Method and apparatus for scanning and reconstructing medical image, and storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to a scanning method and a reconstruction method of a medical image, a device, equipment and a storage medium. The scanning method comprises the following steps: acquiring a sparse scanning plan, the sparse scanning plan comprising a plurality of first sampling angles; acquiring a supplementary scanning plan, the supplementary scanning plan comprising at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle being non-overlapping with the first sampling angle; executing the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan; and acquiring scanning data. The reconstruction method comprises the following steps: acquiring first scanning data corresponding to the sparse scanning plan; acquiring second scanning data corresponding to the supplementary scanning plan; performing image reconstruction based on the first scanning data and the second scanning data; and acquiring a target image. The method provided by the application converts the patching problem of missing part of the angle raw data of sparse sampling into the denoising problem of supplementary current sampling raw data, reduces the difficulty of post-processing, and improves the confidence degree of the image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of CT data acquisition technology, specifically to a scanning and reconstruction method, device, equipment, and storage medium for medical images. Background Technology

[0002] Computed tomography (CT) combines a series of X-ray images of the human body taken from different angles with computer processing to obtain a cross-sectional image of the body. To make the reconstructed images clinically usable, most commercial systems currently use more than 2000 angles for scanning. Reducing the number of scanning angles can effectively reduce radiation dose; this method of reconstruction using data from fewer angles is called sparse-angle CT reconstruction.

[0003] However, due to insufficient scanning angle, sparse angle CT reconstruction images produce a large number of artifacts, degrading image quality. Reducing the scanning angle is equivalent to permanently losing a portion of information, and even with methods based on sparse sensing, deep neural networks, etc., it is impossible to recover all the information. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a scanning and reconstruction method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for medical images. This transforms the problem of repairing missing angle data from sparse sampling into a noise reduction problem of supplementing current sampling data, thereby reducing post-processing difficulty and improving the reliability of the images.

[0005] The embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] Firstly, a method for scanning medical images is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtain a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles;

[0008] Obtain a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle, and the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle;

[0009] Execute sparse scan plans and supplementary scan plans to acquire scan data.

[0010] Secondly, a method for reconstructing medical images is provided, the method comprising:

[0011] Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan;

[0012] Obtain the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan;

[0013] Based on the first and second scan data, image reconstruction is performed to obtain the target image.

[0014] Thirdly, a medical image scanning device is provided, the device comprising:

[0015] A sparse scan plan acquisition unit is used to acquire a sparse scan plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles;

[0016] A supplementary scanning plan acquisition unit is used to acquire a supplementary scanning plan, the supplementary scanning plan including at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle not overlapping with the first sampling angle;

[0017] The scanning unit is used to execute sparse scanning plans and supplementary scanning plans to acquire scanning data.

[0018] Fourthly, a medical image reconstruction apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0019] The first scan data acquisition unit is used to acquire the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan;

[0020] The second scan data acquisition unit is used to acquire the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan;

[0021] The image reconstruction unit is used to reconstruct the image based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image.

[0022] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the above-described medical image scanning method or the above-described medical image reconstruction method.

[0023] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when instructed by a processor, implements the steps of the above-described medical image scanning method or the above-described medical image reconstruction method.

[0024] The above-described technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The medical image scanning and reconstruction methods provided in this application include the following: The scanning method includes: acquiring a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles; acquiring a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle that does not overlap with the first sampling angles; executing the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan; and acquiring scanning data. The reconstruction method includes: acquiring first scanning data corresponding to the sparse scanning plan; acquiring second scanning data corresponding to the supplementary scanning plan; and performing image reconstruction based on the first and second scanning data to acquire a target image. The method provided in this application transforms the problem of repairing missing angle data from sparse sampling into a problem of denoising supplementary current sampling data, reducing post-processing difficulty and improving the reliability of the image. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart illustrating a method for scanning medical images according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of obtaining a sparse scan plan and obtaining an augmented scan plan according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the interleaving execution of a sparse scan plan and a supplementary scan plan according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0030] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for scanning medical images according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart illustrating a method for reconstructing a medical image according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart illustrating a method for reconstructing a medical image according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a medical image scanning device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a medical image reconstruction apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0035] Figure 9A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] The concept of this application is as follows: While sparse CT sampling can reduce radiation dose, the reduction in scanning angle may lead to information loss. In order to improve the reliability of the image and reduce the difficulty of post-processing such as artifact removal, this application transforms the problem of repairing the missing angle data in sparse CT sampling into the problem of denoising the supplementary current sampling data.

