Pre-acquisition identification of region for image acquisition time optimization for radiation imaging systems

A method, comprising:

• first, forming an initial view of the display representing a medical scan within a patient;
• enabling a portion of the display which represents a specified region of interest for a subsequent medical scan to be determined;
• determining parameters for a desired radioisotope count rate within said region of interest;
• and
• using said parameters for said subsequent medical scan.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one detector head, adapted for detecting a radioisotope emission from a patient;
• a collimator, which directs said radioisotope emission towards said detector head;
• a movement subsystem, which moves at least one of a patient being imaged, or said detector heads, relative to the other;
• and
• a controlling computer, including a user interface receiving output from said at least one detector head, and controlling said movement subsystem, said controlling computer including a user interface, receiving information said output from the detector head, and controlling at least one parameter associated with the reception of information by the detector head, said controller displaying information about a region of interest within a image to be determined, and automatically determining at least one recommended parameter for said scan based on said region of interest.