Motion compensation for medical imaging and associated systems and methods
First Claim
1. A system for producing image data regarding a planning target volume (PTV) within a patient'"'"'s body, the system comprising:
- at least one marker that is implantable at the PTV within the patient;
sensors positioned to receive an electromagnetic location signal that is broadcast by the active marker, the sensors being spaced apart from each other in a known geometry relative to each other;
a signal processing component configured to produce real-time localization data corresponding to the location signal based on the known geometry, the real-time localization data including a plurality of time stamps and spatial coordinates associated with a corresponding one of the time stamps; and
a system interface operably coupled with the signal processing component, the system interface also being operably coupled with an imaging system that scans the PTV to produce raw image data regarding the PTV, wherein the imaging system uses a processing algorithm to construct at least one of image frames and image slices, andwherein the system interface is configured toconcurrently receive both the real-time localization data from the signal processing component and raw image data from the imaging system while it simultaneously scans the PTV,bin the raw image data based on a specific window of the real-time location data while the imaging system is still scanning the PTV,output motion compensated image data corresponding to a particular subset of the binned raw image data,detect a change in location of the PTV out of a detection range based on the real-time localization data, andin response to detecting the change in location of the PTV, direct the imaging system to adjust image processing by calibrating the processing algorithm as it is still scanning the PTV.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Medical imaging and localization methods and systems for producing a motion-compensated image of a planning target volume (PTV) of a patient. In one embodiment, an imaging and localization system includes sensors that are positioned to receive an electromagnetic location signal from one or more active markers affixed to or adjacent a PTV. A signal processing component can produce real-time localization data corresponding to the location signal, and a system interface can receive such localization data. The system interface can also receive raw image data from an imaging subsystem and process the raw image data based on the localization data. For example, the imaging subsystem can include a computed tomography (CT) imaging system and image slices or frames can be binned based on the localization data.
176 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for producing image data regarding a planning target volume (PTV) within a patient'"'"'s body, the system comprising:
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at least one marker that is implantable at the PTV within the patient; sensors positioned to receive an electromagnetic location signal that is broadcast by the active marker, the sensors being spaced apart from each other in a known geometry relative to each other; a signal processing component configured to produce real-time localization data corresponding to the location signal based on the known geometry, the real-time localization data including a plurality of time stamps and spatial coordinates associated with a corresponding one of the time stamps; and a system interface operably coupled with the signal processing component, the system interface also being operably coupled with an imaging system that scans the PTV to produce raw image data regarding the PTV, wherein the imaging system uses a processing algorithm to construct at least one of image frames and image slices, and wherein the system interface is configured to concurrently receive both the real-time localization data from the signal processing component and raw image data from the imaging system while it simultaneously scans the PTV, bin the raw image data based on a specific window of the real-time location data while the imaging system is still scanning the PTV, output motion compensated image data corresponding to a particular subset of the binned raw image data, detect a change in location of the PTV out of a detection range based on the real-time localization data, and in response to detecting the change in location of the PTV, direct the imaging system to adjust image processing by calibrating the processing algorithm as it is still scanning the PTV. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for creating motion-compensated image data regarding an interior and volumetric portion of a patient, comprising:
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an imaging subsystem that scans the volumetric portion to produce raw image data regarding the volumetric portion and uses a processing algorithm to construct at least one of image frames and image slices; markers fixable at a position located at the volumetric portion and being excitable to produce an identifiable marker signal, the markers being spaced apart from each other in a known geometry relative to each other; sensors and one or more associated signal processing/control components that detect the identifiable marker signal and output real-time localization data based on the identifiable marker signal and the known geometry while the imaging system scans the volumetric portion, the real-time localization data including a plurality of time stamps and spatial coordinates associated with a corresponding one of the time stamps; and a processor that processes the raw image data by binning the raw image data while the imaging subsystem scans the volumetric portion, the binning being based, at least in part, on a specific window of the time stamps and the corresponding spatial coordinates, the processor being operably coupled with the imaging subsystem, the sensors, and the associated signal processing/control components of the sensors, wherein the processor outputs motion compensated image data corresponding to a particular subset of the binned raw image data, and wherein the processor detects a change in location of at least one of the active markers out of a detection range based on the spatial coordinates the processor receives while the imaging system simultaneously scans the volumetric portion, and wherein the processor directs the imaging subsystem to adjust image processing by calibrating the processing algorithm in response to detecting the change in location while the imaging system is still scanning the volumetric portion. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for eliminating motion artifacts in an imaging system, the method comprising:
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receiving time-varying localization data from a sensor array in communication with a plurality of active markers disposed within a patient'"'"'s body, the sensor array being located outside the patient, the plurality of active markers being spaced apart from each other in a known geometry relative to each other, and the time-varying localization data being based on the known geometry; concurrent to receiving the localization data, scanning a volumetric portion of the patient'"'"'s body to produce raw image data regarding the volumetric portion, the volumetric portion including the active markers or the active markers being at the volumetric portion; and while scanning the volumetric portion processing the raw image data into image frames regarding the volumetric portion using a processing algorithm to produce image frames, binning the image frames based on a specific window of the real-time localization data, the real-time localization data including a plurality of time stamps and spatial coordinates associated with a corresponding one of the time stamps, outputting motion compensated image data corresponding to a particular subset of the binned raw image data, detecting a shift in location of the volumetric portion out of a detection based on the localization data, and calibrating the processing algorithm in response to detecting the change in location of the volumetric portion. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method, comprising:
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implanting markers at or adjacent a planning target volume (PTV) within a patient'"'"'s body, the markers being spaced apart from each other in a known geometry relative to each other; exciting the markers to produce an excitation signal; detecting, in real time, a location of the markers based on the known geometry using an array of sensors positioned to receive the signal; associating a time stamp with each of the detected real-time locations; concurrently receiving the time stamps and associated real-time locations and scanning the PTV using a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, wherein scanning the PTV includes acquiring raw image data regarding the PTV and processing the raw image data into frames using an algorithm; and as the CT imaging system acquires the raw image data providing the image frames to a system interface for binning the image frames in real time, the binned image frames being based on a specific window of the detected real time location of the markers and the time stamp associated with each of the detected real time locations, outputting motion compensated image data corresponding to a particular subset of the binned image frames, receiving a feedback signal at the CT imaging system from the system interface indicating that the PTV has shifted out of a detection range, and modifying the processing of the raw image data by calibrating the algorithm based on the feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification