General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Other

Scinticor Incorporated

Kishore Chandra Acharya

Jiang Hsieh

Mark Edward Woodford

Darin Robert Okerlund

Steven John Woloschek

Paul C Schanen

Hui Hu

Sandeep Dutta

Hui David He

Stanley Haim Fox

Tin-Su Pan

Yun Shen

Yi Sun

Carl R Crawford

Jianying Li

Jasbir Sra

Shankara Bonthu Reddy

James A Blake

Matthew Joseph Walker

Diane Marie Miesbauer

Toan Thanh Le

Charles Hugh Shaughnessy

Robert H Pedersen

Karen Procknow

Raymond P Grenier

Nallaswamy Srinivasan

Priya Gopinath

Kenneth G Dunahee

TinSu Pan

John H Londt

Shiying Hu

Steve Woloschek

Marc Anthony Burrell

Shibu P Pillai

Terry R Griffie

Thomas J Gilbert

Sharon L Banaszewski

Gary J Walloch

Marcela A Gonzalez

Thad A Heinold

David A Caumartin

A method for retrospective internal gating is provided. The method includes scanning a patient to obtain projection data, generating images from the projection data, generating a signal representing information regarding a physiological cycle of an object within the patient, specifying at least one target phase based on which the images can be sorted, and sorting the images based on the target phase within a cycle of motion of the object to generate at least one series of images.

Systems and methods for improving usability of images for medical applications

A method for associating EKG waveform data with computed tomography image data using a data synchronization scheme including generating the EKG waveform data using an electrocardiogram device, operating a computed tomography imaging system so as to create the computed tomography image data, communicating an exposure marker-in signal to the electrocardiogram device such that the exposure marker-in signal is associated with the EKG waveform data and processing the computed tomography image data, the EKG waveform data and the exposure marker-in signal, so as to correlate the EKG waveform data with the computed tomography image data. Also claimed is a medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for associating EKG waveform data with image data generated by an imaging system using a data synchronization scheme, the medium including instructions for causing controller to implement the aforementioned method.

Method and system for associating an EKG waveform with a CT image

A method for acquiring a cardiac image from a patient having a paced heart rhythm, an abnormal EKG, or an irregular heartbeat, is disclosed. A gated electrocardiogram signal having local maxima and minima values and trigger points is received. For a period of time, the time between each trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima is determined. In response to the trigger point occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, a zero time differential for a corrected trigger for gating is calculated, and in response to the trigger point not occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, a time differential for the corrected trigger for gating based on the time difference between the trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima is calculated.

Method, apparatus and product for acquiring cardiac images

A method for volume scoring a concentration of calcification within a region of interest includes receiving a value for a first calcium lesion volume based on the concentration of calcification within the region of interest, determining an intensity value of the concentration of calcification within the region of interest, calculating the slope of a regression line based on the determined intensity value, and calculating a second calcium lesion volume based on the first calcium lesion volume and the calculated slope of the regression line.

Method and apparatus for volume scoring calcification concentrations of a CT scan

A method and apparatus for use with a gated CT imaging system for correcting for Rpeak errors in a heart beat signal, the method including identifying heart rate corresponding to each specific heart beating cycle and comparing the heart rate for each specific cycle to moving averages to determine when a likely Rpeak error has occurred and, when a likely error has occurred, modifying the heart beat signal to generate a more accurate signal and thereby render more accurate gated images.

R-peak detection corrections for improved cardiac gated reconstruction

A method for plaque characterization. The method comprises obtaining a first set of image data created in response to a first x-ray energy level and including a plurality of pixel elements. Each of the first pixel elements corresponds to a unique location in an object being scanned. The method further comprises obtaining a second set of image data created in response to a second x-ray energy level and including a plurality of second pixel elements. Each of the second pixel elements corresponds to one of the first pixel elements and the second x-ray energy level is higher than the first x-ray energy level. The method also comprises calculating a third set of image data in response to the first set of image data and the second set of image data. The calculating includes subtracting each second pixel element from the corresponding first pixel element.

Method, system and computer product for plaque characterization

A method of evaluating a substance scoring system comprises acquiring data from a phantom using an imaging system, moving at least a portion of the phantom during the acquiring step, and generating an actual substance score for the phantom based on the data acquired using the imaging system. The phantom simulates a human organ such as a human heart. The phantom is provided with a motion profile that simulates a motion profile of the human organ.

