Patent ID: 7453982
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method of acquiring radiological images with an imaging system, the imaging system including a radiation source operable to direct radiation toward an image receptor and a gantry operable to move the radiation source and the image receptor to multiple positions with respect to the imaged subject, the method comprising the steps of: a) storing a plurality of positions of the gantry to move the radiation source and the image receptor with respect to the imaged subject; b) correlating a plurality of sequence selectors with a plurality of sequences of the plurality of positions of the gantry, each of the plurality of sequences representative of a different order of the plurality of positions of the gantry; c) storing a correlation of each of the plurality of sequences in relation to the plurality of sequence selectors in the memory; d) actuating a first sequence selector correlated to a first sequence; e) instructing the gantry to position the radiation source and the image receptor at a first position relative to the imaged subject according to the first sequence automatically in response to step (d); f) stopping the gantry from moving the radiation source and the image receptor with respect to the imaged subject; g) detecting actuation of a validation pedal, and in response ending the step (f) and moving the radiation source and the image receptor to a first position in the first sequence, the validation pedal different from the plurality of sequence selectors; h) moving the gantry to move the radiation source and the image receptor while simultaneously detecting actuation of the validation pedal of step (g) until reaching the first position; i) acquiring a first image at the first position according to the first sequence; j) instructing the gantry to move the radiation source and the image receptor to the second position to acquire a second image according to the first sequence, the step ( ) initiated automatically in response to step (i) without additional instruction from the operator; and k) repeating steps (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) to acquire the remainder of the plurality of images according to the one of the plurality of sequences correlated to the one of the plurality of position selectors of step (d).