Nuclear cardiology apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A cardiac function evaluating system utilizing radiation event counts from a radioisotope in the cardiovascular system of a subject, the system comprising:
- (a) a radiation detector for producing data describing radiation count location distribution of the radioisotope in the subject over a two dimensional field;
(b) circuitry for electrically segregating said data corresponding to radiation events occurring within a predetermined electronically defined region of interest within the field and encompassing a portion of the subject'"'"'s hear to be evaluated, said electrical segregation being executed in real time relative to the production of the data;
(c) time gated multichannel memory circuitry for processing said segregated data for evaluating a heart function, and(d) display apparatus responsive to the time gated memory circuitry for producing an indication of a characteristic of the heart function being evaluated.
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Abstract
A nuclear cardiology system for use with a scintillation camera for evaluating cardiac function by real time measurement of the variation of radiation from the heart of a patient to whom is administered a radioactive tracer. The camera provides data describing the location of individual counts representing radiation events coming from the patient. The system segregates, in real time, counts corresponding to radiation from an electronically defined region of interest describing an investigated part of the heart, such as the left ventricle. Synchronized by the patient'"'"'s electrocardiogram, time gated memory circuitry divides each heartbeat into a series of subintervals, and stores indications of the respective amounts of radiation events emanating from the region of interest during each of the subintervals. Calculating circuitry scans the stored information and, based on the maximum and minimum respective radiation amounts detected in the subintervals, computes the fraction of blood ejected by the heart in each beat. A strip chart recorder provides a permanent representation of the curve of radiation from the region of interest, as defined by the indicated series of subinterval radiation amounts.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A cardiac function evaluating system utilizing radiation event counts from a radioisotope in the cardiovascular system of a subject, the system comprising:
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(a) a radiation detector for producing data describing radiation count location distribution of the radioisotope in the subject over a two dimensional field; (b) circuitry for electrically segregating said data corresponding to radiation events occurring within a predetermined electronically defined region of interest within the field and encompassing a portion of the subject'"'"'s hear to be evaluated, said electrical segregation being executed in real time relative to the production of the data; (c) time gated multichannel memory circuitry for processing said segregated data for evaluating a heart function, and (d) display apparatus responsive to the time gated memory circuitry for producing an indication of a characteristic of the heart function being evaluated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for evaluating cardiac function utilizing radiation unit counts from a radioisotope in the cardiovascular system of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing data describing radiation count location distribution of the radioisotope in the subject over a two dimensional field; (b) electrically segregating said data corresponding to radiation events occurring within a predetermined region of interest within the field and encompassing a portion of the subject'"'"'s heart to be evaluated, said segregation step being performed in real time; (c) processing the segregated data for evaluating a heart function, and (d) producing an indication of a characteristic of the heart function being evaluated in response to the data processing. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A nuclear cardiology system for use in connection with a scintillation camera for evaluating the cardiac function of a patient vascularly injected with a radioactive tracer, the camera producing counts each describing the location of a radiation event caused by the presence of the tracer in the patient'"'"'s body, said nuclear cardiology system comprising:
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(a) means for defining a region of interest of the patient'"'"'s body; (b) discrimination circuitry for selecting, in real time, radiation count signals corresponding to radiation events within the region of interest; (c) circuitry for dividing the patient'"'"'s heartbeat cycle into a series of time subintervals synchronous with the patient'"'"'s electrocardiogram; (d) a multichannel memory for accumulating an indication of the number of counts corresponding to the region of interest during each of the subintervals; (e) calculating circuitry for scanning the information stored in the multichannel memory for determining the maximum and minimum count values accumulated in the memory channels, and (f) means responsive to the calculating circuitry and the multichannel memory for producing a representation of a characteristic of the patient'"'"'s heart function. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A nuclear cardiology method for employment in connection with a scintillation camera for evaluating the cardiac function of a patient vascularly injected with a radioactive tracer, the camera producing counts each describing the location of a radiation event caused by the presence of the tracer in the patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) defining a region of interest of the patient'"'"'s body; (b) selecting, in real time, radiation count signals corresponding to radiation events within the region of interest; (c) dividing the patient'"'"'s heartbeat cycle into a series of time subintervals synchronous with the patient'"'"'s electrocardiogram; (d) accumulating an indication of the number of counts corresponding to the region of interest during each of the subintervals; (e) scanning the information stored in the multichannel memory for determining the maximum and minimum count values accumulated in the memory channels, and (f) producing a representation of a characteristic of the patient'"'"'s heart function in response to the calculation. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for evaluating cardiac function of an animal body containing a radioactive tracer substance, the system being for use in connection with apparatus for producing radiation count signals each indicating the occurrence and location of a radiation event within the animal body, and for use with electrocardiogram apparatus, said system comprising:
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(a) means for defining a spatial region of interest of the body; (b) means for identifying radiation counts produced in response to radiation events within the region of interest; (c) circuitry for; (i) discarding radiation counts produced in response to events occurring outside the region of interest, and (ii) discarding information relating to the location of radiation events occurring within the region of interest;
without storage of the discarded information;(d) time gating circuitry synchronized with an electrocardiogram of the body for dividing the heartbeat interval of the body into a series of time subintervals; (e) a multichannel memory system for accumulating in each of its respective channels the number of radiation counts corresponding to the region of interest during a different one of the respective heartbeat time subintervals, and (f) circuitry for employing the counts stored in the multichannel memory for generating an indication representing a characteristic of cardiac function of the animal body.
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36. A method for evaluating cardiac function of an animal body containing a radioactive tracer substance, the method being for use in connection with apparatus for producing radiation count signals, each count signal indicating the occurrence and location of a radiation event within the animal body, and for use with electrocardiogram apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) defining a spatial region of interest of the body; (b) identifying radiation counts produced in response to radiation events within the region of interest; (c) discarding radiation counts produced in response to events occurring outside the region of interest, and also describing location information relating to radiation events occurring within the region of interest, said discarding being carried out without storage of the discarded information; (d) dividing the heartbeat interval of a body into a series of time subintervals; (e) accumulating in each of a plurality of channels the number of radiation counts corresponding to the region of interest and occurring during a different one of the respective subintervals, and (f) employing the stored counts for generating an indication representing a characteristic of cardiac function of the animal body.
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Specification