Detection and collection of x-ray detector artifact data by acquisition system to support field services and development

Abstract

The invention relates to X-ray imaging. In order to improve artifact management, an anomaly detection apparatus for identifying interference in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source is provided. The device comprises an input unit, a processing unit and an output unit. The input unit is configured to receive an unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image. The processing unit is configured to analyze the received unexposed image to determine whether there is an anomaly in the received unexposed image indicative of image interference caused by an external source. In response to detecting an anomaly indicative of image interference caused by an external source, the processing unit is configured to generate a single image anomaly report that includes the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata. The output unit is configured to provide the generated single image anomaly report.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to X-ray imaging. In particular, the present invention relates to anomaly detection apparatus and anomaly detection method, an X-ray detector, a system, a computer program and a computer readable medium for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by external sources. Background Art

[0002] In conventional X-ray, acquisition includes acquiring image pairs including an X-ray frame with radiation and an X-ray frame without radiation. Subtracting the offset from the X-ray frames results in an offset-corrected X-ray image. However, some disturbances may vary over time, such as electronic noise, electromagnetic interference, and mechanical vibrations. These disturbances cannot be corrected by offsetting the frames because the offset frames are acquired at different points in time, such as shortly before or after the X-ray. Therefore, visible artifacts may remain in the offset-corrected X-ray image. For example, Figure 1 An example of an X-ray clinical image is shown with artifacts caused by mechanical vibrations during the acquisition process. Summary of the invention

[0003] Improved artifact management may be needed.

[0004] The objects of the invention are solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments and advantages of the invention are incorporated in the dependent claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that all embodiments of the invention regarding the computer-implemented method can be performed in the order of the steps described, however this is not necessarily the only and necessary order of the steps of the method presented herein. The computer-implemented method disclosed herein can be performed in another order of the disclosed steps without departing from the corresponding method embodiment, unless explicitly mentioned to the contrary below.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anomaly detection device for identifying interference in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source. The device comprises: an input unit, a processing unit, and an output unit. The input unit is configured to receive an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image. The processing unit is configured to analyze the received unexposed image to determine whether there is an anomaly in the received unexposed image indicating image interference caused by an external source. In response to detecting an anomaly indicating image interference caused by an external source, the processing unit is configured to generate a single image anomaly report, the single image report comprising the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata. The output unit is configured to provide the generated single image anomaly report.

[0006] The anomaly detection apparatus and method described herein analyzes an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector. The unexposed image is also referred to as a dark image. A dark image (sometimes referred to as an offset image or frame) is an image acquired by an X-ray detector that does not contain a signal from X-ray radiation (or includes some residual signals from a previous acquisition, the so-called lag). From the dark image, useful information about the clinical environment and its impact on the detector image can be obtained. The collected data may provide useful insights into current interfering signals and support the implementation or improvement of correction software for related artifacts. No data privacy rules need to be considered because the dark image does not contain any information related to the patient. The construction can be part of the X-ray detector or part of an external device (such as a computer that can be connected to the X-ray detector).

[0007] Anomalies in the received unexposed image may appear as lines, clusters and / or wavy artifacts in the image, which may interfere with relevant image information. The characteristics or properties of the artifacts in the image depend on the signal form of the external interference and the detector readout design (electronic devices, timing, etc.). The anomalies in the received unexposed image can be determined by various methods. In some examples, the externally caused interference can be determined by comparing the received unexposed image with a set of reference unexposed images including one or more unexposed images previously acquired by the X-ray detector. In some examples, the acquired unexposed image can also be analyzed only by an algorithm without comparison. For example, a stripe detection algorithm can be used to detect stripe artifacts.

[0008] This will be explained in detail below, especially for Figure 2 and Figure 3 The example shown in .

