METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEPICTION OF MEDICAL IMAGE DATA

Abstract

In a method and medical imaging apparatus for depiction of medical imaging data, medical imaging data of the examination object are acquired over a period of time, and an artifact parameter is established, which characterizes artifacts that occur as a result of breathing of the examination object during the period of time. The medical imaging data are displayed on a display screen together with a depiction of the artifact parameter.

Claims

1. A method for depicting medical image data of an examination object, comprising: operating a medical imaging apparatus to acquire medical image data of an examination subject over a period of time, and providing said medical image data to a computer; in said computer, establishing an artifact parameter, which characterizes artifacts that occur in said medical image data as a result of breathing of the examination object during said period of time; and at a display screen in communication with said computer, displaying said medical image data together with a depiction of said artifact parameter.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising recording a breathing period of the examination object in said medical imaging apparatus during said period of time in which said medical image data are acquired and, in said computer, establishing said artifact parameter based on the recorded breathing curve.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising establishing said artifact parameter by, from said breathing curve, identifying an irregularity in said breathing of the examination object during said period of time.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising identifying said irregularity during a time window in said period of time, during which a spatial sub-region of said medical image data are acquired, and depicting said artifact parameter at said display screen in a spatial relationship to said spatial sub-region of said medical image data.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising establishing said artifact parameter based on the acquired medical image data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 comprising establishing said artifact parameter in said computer by making an image comparison between a first spatial sub-region of said medical image data and a second spatial sub-region of said medical image data, with image data in said second spatial sub-region being acquired after acquisition of image data in said first spatial sub-region.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising acquiring a breathing curve of the examination subject in said medical imaging apparatus during acquisition of said medical image data during said period of time, and displaying the depiction of the artifact parameter at said display screen as a depiction of the recorded breathing curve.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising allowing manual interaction of a user with the breathing curve at said display screen to select a time window in the displayed breathing curve, in which a third spatial sub-region of the medical image data were acquired, and highlighting said third spatial sub-region of said medical image data on said display screen.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said time window is a first time window, and comprising allowing further interaction of a user with said breathing curve at said display screen in order to select a select time window, during which a fourth spatial sub-region of said medical image data are acquired, and highlighting said second time window in the depiction of the breathing curve at said display screen.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising representing said artifact parameter at said display screen as a curve overlaid on said medical image data, said curve representing a probability of an occurrence of an artifact at a respective point in said medical image data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising representing said artifact parameter at said display screen as a coding, selected from the group consisting of color coding and intensity coding, overlaid on said medical image data, said coding representing a probability of an occurrence of an artifact at a respective point in said medical image data.

12. A medical imaging apparatus comprising: a control computer configured to operate said medical imaging scanner to acquire medical image data of an examination subject over a period of time, and providing said medical image data to a computer; said control computer being configured to establish an artifact parameter, which characterizes artifacts that occur in said medical image data as a result of breathing of the examination object during said period of time; and a display screen in communication with said control computer, said control computer being configured to display said medical image data together with a depiction of said artifact parameter at said display screen.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer of a medical imaging apparatus, said programming instructions causing said control computer to: operate the medical imaging apparatus to acquire medical image data of an examination subject over a period of time; establish an artifact parameter, which characterizes artifacts that occur in said medical image data as a result of breathing of the examination object during said period of time; and at a display screen in communication with said control computer, display said medical image data together with a depiction of said artifact parameter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an inventive medical imaging apparatus.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of the inventive method.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the inventive method.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the inventive method.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the inventive method.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows an example of a display of the medical imaging data together with a depiction of the artifact parameter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] FIG. 1 shows an inventive medical imaging apparatus 1. The medical imaging apparatus 1 can be, for example, a magnetic resonance device, a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography device (SPECT device), a Positron Emission Tomography device (PET device), a computed tomography device, an ultrasound device, an x-ray device or a C-arm device. The combined medical imaging apparatus 1 may also be any combination of a number of these imaging modalities. Without restricting the general inventive idea, the medical imaging apparatus 1 is shown as an example as a computed tomography apparatus.

