SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ADAPTIVELY CONTROL CONTRAST-ENHANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PROCEDURE

• US 20110208046A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: McDaniel, Holly Ann, Trevino, Scott Eugene, Gonzalez Molezzi, Marcela
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/027 characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system and method are provided for determining individualized scan and injection protocols for contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging. Taking into account parameters specific to the scan subject, injection-related parameters, and scan parameters, the system and method can determine an optimal timing for a scan sequence to begin, to ensure that the scan sequence coincides with a desired contrast enhancement. Some embodiments further provide for real-time triggering of the scan commencement based on bolus tracking, and can adapt the scan and injection protocols in real-time based on monitored dynamic scan subject parameters and/or actual enhancement values determined from image data.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a set of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to:

prompt a user to enter patient-specific information for a given scan patient;

prompt a user to select a scan type;

receive bolus tracking data for the given patient;

provide an individualized scan protocol defining a contrast agent delivery, an x-ray dosage, and scan sequence timing, based upon the patient-specific information, the scan type, and the bolus tracking data;

trigger commencement of a scan sequence to acquire image data from a region-of-interest (ROI), the scan sequence based on the individualized scan protocol;

reconstruct an image from the acquired image data;

update the x-ray dosage to an updated x-ray dosage based on the image; and

trigger commencement of a second scan sequence to acquire image data from the ROI, the second scan sequence based on the updated x-ray dosage.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the set of instructions further causes the computer to receive the bolus tracking data in real-time.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the set of instructions further causes the computer to trigger commencement of the scan sequence based upon the real-time bolus tracking data.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the set of instructions further causes the computer to display default contrast agent parameters to a user after entry of the patient-specific information, selection of the scan type, and receipt of the bolus tracking data.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the default contrast agent parameters include a post-delivery peak contrast enhancement period.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to display the contrast agent parameters and a number of scan parameters to the user and prompt the user to confirm the parameters prior to contrast delivery and scan commencement.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to control a contrast pump to deliver a contrast agent to the patient in accordance with the protocol.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to calculate a real time contrast enhancement value for the ROI based upon at least one of image data acquired in a scan and the patient-specific information.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to adapt at least one of the scan parameters and contrast agent parameters in real time during the scan such that a desired portion of the scan substantially coincides with a desired contrast enhancement value.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to adjust pitch, or gantry rotation in a CT scan such that a period of maximum x-ray dosage of the CT scan substantially coincides with a peak contrast enhancement value.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to adjust contrast agent flow rate, pressure, or volume to achieve a maximum contrast enhancement value during a period of maximum x-ray dosage of a CT scan.

12. A system control for a diagnostic imaging apparatus comprising:

a user interface adapted to permit a user to enter data specific to a given scan;

a contrast delivery device configured to cause a contrast agent to be delivered to a scan subject;

a data processing module configured to reconstruct an image from scan data; and

a scan protocol module connected to receive data entered by the user on the user interface and programmed to;

prescribe a scan protocol for the given scan to acquire the scan data from a region-of-interest (ROI);

determine an enhancement value of the contrast agent in the ROI from the reconstructed image;

adjust an x-ray dosage of the scan protocol based on the enhancement value during the given scan; and

cause the commencement of a subsequent scan of the ROI based on the scan protocol comprising the adjusted x-ray dosage.

13. The system control of claim 12 wherein the data specific to the given scan includes at least one of a static scan subject parameter and a scan type.

14. The system control of claim 12 wherein the prescribed scan protocol includes a contrast agent delivery protocol.

15. The system control of claim 14 wherein the prescribed scan protocol includes a number of contrast agent delivery protocols corresponding to a number of injection phases of a diagnostic imaging scan.

16. The system control of claim 12 wherein the contrast delivery device includes at least one of an automated contrast injection device to inject the contrast agent and an indicator to inform an operator when to administer the contrast agent.

17. A method for contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging comprising:

estimating, for a given scan subject, a post-delivery time for a desired contrast agent enhancement value based on a number of subject parameters, a number of contrast agent parameters, and a number of scan parameters of an imaging scan sequence;

executing the imaging scan sequence comprising a data scan portion timed to coincide with the post-delivery time;

controlling administration of a contrast agent via a scan protocol module of a diagnostic imaging system during the imaging scan sequence;

acquiring scan data of a region-of-interest (ROI) of the scan subject during the data scan portion;

reconstructing an image of the ROI of the scan subject based at least on the acquired scan data;

adapting a first scan parameter of the number of scan parameters of the imaging scan sequence to adjust an x-ray dosage of the imaging scan sequence based on the reconstructed image;

executing the adapted imaging scan sequence comprising the adapted first scan parameter; and

acquiring scan data of the ROI of the scan subject during the data scan portion of the adapted imaging scan sequence.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the number of subject parameters include static subject parameters and dynamic subject parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the number of static subject parameters include at least one of subject weight, gender, age, height, and body mass index;

and wherein the number of dynamic subject parameters include at least one of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and timing bolus data.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the number of contrast agent parameters include at least one of contrast agent type, bolus type, number of injection phases, contrast agent volume, contrast agent flow rate, injection duration, and contrast enhancement duration.