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is configured to determine anomalies in the received unexposed image by comparing the received unexposed image with a set of reference unexposed images including one or more unexposed images previously acquired by the X-ray detector.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is further configured to analyze the detected anomaly and provide analysis information about the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the analysis information about the detected anomaly includes one or more of the following:

[0012] The type of artifact of the abnormality detected;

[0013] Signal frequencies derived from artifact data;

[0014] Size and location information of detected anomalies; and

[0015] The strength of the detected anomaly.

[0016] Since the characteristics of artifacts in an image depend on the signal form of the interference, the type of abnormal artifact detected may be useful information to determine the type of external source causing the interference (e.g., mechanical vibration, electronic noise, or electromagnetic interference).

[0017] Size and location information may be useful information to make it easier to find the location of an external source.

[0018] The strength of the detected anomaly may indicate the strength of the influence of the external source.

[0019] The abnormal signal waveform derived from the image and the frequencies it contains may be useful information for identifying the external source.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is further configured to create a thumbnail of the detected anomaly, and provide the created thumbnail of the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is further configured to provide instructions via the output unit, the instructions comprising one or more action suggestions for reducing future anomalies.

[0022] In some examples, the anomaly detection device may store a lookup table storing multiple anomalies, each associated with one or more actions (which may be defined by one or more service technicians based on their experience, or may be determined based on historical actions previously performed by one or more service technicians) to prevent future anomalies. The anomaly detection device may then use the single image anomaly report to find matching actions.

[0023] In some examples, the anomaly detection device may send a single image anomaly report to a server, and the server returns instructions to the anomaly detection device.

[0024] Examples of one or more recommended actions may include, but are not limited to:

[0025] Advise clients on how to prevent such artifacts by changing the way they work;

[0026] Providing technical details and statistics to service technicians to help them identify sources of electromagnetic interference; and

[0027] Data were collected to allow development of improved software corrections for such artifacts.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is configured to provide the single image anomaly report to a data storage device.

[0029] The data storage device may include local storage, network storage and / or cloud storage.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metadata includes one or more of the following: the date and time of acquiring the unexposed image, customer identification, detector identification, inspection type, the position of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, the orientation of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, the movement of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, and the temperature of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image.

[0031] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an X-ray detector comprising the abnormality detection device according to the first aspect and any related examples.

[0032] In some examples, the X-ray detector may be a fixed detector.

[0033] In some examples, the X-ray detector may be a portable detector.

[0034] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a system is provided. The system comprises an anomaly detection device for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source according to the first aspect and any related examples, a data storage device and an anomaly analysis device. The anomaly detection device is configured to generate a corresponding single image anomaly report for each unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector having an anomaly (the anomaly representing image disturbance caused by an external source), and provide the single image anomaly report to the data storage device. The anomaly analysis device is configured to analyze the single image anomaly report stored in the data storage device and generate an anomaly summary report containing analysis information about the detected anomaly stored in the data storage device.

[0035] This will be explained in detail below, especially for Figure 5 The example shown in .

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the anomaly summary report includes one or more of a list of detected anomalies stored in the data storage device and statistical data including anomaly occurrence rates.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the action recommendation includes one or more of the following: recommending investigation of poorly corrected artifacts so that correction of affected images can be improved; informing the customer that a recently added device will interfere with the detector; informing the customer that the artifacts experienced by the customer are the same as artifacts obtained by other customers from a particular device; and informing the customer that interferences regularly occur in the X-ray detector.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anomaly detection method for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source, comprising:

[0039] receiving an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image;

[0040] analyzing the received unexposed image to determine whether an anomaly is present in the acquired unexposed image, the anomaly indicating image disturbance caused by an external source;

[0041] In response to detecting an anomaly indicative of an image disturbance caused by an external source, generating a single image anomaly report including the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata; and

[0042] Provides a generated single image anomaly report.

[0043] This will be explained in detail below, especially for Figure 4 and Figure 6 The example shown in .

[0044] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0045] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer program.

