A device for use during a medical imaging process, the device including a support structure and a plurality of radiopaque markers, the support structure configured to be positioned in proximity to at least a portion of a body of a patient during the medical imaging process, the plurality of radiopaque markers attached to the support structure, the plurality of radiopaque markers being positioned in a pattern such that an image capturing a given portion of the pattern is unique from an image capturing any other given portion of the pattern.

The disclosure relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for registering a set of X-ray images with a navigation system. In the method, by a camera, at least one image of a reference object is recorded and, on the basis thereof, a current posture of the reference object is determined. It is then checked whether this posture fulfils a specified criterion, which also on an arrangement of the reference object at least partially outside a planned reconstruction volume of the X-ray device, predicts an expected successful registration. On non-fulfillment of the criterion, a signal for adaptation of a relative alignment between the X-ray device and the reference object is automatically output. On fulfillment of the criterion, the X-ray images of the reference object are recorded, the posture of the reference object is determined, and the registration is carried out using the determined postures as reference.

Imaging systems and methods estimate poses of a fluoroscopic imaging device, which may be used to reconstruct 3D volumetric data of a target area, based on a sequence of fluoroscopic images of a medical device or points, e.g., radiopaque markers, on the medical device captured by performing a fluoroscopic sweep. The systems and methods may identify and track the points along a length of the medical device appearing in the captured fluoroscopic images. The 3D coordinates of the points may be obtained, for example, from electromagnetic sensors or by performing a structure from motion method on the captured fluoroscopic images. In other aspects, a 3D shape of the catheter is determined, then the angle at which the 3D catheter projects onto the 2D catheter in each captured fluoroscopic image is found.

A geometric calibration method for dual-axis digital tomosynthesis includes the steps of: providing a calibration phantom having a first plate, a second plate parallel to the first plate, and mark points distributed to the first and second plates; arranging any mark point at the first plate not to be vertically collinear with a mark point at the second plate; projecting the calibration phantom onto a planar detector to obtain a projected calibration-phantom image; deriving a conversion relationship between the mark point and the corresponding projected position at the planar detector to further establish a projection matrix related to an imaging system; and, applying the projection matrix to calculate a plurality of geometric parameters. In addition, a geometric calibration system for dual-axis digital tomosynthesis is also provided.

An imaging device for visualizing a radioactive tracer in a human or animal body (6) comprises: a collimator plate (11) having a plurality of pinholes (111); a radiation detector (2) being arranged adjacent to a detector surface (112) of the collimator plate (11) such that radioactive radiation passing at least one of the plurality of pinholes (111) is received by the radiation detector (2); and an image processing unit (3) adapted to evaluate radiation signals obtained by the radiation detector (2) to determine a three dimensional position of at least one radiation source (61) emitting the radioactive radiation and causing the radiation signals.

Various methods and systems are provided for x-ray imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring, with an x-ray detector tilted at an angle with respect to an x-ray source, an x-ray image, calculating the angle from the x-ray image, generating a corrected x-ray image based on the calculated angle, and displaying the corrected x-ray image. In this way, tilt artifacts caused by the x-ray detector being tilted with respect to the x-ray source may be removed from an x-ray image.

Various methods and systems are provided for spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises performing a scan of a subject to acquire, with a detector array comprising a plurality of detector elements, projection data of the subject, generating corrected path-length estimates based on the projection data and one or more selected correction functions, and reconstructing at least one material density image based on the corrected path-length estimates. In this way, the fidelity of spectral information is improved, thereby increasing image quality for spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging systems, especially those configured with photon-counting detectors.

The present invention relates to an X-ray radiograph apparatus (10). It is described to placing (110) an X-ray source (20) relative to an X-ray detector (30) to form an examination region for the accommodation of an object, wherein, a reference spatial coordinate system is defined on the basis of geometry parameters of the X-ray radiography apparatus. A camera (40) is located (120) at a position and orientation to view the examination region. A depth image of the object is acquired (130) with the camera within a camera spatial coordinate system, wherein within the depth image pixel values represent distances for corresponding pixels. A processing unit (50) transforms (140), using a mapping function, the depth image of the object within the camera spatial coordinate system to the reference spatial coordinate system, wherein, the camera position and orientation have been calibrated with respect to the reference spatial coordinate system to yield the mapping function that maps a spatial point within the camera spatial coordinate system to a corresponding spatial point in the reference spatial coordinate system. A synthetic image is generated (150) within the reference spatial coordinate system. The synthetic image is output (160) with an output unit (60).

Disclosed herein is a method comprising: obtaining a third image from a first X-ray detector when the first X-ray detector and a second X-ray detector are misaligned; determining, based on a shift between a first image and the third image, a misalignment between the first X-ray detector and the second X-ray detector when the first and second detectors are misaligned; wherein the first image is an image the first X-ray detector should capture if the first and the second detectors are aligned.

A method and apparatus is provided that uses a deep learning (DL) network to correct projection images acquired using an X-ray source with a large focal spot size. The DL network is trained using a training dataset that includes input data and target data. The input data includes large-focal-spot-size X-ray projection data, and the output data includes small-focal-spot-size X-ray projection data (i.e., smaller than the focal spot of the input data). Thus, the DL network is trained to improve the resolution of projection data acquired using a large focal spot size, and obtain a resolution similar to what is achieved using a small focal spot size. Further, the DL network is can be trained to additional correct other aspects of the projection data (e.g., denoising the projection data).