General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Other

Oregon State University

Catholic Healthcare West, California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation

Catholic Healthcare West, California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation, D/ba St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Ramot at Tel Aviv Univ, Ltd.

Patch, Sarah Kathryn

Sarah Kathryn Patch

James Grant Pipe

Michael R Hartley

Peter Michael Edic

Akihiko Nishide

Guy M Besson

Graeme Colin McKinnon

Joseph K Maier

Tejaswini Shubhachint

Victor Palamodov

Sandhya Parameswaran

Ahmed Nadeem Ishaque

Mehmet Yavus

David Finch

Systems and methods for estimating the location of a wave source based upon low frequency measurements acquired using multiple receivers. In one aspect, a method for estimating an end range of a radiation beam delivered to a target is provided. The method includes controlling a radiation treatment system to deliver a radiation beam inducing at least one low frequency thermoacoustic wave inside a target, and detecting, using receivers positioned about the target, sonic signals corresponding to the at least one low frequency thermoacoustic wave. The method also includes analyzing the sonic signals to determine differences in times-of-flight associated with different receivers, and estimating an end range of the radiation beam by correlating the differences in times-of-flight. The method further includes generating a report indicative of the end range of the radiation beam.

Systems and methods for radiation beam range verification using sonic measurements

The present invention is a directed to method and system of TCT imaging whereupon data associated with unmeasured or inadmissible transducer locations is determined from data acquired at measured or admissible transducer locations. The invention analyzes measured TCT data associated with several transducer locations to provide an estimate of unmeasured data so as to complete a full data set for image reconstruction. In this regard, by measuring TCT data at many points on the surface of a hemispherical bowl or sphere in which an imaging object is placed, mathematical coefficients may be determined for the TCT data as a function of transducer location. From these coefficients, the unmeasured transducer locations may be evaluated such that data associated with the unmeasured transducer locations may be estimated and utilized for image reconstruction to improve image quality as well as improve the diagnostic sensitivities or capabilities of the TCT system.

Method and system of thermoacoustic computed tomography

The present invention is directed to a method and system of TCT imaging whereupon an exact inversion formula is used for reconstruction of TCT data. The present invention utilizes inversion formulae that are of the filtered backprojection and &#x3c1;-filter types.

Method and system of thermoacoustic imaging with exact inversion

The present invention is directed to a method of MR imaging whereby a k-space blade extending through a center of k-space from a subject in motion is acquired. A high-pass convolution of the k-space blade with a reference k-space blade is then determined and converted to a &#x3b4; function. In-plane motion of the subject during data acquisition of the k-space is then determined from the &#x3b4; function.

Method and system of determining in-plane motion in propeller data

To perform cone beam reconstruction by using projection data correctly corresponding to X-ray beam having passed through each pixel in the reconstruction area, data Dis obtained which is plane projected to a plane based on projection data D. Then, plane projection data Dto the projection plane pp is projected to the reconstruction area in the direction of X-ray transmission to obtain back projection pixel data D. Thereafter, back projection pixel data Dwill be added for each corresponding pixel for all views to obtain back projection data D. The present invention provides reconstruction by device of projection data correctly corresponding to the X-ray beam having passed through the reconstruction area. Through the plane projection to a plane the operation will become simplified and faster.

Three dimensional back projection method and an X-ray CT apparatus

A method for reconstructing an image of an object utilizing a computed tomographic (CT) imaging system is provided. The CT system includes a radiation source and a multislice detector array on a rotating gantry, with the radiation source configured to project a beam of radiation through an object and towards. the multislice detector array. The multislice detector array is configured to sense attenuation of the radiation passing through the object. The method for reconstructing an image includes helically scanning an object with a computed tomographic imaging system to acquire a plurality of views of projection data at a plurality of gantry angles and a plurality of cone angles, generating a plurality of cone angle dependent weights that are inversely correlated to an absolute value of a cone angle, and weighting the projection data using the cone angle dependent weights.

