Patent ID: 7746976
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: A61B,G21K,H01J

Abstract:
1. A radiographic imaging system for capturing an image of a body extremity which is suitable for determining a bone mineral density, the system comprising: a support for supporting the body extremity; an x-ray source configured to project an x-ray beam through the body extremity, the x-ray source having a voltage of no more than 45 kVp and having a target/filter combination of rhodium/rhodium, molybdenum/molybdenum, molybdenum/rhodium, or tungsten/rhodium; a detector configured to receive the x-ray beam after the x-ray beam passes through the body extremity and to capture an image of the body extremity; an attenuation filter separate from the target/filter combination of the x-ray source and positioned between the x-ray source and detector, the attenuation filter configured to attenuate a low-energy portion of the x-ray beam; and a processor configured to determine a bone mineral density of the body extremity based on the image of the body extremity captured by the detector.