INTELLIGENT X-RAY FILM ILLUMINATION

THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO DEMONSTRATE REAL TIME CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT OF X-RAY FILMS FOR EARLY DETECTIONOF PRIMARY LESIONS OF THE BREAST, LUNG, MEDIASTINUM, HEART, AND MAJOR VESSELS. FUTURE PHASE II RESEARCH MAY DEVELOP A COMPACT SYSTEM SUITABLE FOR READING ALL STANDARD RADIOGRAPHS. CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF X-RAY FILMS IS CRUCIAL IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS. DIGIVISION PROPOSES TO ENHANCE X-RAY FILM IMAGES IN REAL TIME WITHOUT DEGRADING EITHER THE SPATIAL RESOLUTION OR THE DYNAMIC RANGE OF CONTRAST BY REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL LIGHTBOX WITH A COMPUTER-CONTROLLED ILLUMINATOR. SPATIALLY MODULATED ILLUMINATION IS GENERATED ON THE FILM SUCH THAT AN OBSERVER CAN PERFORM SELF-ALIGNED UNSHARP SUBTRACTION OR OTHER TYPES OF IMAGE ENHANCEMENT. OBSERVERS CAN ADJUST THE AMOUNT OF PROCESSING WITH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. NONLINEAR COMPENSATION FOR IMPROPER EXPOSURE OF FILM IS AUTOMATIC. AS THE OBSERVERALWAYS VIEWS THE FILM DIRECTLY, NO DEGRADATION OF SPATIAL RESOULTION OCCURS. THIS MAKES SOPHISTICATED LOCALLY ADAPTIVE REAL TIME IMAGE PROCESSING ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR ALL RADIOLOGY SUITES.