[0046] The term "abnormality", also referred to as "image artifact", as used herein, may refer to any abnormality in an image that may interfere with relevant image information. Image artifacts may include detector-typical artifacts and externally caused artifacts. Examples of detector-typical artifacts may include, but are not limited to: patterns due to non-uniformities in the pixel matrix and analog electronics (e.g., photodiodes, amplifier chips), which may change slowly with time and temperature, hysteresis effects or memory effects caused by radiation acquired by previous X-rays, noise (e.g., analog noise before and from the ADC). Externally caused artifacts may refer to artifacts caused by electronic noise, electromagnetic interference, or mechanical shock / vibration. Externally caused artifacts may vary over time and cannot be corrected by dark frames because the dark signal is acquired at a different time point shortly before or after the X-ray. Therefore, these externally caused artifacts may remain in the clinical image.

[0047] It should be understood that all combinations of the above concepts and the additional concepts discussed in more detail below (assuming these concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are intended to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of the subject matter of the claims are intended to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

[0048] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0050] Figure 1 An example of an X-ray clinical image with artifacts caused by mechanical vibrations during acquisition is shown.

[0051] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary anomaly detection apparatus for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by external sources is illustrated.

[0052] Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of an anomaly detection device is illustrated.

[0053] Figure 4 A flow chart describing a computer-implemented method for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by external sources is illustrated.

[0054] Figure 5 A block diagram of an exemplary system is illustrated.

[0055] Figure 6 A flow chart describing another example of a computer-implemented method is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary anomaly detection device 10 for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source according to an embodiment is illustrated. The anomaly detection device 10 may receive an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector 20 and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image. The X-ray detector 20 is used to convert X-rays into images for radiography. It may be a portable detector or a fixed detector.

[0057] The anomaly detection device 10 may include an input unit 12 , one or more processing units 14 , and an output unit 16 .

[0058] In general, the anomaly detection device 10 may include various physical and / or logical components for transmitting and manipulating information, which may be implemented as hardware components (e.g., computing devices, processors, logic devices), executable computer program instructions (e.g., firmware, software) executed by various hardware components, or any combination thereof, as required by a given set of design parameters or performance constraints. Figure 2 A limited number of components may be shown by way of example, but it is understood that a greater or lesser number of components may be employed for a given implementation. In addition, the functionality provided by one or more components of the anomaly detection device 10 may be combined or separated.

[0059] In some implementations, the anomaly detection device 10 may be embodied as or in a device or apparatus, such as a server, a workstation, or a mobile device. The anomaly detection device 10 may include one or more microprocessors or computer processors that run appropriate software. The software may have been downloaded and / or stored in a corresponding memory, such as a volatile memory such as RAM or a non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The software may include instructions that configure one or more processors to perform the functions described herein.

[0060] It should be noted that the anomaly detection device can be implemented with or without a processor, and can also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware for performing some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuits) for performing other functions. For example, the functional units of the anomaly detection device 10, such as the input unit 12, the processing unit 14, and the output unit 16, can be implemented in a device or apparatus in the form of programmable logic (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA)). In general, each functional unit of the anomaly detection device can be implemented in the form of a circuit.

[0061] In some examples, the anomaly detection device 10 can be implemented by a computing platform, such as a mobile platform, a personal computer (PC) platform, and / or a consumer electronics (CE) platform that supports various network, communication, and / or multimedia functions. According to the described embodiments, such functions can be supported by various networks, such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a world wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) network, a broadband wireless access (BWA) network, the Internet, and / or any other wired or wireless network.

[0062] Back to Figure 2The input unit 12 and the output unit 16 may include hardware and / or software to enable the anomaly detection device 10 to receive data from the X-ray detector 20 and communicate with other devices and / or networks. For example, the input unit 12 may receive the unexposed image and associated metadata from the X-ray detector 20 via a wired connection or a wireless connection. The output unit 16 may be embodied as a communication module for providing cellular telephone communication and / or other data communication for the anomaly detection device 10.

