Abstract: A system for arranging a plurality of visual displays communicated from a plurality of data acquiring sources for illustration on a plurality of displays fields of an at least one monitor is provided. The system includes a controller in communication with each of the plurality of data acquiring sources and the at least one monitor. The controller includes a processor operable to execute a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory. The programming instructions include the acts of receiving a predefined arrangement of the series of visual displays for simultaneous illustration in the series of display fields of the at least one monitor, storing the predefined arrangement in the memory, and communicating the plurality of visuals displays from the series of data acquiring sources to the series of display fields, respectively, of the least one monitor in accordance to the predefined arrangement stored in the memory.

Abstract: The brightness of an X-ray video image during fluorography is maintained at a substantially constant level by a control circuit which varies the X-ray dose in relation to changes in the average brightness of the X-ray image. Selected picture elements of the image which lie within a defined region in the image and which have a brightness above a given level are used to derive the average X-ray image brightness. The brightness of the selected picture elements are summed and the number of such picture elements counted. The summation of the brightness and the picture element count are both scaled by a factor of 2.sup.n to reduce the size of the numbers of the complexity of the averaging circuitry. The scaled brightness summation is divided by the scaled picture element count and the result is stored as the average X-ray image brightness.

Abstract: The brightness of an X-ray video image during fluorography is maintained at a substantially constant level by a control circuit which varies the X-ray dose in relation to changes in the average brightness of the X-ray image. As the X-ray system approaches the limits of its imaging capability, varying the X-ray dose alone may not yield the desired brightness level. At this point, the gain applied to the video signal is increased to improve the brightness. A linear brightness taper function is used such that, as the level of video gain required to maintain constant brightness increases, the actual video gain increases by a smaller proportional amount. This function results in the brightness of the video image decreasing somewhat as the video gain is required to provide a greater degree of brightness compensation.

Abstract: An imaging system for generating a color image on film from electronic video image data incorporates feedback control techniques to provide control of film density. The system includes variable gain amplifiers responsive to light intensity output of a film writing device for maintaining the output at a desired set level. In addition, the system includes apparatus and a method for monitoring the density of film images produced by the system and for utilizing the monitored values to modify the system transfer function in a direction to effect a change in the film density towards a desired value.

Abstract: A system for transferring electronic image data to film which provides correlation or matching between an image as viewed on a video monitor and an image viewed on film. Apparatus is disclosed for measuring image intensity on a video monitor and converting the measured intensity to electronic signals. The image intensity on film under controlled lighting is measured and signals representative of film density provided. The signals obtained by the two measurements are compared and any difference is used to vary a film writing system in a manner to minimize the difference.

Abstract: A scatter radiation compensation method for use in a medical diagnosis x-ray imaging system employs the use of an attenuating material placed in an x-ray beam to attenuate a portion of the beam such that the in-line component of the beam is reduced in the attenuated area. In one embodiment, an additional image is then taken utilizing an attenuator through out the full area of the beam to provide an image indicative of in-line components of the x-ray beam. The difference in image intensity between the two images is then computed to determine the scatter component of intensity and that intensity is thereafter substracted from the overall intensity obtained in a medical diagnostic image to obtain an image with the scattering effects removed. In one embodiment, the attenuating objects are plural spaced objects located at predetermined positions in the image.

Abstract: An imaging system for generating a image on film from video image data incorporates feedback control techniques to provide control of film density. The system includes variable gain amplifiers responsive to light intensity output of a film writing device for maintaining the output at a desired set level. In addition, the system includes apparatus and a method for monitoring the density of film images produced by the system and for utilizing the monitored values to modify the system transfer function in a direction to effect a change in the film density towards a desired value.

Abstract: In digital subtraction angiography a low X-ray energy temporal subtraction image is displayed on a video monitor. Regions in the temporal image frame that contain motion artifacts are outlined by using a cursor. The coordinates of the pixels in the defined outlined region are stored in a processor memory. The data for a related hybrid subtraction image are developed and stored. The processor then effects substitution of the hybrid subtraction image pixels, that fall within the same defined region, into the temporal subtraction image. The combined image data are transferred to a display controller memory which controls display of the combined image on a monitor. A method and means are provided for automatically determining the optimum value of the weighting coefficient applied to the high energy temporal subtraction image that results in the most complete cancellation of everything in the two images except the contrast medium filled blood vessel when the high and low energy temporal images are subtracted.

Abstract: For hybrid digital subtraction angiography mask x-ray images are made at low and high x-ray tube anode kVp. Both exposures are terminated by AEC and the exposure times are calculated and stored and used to govern the times of a subsequent run sequence of alternate low and high energy pre-contrast and post-contrast exposure images. The data for the mask and subsequent images are stored individually on magnetic disk. A TV camera receives optical versions of the images. Its target is scanned or read out during a TV frame time between the end of a low energy exposure and the start of a high energy exposure. After the low energy mask exposure time is determined an anticipation or delay time is calculated and the low energy exposures in the run sequence are shifted from the vertical blank pulse preceding the frame in which the exposure starts by the delay time so all low energy exposures terminate coincident with the blanking pulse that precedes the read out frame.