Patent ID: 7801344

Claim:
A method for defining edge boundaries of an image formed on a flat-panel radiographic detector, comprising: obtaining digital image pixel values from the radiographic detector; obtaining dimensional information about a collimator in the radiographic signal path; analyzing the image to detect one or more collimator blade edges; and processing the digital image pixel values at least once to detect remaining collimator blade edges by: (i) accumulating image pixel values along each of a plurality of lines in a first direction parallel to a first vector, determined by the orientation of a detected collimator blade edge, that extends across the image, to obtain a first profile value for each line in said first direction, thereby forming an ordered set of first profile values; and (ii) identifying first and second threshold values in the set of first profile values, wherein the paired first and second threshold values indicate an edge boundary corresponding to a collimator blade projection along the first direction.