Multi-dimensional image reconstruction

• US 7,176,466 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics Medical Ltd
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics LLC
• Inventors: Nagler, Michael, Rousso, Benny
• Primary Examiner(s): Gabor; Otilia
• Application Number:
  US11/034,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.08, 250/363.02, 250/363.1
• US Class Current: 250/370.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4057 by using radiation sources located in the interior of the body A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/486 involving generating temporal series of image data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5241 combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/161 Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/166 involving relative movement between detector and subject scanners in general without using scintigraphy G01T1/2964
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus for radiation based imaging of a non-homogenous target area having distinguishable regions therein, comprises: an imaging unit configured to obtain radiation intensity data from a target region in the spatial dimensions and at least one other dimension, and an image four-dimension analysis unit analyzes the intensity data in the spatial dimension and said at least one other dimension in order to map the distinguishable regions. The system typically detects rates of change over time in signals from radiopharmaceuticals and uses the rates of change to identify the tissues. In a preferred embodiment, two or more radiopharmaceuticals are used, the results of one being used as a constraint on the other.

Claims

1. Apparatus for radiation based imaging of a non-homogenous target area having distinguishable regions therein, the apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to obtain radiation intensity data of at least one radioactive marker, from said target area in spatial dimensions and a time dimension, said at least one radioactive marker having region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, and

an image four-dimension analysis unit associated with said imaging unit for analyzing said obtained intensity data in said spatial and time dimensions in order to map said distinguishable regions, to a time-characterized mapping, based on said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image four dimension analysis unit is configured to constrain image output to a subset of said mapped distinguishable regions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image four-dimension analysis unit is configured to use said constraining to increase a resolution of said image output.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles includes at least one distinguishable attribute, selected from the group consisting of:

a distinguishable time uptake characteristics,

a distinguishable time release characteristics, and a combination thereof.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image analysis unit is configured to use said time-characterized mapping to generate an image comprising said distinguishable regions as distinct entities.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image analysis unit is configured to use said time-characterized mapping to generate an image showing only a subset of said distinguishable regions and to exclude at least one other of said distinguishable regions.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said distinguishable regions at least partially overlap, said image analysis unit being configured to show radiation due to a subset of said distinguishable regions of said time-characterized mapping, and to exclude radiation from at least one other of said distinguishable regions as noise.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two radioactive markers are applied to said target area, each of said markers having marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, said image analysis unit being capable of handling at least one additional dimension, and being configured to use distinguishability of the marker-characterized, region-dependent, radiation intensity time profiles between said markers as said additional dimension in order to provide a marker-characterized mapping.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image analysis unit is configured to use said marker-characterized mapping to generate an image comprising said regions as distinct entities.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image analysis unit is configured to use said marker-characterized mapping to generate an image showing only a subset of said distinguishable regions and to exclude at least one other of said distinguishable regions.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said distinguishable regions at least partially overlap, said image analysis unit being configured to show radiation due to a subset of said distinguishable regions of said marker-characterized mapping, and to exclude radiation from at least one other of said distinguishable regions of said marker-characterized mapping as noise.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of said radioactive markers is Thallium-201 and another of said radioactive markers is Technetium-99m.

13. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity as a function of time.

14. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity rate as a function of time.

15. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said marker-characterized mapping provides confirmation of said time-characterized mapping.

16. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said marker-characterized mapping produces a finer mapping than said time-characterized mapping.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging unit comprises at least one directional Geiger counter.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said imaging unit comprises a plurality of directional Geiger counters.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said imaging unit comprises a controller for directing said Geiger counter to take images from a set of locations optimized to obtain three-dimensional spatial data for a given target area.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said non-homogenous target area is a region of living tissue, comprising an inhomogeneity selected from the group consisting of:

different tissues, different organs, blood and organ tissue, and tissue regions of differential pathologies.

21. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image analysis unit is configured to ignore image data as being from outside said target area if said image data does not conform to at least one of said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles.

22. Apparatus according to claim 1, configured to use said time-characterized mapping to identify at least one distinguishable region of low emissivity, thereby to concentrate imaging resources on said identified region.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said imaging is via voxels of said target area and wherein said concentrating imaging resources comprises merging voxels of said identified region.

24. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said concentrating resources comprises concentrating resources of said imaging unit on said identified region.

25. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said time-characterized mapping comprises a first mapping to identify an organ and a second mapping constrained within said organ.

26. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity as a function of time.

27. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity rate as a function of time.

28. A method for constraining image data obtained from a non-homogenous target area having a plurality of distinguishable regions, using at least one radioactive marker, which has region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, the method comprising:

obtaining radiation intensity data from said target area in spatial dimensions and at least a time dimension;

analyzing said radiation intensity data using said spatial and time dimensions;

producing a time-characterized mapping, based on said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles; and

constraining an output to a subset of said distinguishable regions.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein each of said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles includes at least one distinguishable attribute, selected from the group consisting of:

a distinguishable time uptake characteristics,

a distinguishable time release characteristics, and a combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein there are provided at least two radioactive markers, each having marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, and further including:

using distinguishability of the marker-characterized, region-dependent, radiation intensity time profiles between said markers as an additional dimension; and

producing a marker-characterized mapping, based on said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, to supplement said time-characterized mapping.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said marker-characterized mapping provides confirmation of said time-characterized mapping.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said marker-characterized mapping produces a finer mapping than said time-characterized mapping.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein one of said radioactive markers is Thallium-201 and another of said radioactive markers is Technetium-99m.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein said time-characterized mapping identifies at least one region of low emissivity, the method further comprising concentrating imaging resources on said identified region.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said imaging is via voxels of said target area and wherein said concentrating imaging resources comprises merging voxels of said identified region.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said concentrating resources comprises concentrating resources of said imaging unit on said identified region.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein said time-characterized mapping comprises a first mapping to identify an organ and a second mapping constrained within said organ.

38. The method according to claim 28, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity as a function of time.

39. The method according to claim 28, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity rate as a function of time.

40. The method according to claim 28, wherein said non-homogenous target area is a region of living tissue, comprising an inhomogeneity selected from the group consisting of:

different tissues, different organs, blood and organ tissue, and tissue regions of differential pathologies.

41. Apparatus for radiation based imaging of a non-homogenous target area having distinguishable regions therein, the apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to obtain radiation intensity data of at least one radioactive marker, from said target area in spatial dimensions and a time dimension, said at least one radioactive marker having region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, and

an image analysis unit associated with said imaging unit for analyzing said obtained intensity data in said spatial and time dimensions in order to map said distinguishable regions, to a time-characterized mapping, based on said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, and using said time-characterized mapping to control use of imaging resources.

42. A method for mapping image data obtained from a non-homogenous target area having a plurality of distinguishable regions, using at least one radioactive marker, which has region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles, the method comprising:

obtaining radiation intensity data from said target area in spatial dimensions and a time dimension;

analyzing said radiation intensity data using said spatial and time dimensions; and

producing a time-characterized mapping, based on said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein each of said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles includes at least one distinguishable attribute, selected from the group consisting of:

a distinguishable time uptake characteristics,

a distinguishable time release characteristics, and a combination thereof.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein there are provided at least two radioactive markers, each having respectively a marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profile, and further including:

using distinguishability of the marker-characterized, region-dependent, radiation intensity time profiles between said markers as an additional dimension; and

producing a marker-characterized mapping, based on said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein said marker-characterized mapping provides confirmation of said time-characterized mapping.

46. The method according to claim 44, wherein said marker-characterized mapping produces a finer mapping than said time-characterized mapping.

47. The method according to claim 44, wherein one of said radioactive markers is Thallium-201 and another of said radioactive markers is Technetium-99m.

48. The method according to claim 44, wherein said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity as a function of time.

49. The method according to claim 44, wherein said marker-characterized, region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity rate as a function of time.

50. The method according to claim 42, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity as a function of time.

51. The method according to claim 42, wherein said region-dependent, distinguishable, radiation intensity time profiles are distinguishable by radiation intensity rate as a function of time.

52. The method according to claim 42, wherein said non-homogenous target area is a region of living tissue, comprising an inhomogeneity selected from the group consisting of:

different tissues, different organs, blood and organ tissue, and tissue regions of differential pathologies.