US 2010/0135557 A1 · SELECTION METHOD FOR TWO CONTRAST MEDIA FOR USE IN A DUAL-ENERGY CT EXAMINATION, CONTRAST MEDIA COMBINATION AND GENERATION OF CT IMAGES USING A CONTRAST MEDIA COMBINATION AND DIFFERENT ENERGY SPECTRA

Abstract

A method is disclosed for selecting two contrast agents to be used in a dual energy CT examination of a patient. In at least one embodiment, the method includes determining the gradient of a connecting line between a first material or a first tissue type and a second material or second tissue type in an HU value diagram of the energy-specific HU values, selecting a first contrast agent with an enhancement gradient which is significantly greater than the determined base gradient, and selecting a second contrast agent, the enhancement of which lies in the significance region of the determined base gradient. A contrast agent combination selected in the fashion is also disclosed in at least one embodiment, as well as the generation of CT images using a contrast agent combination selected in the fashion and using different energy spectra.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method for selecting two contrast agents to be used in a dual energy CT examination of a patient, the method comprising:

scanning the patient taking into account at least two different radiation spectra and reconstructing a first image data record on the basis of a first radiation spectrum of the at least two different radiation spectra and a second image data record on the basis of second radiation spectrum of the at least two different radiation spectra;
determining an HU value diagram from the first and second image data records;
calculating a gradient of a connecting line between a first material or a first tissue type and a second material or second tissue type in the HU value diagram of the energy-specific HU values;
selecting a first contrast agent from a number of contrast agents, each with a known enhancement gradient, with an enhancement gradient which is significantly greater than the determined base gradient;
and
selecting a second contrast agent, the enhancement gradient of which lies in the significance region of the determined base gradient.

3 more elements

A method for generating CT images of a patient having two different contrast agents, wherein the second contrast of the two different contrast agents has an enhancement whose gradient in an HU value diagram corresponds to the radiation spectra of the gradient between two different materials or tissue types used in this HU value diagram, the method comprising:

scanning the patient using a CT system, taking into account at least two different radiation spectra and reconstructing a first image data record on the basis of a first radiation spectrum of the at least two different radiation spectra and a second image data record on the basis of a second radiation spectrum of the at least two different radiation spectral and
generating a third image data record solely comprising the local concentration of the first contrast agent and generating a fourth image data record comprising the materials or tissue types, including the local concentration of the second contrast agent, by solving linear systems of equations for each pixel/voxel of the first and second image data record, which describe the relationship between absorption and components/concentration of the two tissue types and the first contrast agent;
and
output of at least one of the third and fourth image data record.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selection method for two contrast media for use in a dual-energy ct examination, contrast media combination and generation of ct images using a contrast media combination and different energy spectra

Life of this patent

Selection method for two contrast media for use in a dual-energy ct examination, contrast media combination and generation of ct images using a contrast media combination and different energy spectra

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33