Dynamic phantom and method for evaluating calcium scoring

A method is described for evaluating substance scoring, the scoring based on imaging system-generated images of an object having regions of interest due to possible presence of the substance, the method including the steps of simulating the regions of interest using a phantom having a plurality of volumes, each volume having dimensions simulating dimensions of a region of interest, each volume having a density representative of a substance density; generating images of the phantom; scoring the substance based on the phantom images; and comparing results of the substance scoring to expected phantom-image results. The above-described phantom and method allow a scoring system user to verify substance scoring accuracy and to compare scores resulting from different imaging systems, scanning methods and reconstruction algorithms.

Phantom and method for evaluating calcium scoring

A method and apparatus for imaging a heart with a scanning computed tomography (CT) imaging system. A cardiac cycle of a patient is measured. The patient's heart is then scanned with the scanning CT imaging system at an angular rate asynchronous to the measured cardiac cycle to obtain image data. An image of the patient's heart is then assembled from chronologically discontinuous segments of the image data. The image is representative of a selected portion of the cardiac cycle.

Methods and apparatus for cardiac imaging with conventional computed tomography

In one aspect, the present invention is a method for scanning an object with a multi-slice CT imaging system having multiple detector rows each having an isocenter. The method includes steps of helically scanning an object with the multi-slice CT imaging system to obtain data segments including peripheral data segments, combining data from a first peripheral data segment with an opposite, second peripheral segment to form a data set for reconstruction of an image slice; and reconstructing the combined data into image slices.

Hybrid reconstruction for high pitch multi-slice helical cardiac imaging

One aspect of the present invention is a method that includes helically scanning an object at a selected helical pitch to acquire projection data of the object. The acquired projection data includes conjugate samples from single rows of the detector array of the CT imaging system and interrow samples. Projections in a plane of reconstruction (POR) are estimated based upon a selection of the projection data from the group consisting of the conjugate samples from at least one of the single rows, the interrow samples, and combinations thereof, the selection dependent upon the selected helical pitch. The estimated projections are filtered and backprojected to reconstruct at least one image of the object.

Method and apparatus for pitch-adaptive reconstruction in multislice helical computed tomographic systems

A method is described for controlling x-ray exposure during gated cardiac scanning, including the steps of detecting a first cardiac signal; starting scanning after a pre-selected wait time after detecting the first cardiac signal; and stopping the scanning after a first to occur of passage of a pre-selected data collection time and detection of a second cardiac signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling x-ray exposure during gated cardiac scanning

A method for generating an image of an object using a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, which includes at least one x-ray detector array and at least one rotating x-ray source projecting an x-ray beam, includes the steps of identifying a physiological cycle of the object (the cycle comprising a plurality of phases); selecting at least one phase of the object; collecting at least one segment of projection data for each selected phase of the object during each rotation of each x-ray source; generating a projection data set by combining the projection data segments; generating a cross-sectional image of the entire object from the projection data set; and communicating the image or data associated with the image to a remote facility. The remote facility provides remote services over a network.

Volumetric computed tomography system for cardiac imaging including a system for communicating data over a network

The present invention, in one form is an imaging system for generating images of an entire object. In one embodiment, a physiological cycle unit is used to determine the cycle of the moving object. By altering the rotational speed of an x-ray source as a function of the object cycle, segments of projection data are collected for each selected phase of the object during each rotation. After completing a plurality of rotations, the segments of projection data are combined and a cross-sectional image of the selected phase of the object is generated. As a result, minimizing motion artifacts.

Volumetric computed tomography system for cardiac imaging

Methods and corresponding apparatus for imaging a portion of a patient's body with a computed tomographic imaging system configured to scan the patient's body at a cyclically varying view angle, in which the imaging system includes a radiation source and detector array providing a fan angle width of image data. In one embodiment, the method includes axially scanning the portion of the patient's body, gating the radiation source on over less than a 360 &deg;view angle cycle of the axial scan, acquiring image data of the portion of the patient's body during at least a portion of the time the radiation source is gated on, and assembling the acquired image data into an image of the portion of the patient's body.

Methods and apparatus for reduced radiation coronary computed tomography imaging

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Kishore Chandra Acharya