Nuclear Medicine Scan Timing for Motion-Adaptive Acquisition

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatuses like PET and SPECT face issues with insufficient data acquisition due to troubles during the acquisition period, leading to degraded image quality when conventional systems fail to complete data acquisition within the set time.

Innovation Solution

A PET-CT apparatus equipped with processing circuitry that extends the acquisition period by detecting body movements or other disruptions, allowing for additional data collection through a step-and-shoot scanning scheme and a user interface to manually extend the scan duration via an extension button.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the acquisition period is extended to compensate for patient movements or delays, then sufficient data can be acquired and image quality is improved, but the examination time is increased and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata acquisition sufficiencyVSAvoidexamination throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The acquisition period is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically extends the acquisition period when patient movement is detected or when the current acquisition is insufficient, allowing the scan duration to adapt to actual scanning conditions. This resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable data acquisition when needed while maintaining standard throughput during normal operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring acquisition quality and patient movement in real-time. When insufficient data or movement is detected, the system automatically triggers an extension of the acquisition period. This feedback loop ensures sufficient data acquisition without manually increasing examination time for all patients, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring reliability when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the acquisition period is extended manually via user interface, then additional count information can be collected to improve image quality, but the operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting insufficient acquisition or patient movement and extending the acquisition period without requiring manual user intervention. The processing circuitry autonomously monitors scan quality and adjusts acquisition duration accordingly, eliminating the need for operators to manually extend scans and reducing operational complexity while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system takes preliminary action by continuously monitoring acquisition quality during the scan and proactively extending the acquisition period before the scan is completed if insufficient data is detected. This prevents the need for repeat scans and simplifies operation by automatically handling quality assurance without requiring manual assessment or intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12564368B2Nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus, acquisition period extending method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium
Publication Date: 2026.03.03 CANON MEDICAL SYST CORP
  • US12564368B2 patent drawing
  • US12564368B2 patent drawing
  • US12564368B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured: to acquire nuclear medicine data by scanning an examined subject; to specify timing of a body movement of the examined subject during the acquisition of the nuclear medicine data; and to extend an acquisition period of the scan on the basis of the timing.