Radiographic Body Thickness Measurement From Distance Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for accurately measuring the body thickness of a subject in radiographic imaging are hindered by interference from the subject's position on the detection surface, leading to inconsistent first distance measurements and inaccurate body thickness calculations, particularly in systems where the radiation source and detector are independent.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device and method that utilizes a distance image capturing device to acquire images, search for a detection surface region, measure first and second distances, and derive body thickness by subtracting these distances, allowing for accurate body thickness determination regardless of variations in the system setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the subject is positioned on the detection surface during radiographic imaging, then the imaging process can proceed, but the subject causes interference that makes it difficult to obtain accurate distance information from the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The detection surface is segmented into multiple pixel regions, each capable of independently measuring distance. By dividing the detection surface into multiple measurable units, the system can obtain distance information from multiple points even when the subject is positioned on the detection surface, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy while allowing continuous imaging operations.
2Loss of time
If the first distance is measured in advance, then preparation time is reduced, but the first distance may vary with each radiographic imaging particularly in systems with independent radiation source and detector
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs distance measurement automatically and dynamically during each imaging process without requiring manual intervention or pre-measurement. The distance image capturing device autonomously captures distance information, and the image processing device automatically calculates the first distance based on the captured images, ensuring both time efficiency and measurement consistency for each imaging operation.
3Measurement precision
If a distance sensor is used to measure SID and SOD, then body thickness can be calculated, but the subject positioned on the detection surface interferes with obtaining accurate distance information
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from point-based distance measurement to area-based distance measurement by capturing distance information across the entire detection surface. The distance image capturing device obtains two-dimensional distance maps, allowing the system to select multiple measurement points and calculate the first distance based on average or representative values from the detection surface region, thereby overcoming the interference caused by the subject's position.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing device is configured to execute: distance image acquisition processing of acquiring a distance image generated by imaging an imaging range including a subject and a detection surface with a distance image capturing device; detection surface region search processing of searching the distance image for a detection surface region where a part of the detection surface exists; first distance acquisition processing of acquiring a distance to the detection surface region that has been searched for, as a first distance from the distance image capturing device to the detection surface, based on the distance image; second distance acquisition processing of acquiring a distance from the distance image capturing device to the subject as a second distance based on the distance image; and body thickness derivation processing of deriving a difference between the first distance and the second distance as a body thickness of the subject.