John R Liebig

Title: Innovations of John R. Liebig in Medical Imaging

Introduction

John R. Liebig is a notable inventor based in San Jose, California, recognized for his contributions to the field of medical imaging. With a total of eight patents to his name, Liebig has made significant advancements that enhance the accuracy and efficiency of gamma camera systems.

Latest Patents

Among his latest patents is a method for attenuation correction in a medical imaging system using computed path. This innovative approach corrects for attenuation during emission imaging in a gamma camera medical imaging system. Attenuation values are determined empirically and stored in a look-up table, which is readable by the imaging system. Each attenuation value corresponds to a specific thickness value. The attenuation values are computed prior to imaging by measuring the number of photons that pass from a transmission source through various known depths of water or another suitable model attenuator. This measurement is conducted using the same radiation source that will be utilized for emission imaging. For each depth, the measurement is used to compute the actual attenuation for a thickness of the model attenuator. The attenuation is then stored as a value in the look-up table, along with corresponding values of attenuator thickness, and is later used to correct emission data for the effects of attenuation.

Another significant patent involves the use of body boundary information to perform iterative reconstruction in a gamma camera system. This method includes performing a transmission scan of an object at various rotation angles to collect transmission projection data, followed by an emission scan to gather emission projection data. The outer boundary of the object is identified based on the transmission projection data. Information identifying the boundary can be stored in a separate body contour map or embedded in an attenuation map. This information can take the form of flags indicating whether individual pixels are inside or outside the boundary of the object. The emission projection data is then reconstructed, utilizing the attenuation map if desired, to generate transverse slice images. By incorporating body boundary information, portions of the emission projection data that represent points outside the object's boundary are excluded from reconstruction, thereby reducing total reconstruction time.

Career Highlights

John R. Liebig is currently employed at Adac Laboratories, Inc., where he continues to innovate in the field of medical imaging technology. His work has significantly impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of gamma camera systems, making them more reliable for medical diagnostics.

Collaborations

Liebig has collaborated with notable colleagues, including Steven M