Methods and apparatus for nuclear tomo-cardiology scanning

• US 20070053486A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd
• Inventors: Salazar-Ferrer, Pascal, Zelnik, Deborah
• Application Number:
  US11/490,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20070053486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound

Abstract

Methods and systems for medical imaging are provided. The system includes a medical imaging system with a scanner having a gantry and a camera aligned with a center of rotation axis of the gantry. The medical imaging system further includes a display configured to display an image of the gantry from the camera.

Claims

1. A medical imaging system comprising:

a scanner including a gantry;

a camera aligned with a center of rotation axis of the gantry; and

a display configured to display an image of the gantry from the camera.

2. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the camera comprises a video camera oriented with a viewing axis of the video camera aligned with the center of rotation axis.

3. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the image is configured to provide patient positioning information.

4. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the display further comprises a virtual indication of the center of rotation axis.

5. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 4 wherein the virtual indication comprises crosshairs.

6. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the gantry further comprises markings indicating the center of rotation axis.

7. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a patient head support comprising indentations indicating the center of rotation axis.

8. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a patient table configured to be manually aligned within the gantry based on the displayed image.

9. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a patient table configured to be automatically aligned within the gantry based on the displayed image.

10. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a patient table and wherein the camera is provided on an opposite side of the gantry to the patient table.

11. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the display is provided on at least one of a wall, a stand and as part of a workstation.

12. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the scanner comprises a nuclear medicine scanner.

13. A medical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the image is communicated to the display via a wireless link.

14. A medical imaging system display comprising:

an image of a gantry of a medical imaging scanner; and

an indication of a center of rotation axis of the medical imaging scanner.

15. A medical imaging system display in accordance with claim 14 wherein the indication comprises a virtual overlay.

16. A medical imaging system display in accordance with claim 14 wherein the indication comprises a physical marking on the gantry.

17. A method for providing alignment information for a medical imaging system, the method comprising:

acquiring an image of a center of rotation axis of a medical imaging scanner; and

displaying the image on a display of the medical imaging system.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising displaying a virtual indication of the center of rotation axis on the display.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising displaying a physical indication of the center of rotation axis on the display.

20. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising aligning a patient within a gantry of a scanner of the medical imaging system using the displayed image.