Computerized Methods for Determining Respiratory Phase on Dynamic Chest Radiographs Obtained by a Dynamic Flat-Panel Detector (FPD) System

Chest radiography using a dynamic flat-panel detector with a large field of view can provide sequential chest radiographs during respiration. These images provide information regarding respiratory kinetics, which is effective for diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. For valid analysis of respiratory kinetics in diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, it is crucial to determine the association between the kinetics and respiratory phase. We developed four methods to determine the respiratory phase based on image information associated with respiration and compared the results in dynamic chest radiographs of 37 subjects. Here, the properties of each method and future tasks are discussed. The method based on the change in size of the lung gave the most stable results, and that based on the change in distance from the lung apex to the diaphragm was the most promising method for determining the respiratory phase.