Individually adjusted generation of virtual image data on the basis of multi-energy x-ray imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11058370-B2
Application number	US-201916704638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 13, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

An X-ray imaging method is for generating image data of a field of view of an object to be examined. In the method, firstly an individual imaging protocol is determined for imaging of the object to be examined. Furthermore, first X-ray projection measurement data with a first X-ray energy spectrum and at least one set of second contrast medium-influenced X-ray projection measurement data with a second X-ray energy spectrum, are acquired from the field of view. A third X-ray energy spectrum with a third mean energy is then determined on the basis of the determined individual imaging protocol. Subsequently, preferably pseudo-monoenergetic image data, associated with the third X-ray energy spectrum, is reconstructed on the basis of the acquired first and at least second X-ray projection measurement data as well as the determined imaging protocol. An image data-generating device is also described. A computerized tomography system is described, moreover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray imaging method for reconstructing pseudo-monoenergetic image data of a field of view of an object, the X-ray imaging method comprising:
determining an individual imaging protocol for imaging the object;
acquiring first X-ray projection measurement data from the field of view using a first X-ray energy spectrum with a first mean energy value;
acquiring at least second X-ray projection measurement data from the field of view using a second X-ray energy spectrum with a second mean energy value;
automatically determining a third X-ray energy spectrum with a third mean energy value based upon the individual imaging protocol; and
reconstructing pseudo-monoenergetic image data associated with the third X-ray energy spectrum with the third mean energy value, based on the individual imaging protocol, the first X-ray projection measurement data and at least the second X-ray projection measurement data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third mean energy value is lower than the first mean energy value and the second mean energy value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third mean energy value is chosen to improve contrast-noise ratio relative to an image representation based on the first mean energy value or the second mean energy value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual imaging protocol includes at least one of
patient geometry,
a type of planned examination,
a quality, or
a maximum radiation dose.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the type of planned examination includes at least one of
acquisition of contrast-enhanced image data,
image acquisition without contrast medium,
examination of a parenchymal organ with contrast medium, or CT angiography.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third mean energy value is chosen to reduce a radiation dose required during the acquiring first X-ray projection measurement data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third mean energy value is chosen to reduce a contrast medium dose required during the acquiring of the first X-ray projection measurement data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third mean energy value is automatically determined based on an auto-keV algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, upon at least one of the acquiring first X-ray projection measurement data or the acquiring at least second X-ray projection measurement data being performed without contrast medium, an optimally high energy value is chosen as the third mean energy value.

10. An image data-generating device, comprising:
a determining unit to determine an individual imaging protocol for imaging an object;
a control unit to control one or more X-ray sources of a CT system to generate X-ray beams having a first X-ray energy spectrum with a first mean energy value, and to generate X-ray beams having a second X-ray energy spectrum with a second mean energy value;
a projection measurement data acquisition unit to acquire first X-ray projection measurement data with the first X-ray energy spectrum from a field of view of the object, and to acquire at least second X-ray projection measurement data with the second X-ray energy spectrum from the field of view of the object;
an energy spectrum-determining unit to automatically determine a third X-ray energy spectrum with a third mean energy value based on the individual imaging protocol; and
an image data reconstruction unit to reconstruct pseudo-monoenergetic image data associated with the third X-ray energy spectrum, based on the first X-ray projection measurement data and at least the second X-ray projection measurement data.

11. A computerized tomography system comprising the image data-generating device of claim 10 .

12. A non-transitory computer program product storing a computer program directly loadable into a memory of an image data-generating device, the computer program including program segments to carry out the method of claim 1 when the computer program is run in the image data-generating device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program segments, which are readable and executable by a processing unit of an image data-generating device, to carry out the method of claim 1 when the program segments are executed by the processing unit of the image data-generating device.

14. The X-ray imaging method of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray imaging method is a CT X-ray imaging method.

15. The X-ray imaging method of claim 1 , wherein
the third mean energy value is a single third energy value; and
the reconstructing includes reconstructing the pseudo-monoenergetic image data associated with the third X-ray energy spectrum with the single third energy value.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the single third energy value is chosen to reduce a radiation dose required during the acquiring first X-ray projection measurement data.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the single third energy value is chosen to reduce a contrast medium dose required during the acquiring of the first X-ray projection measurement data.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the single third energy value is automatically determined based on an auto-keV algorithm.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein, upon at least one of the acquiring first X-ray projection measurement data or the acquiring at least second X-ray projection measurement data being performed without contrast medium, an optimally high energy value is chosen as the single third energy value.

20. An image data-generating device, comprising:
at least one processor to
determine an individual imaging protocol for imaging an object;
control one or more X-ray sources of a CT system to generate X-ray beams having a first X-ray energy spectrum with a first mean energy value, and to generate X-ray beams having a second X-ray energy spectrum with a second mean energy value;
acquire first X-ray projection measurement data with the first X-ray energy spectrum from a field of view of the object;
acquire at least second X-ray projection measurement data with the second X-ray energy spectrum from the field of view of the object;
automatically determine a third X-ray energy spectrum with a third mean energy value based upon the individual imaging protocol; and

reconstruct pseudo-monoenergetic image data associated with the third X-ray energy spectrum, based on the first X-ray projection measurement data and at least the second X-ray projection measurement data.

21. A computerized tomography system, comprising:
the image data-generating device of claim 20 ; and
the one or more X-ray sources to generate the X-ray beams.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Flohr Thomas
• Schmidt Bernhard

Classifications

• G06T12/10

  Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction · CPC title

• G06T12/00

  Tomographic reconstruction from projections · CPC title

• A61B6/504

  for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography · CPC title

• A61B6/4014

  arranged in multiple source-detector units · CPC title

• A61B6/5235

  combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT · CPC title