The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 29, 2011
Filed:
Sep. 18, 2008
Bernhard Krauss, Altdorf, DE;
Bernhard Krauss, Altdorf, DE;
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A method and an image evaluation unit are disclosed for recognizing and marking contrast agents in blood vessels of the lung with the aid of a CT examination using at least two different x-ray energy spectra. In at least one embodiment, the method includes scanning a patient at least in the region of the lung with two different x-ray energy spectra, with the patient having contrast agents in the blood stream; reconstructing an at least two or three dimensional tomographic display for each x-ray energy spectrum which reproduces the local spectrum-specific absorption properties of the scanned region, wherein a surrounding area is defined for a multiplicity of voxels for which an average ratio is calculated with the aid of the local absorption values of the at least two x-ray energy spectra, which surrounding area specifies a measure for the ratio of the proportion of contrast agent to the proportion of soft tissue in the surrounding area of the respectively considered voxel, and wherein, in the case of this ratio dropping below a threshold value, this voxel is considered to have reduced circulation and is marked in a tomographic display.