Method, apparatus and product for acquiring cardiac images

An apparatus having electrocardiogram-gated acquisition and cardiac imaging capabilities, the apparatus comprising:

• an electrocardiograph;
• a cardiac scanner in signal communication with the electrocardiograph;
• an interface board in signal communication intermediate the electrocardiograph and the cardiac scanner;
• and
• a storage medium, readable by a processing circuit, storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for:
• receiving from the electrocardiograph a gated electrocardiogram signal having local maxima and minima values and trigger points;
• determining for a period of time the time between each trigger point and the local maxima or minima associated therewith;
• in response to the trigger point occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, calculating a zero time differential for a corrected trigger for gating;
• and
• in response to the trigger point not occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, calculating a time differential for the corrected trigger for gating based on the time difference between the trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima.

A computer program product for acquiring a cardiac image from a patient having a paced heart rhythm, an abnormal EKG, or an irregular heartbeat, the product comprising:

• a storage medium, readable by a processing circuit, storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for:
• receiving from an electrocardiograph a gated electrocardiogram signal having local maxima and minima values and trigger points;
• determining for a period of time the time between each trigger point and the local maxima or minima associated therewith;
• in response to the trigger point occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, calculating a zero time differential for a corrected trigger for gating;
• in response to the trigger point not occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, calculating a time differential for the corrected trigger for gating based on the time difference between the trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima;
• and acquiring the cardiac image using the corrected trigger.