OPPOSED VIEW AND DUAL HEAD DETECTOR APPARATUS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND BIOPSY WITH IMAGE PROCESSING METHODS

• US 20130034202A1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hampton University
• Original Assignee: Hampton University
• Inventors: Kieper, Douglas, KEPPEL, Cythnia
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/392 Radioactive markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

The invention relates generally to biopsy needle guidance which employs an x-ray/gamma image spatial co-registration methodology. A gamma camera is configured to mount on a biopsy needle gun platform to obtain a gamma image. More particular, the spatially co-registered x-ray and physiological images may be employed for needle guidance during biopsy. Moreover, functional images may be obtained from a gamma camera at various angles relative to a target site. Further, the invention also generally relates to a breast lesion localization method using opposed gamma camera images or dual opposed images. This dual head methodology may be used to compare the lesion signal in two opposed detector images and to calculate the Z coordinate (distance from one or both of the detectors) of the lesion.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for controlling a device for determining a lesion location within a target site in a patient, the steps comprising:

controlling movement of at least one photon imaging device that is configured to be movable with respect to the target site such that the at least one photon imaging device acquires a plurality of images relative to the target site, wherein a signal intensity is obtainable from opposing positions;

receiving the plurality of images and the signal intensity for each of the plurality of images; and

determining the lesion location in the patient based upon the plurality of images acquired by the at least one imaging device and using a single pair of signal intensities obtained from the opposing positions.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing at least one gantry for mounting the at least one photon imaging device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one photon imaging device is a plurality of photon imaging devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of photon imaging devices includes a first photon imaging device comprising an x-ray generator mounted on the at least one gantry, a second photon imaging device comprising an x-ray detector mounted on the at least one gantry, and a third photon imaging device comprising a gamma camera mounted on the at least one gantry.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a fourth imaging device comprising a gamma camera mounted on the at least one gantry.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one gantry is a plurality of gantries and the first photon imaging device and the third photon imaging device are each mounted on separate gantries, wherein the separate gantries are movable with respect to each another.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the at last one gantry is a plurality of gantries and a first photon imaging device is a gamma camera mounted on a first gantry of the plurality of gantries, a second imaging device is an x-ray generator mounted on a second gantry of the plurality of gantries, and a third imaging device is an x-ray detector mounted on the second gantry.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a fourth photon imaging device comprising a gamma camera mounted on said first gantry.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first gantry and the second gantry comprise concentric rings moveable with respect to each other.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein in the step of controlling movement of the at least one photon imaging device, the target site includes one or more sites selected from the group consisting of:

breast, thyroid, parathyroid, heart, liver, kidney, gall bladder, bladder, reproductive organs and glandular structures.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the signal intensity includes a comparative signal intensity calculated from at least one of:

comparing changes in attenuation, comparing changes in spatial resolution and comparing changes in partial volume effect.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the signal intensity includes a comparative signal intensity calculated from at least two of:

comparing changes in attenuation, comparing changes in spatial resolution and comparing changes in partial volume effect.