Mobile radiographic apparatus/methods with tomosynthesis capability

Abstract

A mobile radiography apparatus has a moveable (e.g., wheeled) transport frame and an adjustable column mounted at the frame. A boom apparatus supported by the adjustable column can support an x-ray source assembly. Radiation or X-ray source assembly methods and/or apparatus embodiments can provide mobile radiography carts a capability to direct x-ray radiation towards a subject from one or a plurality of different source positions, where the X-ray source assembly includes a first x-ray power source and a second plurality of distributed x-ray sources disposed in a prescribed spatial relationship.

1 . A mobile x-ray radiography apparatus, comprising:
 a moveable transport frame;   an adjustable support structure coupled to the moveable transport frame;   an x-ray source assembly mounted to the adjustable support structure configured to direct x-ray radiation towards a subject from one or a plurality of different source positions, where the X-ray source assembly includes a first x-ray power source and a second plurality of distributed x-ray sources disposed in a prescribed spatial relationship; and   control circuitry at the mobile x-ray radiography apparatus and coupled to the X-ray source assembly, the control circuitry configured to receive projection image data sets for reconstruction of tomosynthesis images.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the plurality of distributed x-ray sources form a first angle of between approximately 5 and 120 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the plurality of distributed x-ray sources form a second angle of between approximately 5 and 30 degrees with respect to a detector. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where a plurality of tomographic projection images comprises 9-25 images or comprises 25-100 images. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the first X-ray source has sufficient X-ray power to capture standard projection radiography images or provide up to a 150 kVp exposure. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the plurality of distributed x-ray sources are lower power x-ray sources including sufficient X-ray power to capture projection image data sets used for reconstruction of tomosynthesis images or three-dimensional tomosynthesis objects. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where an x-ray detector is configured to operate by capturing between 2-60 frames per second over a 1-20 second imaging interval or 2-30 frames per second over a 1-10 second imaging interval. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the plurality of distributed x-ray sources are mounted along a support, where the prescribed spatial relationship is one or more linear tracks, 2D tracks, curves, rectangles or 3D paths. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where an x-ray beam generated by each of the plurality of distributed x-ray sources is adjustable. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where an x-ray beam generated by each of the plurality of distributed x-ray sources is fixed to a certain SID and detector size. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , where the tomosynthesis images are three dimensional, where an initial projection image for an object is taken before the projection image data sets for the plurality of different source positions are obtained. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a handle;   a portable power supply configured to power the moveable transport frame, control circuitry and the x-ray source; and   a portable human interface device coupled to the control circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to transmit at least one general radiography projection image of an object obtained using a first central x-ray source or projection image data sets obtained using the plurality of distributed x-ray sources to a remote system for computation of general radiographic images or tomosynthesis images,   where the moveable transport frame or the adjustable support structure are configured to position the x-ray source at the plurality of different source positions.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a portable digital detector configured to receive the radiation from the x-ray source assembly,   where the detector is wirelessly coupled to the control circuitry for transmitting at least image data to the control circuitry and/or control signals from the control circuitry to the detector.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 13 , where the portable digital detector is configured to store up to all radiographic image data and tomosynthesis image data at the detector during an image capture and to transmit at least a portion of the image data to the mobile x-ray radiography apparatus after image capture. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a portable digital detector configured to receive the radiation from the x-ray source assembly,   where the detector is wirelessly coupled to the control circuitry for transmitting at least radiographic image data to the control circuitry, and where the detector is tethered to the mobile x-ray radiography apparatus to transmit at least tomosynthesis image data to the control circuitry.   
     
     
         16 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a portable digital detector assembly or grid configured to receive the radiation from the source and to remain stationary during receipt of the radiation from the plurality of different source positions;   where the X-ray source assembly and the detector assembly include sensors and/or transmitters cooperatively arranged to detect distance and orientation of the X-ray source assembly and detector assembly with respect to one another.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile x-ray radiography apparatus of  claim 16 , where after an imaging geometry of the plurality of different source positions is determined, comprising determining a position of an x-ray detector in the imaging geometry of the plurality of different source positions. 
     
     
         18 . A method for use in a mobile x-ray radiography apparatus comprising one or more processors performing:
 operating in a first mode, where operating in the first mode comprises,
 obtaining at least one general radiography projection image of an object using a first type central x-ray source, and 
 generating a reconstruction of the object using the at least one general radiography projection image; and 
   operating in a second mode, where operating in the second mode comprises,
 obtaining a plurality of x-ray tomosynthesis projection images of an object using a plurality of second type distributed x-ray sources disposed in a prescribed spatial relationship, and 
 generating a three-dimensional reconstruction of the object using the x-ray projection images. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , where in the second mode the first central x-ray source is configured to operate as one of the plurality of distributed x-ray sources. 
     
     
         20 . A mobile x-ray radiography apparatus, comprising:
 a moveable transport frame;   adjustable support means for supporting structures coupled to the moveable transport frame;   a plurality of distributed x-ray producing means for producing directed radiation mounted to the adjustable support means, where the plurality of distributed x-ray producing means comprises a prescribed spatial relationship, the plurality of distributed x-ray producing means comprising at least four lower power x-ray producing means and at least one higher power central x-ray producing means; and   control means for controlling the mobile x-ray radiography apparatus and coupled to the plurality of distributed x-ray producing means, the control means to receive projection image data sets for reconstruction of tomosynthesis images.