A method and system for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography

Abstract

The present application provides a method and system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography, the method comprising: obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when a compression disk compresses a breast, the compression thickness value being the distance from the compression disk to a detector; determining exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; exposing the breast according to low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters, obtaining a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; generating a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image. Through the K-edge effect of iodine contrast agents, dual-energy photography and image subtraction technology are used to eliminate normal tissues in the breast glands, highlight the morphology, size and number of lesions, solve the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional breast X-ray photography, and improve the detection rate of breast cancer. The operation is simple, the inspection efficiency is high, the application range is wide, and it has great clinical application value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical image processing, and in particular to a method and system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography. Background Art

[0002] Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, which seriously threatens women's physical and mental health. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are particularly important. Common imaging examination methods for breast cancer include breast ultrasound, mammography and breast magnetic resonance imaging. Breast ultrasound is non-destructive and painless, suitable for all people, and has advantages in distinguishing the presence or absence of lumps, the size of lumps and the physical characteristics of lumps. However, breast ultrasound requires doctors to have certain operating skills and experience, and cannot identify lesions with a diameter of less than 5mm. Mammography is simple, convenient, low-cost and non-invasive. It can detect tumors in asymptomatic patients or clinically negative tumors at the initial diagnosis, but its ability to distinguish tiny lesions in dense glands is low, which can easily lead to missed diagnosis. Breast MRI has higher sensitivity and specificity. It can perform multi-plane scanning and reconstruction, and can better display the size, shape, and location of lesions. It has a very high detection rate for invasive breast cancer. However, breast MRI is not suitable for those who have pacemakers or other magnetic objects installed in their bodies. In addition, this examination is costly and complicated to operate, and is not suitable for large-scale breast cancer screening.

[0003] Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography is a new breast examination technology that has emerged in recent years. It is based on conventional mammography and uses the K-edge effect of iodinated contrast agents to further examine the breast. Tumor tissues have active cells and are areas of high blood perfusion. The metabolism of iodinated contrast agents in tumor tissues is different from that in normal tissues. Image subtraction technology is used to highlight tumors in the breast glands, overcoming the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional mammography, thereby improving the accuracy of breast examinations.

[0004] The patents for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography that can be searched at present are:

[0005] Chinese patent CN201811277985.7, publication date: 20190409, this method first calculates the difference between the grayscale mean of the breast area and the grayscale mean of the lesion area, and then uses this difference to match the pre-stored case results to obtain the threshold for distinguishing between benign case results and malignant case results. This method can improve the accuracy of judging whether the lesion is benign or malignant. However, it is aimed at the diagnosis field and does not describe the implementation method of the contrast-enhanced spectral mammography system.

[0006] Chinese patent CN202110371520.3, publication date: 20210730, this method first extracts the features of the high-energy image and the low-energy image respectively, and fuses them to obtain a fused image with comprehensive features; then extracts the features of the fused image, and inputs the extracted features into the classifier to obtain the image classification result. However, the image processing field it targets does not describe the implementation method of the contrast-enhanced spectral mammography system. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present application is proposed to provide a method and system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography that overcomes the above problems or at least partially solves the above problems, including:

[0008] A method for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography, the method relates to a breast X-ray machine, the breast X-ray machine comprises a compression plate and a detector, wherein a breast to be tested is placed between the compression plate and the detector, the method comprises:

[0009] Obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector;

[0010] Determining exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters;

[0011] Exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters;

[0012] A target contrast-enhanced image of the breast is generated based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image.

[0013] Further, the step of determining exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value, wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters, comprises:

[0014] Determining the low-energy exposure parameter according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value;

[0015] The high-energy exposure parameter is determined according to the low-energy exposure parameter.

[0016] Furthermore, the low-energy exposure parameters include low-energy radiation voltage and low-energy radiation current; the step of determining the low-energy exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value includes:

[0017] The low-energy radiation voltage is determined according to the compression thickness value; specifically, when the compression thickness value is less than 20 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV; when the compression thickness value is greater than or equal to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 31 kV; when the compression thickness value is 20 to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0018] V Low =25+(Thickness-10) / 10

[0019] Wherein, Thickness is the compression thickness value; V Low is the low energy radiation voltage;

[0020] The low-energy radiation current is determined according to the pressure value; specifically, the low-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0021] mAs Low =30+Force×2

[0022] Wherein, Force is the pressure value; mAs Low is the low-energy radiation current.