[0039] Existing sparse CT sampling techniques involve laying down lines for sampling at specific sampling angles throughout a cycle, while omitting lines and not sampling at non-sampling angles. This application continues the sampling angle principle of existing sparse CT sampling techniques but modifies it by emitting sampling radiation at the original sparse CT sampling angles, while also emitting supplementary radiation at the original non-sparse CT sampling angles. By scanning with different radiation doses, the data repair problem of missing data at non-sampling angles in existing techniques is transformed into a noise reduction problem of the generated data sampled using supplementary radiation emitted with supplementary current.

[0040] Figure 1 A method for scanning medical images according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes steps S110 to S130:

[0041] Step S110: Obtain a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles.

[0042] This application obtains a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple sampling angles for sampling by emitting sampling radiation doses, and the multiple sampling angles are called first sampling angles, which are spaced apart from each other.

[0043] Step S120: Obtain a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle, and the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle.

[0044] This application obtains a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one sampling angle for sampling supplementary radiation doses that do not overlap with the first sampling angle, and at least one of these sampling angles is a second sampling angle. The number of second sampling angles can be less than the number of first sampling angles, or greater than or equal to the number of first sampling angles, and the number of second sampling angles is determined according to the supplementary information required for the imaging process.

[0045] Step S130: Execute the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan to obtain scan data.

[0046] Using a single X-ray source, executing a sparse scanning plan and a supplementary scanning plan along the same trajectory to acquire scanning data can be understood as the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan being executed alternately. In other exemplary embodiments, the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan are performed sequentially. This can be understood as either executing the sparse scanning plan first, followed by the supplementary scanning plan after the sparse scanning technique is completed, or executing the supplementary scanning plan first, followed by the sparse scanning plan after the supplementary scanning technique is completed.

[0047] The medical image scanning method provided in this application involves obtaining a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles; obtaining a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle that does not overlap with the first sampling angles; executing the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan; and acquiring scanning data. The medical image scanning method provided in this application transforms the problem of repairing missing angle data from sparse sampling into a problem of denoising data from supplementary sampling, reducing post-processing difficulty and improving the reliability of the image.

[0048] In some embodiments of this application, the above method involves obtaining a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles, including: obtaining the number of scanning angles in a conventional imaging scan; obtaining the number of sampling angles in sparse CT sampling; determining the period of sparse CT sampling based on the number of scanning angles and the number of sampling angles; and using at least one angle in the period as the first sampling angle of the sparse scanning plan. Here, the number of sampling angles refers to the number of sampling angles, and the number of scanning angles refers to the number of scanning angles. The number of sampling angles is less than the number of scanning angles, thereby achieving sparse sampling.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, in the above method, obtaining an augmentation scan plan, the augmentation scan plan includes at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle, including: using at least one angle of the period that is not the first sampling angle as the second sampling angle of the augmentation scan plan.

[0050] Figure 2A schematic flowchart illustrating the process of obtaining a sparse scan plan and obtaining a supplementary scan plan according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the controller can obtain the first sampling angle of the sparse scanning plan and at least one second sampling angle of the supplementary scanning plan through the following process.

