Time-of-flight resolution-adaptive image regularization and filtering in positron emission tomography

US11009615B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KONINIKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. · NL

Inventors

• Chuanyong Bai · Poway, US
• Andriy ANDREYEV · Willoughby Hills, US
• Andre Frank Salomon · Aachen, DE
• Andreas Goedicke · Aachen, DE
• Jinghan Ye · Livermore, US
• Yu-Lung Hsieh · Aurora, US
• Bin Zhang · Shanghai, CN
• Xiyun Song · Cupertino, US
• Manoj Narayanan · Mentor, US
• Zhiqiang Hu · Twinsburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 18, 2017
• Grant date: May 18, 2021
• Expiry date: Feb 3, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01T1/2985
• WIPO field: Environmental technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A time of flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) image (38) is generated from TOF PET imaging data (10) acquired of a subject using a TOF PET imaging data acquisition device (6). Iterative image reconstruction (30) of the TOF PET imaging data is performed with TOF localization of counts along respective lines of response (LORs) to iteratively update a reconstructed image (32). Values for at least one regularization or filtering parameter are assigned to the TOF PET imaging data or to voxels of the reconstructed image based on an estimated TOF localization resolution for the TOF PET imaging data or voxels. Regularization (34) or filtering (36) of the reconstructed image is performed using the assigned values for the at least one regularization or filtering parameter. In some embodiments, the varying TOF localization resolution for the TOF PET imaging data or voxels is estimated based on related acquisition characteristics such as count rates or operating temperature of the detectors.