[0052] The computed tomography apparatus has a gantry 20 with a tunnel-shaped opening 9, a patient support 10 and a control computer 30.

[0053] The gantry 20 forms the raw data acquisition scanner in this example, and has a stationary carrier frame 21 and a rotor 24. The rotor 24 is arranged in the stationary carrier frame 21 and is able to be rotated by a rotational support mount around an axis of rotation relative to the stationary carrier frame 21. An examination object 13 is able to be introduced into the tunnel-shaped opening 9. An acquisition area 4 is located in the tunnel-shaped opening 9. A region of the examination object 13 to be imaged is able to be positioned in the acquisition area 4 such that x-ray radiation 27 proceeds from a radiation source 26 to the region to be imaged, and after interaction with the region to be imaged, arrives at a radiation detector 28. The patient support 10 has support table 11 and a transfer plate 12 to support the examination object 13. The transfer plate 12 is arranged movably on the support table 11 such that, in a longitudinal direction of the transfer plate 12, the transfer plate 12 is able to be introduced into the acquisition area 4.

[0054] The computed tomography apparatus is designed for acquisition of projection data based on x-ray radiation 27. The computed tomography apparatus has a projection data acquisition unit with the radiation source 26, in particular an x-ray radiation source, and the detector 28, for example an x-ray detector, in particular an energy-resolving x-ray detector. The radiation source 26 is arranged on the rotor 24 and emits radiation, in particular x-ray radiation 27. The detector 28 is arranged on the rotor 24 and detects x-ray quanta in the radiation from the radiation source 26 that has passed through the region of the examination object 13 to be imaged and interacted with the region to be imaged. This attenuated radiation strikes the detector 28. In this way projection data of the region to be imaged are acquired by the raw data acquisition scanner.

[0055] The control computer 30 is configured to receive the projection data acquired by the acquisition scanner. The control computer 30 is configured to control the computed tomography apparatus. The control computer 30 has an image reconstruction processor 34. Medical imaging data are reconstructed by the image reconstruction device 34 based on the projection data, using a known reconstruction algorithm.

[0056] The computer 30 has a memory 31. A computer program (program code), stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 32, is able to be loaded into the memory 31 of the computer 30. The computer 30 executes the program.

[0057] The computed tomography apparatus has an input interface 38 and a display monitor 39, which are each connected to the control computer 30. The input interface 38 is designed for entering control information, e.g. image reconstruction parameters and/or examination parameters into the computer 30. The display monitor 39 is designed to display the medical imaging data at a display screen thereof.

[0058] The control computer 30 further includes an artifact parameter establishment processor 35. The display monitor 39 then caused to display the medical data together with a depiction of an artifact parameter, which will be established by the artifact parameter establishment processor 35.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a first embodiment of the inventive method for depiction of medical imaging data of an examination object 13.

[0060] In a first method step 40, there is an acquisition of medical imaging data of the examination object over a period of time by the projection data acquisition unit of the computed tomography apparatus and the image reconstruction processor 34.

[0061] In a further method step 41, an artifact parameter, which characterizes artifacts that occur as a result of breathing of the examination object during the period of time, is established by the artifact parameter establishment processor 35.

[0062] In a further method step 42, the medical imaging data are displayed on the display monitor 39 together with a depiction of the artifact parameter.

[0063] The description given below in FIG. 3-FIG. 5 is essentially restricted to differences from the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2. For method steps that remain the same, the reference is made to the description of exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2. Method steps that essentially remain the same are basically labeled with the same reference characters.

[0064] The embodiments of the inventive method shown in FIG. 3-FIG. 5 essentially include the method steps 40, 41, 42 of the first embodiment of the inventive method in accordance with FIG. 2. The embodiments of the inventive method shown in FIG. 3-FIG. 5 include additional method steps and/or substeps. An alternate method execution sequence to that of FIG. 3-FIG. 5, which only has a part of the additional method steps and/or substeps shown in FIG. 3-FIG. 5 is also conceivable. Naturally an alternate method execution sequence to that of FIG. 3-FIG. 5 can also have additional method steps and/or substeps.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a second form of embodiment of an inventive method for depiction of medical imaging data of an examination object 13.

