Dynamic Acquisition Range Control for Multi-Head Nuclear Medicine Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Nuclear medicine imaging systems face inefficiencies in acquisition time and image quality due to detectors sweeping over ranges that include both regions of interest and non-interest areas, leading to unnecessary data collection.
Innovation Solution
A multi-head imaging system with processors dynamically determining the acquisition range based on uptake values, allowing detectors to focus on regions of interest and adjust their sweep ranges to optimize data collection, thereby reducing acquisition time and improving image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If detectors sweep over a full range to ensure complete coverage, then imaging coverage is improved, but acquisition time increases due to collecting unnecessary data from non-interest areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the detector sweep range adjustable and adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically modifies the sweep range based on real-time uptake value analysis, allowing the detector to expand coverage when needed and contract to focus on regions of interest to reduce acquisition time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different acquisition strategies to different spatial regions. High uptake regions receive focused, extended scanning while low uptake regions are scanned minimally or skipped entirely, optimizing the balance between coverage and acquisition time through region-specific treatment.
2Loss of time
If detectors focus narrowly on regions of interest to reduce acquisition time, then acquisition time decreases, but imaging coverage is reduced by missing potential regions of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors uptake values during scanning and uses this information to dynamically adjust the sweep range in real-time. This feedback loop ensures that the detector expands coverage when high uptake regions are detected and contracts when only low uptake areas remain, optimizing both time and coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary scanning to identify high uptake regions before committing to extended acquisition in those areas. This preliminary action allows the system to plan the optimal sweep range in advance, avoiding unnecessary scanning of low uptake regions while ensuring complete coverage of promising areas.
3Measurement precision
If detectors collect data from all sweep ranges to maintain measurement completeness, then measurement completeness is improved, but data quality decreases due to inclusion of non-interest area data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates data from regions of interest while discarding data from non-interest areas. By separating useful data (high uptake regions) from useless data (low uptake regions), the system maintains measurement completeness for relevant areas while eliminating contamination from irrelevant data, thereby improving overall data quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the detector dynamically by adjusting the sweep range based on uptake values. This parameter modification allows the system to collect comprehensive data when needed while restricting collection to only necessary data when appropriate, optimizing the balance between completeness and quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces acquisition time and enhances image quality by focusing data collection on regions of interest, minimizing time spent on non-interest areas.
Implementation Method 1
Detectors (e.g., gamma cameras), typically installed on a gantry, capture the radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceuticals
Data Source
AI summary
A nuclear medicine (NM) multi-head imaging system is provided that includes a gantry, plural detector units, and at least one processor. The gantry defines a bore configured to accept an object to be imaged. The plural detector units are mounted to the gantry. Each detector unit defines a corresponding view oriented toward a center of the bore, and is configured to acquire imaging information over a sweep range. The at least one processor is configured to dynamically determine at least one boundary of an acquisition range corresponding to an uptake value of the object to be imaged for at least one of the detector units. The acquisition range is smaller than sweep range. The at least one processor is also configured to control the at least one detector unit to acquire imaging information over the acquisition range.