A common area derivation unit derives a common area common to at least a part of a plurality of projection images corresponding to a plurality of radiation source positions which are generated by causing an imaging apparatus to perform tomosynthesis imaging in which a radiation source is moved relative to a detection unit to irradiate a subject with radiation at the plurality of radiation source positions according to movement of the radiation source. A display control unit emphasizes effective image areas, corresponding to the common area, of at least a part of a plurality of tomographic images representing a plurality of tomographic planes of the subject which are generated by reconstructing the plurality of projection images, or a composite two-dimensional image generated from the plurality of tomographic images, and displays at least the part of the tomographic images or the composite two-dimensional image on a display.

Methods and systems for identifying internal motion of a breast of a patient during an imaging procedure. The method may include compressing the breast of the patient in a mediolateral oblique (MLO) position. During compression of the breast, a first tomosynthesis MLO projection frame for a first angle with respect the breast is acquired and a second tomosynthesis MLO projection frame for a second angle with respect to the breast is acquired. Boundaries of the pectoral muscle are identified in the projection frames and boundary representations are generated. A difference between the first representation and the second representation is determined. A motion score is then generated based on at least the difference between the first representation and the second representation.

A multi-axis imaging system comprising an imaging gantry with an imaging axis extending through a bore of the imaging gantry, a support column that supports the imaging gantry on one side of the gantry in a cantilevered manner, and a base that supports the imaging gantry and the support column. The imaging system including a first drive mechanism that translates the gantry in a vertical direction relative to the support column and the base, a second drive mechanism that rotates the gantry with respect to the support column between a first orientation where the imaging axis of the imaging gantry extends in a vertical direction parallel to the support column and a second orientation where the imaging axis of the gantry extends in a horizontal direction parallel with the base, and a third drive mechanism that translates the support column and the gantry in a horizontal direction along the base.

An image interpretation support apparatus includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of projection images obtained by tomosynthesis imaging in which a radiation is irradiated to a breast from different irradiation angles by a radiation source and a projection image is captured at each irradiation angle by a radiation detector; a first generation unit that generates a plurality of tomographic images on each of a plurality of tomographic planes of the breast from the plurality of projection images; a second generation unit that generates a synthetic two-dimensional image from a plurality of images among the plurality of projection images and the plurality of tomographic images; a detection unit that detects an object of interest candidate region estimated to include an object of interest from the synthetic two-dimensional image; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the object of interest is included in the object of interest candidate region on the basis of the plurality of tomographic images.

A method for vascular assessment is disclosed. The method, in some embodiments, comprises receiving a plurality of 2-D angiographic images of a portion of a vasculature of a subject, and processing the images to produce a stenotic model over the vasculature, the stenotic model having measurements of the vasculature at one or more locations along vessels of the vasculature. The method, in some embodiments, further comprises obtaining a flow characteristic of the stenotic model, and calculating an index indicative of vascular function, based, at least in part, on the flow characteristic in the stenotic model.

Systems and methods for breast x-ray tomosynthesis that enhance spatial resolution in the direction in which the breast is flattened for examination. In addition to x-ray data acquisition of 2D projection tomosynthesis images ETp1 over a shorter source trajectory similar to known breast tomosynthesis, supplemental 2D images ETp2 are taken over a longer source trajectory and the two sets of projection images are processed into breast slice images ETr that exhibit enhanced spatial resolution, including in the thickness direction of the breast. Additional features include breast CT of an upright patient's flattened breast, multi-mode tomosynthesis, and shielding the patient from moving equipment.

The present invention is directed to an alternative geometric calibration method based on a calibration phantom with multiple line-shaped markers. The markers can in some embodiments take the form of radio-opaque wires. Line fiducials overcome the occlusion hazards of spherical fiducials, because their projections overlap very mildly as long as the wires are mutually non-coplanar in 3D. This makes the phantom amenable to a wider range of orbits and less sensitive to phantom positioning. Equations relating the pose of 3D line-shaped objects to their 2D radiographic projections are then used as the basis for view-by-view geometry estimation. The technique can flexibly accommodate a wide range of different CT scan trajectories, including strongly noncircular trajectories known to provide better image quality than standard circular scans.

A mobile radiography apparatus is configured to sparsely sample radiographic projection images to generate high resolution tomosynthesis volume images using a digital radiographic detector that is mechanically uncoupled from the x-ray source and an artificial intelligence network. The artificial intelligence network is trained to correct a volume image generated from sparsely sample projection images to generate the high resolution tomosynthesis volume images.

A new and improved anatomical imaging system which includes a new and improved movement system, wherein the movement system comprises an omnidirectional powered drive unit and wherein the movement system can substantially eliminate lateral walk (or drift) over the complete stroke of a scan, even when the floor includes substantial irregularities, whereby to improve the accuracy of the scan results and avoid unintentional engagement of the anatomical imaging system with the bed or gurney which is supporting the patient.

A method for geometric calibration of a volume imaging apparatus disposes calibration phantom in a radiation path that includes a subject positioned between an x-ray source and a detector. The phantom has a number of radio-opaque markers formed of a marker material. In a repeated sequence, at each of a number of positional relationships of the x-ray source to the detector: 2D projection image data is acquired for the subject and the phantom, wherein the 2D projection image data distinguishes at least first and second x-ray energy distributions; source-to-detector geometry of the imaging apparatus is calculated, corresponding to the acquired 2D projection image data for the first and second x-ray energy distributions. The method reconstructs and displays a 3D volume image of the subject according to acquired anatomy image data from the subject and source-to-detector geometry within the 2D projection images.