CT Tube Start Angle Adjustment for Organ-Specific Dose Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CT scan technologies do not effectively reduce radiation dose to specific, radiation-sensitive organs during scans, leading to increased cancer risk and other health concerns, as existing methods are anatomically non-specific and do not target sensitive areas effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates and adjusts the tube start angle of the X-ray source based on the location of sensitive organs within the patient, using equations to determine the optimal angle for minimizing radiation exposure during helical CT scans, thereby reducing radiation dose to specific organs without compromising image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional CT scan methods are used, then overall radiation dose reduction can be achieved through tube current modulation and adjusting mAs, but radiation dose to specific sensitive organs cannot be effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the radiation dose reduction specific to certain organs rather than uniform across the entire patient body. The system identifies radiation-sensitive organs (e.g., lens of eyes, fetus, breasts) and selectively reduces tube current when the X-ray beam passes through these specific anatomical regions, while maintaining higher current for other areas to preserve image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by calculating the tube start angle and predicting the trajectory of the X-ray beam relative to sensitive organs before the scan begins. The system uses patient anatomy data and organ location information to pre-determine optimal scanning parameters that will minimize radiation exposure to sensitive structures during the actual scan.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tube current is reduced for overall dose reduction, then radiation exposure decreases, but image quality may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different tube current settings to different spatial regions along the patient's body. When the X-ray beam traverses radiation-sensitive organs, the tube current is reduced to minimize dose. When the beam passes through less sensitive regions, higher current is maintained to ensure adequate image quality. This spatially-variable current modulation resolves the contradiction between dose reduction and image quality preservation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anatomically non-specific dose reduction methods are used, then overall radiation dose decreases, but sensitivity to specific radiation-sensitive organs is not targeted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances anatomical specificity by identifying and targeting individual radiation-sensitive organs such as the lens of eyes, fetus in pregnant patients, and breasts. The system calculates separate dose reduction strategies for each sensitive organ based on its specific location and the scan trajectory, rather than applying a uniform reduction approach to the entire patient body.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of the X-ray beam trajectory relative to each sensitive organ's location before scanning. By using pre-acquired anatomy data and organ position information, the system can predict which organs will be exposed and adjust the tube start angle and current settings in advance to minimize their radiation dose while maintaining overall scan effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of reducing radiation dose for a selected organ on a patient in a computed tomography (CT) scan that uses an X-ray source to scan the patient. The method comprises a computer determining a tube start angle for the X-ray source of the CT scan based on a location of the selected organ, a starting location of the X-ray source, a beam width of the CT scan, and a pitch of the CT scan. The starting angle of the X-ray source of the CT scan can then be set based on the determined tube start angle. In some embodiments, the organ location, X-ray starting location, beam width, and pitch are used to determine the number of tube rotations from the X-ray starting location to the organ location. This tube rotation number can be used to determine the tube start angle.