Nuclear Imaging Peak Detection for Pileup Event Reconstruction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional nuclear imaging systems often discard detection events that occur near each other in time, leading to reduced sensitivity and accuracy in energy and position estimates, which affects the quality of reconstructed medical images.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a peak detection and curve fitting process to decouple multiple pulses from pileup events, determining energy and position values for each pulse, and applying machine learning techniques for image reconstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If multiple detection events occur near each other in time, then the system can capture more information, but the accuracy of energy and position estimates deteriorates due to pileup events

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of detection eventsVSAvoidenergy and position estimates

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing a pileup signal containing multiple overlapping pulses into individual pulse components. The system identifies peak positions in the composite signal and separates the signal into multiple individual pulse signals, each corresponding to a separate detection event. This allows accurate energy and position estimation for each event despite their temporal overlap, resolving the contradiction between capturing multiple events and maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the system processes multiple overlapping pulses, then detection sensitivity improves, but the complexity of signal processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection sensitivityVSAvoidsignal processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical or hardware-based signal separation mechanisms with a computational approach. Instead of using physical filters or timing circuits to separate overlapping pulses, the system uses peak detection algorithms and signal decomposition techniques to mathematically separate and analyze individual pulses within a pileup event. This substitution maintains high detection sensitivity while reducing hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12622656B2Methods and apparatus for medical imaging event detection and image reconstruction

Publication Date: 2026.05.12 SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for detecting multiple events during nuclear imaging scans, and for reconstructing images based on the detected events, are disclosed. In some embodiments, an image scanning system scans a subject, and generates a signal characterizing a detection event. The system applies a peak detection process to the signal and, based on the application of the peak detection process, detects a position of each of a plurality of peaks of the signal. Further, the system determines an amplitude of each of the peaks of the signal. The system also determines an energy value for each of the peaks based on applying a curve fitting process to the position and the amplitude of each of the peaks. The system may also determine a time-offset value for a peak based on its position in relation to a previous peak, and may transmit the energy values and corresponding times to generate time-coincident pairs for image reconstruction.