According to some aspects, an x-ray apparatus for imaging and/or radiation therapy is provided, the x-ray apparatus comprises an electron source capable of generating electrons, at least one first target arranged to receive electrons from the electron source, the at least one first target comprising material that, in response to being irradiated by the electrons, emits broad spectrum x-ray radiation, at least one second target arranged to receive at least some of the broad spectrum x-ray radiation, the at least one second target comprising material that, in response to irradiation by broad spectrum x-ray radiation from the first target, emits monochromatic x-ray radiation, and at least one detector positioned to detect at least some of the monochromatic x-ray radiation emitted from the at least one second target. According to some aspects, a relatively low cost, relatively small footprint x-ray apparatus for generating monochromatic x-ray radiation suitable for medical/clinical purposes and appropriate for use in existing medical facilities such as hospitals and/or small clinical settings is provided.

To improve breast mammography imagery via use of a digital “slot scanning” imaging system that accommodates the changing thickness of the breast from the chest wall to the nipple by scanning the breast from the chest outward to the nipple or vice versa instead of the side-to-side methodology and using Automatic Exposure Control or AEC parameters optimized for the changing thickness and composition of the breast at each scan location and an improved breast compression device, wherein uniform breast compression mechanism includes a first breast plate and a second breast plate, wherein at least one of said first breast plate and said second breast plates includes an angle adjustment or tilt to account for the high variability in breast sizes and configurations while maintaining optimal immobilization with excellent patient comfort.

A method for real-time vascular modeling and assessment is disclosed. Modeling, in some embodiments, comprises receiving a plurality of 2-D angiographic images of a portion of a vasculature of a subject, and processing the images to automatically detect 2-D features, for example, paths along vascular extents, which are projected into 3-D to determine homologous features among blood vessels and construct 3-D vascular extents and determine other vascular characteristics. Assessment, in some embodiments, comprises processing models selectively different from one another to produce one or more vascular indexes which indicate a diagnostic preference, for example, to perform a medical intervention such as a stent implantation. Speed is achieved, for example, by the method being optimized for determining the effects of a medical intervention. In some embodiments, results are produced quickly enough to allow use of the method to perform PCI within the same catheterization used to perform diagnostic imaging.

A method of viewing a patient including inserting a catheter is described for health procedure navigation. A CT scan is carried out on a body part of a patient. Raw data from the CT scan is processed to create three-dimensional image data, storing the image data in the data store. Projectors receive generated light in a pattern representative of the image data and waveguides guide the light to a retina of an eye of a viewer while light from an external surface of the body transmits to the retina of the eye so that the viewer sees the external surface of the body augmented with the processed data rendering of the body part.

Described herein is a medical linear accelerator including an accelerator target structure constructed of a material having a thickness of less than 0.2 radiation lengths, and an accelerator structure to receive an electromagnetic wave and generate an output therapy dose rate of electrons having a beam energy between 4-25 mega-electronvolts (MeV).

A method is provided for determining a relative position of an object in relation to an x-ray imaging apparatus for creating an x-ray and a recorded image. The method includes bringing an object in a ray path of an x-ray into a first position. In a first recorded image, at least one defined geometry in and/or on the object is imaged. A measure for a change in the first focus point towards a second focus point is undertaken at the x-ray source. In the second recorded image, the at least one defined geometry is imaged. A distance from the object to the x-ray source and/or to the x-ray detector is determined based on the change in the focus point, as well as on the basis of the images of the at least one defined geometry in the first and the second recorded image.

The present teachings generally provide for a surgical navigation system for use with an x-ray imaging device. The x-ray imaging device acquires x-ray images of an anatomical structure of interest at an angular position. The surgical navigation system includes a localizer with a tracking sensor, a gravity vector sensor coupled to the tracking sensor, a tracking device configured to be coupled to the C-arm so as to be movable with the C-arm between a plurality of angular positions. The tracking device comprises a tracking element detectable by the tracking sensor. A computer processor is operatively coupled with the localizer and configured to implement an imaging routine that receives tracking data from the tracking sensor and a gravity vector from the gravity vector sensor, generating an image vector indicative of the angular position at which the x-ray image was acquired.

A back illuminated sensor preferably is included as a collector component of a detector for use in intraoral and extraoral 2D and 3D dental radiography, digital tomosynthesis, photon-counting computed tomography, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The disclosed imaging method includes one or more intraoral or extraoral emitters for emitting a low-dose gamma ray or x-ray beam through a dental examination area; and one or more intraoral or extraoral detectors for receiving the beam, each detector including a back illuminated sensor. Within the detector, the beam preferably is converted into light and then focused and collected at a photocathode layer without passing through the wiring layer of the back illuminated sensor.

A method for scattered radiation correction acquires radiographic projection image data for a first portion of a subject that lies within a field of view of an imaging apparatus and characterizes the surface contour of the subject that includes at least a second portion of the subject that lies outside the field of view of the imaging apparatus. The surface contour of the subject is characterized according to the reflectance images. The surface contour characterization is registered to the field of view. Scattered radiation is estimated according to the projection image data and the surface contour characterization. The acquired radiographic projection image data is updated according to the estimated scattered radiation. An image of the field of view is displayed according to the conditioned acquired radiographic projection image data.

The disclosed method encompasses acquiring position data. The position data describes predetermined positions of a treatment device. At each of the predetermined positions, an imaging condition is fulfilled. Such an imaging condition is for a free line of sight of two (stereo-)imaging units at the same time. In a next step, the current position of the treatment device is acquired. Then, the current position is compared with the predetermined positions. In case the current position corresponds to a predetermined position, decision data is determined which describes that an image shall be taken. In a next step, control data is determined which describes a control signal for an imaging device to take an image or not to take an image, depending on the decision data.