Tomosynthesis imaging apparatus and method for target region

Abstract

The invention provides a tomosynthesis imaging apparatus and method. The apparatus includes: a distributed multipoint emission radiation source having an array of a plurality of point sources configured to sequentially emit a radiation beam; and a detector capable of being placed within a target area, such as an oral cavity, or other suitable location relative to the target area for detecting the radiation beam emitted by the distributed multi-point emission radiation source. The detector is configured to be capable of being started according to the detected intensity increase of the radiation beam so as to collect the radiation beam; and the acquisition can be stopped as a function of a decrease in the intensity of the detected radiation beam. The detector does not need to be in communication connection with a controller or a processor for controlling the distributed multi-point emission radiation source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of detection technology, and in particular to a tomosynthesis imaging device and method for a target area. Background Art

[0002] Digital tomosynthesis (DT) is one of the X-ray imaging methods. Its characteristic is that it only needs a small number of projection angles to obtain a tomographic image parallel to the detector direction, and can obtain the depth information inside the object. Traditional digital radiography (DR) obtains superimposed images of the structure of the object. When the lesion is superimposed and covered, it is easy to cause misdiagnosis. DT can obtain the depth information inside the object and improve the success rate of diagnosis. Compared with traditional CT, DT has the advantages of low radiation dose and high resolution.

[0003] There is a need to develop a digital tomosynthesis device that is easy to operate and has a relatively simple structure. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tomosynthesis imaging device for a target area, comprising:

[0005] A distributed multi-point emission radiation source having an array of a plurality of point sources arranged and configured to sequentially emit radiation beams; and

[0006] a detector, which can be placed in the target area or outside the target area adjacent to the target area, for detecting the radiation beam emitted by the distributed multi-point emission radiation source;

[0007] The detector is configured to be started to collect the radiation beam according to an increase in the detected intensity of the radiation beam, and to stop the collection according to a decrease in the detected intensity of the radiation beam.

[0008] In one embodiment, the target area is the oral cavity and the detector is placed in the oral cavity.

[0009] In one embodiment, the detector is configured to start acquiring the radiation beam after detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds a first threshold.

[0010] In one embodiment, the detector is capable of stopping the acquisition after detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam is less than a second threshold.

[0011] In one embodiment, the detector is configured to have a continuous multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector can start acquiring the radiation beam multiple times according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stop acquiring according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, thereby completing multiple acquisitions; or

[0012] The detector is configured to have an automatic multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector starts acquiring the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time exceeding a first threshold value, and stops the acquisition according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time being lower than a second threshold value, completing the first acquisition, and then starts acquiring the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the second time exceeding the first threshold value, and automatically repeats the acquisition multiple times according to the known first acquisition start time, acquisition time and the time interval between the first start of acquisition and the second start of acquisition; or

[0013] The detector is configured to have a predetermined multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector starts to acquire the radiation beam according to the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding the first threshold value, and automatically completes the subsequent acquisition of the radiation beam according to the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval, wherein the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval are determined by the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point radiation source.

[0014] In one embodiment, the detector constructs image information based on the acquisition, and outputs the image information wirelessly or wiredly.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source emits an X-radiation beam.

[0016] In one embodiment, the intensity and beam shape of the X-radiation beam emitted by each of the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source are the same.

[0017] In one embodiment, the intensity of said radiation beam is greater than said first threshold and remains substantially constant during said acquiring.

[0018] In one embodiment, the target area is a joint or heart or other part of the human body.

[0019] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an intraoral tomosynthesis imaging method, comprising:

[0020] placing a detector in the mouth to detect the radiation beam; and

[0021] emitting radiation beams from a plurality of locations toward the oral cavity;

[0022] The detector is configured to be started to collect the radiation beam according to an increase in the detected intensity of the radiation beam, and to stop the collection according to a decrease in the detected intensity of the radiation beam.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method includes:

[0024] After detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds a first threshold, starting to collect the radiation beam.

[0025] In one embodiment, the method includes:

[0026] The detector is started to collect the radiation beam multiple times according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and the collection is stopped according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, thereby completing multiple collections; or

[0027] Initiate acquisition of the radiation beam based on the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stop the acquisition based on the intensity of the first detected radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, complete the first acquisition, and then initiate acquisition of the radiation beam based on the intensity of the second detected radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and automatically repeat multiple acquisitions based on the known first acquisition start time, acquisition time, and the time interval between the first acquisition start and the second acquisition start; or

[0028] The acquisition of the radiation beam is initiated based on the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and the subsequent acquisition of the radiation beam is automatically completed according to a predetermined acquisition time and a predetermined acquisition interval, wherein the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval are determined by multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source.

