Patent Document ID: 20080037708
Application ID: 11558965
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. An X-ray diagnostic imaging system, comprising: an X-ray source for generating and controlling an X-ray beam radiated towards a patient under examination, the X-ray source comprising an X-ray tube, an X-ray collimator assembly and a camera and camera control apparatus disposed proximate the X-ray tube to image a camera field of view (FOV) that is substantially coincident with a maximum footprint or FOV of the X-ray beam, wherein both the X-ray beam and camera FOVs are shaped and/or limited by collimator assembly operation; an X-ray imaging device arranged for receiving the X-ray beam and acquiring latent image frames of a region of interest (ROI) within the patient's anatomy; a system controller coupled to the X-ray source and X-ray imaging device for controlling the X-ray tube, X-ray collimator assembly, camera and camera control apparatus, and X-ray imaging device positioning; an image processing chain comprising an image processor that is coupled to the system controller, which receives acquired image frames from the X-ray imaging device for processing; and a display device coupled to the image processing chain for displaying post-processed image frames as an X-ray diagnostic image of the ROI; wherein the camera control apparatus retractably positions the camera into and out of a path of the X-ray beam when the X-ray tube is inactive to focus the camera to image the camera FOV at the patient wherein a feedback signal is generated in response to an image signal acquired by the camera, the feedback signal provided to system to control the collimator assembly and camera operation.