Evaluating a performance metric for a component of a medical imaging system

A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out a method of evaluating a performance metric for a component of a medical imaging system, the method comprising:

• acquiring monitoring data for the component during a monitoring period;
• wherein the monitoring data comprises values of a set of monitored parameters, and wherein the values of the set of monitored parameters are acquired under a corresponding set of measurement conditions;
• and
• wherein the monitoring data is acquired during a plurality of separate time intervals within the monitoring period, each time interval being prior to a performance of a diagnostic imaging scan by the medical imaging system, or subsequent to a performance of a diagnostic imaging scan by the medical imaging system;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises:
• calculating the value of the performance metric for the component based on the values of the set of monitored parameters acquired during the monitoring period;
• and
• repeating the acquiring, and the calculating, for monitoring data acquired during one or more subsequent monitoring periods, and wherein the monitoring data acquired during the one or more subsequent monitoring periods is acquired using a revised set of monitored parameters, or a revised set of measurement conditions;
• and
• wherein the revised set of monitored parameters, or the revised set of measurement conditions, used to acquire the monitoring data during the one or more subsequent monitoring periods is determined based on a rate of change of a value of one or more of the monitored parameters during a preceding monitoring period.

A system for evaluating a performance metric for a component of a medical imaging system, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

• acquire monitoring data for the component during a monitoring period;
• wherein the monitoring data comprises values of a set of monitored parameters, and wherein the values of the set of monitored parameters are acquired under a corresponding set of measurement conditions;
• and
• wherein the monitoring data is acquired during a plurality of separate time intervals within the monitoring period, each time interval being prior to a performance of a diagnostic imaging scan by the medical imaging system, or subsequent to a performance of a diagnostic imaging scan by the medical imaging system.
• wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
• calculate the value of the performance metric for the component based on the values of the set of monitored parameters acquired during the monitoring period;
• and
• repeat the acquiring, and the calculating, for monitoring data acquired during one or more subsequent monitoring periods and wherein the monitoring data acquired during the one or more subsequent monitoring periods is acquired using a revised set of monitored parameters or a revised set of measurement conditions;
• and
• wherein the revised set of monitored parameters, or the revised set of measurement conditions, used to acquire the monitoring data during the one or more subsequent monitoring periods is determined based on a rate of change of a value of one or more of the monitored parameters during a preceding monitoring period.