[0051] During a conventional imaging scan, the X-ray tube can rotate 360 ​​degrees or half a circle (180 degrees). Taking a full rotation (360 degrees) as an example, a full rotation requires scanning n angles (i.e., non-sparse CT sampling requires scanning n angles, from the 1st to the nth, with an interval of 360 / n degrees between each sampling). Sparse CT sampling, on the other hand, requires m sampling angles (from the 1st to the mth). The m sampling angles for sparse CT sampling can be determined by training a fully connected convolutional neural network model using parameters such as the available X-ray intensity before scanning, the total attenuation of the plain film, the distance between the farthest point from the imaging center in the imaging field of view and the imaging center, and the bone tissue content, to obtain the number of angles with the least artifact impact). Since n is divisible by m, the sparse sampling period is T = n / m. Determine if the current t-th angle is an integer multiple of the period T or an angle that is an integer multiple of T plus a remainder i. If yes, use this angle as the first sampling angle of the sparse scan plan; otherwise, use this angle as the second sampling angle of the supplementary scan plan. In other words, angles that are integer multiples of all periods or integer multiples of all periods plus a remainder i are used as multiple first sampling angles; and one or more angles that are not integer multiples of all periods are used as second sampling angles. In other words, the sum of the first and second sampling angles is less than or equal to the number of scan angles. The sparse sampling period is determined by selecting one of the m sampling angles as the first sampling angle, and the first sampling angle can be selected as an angle corresponding to an integer multiple of the sparse sampling period, where m ≥ 2.

[0052] In one example, we can determine if the current t-th angle is divisible by T. If it is, it is used as the first sampling angle; otherwise, it is used as the second sampling angle. After scanning, we increment t by 1 and continue to determine if the current (t+1)-th angle is divisible by T. If it is, it is used as the first sampling angle; otherwise, it is used as the second sampling angle, and so on. We start at t=1 and end at t=n. For example, if the number of scanning angles is 12 and the sparse sampling period is 3, then 3, 6, 9, and 12 are used as the first sampling angles.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the execution of the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan in the above method includes: executing the sparse scan plan using a first tube current and executing the supplementary scan plan using a second tube current, wherein the first tube current is greater than the second tube current.

[0054] As the X-ray generating device in a CT scanner, the X-ray tube in this application generates a radiation source using a single radiation source to execute sparse scanning and supplementary scanning plans on the same trajectory. This radiation source emits radiation doses based on a first tube current and a second tube current. The first and second tube currents, with different values, are used to adjust the radiation dose emitted by the single source. The first tube current corresponds to the sampling radiation dose, and the second tube current corresponds to the supplementary dose. Changes in the X-ray tube current can be, but are not limited to, controlled by a controller based on whether the current angle is a first or second sampling angle. For example, when the current angle is the first sampling angle, the X-ray tube emits a sampling radiation dose based on the first tube current; when the current angle is the second sampling angle, the X-ray tube emits a supplementary dose based on the second tube current; and when the current angle is neither the first nor the second sampling angle, the X-ray tube does not emit radiation.

[0055] The magnitudes of the first and second transistor currents are relative concepts. The first transistor current is not limited to a fixed large current, nor is it limited to being above a fixed threshold; the first transistor current can be a variable current. Similarly, the second transistor current is not limited to a fixed small current, nor is it limited to being below a fixed threshold; the second transistor current can be a variable current.

[0056] In some embodiments of this application, the execution of the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan in the above method includes: the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan are executed alternately; or, the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan are executed sequentially.

[0057] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the interleaving execution of a sparse scan plan and a supplementary scan plan according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 The sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan are only shown in the form of rectangular wave pulse current, but this application is not limited to this. Triangular wave pulse current, trapezoidal wave pulse current, sine wave pulse current, etc. can also be used to realize the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan.

[0058] according to Figure 3 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the angle t, and the vertical axis represents the current value mA. Figure 3 In this process, when the t-th angle is the first sampling angle, scanning is performed using the first tube current value 'a'; when the t-th angle is the second sampling angle, scanning is performed using the second tube current value 'b'; when the t-th angle is neither the first nor the second sampling angle, the current value is zero; where current value 'a' is greater than current value 'b'. The second tube current can be 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the first tube current. For example, the first tube current can be the tube current value used in normal scanning, and the second tube current can be 1 / 5 of the first tube current as the discharge current, thereby achieving low-dose supplementation.

[0059] The first tube current value 'a' can be set by the physician, but is not limited to this setting. The value of current 'a' can be the same as the current value used in conventional imaging (non-sparse CT sampling). The second tube current value 'b' can be automatically determined based on information available before the scan. For example, the second tube current value 'b' can be automatically determined based on a preset supplementary dose. In this application, since the second tube current acts as a supplementary current, causing the X-ray tube to emit supplementary dose radiation, the second tube current value 'b' can be as small as possible.