[0029] In one embodiment, the emitted radiation beam is an X-radiation beam.

[0030] In one embodiment, the intensity of the radiation beam emitted toward the oral cavity from each of the plurality of locations is greater than a first threshold.

[0031] In one embodiment, the method includes: constructing image information based on the acquisition, and outputting the image information wirelessly or wiredly.

[0032] In one embodiment, the radiation beams emitted from the plurality of locations toward the oral cavity have the same intensity and beam shape.

[0033] In one embodiment, radiation beams of substantially constant intensity and beam shape are emitted toward the oral cavity from multiple locations.

[0034] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The accompanying drawings are used to better understand the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 The arrangement of distributed multi-point emission radiation sources and detectors according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Figure 2 A first bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 3 A second bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the intensity line of a radiation beam according to an embodiment of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to more clearly explain the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description of the embodiments is intended to explain and illustrate the overall concept of the present invention, and should not be understood as limiting the present invention. In the specification and the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts or components. For the sake of clarity, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some well-known parts and structures may be omitted in the drawings.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present invention should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The wording "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple. "Including" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing in front of the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right", "top" or "bottom" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. When an element such as a layer, a film, a region or a substrate substrate is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, the element may be "directly" located "on" or "under" another element, or there may be an intermediate element.

[0042] In a tomographic imaging system, the radiation source and the detector cooperate with each other to operate synchronously, that is, the radiation source emits a radiation beam, and the detector collects the radiation beam transmitted through the target, thereby completing the scanning and imaging of the target. In a tomographic synthesis imaging method and device for a target area, the detector is placed in the oral cavity, such as behind the gums, so that the radiation beam emitted from the radiation source passes through the teeth and is received by the detector, thereby completing a single imaging of the teeth. In existing systems or devices, a controller or processor is provided to control the emission and stop of the radiation source. For example, the radiation source has a high-voltage device, such as a control radiation source generating device, and the controller needs to control its voltage and current in order to generate radiation; it also controls the detection and acquisition signals of the detector, and processes image signals, etc. The controller or processor is thus connected to the detector through a wired or wireless connection to complete the transmission of control signals and image signals.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a tomosynthesis imaging device is provided. In order to obtain tomosynthesis imaging, the radiation source adopts a distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2. The distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 has multiple point sources (such as Figure 1 The plurality of point sources are arranged in an array, and the plurality of point sources are configured to emit radiation beams in sequence. In one embodiment, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has, for example, five point sources, or has seven point sources. In other embodiments, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has other numbers of point sources, and those skilled in the art can set them as needed according to the contents of the present disclosure.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the tomosynthesis imaging device further includes a detector 1, which can be placed in the oral cavity for detecting the radiation beam emitted by the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2. Generally, the detector 1 is placed in the oral cavity to fit the teeth 4. Since the detector 1 is placed inside the oral cavity 3, the detector 1 of the present disclosure has different settings and functions from the general detector 1 used for transmission imaging.

[0045] Figure 1 FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of a distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 and a detector 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 can be arranged outside the oral cavity 3 to emit radiation beams toward a target part of the oral cavity 3. The detector 1 is placed in the mouth, for example, on one side of a part of the tooth 4, to receive the radiation beam transmitted through the tooth 4 from the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 is controlled by a tomosynthesis imaging device so that, for example, seven point sources therein sequentially emit radiation beams to irradiate the tooth 4. In one embodiment, the time for multiple point sources, such as seven point sources, to scan in sequence is very short, such as 1-2 seconds, so that the change in the position of the detector 1 during this period will be very small and negligible. Here, it should be explained that each point source of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 can emit radiation, and the radiation is collimated or shaped into a radiation beam by a collimator. In an embodiment, a separate collimator can be provided for each point source, or a collimator can be provided for the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 as a whole, so that the radiation emitted by each point source is collimated or shaped into a desired radiation beam by the collimator. In the present disclosure, the description of a point source emitting a radiation beam implies that the radiation emitted by the point source is collimated into a desired radiation beam. Due to the Figure 1 A distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 is arranged, wherein the multiple point sources are located at different positions relative to, for example, the same tooth 4. Figure 1 As shown, multiple point sources are spatially displaced in the lateral direction (left and right direction of the paper) relative to the same tooth 4, so that the orientations of the radiation beams (in terms of the tooth 4, that is, the irradiation angles) of the multiple point sources irradiating the same tooth 4 are different from each other. In other words, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 irradiates the same tooth 4 from multiple angles, so that more information of the cross section of the tooth 4 can be obtained (through computer tomography calculation), and the transmission images at different angles can be synthesized to obtain three-dimensional information of the tooth 4. The method for calculating the computer tomography image can use the method known in the art.

