Spectral imaging

• US 9,928,585 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Schirra, Carsten Oliver, Lanza, Gregory, Proksa, Roland, Roessl, Ewald, Thran, Axel, Manzke, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Fujita, Katrina
• Application Number:
  US13/981,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• 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 2211/408 Dual energy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

A method includes analyzing a spectral projection image of a portion of a subject, generating a value quantifying an amount of a target specific contrast material in a region of interest of the spectral projection image, and generating a signal indicative of a presence of the target in response to the value satisfying a predetermined threshold level.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing a spectral computed tomography (CT) projection image of a portion of a human subject generated by a spectral CT imaging scan of the human subject with a target specific contrast material that targets ruptured plaque in the cardiovascular system of the human subject;

generating a value quantifying a concentration of the target specific contrast material in a region of interest of the spectral projection image; and

generating a signal indicative of a presence of the targeted ruptured plaque greater than a predetermined threshold level in response to the generated value satisfying the predetermined threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target specific contrast material includes a K-edge material and the signal indicates a presence of the K-edge material when the value satisfies the predetermined threshold level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal indicates an absence of the K-edge material when the value does not satisfy the predetermined threshold level.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

scanning the chest portion of the human subject with at least one of a pilot spectral CT scan or a scout spectral CT scan which generates the spectral computed tomography (CT) projection image with the target specific contrast material that targets ruptured plaque in the cardiovascular system of the human subject.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the value represents pixel intensity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a recommendation that recommends a course of action for the subject based on the presence of the targeted ruptured plaque at least one of the spectral CT projection image or the signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the recommendation invokes automatic scheduling a subsequent medical or imaging examination for the human subject.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying, concurrently, the spectral CT projection image and at least one of the value, the threshold, the signal or the recommendation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning a subsequent projection scan of locations of the targeted ruptured plaque based on at least one of the spectral CT projection image or the signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning a subsequent volume scan of locations of the targeted ruptured plaque based on at least one of the spectral CT projection image or the signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning a medical procedure for the human subject based on the presence of the targeted ruptured plaque indicated in at least one of the spectral CT projection image or the signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a differential diagnosis of chest pain of the subject based on the presence of the targeted ruptured plaque indicated in at least one of the spectral CT projection image or the signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

decomposing projection data, which is acquired during a contrast enhanced projection scan of the subject, into at least a K-edge component; and

reconstructing the K-edge component to generate the spectral projection image.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

decomposing the projection data into a Compton component and a photo-electric component; and

reconstructing the Compton component and the photo-electric component to generate a Compton component projection image and a photo-electric component projection image.

15. A system, comprising:

a radiation sensitive detector array configured to detect photons traversing the examination region of a human subject with a target specific contrast material that targets ruptured plaque and includes at least one of a direct conversion detector or a scintillator-based multi-spectral detector of at least two scintillators having different x-ray energy sensitivities and at least two corresponding photosensors having corresponding optical sensitivities;

a reconstructor including one or more processors configured to selectively reconstruct the detected photons into a spectral projection image;

an analyzer including the one or more processor configured to analyze a spectral projection image of a portion of the human subject and generate a value quantifying a concentration of the target specific contrast material targeting ruptured plaque in a region of interest of the spectral projection image; and

a processing component including the one or more processors configured to process the value with a predetermined threshold level and generate a signal that indicates whether the generated value of the target specific contrast material present in the spectral projection image is greater than the predetermined threshold level.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the value represents a level of contrast in one of a plurality of regions of interests for a same tissue of interest.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the value represents a summation of respective levels of contrast in a plurality of regions of interests for a same tissue of interest.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a recommender including one or more processors configured to generate a recommendation indicative of a course of action for the human subject based on the target specific contrast material targeting ruptured plaque in at least one of the spectral projection image or the value.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the recommendation indicates the human subject should receive immediate or near term attention, in response to the value satisfying the threshold, and the recommendation indicates the subject does not need immediate or near term attention, in response to the value not satisfying the threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the recommendation is also based on at least one of a location or a size of the targeting ruptured plaque, patient information, a clinician preference, a facility preference, a clinical guideline, or a national standard.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing component sends an electronic notification which is received by an electronic device of a recipient, wherein the electronic notification includes at least a signal indicative of the recommendation.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the notification includes information indicative of a priority of the recommendation.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing component displays at least one of the spectral projection image, the value, the threshold, or the signal.

24. Computer readable instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which, when executed by a processor of a computing system causes the processor to:

generate a value quantifying a concentration of a target specific contrast material targeting ruptured plaque in a region of interest of a spectral projection image of a portion of a human subject;

generate a signal indicative of a presence of the targeted ruptured plaque in response to the value greater than a predetermined threshold level;

generate a recommendation that recommends a course of action for the human subject based on the presence of the targeted ruptured plaque in at least one of the spectral projection image, the value or the signal; and

display at least one of spectral projection image, the threshold, the value or the signal.