Patent ID: 7342999

Claim:
A method for generating a digital x-ray image of an examination subject, comprising the steps of: determining a preliminary total x-ray radiation dose that is estimated, based on knowledge of the examination subject, to be necessary for obtaining a diagnostic image of an examination subject; irradiating the examination subject with a partial dose of x-rays from an x-ray tube, that is less than said preliminary total dose, and detecting said x-rays attenuated by the examination subject with a digital x-ray detector to obtain a pre-image of the examination subject; evaluating said pre-image to determine a remaining radiation dose, that has no fixed relation to said preliminary total dose, needed to produce the diagnostic image of the subject; irradiating the examination subject with x-rays from said x-ray tube at said remaining radiation dose and detecting said x-rays attenuated by the examination subject with said digital x-ray detector to obtain a following image; and combining said pre-image and said following image to obtain a final x-ray image, as the diagnostic image of the subject.