[0060] Using rectangular pulse current for scanning can make the scanning more stable and reduce the pressure of subsequent data processing or image reconstruction.

[0061] Figure 4 A method for scanning medical images according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the medical image scanning method of this embodiment includes the following steps S401 to S407:

[0062] Step S401: Obtain the number of scanning angles in a conventional imaging scan.

[0063] Step S402: Obtain the number of sampling angles for sparse CT sampling.

[0064] Step S403: Determine the period of sparse CT sampling based on the number of scanning angles and the number of sampling angles.

[0065] Step S404: Use at least one angle in the period as the first sampling angle of the sparse scanning plan.

[0066] Step S405: Use at least one angle that is not the first sampling angle in the cycle as the second sampling angle of the supplementary scanning plan.

[0067] Step S406: The sparse scan plan is executed using the first transistor current, and the supplementary scan plan is executed using the second transistor current, wherein the first transistor current is greater than the second transistor current.

[0068] Step S407: The sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan are executed alternately or sequentially to obtain scan data.

[0069] Figure 5 A method for reconstructing medical images according to an embodiment of this application is shown. According to... Figure 5 As shown, the method includes steps S510 to S530:

[0070] Step S510: Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan.

[0071] Based on the medical image scanning method proposed in the above embodiments, the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan is obtained after executing the sparse scan plan.

[0072] Step S520: Obtain the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan.

[0073] Based on the medical image scanning method proposed in the above embodiments, the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan is obtained after executing the supplementary scan plan.

[0074] Step S530: Based on the first scan data and the second scan data, perform image reconstruction to obtain the target image.

[0075] After obtaining the first and second scan data, the second scan data can be processed before image reconstruction, and then image reconstruction can be performed using the first scan data and the processed second scan data; or, considering the problem of insufficient confidence in the second scan data, different weights can be assigned to the first and second scan data during iterative reconstruction; or, artifact removal processing can be performed on the image after the image reconstruction process or during iterative reconstruction.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, in the above method, image reconstruction is performed based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image, including: adjusting the image noise value of the second scan data so that the image noise value of the second scan data is consistent with that of the first scan data; and performing image reconstruction using the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data to obtain the target image.

[0077] The first medical image reconstruction method uses a sparse scanning plan corresponding to the first scan data and an augmented scanning plan corresponding to the second scan data. Following the principle of improving the consistency of image noise between the first and second scan data, the image noise value of the second scan data is adjusted. The methods for adjusting the image noise value of the second scan data can be, but are not limited to, traditional image denoising methods such as Gaussian filtering, mean filtering, median filtering, and bilateral filtering, or iterative denoising and deep learning artificial intelligence denoising methods. The above methods are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, in the above method, image reconstruction is performed based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image, including: assigning different weight coefficients to the first scan data and the second scan data respectively; performing iterative image reconstruction based on the first scan data, the second scan data and the weight coefficients to obtain the target image.

[0079] The second method for medical image reconstruction involves a sparse scanning plan corresponding to the first scan data and an augmented scanning plan corresponding to the second scan data. Alternatively, the second scan data can be left unprocessed. Instead, the insufficient confidence level of the second scan data can be considered during image reconstruction by assigning different weight coefficients to the first and second scan data. Iterative image reconstruction can then be performed based on the first and second scan data and their weight coefficients. For example, different weight coefficients can be assigned to the first and second scan data, with the first scan data having a higher weight coefficient than the second scan data. This constructs a reconstructed image restoration model. An iterative algorithm is then established to iteratively solve the constructed reconstructed image restoration model, thereby achieving iterative image reconstruction. The above methods are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0080] In some embodiments of this application, in the above method, image reconstruction is performed based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image, including: performing iterative image reconstruction based on the first scan data and the second scan data; and processing image artifacts during and / or after iterative image reconstruction to obtain the target image.

[0081] The third method for medical image reconstruction uses a sparse scan plan corresponding to the first scan data and an augmented scan plan corresponding to the second scan data. The second scan data is not processed; instead, iterative image reconstruction is performed directly using both the first and second scan data. However, image artifacts are addressed during and / or after the iterative reconstruction process. Existing methods for handling image artifacts can be applied here, and no specific limitations are specified.

