Real time cardiac radionuclide imaging

• US 4,585,008 A
• Filed: 09/29/1982
• Issued: 04/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technicare Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Technicare Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jarkewicz, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanley, John C.
• Application Number:
  US06/427,075
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653, 128/654, 128/659
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal

Abstract

Real time acquisition of cardiac or other gated cyclical data using a scintillation camera with image formulation utilizing only such data that satisfied a preselected time frame for each cycle. The technique provides real time processing of gated data without the need for specialized hardware equipment or for post processing of the data. Unwanted information corresponding to cycles falling outside a preselected time frame are deleted in real time and hence do not contribute to the cumulative cardiac image.

Claims

1. A data acquisition system for use in radionuclide cardiac imaging of a patient having been administered a myocardium specific radionuclide, comprising:

(a) means for monitoring the electrical activity of the heart;

(b) first temporary storage means for accumulating respective pages of data corresponding to nuclear events during each said cardiac cycle;

(c) means, responsive to said means for monitoring, for determining the time duration of each successive cadiac cycle;

(d) means for comparing each said determined duration of a cardiac cycle with a preselected time duration range;

(e) second temporary storage means; and

(f) means for conditionally transferring pages of data from said first temporary storage means to said second temporary storage means if the measured duration associated with each said page has predetermined correspondence with said preselected duration range, whereby pages of data having said predetermined correspondence may be collated into a quasi-real time study, while pages of data having different correspondence with said preselected time duration range are discarded form said study.

2. A data acquisition system as described in claim 1 wherein said first temporary storage means comprises a disc memory means, pages of data having said predetermined correspondence being transferred from said disc memory means to said second temporary storage means, and pages of data not having said predetermined correspondence being deleted from said disc memory means.

3. A data acquisition system as described in claim 2 and further including buffer memory means which includes two separate portions, each being alternatively utilized to accumulate pages of data corresponding to nuclear events during given successive cardiac cycles, a page of data from one portion being transferred to said disc memory means while a page of data from a next subsequent cycle is being accumulated in an alternative portion of said buffer memory means.

4. A data acquisition system as described in claim 3 wherein said buffer memory means and said second temporary storage means comprises respective portions of a single memory means, divided appropriately into segments for performing the respective functions of each.