Dynamic acquisition sampling rate for computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging

A system, comprising:

• a computed tomography (CT) scanner;
• and
• a console including a computer configured to control the CT scanner based on a scan protocol, wherein the console dynamically varies a data acquisition sample rate of the CT scanner during a contrast enhanced perfusion scan based on at least one predetermined level of contrast in the image data generated during the scan, and the varied data acquisition sample rate includes a first data acquisition sampling rate in an absence of a predetermined initial minimum level of contrast in the image data, and the first sampling rate is variable and increases over time.

A perfusion imaging method comprising:

• acquiring data at a first sampling rate of tissues of interest in a patient with a computed tomography (CT) scanner until an uptake of a contrast has been determined, and the first sample rate is variable and increases over time;
• and
• acquiring data at a second sampling rate of the tissues of interest in the patient with the computed tomography (CT) scanner, which is greater than the first sampling rate, during the uptake of the contrast, wherein the uptake begins with a concentration of the contrast exceeding a predetermined threshold level and the concentration of the contrast is increasing during the uptake.