Methods and apparatus for weighting of computed tomography data

A method for processing digital images includes acquiring a phase difference image which includes one or more phase wraps, creating a modulated phase difference image from the phase difference image, comparing the modulated phase difference image to the phase difference image to locate areas in the phase difference image to be unwrapped, and unwrapping the phase difference image based on the areas located in the comparing step. The unwrapping step is performed by replacing wrapped pixels in the phase difference image with pixels in the modulated phase difference image plus an integer multiple of &pgr;. The integer multiplier is computed by comparing overlapping pixels in the image segments. This has a smoothing effect causing the wrapped pixels in the phase difference image to become unwrapped. As a result of this pixel replacement process, an image of improved quality and information content is produced compared with conventional methods.

System and method for unwrapping phase difference images

The present invention is, in one embodiment, a method for multi-slice, computed tomography imaging. The method includes steps of moving an x-ray source through a trajectory; projecting an x-ray cone beam from the moving x-ray source through an object towards a curved detector; and determining contributions of segments along the trajectory to voxels in a reconstruction volume of the object, including compensating the determined contributions for curvature of the detector and x-ray cone beam geometry.

Methods and apparatus for cone beam multislice CT correction

A method and apparatus for imaging an object by applying imaging energy from a source to the object such that a cone beam of imaging energy (,) that has passed through the object is detected by a detector. In contrast to known methods, direct x-ray inversion of the cone beam measurements is made, where the inversion includes a backprojection step that precedes the filtering step. The inverted cone beam measurements are backprojected on the fly, thereby reducing lag time between the end of data collection and image generation to the time required to perform a fast Fourier-based filter of the backprojected data.

Method and apparatus for imaging based on calculated inversion values of cone beam data

A method and apparatus are provided which utilize a circular tomosynthesis system to collect 2-D x-ray projection radiograph data of an object being evaluated. The collected data is then transformed into a form suitable for cone beam volumetric computed tomography (cone beam VCT) reconstruction. Once the data has been transformed, a cone beam VCT reconstruction algorithm may be utilized to reconstruct a 3-D image of the object.

Method and apparatus for reconstructing image data acquired by a tomosynthesis x-ray imaging system

The present invention is in one embodiment a method of processing projection data collected in a helical scan performed along a helical trajectory relative to an object being scanned. The method includes steps of defining a coordinate system to parameterize the data and generating estimates of projection data not on the helical trajectory by solving ultrahyperbolic equations in the defined coordinate system.

Methods and apparatus for preprocessing volumetric computed tomography data

A monitoring apparatus analyzes detector data from a CT system to detect a signature of a bad detector. The apparatus generates a plurality of Helgason-Ludwig condition values from the detector data. The generated values are processed to generate a comparison value, which is compared to a predetermined threshold value. A warning message may be generated when the comparison value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the warning message alerting an operator to the likely presence of a bad detector. In one embodiment, the generated values are further analyzed to generate an estimate of the position of the bad detector. In a preferred embodiment, the comparison value is a matrix norm of a matrix generated from the Helgason-Ludwig condition values.

Background monitoring of CT data for existence and location of a bad detector

A source applies imaging energy that passes through an object being imaged and is then detected by a detector. A scanning trajectory causes the detector to provide measured cone beam data to a processor. The measured cone beam data is over a characteristic surface with a corresponding characteristic problem. The processor solves the characteristic problem such that missing cone beam data is determined. The measured cone beam data and the determined cone beam data together provide a complete data set for exact image reconstruction.

Almost-everywhere extrapolation using 2D transforms from cone-beam data

A source applies imaging energy that passes through an object being imaged and is then detected by a detector. A scanning trajectory causes the detector to provide a Cauchy data set of measured cone beam data to a processor. The processor extrapolates by use of John's equation such that missing cone beam data is determined. The measured cone beam data and the determined cone beam data together provide a complete data set for exact image reconstruction.

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Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Sarah Kathryn Patch