[0063] The processing unit 12 can execute instructions to perform the methods described herein, which will be referred to as Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment is explained in detail.

[0064] In some examples, the anomaly detection device 10 may include a memory (not shown). The memory may include, but is not limited to, volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The memory may be used to store processor instructions and other data and instructions to enable the processor to perform the techniques described herein.

[0065] Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of the anomaly detection device 10 is illustrated, wherein the anomaly detection device 10 is included in an X-ray detector 20. The anomaly detection device 10 may be substantially equivalent in function to Figure 2 The device 10 is shown.

[0066] Figure 4 A flow chart of a computer-implemented method 200 for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by external sources is illustrated according to one embodiment.

[0067] Beginning at block 210, i.e. step a), a device (e.g. Figure 2 or Figure 3 The abnormality detection device 10 shown in FIG. 1 receives an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image.

[0068] The unexposed image may also be called a dark X-ray image. Dark X-ray images (often called offset frames) are acquired by the X-ray detector at fixed time intervals to compensate for the offset signal of each detector pixel in the acquired radiation X-ray image. The dark image may be disturbed by artifacts (such as lines, clusters or waves) caused by different physical disturbances during the X-ray detector readout cycle. These can be electromagnetic effects or mechanical effects. The characteristics of the artifacts in the image depend on the signal form of the disturbance and the detector readout design (electronics, timing, etc.).

[0069] The image metadata may include information related to the medical institution, acquisition equipment, examination conditions, clinical protocols, and many other related information items for acquiring the unexposed image. For example, the image metadata may include one or more of the following: the date and time of acquiring the unexposed image, the customer identification, the detector identification, the examination type, the position of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, the orientation of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, the movement of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image, and the temperature of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image. The metadata may be obtained from the X-ray detector 20 and / or the X-ray imaging system.

[0070] In block 220, i.e., step b), an anomaly detection device (e.g., Figure 2 or Figure 3 The exemplary apparatus 10 shown analyzes the received unexposed image to determine whether there are anomalies in the received unexposed image, the anomalies indicating image disturbances caused by external sources (e.g., external electromagnetic or mechanical effects). The characteristics of the artifacts in the image depend on the signal form of the external interference and the detector readout design (electronics, timing, etc.). For example, the anomalies may include lines, clusters, and / or wavy artifacts in the image, which may interfere with the relevant image information.

[0071] In some examples, externally induced interference may be determined by comparing a received unexposed image to a set of reference unexposed images comprising one or more unexposed images previously acquired by the X-ray detector.

[0072] In some examples, the acquired unexposed image may also be analyzed by an algorithm only without comparison. For example, a stripe detection algorithm may be used to detect stripe artifacts.

[0073] It is important to note that hysteresis, offset drift, and blinking pixels are typical artifacts of the detector and are not externally induced perturbations. Therefore, these artifacts do not indicate image perturbations caused by external sources.

[0074] In block 230, step c), in response to detecting an anomaly indicating image disturbance caused by an external source, an anomaly detection device (e.g., Figure 2 or Figure 3 The exemplary apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 generates a single image anomaly report, which includes the received full unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata. To reduce data, the full image may be cropped to the relevant area. It may be resampled to a lower image resolution. It may include only some statistical values ​​for each image area.

[0075] In some examples, an anomaly detection device (e.g., Figure 2 or Figure 3 The exemplary apparatus 10 shown in the figure may be further configured to analyze the detected anomaly and provide analysis information about the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report. In some examples, the analysis information about the detected anomaly includes the type of artifact of the detected anomaly. Examples of the type of artifact of the detected anomaly may include, but are not limited to, for example, lines, clusters, and waves, which are caused by different physical disturbances during the readout cycle of the X-ray detector. These may be external electromagnetic or mechanical effects. The characteristics of the artifact in the image depend on the signal form of the interference and the detector readout design (electronic devices, timing, etc.). In some examples, the analysis information may include size and location information about the detected anomaly. The location may be useful information for finding the location of the anomaly and external source. In some examples, the analysis information may include the intensity of the detected anomaly, which may be useful information for determining the intensity of the impact of the external source. In some examples, the analysis information may include the signal frequency derived from the artifact data.

