SPECIMEN RADIOGRAPHY WITH TOMOSYNTHESIS IN A CABINET

摘要

A method and system for producing tomosynthesis images of a breast specimen in a cabinet x-ray system. An X-ray source delivers X-rays through a specimen of excised tissue and forms an image at a digital X-ray detector. Multiple X-ray images are taken as the X-ray source moves relative to the stationary breast specimen. In the preferred embodiment, the X-ray source moves in a range from about 350° to and including about 10°. The source may travel substantially along a path that generally defines an arc, or linearly, while the detector remains stationary throughout and the source remains substantially equidistant from the specimen platform. The set of X-ray image data taken at the different points are combined to form a tomosynthesis image that can be viewed in different formats, alone or as an adjunct to conventional specimen radiography.

主权项

1. A cabinet x-ray system for obtaining specimen x-ray images, projection tomosynthesis x-ray images, and reconstructed tomosynthesis x-ray images of a specimen, the system comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior chamber; an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray detector, a specimen platform, and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the source relative to the specimen disposed within the interior chamber; a controller configured to selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the sample to the detector at selected positions of the source relative to the sample, wherein the controller is configured to:
control the detector to collect projection x-ray images of the sample when the source is energized at the selected positions, wherein one of the projection images is a two-dimensional image taken at standard imaging angle of approximately 0°;create a tomosynthetic image reconstructed from a collection of tomosynthesis projection images;process the collection of the tomosynthesis projection images in the controller into one or more reconstructed images representing a volume of the sample and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the 2-D image; andselectively display the 2-D image and the reconstructed tomosynthesis images.