Xbox Kinect Technology Helps Create Higher-Quality X-Rays

An anonymous reader writes: A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, has adapted a gaming system to help radiographers improve the quality of X-rays. The technology, originally developed for Microsoft Kinect, has been amended to provide a useful tool for measuring the thickness of body parts and monitor movement and positioning in the X-ray field of vision before imaging. The goal of the technology is to aid in the production of high-quality X-rays at low radiation, without the need to repeat the image. Although the technology is expected to benefit all patients, the researchers believe it could be particularly practical for use in children – who are much more sensitive to radiation and vary in body size, from premature babies through to teens.

Variable-size children

[wonkey_monkey]

and vary in body size, from premature babies through to teens.

As opposed to adults, who are all exactly the same size?

Or are they expecting to have these kids on the X-ray table long enough to have a growth spurt halfway through?

Re:

[wardrich86]

I think you missed the 2nd part of your quoted sentence:

and vary in body size, from premature babies through to teens.

The variance between a newborn and a teenager is greater than the difference between one adult to another.

Re:

[alvinrod]

Given that some people act as though they view obesity as a challenge instead of a health problem, I'm not so sure about that statement.

Re:Variable-size children

[bobbied]

X-Ray techs use all sorts of tables to figure out how to set their system to optimal settings, where they use the absolute minimum radiation exposure to get the imagery they need. This just allows them to judge sizes and thicknesses automatically and thus how to set up the system quicker and more accurately, reducing radiation exposure while producing the needed imagery.

So it's not about things changing during the x-ray, it's about setting up the equipment using something other than educated guesses and experience but actually measuring things using cheap, off the shelf equipment and then suggesting better estimates of the best X-Ray settings automatically. It leads to less radiation exposure, especially in the case of children where the task facing X-Ray techs is the most difficult and the net affects of X-Ray exposure the most dangerous.