[0076] In some examples, the anomaly detection apparatus may be further configured to create a thumbnail of the detected anomaly, and provide the created thumbnail of the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report.

[0077] In some examples, the anomaly detection device may also be configured to provide instructions via an output unit, the instructions including one or more action suggestions for reducing future anomalies. In some examples, the anomaly detection device may include a lookup table or database storing multiple anomalies, each anomaly associated with one or more actions to prevent future anomalies. These actions may be defined by one or more service technicians based on their experience, or may be determined based on historical actions previously performed by one or more service technicians. The anomaly detection device may then use a single image anomaly report to find matching operations. In some examples, the anomaly detection device may send a single image anomaly report to a server storing a lookup table or database, and the server returns instructions to the anomaly detection device.

[0078] Examples of the one or more suggested actions may include, but are not limited to:

[0079] It is recommended to investigate artifacts that are not well corrected so that correction of the affected images can be improved;

[0080] Inform the customer that recently added equipment will interfere with the detector;

[0081] Inform the customer that the artifacts they are experiencing are the same artifacts other customers are getting from a particular device;

[0082] Inform the customer that the X-ray detector fails at regular intervals, such as at certain times of day;

[0083] Advise users on how to prevent such artifacts by changing the way they work;

[0084] Providing technical details and statistics to service technicians to help them identify sources of electromagnetic interference; and

[0085] Data were collected to allow development of improved software corrections for such artifacts.

[0086] In block 240 , step d), the output unit 16 is configured to provide the generated single image abnormality report to, for example, local, network storage, and / or cloud storage.

[0087] In other words, if an anomaly is detected that indicates externally caused interference, a single image anomaly report is generated that may include an image sample, metadata (e.g., customer identification, detector identification, current time and date). The image sample may be a full offset-corrected dark image or some data-reduced version thereof. The single image anomaly report may also include analytical information (e.g., artifact type, intensity, size, and location of the anomaly) and / or instructions for preventing future anomalies.

[0088] The anomaly detection apparatus and methods described herein may provide one or more of the following advantages:

[0089] Artifacts caused by external sources (e.g., electromagnetic interference or mechanical shock / vibration, i.e., microphonics) on current generation X-ray detectors (e.g., portable X-ray detectors) may remain in clinical images and cannot be corrected by offset framing. The anomaly detection apparatus and method described herein may provide a comprehensive collection of artifact samples. These artifact samples may be useful in developing artifact detection and mitigation software.

[0090] It helps to find the source of sporadic artifacts in clinical images, which may be from electromagnetic sources that only occur rarely. For example, one image in a few hundred may be affected by a sporadic artifact, or only less than one image per week. If an anomaly detection device regularly acquires and checks for artifacts in unexposed images and logs detected artifacts, it is possible to obtain more data to identify the electromagnetic source, allowing further interference to be prevented. The log includes metadata, which may contain other usable data such as detector direction, room and position within the room, enabling retroactive association with location or time of day, etc.

[0091] Furthermore, no data privacy regulations have to be taken into account, since dark images do not contain any information related to the patient.

[0092] The generated single image anomaly reports may help in taking proactive corrective actions and developing mitigation algorithms. The generated single image anomaly reports can also be used for customer complaint analysis.

[0093] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system 100. The exemplary system 100 includes an anomaly detection apparatus 10, a data storage device 30, and an anomaly analysis apparatus 40.

