Method for reduced-artifact radiological 3D imaging, medical imaging device and method for creating a therapy plan

• US 7,818,045 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rietzel, Eike
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOFFA, ANGELA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/522,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4447 Tiltable gantries
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/466 adapted to display 3D data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5258 involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/005 Specific pre-processing for tomographic reconstruction, e.g. calibration, source positioning, rebinning, scatter correction, retrospective gating
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction

Abstract

A method for reduced-artifact 3D-imaging of an imaging volume having an interfering element. A patient is positioned in a first position and a second positions spatially different from each other in an imaging device and first 3D-imaging and second 3D-imaging are performed with the interfering element lying within a first radiographic layer and a second radiographic layer. A first and second set of raw data of the imaging volume are provided with the first set having artifact-influenced raw data for the first radiographic layer and the second set having artifact-influenced raw data for the second radiographic layer and non-artifact influenced raw data for the first radiographic layer. A reduced-artifact 3D data set is created by combining the raw data sets or by calculating a first 3D image data set and a second 3D image data set from the raw data sets and combining the 3D image data sets.

Claims

1. A method for generating an artifact-reduced 3D-image data set of an imaging volume having an interfering element, wherein the 3D-image data set is generated by a medical imaging device that collects image data from projections through an imaged object, comprising:

positioning a patient in a first imaging position in an imaging device;

generating a first 3D-imaging of the patient in the first imaging position with the interfering element lying within a first illumination layer;

defining an area within the imaging volume that is affected by the interfering element;

calculating a first raw data set of the imaging volume based on the first 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the first illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the first raw data set are due to the interfering element;

positioning the patient in a second imaging position spatially different from the first imaging position;

generating a second 3D-imaging of the patient in the second imaging position with the interfering element lying within a second illumination layer intersecting with the first illumination layer in an intersection volume where the interfering element lies;

calculating a second raw data set of the imaging volume based on the second 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the second illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the second raw data set are due to the interfering element;

calculating a first 3D image data set from the first raw data set;

calculating a second 3D image data set from the second raw data set;

calculating a non-artifact influenced data for the first 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the first 3D-imaging data uninfluenced by the interfering element or a non-artifact influenced data for the second 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the second 3D-imaging uninfluenced by the interfering element;

combining the first 3D image data set and the second 3D image data set to form a combined data set, wherein the non-artifact influenced data of one of the first or second 3D image data set is combined with the artifact influenced data of the other 3D image data set outside the intersection volume wherein a portion of the artifact-influenced data of the first or second 3D image data set is replaced by respective overlapping spatial locations of the non-artifact influenced data from the other 3D image data set; and

calculating the artifact-reduced 3D-image data set of the imaging volume based on the combined data set.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second imaging position is positioned by moving, tilting or turning the patient.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second imaging position is positioned by moving, tilting or turning the imaging device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a further 3D-imaging with the interfering element lying within a further illumination layer is generated in a further different imaging position to provide a further raw data set which is combined with the first and second raw data sets.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interfering element is selected from the group consisting of:

a heart pacemaker, a tooth crown, and a metal implant of the patient.

6. A medical imaging device system for generating an artifact-reduced 3D-image data set, wherein the medical imaging device collects image data from projections through an imaged object, comprising:

a patient supporting device;

an image device which;

records a first 3D-imaging of the patient in a first imaging position with an interfering element lying within a first illumination layer,

records a second 3D-imaging of the patient in a second imaging position with the interfering element lying within a second illumination layer intersecting with the first illumination layer in an intersection volume in which the interfering element lies; and

an image processing unit configured and arranged to;

define an area within the imaging volume that is affected by the interfering element;

calculate a first raw data set of the imaging volume based on the first 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the first illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the first raw data set are due to the interfering element,

calculate a second raw data set of the imaging volume based on the second 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the second illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the second raw data set are due to the interfering element,

calculate a first 3D image data set from the first raw data set,

calculate a second 3D image data set from the second raw data set,

calculate a non-artifact influenced data for the first 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the first 3D-imaging data uninfluenced by the interfering element or a non-artifact influenced data for the second 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the second 3D-imaging data uninfluenced by the interfering element,

combine the first 3D image data set and the second 3D image data set to form a combined data set, wherein the non-artifact influenced data of the first or second 3D image data set is combined with the artifact influenced data of the other 3D image data set outside the intersection volume, wherein a portion of the artifact-influenced data of the first or second 3D image data set is replaced by respective overlapping spatial locations of the non-artifact influenced data from the other 3D image data set, and

calculate the artifact-reduced 3D-image data set based on the combined data set.

7. The medical imaging device system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the imaging device is a computer tomography device comprising a gantry which is tiltable, turnable or movable.

8. The medical imaging device system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the patient supporting device is tiltable, turnable or movable.

9. The medical imaging device system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second imaging position is spatially different from the first imaging position relative to the image device.

10. A method for creating a therapy plan for a radiotherapy for a patient, comprising:

creating a reduced-artifact radiological image data set by an image device that collects image data from projections through an imaged object, comprising;

positioning the patient in a first imaging position in the imaging device,

defining an area within the imaging volume that is affected by the interfering element,

generating a first 3D-imaging of the patient in the first imaging position with an interfering element lying within a first illumination layer,

calculating a first raw data set based on the first 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the first illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the first raw data set are due to the interfering element,

positioning the patient in a second imaging position spatially different from the first imaging position,

generating a second 3D-imaging of the patient in the second imaging position with the interfering element lying within a second illumination layer intersecting with the first illumination layer in an intersection volume in which the interfering element lies,

calculating a second raw data set based on the second 3D-imaging comprising an artifact-influenced raw data for the second illumination layer, wherein the artifacts of the first raw data set are due to the interfering element,

calculating a first 3D image data set from the first raw data set;

calculating a second 3D image data set from the second raw data set;

calculating a non-artifact influenced data for the first 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the first 3D-imaging data uninfluenced by the interfering element or a non-artifact influenced data for the second 3D image data set outside the intersection volume based on the second 3D-imaging data uninfluenced by the interfering element,

combining the first 3D image data set and the second 3D image data set to form a combined data set, wherein the non-artifact influenced data of the first or second 3D image data set is combined with the artifact influenced data of the other 3D image data set outside the intersection volume wherein a portion of the artifact-influenced data of the first or second 3D image data set is replaced by respective overlapping spatial locations of the non-artifact influenced data from the other 3D image data set, and

calculating the artifact-reduced radiological image data set based on the combined data set;

selecting a radiological examination parameter based on the artifact-reduced radiological image data set; and

planning the radiotherapy for the patient according to the radiological examination parameter.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radiotherapy is a radiological examination of the patient comprising a particle therapy system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radiological examination parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

examination area, dose distribution, particle beam energy and particle beam intensity.