[0047] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 can be controlled so that multiple point sources emit radiation beams in sequence. For example, the tomosynthesis imaging device includes a processor or a controller, which controls multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 to emit radiation beams in sequence, including the order in which the multiple point sources emit radiation beams, the start time and the end time of each point source emitting a radiation beam, the time interval between two point sources emitting radiation beams successively and not emitting a radiation beam, etc.

[0048] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may also be part of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. In other words, in the present embodiment, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has a processor or a controller, which controls the operation of multiple point sources, such as the start time and end time of each point source emitting a radiation beam. In other words, in the present embodiment, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has the ability to sequentially emit radiation beams, including parameters such as the starting voltage, the (start) emission time of each point source, the emission duration, the end time, and the radiation intensity. In the present embodiment, the tomosynthesis imaging device includes a distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 and a detector 1, and the emission time, emission duration, end time, and radiation intensity of multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 can be preset or can be predetermined.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector 1 is placed in the mouth and can work automatically. According to the present embodiment, the detector 1 is a detector 1 in automatic exposure mode, that is, it can automatically detect the energy or intensity of the radiation beam, and start according to the increase of the intensity of the radiation beam to collect the radiation beam; and it can stop the collection according to the decrease of the intensity of the detected radiation beam. This is advantageous, because the detector 1 of the present disclosure is a detector 1 in automatic exposure mode, and therefore, it is not necessary to control the detector 1 to detect and collect the radiation beam through the processor or controller of the tomosynthesis imaging device, or the processor or controller of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. In other words, there is no need to realize synchronous operation between the detector 1 and the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 of the present disclosure through a controller. Since the detector 1 does not need to be controlled by the processor or controller of the tomosynthesis imaging device or the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2, it is not necessary to realize the communication between the detector 1 and the controller through a wire, nor is it necessary for the detector 1 to establish wireless communication with the processor or controller of the tomosynthesis imaging device or the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2, so it is not necessary to provide a protocol or the like to realize the communication between the detector 1 and the controller so that the controller can control the operation of the detector 1, which greatly simplifies the tomosynthesis imaging device and improves the convenience of the detector 1, and at the same time can meet the requirements of synchronization of the emission of the radiation beam of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 and the detection and acquisition of the detector 1. In this embodiment, the distributed multi-point emission radiation beam source, the detector placed in the mouth that can automatically collect signals according to the intensity or energy of the radiation, and the configuration without physical connection between the distributed multi-point emission radiation beam source and the detector, as a whole, realize the effect of simpler structure, convenient operation, more convenient cleaning of the detector, and reduced manufacturing cost.

[0050] The embodiments of the present disclosure can realize timely detection and collection of radiation signals by the detector during the imaging process, and overcome the inertial thinking of those skilled in the art: that is, in order to realize the synchronous operation of the radiation source and the detector, a controller is used to control the synchronous operation of the radiation source and the detector. For example, in the prior art, a controller or a processor of the radiation source is used to simultaneously control the operation of the radiation source and the detector. The embodiments of the present disclosure adopt an automatic detection and collection mode of the detector, and realize that the detector is started when the radiation beam is irradiated. At the same time, it can solve the problem of wired or wireless communication between the radiation source and the detector. For example, the wired connection brings limitations on wiring and related structural configurations, and in the long run, line aging failures cannot be synchronized. Wireless connection requires communication protocols, and detectors of different signals or different protocols need to be reset or re-customized. During communication, they will be interfered by external currents and electromagnetic waves, causing the signal quality to deteriorate. The arrangement of the automatic acquisition detectors of the present invention greatly increases the convenience of operation and solves the problem that the brackets used to hold the detectors in some special positions are not easy to enter. In addition, there is no need for synchronization between the detector and the radiation source through a controller, avoiding communication and related protocols. Therefore, detectors of different models or factories can be used, without line restrictions and aging problems caused by wiring, and without external signal interference caused by wireless communication, so that the entire equipment system is easy to operate and the long-term stability is improved.