[0094] The abnormality detection device 10 may be substantially equivalent in function to Figure 2 or Figure 3 The apparatus shown in this document is used to perform the method described herein, which will be referred to as Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment is explained in detail. The anomaly detection device 10 is configured to generate a corresponding single image anomaly report for each unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector 20 with an anomaly (the anomaly represents image interference caused by an external source), and provide the single image anomaly report to the data storage device 30. Metadata may include data obtained from the X-ray detector and the X-ray imaging system (e.g., examination type).

[0095] The data storage device 30 may be any suitable data storage device, including but not limited to local storage, network storage, and cloud storage. The data storage device 30 is configured to store a single image anomaly report generated by the anomaly detection device 10. It should be understood that the data storage device 30 may collect a single image anomaly report from one or more X-ray detectors, but Figure 5 A single X-ray detector is shown as an example.

[0096] The anomaly analysis device 40 may be embodied as or in a device or apparatus, such as a server, a workstation, or a mobile device. The anomaly analysis device 40 may include a data analysis application, which may be a software application that enables a user to manipulate data obtained from the data storage device 30. For example, the data analysis application may be a desktop application, a mobile application, or a web-based application. The data analysis application may include a user interface, such as an interactive interface, including but not limited to a GUI, a character user interface, and a touch screen interface. Through the software application, a user may access the data storage device 30 to collect a stored single image anomaly report.

[0097] The abnormality analysis device 40 is configured to analyze the single image abnormality reports stored in the data storage device 30 and generate an abnormality summary report containing analysis information about the detected abnormalities stored in the data storage device 30. In some examples, the abnormality summary report may include a list of detected abnormalities stored in the data storage device. In some examples, the abnormality summary report may include statistical data, including abnormality incidence (e.g., overall incidence) or filtering by examination type, location, artifact type and / or intensity.

[0098] The anomaly detection device 10, the data storage device 30, and the anomaly analysis device 40 may be associated with a network (not shown). In some examples, the network may be the Internet. Alternatively, the network may be any other type and number of networks. For example, the network may be implemented by several local area networks connected to a wide area network. Of course, any other configuration and topology may be used to implement the network, including any combination of a wired network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a local area network, etc.

[0099] Figure 6 A flow chart describing another example of a computer-implemented method 300 is illustrated. Figure 6 The exemplary computer-implemented method 300 shown in also includes method steps performed by the data analysis device 40 .

[0100] Starting from block 210, the anomaly detection device 10 is connected to Figure 4 The unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image are received in a manner similar to block 210 shown in FIG.

[0101] At block 220, the abnormality detection device 10 is used with Figure 4 The received unexposed image is analyzed in a similar manner to block 220 shown in FIG. 1 to determine whether there is an anomaly in the received unexposed image, the anomaly indicating image interference caused by an external source. In this example, the externally caused interference is determined by comparing the received unexposed image with a set of reference unexposed images including one or more unexposed images previously acquired by the X-ray detector. In some examples (not shown), the acquired unexposed image may also be analyzed by an algorithm alone without comparison. For example, a streak detection algorithm may be used to detect streak artifacts.

[0102] In response to detecting an anomaly indicating image disturbance caused by an external source, the anomaly detection device 10 generates a single image anomaly report at block 230, the single image report including the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata.

[0103] Optionally, as shown in block 230a, in order to reduce data, the image in full form may be cropped to the relevant area. It may be resampled to a lower image resolution. It may include only some statistical values ​​for each image area. The single image anomaly report may also include analytical information and / or thumbnails of the artifacts. Examples of analytical information may include, but are not limited to, the artifact type of the detected anomaly, size and location information about the detected anomaly, and the intensity of the detected anomaly.

[0104] At block 240 , the anomaly detection apparatus 10 provides the generated single image anomaly report to, for example, a local or remote memory.

[0105] Optionally, as shown in block 240a, the anomaly detection device 10 can also provide feedback or instructions through an output unit to prevent future anomalies. In some examples, the anomaly detection device can store a lookup table or database storing multiple anomalies, each of which is associated with one or more actions to prevent future anomalies. These actions can be defined by one or more service technicians based on their experience, or can be determined based on historical actions previously performed by one or more service technicians. The anomaly detection device can then use a single image anomaly report to find matching operations. In some examples, the anomaly detection device can send a single image anomaly report to a server storing a lookup table or database, and the server returns instructions to the anomaly detection device.