[0023] Furthermore, the high-energy exposure parameters include high-energy radiation voltage and high-energy radiation current; and the step of determining the high-energy exposure parameters according to the low-energy exposure parameters includes:

[0024] The high energy radiation voltage is determined according to the low energy radiation voltage; specifically, the high energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0025] V High =V Low +18

[0026] Where V High is the high energy radiation voltage;

[0027] The high-energy radiation current is determined according to the low-energy radiation current; specifically, the high-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0028] mAs High =mAs Low ×0.18

[0029] Where, mAs High is the high energy radiation current.

[0030] Furthermore, the step of exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters includes:

[0031] Exposing the breast according to the low-energy radiation voltage and the low-energy radiation current to obtain the low-energy image;

[0032] The breast is exposed according to the high-energy radiation voltage and the high-energy radiation current to obtain the high-energy image.

[0033] Furthermore, the step of generating the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image comprises:

[0034] The high-energy image is subtracted based on the low-energy image to generate the target contrast-enhanced image.

[0035] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0036] Determining whether a compression condition is met, the compression condition comprising: the iodine contrast agent is retained in the human body for more than a preset time, the preset time being 2 minutes;

[0037] When the compression condition is met, the breast is compressed according to the compression plate.

[0038] A system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography, the system relates to a breast X-ray machine, the breast X-ray machine comprises a compression disk and a detector, wherein a breast to be tested is placed between the compression disk and the detector, and the system comprises:

[0039] A compression module, used for obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is a distance from the compression disk to the detector;

[0040] An exposure parameter determination module, used to determine exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters;

[0041] An exposure module, used for exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters;

[0042] A target contrast-enhanced image determination module is used to generate a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image.

[0043] A computer device comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the method for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography as described above are implemented.

[0044] A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography as described above.

[0045] This application has the following advantages:

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, the steps are as follows: obtaining the compression thickness value and the compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, the compression thickness value being the distance from the compression disk to the detector; determining exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; generating a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image. The present application obtains a subtracted image by using dual-energy photography and image subtraction technology based on conventional breast X-ray photography, according to the K-edge effect of iodine contrast agents, eliminating normal tissues in breast glands, highlighting the morphology, size and number of lesions, and solving the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional breast X-ray photography. The present application provides imaging support for the diagnosis of breast lesions, greatly improving the detection rate of breast cancer, especially for dense glands of Asian women. In addition, the application is simple to operate, has high inspection efficiency, and a wide range of applications, and has great clinical application value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0048] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the steps of a method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a breast X-ray machine provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 3is a flowchart of the steps of a method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an oblique target contrast-enhanced image provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 5 It is a structural block diagram of a system for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 6 is another structural block diagram of a system for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of a computer device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] In order to make the objects, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0056] Reference Figure 1 , shows a method of contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography provided by an embodiment of the present application, the method relates to a breast X-ray machine, the breast X-ray machine includes a compression plate and a detector, wherein the breast to be tested is placed between the compression plate and the detector,

[0057] The method comprises:

[0058] S110, obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is a distance from the compression disk to the detector;

[0059] S120, determining exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters;

[0060] S130, exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameter and the high-energy exposure parameter to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameter and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameter;

[0061] S140: Generate a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present application, by obtaining the compression thickness value and the compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector; the exposure parameters are determined according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; the breast is exposed according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast is generated according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image. The present application obtains a subtraction image based on conventional breast X-ray photography, according to the K-edge effect of iodine contrast agents, and uses dual-energy photography and image subtraction technology to eliminate normal tissues in breast glands, highlight the morphology, size and number of lesions, and solve the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional breast X-ray photography. The present application provides imaging support for the diagnosis of breast lesions, greatly improving the detection rate of breast cancer, especially for dense glands in Asian women. In addition, the application is simple to operate, has high inspection efficiency, and a wide range of applications, and has great clinical application value.

[0063] Next, a method of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography in this exemplary embodiment will be further described.

[0064] As described in step S110, a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast are obtained, and the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of "obtaining the compression thickness value and the compression force value when the compression disk compresses the mammary gland, wherein the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector" in step S110 can be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0066] It should be noted that, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the breast X-ray machine includes a ball court 1, a compression plate 2 and a detector 4. The breast is located between the compression plate 2 and the detector 4. The breast is compressed by the compression plate 2. The compression thickness value is the distance from the compression plate to the detector when the compression plate compresses the breast. The compression force value is the force when the compression plate compresses the breast, and the compression force value is obtained through the compression plate.

