# US 9,517,037 B2 · Single photon emission computed tomography imaging method

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- Number: US 9,517,037 B2
- Document ID: US9517037B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/877,142
- Filed: 2015-10-07
- Published: 2016-01-28
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-30
- Applicants: Elazar A. Bienenstock
- Inventors: Elazar A. Bienenstock
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517037B2

## CPC

- A61B 6/037: {Emission tomography}
- A61B 5/02028: {Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction}
- A61B 5/4884: {inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing}
- A61B 6/486: {involving generating temporal series of image data}
- A61B 6/503: {for diagnosis of the heart}
- A61B 6/504: {for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography}
- A61B 6/507: {for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT}
- A61B 6/5217: {extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data}
- A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT}
- A61B 6/5264: {due to motion}
- A61K 51/02: characterised by the carrier {, i.e. characterised by the agent or material covalently linked or complexing the radioactive nucleus}
- A61K 51/025: {inorganic Tc complexes or compounds}
- A61B 2090/392: {Radioactive markers}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D)

## Abstract

A SPECT diagnostic method of performing myocardial perfusion imaging on a patient, consisting of (A) administering a rest radiotracer to the patient while the patient is at rest; then (B) when the rest radiotracer is fixed in a heart of the patient, scanning the heart to obtain rest heart pumping ability information; (C) scanning the heart of the patient to obtain a rest perfusion image; (D) administering a stressing agent to the patient to place the patient's heart under stress; (E) scanning the heart of the patient to obtain stress heart pumping ability information; then (F) administering a stress radiotracer while the heart of the patient is under stress; then (G) when the stress radiotracer is fixed in the heart, scanning the heart to obtain a stress perfusion image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A SPECT diagnostic method of performing myocardial perfusion imaging on a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) administering a stressing agent to the patient to place the patient's heart under stress; then
(B) administering a stress radiotracer while the heart of the patient is under stress;
(C) when the stress radiotracer is fixed in the heart, immediately scanning the heart to obtain a stress perfusion image and stress heart pumping ability information;
(D) administering a rest radiotracer to the patient once the patient is at rest, the rest radiotracer and stress radiotracer comprising the same radiopharmaceutical, with the rest radiotracer being administered at a higher dose than the stress radiotracer;
(E) when the rest radiotracer is fixed in a heart of the patient, scanning the heart to obtain rest heart pumping ability information and a rest perfusion image;
(F) subtracting the stress perfusion image from the rest perfusion image to obtain a refined rest perfusion image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rest and stress radiotracers both comprise a Technetium-based radiopharmaceutical.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step (B) comprises administering 5 mCi or less of Technetium to the patient.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rest and stress radiotracers both comprise Thallium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stressing agent comprises a stress pharmaceutical which is selected from the group consisting of dipyridamole, dobutamine, adenosine, and regadenosone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stressing agent comprises a non-pharmaceutical stressing agent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the non-pharmaceutical stressing agent is selected from the group consisting of cold presser testing, mental stress, bicycle exercise, and handgrip exercise.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the patient remains in a scanning position from step (C) through step (E) inclusive.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The SPECT diagnostic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patient remains in a scanning position from step (C) through step (E) inclusive.