# US 8,569,706 B2 · Method and system for processing gated image data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,569,706 B2 - Document ID: US8569706B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/487,046 - Filed: 2012-06-01 - Published: 2012-12-06 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-03 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: Sheshadri Thiruvenkadam; Rakesh Mullick; Kris Filip Johan Jules Thielemans; Srikrishnan Viswanathan - Inventors: Sheshadri Thiruvenkadam; Rakesh Mullick; Kris Filip Johan Jules Thielemans; Srikrishnan Viswanathan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569706B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/037: {Emission tomography} - A61B 6/503: {for diagnosis of the heart} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - A61B 6/5264: {due to motion} - A61B 6/5288: {involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A method for generating an image is provided. The method comprises: acquiring a first set of image data using a first imaging modality; sorting the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstructing each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; registering the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generating a median image from the plurality of registered images, wherein each voxel of the median image is a respective median value of the corresponding voxels of the plurality of registered images. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating an image, comprising: acquiring a first set of image data using a first imaging modality; sorting the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstructing each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; registering the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generating a median image from the plurality of registered images, wherein each voxel of the median image is a respective median value of the corresponding voxels of the plurality of registered images. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first imaging modality is one of positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gates comprises a predetermined number of gates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of image data is sorted into the plurality of gates based on at least one of time and motion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on a motion field determined from a secondary registration performed on a second image dataset acquired using a second imaging modality. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on measured cardiac or respiratory motion data. ### Claim 7 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, encoding one or more routines which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: acquiring a first set of image data using a first imaging modality; sorting the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstructing each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; registering the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generating a median image from the plurality of registered images, wherein each voxel of the median image is a respective median value of the corresponding voxels of the plurality of registered images. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the first imaging modality is one of positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the plurality of gates comprises a predetermined number of gates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the first set of image data is sorted into the plurality of gates based on at least one of time and motion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on a motion field determined from a secondary registration performed on a second image dataset acquired using a second imaging modality. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on measured cardiac or respiratory motion data. ### Claim 13 An image processing system, comprising: a memory storing one or more routines, and a processing component configured to execute the one or more routines stored in the memory, wherein the one or more routines, when executed by the processing component: acquire a first set of image data using a first imaging modality; sort the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstruct each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; register the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generate a median image from the plurality of registered images, wherein each voxel of the median image is a respective median value of the corresponding voxels of the plurality of registered images. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image processing system of claim 13, wherein the first imaging modality is one of positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The image processing system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of gates comprises a predetermined number of gates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The image processing system of claim 13, wherein the first set of image data is sorted into the plurality of gates based on at least one of time and motion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The image processing system of claim 13, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on a motion field determined from a secondary registration performed on a second image dataset acquired using a second imaging modality. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The image processing system of claim 13, wherein the respective gated images are registered based on measured cardiac or respiratory motion data. ### Claim 19 A method for generating an image, comprising: acquiring a first set of image data using an imaging modality; sorting the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstructing each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; registering the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generating an average image or a weighted average image from the plurality of registered images, wherein the average image or the weighted average image is generated using a motion-dependent estimator that is statistically robust with respect to outlying data. ### Claim 20 A method for generating an image, comprising: acquiring a first set of image data using an imaging modality; sorting the first set of image data into a plurality of gates to generate a plurality of gated data sets; reconstructing each gated data set to generate a respective gated image for each gated data set; registering the respective gated images to generate a plurality of registered images; and generating an average image or a weighted average image from the plurality of registered images, wherein the average image or the weighted average image is generated using an estimator that identifies outliers in the plurality of registered images and discards or downweights the identified outliers.