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US 11,633,166 B2Granted
Spatial registration of positron emission tomography and computed tomography acquired during respiration
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorJames J. Hamill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for correcting the mismatch between computed tomography (CT) scan and positron emission tomography (PET) scan modalities caused by patient respiration by selecting PET image slices aligned with the phase and amplitude in which the CT was acquired PET image slices so they are aligned with the phase and amplitude in which the CT scan was acquired.
Claims16
A method for matching a non-gated computed tomography (CT) scan data, acquired during free breathing by a patient, to an emission scan, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) simultaneously recording the patient's respiratory waveform and performing a non-gated CT scan of the patient, wherein the recorded respiratory waveform represents a first respiratory waveform and the non-gated CT scan generating a set of axial slice CT images, wherein recording the patient's respiratory waveform comprises receiving a trigger, determining a particular phase of the patient's respiratory waveform based on the trigger, and recording the patient's respiratory waveform based on the particular phase;
- (b) simultaneously recording the patient's respiratory waveform and performing an emission scan of the patient, wherein the recorded respiratory waveform represents a second respiratory waveform and the emission scan generating a set of emission scan images;
- (c) associating each of the axial slice CT images with a corresponding respiration phase interval or an amplitude interval on the first respiratory waveform, thus resulting in a plurality of CT scan-matched respiration phase intervals or amplitude intervals, wherein each z position in the set of axial slice CT images is uniquely associated with only the corresponding respiration phase interval or the amplitude interval;
- and
- (d) matching each of the axial slice CT images to an emission scan image that is associated with the same respiration phase interval or amplitude interval as the corresponding CT scan-matched respiration phase interval or amplitude interval, wherein matching each of the axial slice CT images to the emission scan image comprises:
- (e) forming gated emission sinograms (s, phi, z, theta, gate), wherein the indices s, phi, z, and theta, specify a line of response through the patient, s and phi are the position of the line of response relative to a central axis of a scanner used to perform the emission scan of the patient, z expresses a position of the line of response along the central axis, and theta is an angle the line of response forms relative to the central axis;
- (f) reconstructing the gated emission sinograms to form images (x, y, z, gate);
- and
- (g) at each axial slice, selecting an emission gate that matches the CT scan-matched respiration phase interval or amplitude interval acquired at position z in the CT scan, thereby forming images (x,y,z).
6 more elements
A machine-readable storage medium, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations for matching a non-gated computed tomography (CT) scan data, acquired during free breathing by a patient, to an emission scan, the operations comprising:
- (a) simultaneously recording the patient's respiratory waveform and performing a non-gated CT scan of the patient, wherein the recorded respiratory waveform represents a first respiratory waveform and the non-gated CT scan generating a set of axial slice CT images, wherein recording the patient's respiratory waveform comprises receiving a trigger, determining a particular phase of the patient's respiratory waveform based on the trigger, and recording the patient's respiratory waveform based on the particular phase;
- (b) simultaneously recording the patient's respiratory waveform and performing an emission scan of the patient, wherein the recorded respiratory waveform represents a second respiratory waveform and the emission scan generating a set of emission scan images;
- (c) associating each of the axial slice CT images with a corresponding respiration phase interval or an amplitude interval on the first respiratory waveform, thus resulting in a plurality of CT scan-matched respiration phase intervals or amplitude intervals, wherein each z position in the set of axial slice CT images is uniquely associated with only the corresponding respiration phase interval or the amplitude interval;
- and
- (d) matching each of the axial slice CT images to an emission scan image that is associated with the same respiration phase interval or amplitude interval as the corresponding CT scan-matched respiration phase interval or amplitude interval, wherein matching each of the axial slice CT images to the emission scan image comprises:
- (e) forming gated emission sinograms (s, phi, z, theta, gate), wherein the indices s, phi, z, and theta specify a line of response through the patient, s and phi are the position of the line of response relative to a central axis of a scanner used to perform the emission scan of the patient, z expresses a position of the line of response along the central axis, and theta is an angle the line of response forms relative to the central axis;
- (f) reconstructing the gated emission sinograms to form images (x, y, z, gate);
- and
- (g) at each axial slice, selecting an emission gate that matches the CT scan-matched respiration phase interval or amplitude interval acquired at position z in the CT scan, thereby forming images (x,y,z).
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.