Systems for image detection

• US 9,903,962 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kovalski, Gil, Bouhnik, Jean-Paul, Sachs, Jonathan, Grobshtein, Yariv, Zingerman, Yulim, Eshco, Arie, Hefetz, Yaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/431,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• 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: A61B 6/4266 characterised by using a plurality of detector units A61B6/4014 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• 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 1/1648 Ancillary equipment for scintillation cameras, e.g. reference markers, devices for removing motion artifacts, calibration devices adapted for flow studies G01T1/1647
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/166 involving relative movement between detector and subject scanners in general without using scintigraphy G01T1/2964
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2985 In depth localisation, e.g. using positron emitters; Tomographic imaging (longitudinal and transverse section imaging; apparatus for radiation diagnosis sequentially in different planes, steroscopic radiation diagnosis); using external radiation sources A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/005 Specific pre-processing for tomographic reconstruction, e.g. calibration, source positioning, rebinning, scatter correction, retrospective gating

Abstract

A customizable and upgradeable imaging system is provided. Imaging detector columns are installed in a gantry to receive imaging information about a subject. Imaging detector columns can extend and retract radially as well as be rotated orbitally around the gantry. The gantry can be partially populated with detector columns and the detector columns can be partially populated with detector elements.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine, using information obtained from installation verification elements disposed at receiver locations on a gantry, installation information related to a plurality of imaging detector units attached to the gantry;

configure a physical location of at least one detector unit attached to the gantry using the installation information, wherein configuring the physical location of the at least one detector unit comprises moving the at least one detector;

acquire image information from the detector units; and

reconstruct an image using the image information acquired from the detector units.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the installation information comprises sweep motor status.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the sweep motor status comprises at least one of information indicating whether or not one or more sweep motors are operable, information indicating whether or not one or more sweep motors are responding, or information indicating a range of motion for one or more sweep motors.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the installation information comprises radial motion motor status.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the radial motion motor status comprises at least one of information indicating which column or columns include a radial motion motor, information indicating motion distance provided by at least one radial motion motor, information indicating radial location, or information indicating which radial motion motors are operable.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the installation information comprises detector element configuration status.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the detector element configuration status comprises at least one of information indicating the location at which detector elements are installed or information indicating the location at which detector elements could be installed.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the detector element configuration status comprises at least one of information indicating a scintillator material or information indicating a semiconductor material.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the detector element configuration status comprises information indicating a collimator structure.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

compare the installation information with subject information scan information;

develop a scanning scenario based on the installation information compared with the subject scan information; and

determine if the developed scanning scenario can be performed within a threshold time.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to, if the developed scanning scenario cannot be performed within the threshold time, notify a user.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to, if the developed scanning scenario can be performed within the threshold time, configure the physical location of the at least one detector unit attached to the gantry using the installation information and acquire the image information from the detector units.

13. An imaging system, comprising:

a gantry;

at least three image detectors attached to the gantry, each image detector comprising a detector arm and a detector head, each detector head comprising a receiver location for receiving a plurality of detector elements;

installation verification elements disposed at the receiver locations; and

at least one processor operably coupled to the installation verification receiver elements and configured to determine installation information based on information from the installation verification elements.

14. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the installation verification elements include at least one of a switch, button, or sensor.

15. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to dynamically update the installation information.

16. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the detector heads comprises a sweep motor, and wherein the installation information comprises sweep motor status.

17. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the detector head comprises a radial motion motor, and wherein the installation information comprises radial motion motor status.

18. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the installation information comprises detector element configuration status.

19. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

compare the installation information with subject information scan information;

develop a scanning scenario based on the installation information compared with the subject scan information; and

determine if the developed scanning scenario can be performed within a threshold time.

20. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to notify a user if the developed scanning scenario cannot be performed within the threshold time.