An apparatus (M) and related method for supporting X-ray imaging. The apparatus comprises an input interface (IN) for receiving a request to perform an X-ray exposure with an X-ray source (XR) of an X-ray imager (XI) to image an object (PAT). A compliance checker (CC) of the apparatus (M) is configured to check said request against an imaging safety protocol for said object to produce a safety compliance result. A safety enforcer (SE) of the apparatus is configured to issue, based on the safety compliance result, i) an alert signal and/or ii) a control signal to initiate a safety action that at least affect an impact of the requested X-ray exposure on the object.

A method includes positioning a patient at a first orientation relative to a radiation source. The method further includes using a 3D imaging technique to measure one or more positions of the patient's chest. The method further includes, while using the 3D imaging technique to measure the one or more positions of the patient's chest: generating a model of the patient's chest using the one or more positions of the patient's chest; updating the model of the patient's chest as the patient breathes; and exposing the patient to a dose of radiation using the radiation source, wherein the dose is based on the model of the patient's chest.

An X-ray imaging apparatus implements a fluoroscopy that irradiates a weaker dose of X-rays than a dose on the long-length imaging toward a subject M at each location in the long-length imaging range, while moving an X-ray tube in a body axis direction relative to the subject M prior to the long-length imaging, when the long-length imaging is implemented by moving the X-ray tube 2 in the body axis direction relative to the subject M. The dose D.sub.1 at the location having the thick body thickness is less, so that the tube voltage is set up to be high as the tube voltage V.sub.1 and vice versa, the dose D.sub.2 at the location having the thin body thickness is high, so that the tube voltage is set up to be low as the tube voltage V.sub.2.

The present invention relates to processing X-ray images of an object. In order to improve the accuracy for interactive geometrical measurements, a device (10) for processing of an X-ray image of an object (30) is provided. The device comprises an input unit (12) and a processing unit (14). The input unit is configured to provide a shape related information (16) from an object (30) to be irradiated. The input unit is also configured to provide a generic object model (20), and to provide an actual X-ray image (18) of the object. The processing unit is configured to adapt the generic object model based on the shape related information in order to generate an individual object model (22). The processing unit is also configured to determine, based on the individual object model, an individual image processing modificator (24) for processing at least one part of the X-ray image, and to apply the individual image processing modificator for further processing of the X-ray image.

A controller and method are for configuring operation of a kVp-s witching spectral CT imaging apparatus which, in at least one mode, aims to mimic the user-side operating workflow of a conventional non-spectral CT scanner. The controller receives user-defined settings associated with operation of a non-spectral CT system, comprising a desired peak tube voltage and desired tube current. Based on these user-specified inputs, the controller performs a conversion procedure to derive a set of spectral CT operating parameters which are estimated to result in administration of the same dose of X-ray radiation over a single kVp switching cycle as would be administered by the conventional scanner over a same time duration. Thus, the user can acquire CT projection and image data using a spectral CT scanner, without a need to change their own operating workflow, and furthermore in a way that will administer the same radiographic density as they would expect to achieve with the same user-specified settings on a conventional scanner.

Methods and apparatus for determining radiation doses based on phantom matching are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory to store computer readable instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the computer readable instructions to prompt a capture of a second scout image when at least one of: (A) a first anatomical landmark in a first scout image of a first scout image file does not include an organ, (B) a first set of dimensions of the first anatomic landmark in the first scout image cannot be determined, or (C) the first set of dimensions are outside of a predefined range; and calculate a radiation dose for an organ in a second anatomical landmark of a second scout image file corresponding to the second scout image.

A system and method for the prediction of a thermal load for a proposed imaging procedure in view of the current thermal state for an imaging system employs a suitable software program/algorithm which determines a predicted or likely set of individual steps for a proposed imaging procedure to be performed. The system receives parameters for the particular imaging procedure to be performed and compares these parameters with information stored concerning prior performed imaging procedures to locate prior performed imaging procedures that have similar parameters to that for the proposed imaging procedure. The system utilizes the similar prior performed procedures as models of a likely set of imaging steps for the proposed procedure and estimates the heat generation produced by the models. The software program/algorithm can then determine if the entire proposed imaging procedure represented by the models can be successfully performed under the current thermal state for the imaging system.

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for controlling exposure/irradiation during a main three-dimensional X-ray imaging scan using at least one spatially-distributed characteristic of a pre-scan/scout scan preceding the main scan. The at least one spatially-distributed characteristic includes (1) a spatially-distributed noise characteristic of the pre-scan and/or (2) a spatially-distributed identification of exposure-sensitive tissue types. The at least one spatially-distributed characteristic can be calculated from images reconstructed from sinogram/projection data and/or from sinogram/projection directly using a neural network.

The present disclosure relates to a medical imaging system having an X-ray source, a detector and a processing system. The the X-ray source is collimated to produce a diverging beam of radiation and transmits X-rays through an object. The detector includes detector pixels arranged in at least one row and is operative to receive the X-ray energy of the X-rays after having passed through the object. The processing system is programmed to select an initial height of the object with respect to the X-ray source plane and determine an initial time delayed summation (TDS) shift frequency based on the initial height. The processing system performs a first scan of the object based on the TDS shift frequency and determines a new height of the object based on a beam angle and an overlap of adjacent images. A new TDS shift frequency is determined based on the new height of the object if the initial height and the new height are not substantially same. The processing system then performs a second scan of the object based on the new TDS shift frequency. The processing system is further programmed to generate an image of the object based on detected X-ray energy at the X-ray detector based on the first scan and the second scan.

A system and method for the prediction of a thermal load for a proposed imaging procedure in view of the current thermal state for an imaging system employs a suitable software program/algorithm which determines a predicted or likely set of individual steps for a proposed imaging procedure to be performed. The system receives parameters for the particular imaging procedure to be performed and compares these parameters with information stored concerning prior performed imaging procedures or cases to locate prior performed imaging procedures that have similar parameters to that for the proposed imaging procedure. The system utilizes the similar prior performed procedures as models of a likely set of imaging steps for the proposed procedure and estimates the heat generation produced by the models. The software program/algorithm can then determine if the entire proposed imaging procedure represented by the models can be successfully performed under the current thermal state for the imaging system.