Patents by Inventor James Zhengshe Liu
James Zhengshe Liu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11617553Abstract: The present disclosure relates to locally enhancing medical images. In accordance with certain embodiments, a method includes determining a boundary of a region of interest in a displayed medical image, overlaying the boundary on the displayed medical image, adjusting a position of a collimator of a medical imaging system based on the determined boundary, enhancing image quality of the region of interest, and displaying the enhanced region of interest within the boundary.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2021Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLCInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Xiaosong Liu, Longjiang Yu, HongChang Ma, Jan D. Bruening, Todd W. Brown
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Publication number: 20230050772Abstract: The present disclosure relates to locally enhancing medical images. In accordance with certain embodiments, a method includes determining a boundary of a region of interest in a displayed medical image, overlaying the boundary on the displayed medical image, adjusting a position of a collimator of a medical imaging system based on the determined boundary, enhancing image quality of the region of interest, and displaying the enhanced region of interest within the boundary.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2021Publication date: February 16, 2023Inventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Xiaosong Liu, Longjiang Yu, HongChang Ma, Jan D. Bruening, Todd W. Brown
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Patent number: 11490872Abstract: A system for imaging an object includes an X-ray source operative to transmit X-rays through the object and a detector to receive the X-ray energy of the X-rays after passing through the object and to generate corresponding object X-ray intensity. The system also includes a controller to measure a detector entrance dose with no object being placed on the X-ray beam path and determine a relationship between an X-ray tube electrical parameter and the detector entrance dose. The controller further determines a relationship between the X-ray tube electrical parameter, the detector entrance dose and a detector average pixel intensity and obtains a normalized air map as a function of the X-ray tube electrical parameter based on calibration image data. The controller also generates an air map based on the normalized air map, the detector entrance dose and the detector average pixel intensity and reconstructs an image of the object based on the air map and the measured object X-ray intensity.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLCInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Christopher Welsh
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Publication number: 20220054102Abstract: A system for imaging an object includes an X-ray source operative to transmit X-rays through the object and a detector to receive the X-ray energy of the X-rays after passing through the object and to generate corresponding object X-ray intensity. The system also includes a controller to measure a detector entrance dose with no object being placed on the X-ray beam path and determine a relationship between an X-ray tube electrical parameter and the detector entrance dose. The controller further determines a relationship between the X-ray tube electrical parameter, the detector entrance dose and a detector average pixel intensity and obtains a normalized air map as a function of the X-ray tube electrical parameter based on calibration image data. The controller also generates an air map based on the normalized air map, the detector entrance dose and the detector average pixel intensity and reconstructs an image of the object based on the air map and the measured object X-ray intensity.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2020Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Christopher Welsh
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Patent number: 11137504Abstract: The present approaches relate to the fabrication of non-rectangular (e.g., non-square) light imager panels having comparable active areas to rectangular light imager panels but manufactured using fewer c-Si wafers. Such light imager panels may be generally squircle shaped (e.g., a square or rectangle with one or more rounded corners and may be manufactured using conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers, such as 8? wafers.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2016Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 10582905Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an x-ray imaging system. In one embodiment, a method for an x-ray imaging system, includes acquiring, with the x-ray imaging system, a plurality of images as an x-ray tube current of the x-ray imaging system is ramping from a predefined x-ray tube current to an updated x-ray tube current, the updated x-ray tube current determined based on an estimated patient thickness estimated from a prior image acquired with the x-ray imaging system while the x-ray tube current is at the predefined x-ray tube current, combining the plurality of images into a final image, and outputting the final image for display via a display device.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2018Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Naveen Stephan Chandra
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Publication number: 20190246999Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an x-ray imaging system. In one embodiment, a method for an x-ray imaging system, includes acquiring, with the x-ray imaging system, a plurality of images as an x-ray tube current of the x-ray imaging system is ramping from a predefined x-ray tube current to an updated x-ray tube current, the updated x-ray tube current determined based on an estimated patient thickness estimated from a prior image acquired with the x-ray imaging system while the x-ray tube current is at the predefined x-ray tube current, combining the plurality of images into a final image, and outputting the final image for display via a display device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2018Publication date: August 15, 2019Inventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Naveen Stephan Chandra
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Patent number: 10147171Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating regional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images and roadmap images with landmarks. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating a mask from a set of mask images of an anatomy of a subject, and generating a masked image by applying the mask to acquired image data of the anatomy of the subject, including weighting the mask differently inside a region of interest (ROI) of the image than outside the ROI, the weighting inside ROI independent of the weighting outside the ROI. In this way, a user may be able to adjust a relative magnitude of subtraction inside and outside the ROI, and thus be able to visualize both vasculature and landmarks within the same image frame.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Todd Brown, Timothy Skuster, James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 10121817Abstract: A flat panel detector is provided having a circular active area. The flat panel detector is built using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) tiles. In one implementation, the flat panel detector having a circular active area can be used as a replacement for a conventional image intensifier, including an image intensifier used in a fluoroscopy system.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Biju Jacob, James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 10036814Abstract: An x-ray image detector includes a light image sensor having a depth, a front side comprising a sensing surface, and a back side. The x-ray image detector further includes a substrate plate on the back side and surrounding the depth of the light image sensor such that the substrate plate forms a lip around the light image sensor. The lip is level with the front side of the light image sensor. The x-ray image detector further includes a scintillator over the sensing surface of the light image sensor and at least a portion of the lip.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2015Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Habib Vafi, Paul Richard Granfors