[0051] Figure 2 A tomosynthesis imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the tomosynthesis imaging device includes a first bracket 10, and the movable first bracket 10 can support a distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2, and move the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 to a desired position, which greatly facilitates the use of the user. The first bracket 10 has a plurality of arm parts, and the plurality of arm parts are connected by universal joints, allowing the arm parts to move in three degrees of freedom (six directions, including front and back, left and right, and up and down directions), and to rotate freely. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the first bracket 10 is mechanically connected to, for example, the radiation source generator 6. In this embodiment, the detector 1 is not physically connected to the first bracket 10, or to the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2, which is advantageous because such a configuration allows the detector 1 to be conveniently placed in and removed from the oral cavity 3, and the detector 1 does not have any connection device, which is convenient for cleaning; the first bracket 10 or the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 does not need to provide a connection interface with the detector 1, simplifying the structure.

[0052] Figure 3A tomosynthesis imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the tomosynthesis imaging device comprises a second bracket 11, and the movable second bracket 11 can support the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 and move the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 to a desired position, which greatly facilitates the use of the user. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the second bracket 11 is mechanically connected to, for example, a radiation source generator 6, which can, for example, provide power to the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. The second bracket 11 has at least two arm parts, and the at least two arm parts are connected by, for example, two rotating shafts, and the axes of the two rotating shafts are perpendicular to each other, so as to allow the two arm parts to move in three degrees of freedom (six directions, including front and back, left and right, and up and down directions), and to rotate freely. In this embodiment, the detector 1 is physically connected to the second bracket 11, or to the housing 7 of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. This is advantageous because such a setting allows the detector 1 to be conveniently placed in the oral cavity 3 and maintain a predetermined distance and orientation from the window of the housing 7 of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. Since the detector 1 is physically connected to the housing 7 of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2, the relative position relationship between the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 and the detector 1 does not need to be repositioned each time the detector 1 is placed in the mouth. It should be noted that although the detector 1 is connected to the housing 7 of the distributed multi-point radiation source 2, in the present embodiment, such connection is limited to a mechanical sense, that is, to maintain the relative position of the detector 1 and the housing 7 of the distributed multi-point radiation source 2, without providing any wired or wireless communication connection. In the present embodiment, the detector 1 can be detached from the connection.

[0053] The first bracket 10 and the second bracket 11 are different embodiments of the present disclosure and do not need to be provided at the same time.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a tomosynthesis imaging device, the detector 1 is configured to start collecting the radiation beam upon detecting an increase in the intensity of the radiation beam. For example, in the absence of a radiation beam, the detector 1 may be in a standby state, such as a powered-on but non-operating state; when the radiation beam begins to irradiate, the detector 1 detects an increase in the intensity of the radiation beam, and the detector 1 starts to work and collects the signal of the radiation beam. After the sensitive element of the detector 1 is irradiated by radiation, the detector 1 starts to detect the radiation beam and collect the radiation beam. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector 1 starts collecting the radiation beam after detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds a first threshold. The first threshold can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the first threshold is a specific value that is less than the intensity value of the radiation beam emitted by the point source of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2.

[0055] In one embodiment, the detector 1 is further configured to stop collecting the radiation beam when the intensity value of the radiation beam is detected to decrease. In one embodiment, the detector 1 is configured to stop collecting the radiation beam when the intensity of the radiation beam is detected to be less than a second threshold. The second threshold can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the second threshold is a specific value less than the intensity value of the radiation beam emitted by the point source of the distributed multi-point radiation source 2. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first threshold and the second threshold can be reasonably set according to actual conditions, and the two can be the same value or different values.

[0056] Due to the setting of the first threshold, the detector 1 can be prevented from being disturbed by the outside world. The detector 1 will only start collecting the radiation beam when it is irradiated by the radiation beam, thereby avoiding misoperation, thereby ensuring the high sensitivity of the detector 1 while preventing misoperation caused by environmental radiation. For example, the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point radiation source 2 emit radiation beams in sequence, and the energy of the radiation beams is as follows: Figure 4 , during each period when the point source emits a radiation beam, the radiation beam emitted by the point source has a constant energy value of 5. Figure 4 In the figure, the horizontal axis can be time and the vertical axis is energy value. The units are not given in the figure only for simplicity. The first threshold is lower than Figure 4 The radiation beam energy 5 shown in FIG. 1 , the rising edge of the energy line or the intensity line of the radiation beam can stimulate the detector 1 to start working, for example, to start collecting the energy of the radiation beam. When the detector 1 detects that the energy of the radiation beam is less than the second threshold, the detector 1 stops collecting. Figure 4 As shown, when the falling edge of the intensity line of the radiation beam passes the second threshold, the detector 1 stops collecting. Thus, it can be ensured that the detector 1 collects all the radiation beams, and does not work when there is no radiation beam, and will not cause misoperation due to noise or interference, resulting in measurement errors.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the energy value 5 or intensity and beam shape of the radiation beam emitted by each of the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 are the same or substantially the same. The beam shape of the radiation beam of the point source can be, for example, a rectangular radiation beam, a fan beam, a radial radiation beam, etc. Each point source of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 emits, for example, an X-ray beam, however, it can also be other types of point sources.

[0058] The detector 1 can construct image information based on the acquisition, and output the image information in a wireless or wired manner.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector 1 is configured to have multiple acquisition modes.

[0060] In one embodiment, the detector 1 has a continuous multiple acquisition mode, in which the detector 1 can start acquiring the radiation beam multiple times according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stop acquiring according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, and perform operations each time according to the intensity of the radiation beam to complete multiple acquisitions. This mode is highly adaptable and can adapt to different irradiation requirements without specific settings.

[0061] In one embodiment, the detector 1 is configured to have an automatic multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector 1 starts to acquire the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time exceeding the first threshold value, and stops the acquisition according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time being lower than the second threshold value, thereby completing the first acquisition. Subsequently, the acquisition of the radiation beam is started according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the second time exceeding the first threshold value. Thus, the detector 1 has obtained the first acquisition start time and the second acquisition start time and the time interval between the two, so that the detector 1 can automatically repeat multiple acquisitions according to the known first acquisition start time, acquisition time, and the time interval between the first acquisition start time and the second acquisition start time. In this embodiment, the detector 1 can store the first acquisition start time and the second acquisition start time, and can calculate the time interval between the first acquisition start time and the second acquisition start time.

[0062] In one embodiment, the detector 1 has a predetermined multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector 1 starts to acquire the radiation beam according to the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and automatically completes the subsequent acquisition of the radiation beam according to the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval. In the embodiment, the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval are determined by the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector 1 may be an independent component and may include a built-in processor or controller, so that it can control the operation of the radiation sensitive element, control the power supply, process the electrical signal converted from the radiation signal of the radiation sensitive element into image information, etc.

[0064] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a tomosynthesis imaging device is provided, comprising a radiation source and a detector. The radiation source is a distributed multi-point emission radiation source as in the aforementioned embodiment, and the detector may be a detector as in the aforementioned embodiment, which can start or stop collecting signals according to the increase or decrease of the energy or intensity of the received radiation beam. In the present embodiment, the tomosynthesis imaging device is used to perform multi-angle imaging of the target area so as to obtain a graphic of three-dimensional information. In the present embodiment, for example, the distributed multi-point emission radiation source and the detector are respectively placed on both sides of the human joint to irradiate the human joint at multiple angles, and collect radiation signals to construct a three-dimensional image of the human joint. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the target area may be the heart, liver or other parts, and a three-dimensional image is obtained by the cooperation of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source and the detector. Since the detector of the present disclosure can have no physical connection or communication connection with the distributed multi-point emission radiation source, it can, for example, be attached to the back of the human body or other suitable parts to realize CT imaging of the human lungs, so that the convenience of actual operation is greatly increased. The distributed multi-point emission radiation source and the detector can refer to the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an intraoral tomosynthesis imaging method, comprising: placing a detector 1 in the mouth to detect the radiation beam; and emitting the radiation beam from multiple positions toward the oral cavity 3. In this embodiment, the detector 1 is configured to be able to start to collect the radiation beam according to the increase in the intensity of the detected radiation beam; and to stop the collection according to the decrease in the intensity of the detected radiation beam.