[0067] As an example, the left and right breasts of the subject need to be examined in the cranio-caudal and medial-lateral oblique positions. Before the breasts are compressed, an iodine contrast agent is injected through the upper limb vein of the subject using a high-pressure injection gun, wherein the injection amount of the iodine contrast agent is related to the subject's weight, as shown in the following formula:

[0068] M=1.5*W

[0069] Wherein, M represents the injection volume of iodine contrast agent, in ml; W represents the weight of the subject, in kg. It should be noted that the cranial-caudal position is the angle between the line between the ball court and the breast and the surface of the compression disk; the mediolateral-lateral oblique position is the angle between the line between the ball court and the breast and the surface of the compression disk at an acute angle.

[0070] In a specific implementation, the right breast of the subject is compressed in the cranial and caudal position, wherein the compression thickness is Thickness, and the unit is mm; the compression force is Force, and the unit is N.

[0071] As described in step S120, exposure parameters are determined according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of "determining exposure parameters based on the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters" in step S120 can be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0073] As described in the following steps, the low energy exposure parameter is determined according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value.

[0074] As described in the following steps, the high energy exposure parameter is determined according to the low energy exposure parameter.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of "the step of determining the low-energy exposure parameter according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value" can be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0076] It should be noted that the low-energy exposure parameters include low-energy radiation voltage and low-energy radiation current. The low-energy radiation voltage is V Low , in kV; the low energy radiation current is mAs Low ; kV is voltage - kilovolts. The higher the voltage value, the higher the radiation dose, and it is exponentially related to the radiation dose; mAs is milliampere-second, that is, current multiplied by time. The higher the mAs, the higher the radiation dose, and it is linearly related to the radiation dose.

[0077] As described in the following steps, the low-energy radiation voltage is determined according to the compression thickness value.

[0078] As an example, the low energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0079]

[0080] Specifically, when the compression thickness value is less than 20 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV;

[0081] When the compression thickness value is greater than or equal to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 31 kV;

[0082] When the compression thickness value is 20-80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0083] KV Low =25+(Thickness-10) / 10

[0084] Wherein, Thickness is the compression thickness value; V Low is the low energy radiation voltage.

[0085] As described in the following steps, the low energy radiation current is determined according to the pressure value.

[0086] As an example, the low-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0087] mAs Low =30+Force×2

[0088] Wherein, Force is the pressure value; mAs Low is the low-energy radiation current.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of “determining the high-energy exposure parameter according to the low-energy exposure parameter” may be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0090] It should be noted that the high-energy exposure parameters include high-energy radiation voltage and high-energy radiation current. The high-energy radiation voltage is V High , the low energy radiation current is mAs High .

[0091] As described in the following steps, the high energy radiation voltage is determined according to the low energy radiation voltage.

[0092] As an example, the high energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0093] V High =V Low +18

[0094] Where V High is the high energy radiation voltage.

[0095] As described in the following steps, the high energy radiation current is determined according to the low energy radiation current.

[0096] As an example, the high energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0097] mAs High =mAs Low ×0.18

[0098] Where, mAs High is the high energy radiation current.

[0099] As described in step S130, the breast is exposed according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters.

[0100] In one embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of "exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters" in step S130 can be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0101] As described in the following steps, the breast is exposed according to the low-energy radiation voltage and the low-energy radiation current to obtain the low-energy image.

[0102] In a specific implementation, the compression thickness value of the breast is 16 mm and the compression force value is 5 N, then the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV, and the low-energy radiation current is 40 mAs; the breast is exposed using low-energy exposure parameters (25 kV, 40 mAs) to collect the low-energy image.

[0103] As described in the following steps, the breast is exposed according to the high-energy radiation voltage and the high-energy radiation current to obtain the high-energy image.

[0104] In a specific implementation, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV, and the low-energy radiation current is 40 mAs, then the high-energy radiation voltage is 43 kV, and the high-energy radiation current is 7.2 mAs. The breast is exposed using high-energy exposure parameters (43 kV, 7.2 mAs) to collect the high-energy image.

[0105] As described in step S140, the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast is generated based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image.