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Patent number: 10032813Abstract: Fabrication and use of an X-ray detector scan interface having separate enable and reset lines for each line (e.g., row) of pixels is described. In certain implementations, the respective enable and reset lines are connected such that activation of an enable line for a given line of pixels is concurrent with activation of a reset line for a different (e.g., preceding) row of pixels. In this manner, readout of one row of pixels is performed in conjunction with resetting the row of pixels readout in the preceding operation. In another technical implementation, a non-rectangular detector is divided into quadrants, with alternating quadrants configured for scan module or data module operations such that no quadrant has overlapping scan and data interconnections at the connection finger regions.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2016Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Habib Vafi, Jingyi Liang, Nicholas Ryan Konkle
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Patent number: 9997557Abstract: The present approach relates to the fabrication of radiation detectors. In certain embodiments, additive manufacture techniques, such as 3D metallic printing techniques are employed to fabricate one or more parts of a detector. In an example of one such printing embodiment, amorphous silicon may be initially disposed onto a substrate and a laser may be employed to melt some or all of the amorphous silicon so as to form crystalline silicon circuitry of a light imager panel. Such printing techniques may also be employed to fabricate other aspects of a radiation detector, such as a scintillator layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 9974514Abstract: A computer-implemented method for reducing image artifacts in X-ray image data includes dividing pixels of X-ray image data into a plurality of pixel value regions based on a pixel value of each pixel, wherein each pixel value region has a different range of pixel values. The method also includes generating calibrated X-ray image data for each pixel value region, wherein the respective calibrated X-ray image data for each pixel value region is generated using a different dose of radiation. Further, the method includes calculating a gain slope for each pixel value region based on the calibrated X-ray image data, and calculating a pixel gain correction for the pixels of the X-ray image data based on at least one of the calculated gain slopes.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Publication number: 20180082420Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating regional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images and roadmap images with landmarks. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating a mask from a set of mask images of an anatomy of a subject, and generating a masked image by applying the mask to acquired image data of the anatomy of the subject, including weighting the mask differently inside a region of interest (ROI) of the image than outside the ROI, the weighting inside ROI independent of the weighting outside the ROI. In this way, a user may be able to adjust a relative magnitude of subtraction inside and outside the ROI, and thus be able to visualize both vasculature and landmarks within the same image frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2016Publication date: March 22, 2018Inventors: Todd Brown, Timothy Skuster, James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 9905607Abstract: The present approach relates to the fabrication of radiation detectors. In certain embodiments, additive manufacture techniques, such as 3D metallic printing techniques are employed to fabricate one or more parts of a detector. In an example of one such printing embodiment, amorphous silicon may be initially disposed onto a substrate and a laser may be employed to melt some or all of the amorphous silicon so as to form crystalline silicon circuitry of a light imager panel. Such printing techniques may also be employed to fabricate other aspects of a radiation detector, such as a scintillator layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 9759818Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an X-ray image using a digital flat panel detector with a squircle shape are described. The flat panel X-ray detector contains a circuit board, a light imager electrically connected to the circuit board, and a scintillator coupled on the light imager. The detector has superellipse shape or a cornerless shape with a first substantially straight edge and a second substantially straight edge running substantially perpendicular to the first edge, wherein the first and second edges do not physically intersect with each other at 90 degrees. The flat panel detector with this shape can be used in an x-ray imaging system that uses the detector to detect x-rays and produce an x-ray image. With this shape, the active sensing area of the detector can be similar to those currently available with rectangular or square flat panel detectors, while using less material to create the detector.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2014Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Patent number: 9749558Abstract: A digital X-ray imaging system is provided. The digital X-ray imaging system includes an X-ray source and a digital X-ray detector. The digital X-ray detector includes a scintillator configured to absorb radiation emitted from the X-ray source and to emit optical photons in response to the absorbed radiation. The digital X-ray detector also includes multiple pixels, each pixel including a pinned photodiode and at least two charge-storage capacitors coupled to the pinned photodiode, wherein each pixel is configured to absorb the optical photons emitted by the scintillator and each pinned photodiode is configured to generate a photocharge in response to the absorbed optical photons. The digital X-ray detector further includes control circuitry coupled to each pixel of the multiple pixels and configured to selectively control a respective flow of the photocharge generated by the pinned photodiode to a respective charge-storage capacitor of the at least two charge-storage capacitors during integration.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Publication number: 20170227657Abstract: The present approaches relate to the fabrication of non-rectangular (e.g., non-square) light imager panels having comparable active areas to rectangular light imager panels but manufactured using fewer c-Si wafers. Such light imager panels may be generally squircle shaped (e.g., a square or rectangle with one or more rounded corners and may be manufactured using conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers, such as 8? wafers.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventor: James Zhengshe Liu
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Publication number: 20170229502Abstract: Fabrication and use of an X-ray detector scan interface having separate enable and reset lines for each line (e.g., row) of pixels is described. In certain implementations, the respective enable and reset lines are connected such that activation of an enable line for a given line of pixels is concurrent with activation of a reset line for a different (e.g., preceding) row of pixels. In this manner, readout of one row of pixels is performed in conjunction with resetting the row of pixels readout in the preceding operation. In another technical implementation, a non-rectangular detector is divided into quadrants, with alternating quadrants configured for scan module or data module operations such that no quadrant has overlapping scan and data interconnections at the connection finger regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Habib Vafi, Jingyi Liang, Nicholas Ryan Konkle
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Patent number: 9689993Abstract: An imaging system includes an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog pixel value into a first digital pixel value. The imaging system also includes an index value source configured to receive the first digital pixel value from the analog-to-digital converter and to generate a digital index value based on a comparison of the first digital pixel value to a digital reference value. In addition, the imaging system includes a transmitter in communication with the index value source and configured to transmit the digital index value. Further, the imaging system includes an image processing component configured to receive the digital index value and to generate a second digital pixel value based at least in part on the received digital index value and a lookup table of the image processing component.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2016Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: James Zhengshe Liu, Richard Larry Anderton, Brian James Grekowicz, Bela Janos Kiraly