Patent ID: 11937970
Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A  G

Claim 4:
5. A method for calibrating a camera-based feature detection system for an x-ray system, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing an x-ray system comprising:
i. a support surface, and a gantry operably connected to the support surface and including an x-ray source, an x-ray detector alignable with the x-ray source, and a light source disposed on the gantry adjacent the x-ray detector, the gantry defining a system referential;
ii. an image processing system operably connected to the gantry to control the operation of laser, and the x-ray source and x-ray detector to generate x-ray image data, the image processing system including a processing unit for processing the x-ray image data from the detector, a database operably connected to the processing unit and storing instructions for operation of a calibration system, a display operably connected to the image processing system for presenting information to a user, and a user interface operably connected to the image processing system to enable user input to the image processing system; and
iii. a camera-based feature detection system including a camera spaced from the gantry and operably connected to the image processing system, the camera defining a camera referential within which the support surface and gantry are positioned and operable to generate one or more camera images of the support surface and gantry, wherein the calibration system is operable to register the camera referential to the system referential;

b. operating the light source to position an indication on the support surface;
c. obtaining a number of camera images of the indication on the support surface;
d. determining a number of positions of the indication within the camera image referential;
e. determining a number of positions of the indication within the system referential; and
f. registering the camera referential to the system referential, wherein the light source is a laser and wherein the step of determining the position of the indication within the system referential comprises:
a. determining a position of the detector within the system referential;
b. determining a position of the laser within the system referential relative to the position of the detector; and
c. determining the position of the indicator within the system referential relative to the position of the laser.