[0082] Figure 6 A method for reconstructing medical images according to another embodiment of this application is shown. According to... Figure 6 As shown, the medical image reconstruction method of this embodiment includes the following steps S601 to S608:

[0083] Step S601: Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan.

[0084] Step S602: Obtain the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan.

[0085] Step S603: Adjust the image noise value of the second scan data to make the image noise value of the second scan data consistent with that of the first scan data.

[0086] Step S604: Reconstruct the image using the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data to obtain the target image.

[0087] Alternatively, in step S605, different weighting coefficients are assigned to the first scan data and the second scan data respectively.

[0088] Step S606: Perform iterative image reconstruction based on the first scan data, the second scan data, and the weighting coefficients to obtain the target image.

[0089] Alternatively, in step S607, image iterative reconstruction is performed based on the first scan data and the second scan data.

[0090] Step S608: In the image iterative reconstruction and / or after the image iterative reconstruction, image artifacts are processed to obtain the target image.

[0091] Figure 7 A medical image scanning apparatus according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 includes:

[0092] The sparse scan plan acquisition unit 701 is used to acquire a sparse scan plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles.

[0093] This application obtains a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple sampling angles for sampling by emitting sampling radiation doses, and the multiple sampling angles are called first sampling angles, which are spaced apart from each other.

[0094] The supplementary scanning plan acquisition unit 702 is used to acquire a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle, and the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle.

[0095] This application obtains a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one sampling angle for sampling supplementary radiation doses that do not overlap with the first sampling angle, and at least one of these sampling angles is a second sampling angle. The number of second sampling angles can be less than the number of first sampling angles, or greater than or equal to the number of first sampling angles, and the number of second sampling angles is determined according to the supplementary information required for the imaging process.

[0096] The scanning unit 703 is used to execute sparse scanning plans and supplementary scanning plans to acquire scanning data.

[0097] Using a single X-ray source, executing a sparse scanning plan and a supplementary scanning plan along the same trajectory to acquire scanning data can be understood as the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan being executed alternately. In other exemplary embodiments, the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan are performed sequentially. This can be understood as either executing the sparse scanning plan first, followed by the supplementary scanning plan after the sparse scanning technique is completed, or executing the supplementary scanning plan first, followed by the sparse scanning plan after the supplementary scanning technique is completed.

[0098] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 700, the sparse scan plan acquisition unit 701 is further configured to: acquire the number of scanning angles in conventional imaging scans; acquire the number of sampling angles in sparse CT sampling; determine the period of sparse CT sampling based on the number of scanning angles and the number of sampling angles; and use at least one angle in the period as the first sampling angle of the sparse scan plan.

[0099] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 700, the supplementary scan plan acquisition unit 702 is further configured to: use at least one angle of the period that is not the first sampling angle as the second sampling angle of the supplementary scan plan.

[0100] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 700, the scanning unit 703 is further configured to: execute a sparse scanning plan using a first tube current and execute a supplementary scanning plan using a second tube current, wherein the first tube current is greater than the second tube current.

[0101] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 700, the scanning unit 703 is further configured to: execute sparse scanning plans and supplementary scanning plans alternately; or execute sparse scanning plans and supplementary scanning plans sequentially.

[0102] It should be noted that the medical image scanning device 700 described above can implement the aforementioned medical image scanning methods one by one, and will not be described in detail here.

[0103] Figure 8 A medical image reconstruction apparatus according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the device 800 includes:

[0104] The first scan data acquisition unit 801 is used to acquire the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan.

[0105] The second scan data acquisition unit 802 is used to acquire the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan.

[0106] The image reconstruction unit 803 is used to perform image reconstruction based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image.

[0107] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 800, the image reconstruction unit 803 includes: a noise value adjustment module, used to adjust the image noise value of the second scan data so that the image noise value of the second scan data is consistent with that of the first scan data; and an image reconstruction module, used to perform image reconstruction using the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data to obtain a target image.

[0108] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 800, the image reconstruction unit 803 includes: a weight determination module, used to assign different weight coefficients to the first scan data and the second scan data respectively; and an iterative reconstruction module, used to perform iterative image reconstruction based on the first scan data, the second scan data and the weight coefficients to obtain the target image.

