X-ray CT Exposure Dose Control via Body Thickness Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional X-ray CT apparatuses struggle to control exposure doses effectively, as they rely on overall scan exposure doses and fail to account for varying body thicknesses and scan areas, making it difficult to prevent excessive X-ray exposure.
Innovation Solution
An X-ray CT apparatus with a body thickness information acquiring unit, a threshold determining unit, and an image generating unit that determines and displays exposure dose thresholds based on body thickness, allowing for area-specific control of exposure doses and providing warnings or adjustments to prevent excessive exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional techniques use overall scan exposure dose control, then the exposure dose management is simplified, but the ability to control exposure dose according to scan area and body thickness is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the overall scan into multiple scan areas and calculates exposure doses separately for each scan area. The system segments the exposure dose information by scan area and body thickness, allowing operators to view and control doses for specific regions rather than receiving a single overall dose value. This segmentation enables area-specific dose control while maintaining manageable complexity through automated calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by providing exposure dose information tailored to specific scan areas and body thicknesses. Instead of uniform dose control, the system delivers customized dose information for different regions (e.g., head, chest, abdomen) based on local body characteristics. This allows operators to adjust exposure parameters according to the specific requirements of each scan area.
2Device complexity
If exposure dose control is based on sum exposure dose from overall scan, then the control method is straightforward, but it becomes difficult to control exposure dose for specific scan areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the overall exposure dose into multiple scan area-specific doses. By dividing the total scan into discrete areas and calculating doses for each area separately, the system achieves precise measurement of exposure doses for specific regions while maintaining relatively simple control through automated calculations and display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to exposure dose measurement by incorporating scan area and body thickness as additional parameters. Instead of measuring only the overall sum dose, the system measures and displays dose information across multiple dimensions (scan area, body thickness, and cumulative dose), enabling more precise control without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Loss of information
If conventional techniques display total DLP and CTDIvol, then the exposure dose information is provided, but the information does not account for varying body thicknesses and scan areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing exposure dose information that varies according to local body characteristics. The system calculates and displays threshold values for exposure doses based on body thickness and scan area, allowing operators to compare actual doses against customized thresholds for each specific scanning scenario. This preserves complete information while adapting thresholds to local conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters used for exposure dose evaluation by incorporating body thickness and scan area as variable parameters. Instead of using fixed thresholds, the system dynamically adjusts threshold values based on these parameters, enabling more accurate and adaptable exposure dose control that accounts for individual patient variations.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an X-ray CT apparatus includes a body thickness information acquiring unit, a threshold determining unit and an image generating unit. The body thickness information acquiring unit acquires information of a body thickness of an object. The threshold determining unit determines a threshold of an exposure dose according to the body thickness of the object. The image generating unit generates an image indicating a relationship between the body thickness of the object and the threshold and displays a generated image on a display unit.