Methods and apparatus for detecting structural, perfusion, and functional abnormalities
AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorsJiang Hsieh, Ricardo Scott Avila, Maria Iatrou, Shankara B. Reddy, Peter Michael Edic
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Abstract
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System is provided. The system includes a radiation source rotatable about a patient, a radiation detector, and a computer coupled to the radiation source and the radiation detector wherein the computer is configured to receive data regarding a first energy spectrum of a scan of a head of the patient, receive data regarding a second energy spectrum of a scan of the head, and generate an image using the received data.
Claims31
A method for obtaining data, said method comprising:
- scanning at least one of a head of a patient and a neck of the patient with a Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) system, the MECT including an x-ray source rotatable about the patient, the MECT configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect and within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT);
- acquiring, from said scanning, first image data including attenuations from a Compton process and second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- and
- representing a material within the acquired image data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of a head of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the head, wherein the first energy spectrum and the second energy spectrum are within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT), the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- generate an image of at least one of a cerebral blood volume of the patient and a cerebral blood flow of the patient using the first and second image data, wherein a material within at least one of the cerebral blood volume and the cerebral blood flow is represented using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material;
- and
- calculate a mean transit time of the cerebral blood flow based on the received data.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of at least one of a head of the patient and a neck of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the at least one of the head and the neck, the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- represent a material within the received data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material;
- and
- generate a location of a tagging ligand based upon the represented material.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of at least one of a head of the patient and a neck of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the at least one of the head and the neck, wherein the first energy spectrum and the second energy spectrum are within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT), the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- represent a material within the received data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material;
- and
- detect a labeled drug based upon the represented material.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of a head of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the head, wherein the first energy spectrum and the second energy spectrum are within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT), the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- represent a material within the received data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material;
- generate a location of a tagged ligand with an affinity to a neurotransmitter released by a specific labeled drug's receptors based upon the represented material;
- and
- detect a labeled drug based upon the received data to simultaneously monitor the labeled drug's distribution and a concentration of the neurotransmitter.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of a head of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the head, wherein the first energy spectrum and the second energy spectrum are within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT), the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- and
- perform a Basis Material Decomposition (BMD) of the received data to characterize a plaque in a carotid artery, wherein performing a BMD comprises representing a material within the received data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material.
A Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) System configured to be responsive to different x-ray spectra associated with Compton scatter and photoelectric effect, the MECT comprising:
- a radiation source rotatable about a patient;
- a radiation detector;
- and
- a computer coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive first image data regarding a first scan at a first energy spectrum, the scan being a scan of a head of the patient, the first image data including attenuations from a Compton process;
- receive second image data regarding a second scan at a second energy spectrum, the second scan being a scan of the head, wherein the first energy spectrum and the second energy spectrum are within an energy region associated with medical computed tomography (CT), the second image data including attenuations from a photoelectric process;
- represent a material within the received data using at least one of a density of a first reference material and a density of a second reference material;
- and
- classify tissue as cancerous and non-cancerous based upon the represented material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.