System and method for contrast agent estimation in X-ray imaging

摘要

The disclosed embodiments relate to determining an amount of a contrast agent in an image. For example, a computer-implemented method of image processing includes generating, from a first polychromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image obtained at a first energy and a second polychromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image obtained at a second energy, a simulated first monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image and a simulated second monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image. The simulated first monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image includes first regions of enhanced contrast and the simulated second monochromatic contrast-enhanced includes second regions of enhanced contrast. The method also includes isolating the first and second regions of enhanced contrast from other regions of the image, and determining an amount of the contrast agent within the first and second regions of enhanced contrast based at least on a derived partial signal attributable to the contrast agent.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method of image processing, comprising executing with a processor the steps of:
generating a simulated first monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image at a first energy and a simulated second monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image at a second energy, wherein the first and second energies are different, and wherein the simulated first and second monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray images are simulated from a first polychromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image at a first peak energy and second polychromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image at a second peak energy, respectively, wherein the first and second peak energies are different; isolating a first region of enhanced contrast from the first monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image and a second region of enhanced contrast from the second monochromatic contrast-enhanced image, wherein the first and second regions of enhanced contrast comprise a partial signal attributable to a contrast agent from the simulated first monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image and the simulated second monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray image; determining an amount of the contrast agent within first and second regions of enhanced contrast based at least on a derived partial signal attributable to the contrast agent and respective signal responses of the simulated first and second monochromatic contrast-enhanced X-ray images; generating a contrast agent density map over the first and second regions of enhanced contrast using the determined amount of contrast agent; and outputting the contrast agent density map on a display coupled to the processor.