Registration of nuclear medicine images

• US 5,871,013 A
• Filed: 12/13/1995
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Elscint Limited (Elbit Imaging Limited)
• Inventors: Wainer, Naor, Shwartz, Shoulamit Cohen
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/571,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/659, 128/696, 128/708, 128/716, 128/721, 250/363.04
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1615 using both transmission and emission sources simultaneously SPECT imaging G01T1/1642; PET imaging G01T1/2985; detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects G01V5/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1648 Ancillary equipment for scintillation cameras, e.g. reference markers, devices for removing motion artifacts, calibration devices adapted for flow studies G01T1/1647
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4061 by injecting details from different spectral ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/38 Registration of image sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/754 involving a deformation of the sample pattern or of the reference pattern; Elastic matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/03 Recognition of patterns in medical or anatomical images

Abstract

A method of registering a plurality of functional images using both structural images and gating.

Claims

1. A method of registering a functional image to a structural diagnostic image comprising:

providing a functional emission nuclear image of a patient as a functional image;

providing a first structural image of said patient;

providing a second structural image, said second structural image comprising a nuclear medicine image and having a known positional relationship to said functional nuclear image;

finding a first mapping transformation between said first and second structural images;

determining a second mapping transformation between said functional image and said first structural image based on said first mapping transformation and said known positional relationship; and

gating at least said functional image to at least one of a patient'"'"'s body rhythms.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said body rhythm is the cardiac rhythm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said body rhythm is the respiratory rhythm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gating comprises binning.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a second functional image that has a known positional transformation to said first structural image and binning said functional images in accordance with at least one of said patient'"'"'s body rhythms.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a second functional image, wherein said second functional image has a known positional transformation to said first structural image and wherein said functional images are acquired in different phases of said rhythm.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising combining said functional images into a third functional image.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gating comprises windowing.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein said functional image is one of a SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) and STET (Simultaneous Transmission and Emission Tomography) image.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said second structural image is one of a SPECT and STET image.

11. The method according to any one of claim 1-8, wherein said second structural image is one of a SPECT (Single Photon Emissin Computerized Tomography) and STET (Simultaneous Transmission and Emission Tomography) image.