Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

General Electric Company

Tin-Su Pan

Jiang Hsieh

Guy M Besson

Yun Shen

Gopal Biligeri Avinash

Kishore Chandra Acharya

Mark Edward Woodford

Danielle Drummond

Steve Woloschek

Thomas L Toth

Saad Ahmed Sirohey

Darin Robert Okerlund

Cherik T Bulkes

Shankara Bonthu Reddy

Prathyusha K Salla

Neil Barry Bromberg

H David He

John H Londt

Kristin Leigh Carreau

A system and method of medical imaging using a variable speed patient positioning table are provided. The patient positioning table is configured to operate at a plurality of table speeds during acquisition of data from a selected region, such as the thorax region baying predefined cardiac and non-cardiac regions. In a non-cardiac region, the table is controlled to move at one speed and when the cardiac region is detected, the table is controlled to move at another speed, preferably faster than in the cardiac region to speed data acquisition and eliminate motion artifacts.

System and method of imaging using a variable speed for thorax imaging

A method for retrospective internal gating is described. The method includes acquiring images at multiple z-locations z. . . zand at different times t. . . tat each of the z-locations, and reordering the images at least one of the z-locations to obtain a synchronized image set.

Systems and methods for retrospective internal gating

A method for image reconstruction and reducing patient dose, and an imaging system for accomplishing these methods, includes selecting a primary phase of a cardiac cycle and calculating compromised phase regions based on a selected compromised phase value. If the image position is located within the primary phase, then an image is generated at the primary phase. If the image position is not located within the primary phase, but is located within a compromised phase region, then an image is generated at the compromised phase region.

High pitch cardiac helical scan with extended reconstruction windows

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of cardiac CT imaging. The present invention utilizes ECG signals as well as mechanical motion signals of a cardiac region of a subject to correlate CT data acquired of the subject with the phases of the subject's cardiac region. The present invention contemplates measuring mechanical gatings of the heart by measuring changes in pressure, sound, or blood flow acceleration within the cardiac region. The mechanical gatings are then used with ECG data to correlate acquired imaging data with phases of the cardiac region for subsequent image reconstruction.

Method and apparatus of cardiac CT imaging using ECG and mechanical motion signals

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

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for reconstructing cardiac images using a computed tomographic (CT) imaging system. The method includes steps of: selecting a helical scanning pitch for scanning a patient; scanning the patient, including the patient's heart, with a computed tomographic imaging system having a plurality of detector rows and a rotating gantry to acquire projection data from the plurality of detector rows; selecting a phase of the cardiac cycle for imaging; combining portions of the acquired projection data from a plurality of detector rows, the combined portions corresponding to the selected cardiac phase; and reconstructing images, including images of the patient's heart, from the combined, interpolated projection data.

Cardiac helical half scan reconstructions for multiple detector row CT

A method for acquiring and analyzing cardiac data of a patient includes acquiring a first volume of cardiac data from a medical scanner, processing the first volume of cardiac data for image reconstruction and visualization, acquiring a subsequent plurality of volumes of cardiac data from the medical scanner, processing the subsequent plurality of volumes of cardiac data for image reconstruction and visualization, and reconstructing and visualizing the first and subsequent plurality of image sets from the acquired first and the subsequent plurality of volumes of cardiac data, respectively. The method for acquiring and analyzing cardiac data of a patient includes processing the cardiac images for detection and diagnosis of heart diseases.

Method and apparatus for acquiring and analyzing cardiac data from a patient

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 for multisector computed tomographic (CT) imaging of a cyclically moving object, including steps of: helically scanning a cyclically moving object with a CT imaging system having multiple detector rows and a rotating gantry, at a gantry rotation speed selected either to lead or to lag a cycle of the cyclically moving object; retrospectively gating the projection data of the object with a gating signal related to the motion of the cyclically moving object so that a geometric phase difference is created between a cycle of the rotating gantry and the motion of the cyclically moving object; and reconstructing an image of the cyclically moving object using gated sector data from image data representing a plurality of consecutive cycles of the cyclically moving object.

Phase-driven multisector reconstruction for multislice helical CT imaging

Methods and apparatus for calibration simplification in a computed tomography (CT) system are described. In one embodiment, the CT system utilizes calibration values from a first scan type, or mode of operation, to determine calibration values for at least a second scan type. As a result, the time required to perform calibration of the CT system is reduced.

Calibration simplification for a computed tomograph system

A method and apparatus for use with a multi-row CT fan beam system for collecting data in a high speed mode and for using data corresponding to half-scans in order to generate images within one or more image planes wherein, for each beam angle corresponding to an image plane data is generated by interpolating and/or extrapolating between simultaneously collected data wherein simultaneously collected data includes data corresponding to a single source location with respect to the image plane.

Half-scan algorithm for use with a high speed multi-row fan beam helical detector

In one aspect, the present invention is a method for imaging an object utilizing a multi-slice CT imaging system having an x-ray source, a detector array, and a data acquisition system coupled to the detector array, the data acquisition system having a number of data acquisition input channels less than a total number of detector cells in the detector array. The method includes steps of: positioning the object between the x-ray source and the detector array; projecting an x-ray beam towards the object; and selectively reconfiguring a coupling of selected detector cells to the data acquisition input channels to increase a number of image slices received by the data acquisition system.

Methods and apparatus for efficient data acquisition in CT scanners

Methods and apparatus for reconstructing an image of an object utilizing an imaging system, in which a limited width beam of radiation is emitted towards the object, the limited width beam of radiation having a fan beam angle extent selected to encompass a perimeter of a region of interest (ROI) within the object and to encompass less than a perimeter of the object itself; a set of truncated projection data of the object, including projection data of the ROI, is obtained by detecting the radiation from the limited width beam of radiation passing through the object; low frequency components of the set of truncated projection data are estimated; and an image of the ROI within the object is reconstructed utilizing the set of truncated projection data and the estimated low frequency components. Information from a limited set of complete projection data can be used to estimate the low frequency components of the set of truncated projection data, but such information is not required.

Local CT image reconstruction with limited x-ray exposure

A spectral correction algorithm for correcting dense object-induced spectral artifacts is described. In one embodiment, a calibration object, representative of typical head scanning conditions is scanned and the data reconstructed to provide an image. A water or water-equivalent cylinder of about the same diameter also is scanned and reconstructed, on the same display field of view (DFOV). These two images are designated respectively by BWEQ and WEQ. The ratio of images BWEQ and WEQ is then evaluated, and a region of interest extracted by multiplying the ratio by a function II(r), to obtain a calibration pattern CP. The calibration pattern is then averaged in azimuth to obtain a calibration vector. This calibration vector is fitted with low--order polynomial, and then divided by the fitting polynomial, to take out from the vector the low frequency components that, for instance, would be introduced on an 'ideal' scanner. By subtracting 1.0 from the ratio, and multiplying by a CT number scale factor (ctscale) and an apodizing window Aw(r), a calibration error vector CEV is obtained that is representative of the circularly symmetric image error introduced by the non-corrected bone-induced artifact. The corresponding error calibration vector can be expanded into a circularly symmetric image error pattern I[CEV(r)], and subtracted from the calibration image, to provide a substantially artifact free image. The method can be extended to extract and correlate error vectors on an image segment basis such that the resulting error image pattern is not circularly symmetric.

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Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Tin-Su Pan