography system is also provided.

Tomography system and method thereof

An anthropomorphic phantom for medical imaging systems is disclosed, which is configured with organ models designed to mimic the three-dimensional shape of human organs, and also by the arrangement of plate-like first connecting elements inside their corresponding organ models, lesion phantoms for simulating tumors can be fixedly secured inside the corresponding organ model using a plurality of first connection holes formed on the first connecting element. Therefore, by the distribution of those first connection holes, not only the lesion phantoms can be arranged at any position inside the corresponding organ model at will as required, but also by modularized design of the anthropomorphic phantom, organ models can first be assembled to form a module structure while the whole module structure with the organ model can be moved into and assembled easily with a torso-like humanoid housing of the anthropomorphic phantom by the use of a handle element.

Anthropomorphic phantom for medical imaging systems

The invention provides a method for improving image quality. Through applying variation value during operation of iterated algorithm, this invention can reduce blur phenomenon caused by partial volume effects and improve image accuracy. In an embodiment, by applying the algorithm utilized in the method for improving image quality, this invention further provides an imaging system to detect the distribution of the object, thereby obtaining a clear restored image corresponding to the radiation source.

Method for improving image quality and imaging system using the same

A lesion phantom is disclosed, which is a spherical ball having a cavity formed therein for housing contrast agents or medicines, and is enabled for the quantitative evaluation of a medical image in drug development and evaluation. In an embodiment, the cavity of the lesion phantom is coupled to a tapering ring and is configured to be sealed by a silicon plug, in order to ensure that contrast agents or medicines can be fed into the cavity easily and conveniently without causing any problem, such as overflowing, a bubble residue problem, radioactive contamination, etc. Moreover, by the arrangement of a retractable fixing bar, the positioning of the lesion phantom can be adjusted flexibly at will, and additionally by the tapering of the tapering ring, the lesion phantom can be prevented from being damaged by any extreme, sudden, unjust, or improper force exerted, and thus the lifespan of the lesion phantom can be prolonged.

Lesion phantom preventing imaging contrast agents or medicine from overflow when lesion phantom cavity is filled

The present invention provides a method for calibrating the crystal-level detection efficiency, which is capable of evaluating the influences caused by the penetration effect of the crystals of a scintillation detector so as to calculate the difference of detection efficiency between crystals correctly and thereby calibrate the difference between crystals appropriately such that the quality of the imaging result is improved accordingly. The method of present invention is simple without modifying the hardware design and consequently the design cost, manpower cost and time cost can be reduced.

Method for calibrating the crystal-level detection efficiency

A medical inspection apparatus includes a main body and an inspection module. The main body has at least two guide rails and at least two sliding blocks which are slidably coupled to the guide rails respectively, and the inspection module further includes at least one pivot, and each of the sliding blocks is pivotally connected to the inspection module with a pivot, so that the inspection module is capable of sliding on the sliding rail to regulate the height and rotating with respect to the pivot to regulate the inclination. Moreover, the main body has a first supporting component and a second supporting component, so that the combination of the first supporting component and the second supporting component can provide three-ended support for an inspected person.

Medical inspection apparatus

An image reconstruction method for structuring planar images into three-dimension images is disclosed in the present invention. The image reconstruction method, being adopted to perform an image reconstruction operation upon a measured value of at least a line of response (LOR) obtained by detecting an object-to-be-imaged using an inspection system, comprises steps of: utilizing a plurality of voxels, each having a first radioactivity value, to construct an image domain with reference to the object-to-be-imaged; projecting the LOR while comparing the result of the projection with the measured value to obtain a calibrated value; performing a back-projection operation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR; performing a calculation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel to obtain a second radioactivity value; utilizing the second radioactivity value to update the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR while enabling an image reconstruction operation by an iteration manner. By the method of the invention, images with preferred contrast comparing to those of prior art can be obtained such that the method of the invention can have better tumor detection ability.

Growing community of inventors

Taoyuan County, Taiwan

Yu-Ching Ni