Methods and apparatus for scout-based cardiac calcification scoring
US6256368A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B6/541
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In one aspect, the present invention is a method for producing CT images of a patient's heart suitable for calcification scoring, in which the heart has a cardiac cycle. The method includes steps of acquiring data representative of a first scout-scanned CT image of physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases .phi..sub.1 (L) of the cardiac cycle, acquiring data representative of a second scout-scanned CT image of the physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases .phi..sub.2 (L) of the cardiac cycle different from .phi..sub.1 (L) at physical positions L of interest, and determining a difference image from the acquired data representative of the first scout-scanned CT image and the acquired data representative of the second scout-scanned CT image data. It is not necessary that .phi..sub.1 (L) and .phi..sub.2 (L) be constant as a function of position L.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.