Radioimaging

• US 8,445,851 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics Medical Ltd
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics LLC
• Inventors: Rousso, Benny, Ben-Haim, Shlomo, Nagler, Michael, Ziv, Omer, Ravhon, Ran, Dickman, Dalia, Zilberstein, Yoel, Dichterman, Eli, Ben-Haim, Simona, Vallabhajosula, Shankar, Berman, Daniel, Bronshtine, Zohar, Popper, Ziv, Weissberg, Nir, Roth, Nathaniel, Melman, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bryant, Casey
• Application Number:
  US11/980,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20080230702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 250/363.01, 250/363.04, 378/4, 378/7, 378/8
• US Class Current: 250/363.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1603 with a combination of at least two different types of detector see provisionally also G01T1/16
• 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 1/1642 using a scintillation crystal and position sensing photodetector arrays, e.g. ANGER cameras
• 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

Abstract

Radioimaging methods, devices and radiopharmaceuticals therefor.

Claims

1. A method of radioimaging, comprising:

(a) collecting radioimaging data from a patient using a plurality of detection, amplification and signal processing paths configured to avoid saturation due to radiating portions of the patient'"'"'s body structure; and

(b) reconstructing a radiation emission image using data generated by said plurality of paths,

wherein collecting comprises

(c) identifying preferred sets of views for radioactive-emission measurements of a region of interest within the body, comprising;

(i) providing a model of the region of interest;

(ii) identifying a preferred set of views for the model which reduce saturation effects.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises identifying using at least one information theoretic measure.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said collecting and said reconstructing comprise imaging a region of interest in a body using said set of views.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising zooming in on said region of interest in said imaging.

5. A method of radioimaging, comprising:

(a) collecting radioimaging data from a patient using a plurality of detection, amplification and signal processing paths configured to avoid saturation due to radiating portions of the patient'"'"'s body structure; and

(b) reconstructing a radiation emission image using data generated by said plurality of paths,

wherein said collecting comprises using a prescan, comprising;

(i) performing a prescan of a subject undergoing diagnosis;

(ii) identifying a region-of-interest and potential saturation from said prescan; and

(iii) collecting radiation data from the region-of-interest, taking into account said potential saturation.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said prescan is performed using an imaging modality other than ionizing radiation.

7. A method according to claim 5 , comprising:

(a) acquiring a first “

round”

of radioactive-emission measurements;

(b) updating a preferred set of views for a next “

round”

of radioactive-emission measurements; and

(c) performing said next round based on said updating, within less than 5 minutes.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said updating comprises updating according to a determination of detector utilization.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said utilization comprises saturation.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said utilization comprises low counts.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein said updating comprises analyzing based on a reconstruction of the body structure, and choosing a preferred set of views for one or more of, better defining edges, and other image quality measures.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein said updating comprises analyzing based on a reconstruction of the body structure, and choosing a preferred set of views for ensuring a total count per voxel that meets a desired signal to nose ratio.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein said updating comprises analyzing based on a reconstruction of the body structure, and choosing a preferred set of views for ensuring a total count that meets a desired signal to nose ratio.

14. A method according to claim 5, comprising estimating Compton scatter using an iterative Expectation Maximization (EM) method which converges to a local maximum of a likelihood.

15. A method according to claim 5, wherein said collecting uses a configuration which avoids saturation by said processing paths being separate so that saturation of one path does not saturate another path.

16. A radioactive emission camera configured for medical imaging of a body or body portion comprising a plurality of detection, amplification and signal processing paths configured to avoid saturation due to radiating portions of the patient'"'"'s body structure and configured for

(a) collecting radioimaging data from a patient using said plurality of detection, amplification and signal processing paths configured to avoid saturation due to radiating portions of the patient'"'"'s body structure;

and

(b) reconstructing a radiation emission image using data generated by said plurality of paths,

wherein said collecting comprises performing a prescan and identifying therefrom at least one of (i) a preferred set of views which reduce saturation effects and (ii) a region of interest and potential saturation.

17. A camera according to claim 16, wherein said paths channel at least 256 pixels in parallel to an image reconstructing system.

18. A camera according to claim 16, wherein said configuring to avoid saturation is provided by said processing paths being separate so that saturation of one path does not saturate another path.

19. A camera according to claim 18, wherein said paths include at least 128 pixel paths for a single detector.

20. A camera according to claim 16, configured to identify detector saturation.

21. A camera according to claim 20, configured to select a new view to avoid saturation.

22. A camera according to claim 20, configured to select a new view to reinforce a saturated view.

23. A camera according to claim 16, configured to select or calculate a protocol to be used in administering and imaging of a radiopharmaceutical, based on a determination of saturation of a detector.