Automatic and quantitative assessment of image quality in SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging

A system for automatic quantitative assessment of myocardial image quality, the system comprising:

• input means for providing a plurality of images;
• detection means in signal communication with said input means for detecting the heart position in each provided image;
• segmentation means in signal communication with said detection means for segmenting non-heart activity relative to a detected heart position in each image;
• measurement means in signal communication with said segmentation means for measuring the liver-heart effect in each image based on the segmentations;
• fusion means in signal communication with said measurement means for fusing measurements obtained in each image;
• and
• determination means in signal communication with said fusion means for determining a quality number for the plurality of images responsive to fused measurements.

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for automatic quantitative assessment of myocardial image quality, the method steps comprising:

• providing a plurality of images;
• detecting the heart position in each provided image;
• segmenting non-heart activity relative to the detected heart position in each image;
• measuring the liver-heart effect in each image relative to the segmentations;
• fusing the measurements obtained in each image;
• and
• determining a quality number for the plurality of images responsive to the fused measurements.