Patent ID: 7280635
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A process for managing dose and contrast in a non-destructive imaging system, comprising: accepting user input data indicative of image quality goals and a drive parameter setting strategy for an illumination source to be employed in the non-destructive imaging of an internal portion of a test subject; determining when the non-destructive imaging system is capable of achieving the image quality goals using a particular drive parameter setting selected from among a group of achievable drive parameter settings, a first of the group of drive parameter settings corresponding to a lowest drive parameter setting for the non-destructive imaging system, the first drive parameter setting being initially chosen as the particular drive parameter setting; proceeding with a non-destructive imaging procedure when the act of determining does not indicate that the non-destructive imaging system is incapable of achieving the image quality goals at the particular drive parameter setting; replacing the particular drive parameter setting with an incrementally increased particular drive parameter setting when the act of determining indicates that the non-destructive imaging system is not capable of achieving the image quality goals at the particular drive parameter setting; and iterating the acts of determining, proceeding or increasing and iterating, until either proceeding is achieved or all available drive parameter settings have been tested, and, including an act of generating a message to an operator of the system when all drive parameter settings have been tested and the act of determining continues to indicate incapability.