[0066] In a further method step 43, a breathing curve of the examination object 15 is recorded during the period of time. In a sub-step 41-1 of the further method step 41 the artifact parameter is then established on the basis of the recorded breathing curve. The establishment of the artifact parameter can include an identification of an irregularity in the breathing of the examination object 15 that is present during the period of time with reference to the breathing curve.

[0067] The identified irregularity in the breathing of the examination object 15 occurs during a first time window in the period of time. During this first time window, a first spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data will be acquired. In a sub-step 42-1 of the further method step 42, the depiction of the artifact parameter can then be shown in a spatial relationship to the first spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data.

[0068] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a third embodiment of an inventive method for depiction of medical imaging data of an examination object 13.

[0069] In this embodiment the artifact parameter is established on the basis of the acquired medical imaging data. For this purpose, the first method step 40 includes a first sub-step 40-1, in which a second spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data will be acquired, and a second sub-step 40-2, in which a third spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data will be acquired. Here the third spatial sub-region will be acquired following in time after the second spatial sub-region during the period of time.

[0070] Then, in a sub-step 41-2 of the further method step 41, the artifact parameter is established on the basis of an image comparison between the second spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data and the third spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data.

[0071] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of an inventive method for depiction of medical imaging data of an examination object 13.

[0072] In a sub-step 41-3 of the further method step 41, a breathing curve of the examination object is recorded during the period of time. The display of the depiction of the artifact parameter in further method step 42 then includes, in a sub-step 42-2 of the further method step 42, a display of a depiction of the recorded breathing curve.

[0073] Then, in a further method step 44, with reference to a selection of a second time window in the depiction of the breathing curve by a user, a fourth spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data, which was acquired during the second time window, will be highlighted on the display monitor 39. Likewise, in a further method step 45 with reference to a selection of a fifth spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data by a user, a third time window, during which the fifth spatial sub-region of the medical imaging data was acquired, will be highlighted in the depiction of the breathing curve.

[0074] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary display of the medical imaging data 68 together with a depiction of the artifact parameter.

[0075] In the case shown in FIG. 6 the artifact parameter is depicted on the display monitor 39 in the form of a curve 69 overlaid on the medical imaging data 68, which represents the probability of an occurrence of artifacts at the respective point in the medical imaging data 68. As an alternative it is also conceivable for the curve 69 to be displayed directly alongside the medical imaging data 68.

[0076] On the curve 69 shown in FIG. 6, a strength of the artifacts or a probability of an occurrence of the artifacts is plotted in arbitrary units on the vertical axis. At highlighted points 70 here an especially high probability of artifacts is produced. Visible at the right highlighted points 70 is also a duplication and z-displacement of a diaphragm of the examination object 15, which represents an artifact. Drawn on the horizontal axis of the curve 69 is the spatial progress over the number of slices with the slice number specified.

[0077] The curve 69 shown can be derived, for example, directly from an acquired breathing curve of the examination object 15. The breathing curve can in this case be converted into spatial coordinates, by a point in time in the breathing curve being assigned to those spatial coordinates for which medical imaging data will be acquired during the point in time in the breathing curve. The curve 69 can naturally also be obtained in another way, for example directly from the medical imaging data.

[0078] The depiction of the artifact parameter shown in FIG. 6 is naturally only an example and those skilled in the art can employ other options that appear reasonable. For example, the depiction of the artifact parameter on the display unit can be made in the form of a color coding and/or intensity coding overlaid on the medical imaging data, with the color coding and/or intensity coding representing the probability of an occurrence of artifacts at the respective point in the medical imaging data.

[0079] Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the Applicant to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the Applicant's contribution to the art.