Back to results
US 6,714,621 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for radiological examination by injection of a contrast medium
AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorsAndreas Rick, Serge Muller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for examination of a breast, in which a contrast medium is injected in the breast to be examined, an X-ray beam is emitted in the direction of the breast; a plurality of digital images of the X-ray beam is taken after it has crossed the breast, and a representative image of the contrast produced in the tissues of the breast is calculated from the digital images.
Claims87
A method for radiological examination of an organ comprising the steps of:
- (a) injecting a contrast medium into the organ to be examined;
- (b) emitting an energy beam in the direction of the organ;
- (c) taking a plurality of images after the energy beam has crossed the organ;
- wherein a first image is taken before injection of the contrast medium and at least one second image is taken after injection of the contrast medium during a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium;
- and
- (d) calculating a representative image of the contrast produced in the tissues of the organ from the images.
3 more elements
A radiology apparatus comprising:
- means for injection of a contrast medium into an organ to be examined;
- means for emitting an energy beam;
- means for receiving the energy beam and capable of sending an output of a first image taken before injection of the contrast medium representative of the incident energy beam and at least one second image taken after injection of the contrast medium during a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium representative of the incident energy beam;
- and
- means for processing capable of controlling the means for emitting and processing data from the means for receiving in order to calculate a representative image of the contrast produced in the tissues of the organ from the images.
2 more elements
A method of radiological examination of an organ comprising the steps of:
- (a) emitting an energy beam in the direction of the organ to be examined;
- (b) taking a first image of the organ;
- (c) injecting a contrast medium into the organ;
- (d) taking at least one second image of the organ after the injection of the contrast medium, wherein the second image is taken during or after or at the end of a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium when the beam has crossed the organ;
- (e) subtracting the first image from the second image;
- and
- (f) calculating a curve of attenuation or a representative image of the contrast produced in the organ from the images.
4 more elements
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer useable medium having computer program code means embodied therein for taking radiological images by an apparatus having means for injection of a contrast medium into an object to be examined, means for emitting an energy beam, mean for receiving the energy beam and capable of sending an output of the images of the incident energy beam after the beam has crossed the object and means for processing capable of controlling the means for emitting and processing data from the means for receiving;
- the computer readable program code means processing a first image taken before injection of the contrast medium;
- the computer readable program code means processing at least one second image taken after the injection of the contrast medium during a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium;
- and
- the computer readable program code means calculating a representative image produced in the object from the images.
2 more elements
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for taking a radiological image of an object, the method steps comprising:
- a. emitting an energy beam in the direction of the object to be examined;
- b. taking a first image of the object;
- c. injecting a contrast medium into the object;
- d. taking at least one second image of the object after the injection of the contrast medium, wherein the second image is taken during or after or at the end of a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium when the beam has crossed the object;
- e. subtracting the first image from the second image;
- and
- f. calculating a curve of attenuation or a representative image of the contrast produced in the object from the images.
4 more elements
A computer program product for use with an image display device, the computer program product comprising:
- a. a computer useable medium having computer program code means embodied in the medium for causing a computer to take images of an object injected with a contrast medium, the computer program product having:
- b. computer readable program code means for causing the computer to take a first image before injection of the contrast medium;
- c. computer readable program code means for causing the computer to take at least one second image after the injection of the contrast medium during a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium;
- and
- d. computer readable program code means calculating a representative image produced in the object from the images.
2 more elements
A computer program product for use with a display device, the computer program product comprising:
- a. computer readable program code means for causing emission of an energy beam in the direction of an object to be examined;
- b. computer readable program code means for causing the taking of a first image of the object;
- c. computer readable program code means for causing injection of a contrast medium into the object;
- d. computer readable program code means for causing the taking of at least one second image of the object after the injection of the contrast medium, wherein the second image is taken during or after or at the end of a phase of heightened attenuation due to the contrast medium when the beam has crossed the object;
- e. computer readable program code means for causing the subtraction of the first image from the second image;
- and
- f. computer readable program code means for calculating a curve of attenuation or a representative image of the contrast produced in the object from the images.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.