Computing by anticipation for nuclear medicine imaging

• US 6,553,248 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Brack, Jerome W., Gagnon, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANTIS MERCADER, ELENI M
• Application Number:
  US09/437,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 128/922, 128/925, 600/410, 600/407, 324/307, 324/309, 382/128, 382/133, 382/224, 382/131, 705/3
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1647 Processing of scintigraphic data not related to a particular imaging system G01T1/2992

Abstract

A method for reconstructing an image representation of a subject from data sets collected using a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus is provided. The method includes defining operations which are performed in reconstructing desired types of image representations. The operations are applicable to data sets having particular formats. Data sets having particular formats are identified, and operations are selected from the defined operations based upon the particular format of the identified data sets. When a detected load on available image processing equipment is below a desired level, then selected operations are automatically performed on the identified data sets.

Claims

1. In an imaging system in which data is generated which is reconstructable at the selection of a diagnostician into a plurality of different image representations and in which a common computer system performs both imaging and other functions, an image reconstruction method comprising:

monitoring selected scanning parameters and images previously requested by the diagnostician;

comparing the monitored scanning parameters and previous images with historical scan and image request information to estimate more probable subsequent image requests by the diagnostician;

monitoring for computer system availability; and

,

while the computer system is available and prior to a subsequent image request, performing at least portions of image reconstruction operations for generating the more probable subsequent images.

2. A method for reconstructing an image representation of a subject from data sets collected using a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, said method comprising:

(a) defining operations which are performed in reconstructing different types of image representations, said operations being applicable to data sets having particular formats;

(b) identifying data sets having particular formats;

(c) selecting operations from the defined operations based upon the particular format of the identified data sets;

(d) detecting a load on available image processing equipment; and

,

(e) automatically performing the selected operations on the identified data sets when the detected load is below a desired level to thereby advance reconstruction toward determined types of image representations.

3. The method according to claim 2, said method further comprising:

(f) storing results from performing the selected operations on the identified data sets.

4. The method according to claim 3, said method further comprising:

(g) discarding the stored results that are unwanted.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the defined operations are selected from a group consisting of sorting, rebinning, filtering, scaling, interpolating, convolving, backprojecting, transforming, and weighting.

6. The method according to claim 2, said method further comprising:

defining a hierarchy which controls an order in which data sets are identified in step (b) and operations are selected in step (c) when options exist as to which data set to identify and which operation to select.

7. The method according to claim 6, said method further comprising:

receiving requests for desired types of image representations; and

,

historically tracking how many times each type of image representation is requested, wherein the hierarchy favors identification of data sets in step (b) and selection of operations in step (c) such that priority in the types of image representations reconstructed reflects the historical tracking.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the available imaging equipment includes at least one computer.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the available imaging equipment includes multiple computers link via a common network.

10. A method for reconstructing an image representation of a subject from data sets collected using a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, said method comprising:

(a) receiving requests for desired types of image representations;

(b) historically tracking how many times different types of image representations are requested;

(c) defining operations which are performed in reconstructing desired types of image representations, said operations being applicable to data sets having particular formats;

(d) identifying data sets having particular formats;

(e) selecting operations from the defined operations based upon the particular format of the identified data sets;

(f) automatically performing the selected operations on the identified data sets such that a priority for performing the selected operations on the identified data sets is based on the historical tracking.

11. A medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

at least one imaging station, said imaging station including an imaging scanner which collects raw data from a subject positioned therein; and

,

a control terminal from which the imaging scanner is operated, said control terminal including a computer having a particular amount of resources for operation of the imaging scanner and image reconstruction, said image reconstruction including processing operations which advance transformation of data sets from raw data to image data, said computer automatically carrying out a processing operation when sufficient resources are available and a data set is detected for which the processing operation is applicable, wherein selection of processing operations is carried out in a determined order based upon historical information which reflects preferences for different types of reconstructed images.

12. The medical diagnostic imaging system according to claim 11, wherein the imaging scanner is a nuclear scanner.

13. The medical diagnostic imaging system according to claim 11, said medical diagnostic imaging system further comprising:

multiple imaging stations; and

,

a common data network linking the computers from each imaging stations'"'"' control terminal such that an image reconstruction load is shared thereby.

14. The medical diagnostic imaging system according to claim 11, wherein the processing operations are selected from a group consisting of sorting, rebinning, filtering, scaling, interpolating, convolving, backprojecting, transforming, and weighting.

15. The medical diagnostic imaging system according to claim 11, wherein the computer stores clinically useful images resulting from the image reconstruction and discards unusable images.

16. A medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

at least one imaging station, said imaging station including an imaging scanner which collects raw data from a subject positioned therein; and

,

a control terminal from which the imaging scanner is operated, said control terminal including a computer having a particular amount of resources for operation of the imaging scanner and image processing, said computer automatically carrying out image processing when sufficient resources are available and a data set is detected for which an image processing operation is applicable, wherein the computer selects image processing operations for application to particular data sets based upon characteristic formats of the data sets, said data sets corresponding to pre-reconstructed data.