[0109] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus 800, the image reconstruction unit 803 includes: an image iteration module for performing image iterative reconstruction based on first scan data and second scan data; and an artifact removal module for processing image artifacts during and / or after image iterative reconstruction.

[0110] It should be noted that the aforementioned medical image reconstruction device 800 can realize the aforementioned medical image reconstruction methods one by one, and will not be described in detail here.

[0111] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, at the hardware level, the computer device includes a processor, and optionally also includes an internal bus, a network interface, and memory. The memory may include main memory, such as high-speed random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk drive. Of course, the computer device may also include other hardware required for its operations.

[0112] The processor, network interface, and memory can be interconnected via an internal bus, which can be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 9 The symbol is represented by a single double-headed arrow, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0113] Memory is used to store programs. Specifically, programs may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. Memory may include main memory and non-volatile memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor.

[0114] The processor reads the corresponding computer program from non-volatile memory into memory and then executes it, forming a medical image at the logical level in the scanning device 700. The processor executes the program stored in memory and specifically performs the following operations:

[0115] Obtain a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles;

[0116] Obtain a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle, and the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle;

[0117] Execute sparse scan plans and supplementary scan plans to acquire scan data.

[0118] The above is as stated in this application. Figure 7 The method performed by the medical image scanning device 700 disclosed in the embodiments can be applied to a processor or implemented by a processor.

[0119] Alternatively, the processor reads the corresponding computer program from non-volatile memory into memory and runs it, forming the medical image reconstruction device 800 at the logical level. The processor executes the program stored in memory and specifically performs the following operations:

[0120] Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan;

[0121] Obtain the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan;

[0122] Based on the first and second scan data, image reconstruction is performed to obtain the target image.

[0123] The above is as stated in this application. Figure 8 The method performed by the medical image reconstruction apparatus 800 disclosed in the embodiments can be applied to a processor or implemented by a processor.

[0124] The processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0125] This computer device can also perform Figure 7 The method executed by the scanning device 700 for traditional Chinese medicine images, and the realization of the scanning device 700 for medical images in... Figure 7 The computer device can also perform the functions of the illustrated embodiment. Figure 8 The method performed by the medical image reconstruction device 800, and the realization of the medical image reconstruction device 800 in Figure 8 The functions of the embodiments shown are illustrated. Further details regarding the embodiments of this application will not be repeated here.

[0126] This application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, the programs including instructions that, when executed by a computer device including multiple applications, enable the computer device to perform... Figure 7 The method executed by the medical image scanning device 700 in the illustrated embodiment is specifically used to perform:

[0127] Obtain a sparse scanning plan, which includes multiple first sampling angles;

[0128] Obtain a supplementary scanning plan, which includes at least one second sampling angle, and the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle;

[0129] Execute sparse scan plans and supplementary scan plans to acquire scan data.

[0130] This application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, the programs including instructions that, when executed by a computer device including multiple applications, enable the computer device to perform... Figure 8 The method performed by the medical image reconstruction apparatus 800 in the illustrated embodiment is specifically used to perform:

[0131] Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan;

[0132] Obtain the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan;

[0133] Based on the first and second scan data, image reconstruction is performed to obtain the target image.

[0134] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, apparatus, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0135] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0136] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0137] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0138] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0139] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0140] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0141] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0143] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for scanning medical images, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain a sparse scanning plan, the sparse scanning plan including multiple first sampling angles; Obtain a supplementary scanning plan, the supplementary scanning plan including at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle not overlapping with the first sampling angle, the number of the second sampling angles being determined according to the supplementary information required for the imaging process; The sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan are executed to obtain scanning data, so as to transform the problem of repairing the missing angle data of sparse CT sampling into the problem of noise reduction of supplementary current sampling data. The sparse scanning plan is executed using a first tube current and the supplementary scanning plan is executed using a second tube current. The first tube current is greater than the second tube current. The problem of repairing missing angle data from sparse CT sampling is transformed into a noise reduction problem for supplemented current sampling data, including: During the reconstruction of medical images, the image noise value of the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scanning plan is adjusted so that the image noise value of the second scan data is consistent with that of the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scanning plan; the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data are used to reconstruct the image and obtain the target image.