[0106] In an embodiment of the present invention, the specific process of "generating the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast based on the low-energy image and the high-energy image" in step S140 can be further explained in combination with the following description.

[0107] As described in the following steps, the high-energy image is subtracted based on the low-energy image to generate the target contrast-enhanced image.

[0108] It should be noted that the subtraction process is an image processing technology that subtracts two images of the same part to highlight the difference between the two images.

[0109] As an example, the target contrast-enhanced image is generated by subtracting the low-energy image from the high-energy image.

[0110] Reference Figure 3 , shows a flow chart of the steps of a method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography provided by an embodiment of the present application. In an embodiment of the present application, before compressing the breast, it also includes:

[0111] S100, determining whether a compression condition is met, the compression condition comprising: the iodine contrast agent is retained in the human body for more than a preset time, the preset time being 2 minutes;

[0112] S101. When the compression condition is met, the breast is compressed according to the compression plate.

[0113] In one embodiment of the present application, steps S110-S140 are repeated to finally obtain four target contrast-enhanced images of the left and right cranio-caudal positions, and the left and right lateral and medial oblique positions. Figure 4 , shows a schematic diagram of an oblique target contrast-enhanced image provided by an embodiment of the present application. It should be noted that high-energy images and low-energy images of four parts of each subject, namely, left and right cranial and caudal positions and internal and external oblique positions, must be acquired within 5 minutes.

[0114] As for the device embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0115] Reference Figure 5 , shows a system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography provided by an embodiment of the present application, the system relates to a breast X-ray machine, the breast X-ray machine includes a compression plate and a detector, wherein a breast to be tested is placed between the compression plate and the detector;

[0116] Specifically include:

[0117] A compression module 510, used to obtain a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector;

[0118] An exposure parameter determination module 520, configured to determine exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters;

[0119] An exposure module 530, configured to expose the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameter and the high-energy exposure parameter to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameter and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameter;

[0120] The target contrast-enhanced image determination module 540 is used to generate the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image.

[0121] In one embodiment of the present invention, the exposure parameter is determined according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; the exposure parameter determination module 520 includes:

[0122] A low-energy exposure parameter determination submodule, used to determine the low-energy exposure parameter according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value;

[0123] The high-energy exposure parameter determination submodule is used to determine the high-energy exposure parameter according to the low-energy exposure parameter.

[0124] In one embodiment of the present invention, the low-energy exposure parameters include low-energy radiation voltage and low-energy radiation current; the low-energy exposure parameter determination submodule includes:

[0125] A low-energy radiation voltage determination unit is used to determine the low-energy radiation voltage according to the compression thickness value; specifically, when the compression thickness value is less than 20 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV; when the compression thickness value is greater than or equal to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 31 kV; when the compression thickness value is 20 to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0126] V Low =25+(Thickness-10) / 10

[0127] Wherein, Thickness is the compression thickness value; V Low is the low energy radiation voltage;

[0128] The low-energy radiation current determination unit is used to determine the low-energy radiation current according to the pressure value; specifically, the low-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0129] mAs Low =30+Force×2

[0130] Wherein, Force is the pressure value; mAs Low is the low-energy radiation current.

[0131] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-energy exposure parameters include high-energy radiation voltage and high-energy radiation current, and the high-energy exposure parameter determination submodule includes:

[0132] A high energy radiation voltage determining unit is used to determine the high energy radiation voltage according to the low energy radiation voltage; specifically, the high energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula:

[0133] V High =V Low +18

[0134] Where V High is the high energy radiation voltage;

[0135] A high-energy radiation current determination unit is used to determine the high-energy radiation current according to the low-energy radiation current; specifically, the high-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula:

[0136] mAs High =mAs Low ×0.18

[0137] Where, mAs High is the high energy radiation current.

[0138] In one embodiment of the present invention, the exposure module 530 includes:

[0139] A low-energy image acquisition submodule, used for exposing the breast according to the low-energy radiation voltage and the low-energy radiation current to obtain the low-energy image;

[0140] The high-energy image acquisition submodule is used to expose the breast according to the high-energy radiation voltage and the high-energy radiation current to obtain the high-energy image.

[0141] In one embodiment of the present invention, the target contrast enhanced image determination module 540 includes:

[0142] The subtraction processing submodule is used to perform subtraction processing on the high-energy image based on the low-energy image to generate the target contrast-enhanced image.

