General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Timothy Wayne Deller

Floribertus Philippus Heukensfeldt Jansen

Charles William Stearns

Steven Gerard Ross

Kelly Lynn Piacsek

Matthew Gilbert Spangler-Bickell

Kristen Ann Wangerin

Scott David Wollenweber

Ravindra Mohan Manjeshwar

Floribertus P M Heukensfeldt Jansen

Florian Wiesinger

Chang Lyong Kim

Sonal Ambwani

Floribertus Philippus Martinus Heukensfeldt Jansen

Mark David Fries

Anja C S Brau

Steven Gerald Kohlmyer

Michael Lee Spohn

Pal Csongor Sprencz

Mohammad Mehdi Khalighi

Michel Souheil Tohme

Matthew Spangler-Bickell

Kuan-Hao Su

Floribertus Philippus Martin Heukensfeldt Jansen

A positron emission tomography (PET) system is provided. The system includes an image reconstruction computing device. The processors of the image reconstruction computing device are programmed to receive event data acquired by the PET system. The event data are represented as a list of coincidence events. The processors are also programmed to generate groups of coincidence events based on the event data, each group being representative of the event data. The processors are further programmed to perform a first level of image updates by iteratively updating a reconstructed image. Each image update is based on a first number of coincidence events. Further, the processors are programmed to perform a second level of image updates by iteratively updating the reconstructed image. Each image update is based on a second number of coincidence events. The first number of coincidence events is different from the second number of coincidence events.

Systems and methods of list-mode image reconstruction in positron emission tomography (PET) systems

A method and a system for limiting coincidence data includes detecting a plurality of coincidence events during a scan of a subject with a detector array of a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, wherein the PET scanner includes a plurality of detector rings disposed along a longitudinal axis of the PET scanner, and each detector ring includes a plurality of detectors. The method also includes limiting data associated with the plurality of coincidence events from the scan so that the data varies in a radial extent relative to a center of a field of view of the scan.

System and method for utilizing variable radial sinogram dimension for positron emission tomography imaging

A computer-implemented method for motion compensation of medical imaging data includes estimating, via a processor, non-periodic motion of a myocardium of a heart due to respiration and/or other body movements throughout a positron emission tomography (PET) scan based on list-mode emission data acquired during the PET scan of the heart of a subject. The method also includes performing, via the processor, event-by-event motion-corrected list-mode reconstruction on the list-mode emission data to generate cardiac images with the non-periodic motion removed.

System and method for motion compensation for cardiac PET imaging

A method of controlling and processing data from a hybrid PET-MR imaging system includes acquiring a positron emission tomographic (PET) dataset over a time period, wherein the PET dataset is affected by a quasi-periodic motion of the patient, and acquiring magnetic resonance (MR) data during the time period such that the acquisition time of the MR data relative to the PET dataset is known. A characteristic of the patient motion is then determined based on the PET dataset and the MR data is processed based on the characteristic of patient motion.

Method and system for motion compensation in hybrid PET-MR imaging

Methods and systems are provided for medical imaging systems. In one embodiment, a method for a medical imaging system comprises acquiring emission data during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan of a patient, reconstructing a series of live PET images while acquiring the emission data, and tracking motion of the patient during the acquiring based on the series of live PET images. In this way, patient motion during the scan may be identified and compensated for via scan acquisition and/or data processing adjustments, thereby producing a diagnostic PET image with reduced motion artifacts and increased diagnostic quality.

Methods and systems for motion detection in positron emission tomography

A method for performing fault-tolerant reconstruction of an image of an object is provided. The method includes acquiring a dataset corresponding to the object via a plurality of sensors, and detecting anomalous data within the dataset based at least in part on a statistical difference between the anomalous data and reference data within the dataset. The anomalous data is acquired by at least a first sensor of the plurality, and the reference data is acquired by at least a second sensor of the plurality that neighbors the first sensor.

System and method for performing fault-tolerant reconstruction of an image

Methods and systems are provided for interpolating acquired data of a tracer distribution. In one embodiment, a method comprises reconstructing the acquired data, and interpolating the reconstructed data with a surface, wherein a slope of the surface at a data point of the reconstructed data is limited by a value of the data point. In this way, interpolation artifacts around objects with high tracer density may be avoided.

Slope constrained cubic interpolation

A radiation detection system includes a detector unit and at least one processor. The detector unit is configured to generate signals responsive to radiation events. The at least one processor receives the signals, and is configured to obtain a first count for at least one of the signals corresponding to a first energy window, the first energy window corresponding to values higher than a nominal peak value; obtain a second count for the at least one of the signals corresponding to a second energy window, the second energy window corresponding to values lower than the nominal peak value; obtain at least one auxiliary count for the at least one of the signals corresponding to at least one auxiliary energy window; and adjust a gain applied to the signals based on the first count, the second count, and the at least one auxiliary count.

Systems and methods for peak tracking and gain adjustment

A method for attenuation correction of a phantom image in a PET imaging system includes obtaining raw scan data of a scanned phantom, a non attenuation corrected template image of a stock phantom of like type to the scanned phantom, and an attenuation map of the stock phantom. The method further includes generating a non-attenuation corrected raw image of the scanned phantom based on the raw scan data, registering the template image and attenuation map to the raw image through a rigid image transform, and applying the registered attenuation map to the raw scan data to enable reconstruction of an attenuation corrected final image.

System and method for attenuation correction of phantom images

Apparatus and methods for geometric calibration of positron emission tomography (PET) systems are provided. One method includes obtaining scan data for a uniform phantom and generating reference images based on the scan data for the uniform phantom. The method further includes reconstructing images of the uniform phantom using a PET imaging system and determining a geometric calibration for the PET imaging system based on a comparison of the reconstructed images and the reference images.

Apparatus and methods for geometric calibration of positron emission tomography systems

Apparatus and methods for determining a boundary of an object for positron emission tomography (PET) scatter correction are provided. One method includes obtaining positron emission tomography (PET) data and computed tomography (CT) data for an object. The PET data and CT data is acquired from an imaging system. The method further includes determining a PET data boundary of the object based on the PET data and determining a CT data boundary of the object based on the CT data. The method further includes determining a combined boundary for PET scatter correction. The combined boundary encompasses the PET data boundary and the CT data boundary.

Apparatus and methods for determining a boundary of an object for positron emission tomography scatter correction

The present technique provides a novel method and apparatus for determining the motion of an internal tissue or organ undergoing dynamic movement such as a respiratory cycle. Particularly, the technique provides for a method and system for processing projection data to determine the motion rather than relying on additional data acquired from an external sensor. The motion is extracted from projection data by tracking the change over time in projections from the same projection angle and/or conjugate projection angle pairs. The extraction is possible because multiple gantry rotations occur in the time period of a single respiratory period. The motion information may in turn be used to facilitate data acquisition or image reconstruction, such as by gating techniques, to reduce or eliminate motion related artifacts.

Respiratory motion extraction from tomographic projection and image data

A method includes receiving cine scan data, receiving a plurality of target phases of a periodic waveform, and generating a plurality of images, each image centered at one of the received target phases. A phase shall represent a percentage of a period of a repeating cycle.

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Timothy Wayne Deller