2. The medical image scanning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the sparse scanning plan includes multiple first sampling angles, including: Obtain the number of scanning angles in a conventional imaging scan; Obtain the number of sampling angles for sparse CT sampling; The period of sparse CT sampling is determined based on the number of scanning angles and the number of sampling angles. At least one angle in the period is used as the first sampling angle of the sparse scanning plan.

3. The medical image scanning method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The acquisition of the supplementary scanning plan, the supplementary scanning plan including at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle not overlapping with the first sampling angle, includes: At least one angle of the period other than the first sampling angle is used as the second sampling angle of the supplementary scanning plan.

4. The medical image scanning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The execution of the sparse scan plan and the supplementary scan plan includes: The sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan are executed alternately; or, the sparse scanning plan and the supplementary scanning plan are executed sequentially.

5. A method for reconstructing medical images, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan; wherein, the sparse scan plan includes multiple first sampling angles; Acquire the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scan plan; wherein, the supplementary scan plan includes at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle, the number of the second sampling angles is determined according to the supplementary information required by the imaging process, wherein, the first tube current is used to execute the sparse scan plan, the second tube current is used to execute the supplementary scan plan, and the first tube current is greater than the second tube current; Based on the first scan data and the second scan data, image reconstruction is performed to obtain the target image, so as to transform the problem of repairing the missing angle data of sparse CT sampling into the problem of noise reduction of supplemented current sampling data. The step of reconstructing the image based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image includes: The image noise value of the second scan data is adjusted to make the image noise value of the second scan data consistent with that of the first scan data; The target image is obtained by reconstructing the image using the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data.

6. The method for reconstructing medical images according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of reconstructing the image based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image includes: Different weighting coefficients are assigned to the first scan data and the second scan data, respectively; Based on the first scan data, the second scan data, and the weighting coefficients, the image is iteratively reconstructed to obtain the target image.

7. A medical image scanning device, characterized in that, The device includes: A sparse scan plan acquisition unit is used to acquire a sparse scan plan, wherein the sparse scan plan includes multiple first sampling angles; A supplementary scanning plan acquisition unit is used to acquire a supplementary scanning plan, wherein the supplementary scanning plan includes at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle, and the number of the second sampling angles is determined according to the supplementary information required by the imaging process. The scanning unit is used to execute sparse scanning plans and supplementary scanning plans, and acquire scanning data to transform the problem of repairing the missing angle data of sparse CT sampling into the problem of noise reduction of supplementary current sampling data. The sparse scanning plan is executed using a first tube current, and the supplementary scanning plan is executed using a second tube current. The first tube current is greater than the second tube current. The problem of repairing missing angle data from sparse CT sampling is transformed into a noise reduction problem for supplemented current sampling data, including: During the reconstruction of medical images, the image noise value of the second scan data corresponding to the supplementary scanning plan is adjusted so that the image noise value of the second scan data is consistent with that of the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scanning plan; the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data are used to reconstruct the image and obtain the target image.

8. A medical image reconstruction device, characterized in that, The device includes: The first scan data acquisition unit is used to acquire the first scan data corresponding to the sparse scan plan; wherein, the sparse scan plan includes multiple first sampling angles; The second scanning data acquisition unit is used to acquire the second scanning data corresponding to the supplementary scanning plan; wherein, the supplementary scanning plan includes at least one second sampling angle, the at least one second sampling angle does not overlap with the first sampling angle, the number of the second sampling angles is determined according to the supplementary information required by the imaging process, wherein the sparse scanning plan is executed using the first tube current, the supplementary scanning plan is executed using the second tube current, and the first tube current is greater than the second tube current. The image reconstruction unit is used to perform image reconstruction based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image, so as to transform the problem of repairing the missing angle data of sparse CT sampling into the problem of noise reduction of supplemented current sampling data. The step of reconstructing the image based on the first scan data and the second scan data to obtain the target image includes: adjusting the image noise value of the second scan data to make the image noise value of the second scan data consistent with that of the first scan data; and using the first scan data and the adjusted second scan data to reconstruct the image and obtain the target image.

9. A computer device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-4 or any one of claims 5-6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is instructed by the processor, it implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-4 or any one of claims 5-6.

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