System and Method for Automatic Tube Potential Selection for Dose Reduction in Medical Imaging
AssigneeMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
InventorsLifeng Yu, Cynthia H. McCollough, Joel G. Fletcher, Hua Li
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for CT imaging that utilizes an automatic tube potential selection for individual subjects and diagnostic tasks. The method quantifies the relative radiation dose of different tube potentials for achieving a specific image quality. This allows the selection of a tube potential that provides a reduced radiation dose while still providing CT images of a sufficient quality.
Claims20
A method for controlling a computed tomography (CT) system to perform an imaging process of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a scanning technique to be performed on a subject during an imaging process and having an associated at least one of an initial tube potential and an initial tube-current-time-product corresponding to a desired image quality level;
- selecting a noise constraint parameter related to at least one of a contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and an image quality index to be achieved with the imaging process;
- performing a scout scan using the CT system to determine a characteristic of the subject;
- adjusting at least one of the initial tube potential and the initial tube-current-time-product for the imaging process using information about the scanning technique, the characteristic of the subject, and the noise constraint parameter to create at least one of an adjusted tube potential and an adjusted tube-current-time-product for the imaging process;
- performing the imaging process using the at least one of the adjusted tube potential and the adjusted tube-current-time-product to collect medical imaging data;
- and
- reconstructing an image of the subject from the medical imaging data.
A method for controlling a computed tomography (CT) system to perform an imaging process of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a scanning technique to be performed on a subject during an imaging process and having an associated at least one of an initial tube potential and an initial tube-current-time-product corresponding to a desired image quality level;
- performing a scout scan using the CT system to determine a characteristic of the subject;
- analyzing a relative dose factor (RDF) to be delivered to the subject during the scanning technique using a plurality of at least one of tube potentials and tube-current-time-products and the characteristic of the subject;
- selecting at least one of an adjusted tube potential and an adjusted tube-current-time-product for the imaging process based on the analyzing step;
- performing the imaging process using the at least one of the adjusted tube potential and the adjusted tube-current-time-product to collect medical imaging data;
- and
- reconstructing an image of the subject from the medical imaging data.
A method for controlling a computed tomography (CT) system to perform an imaging process of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a scanning technique to be performed on a subject during an imaging process and having an associated at least one of an initial tube potential and an initial tube-current-time-product corresponding to a desired image quality level;
- performing a scout scan using the CT system to determine a characteristic of the subject including at least materials within the subject;
- adjusting at least one of the initial tube potential and the initial tube-current-time-product for the imaging process using information about the scanning technique and the characteristic of the subject to create at least one of an adjusted tube potential and an adjusted tube-current-time-product for the imaging process;
- performing the imaging process using the at least one of the adjusted tube potential and the adjusted tube-current-time-product to collect medical imaging data;
- and
- reconstructing an image of the subject from the medical imaging data.
A computer tomography (CT) imaging system configured to:
- receive an indication of a medical imaging procedure of a subject to be performed using the CT imaging system indicating an initial dose level and a desired image quality level;
- perform a scout scan of the subject in advance of the prescribed medical imaging procedure;
- determine at least one of a reference tube potential and a tube-current-time-product corresponding to the selected dose level and the desired image quality level;
- determine a noise constraint parameter associated with the prescribed medical imaging procedure;
- determine a tube potential for the prescribed medical imaging procedure to be performed and an associated desired dose efficiency using at least one of a characteristic of the subject, the reference tube potential, the tube-current-time-product, and the noise constraint parameter;
- and
- perform the prescribed medical imaging procedure using the CT imaging system at the tube potential and based on the desired dose efficiency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.