Patent classifications
A61B6/541
SINGLE-PASS IMAGING AND RADIATION TREATMENT DELIVERY VIA AN EXTENDED ROTATION GANTRY
An example method of radiation therapy in a radiation therapy system that includes a gantry with a treatment-delivering X-ray source and an imaging X-ray source mounted thereon is described. The method includes rotating the gantry in a first direction at a first rotational velocity about an open bore and concurrently rotating an annular support structure at a second rotational velocity about the open bore, wherein the second rotational velocity is less than the first rotational velocity. While continuing to rotate the gantry in the first direction about the open bore from a first position to a treatment position, the method also includes generating multiple images of a target volume disposed in the bore using the imaging X-ray source. Upon rotating the gantry to the treatment position, the method includes initiating delivery of a treatment beam to the target volume with the treatment-delivering X-ray source.
KINETIC ANALYSIS SYSTEM
A kinetic analysis system includes: an analytical value calculation unit configured to divide, into a plurality of divisions, a lung field region included in kinetic images in a plurality of time phases acquired as a result of kymography of a chest of an object, and calculate analytical values of the respective divisions in the plurality of time phases based on at least one of pixel signal values and the number of pixels in the respective divisions; a ventilation state calculation unit configured to calculate index values representing ventilation states of the respective divisions from the analytical values of the respective divisions in the plurality of time phases using different functions corresponding to the respective divisions; a display unit; and a control unit configured to cause the display unit to display the index values representing the ventilation states of the respective divisions in the plurality of time phases.
Variable-speed computed tomography scanning
In one embodiment of the invention, a method for obtaining a tomogram of an anatomical structure is disclosed. In one step, an anatomical structure is scanned using a scanning source and a scanning detector. Both the scanning source and detector are connected to a gantry. In another step, the speed of the gantry is altered during the scanning process. Additionally or optionally the frame rate of the scan can be modified in such step. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the speed of the gantry is altered in synchronicity with the respiratory signal of a patient. Using such a method, a tomogram of an anatomical structure is obtained.
Providing a medical image
A method is for providing a medical image of a patient. The method includes acquiring medical measurement data of the patient, including a set of multiple sampled state combinations; a first state space, including first physiological states, and a second state space, including second physiological states, together spanning a third state space. Each of the combinations includes a state from the first and second state spaces, and the third state space includes the set of combinations. The method further includes generating a medical image of the patient using the medical measurement data acquired, including a further state combination; the further state combination including a state from the first and second state space, the third state space including the further state combination, and the further state combination lying within the third state space outside the set of combinations. Finally, the method includes providing the medical image of the patient generated.
VASCULAR FLOW ASSESSMENT
A method for vascular assessment is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of medical images of a portion of a vasculature of a subject and processing the medical images to produce a model of the vasculature. The method further includes obtaining a flow characteristic of the model and calculating an index indicative of vascular function, based, at least in part, on the flow characteristic in the model.
Systems and methods for evaluating image quality
A method for evaluating image quality is provided. The method may include: obtaining an image, the image including a plurality of elements, each element of the plurality of elements being a pixel or voxel, each element having a gray level; determining, based on a maximum gray level of the plurality of elements, one or more thresholds for segmenting the image; determining one or more sub-images of a region of interest by segmenting, based on the one or more thresholds, the image; and determining, based on the one or more sub-images of the region of interest, a quality index for the image.
IMAGING AN OBJECT SUBJECTED TO A CYCLIC MOTION
For imaging an object subject to a cyclic motion, two or more imaging repetitions are carried out. Each of the imaging repetitions includes a sequence of equally spaced imaging events, wherein each imaging event has an event number, which corresponds to a respective predefined imaging parameter. A cycle duration of the cyclic motion is determined, a number of events per cycle is determined based on the cycle duration and a shift number is determined at least in part randomly. For a first imaging repetition, a starting number is determined depending on the number of events per cycle and the shift number. The first imaging repetition is carried out, wherein the respective sequence is started with an imaging event, whose event number is given by the starting number.
X-RAY CT APPARATUS, MEDICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND MEDICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD
An X-ray CT apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry collects pieces of image data in a plurality of time phases that contain at least a part of a coronary artery of a heart. The processing circuitry acquires image indexes regarding the pieces of image data. The processing circuitry extracts a set of image data from combinations of pieces of image data having a larger time interval than a predetermined time interval, of the pieces of image data, based on the image indexes in the respective pieces of image data. The processing circuitry performs fluid analysis regarding the coronary artery based on the extracted set of image data to obtain a fluid parameter regarding the coronary artery.
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes: a base period extracting unit extracting a first target region period based on a first periodic change being a periodic change of a target region in a base moving image acquired by a base moving image acquiring unit; a reference period extracting unit extracting a second target region period based on a second periodic change being a periodic change of the target region in a reference moving image acquired by a reference moving image acquiring unit; a period adjusting unit performing period adjusting processing of synchronizing, for the first target region period or the second target region period, the first periodic change and the second periodic change with each other at a particular phase; and a display image generating unit generating a display image allowing for comparison between the base moving image and the reference moving image after the period adjusting processing is performed.
SMART APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING PATIENT IMAGES
The present invention relates to a smart apparatus for acquiring patient images, the smart apparatus being structured so as to integrate capabilities for acquiring two-dimensional images and three-dimensional images into a single piece of equipment, thereby allowing the expense and installation space therefor to be minimized. The smart apparatus for acquiring patient images according to the present invention comprises: a gantry having a cylindrical opening; CT X-ray tube and curved X-ray detector installed in the gantry 180 degrees apart and installed so as to be rotatable along the circumferential direction of the gantry to acquire three-dimensional images of a person being treated accommodated in the interior of the opening of the gantry by rotating around the person; two-dimensional X-ray tube and X-ray detector installed in the gantry 180 degrees apart and installed, along with the CT X-ray tube and curved X-ray detector, so as to be rotatable along the circumferential direction of the gantry to acquire two-dimensional x-ray images of a person being treated accommodated in the interior of the opening of the gantry; a rotation means for simultaneously rotating the CT X-ray tube and X-ray detector and two-dimensional X-ray tube and X-ray detector along the circumferential direction of the gantry; a couch disposed on one side of the gantry so as to be horizontally movable in and out of the opening of the gantry and on which the person to be treated is placed.