Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Martin Sedlmair

Bernhard Schmidt

Thomas Flohr

Michael Grasruck

Rainer Raupach

Michael Scheuering

Grzegorz Soza

Bernhard Krauss

Herbert Bruder

Karl Stierstorfer

Ernst-Peter Rührnschopf

Michael Sühling

Christoph Braun

Alexey Tsymbal

Katharine Lynn Rowley Grant

Dieter Böing

Robert Lapp

Christiane Koch

Andreas Mahnken

Marcus Wagner

Dimitrij Zharkov

Bernhard Krauß

A method and system are for analyzing an anatomical structure of interest in 3D image data. In an embodiment, the method includes segmenting a first contour of the structure of interest in the 3D image data, the first contour defining a first segmented contour volume within the 3D image data; generating a first 2D pattern based on at least a portion of the surface of the first contour or based on at least a portion of the first segmented contour volume; performing a texture analysis on the first 2D pattern; and outputting a texture analysis information.

Method and system for evaluation of tumor tissue by unfolding morphological and texture properties

A method for determining a local tissue function of tissue in a body region of interest of an examination object is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes segmentation of an outer contour of the tissue using at least one medical image recording representing the body region of interest of the examination object comprising the tissue; subdivision of the segmented tissue into at least two tissue regions; and ascertaining a function parameter relating to the tissue function for each of the at least two tissue regions. Embodiments also relate to a corresponding computing unit for determining a tissue function of tissue, a corresponding medical imaging system, a computer program and a computer-readable data carrier.

Ascertaining a function parameter relating to a local tissue function for plurality of tissue regions

A method is disclosed for the automatic determination of the bone density and a method is disclosed for the automatic detection and characterization of spinal column fractures. Both methods enable the fully automatic detection and assessment of damaged vertebrae and reliably enable an analysis of the state of the vertebrae with a high accuracy rate. A computed tomography system to carry out either of the methods is further disclosed.

Method for the fully automatic detection and assessment of damaged vertebrae

A positioning unit includes a projector and a control unit and enables a particularly quick and precise positioning of a patient. In an embodiment, the control unit affects a control of the projector as a function of a protocol for a recording of an image of the patient such that the positioning unit is designed for the planar projection of a figure as a positioning aid on the patient couch. An immediately apparent area on the patient couch is then specified by the figure projected in a planar fashion, relative to which the patient can be positioned. The control unit can be used both to temporally control the projection process and also to control the figurative properties of the positioning aid. Furthermore, the control unit can include a device for calculating a control signal so that the control unit brings about control of the projector with the control signal.

Positioning unit for positioning a patent, imaging device and method for the optical generation of a positioning aid

A tomographic device includes a recording unit with a central system axis, a patient couch movable along the system axis and also a radiation source and a radiation detector interacting with the radiation source. The inventors have recognized that a rapid, precise and reliable positioning of a first recording area can be achieved by the positioning being based on a trained model, wherein the model has been trained with training positions. The tomographic device therefore includes a computing unit, which is designed for calibration of a first position of the first recording area relative to the recording unit based on the trained model. Furthermore the tomographic device includes a control unit for positioning the first recording area in the first position by moving the patient couch relative to the recording unit. The tomographic device is designed for a first tomographic recording of the first recording area in the first position.

Tomographic device and also method and computer program for model-based positioning

An embodiment relates to a method for generating a virtual X-ray projection of at least one body region of a patient to be imaged with an X-ray imaging device, a machine-readable data carrier and/or an X-ray imaging device. The method includes acquiring at least one projection data set representing the at least one body region of the patient to be imaged; reconstructing an image data set from the at least one projection data set, the image data set representing local X-ray attenuation values in the at least one body region; replacing at least one local X-ray attenuation value by a modified X-ray attenuation value; forward projecting the modified image data set onto a virtual X-ray radiation detector; calculating intensity values for a plurality of detector elements from the modified projection data set; transforming the calculated intensity values into scan values; and assigning the scan values to an image matrix.

Method for generating a virtual X-ray projection on the basis of an image data set obtained with an X-ray imaging device, computer program, data carrier and X-ray imaging device

A method is disclosed for displaying a selected acquisition field of view of a medical tomography apparatus in the region of a patient table of the tomography apparatus with the aid of an illumination device including at least one light source. In this regard, the illumination device includes at least one setting device for revealing and/or masking boundary areas of a field of illumination of the illumination device which are revealed or masked as a function of the selected acquisition field of view. An illumination device is also disclosed for this purpose.