[0143] In one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes:

[0144] The compression condition detection module 500 is used to determine whether the compression condition is met, and the compression condition includes: the iodine contrast agent is retained in the human body for more than a preset time, and the preset time is 2 minutes;

[0145] The compression module 501 is used to compress the breast according to the compression plate when the compression condition is met.

[0146] Reference Figure 7 , showing a computer device of a method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography of the present invention, which may specifically include the following:

[0147] The computer device 12 is in the form of a general-purpose computing device, and the components of the computer device 12 may include but are not limited to: one or more processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28, and a bus 18 connecting different system components (including the system memory 28 and the processing unit 16).

[0148] The bus 18 represents one or more of several types of bus 18 structures, including a memory bus 18 or memory controller, a peripheral bus 18, an accelerated graphics port, a processor or a local bus 18 using any of a variety of bus 18 architectures. These architectures include, by way of example, but are not limited to, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus 18, a Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus 18, an Enhanced ISA bus 18, an Audio Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus 18, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus 18.

[0149] The computer device 12 typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer device 12, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0150] System memory 28 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and / or cache memory 32. Computer device 12 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, storage system 34 may be used to read and write to non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (commonly referred to as a "hard drive"). Although Figure 7 Not shown, a disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile disk (such as a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile optical disk (such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical medium) may be provided. In these cases, each drive may be connected to the bus 18 via one or more data medium interfaces. The memory may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules 42, which are configured to perform the functions of various embodiments of the present invention.

[0151] A program / utility 40 having a set (at least one) of program modules 42 may be stored in, for example, a memory, such program modules 42 including, but not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules 42, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules 42 generally perform the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0152] The computer device 12 may also communicate with one or more external devices 14 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, displays 24, cameras, etc.), one or more devices that enable an operator to interact with the computer device 12, and / or any device that enables the computer device 12 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., network cards, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed via an input / output (I / O) interface 22. Furthermore, the computer device 12 may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area networks (LANs)), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks (e.g., the Internet) via a network adapter 20. As shown, the network adapter 20 communicates with the other modules of the computer device 12 via the bus 18. It should be understood that although Figure 7 Not shown, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with the computer device 12, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units 16, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems 34, etc.

[0153] The processing unit 16 executes various functional applications and data processing by running programs stored in the system memory 28, such as implementing a method for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0154] That is, when the processing unit 16 executes the above program, it realizes: obtaining the compression thickness value and the compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector; determining the exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; generating a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image. The present application obtains a subtraction image based on conventional breast X-ray photography, according to the K-edge effect of iodine contrast agents, and uses dual-energy photography and image subtraction technology to eliminate normal tissues in breast glands, highlight the morphology, size and number of lesions, and solve the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional breast X-ray photography. The present application provides imaging support for the diagnosis of breast lesions, greatly improving the detection rate of breast cancer, especially for dense glands of Asian women. In addition, the application is simple to operate, has high inspection efficiency, and a wide range of applications, and has great clinical application value.

[0155] In an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements a method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography as provided in all embodiments of the present application:

[0156] That is, when the program is executed by the processor, it is implemented as follows: obtaining the compression thickness value and the compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, the compression thickness value being the distance from the compression disk to the detector; determining the exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; generating a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image. This application obtains a subtracted image based on conventional breast X-ray photography, according to the K-edge effect of iodine contrast agents, and utilizes dual-energy photography and image subtraction technology to eliminate normal tissues in the breast glands, highlight the morphology, size and number of lesions, and solve the problem of missed diagnosis caused by tissue overlap in conventional breast X-ray photography. This application provides imaging support for the diagnosis of breast lesions, greatly improving the detection rate of breast cancer, especially for dense glands in Asian women. In addition, the application is simple to operate, has high inspection efficiency, and a wide range of applications, and has great clinical application value.

[0157] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be used. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or device.

[0158] Computer-readable signal media may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries a computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0159] The computer program code for performing the operation of the present invention can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the operator's computer, partially on the operator's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the operator's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the operator's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet). The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0160] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0161] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the elements.