[0106] At block 250, the anomaly analysis device 40 (e.g., a server, workstation, or mobile device) can extract the stored single image anomaly reports from the data storage device and generate an anomaly summary report including analysis information about the detected anomalies stored in the data storage device. In some examples, the anomaly summary report can include a list of detected anomalies stored in the data storage device. In some examples, the anomaly summary report can include statistics, including anomaly incidence (e.g., overall incidence) or filtering by examination type, location, artifact type, and / or intensity.

[0107] like Figure 6 As shown in , the abnormality analysis device 40 can extract the stored single image abnormality reports and generate abnormality summary reports as needed. For example, the abnormality analysis device 40 may include a data analysis application, which may be a software application that enables a user (e.g., a field engineer) to manipulate data obtained from the data storage device 30. For example, the data analysis application may be a desktop application, a mobile application, or a web-based application. The data analysis application may include a user interface, such as an interactive interface, including but not limited to a GUI, a character user interface, and a touch screen interface. Through the software application, a user can access the data storage device to collect the stored single image abnormality reports, and the software application can then process the data accordingly.

[0108] It should also be understood that, in any method claimed herein that includes more than one step or action, the order of the method steps or actions is not necessarily limited to the order in which the method steps or actions are described unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0109] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0110] As used herein in the specification and claims, the terms "a" and "an" should be understood to mean "at least one" unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0111] The phrase "and / or" as used in the specification and claims herein should be understood to mean "one or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., the elements are present in combination in some cases, and separately in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" elements so connected. Optionally, other elements may be present in addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0112] As used herein in the specification and claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one of several elements or a list of elements, but also including more than one, and optionally, additional unlisted items. Only when the opposite term is clearly indicated, such as "only one" or "exactly one", or when "consisting of..." is used in the claims, it will refer to an exact element in a list of several elements or elements. In general, the term "or" used in this article should be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives only when it is preceded by an exclusive term (i.e., "one or the other but not both"), such as "either", "one of", "only one of" or "exactly one of".

[0113] As used herein in the specification and claims, the phrase "at least one", in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from one or more of the elements in the listed elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the listed elements. This definition also allows for the optional presence of elements other than the elements specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to the specifically identified elements.

[0114] In the claims and the above description, all transitional phrases such as "include", "comprising", "carrying", "having", "containing", "involving", "holding" shall be understood as open-ended, i.e., meaning including but not limited to the above. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0115] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer program or a computer program element is provided, characterized in that it is adapted to perform the method steps of the method according to one of the preceding embodiments on a suitable system.

[0116] The computer program element can therefore be stored on a computing unit, which can also be part of an embodiment of the present invention. The computing unit can be suitable for executing the steps of the above method or causing the execution of the steps of the above method. In addition, it can be suitable for operating the components of the above device. The computing unit can be suitable for automatically operating and / or executing the user's command. The computer program can be loaded into the working memory of a data processor. The data processor can therefore be equipped to implement the method of the present invention.

[0117] This exemplary embodiment of the invention covers both a computer program that right from the beginning uses the invention and a computer program that by means of an update turns an existing program into a program that uses the invention.

[0118] Furthermore, the computer program element may be able to provide all necessary steps to implement the procedures of an exemplary embodiment of the method as described above.

[0119] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium, such as a CD-ROM, is proposed, wherein the computer readable medium has a computer program element stored thereon, the computer program element being as described in the previous section.

[0120] The computer program can be stored and / or distributed on suitable media, such as optical storage media or solid-state media provided together with other hardware or as part of other hardware, but the computer program can also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems.

