Methods and systems for automated tube current modulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10085698-B2
Application number	US-201615006840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for automated tube current modulation (ATCM). In one embodiment, a method for an imaging system comprises: calculating a desired dose level based on a clinical task, a size of a subject to be scanned, and an image quality level; generating a scan protocol based on a relation between the image quality level and at least one characteristic of the imaging system; and performing a scan of the subject at the desired dose level and according to the generated scan protocol. In this way, ATCM can be optimized based on elements that impact image quality such as the clinical task, the physical characteristics of the imaging system, the individual patient, and the reader's preference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for an imaging system, comprising:
calculating a desired dose level based on a clinical task, a size of a subject to be scanned, and an image quality level;
generating a scan protocol based on a relation between the image quality level and at least one physical characteristic of the imaging system; and
performing a scan of the subject at the desired dose level and according to the generated scan protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the image quality level and the clinical task by a user of the imaging system.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing one or more scout scans of the subject, and calculating the size and a shape of the subject based on data acquired during the one or more scout scans.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical characteristic of the imaging system comprises one or more of a modulation transfer function and a noise power spectrum.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconstructing an image based on data acquired during the scan, and outputting the image to a display device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
outputting an image quality assessment survey to the display device, the image quality assessment survey comprising at least one question regarding image quality of the reconstructed image; and
receiving user feedback for the image quality assessment survey, the user feedback comprising a response to the at least one question provided by a user of the imaging system via a user interface of the imaging system.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising updating the relation based on the user feedback.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein updating the relation based on the user feedback comprises adjusting the relation with a machine learning algorithm, wherein the user feedback and one or more of the clinical task, the image quality level, the size of the subject, the desired dose level, the generated scan protocol, the at least one physical characteristic of the imaging system, the reconstructed image, and combinations thereof comprise inputs to a neural network.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the updated relation is associated with the user, and further comprising performing a subsequent scan according to a second scan protocol generated based on the updated relation when the user is operating the imaging system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated scan protocol comprises a tube current-time product.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the desired dose level based on the clinical task, the size of the subject, and the image quality level comprises:
accessing a table corresponding to the clinical task and the size of the subject, the table including a plurality of pairs of dose levels and image quality levels; and
retrieving from the table the desired dose level corresponding to the image quality level.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:
determine a dose level and a scan protocol based on physical characteristics of a subject to be scanned, physical characteristics of an x-ray source and a detector communicatively coupled to the computer, a clinical task, and a relationship there between;
perform, with the x-ray source and the detector, a scan of the subject with the dose level and the scan protocol;
output, to a display device communicatively coupled to the computer, an image reconstructed from data acquired during the scan;
receive, from a user interface communicatively coupled to the computer, user feedback regarding quality of the image; and
adjust the relationship based on the user feedback, the physical characteristics of the subject, the physical characteristics of the x-ray source and the detector, and the clinical task.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the executable instructions cause the computer to adjust the relationship by training a neural network with the relationship, the user feedback, the physical characteristics of the subject, the physical characteristics of the x-ray source and the detector, and the clinical task.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer to save the adjusted relationship to a user profile, and perform a subsequent scan with a dose level and a scan protocol determined based on the adjusted relationship responsive to a selection of the user profile.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the physical characteristics of the subject comprise one or more of a size of the subject and an exposure history of the subject, and wherein the physical characteristics of the x-ray source and the detector comprise one or more of a modulation transfer function and a noise power spectrum.

16. An imaging system, comprising:
an x-ray source that emits a beam of x-rays toward a subject to be imaged;
a detector that receives the beam of x-rays attenuated by the subject;
a data acquisition system (DAS) operably connected to the detector; and
a computer comprising non-transitory memory and operably connected to the DAS, wherein the computer is configured with instructions in the non-transitory memory that when executed cause the computer to:
calculate a desired dose level based on a clinical task, a size of the subject, and an image quality level;
generate a scan protocol based on an optimization model comprising a relation between the image quality level and at least one physical characteristic of the imaging system; and
perform, with the x-ray source and the detector, a scan of the subject at the desired dose level and according to the scan protocol.

17. The imaging system of claim 16 , further comprising a display device communicatively coupled to the computer, wherein the computer is further configured with instructions in the non-transitory memory that when executed cause the computer to reconstruct an image based on data received from the DAS during the scan, and output the image to the display device.

18. The imaging system of claim 17 , further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the computer, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to output an image quality survey to the display device, receive responses to the image quality survey provided by a user of the imaging system via the user interface, and adjust the optimization model based on the responses.

19. The imaging system of claim 18 , wherein adjusting the optimization model based on the responses comprises training a neural network with one or more of the responses, the at least one physical characteristic of the imaging system, the clinical task, the image quality level, the size of the subject, the scan protocol, and the desired dose level.

20. The imaging system of claim 16 , wherein performing the scan according to the scan protocol comprises varying a current applied to the x-ray source based on the size of the subject.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Genereal Electric Company

Inventors

• Fan Jiahua
• Tian Xiaoyu
• Crotty Dominic Joseph

Classifications

• A61B6/54

  Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis · CPC title

• A61B6/545

  involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/542

  involving control of exposure · CPC title

• A61B6/461

  Displaying means of special interest · CPC title

• A61B6/032 Primary

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title