Techniques are described for tailoring automatic exposure control (AEC) settings to specific patient anatomies and clinical tasks. According to an embodiment, computer-implemented method comprises receiving one or more scout images captured of an anatomical region of a patient in association with performance of a computed tomography (CT) scan. The method further comprises employing a first machine learning model to estimate, based on the one or more scout images, expected organ doses representative of expected radiation doses exposed to organs in the anatomical region under different AEC patterns for the CT scan. The method can further comprises employing a second machine learning model to estimate, based on the one or more scout images, expected measures of image quality in target and background regions of scan images captured under the different AEC patterns, and determining an optimal AEC pattern based on the expected organ doses and the expected measures of image quality.

A three-dimensional model for a patient fixation device that serves to immobilize at least a portion of a particular patient when capturing CT image information of that patient is accessed and then registered with the pixels that correspond to the patient fixation device in the CT image. The model can specify rules of movement for each of a plurality of structural elements that comprise the patient fixation device and that are capable of movement relative to one another. By one approach the aforementioned registration occurs on a part-by-part basis for each of the structural elements. Following registration, the CT image can be automatically segmented.

Various methods and systems are provided for medical imaging systems. In one example, an imaging system comprises: a C-shaped gantry; an x-ray tube coupled to a first end of the C-shaped gantry; an x-ray detector coupled to a second end of the C-shaped gantry, opposite to the x-ray tube; and a controller with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory that when executed, cause the controller to: identify a reference image; determine a target electrical current based on the reference image; determine a corrected electrical current based on the target electrical current; and transition an electrical current provided to the x-ray tube to the target electrical current by commanding the electrical current to the corrected electrical current while maintaining a constant voltage provided to the x-ray tube.

A system, device and method of imaging using a real-time, AI-enabled analysis device coupled to an imaging device during an image scan of a subject includes: receiving data corresponding to a plurality of image frames from the imaging device and user input identifying a region of interest (ROI) in a first image frame; providing data corresponding to the first image frame, including the identified ROI and data corresponding to the remaining image frames to the AI-enabled data processing system; accepting a plurality of valid image frames from the plurality of image frames based on a predefined set of computer vision rules and a minimum accepted frame threshold; calculating, frame by frame, an ROI function value of the plurality of valid image frames; determining whether a predetermined ROI function value has been reached; and alerting an operator of the imaging device that the predetermined ROI function value has been reached.

A method for providing corrected x-ray images of a recording object and a correspondingly configured x-ray system are provided. In the method, a first x-ray image recorded prior to introducing a contrast agent and a second x-ray image of the recording object recorded after introducing the contrast agent are provided. A ring correction for eliminating ring artifacts is applied to the first x-ray image and the second x-ray image in each case. In order to provide corrected x-ray images with an improved image quality, provision is made with the ring correction of the first x-ray image for a ring image, which contains artifact data extracted from the first x-ray image, to be obtained and stored and for the ring correction of the second x-ray image for the ring image obtained with the ring correction of the first x-ray image to be used.

The present invention relates to a system and a method for calibration between coordinate systems of a 3D camera and a medical imaging apparatus and an application thereof. The calibration system comprises: a calibration tool arranged on a scanning table, wherein the calibration tool is provided with markers and a reference point, the reference point is aligned with a center of the medical imaging apparatus to serve as an origin of the coordinate system of the medical imaging apparatus, and positions of the markers in the coordinate system of the medical imaging apparatus are calculated according to relative positions of the markers with respect to the reference point; a 3D camera for capturing images of the markers and determining positions of the markers in the coordinate system of the 3D camera based on the captured images; and a calculation device for calculating a calibration matrix using the positions of the markers in the coordinate system of the 3D camera and the positions of the markers in the coordinate system of the medical imaging apparatus, and performing calibration between the coordinate system of the 3D camera and the coordinate system of the medical imaging apparatus using the calibration matrix. The method corresponds to the aforementioned system. The present invention further relates to an application of the calibration and a computer-readable storage medium capable of implementing the method and the application.

A method of imaging a breast compressed with a foam paddle includes emitting an x-ray energy from an x-ray source towards the breast and the foam paddle having a plurality of upper markers and a plurality of lower markers, wherein the plurality of lower markers are movable relative to the upper markers. The x-ray energy is detected at a detector disposed opposite the breast from the x-ray source. An image of the compressed breast is generated based on the detected x-ray energy. At least one of the plurality of upper markers and at least one of the plurality of lower markers is identified in the image. A thickness of the compressed breast at a plurality of thickness locations is determined, wherein each of the plurality of thickness locations corresponds to at least one of the plurality of lower markers.

Disclosed herein is a medical system (100, 300, 400) comprising a memory (110) storing machine executable instructions (120). The medical system further comprises an anatomical detection module (122). The anatomical detection module is configured for detecting an anatomical deviation in response to inputting tomographic medical scout image data (124). The anatomical detection module is configured for outputting a localization (126) of the anatomical deviation in the tomographic medical scout image data if the anatomical deviation is detected. The medical system further comprises a processor (104) configured for controlling the medical system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive (200) the tomographic medical scout image data, receive (202) the localization of the anatomical deviation from the anatomical detection module in response to inputting the tomographic medical scout image data into the anatomical detection module, and provide (204) a warning signal (128) if the localization is received.

In one embodiment, there is provided a method of optimizing image quality and organ dose for computed tomography (CT). The method includes segmenting, by an organ segmentation module, at least one organ based, at least in part, on patient image data. The method further includes determining, by a Monte Carlo dose module, a patient-specific heterogeneous dose based, at least in part, on the patient image data and based, at least in part, on a selected CT scanner data. The method further includes determining, by a patient-specific organ dose module, a patient-specific nominal organ dose for each segmented organ based, at least in part, on the patient-specific heterogeneous dose. The method further includes determining, by an inverse optimization module, at least one CT scanner parameter configured to optimize image quality and a selected patient-specific organ dose of at least one selected organ.

The present disclosure relates to a method for generating an image. The method may include obtaining a preliminary image of an object. The method may include determining a plurality of point radiation sources of at least one array radiation source at least partially based on an ROI of the object. The method may include determining at least one scanning parameter associated with the plurality of point radiation sources based on the preliminary image. The method may include causing the plurality of point radiation sources to emit radiation beams to the ROI to generate scan data relating to the ROI based on the at least one scanning parameter. The method may include obtaining scan data relating to the ROI. The method may further include generating a target image of the ROI based on the scan data relating to the ROI.