Method and system for composite gating using multiple inputs

• US 7,756,565 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bulkes, Cherik, Avinash, Gopal B., Salla, Prathyusha K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHTA, PARIKHA SOLANKI
• Application Number:
  US10/723,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20050113672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 600/413, 600/428
• US Class Current: 600/413
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0037 Performing a preliminary scan, e.g. a prescan for identifying a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7292 Prospective gating, i.e. predicting the occurrence of a physiological event for use as a synchronisation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5673 Gating or triggering based on a physiological signal other than an MR signal, e.g. ECG gating or motion monitoring using optical systems for monitoring the motion of a fiducial marker

Abstract

One or more techniques are provided for determining the overall motion of an organ of interest relative to a viewer or imager. Motion data is acquired for the organ of interest and/or for one or more proximate organs using sensor-based and/or image data-based techniques. The sensor-based techniques may include electrical and non-electrical techniques. The image data-based techniques may include both pre-acquisition and acquisition image data. The motion data for the organ of interest and proximate organs may be used to determine one or more quiescent periods corresponding to intervals of minimal motion for the organ of interest and the proximate organs. The one or more quiescent periods may be used to determine one or more gating points that may be used prospectively, i.e., during image acquisition, and retrospectively, i.e., after image acquisition. In addition, the one or more quiescent periods may be used to determine one or more motion compensation factors that may be used during processing and reconstruction of the acquired image data. The gating points and motion compensation factors may be used, separately or together, to reduce motion-related artifacts in the reconstructed images.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for two or more organs from at least one of one or more types of electrical sensors and one or more types of non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points; and

means for processing a portion of the set of image data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

2. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for two or more organs from at least one of one or more types of electrical sensors and one or more types of non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for initiating and terminating the acquisition of a set of image data representative of the organ of interest based on the two or more prospective gating points;

means for reconstructing the set of image data to generate a set of reconstructed data; and

means for processing a portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

3. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for an organ from at least one or more non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for initiating and terminating the acquisition of a set of image data representative of the organ of interest based on the two or more prospective gating points; and

means for processing a portion of the set of image data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

4. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for an organ of interest from at least one or more non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for the organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points;

means for reconstructing the set of image data to generate a set of reconstructed data; and

means for processing a portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

5. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for a respiratory organ of interest from at least one or more electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for the respiratory organ of interest;

means for initiating and terminating the acquisition of a set of image data representative of the respiratory organ of interest based on the two or more prospective gating points; and

means for processing a portion of the set of image data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

6. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for a respiratory organ of interest from at least one or more electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for the respiratory organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the respiratory organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points;

means for reconstructing the set of image data to generate a set of reconstructed data; and

means for processing a portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

7. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for an organ from one or more non-electrical sensors and one or more electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points; and

means for processing a portion of the set of image data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

8. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for an organ of interest from one or more non-electrical sensors one or more electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for the organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points;

means for reconstructing the set of image data to generate a set of reconstructed data; and

means for processing a portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points.

9. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for one or more organs from at least one of one or more types of electrical sensors and one or more types of non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points;

means for processing a portion of the set of image data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points; and

means for compensating for motion in the portion of the set of image data based upon a set of motion compensation factors derived from one or more pre-acquisition images.

10. An imaging system, comprising:

means for acquiring a set of motion data for one or more organs from at least one of one or more types of electrical sensors and one or more types of non-electrical sensors;

means for processing the set of motion data to extract two or more prospective gating points and two or more retrospective gating points for an organ of interest;

means for acquiring a set of image data representative of the organ of interest using the two or more prospective gating points;

means for reconstructing the set of image data to generate a set of reconstructed data;

means for processing a portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon the two or more retrospective gating points; and

means for compensating for motion in the portion of the set of reconstructed data based upon a set of motion compensation factors derived from one or more pre-acquisition images.