System and method for adaptive data acquisition for helical cardiac computed tomography

A system for adaptive data acquisition during a helical cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan session, comprising:

• a memory encoding processor-executable routines;
• a processor configured to access the memory and to execute the processor-executable routines, wherein the processor-executable routines, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal from a subject during a duration of a helical cardiac CT scan of a heart of the subject with a CT scanner during the helical cardiac CT scan session;
• calculate temporal R-R electrocardiogram interval measurements from the ECG signal during the duration of the helical cardiac CT scan;
• monitor whether any irregular cardiac cycles are detected in the temporal R-R electrocardiogram interval measurements during the duration of the helical cardiac CT scan;
• determine during the helical cardiac CT scan whether an initial Z coverage of the helical cardiac CT scan is sufficient for obtaining an artifact free image of the heart at a target phase when one or more irregular cardiac cycles are detected;
• determine a required Z coverage to obtain the artifact free image of the heart at the target phase when the initial Z coverage is not sufficient;
• and
• initiate after the helical cardiac CT scan a helical cardiac CT rescan of the heart of the subject with the CT scanner during the helical cardiac CT scan session to obtain the required Z coverage while continuing both to obtain the ECG signal and to monitor for any irregular cardiac cycles.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable code that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

• obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal from a subject during a duration of a helical cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan of a heart of the subject with a CT scanner during a helical cardiac CT scan session;
• calculate temporal R-R electrocardiogram interval measurements from the ECG signal during the duration of the helical cardiac CT scan;
• monitor whether any irregular cardiac cycles are detected in the temporal R-R electrocardiogram interval measurements during the duration of the helical cardiac CT scan;
• determine during the helical cardiac CT scan whether an initial Z coverage of the helical cardiac CT scan is sufficient for obtaining an artifact free image of the heart at a target phase when one or more irregular cardiac cycles are detected;
• determine a required Z coverage to obtain the artifact free image of the heart at the target phase when the initial Z coverage is not sufficient;
• and
• initiate after the helical cardiac CT scan a helical cardiac CT rescan of the heart of the subject with the CT scanner during the helical cardiac CT scan session to obtain the required Z coverage while continuing both to obtain the ECG signal and to monitor for any irregular cardiac cycles.