Generation of artificial contrast-enhanced computed tomography images

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory that stores an application program configured to perform an operation when executed by the processor, said operation comprising the steps of:
• receiving and/or generating at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) of an examination region of an examination object, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) represent the examination region after administration of a contrast agent, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) are the result of a computed tomography examination of the examination region at different X-ray energies,
• generating a representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w KR1, KR2) on the basis of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F), where the representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) represents a signal intensity distribution brought about by the contrast agent in the examination region,
• generating a synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F of the examination region, where the generation of the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) comprises an α-fold addition of the representation of the contrast agent signals KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) to one of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) or to a virtual non-contrast agent representation of the examination region, where α is a negative or positive real number, and
• outputting and/or storing the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) and/or transmitting the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) to a separate computer system.

A computer program configured to be loaded into a working memory of a computer system, where the computer program causes the computer system to execute the following steps:

• receiving and/or generating at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) of an examination region of an examination object, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) represent the examination region after administration of a contrast agent, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) are the result of a computed tomography examination of the examination region at different X-ray energies,
• generating a representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) on the basis of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F), where the representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) represents a signal intensity distribution brought about by the contrast agent in the examination region,
• generating a synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F of the examination region, where the generation of the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) comprises an α-fold addition of the representation of the contrast agent signals KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) to one of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) or to a virtual non-contrast agent representation of the examination region, where α is a negative or positive real number, and
• outputting and/or storing the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) and/or transmitting the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) to a separate computer system.

A method for using a contrast agent in a CT examination method, wherein the CT examination method comprises the steps of:

• receiving and/or generating at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) of an examination region of an examination object, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) represent the examination region after administration of the contrast agent, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) are the result of a computed tomography examination of the examination region at different X-ray energies,
• generating a representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) on the basis of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F), where the representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) represents a signal intensity distribution brought about by the contrast agent in the examination region,
• generating a synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F of the examination region, where the generation of the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) comprises an α-fold addition of the representation of the contrast agent signals KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) to one of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) or to a virtual non-contrast agent representation of the examination region, where α is a negative or positive real number, and
• outputting and/or storing the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) and/or transmitting the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) to a separate computer system.

A contrast agent for use in a CT examination method, wherein the CT examination method comprises the steps of:

• receiving and/or generating at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) of an examination region of an examination object, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) represent the examination region after administration of the contrast agent, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) are the result of a computed tomography examination of the examination region at different X-ray energies,
• generating a representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) on the basis of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F), where the representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) represents a signal intensity distribution brought about by the contrast agent in the examination region,
• generating a synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F of the examination region, where the generation of the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) comprises an α-fold addition of the representation of the contrast agent signals KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) to one of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) or to a virtual non-contrast agent representation of the examination region, where α is a negative or positive real number, and
• outputting and/or storing the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) and/or transmitting the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) to a separate computer system.

A kit comprising a contrast agent and a non-volatile storage medium comprising a computer program that can be loaded into a working memory of a computer system, where it causes the computer system to execute the following steps:

• receiving and/or generating at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) of an examination region of an examination object, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) represent the examination region after administration of the contrast agent, where the at least two representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) are the result of a computed tomography examination of the examination region at different X-ray energies,
• generating a representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) on the basis of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F), where the representation of the contrast agent signals (KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) represents a signal intensity distribution brought about by the contrast agent in the examination region,
• generating a synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F of the examination region, where the generation of the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) comprises an α-fold addition of the representation of the contrast agent signals KRF, KRF,w, KR1F, KR1F,w, KR1, KR2) to one of the at least two received representations (R1, R1F, R2, R2F) or to a virtual non-contrast agent representation of the examination region, where α is a negative or positive real number, and
• outputting and/or storing the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) and/or transmitting the synthetic representation (S, S2, S2F) to a separate computer system.