# US 2019/0167213 A1 · Systems and methods for imaging with improved dosages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167213 A1 - Document ID: US20190167213A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/830,619 - Filed: 2017-12-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Nitin Jain; Charles Stearns; Savitha V S - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167213A1 ## CPC - A61B 6/4057: {by using radiation sources located in the interior of the body (A61B6/037 takes precedence)} - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/037: {Emission tomography} - A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT} - A61B 6/5258: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise} - A61B 6/544: {dependent on patient size} - A61B 6/582: {Calibration} - G06T 12/10: Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction - G06T 2210/41: Medical - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A system is provided that includes at least one detector and a processing unit. The at least one detector is configured to acquire imaging information. The processing unit is operably coupled to the at least one detector, and is configured to acquire the imaging information from the at least one detector. The processing unit is configured to acquire patient scanning information for an imaging operation, determine a target activity based on the patient scanning information, determine a target time for performing the imaging operation corresponding to the target activity, perform the imaging operation at the target time to acquire targeted imaging information; and reconstruct an image using the targeted imaging information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: at least one detector configured to acquire imaging information; a processing unit operably coupled to the at least one detector and configured to acquire the imaging information from the at least one detector, the processing unit configured to: acquire patient scanning information for an imaging operation; determine a target activity based on the patient scanning information; determine a target time for performing the imaging operation corresponding to the target activity; perform the imaging operation to acquire targeted imaging information at the target time; and reconstruct an image using the targeted imaging information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured for at least one of positron emission tomography (PET) or computed tomography (CT). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the target activity based on a peak noise equivalent count (NEC). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the patient scanning information comprises a patient weight. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a dose calibrator configured to determine a pre-injection activity level for a radiopharmaceutical to be administered, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the target time using the pre-injection activity level and a decay characteristic for the radiopharmaceutical. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the target activity based on a mathematical model developed from historical images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging operation is performed in a series of frames, and the processing unit is configured to determine a frame target activity for at least some of the frames on a frame-by-frame basis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine an order for the frames to be imaged in based on the corresponding frame target activities. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: acquiring, with at least one processor, patient scanning information for an imaging operation; determining, with the at least one processor, a target activity based on the patient scanning information; determining a target time for performing the imaging operation corresponding to the target activity; performing the imaging operation to acquire targeted imaging information at the target time; and reconstructing an image using the targeted imaging information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the targeted imaging information is at least one of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging information or computed tomography (CT) imaging information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the target activity based on a peak noise equivalent count (NEC). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the patient scanning information comprises a patient weight. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, with a dose calibrator, a pre-injection activity level for a radiopharmaceutical to be administered, wherein the target time is determined using the pre-injection activity level and a decay characteristic for the radiopharmaceutical. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the target activity is determined based on a mathematical model developed from historical images. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the imaging operation is performed in a series of frames, the method comprising determining a frame target activity for at least some of the frames on a frame-by-frame basis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising determining an order for the frames to be imaged in based on the corresponding frame target activities. ### Claim 17 A method comprising acquiring a series of images across a population of patients; correlating each image with scanning information corresponding to the image; determining a corresponding activity level for a peak noise equivalent count (NEC) for each image; and developing a model based on the corresponding NEC for each of the images. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the patient scanning information comprises a patient weight, and the model correlates a target activity to the patient weight. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the images comprise a corresponding series of frames, the method comprising determining corresponding frame activity levels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the images comprise at least one of positron emission tomography (PET) images or computed tomography (CT) images.