4D contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10219759-B2
Application number	US-201514791690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2011
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A method includes performing a contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of tissue of interest of a subject, with an imaging system having a radiation source and a detector array, in which a peak contrast enhancement of the tissue of interest, a full range of motion of the tissue of interest, and an entire volume of interest of the tissue of interest are concurrently imaged during a single rotation of the radiation source and the detector array of the imaging system over an entire or a predetermined sub-portion of a breathing cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging system, comprising:
a radiation source that rotates around an examination region about a z-axis and emits radiation that traverses the examination region;
a detector array, located across the examination region, opposite the radiation source, that detects radiation traversing the examination region, wherein the detector array includes a plurality of rows of detectors along a direction of the z-axis providing a z-axis scan coverage;
a motion sensor configured to sense an entire motion cycle of a patient and the motion cycle comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a respiratory cycle and a cardiac cycle; an operator console configured to:
perform a pre-scan of a patient which generates an image comprising a complete range of motion of a volume of interest of a tissue of interest relative to the z-axis for the sensed entire motion cycle;
determine two end points of the complete range of motion of the volume of interest relative to the z-axis from the pre-scan;
position the entire volume of interest with the determined two end points of the complete range of motion of the volume of interest relative to the z-axis located within the examination region; and
select and control a scan of the examination region with the determined two end points located within the examination region during a single revolution in a zero pitch scan, and wherein the scan images a peak contrast uptake of contrast material by the tissue of interest during the single revolution; and

a reconstructor that reconstructs a four dimensional contrast enhanced data set from the selected and controlled scan.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the z-axis scan coverage of the detector array for the single revolution is in a range of about five centimeters to about twenty centimeters.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a subject support which supports the patient in the examination region, wherein the subject support is maintained at substantially a same location with respect to the examination region for the scan; and
wherein the tissue of interest is a tumor and the entire volume of interest is the entire volume of the tumor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein movement of the subject support is not synchronized with administration of the contrast material.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the z-axis scan coverage of the detector array for the revolution is in a range of about one to four centimeters.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radiation source controller that controls a peak voltage of the source, where the controller switches the peak voltage between at least two different peak voltages for the scan.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set contrasts the entire volume of interest which includes an entire tumor volume; and further comprising:
a treatment planning system which includes one or more computer processors configured to utilize the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set to generate a treatment plan for a patient for treating the entire tumor volume contrasted in the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set using a treatment device configured to implement at least one of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, particle therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), or ablation.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tissue of interest is a tumor.

9. An imaging system, comprising:
a radiation source that rotates around an examination region about a z-axis and emits x-ray radiation that traverses the examination region;
a detector array, an entirety of which is located across the examination regional and opposite the radiation source, that detects x-ray radiation traversing the examination region, wherein the detector array includes a plurality of rows of detectors along a direction of the z-axis providing a z-axis scan coverage, wherein the z-axis scan coverage of the detector array is in a range of eleven centimeters to twenty centimeters;
a subject support which supports a patient in the examination region and translates, with respect to the examination region, and is synchronized with administration of a contrast material;
an operator console configured to position the subject support with an entire volume of interest of a moving tissue of interest within the examination region and perform a scan of the examination region comprising the entire volume of interest during a peak uptake of the contrast material by the tissue of interest; and
a reconstructor that reconstructs a four dimensional contrast enhanced data set from the performed scan.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a radiation source controller that controls a peak voltage of the source, where the controller switches the peak voltage between at least two different peak voltages for the scan.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set contrasts the entire volume of interest which includes an entire tumor volume; and further comprising:
a treatment planning system which includes one or more computer processors configured to utilize the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set to generate a treatment plan for the patient for treating the entire tumor volume contrasted in the reconstructed four dimensional contrast enhanced data set using a treatment device configured to implement at least one of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, particle therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), or ablation.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the tissue of interest is a tumor.

13. The system of claim 9 , further including:
a motion sensor configured to sense an entire motion cycle of the patient which includes at least one of a respiratory cycle or a cardiac cycle; and
wherein the operator console is further configured to:
perform a pre-scan of the patient and an image generated from the pre-scan comprises a complete range of motion of the volume of interest of the tissue of interest relative to the z-axis for the sensed entire motion cycle;
determine two end points of the complete range of motion of the volume of interest relative to the z-axis from the pre-scan; and
position the entire volume of interest with the determined two end points located within the examination region.

14. An imaging system, comprising:
a radiation source that rotates around an examination region about a z-axis and emits radiation that traverses the examination region;
a detector array, located across the examination region, opposite the radiation source, that detects radiation traversing the examination region, wherein the detector array includes a plurality of rows of detectors along a direction of the z-axis providing a z-axis scan coverage;
a motion sensor configured to sense an entire motion cycle of a patient and the motion cycle comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a respiratory cycle and a cardiac cycle;
an operator console configured to;
perform a low dose pre-scan of a patient which generates an image comprising a complete range of motion of an entire volume of interest of a tissue of interest relative to the z-axis for the sensed entire motion cycle;
determine two end points of the complete range of motion of the entire volume of interest of the tissue of interest relative to the z-axis from the low dose pre-scan, wherein the tissue of interest moves in coordination with the entire motion cycle over the complete range of motion;
position the patient in the examination region wherein the entire volume of interest wi

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Klahr Paul Harvey
• Dharaiya Ekta Dhawal
• Pohlman Scott Kenneth
• Luhta Randall Peter

Classifications

• B32B3/266

  characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12 · CPC title

• Y10T156/1057

  Subsequent to assembly of laminae · CPC title

• Y10T428/24851

  Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential · CPC title

• A61B6/032 Primary

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• Y10T428/24504

  Component comprises a polymer [e.g., rubber, etc.] · CPC title