[0066] In the method of the present disclosure, emitting radiation beams from multiple positions toward the oral cavity 3 can achieve irradiating the same tooth 4 with the same radiation from different angles, thereby obtaining three-dimensional information of the tooth 4. For example, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 is used, wherein multiple point sources, such as Figure 1The seven point sources shown emit radiation beams in sequence to irradiate the tooth 4. Since each point source is located at a different position, the irradiation angle is different when irradiating the same tooth 4, thereby obtaining different irradiation information, synthesizing the transmission images at these different angles, realizing tomosynthesis imaging, and obtaining three-dimensional information of the tooth 4. The distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 can be controlled so that multiple point sources emit radiation beams in sequence. For example, the intraoral tomosynthesis imaging device or the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 includes a processor, which controls the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 to emit radiation beams in sequence, including the order in which the multiple point sources emit radiation beams, the start time and end time of each point source emitting a radiation beam, the time interval between two point sources emitting radiation beams successively without emitting a radiation beam, etc. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can also be part of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. In other words, in this embodiment, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has a processor, which controls the operation of the multiple point sources, such as the start time and end time of each point source emitting a radiation beam. In other words, in this embodiment, the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2 has the ability to emit radiation beams in sequence, including parameters such as the emission time, end time, and radiation beam energy of each point source.

[0067] In this embodiment, the detector 1 is placed in the mouth and can work automatically. According to this embodiment, the detector 1 is a detector 1 in automatic exposure mode, that is, it can automatically detect the energy or intensity of the radiation beam, and start according to the increase of the intensity of the radiation beam to collect the radiation beam; and it can stop the collection according to the decrease of the intensity of the detected radiation beam. The processor of the intraoral tomosynthesis imaging device or the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2 does not control the operation of the detector 1, or the processor has no communication connection or even physical connection with the detector 1. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to control the detector 1 to start detecting the radiation beam or start collecting the radiation beam signal. The detector 1 can automatically detect the increase of the intensity of the radiation beam and start detecting and collecting the radiation beam. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector 1 is configured to start collecting the radiation beam when the intensity of the radiation beam is detected to increase. For example, in the absence of a radiation beam, the detector 1 can be in a standby state, such as a state of being powered on but not working; when the radiation beam starts to irradiate, the detector 1 detects the increase of the intensity of the radiation beam, and the detector 1 starts to work and collects the signal of the radiation beam. After the sensitive element of the detector 1 is irradiated by radiation, the detector 1 starts to detect the radiation beam and collect the radiation beam. For example, after the detector 1 detects that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds the first threshold, it starts to collect the radiation beam. The first threshold can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the first threshold is a specific value less than the intensity value of the radiation beam emitted by the point source of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. When the intensity value of the radiation beam is detected to decrease, the detector 1 stops collecting the radiation beam. In one embodiment, the detector 1 is configured to stop collecting the radiation beam when the intensity of the radiation beam is detected to be less than the second threshold. The second threshold can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the second threshold is a specific value less than the intensity value of the radiation beam emitted by the point source of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first threshold and the second threshold can be reasonably set according to actual conditions, and the two can be the same or different.

[0068] The radiation beam can be emitted by multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source 2, and the energy or intensity and beam shape of the radiation beam emitted by each point source are the same or substantially the same. The beam shape of the radiation beam can be, for example, a rectangular radiation beam, a fan beam radiation beam, a radial radiation beam, etc. The radiation beam can be, for example, an X-ray beam, however, it can also be other types of radiation. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radiation beam is emitted toward the oral cavity 3 from each of the multiple positions, the intensity of the radiation beam remains constant or substantially constant, and the intensity of the radiation beam is known, and the intensity of the radiation beam is greater than a first threshold value, so as to obtain tomographic images of the irradiated tooth 4 at multiple angles, and a three-dimensional image is synthesized through computer calculation.

[0069] Based on the acquisition, image information is constructed, and the image information is output in a wireless or wired manner.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes: starting the detector 1 to collect the radiation beam each time according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and stopping the collection according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than the first threshold, and completing multiple collections. The method of this embodiment can be a continuous multiple collection mode, which is highly adaptable and can adapt to different irradiation requirements without specific settings.

[0071] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes: starting to collect the radiation beam according to the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stopping the collection according to the intensity of the second radiation beam being lower than the first threshold, completing the first collection, and then starting to collect the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and automatically repeating multiple collections according to the known start time, collection time, and time interval between the first collection and the second collection of the first collection. The method of this embodiment can be an automatic multiple collection mode, and the detector 1 can store the start time of the first collection and the start time of the second collection, and can calculate the time interval between the first start collection and the second start collection.