[0162] The above is a detailed introduction to a method and system for contrast-enhanced spectral breast X-ray photography provided by the present application. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for a person skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A method for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography, characterized in that: The method relates to a breast X-ray machine, which comprises a compression plate and a detector, wherein a breast to be tested is placed between the compression plate and the detector, and an iodine contrast agent is injected into the breast to be tested. The method comprises: Obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is the distance from the compression disk to the detector; Determine exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; specifically, determine the low-energy exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value, and determine the high-energy exposure parameters according to the low-energy exposure parameters; the low-energy exposure parameters include low-energy radiation voltage and low-energy radiation current, and the high-energy exposure parameters include high-energy radiation voltage and high-energy radiation current; Exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; generating a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image; Wherein, the step of determining the low-energy exposure parameter according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value comprises: The low-energy radiation voltage is determined according to the compression thickness value; specifically, when the compression thickness value is less than 20 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV; when the compression thickness value is greater than or equal to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 31 kV; when the compression thickness value is 20 to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula: V Low =25+(Thickness-10) / 10 Wherein, Thickness is the compression thickness value; VLow is the low energy radiation voltage; The low-energy radiation current is determined according to the pressure value; specifically, the low-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula: but Low =30+Force×2 Wherein, Force is the pressure value; mAsLow is the low-energy radiation current; Wherein, the step of determining the high energy exposure parameter according to the low energy exposure parameter comprises: The high energy radiation voltage is determined according to the low energy radiation voltage; specifically, the high energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula: V High =V Low +18 Where V High is the high energy radiation voltage; The high-energy radiation current is determined according to the low-energy radiation current; specifically, the high-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula: but High =mAs Low ×0.18 Where, mAs High is the high energy radiation current.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters comprises: Exposing the breast according to the low-energy radiation voltage and the low-energy radiation current to obtain the low-energy image; The breast is exposed according to the high-energy radiation voltage and the high-energy radiation current to obtain the high-energy image.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of generating the target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image comprises: The high-energy image is subtracted based on the low-energy image to generate the target contrast-enhanced image.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Determining whether a compression condition is met, the compression condition comprising: the iodine contrast agent is retained in the human body for more than a preset time, the preset time being 2 minutes; When the compression condition is met, the breast is compressed according to the compression plate.

5. A system for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography, characterized in that: The system relates to a breast X-ray machine, which includes a compression plate and a detector, wherein a breast to be tested is placed between the compression plate and the detector, and an iodine contrast agent is injected into the breast to be tested. The system includes: A compression module, used for obtaining a compression thickness value and a compression force value when the compression disk compresses the breast, wherein the compression thickness value is a distance from the compression disk to the detector; An exposure parameter determination module, used to determine exposure parameters according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value; wherein the exposure parameters include low-energy exposure parameters and high-energy exposure parameters; specifically, the low-energy exposure parameters are determined according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value, and the high-energy exposure parameters are determined according to the low-energy exposure parameters; the low-energy exposure parameters include low-energy radiation voltage and low-energy radiation current, and the high-energy exposure parameters include high-energy radiation voltage and high-energy radiation current; An exposure module, used for exposing the breast according to the low-energy exposure parameters and the high-energy exposure parameters to obtain a low-energy image corresponding to the low-energy exposure parameters and a high-energy image corresponding to the high-energy exposure parameters; A target contrast-enhanced image determination module, configured to generate a target contrast-enhanced image of the breast according to the low-energy image and the high-energy image; Wherein, the step of determining the low-energy exposure parameter according to the compression thickness value and the compression force value comprises: The low-energy radiation voltage is determined according to the compression thickness value; specifically, when the compression thickness value is less than 20 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 25 kV; when the compression thickness value is greater than or equal to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is 31 kV; when the compression thickness value is 20 to 80 mm, the low-energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula: V Low =25+(Thickness-10) / 10 Wherein, Thickness is the compression thickness value; VLow is the low energy radiation voltage; The low-energy radiation current is determined according to the pressure value; specifically, the low-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula: but Low =30+Force×2 Wherein, Force is the pressure value; mAsLow is the low-energy radiation current; Wherein, the step of determining the high energy exposure parameter according to the low energy exposure parameter comprises: The high energy radiation voltage is determined according to the low energy radiation voltage; specifically, the high energy radiation voltage is obtained by the following formula: V High =V Low +18 Wherein, VHigh is the high energy radiation voltage; The high-energy radiation current is determined according to the low-energy radiation current; specifically, the high-energy radiation current is obtained by the following formula: but High =mAs Low ×0.18 Wherein, mAsHigh is the high energy radiation current.

6. A computer device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 when executed by the processor.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is implemented.

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