Patent ID: 7016466
Filing Date: 2006-03-21
Classification: A61B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for the automatic detection of the start of irradiation in an x-ray imaging system for digital radiography, the x-ray imaging system comprising an x-ray imager matrix that is electrically coupled to a control unit, the method comprising the steps of: reading out an x-ray imager matrix to create a blemishes map of pixels or sections of the x-ray imager matrix that show blemish defects; reading out the x-ray imager matrix to produce output elements O(i,j) at each readout cycle i, where j is the index of the output element, each output element O(i,j) corresponding to a pixel or section of the x-ray imager matrix; comparing the output elements O(i,j) with a temperature corrected first threshold TH counting the number of output elements O(i,j) that exceed the temperature corrected first threshold TH identifying a start of irradiation in response to a determination that the counted number of output elements O(i,j) exceeds a second threshold TH repeating the steps of reading out the x-ray imager matrix to produce output elements O(i,j), comparing the output elements O(i,j) with a temperature corrected first threshold TH