# US RE40,607 E1 · Methods and apparatus for scout-based cardiac calcification scoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US RE40,607 E1 - Document ID: USRE40607E1 - Status: Granted - Kind: E1 - Application number: 10/613,791 - Filed: 2003-07-03 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 1999-10-15 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jiang Hsieh; Mark Edward Woodford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/USRE40607E1 ## Abstract In one aspect, the present invention is a method for producing CT images of a patient's heart suitable for calcification scoring, in which the heart has a cardiac cycle. The method includes steps of acquiring data representative of a first scout-scanned CT image of physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ1(L) of the cardiac cycle, acquiring data representative of a second scout-scanned CT image of the physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ2(L) of the cardiac cycle different from φ1(L) at physical positions L of interest, and determining a difference image from the acquired data representative of the first scout-scanned CT image and the acquired data representative of the second scout-scanned CT image data. It is not necessary that φ1(L) and φ2(L) be constant as a function of position L. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing CT images of a patient's heart suitable for calcification scoring, the heart having a cardiac cycle; said method comprising the steps of: acquiring data representative of a first scout-scanned CT image of physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ1(L) of the cardiac cycle; acquiring data representative of a second scout-scanned CT image of the physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ2(L) of the cardiac cycle different from φ1(L); and determining a difference image from the acquired data representative of the first scout-scanned CT image and the acquired data representative of the second scout-scanned CT image data. ; performing calcification scoring based on the difference image; and producing outputting at least one of a calcification score and CT images of the patient's heart based on the calcification scoring. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the patient is holding his or her breath during both said image acquiring steps. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying calcification deposits on portions of the difference image corresponding to moving body structures of the patient. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said step of identifying calcification deposits is performed utilizing computer image processing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein identifying calcification deposits on portions of the difference image corresponding to moving body structures of the patient comprises comparing intensities of neighboring pixel groups of the difference image to identify differences in intensity above a threshold indicative of calcification. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein identifying calcification deposits further comprises scoring an amount of calcification in accordance with differences in image intensities. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of processing the difference image to enhance appearance of calcification deposits. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of monitoring an EKG signal of the patient's heart to determine trigger times for acquiring the data representative of the first image and the data representative of the second image at different phases of the cardiac cycle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein both steps of acquiring data are performed at the same time by utilizing different detector rows of a multi-slice CT imaging system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the CT imaging system comprises a table configured to move the patient during a scout scan, and further comprising the step of adjusting a rate at which the table moves during said data acquiring steps in accordance with a heart rate of the patient. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the multi-slice CT imaging system comprises at least three detector rows, and said method further comprises the steps of acquiring noise estimation information including data representative of a third scout-scanned image, and estimating background noise in the difference image utilizing the noise estimation information. ### Claim 12 A CT imaging system for obtaining images of a patient's heart suitable for calcification scoring, the heart having a cardiac cycle; said system configured to: acquire data representative of a first scout-scanned CT image of physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ1(L) of the cardiac cycle; acquire data representative of a second scout-scanned CT image of the physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ2(L) of the cardiac cycle different from φ1(L); and determine a difference image from the acquired data representative of the first scout-scanned CT image and the acquired data representative of the second scout scanned CT image data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A system in accordance with claim 12 further configured to identify calcification deposits on portions of the difference image corresponding to moving body structures of the patient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A system in accordance with claim 13 configured to identify calcification deposits utilizing computer image processing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said system being configured to identify calcification deposits on portions of the difference image corresponding to moving body structures of the patient comprises said system being configured to compare intensities of neighboring pixel groups of the difference image to identify differences in intensity above a threshold indicative of calcification. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said system being configured to identify calcification deposits further comprises said system being configured to score an amount of calcification in accordance with differences in image intensities. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A system in accordance with claim 12 further configured to process the difference image to enhance appearance of calcification deposits. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A system in accordance with claim 12 further configured to monitor an EKG signal of the patient's heart to determine trigger times for acquiring the data representative of the first image and the data representative of the second image at different phases of the cardiac cycle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A system in accordance with claim 12 having a multi-scale detector, said system being configured to acquire both the data representative of the first image and the data representative of the second image at the same time by utilizing different detector rows of said multi-slice detector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A system in accordance with claim 19 further comprising a table configured to move the patient during a scout scan, and further configured to adjust a rate at which the table moves during scout-scanned data acquisition in accordance with a heart rate of the patient. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said multi-slice detector comprises at least three detector rows, and said system is further configured to acquire noise estimation information including data representative of a third scout-scanned image, and to estimate background noise in the difference image utilizing the noise estimation information. ### Claim 22 A method for facilitating calcification scoring, said method comprising: imaging a heart at a first phase of a cardiac cycle to obtain a first image; imaging the heart at a second phase of the cardiac cycle to obtain a second image, wherein the second phase is different from the first phase, and wherein the first and second images are obtained at the same physical location in a single scan; determining a difference image using the first and second images; identifying calcification deposits on portions of the difference image that correspond to moving body structures of the patient; and performing calcification scoring based on the difference image. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising instructing the patient to hold his or her breath during imaging. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the calcification deposits are identified utilizing computer image processing. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein identifying calcification deposits on portions of the difference image that correspond to moving body structures of the patient comprises comparing intensities of neighboring pixel groups of the difference image to identify differences in intensity above a threshold indicative of calcification. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein identifying calcification deposits further comprises scoring an amount of calcification in accordance with differences in image intensities. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising processing the difference image to enhance appearance of calcification deposits. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising: monitoring an EKG signal of the patient's heart to determine trigger times for imaging the heart to obtain a first image; and imaging the heart to obtain a second image at different phases of the cardiac cycle. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein imaging the heart to obtain a first image and imaging the heart to obtain a second image are performed by utilizing different detector rows of an imaging system. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein the imaging system includes a table configured to move the patient during imaging, said method further comprises adjusting a rate at which the table moves during imaging in accordance with the cardiac cycle of the patient. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein the imaging system includes at least three detector rows, said method further comprises: acquiring noise estimation information including data representative of a third image; and estimating background noise in the difference image utilizing the noise estimation information.