Displaying an acquisition field of view

A method and an imaging system are disclosed. The method, for determining at least one value of at least one recording parameter for a recording of an X-ray image of a patient positioned on an examination table, uses contactless scanning of at least part of the surface of the patient via at least one electromagnetic sensor, to calculate the three-dimensional contour of the scanned surface without additional exposure to radiation. At least one anatomic landmark of the patient can be identified using the three-dimensional contour, and the position of the anatomic landmark is determinable in the coordinate system of the table. The value of the recording parameter is determinable using the position of the anatomic landmark. The value of the recording parameter is determinable quickly and easily since contactless scanning of surfaces can be achieved quickly and easily in terms of technology.

Determining a value of a recording parameter by use of an anatomic landmark

A medical facility includes an imaging medical device and at least one portable control/display unit. The imaging medical device includes a number of docking stations, each with a closed surface and designed to establish a wireless data link to the control/display unit, and designed to simultaneously hold the unit on the imaging medical device in a defined position.

Medical facility

A method for improved utilization of a radiation dose applied to an examination object during topogram scanning of a CT system, and a CT system with a system axis using a cylindrical curved multi-row detector, are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes topogram scanning of the examination object with at least one emitter-detector combination disposed on a rotatable gantry from a predetermined rotation angle of the gantry, wherein during the topogram scanning a relative movement occurs between examination object and emitter-detector combination in the system axis direction; calculation of at least one flat image in at least two planes running in parallel to the system axis in each case by a tomosynthesis reconstruction; and storage and/or further processing of at least one of the flat images of the examination object to represent a topogram.

Method and CT system for topogram scanning

An example of the invention relates to a method for the multidimensional reconstruction of image data in a reconstruction area based on projection measurement data which has been acquired using an imaging system, preferably a computed tomography system, wherein the reconstruction is carried out in three different spatial directions with predefined resolution widths; a resolution width in at least one spatial direction being automatically adapted to a resolution width in another spatial direction, such that the adapted resolution widths are substantially identical.

Isotropic reconstruction of image data

A method is disclosed for automatically selecting a scanning protocol for a tomographic recording of an X-ray image of a patient in that at least one patient-specific value is retrieved in the internal memory of a first computer. The patient-specific value can in particular be a measure of the anticipated X-ray absorption by the patient. The method includes automatically comparing the patient-specific value with retrievably stored reference values, wherein one scanning protocol can be associated with each reference value. Finally, a scanning protocol is automatically selected by way of the first computer using the comparison. Selection is simplified by automation of selection of the scanning protocol since no manual selection of the scanning protocol has to be made. Automatic selection of a suitable scanning protocol is also quicker than a manual selection.

Method and system for the automatic selection of a scanning protocol

A method is based on first projection data, recorded during a relative rotational movement between an x-ray source of a CT device and at least one examination object lying partly outside the field of view of the CT device. Contour data of the surface of the examination object is useable to enhance the reconstruction of the incomplete first projection data. The spatial correlation between the first projection data and the contour data is known. The first projection data is expanded by way of the contour data to modified projection data, so that the modified projection data includes information about the contour of the examination object lying outside the field of view of the CT device. In an embodiment of the inventive reconstruction of image data by way of the modified projection data, fewer or no artifacts occur by comparison with reconstruction of image data from just the first image data.

Reconstruction of image data by means of contour data

A method is disclosed for reconstructing image data of an examination object from measured data, the measured data being captured during a rotating movement of a radiation source of a computed tomography system around the examination object. In at least one embodiment, different iteration images of the examination object are determined successively from the measured data by way of an iterative algorithm, wherein with the iterative algorithm the current iteration image at any one time is high-pass-filtered and weighted as a function of contrast using a variable which contains contrast information relating to the current iteration image at that time.

Contrast-dependent regularization strength in the iterative reconstruction of CT images

A computed tomography system is disclosed, along with a method and computer program product. An embodiment uses such a spiral acquisition to reconstruct a spatial three-dimensional image of the examination region. The method also includes establishing a topogram of the examination region by parallel projection of the image along a projection direction. An embodiment of the invention allows distortion-free acquisition of a topogram, as a reconstructed spatial three-dimensional image can simply be projected in a parallel manner along a projection direction. An embodiment also allows multiple topograms to be established easily with just one acquisition, in that the reconstructed image of the examination region is projected in a parallel manner along different directions. An embodiment of the invention also allows particularly fast acquisition of a topogram, in particular in the clinical environment, as the rotating part of the gantry does not have to be stopped for the spiral acquisition.

Growing community of inventors

Zirndorf, Germany

Martin Sedlmair