Cone-beam computer tomography systems, devices, and methods for image acquisition of large target volumes using partial scans.

The invention relates to an apparatus for determining a control protocol for controlling a C-arm system comprising a radiation source. The control protocol comprises a sequence of roll angles and a sequence of propeller angles. The apparatus comprises a tilt plane providing unit for providing a tilt plane tilted with respect to a vertical plane, and a control protocol determining unit for determining a control protocol by determining the sequence of roll angles and the sequence of propeller angles such that the radiation source follows a trajectory that comprises a circular component in the tilt plane and that allows the C-arm system to acquire projection data for image reconstruction. The apparatus allows to acquire computed images, for instance tomographic images, with an improved quality and to reduce radiation in radiation-sensitive areas.

An x-ray imaging apparatus and associated methods are provided to receive measured projection data in a primary region and measured scatter data in asymmetrical shadow regions and determine an estimated scatter in the primary region based on the measured scatter data in the shadow region(s). The asymmetric shadow regions can be controlled by adjusting the position of the beam aperture center on the readout area of the detector. Penumbra data may also be used to estimate scatter in the primary region.

A multi-mode system and method for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays in one or more of a CT mode, a narrow-angle tomosynthesis mode, a wide angle tomosynthesis mode, and a mammography mode, using essentially the same equipment, on one or more compressions or immobilizations of the breast.

An extra-oral dental imaging system comprises an X-ray source (102) and an imaging device (101) suitable for producing multiple frames during at least part of an exposure of an object (200), the imaging device (101) being displaced along a scanning direction (X). A method for creating a cephalometric image of a human skull comprises a step of setting said imaging device (101) with an active area having in an imaging plane a width extending along said scanning direction (X), said width varying along a height direction perpendicular to said scanning direction (X); a step of synchronously displacing the X-ray source (102) and the imaging device (101) along said exposure profile; and a step of registering multiple frames produced by the imaging device (101) during the exposure of said object (200) to be imaged. Using for creating a cephalometric image by digital tomosynthesis.

An X-ray CT apparatus according to the embodiment executes an imaging according to an imaging protocol including one or more image elements corresponding to an imaging type. The X-ray CT apparatus includes an X-ray source, an X-ray detector and processing circuitry. The X-ray source radiates an X-ray. The X-ray detector detects the X-ray. The processing circuitry merges, when first and second imaging protocols are set, first and second imaging elements, respectively included in the first and second imaging protocols, corresponding to same imaging type into a single third imaging element, thereby generating a third imaging protocol including the third imaging element.

In a medical image generation method, projection data of a scanned object is acquired during rotation of a radiographic source, and a scout image of the scanned object is generated in one scanning direction using corresponding projection data in two opposite scanning directions in the projection data. The scanning direction is used to represent a relative position relationship between the radiographic source and the scanned object. Using projection data in two opposite directions to generate a scout image in one direction during rotary scanning of a radiographic source can significantly shorten the generation time of the scout image.

A computed tomography (CT) apparatus includes a gantry including a rotation device which has a ring shape and is rotatable about an axis of rotation, a plurality of light sources configured to emit X-rays to a subject, at least one detector provided on the rotation device and configured to detect X-rays passing through the subject, and one or more processors. The at least one processors are configured to rotate the rotation device in a first rotation direction by an angle of rotation determined based on a total number of the plurality of light sources, emit X-rays to the subject and detect X-rays passing through the subject during the rotation of the rotation device in the first rotation direction, and rotate the rotation device by the determined rotation angle in a second rotation direction.

A computer-implemented method comprises: providing at least two exploratory views; segmenting a first object in the at least two exploratory views to determine first two-dimensional object masks; segmenting the second object in the at least two exploratory views tow determine second two-dimensional object masks; determining a first three-dimensional object mask as a function of the first two-dimensional object masks; determining a second three-dimensional object mask as a function of the second two-dimensional object masks; and determining an overlap of the first object and the second object for at least one capture trajectory as a function of the first three-dimensional object mask and the second three-dimensional object mask.

X-ray devices and systems are described in this application. In particular, this application describes x-ray devices and systems that are used for three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction with uncertain geometry. The x-ray imaging system contains an arm configured to be moved around an object to be imaged, a light weight, low power x-ray source attached to the arm, an x-ray detector configured to move complimentary to the x-ray source to capture multiple two-dimensional (2D) images in a solid angle path outside of a planar arc, 3D position and orientation tracking device(s) configured to capture the geometric position and orientation of the x-ray source and detector when each 2D projection image is captured, and a processor configured to construct a three dimensional (3D) image from the multiple 2D images using a reconstruction algorithm. These x-ray systems are lighter, more maneuverable, and less expensive than conventional CT x-ray systems because the geometry tracking devices combined with the processor and algorithm enable the generation of 3D images without the complex, precise, heavy, and expensive mechanical system that fixes the precise geometry of each 2D projection image to a high degree of accuracy. Other embodiments are described.