Patent ID: 7177390
Filing Date: 2007-02-13
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A digital x-ray tomosynthesis system comprising: A) at least one x-ray source, B) a two-dimensional digital x-ray image sensor, C) an x-ray data collection-positioning mechanism for positioning, relative to each other, said at least one x-ray source, said image sensor and an object for collecting with said image sensor x-ray attenuation data representing attenuation of a large number of rays of x-radiation from said at least one source through said object to said image sensor, and D) a computer processor programmed with an algorithm for producing tomographic or three-dimensional images of said object or portions of said object using a least squares technique utilizing generalized non-specific functions; wherein in said algorithm a three-dimensional object being imaged is represented by a scalar function d(x tomo ,y tomo ,h) in the dimension of Hounsfield units with one Hounsfield unit equal to a 0.1 % difference in the density of water and the range of Hounsfield units is from −1000 (air) to 1000 (bone) with 0 Hounsfields as the density of water, wherein the attenuation of x-rays directed along a line (trajectory s) is given by where (x tomo ,y tomo ) are the coordinates where trajectories cross the tomographic plane at z=h.