Automatic scan prescription for tomographic imaging
First Claim
1. A method for determining the orientation and location of standard tomographic scanning planes for automated scan prescription for a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) performing at least one initial localizer scan of a patient to provide images for the object of interest to be imaged;
b) analyzing the localizer scan images to extract important structural information about the object of interest to yield an abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
c) matching said abstract, schematic description of the object of interest with a reference template of the abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
d) determining optimal spatial locations and scanning parameters for subsequent scans based upon the relationship of the abstract, schematic description of the object of interest to the template;
e) communicating locations for a desired scan to a scanner in order to automatically drive the scanner; and
f) performing subsequent detailed scans to obtain detailed scan images based upon said optimal scanning locations and parameters for the patient.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The system and method for automatic scan prescription involves initially performing at least one localizer scan for the object being imaged. The localizer images are analyzed to extract important structural information about the object of interest, and of subobjects of interest, yielding an abstract, schematic description of the object of interest. Optimal spatial locations and scanning parameters are then determined for subsequent scans from the information about the object, possible subobjects, and their relationship to a template. The locations for a particular scan included in a set of protocols selected by the operator are then communicated to the scanner in order to automatically drive the scanner. In a presently preferred embodiment, all of the analysis, matching, and scan prescription operations are preferably carried out by a microprocessor based microcomputer. Subsequent detailed and radiologically relevant scans can then be performed using optimal scanning parameters for the patient.
122 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method for determining the orientation and location of standard tomographic scanning planes for automated scan prescription for a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a) performing at least one initial localizer scan of a patient to provide images for the object of interest to be imaged;
b) analyzing the localizer scan images to extract important structural information about the object of interest to yield an abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
c) matching said abstract, schematic description of the object of interest with a reference template of the abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
d) determining optimal spatial locations and scanning parameters for subsequent scans based upon the relationship of the abstract, schematic description of the object of interest to the template;
e) communicating locations for a desired scan to a scanner in order to automatically drive the scanner; and
f) performing subsequent detailed scans to obtain detailed scan images based upon said optimal scanning locations and parameters for the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for determining the orientation and location of standard tomographic scanning planes for automated scan prescription, comprising:
-
means for performing at least one initial localizer scan for the object of interest to be imaged;
means for analyzing the localizer images to extract important structural information about the object of interest to yield an abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
means for matching the abstract, schematic description of (the “
model”
) of the object of interest with a reference template of the abstract, schematic description of the object of interest;
means for determining optimal spatial locations and scanning parameters for subsequent scans from the information about the object, possible sub-objects, and their relationship to the template;
means for communicating the locations for a particular scan included in a set of protocols selected by the operator to the scanner in order to automatically drive the scanner; and
means for performing subsequent detailed and radiologically relevant scans using optimal scanning parameters for that patient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification