Patent · US Expired

Coronary artery imaging system using gated tomosynthesis

US4662379A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
5References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 27, 1986
Grant dateMay 5, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 27, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05G1/60
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of imaging a blood vessel such as a coronary artery includes the steps of a dual energy providing radiation source and a radiation detector on opposing sides of a target area and at a plurality of angular positions through the target area. The radiation source is gated at the plurality of positions after administering a contrast agent intravenously to obtain a first plurality of detector signals indicative of a first plurality of views through said target area. The first plurality of detector signals are then tomosynthesisly combined to provide a planar image through the target area. Preferably, the gating of the radiation source after administering a contrast agent includes gating based on a selected time using an electrocardiogram, and the gating is at at least two energy levels to obtain detector signals at each energy level indicative of said plurality of views. Soft tissue is eliminated by combining signals at the least two image levels.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.