Medical image processing apparatus, positron emission tomography (pet) apparatus, and medical image processing method

A positron emission tomography (PET) apparatus comprising:

• a couchtop on which a subject to be scanned is mounted;
• a plurality of detectors configured to detect gamma ray emitted from the subject mounted on the couchtop;
• a frame configured to support the plurality of detectors, at least one of the couchtop or the frame being configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the couchtop:
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• acquire a first plurality of scan data corresponding to a first region of the subject in the longitudinal direction and a second plurality of scan data corresponding to a second region of the subject in the longitudinal direction, the first plurality of scan data being acquired in a first period by the plurality of detectors in a state where the plurality of detectors is located at a position corresponding to the first region, the second plurality of scan data being acquired in a second period after the first period by the plurality of detectors in a state where the plurality of detectors is located at a position corresponding to the second region;
• estimate scan data corresponding to a region of the subject different from the first region in the first period based on the first plurality of scan data and the second plurality of scan data;
• and
• generate a PET image corresponding to the region of the subject different from the first region in the first period based on the estimated scan data.

A medical image processing method to process scan data acquired by a plurality of detectors detecting gamma ray emitted from a subject mounted on a couchtop, the plurality of detectors being supported by a frame included in a positron emission tomography (PET) apparatus, at least one of the couchtop or the frame being configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the couchtop, the method comprising:

• acquiring a first plurality of scan data corresponding to a first region of the subject in the longitudinal direction and a second plurality of scan data corresponding to a second region of the subject in the longitudinal direction, the first plurality of scan data being acquired in a first period by the plurality of detectors in a state where the plurality of detectors is located at a position corresponding to the first region, the second plurality of scan data being acquired in a second period after the first period by the plurality of detectors in a state where the plurality of detectors is located at a position corresponding to the second region;
• estimating scan data corresponding to a region of the subject different from the first region in the first period based on the first plurality of scan data and the second plurality of scan data;
• and
• generating a PET image corresponding to the region of the subject different from the first region in the first period based on the estimated scan data.