Generating a suitable model for estimating patient radiation dose from medical imaging scans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10546375-B2
Application number	US-201715492458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2010
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for estimating patient radiation exposure during computerized tomography (CT) scans. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide efficient approaches for generating a suitable patient model used to make such an estimate, to approaches for estimating patient dose by interpolating the results of multiple simulations, and to approaches for a service provider to host a dose estimation service made available to multiple CT scan providers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for generating an imaging model corresponding to a first individual, the method comprising:
selecting an initial mathematical phantom for the first individual receiving an imaging scan, the selecting being based on at least one of an age, a gender, a weight and a height of the first individual;
receiving one or more scout images of the first individual;
selecting from images obtained from multiple individuals a reference set of localizer images, the selecting being based on a similarity of a body geometry, size and positioning to that of the initial mathematical phantom;
determining a transformation between at least one of the localizer images and at least one of the scout images of the first individual; and
deforming the initial mathematical phantom based on the transformation whereby a deformed mathematical phantom resulting from the transformation has a greater similarity than the initial mathematical phantom to a size, a shape and organ positions of the first individual.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging scan is a computerized tomography (CT) scan performed by a CT scanning apparatus.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a set of parameters describing the imaging scan and the CT scanning apparatus being used to perform the CT scan of the first individual;
accessing a simulation library comprising a plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to one or more second individuals, each of the previously completed simulations having an estimate of radiation dose absorption associated therewith;
evaluating the plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to the one or more second individuals;
looking up, based on the evaluation, one of the plurality of previously completed simulations in the simulation library having a set of parameters that matches within a specified tolerance measure the received set of parameters and the deformed mathematical phantom; and
determining an estimate of radiation dose absorption associated with the one of the previously completed simulations looked up in the simulation library as an estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual provides estimates of an organ absorbed dose for one or more organs of the first individual.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising, storing the set of parameters and the estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual in the simulation library.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein receiving one or more scout images of the first individual comprises:
capturing, using the CT scanning apparatus and prior to performing the CT scan, a two-dimensional (2D) projection of the first individual.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the transformation between at least one of the localizer images and at least one of the scout images of the first individual comprises:
performing an image registration process mapping a set of points in one of the localizer images to a corresponding set of points in one of the scout images of the first individual.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the initial mathematical phantom comprises a set of non-uniform rational basis splines (NURBs).

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a set of parameters describing the imaging scan and the CT scanning apparatus being used to perform the CT scan of the first individual;
accessing a simulation library comprising a plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to one or more second individuals, each of the previously completed simulations having an estimate of radiation dose absorption associated therewith;
evaluating the plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to the one or more second individuals; and
upon determining, based on the evaluation, that two or more of the plurality of previously completed simulations match the received set of parameters and the deformed mathematical phantom within a specified tolerance measure, interpolating the estimates of radiation dose in the two or more simulations to determine an estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual in receiving the imaging scan.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more application programs, which, when executed by a processor performs an operation for generating an imaging model corresponding to a first individual, the operation comprising:
selecting an initial mathematical phantom for the first individual receiving an imaging scan; the selecting being based on at least one of an age, a gender, a weight and a height of the first individual;
receiving one or more scout images of the first individual;
selecting from images obtained from multiple individuals a reference set of localizer images, the selecting being based on a similarity of a body geometry, size and positioning to that of the initial mathematical phantom;
determining a transformation between at least one of the localizer images and at least one of the scout images of the first individual; and
deforming the initial mathematical phantom based on the transformation whereby a deformed mathematical phantom resulting from the transformation has a greater similarity than the initial mathematical phantom to a size, a shape and organ positions of the first individual.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the imaging scan is a computerized tomography (CT) scan performed by a CT scanning apparatus.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the operation further comprising:
receiving a set of parameters describing the imaging scan and the CT scanning apparatus being used to perform the CT scan of the first individual;
accessing a simulation library comprising a plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to one or more second individuals, each of the previously completed simulations having an estimate of radiation dose absorption associated therewith;
evaluating the plurality of previously completed simulations corresponding to the one or more second individuals;
looking up, based on the evaluation, one of the plurality of previously completed simulations in the simulation library having a set of parameters that matches within a specified tolerance measure the received set of parameters and the deformed mathematical phantom; and
determining an estimate of radiation dose absorption associated with the one of the previously completed simulations looked up in the simulation library as an estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual provides estimates of an organ absorbed dose for one or more organs of the first individual.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , the operation further comprising:
storing the set of parameters and the estimate of radiation dose absorbed by the first individual in the simulation library.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving one or more scout images of the first individual comprises:
capturing, using the CT scanning apparatus and prior to performing the CT scan, a two-dimensional (2D) projection of

Assignees

• Bayer Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Couch Gregory
• Couch James

Classifications

• G16H50/50

  for simulation or modelling of medical disorders · CPC title

• A61B6/542

  involving control of exposure · CPC title

• A61B6/563 Primary

  involving image data transmission via a network · CPC title

• G06T7/0014

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06T2207/10081

  Computed x-ray tomography [CT] · CPC title