Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

A Hans Vija

Amos Yahil

John Thomas Pawlak

James T Chapman

Trudy Dayle Rempel

Ansgar Graw

Eric Grant Hawman

Guenter Hahn

Peggy Hawman

Johannes Zeintl

Vladimir Desh

In an aspect, reconstructing an image object associated with an input data set, includes for each step, in a series of iteration steps, determining an updated object from an input object based on a data model of the input object, a weighting-factor data set, and a gradient object, wherein the weighting-factor data set includes modified entries of the input data set. Reconstructing the image object further includes following a last iteration, outputting one of the updated objects as the image object.

NNLS image reconstruction

An iterative reconstruction method to reconstruct an object includes determining, in a series of iteration steps, updated objects, wherein each iteration step includes determining a data model from an input object, and determining a stop-criterion of the data model on the basis of a chi-square-gamma statistic. The method further includes determining that the stop-criterion of the data model has transitioned from being outside the limitation of a preset threshold value to being inside the limitation, ending the iterations, and selecting one of the updated objects to be the reconstructed object.

Controlling the number of iterations in image reconstruction

Tomographically reconstructing a 3D image object corresponding to a data set includes reconstructing a first reconstructed object from the data set, receiving a smoothing map, smoothing the first reconstructed object based on the smoothing map thereby creating a first smoothed object, and outputting the first smoothed object as the 3D image object. Smoothing a first object thereby creating a smoothed object having a smoothed value associated to each object point in object space includes receiving the first object, determining, in a series of steps, single-kernel-smoothed objects, wherein each iteration step is associated with a kernel function and includes, determining a start object based on the first object, and smoothing the start object using the kernel function of the iteration step, thereby creating the single-kernel-smoothed object having single-kernel-smoothed values associated to each object point, and constructing the smoothed object from the single-kernel-smoothed values.

External pixon smoothing for tomographic image reconstruction technical field

Systems and methods are described for co-registering, displaying and quantifying images from numerous different medical modalities, such as CT, MRI and SPECT. In this novel approach co-registration and image fusion is based on multiple user-defined Regions-of-Interest (ROI), which may be subsets of entire image volumes, from multiple modalities, where the each ROI may depict data from different image modalities. The user-selected ROI of a first image modality may be superposed over or blended with the corresponding ROI of a second image modality, and the entire second image may be displayed with either the superposed or blended ROI.

Systems and methods for localized image registration and fusion

In an aspect, tomographically reconstructing a 3D image object corresponding to a data set includes for each step in a series of iteration steps, determining an updated object by performing a combined operation, which includes performing an update operation for updating an input object and performing a smoothing operation, and following a last iteration, outputting one of the updated objects as the 3D image object.

Reconstructing a tomographic image

Determining a pixon map for pixon smoothing of an object based on a data set includes receiving the data set and an input object associated to the data set. Determining a pixon map further includes determining, in a series of steps, statistical objects for a set of pixon kernel functions, wherein each step includes selecting a pixon kernel function from the set of pixon kernel functions, smoothing the input object on the basis of the selected pixon kernel function, thereby creating a smoothed object, and determining the statistical object for the selected pixon kernel function on the basis of the smoothed object, the data set, and a Mighell-like statistical weight. Determining a pixon map further includes determining contributions of the pixon kernel functions to the pixon map based on the statistical objects and assigning values to the pixon map corresponding to the contributions of the pixon kernel functions.

Determining a pixon map for image reconstruction

A mobile detector system for use in the detection of radiation photons. The detector system includes an exterior casing, having an internal area. The internal area has an interior periphery and an exterior periphery, at least one rail, at least one mobile camera, that is movably mounted on the at least one rail, and at least one motor. The motor drives at least one mobile camera, and the at least one mobile camera is movable along at least one rail within the exterior casing, to a plurality of radiation receiving positions.

