The present invention relates to a smart apparatus for acquiring patient images, the smart apparatus being structured so as to integrate capabilities for acquiring two-dimensional images and three-dimensional images into a single piece of equipment, thereby allowing the expense and installation space therefor to be minimized. The smart apparatus for acquiring patient images according to the present invention comprises: a gantry having a cylindrical opening; CT X-ray tube and curved X-ray detector installed in the gantry 180 degrees apart and installed so as to be rotatable along the circumferential direction of the gantry to acquire three-dimensional images of a person being treated accommodated in the interior of the opening of the gantry by rotating around the person; two-dimensional X-ray tube and X-ray detector installed in the gantry 180 degrees apart and installed, along with the CT X-ray tube and curved X-ray detector, so as to be rotatable along the circumferential direction of the gantry to acquire two-dimensional x-ray images of a person being treated accommodated in the interior of the opening of the gantry; a rotation means for simultaneously rotating the CT X-ray tube and X-ray detector and two-dimensional X-ray tube and X-ray detector along the circumferential direction of the gantry; a couch disposed on one side of the gantry so as to be horizontally movable in and out of the opening of the gantry and on which the person to be treated is placed.

The invention describes a method of performing intra-operative navigation during a surgical procedure, which method comprises the steps of arranging a video imaging device on a radioscopic imaging apparatus; obtaining an initial radioscopic image of a target and identifying a desired trajectory in a target; determining a first position of the radioscopic imaging apparatus relative to the target for which a central image axis of a radioscopic imaging unit is aligned with the desired trajectory; positioning the radioscopic imaging apparatus to align a central image axis of the video imaging device with the desired trajectory; and showing a live video feed of the surgical procedure on a monitor to track the position of a surgical implement relative to the desired trajectory.

In a computer tomography system having an x-ray detector with a detector surface at which sensor pixels, for detection of x-ray radiation, are distributed non-uniformly, and a method for operating such a system, either a pitch factor is selected, and a value range for an extent of a reconstruction field for image data is determined dependent on the distribution of the sensor pixels and dependent on the selected pitch factor, or a value for the extent of the reconstruction field is selected, and a value range for the pitch factor is determined dependent on the distribution of the sensor pixels and dependent on the selected value for the extent of the reconstruction field.

The invention relates to a computed tomography system (30). Several sets of spectral projections, which correspond to different positions of a radiation source (2) along a rotation axis (R), are decomposed into first projections being indicative of a contrast agent and second projections being not indicative of the contrast agent. An image is generated by a) determining for each first projection a contrast value being indicative of a total amount of contrast agent and scaling the first projections such that for different first projections of a same set the same contrast value is determined, and reconstructing an image based on the scaled first projections, and/or b) reconstructing for the different sets first images, scaling the first images such that they have a same intensity in overlap regions and combining the scaled first images. Thus, different contrast agent amounts can be balanced, thereby allowing for an improved image quality.

An extra-oral dental imaging apparatus for obtaining an image from a patient has a radiation source; a first digital imaging sensor that provides, for each of a plurality of image pixels, at least a first digital value according to a count of received photons that exceed at least a first energy threshold; a mount that supports the radiation source and the first digital imaging sensor on opposite sides of the patient's head; a computer in signal communication with the digital imaging sensor for acquiring a first two-dimensional image from the first digital imaging sensor; and a second digital imaging sensor that is alternately switched into place by the mount and that provides image data according to received radiation.

A PET/CT imaging system is provided. The imaging system includes a PET detection system having a plurality of detector rings and an axial gap between at least two adjacent detector rings within the plurality of detector rings. The imaging system includes a CT system having an x-ray generator and a CT detection system positioned within the axial gap between the at least two detector rings. The system is configured to collect PET data and CT data on the same volume of interest substantially simultaneously.

Disclosed is a method, program product, and computer system that provides iterative computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction. The approach produces an image whose resolving power exceeds that of conventional algorithms, and utilizes an inner and out iterative loop, configured by ordered subsets criteria, to perform: projecting a reconstructed image; resampling a resulting calculated projection, thereby enabling super-resolution; calculating a comparison quantity with the collected projection array (e.g., sinogram); backprojecting onto a correction array a function that utilizes the comparison quantity; and generating a new reconstructed image with an operation involving the correction array.

A tomography apparatus that may reduce partial scan artifacts includes: a data acquirer configured to acquire tomography data when X-rays are emitted as a cone beam to an object while rotating by one cycle angular section that is less than one rotation; and an image reconstructor configured to reconstruct a tomography image by using corrected tomography data that is obtained by applying to the tomography data a weight that is set based on at least one of a view that is included in the one cycle angular section and a cone angle in the cone beam.

Systems and methods for reducing X-ray scatter during breast imaging, and more specifically during tomosynthesis imaging. In one embodiment, an anti-scatter grid having a plurality of septa may be configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray imaging device such that each septum of the plurality of septa extends along a direction substantially parallel to a coronal plane of a subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device. The X-ray imaging device may be operable in a tomosynthesis mode for imaging of a breast of the subject and may include the anti-scatter grid disposed between a breast platform and the X-ray detector. The anti-scatter grid may be configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during tomosynthesis imaging.

The invention provides, in some aspects, a system for implementing a rule derived basis to display volumetric image sets. In various embodiments of the invention, the selection of the images to be displayed, the generation of the 3-D volumetric image from measured 2-D images including the rendering parameters and styles, the choice of viewing directions and 2-D projection images based on the viewing directions, the layout of the projection images, and the formation of a video can be determined using a rule derived basis. In an embodiment of the present invention, the user is presented with sequential images making up a video displayed based on their preferences without having to first manually adjust parameters. The present invention allows for novel ways of viewing such images to detect microcalcifications and obstructions when reviewing Digital Breast Tomosynthesis and other volumetric mammography images.