[0121] However, the computer program may also be provided over a network like the World Wide Web and may be downloaded from such a network into a working memory of a data processor. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a medium for making a computer program element available for downloading is provided, the computer program element being arranged to perform one of the previously described embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. An anomaly detection device (10) for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source, comprising: Input unit (12); Processing unit (14); as well as Output unit (16); Wherein, the input unit is configured to receive an unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image; wherein the processing unit is configured to: analyze the received unexposed image to determine whether there is an anomaly in the received unexposed image indicating image interference caused by an external source; and in response to detecting the anomaly indicating image interference caused by the external source, generate a single image anomaly report, the single image anomaly report including the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata; and Wherein, the output unit is configured to provide the generated single image abnormality report.

2. The abnormality detection device according to claim 1, in, The processing unit is configured to determine the anomaly in the received unexposed image by comparing the received unexposed image with a set of reference unexposed images, wherein the set of reference unexposed images includes one or more unexposed images previously acquired by the X-ray detector.

3. The abnormality detection device according to claim 1 or 2, in, The processing unit is further configured to analyze the detected anomaly and provide analysis information about the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report.

4. The abnormality detection device according to claim 3, in, The analytical information about the detected anomaly includes one or more of the following: The type of artifact of the abnormality detected; Signal frequencies derived from artifact data; Information about the size and location of detected anomalies; and The strength of the detected anomaly.

5. Anomaly detection device according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The processing unit is further configured to create a thumbnail of the detected anomaly and provide the created thumbnail of the detected anomaly to the single image anomaly report.

6. Anomaly detection device according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The processing unit is further configured to provide instructions via the output unit, the instructions comprising one or more recommended actions for reducing future anomalies.

7. The abnormality detection device according to claim 6, in, The one or more recommended actions include: It is recommended to investigate artifacts that are not well corrected so that correction of the affected images can be improved; Inform the customer that recently added equipment will interfere with the X-ray detector; Inform the customer that the artifacts the customer is experiencing are the same artifacts that other customers are experiencing from the particular device; and Inform the customer that the X-ray detector is periodically disturbed.

8. Anomaly detection device according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The processing unit is configured to provide the single image anomaly report to a data storage device.

9. Anomaly detection device according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The metadata includes one or more of the following: the date and time when the unexposed image was acquired; Customer identification; Detector identification; Check type; the position of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image; an orientation of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image; movement of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image; as well as The temperature of the X-ray detector when acquiring the unexposed image.

10. An X-ray detector (20), comprising: Anomaly detection apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.

11. A system (100), comprising: An anomaly detection device (10) for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a data storage device (30); and Abnormality analysis device (40); wherein the anomaly detection device is configured to: generate a corresponding single image anomaly report for each unexposed image acquired by the X-ray detector having an anomaly indicating image interference caused by an external source, and provide the single image anomaly report to the data storage device; and Wherein, the abnormality analysis device is configured to analyze the single image abnormality report stored in the data storage device and generate an abnormality summary report containing analysis information about the detected abnormalities stored in the data storage device.

12. The system (1) according to claim 11, in, The abnormal summary report includes one or more of the following: a list of detected anomalies stored in the data storage device; and Includes statistics on anomaly incidence.

13. An anomaly detection method (200) for identifying disturbances in an X-ray detector image caused by an external source, comprising: a) receiving (210) an unexposed image acquired by an X-ray detector and metadata associated with the acquired unexposed image; b) analyzing (220) the received unexposed image to determine whether anomalies in the acquired unexposed image are present that indicate image disturbances caused by an external source; c) in response to detecting an anomaly indicative of an image disturbance caused by an external source, generating (230) a single image anomaly report, the single image report including the received complete unexposed image or the unexposed image in a reduced data size form and the received metadata; as well as d) providing (240) the generated single image anomaly report.

14. A computer program comprising instructions which, when said program is run by a computer, cause said computer to perform the steps of the method according to claim 13.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program according to claim 14.

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