Mobile camera for organ targeted imaging

A process for obtaining an attenuation map from a truncated transmission scan of an imaged object, by compensating for missing emission data as a result of truncation by using non-truncated emission data of the imaged object to derive 'fill-in' emission data. The truncation-compensated emission data then is used to generate an attenuation map for correcting a reconstructed emission image for effects of attenuation.

Compensating for truncated CT images for use as attenuation maps in emission tomography

Attenuation correction data is obtained from one or more transmission sources to calculate the attenuation factors of a reconstruction area of an object being imaged by a nuclear medicine apparatus, such as a SPECT gamma camera. The transmission sources are capable of swiveling the direction of the transmission to correspond with the direction of capture of the gamma detectors. Additionally, the transmission sources are capable of linear movement to correspond with any linear movement of the detectors. The transmission sources are able to follow the same path as the detectors in order to determine the attenuation factors through the same reconstruction area being scanned by the detectors.

Attenuation correction for SPECT imaging using non-classical orbits of many small gamma cameras

A radiographic three dimensional imaging apparatus capable of focusing on a center of rotation point, includes at least two gamma ray detectors, each having a radiation input face, with each detector positioned on a linear path, wherein each detector is movable along the detector's linear path, while simultaneously swiveling to maintain the detector's input face towards the rotation point. The apparatus allows for organ-targeted tomography as a virtual center of rotation can be placed arbitrarily with respect to a patient, constrained only by the physical limits of the detector motion.

Open limited orbiting tomographic imaging system

A method for optimizing imaging dwell time during nuclear imaging. A fast pre-scan is conducted over the angular range of imaging, with equal dwell time at each position. A statistical sub-sampling is conducted over a region of interest to a desired fraction of the acquisition time. The statistical sub-sampling is used to simulate a varying dwell time tomographic dataset according to a profile pre-generated by an analysis of patient specific anatomic or functional information. Reconstructed data with equal dwell time and with simulated adaptive dwell time are constructed and compared to generate a difference image, a parameter of interest of which is evaluated. If the parameter of interest is within an acceptable level, the reduced dwell time for the given angular position is established; otherwise, the fraction is varied and the process is repeated. Once dwell times are computed for all view angles, a full scan is conducted.

Application-driven optimization of acquisition and reconstruction of SPECT/PET projection data

Apparatus and method for simulating tracer interaction with living tissue. A chamber receives a fluid therein, and includes an inlet conduit for conducting the fluid into the chamber, an outlet conduit for conducting the fluid out of the chamber, a medium disposed within the chamber for modulating fluid flow, and a valve assembly for conducting the fluid into the inlet conduit. In some aspects, the fluid is a radiative tracer or a radiative washout fluid and the medium is configured to mimic a tissue, e.g., the heart, and portions thereof are capable of mimicking both normal and diseased tissues.

Flow-drive for dynamic phantom

Generation of attenuation maps for nuclear medicine image reconstructions based on the use of anatomical image data, such as CT data, take into account variations caused by variations in acquisition energy width and emission energy of the radioisotope used in the clinical imaging procedure, as coefficient correction factors that are stored together with such maps.

Acquisition window compensation for nuclear medical image reconstruction attenuation coefficient maps

Method and apparatus for varying the hole length of a parallel hole collimator, provides a variably configurable compound collimator for use in nuclear imaging. The collimator has a plurality of substantially parallel oriented collimator cores configured for transition between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein a gap space between said collimator cores is greater in the expanded configuration than the contracted configuration. The maximum gap space is designed to prevent photons from one hole in the collimator from reaching the detector proximate an adjacent hole of the collimator.

Adaptive collimator for nuclear medicine and imaging

A system and method of integrating a nuclear medicine imaging device such as a gamma camera with a patient handling system where the nuclear medicine imaging system does not prevent full access to the patient and does not interfere with the field of view of accompanying modalities accommodated by use of the patient handling system.

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Evanston, IL, United States of America

A Hans Vija