CT scanner including a camera to obtain external images of a patient
Inventors
Sarment, David Phillipe • Rakic, Miodrag • Clinthorne, Neal • Stayman, Joseph Webster
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-7551711-B2
Publication Date
2009-06-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
A CT scanner includes a gantry that supports and houses components of the CT scanner. A camera is mounted to the gantry. As the gantry rotates about an axis of rotation, the camera captures a photographic external image of the patient at a plurality of rotational positions. A computer generates a three dimensional external image from the plurality of external images. The three dimensional external image is registered relative to a three dimensional CT image generated from a plurality of x-ray images.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a scanner that includes a rotating gantry having a first arm section and a second arm section. A cone-beam x-ray source is mounted to the first arm and a flat-panel detector is mounted to the second arm, and as the gantry rotates about an axis of rotation the x-ray detector takes a plurality of x-ray images at corresponding rotational positions.
A camera mounted to one of the arm sections captures photographic external images as the gantry rotates, producing a plurality of external images. A computer generates a three dimensional CT image from the plurality of x-ray images and generates a three dimensional external image from the plurality of external photographs, and the computer registers the three dimensional external image relative to the three dimensional CT image.
The scanner provides a display in which the three dimensional CT image changes to the three dimensional external image as the three dimensional CT image is zoomed outwardly. The display supports transitioning between views and enabling viewing of the registered three dimensional external view in relation to the three dimensional CT view for technician reference.
Claims Coverage
The provided partial content identifies one independent claim. The independent claim contains three inventive features covering coordinated rotational acquisition of x-ray and external photographic images, 3D CT and 3D external image generation with storage, and a display transition from the CT view to the external view during zooming outwardly.
Coordinated rotational acquisition of x-ray and external images
A gantry including a first arm section and a second arm section with an x-ray source mounted to the first arm section and an x-ray detector mounted to the second arm section, and a camera mounted to one of the arm sections, where a motor rotates the gantry about an axis of rotation such that the x-ray detector takes a plurality of x-rays images and the camera takes a plurality of external images as the gantry rotates.
3D image generation and storage from x-ray and external images
A computer that generates a three dimensional CT image from the plurality of x-ray images and a three dimensional external image from the plurality of external images and stores the three dimensional CT image and the three dimensional external image.
Display transition from 3D CT view to 3D external view during zooming outwardly
A display that displays the three dimensional CT image, wherein the three dimensional CT image changes to the three dimensional external image as the three dimensional CT image is zoomed outwardly.
Across the independent claim, the inventive scope centers on obtaining both x-ray images and camera-based external images during the same gantry rotation, reconstructing and storing corresponding three dimensional CT and three dimensional external images, and providing a display transition from the three dimensional CT image to the three dimensional external image as the CT image is zoomed outwardly.
Stated Advantages
The display supports transitioning between views and enabling viewing of the registered three dimensional external view in relation to the three dimensional CT view for technician reference.
Documented Applications
Technician reference.
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