US 11,771,384 B2
Positioning of an examination object in relation to an x-ray device
Mario Bechtold, Hemhofen (DE); Daniela Bolte, Borchen (DE); Anja Brundobler, Neunkirchen Am Brand (DE); Helmut Gollwitzer, Erbendorf (DE); Anna Jerebko, Paoli, PA (US); Wolfgang Neuber, Pressath (DE); Marcus Radicke, Veitsbronn (DE); Karin Ratzmer, Hilpoltstein-Meckenhausen (DE); Juliane Ritter, Erlangen (DE); and Ann-Christin Roessler, Erlangen (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/234,840.
Claims priority of application No. 102018200108.1 (DE), filed on Jan. 5, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0209106 A1, Jul. 11, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 6/12 (2006.01); A61B 6/08 (2006.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); A61B 6/04 (2006.01); A61B 6/06 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); A61B 5/103 (2006.01); A61B 5/107 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 6/12 (2013.01) [A61B 6/0414 (2013.01); A61B 6/06 (2013.01); A61B 6/08 (2013.01); A61B 6/462 (2013.01); A61B 6/502 (2013.01); A61B 6/54 (2013.01); A61B 6/588 (2013.01); G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); A61B 5/103 (2013.01); A61B 5/1077 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10048 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10116 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30068 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for positioning of an examination object, the system comprising:
an x-ray device including at least one compression device configured to fix a breast of the examination object;
at least one camera, configured to acquire at least one image showing a current positioning of the breast of the examination object in relation to the x-ray device;
processing circuitry configured to cause the system to
analyze the at least one image,
extract information from the at least one image, the information including at least one of
(i) a first distance between the examination object and a detector of the x-ray device,
(ii) a first surface where the breast covers the detector of the x-ray device in a first of the at least one image and a second surface where the breast covers the detector of the x-ray device in a second of the at least one image, the first of the at least one image acquired at a time at which the breast is being placed in relation to the x-ray device without using at least one compression device of the x-ray device and the second of the at least one image acquired at a time at which the breast is fixed in relation to the x-ray device with the at least one compression device of the x-ray device, or
(iii) a second distance between an upper body of the examination object and a mammilla of the breast,
determine whether the breast is placed correctly in relation to the x-ray device based on the information by at least one of
(i) determining that the breast is not placed correctly in relation to the x-ray device based on a comparison of the first distance to a threshold distance,
(ii) determining that the breast is not placed correctly in relation to the x-ray device in response to a ratio of the second surface to the first surface not being greater than a threshold ratio, or
(iii) determining that the breast is not placed correctly in relation to the x-ray device in response to a change in the second distance by a compression of the breast not being greater than a minimum dimension, and
cause the x-ray device to generate an informative x-ray image of the breast in response to determining that the breast is placed correctly in relation to the x-ray device; and
at least one display device configured to display the at least one image and a result of the determination of whether the breast is placed correctly.