[0072] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includes: starting to collect the radiation beam according to the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and automatically completing the subsequent collection of the radiation beam according to the predetermined collection time and the predetermined collection interval. In this embodiment, the predetermined collection time and the predetermined collection interval are determined by the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source 2.

[0073] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0074] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tomosynthesis imaging device for a target area, include: A distributed multi-point emission radiation source having an array of a plurality of point sources and the plurality of point sources are configured to emit radiation beams in sequence; and a detector, which can be placed in the target area or outside the target area adjacent to the target area, for detecting the radiation beam emitted by the distributed multi-point emission radiation source; The detector is configured to be started to collect the radiation beam according to an increase in the detected intensity of the radiation beam, and to stop the collection according to a decrease in the detected intensity of the radiation beam. 2 . The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the target area is an oral cavity, and the detector is placed in the oral cavity.

3. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The detector is configured to start collecting the radiation beam after detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds a first threshold.

4. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The detector can stop the acquisition after detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam is less than a second threshold.

5. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The detector is configured to have a continuous multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector can start acquiring the radiation beam multiple times according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stop acquiring according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, thereby completing multiple acquisitions; or The detector is configured to have an automatic multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector starts acquiring the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time exceeding a first threshold value, and stops the acquisition according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the first time being lower than a second threshold value, completing the first acquisition, and then starts acquiring the radiation beam according to the intensity of the radiation beam detected for the second time exceeding the first threshold value, and automatically repeats the acquisition multiple times according to the known first acquisition start time, acquisition time and the time interval between the first start of acquisition and the second start of acquisition; or The detector is configured to have a predetermined multiple acquisition mode, so that the detector starts to acquire the radiation beam according to the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding the first threshold value, and automatically completes the subsequent acquisition of the radiation beam according to the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval, wherein the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval are determined by the multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point radiation source.

6. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The detector constructs image information based on the acquisition, and outputs the image information in a wireless or wired manner.

7. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source emits an X-radiation beam.

8. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the intensity and beam shape of the X-radiation beam emitted by each of the plurality of point sources of the distributed multi-point emission radiation source are the same.

9. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The intensity of the radiation beam is greater than the first threshold and remains substantially constant during the acquisition.

10. The tomosynthesis imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target area is a human joint, heart or other part.

11. A method for tomosynthesis imaging of a target area, include: placing a detector for detecting the radiation beam at a target area; and emitting radiation beams from a plurality of locations toward the oral cavity; The detector is configured to be started to collect the radiation beam according to an increase in the detected intensity of the radiation beam, and to stop the collection according to a decrease in the detected intensity of the radiation beam.

12. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 11, include: After detecting that the intensity of the radiation beam exceeds a first threshold, starting to collect the radiation beam.

13. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 12, include: Starting the detector to collect the radiation beam multiple times according to the intensity of the radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stopping the collection according to the intensity of the radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, to complete multiple collections; or Initiate acquisition of the radiation beam based on the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and stop the acquisition based on the intensity of the first detected radiation beam being lower than a second threshold, complete the first acquisition, and then initiate acquisition of the radiation beam based on the intensity of the second detected radiation beam exceeding the first threshold, and automatically repeat multiple acquisitions based on the known first acquisition start time, acquisition time, and the time interval between the first acquisition start and the second acquisition start; or The acquisition of the radiation beam is initiated based on the intensity of the first radiation beam exceeding a first threshold, and the subsequent acquisition of the radiation beam is automatically completed according to a predetermined acquisition time and a predetermined acquisition interval, wherein the predetermined acquisition time and the predetermined acquisition interval are determined by multiple point sources of the distributed multi-point emitting radiation source.

14. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 11, wherein the emitted radiation beam is an X-radiation beam.

15. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 12, wherein the intensity of the radiation beam emitted toward the oral cavity from each of the plurality of positions is greater than a first threshold.

16. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 11, include: Based on the acquisition, image information is constructed, and the image information is output in a wireless or wired manner.

17. The tomosynthesis imaging method according to claim 15, wherein the radiation beams emitted from the plurality of positions toward the oral cavity respectively have the same intensity and beam shape.

18. The tomosynthesis imaging method of claim 15, wherein radiation beams of substantially constant intensity and beam shape are emitted toward the oral cavity from a plurality of locations, respectively.

Images