Patent ID: 6173038
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method of non-invasively measuring bone-mineral density of bone tissue in a bony locale of a body, comprising the steps of:(a) placing a composite phantom proximate said bony locale of said body, wherein said composite phantom contains first and second materials, said first material superimposed on said second material;(b) positioning a cassette to receive a collimated broadband x-ray beam after transmission through said bony locale and said composite phantom, wherein said cassette contains a plurality of films and wherein each of said films within said cassette receives a different portion of the energy spectrum of said broadband x-ray beam;(c) transmitting said collimated broadband x-ray beam through said bony locale of said body and through said composite phantom;(d) obtaining bony locale image data and composite phantom image data associated with each of said plurality of films contained within said cassette;(e) generating a plurality of forward solutions from said composite phantom image data;(f) comparing said plurality of forward solutions with said bony locale image data to identify a forward solution indicative of said bone mineral density of said bone tissue.