PET Imaging With Phase-Matched Attenuation Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional physiological motion correction approaches in PET imaging result in low accuracy of attenuation corrected gated PET images due to mismatched physiological phases between PET and CT data, leading to artifacts and reduced image quality.

Innovation Solution

Generate a plurality of gated PET images corresponding to different physiological phases, create first attenuation maps for each phase, and use these maps to correct attenuation, followed by aligning the target PET image with the CT image using a motion field to match physiological phases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional physiological motion correction approaches are used, then PET scanning can be performed, but the accuracy of attenuation corrected gated PET images is low due to mismatched physiological phases between PET and CT data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of attenuation corrected gated PET imagesVSAvoidcomplexity of physiological phase alignment process

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating multiple gated PET images corresponding to different physiological phases before final image reconstruction. Attenuation maps are pre-calculated for each physiological phase, and the target PET image is subsequently aligned with the CT image using a motion field to match physiological phases, ensuring accurate attenuation correction before final image generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The PET scanning process is segmented into multiple physiological phases, with separate gated PET images and attenuation maps generated for each phase. This segmentation allows independent processing and alignment of each phase's data, resolving the mismatch between PET and CT data while maintaining manageable computational complexity through phase-by-phase processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If physiological motion correction is applied, then image quality should improve, but artifacts remain due to mismatched physiological phases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidartifacts in PET images

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts the attenuation correction process to match the physiological phase of each gated PET image. By calculating motion fields that align the target PET image with the CT image for each physiological phase, the system ensures that attenuation maps correspond to the actual anatomical state during PET data acquisition, eliminating artifacts caused by phase mismatch

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physiological phase parameter for each gated PET image and corresponds it with the appropriate attenuation map. By varying the physiological phase parameter across multiple gated images and aligning each with its matching attenuation map, the system eliminates artifacts while maintaining high image quality through parameter-matched processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If multiple gated PET images are generated for different physiological phases, then attenuation correction accuracy improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattenuation correction accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary generation of multiple gated PET images and their corresponding attenuation maps for different physiological phases before final image reconstruction. This preliminary processing organizes data by physiological phase, enabling efficient subsequent alignment and reconstruction operations that reduce overall processing time despite the increased initial data generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The processing is segmented into independent physiological phase components, with each gated PET image and its attenuation map processed separately. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different phases and efficient memory management, reducing total processing time while maintaining high attenuation correction accuracy for each phase

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4536088B1Systems and methods for positron emission tomography imaging

Publication Date: 2025.09.03 SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE

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AI summary

A method and a system(100) for PET imaging may be provided. PET data(601) of a subject collected by a PET scan of the subject and a physiological signal(602) relating to a physiological motion of the subject during the PET scan may be obtained. Gated PET images(603) corresponding to physiological phases of the subject may be generated based on the PET data(601) and the physiological signal(602). Further, for each physiological phase, a first attenuation map(604) of the subject corresponding to the physiological phase may be generated based on the gated PET image(603) corresponding to the physiological phase, and an attenuation corrected gated PET image(605) corresponding to the physiological phase may be generated based on the first attenuation map(604) and a portion of the PET data(601) corresponding to the physiological phase. A target PET image(613) corresponding to a reference physiological phase(608) may be generated based on the attenuation corrected gated PET images(605).