Computed tomography method and apparatus for acquiring images dependent on a time curve of a periodic motion of the subject

US6665370B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Herbert Bruder · Hemhofen, DE
• Thomas Flohr · Uehlfeld, DE
• Robert Mayer · Brattleboro, US
• Bernd Ohnesorge · Erlangen, DE
• Stefan Schaller · Ergolding, DE
• Karl Stierstorfer · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 9, 2002
• Grant date: Dec 16, 2003
• Expiry date: Jul 9, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2223/612
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a spiral scan cone beam computed tomography method and apparatus, the output data are divided into sub-segments being shorter than the length required for the reconstruction of a CT image. Segment images having inclined image plane relative to the system axis are reconstructed for the sub-segments. A signal reproducing the time curve of the periodic motion is acquired during the scanning. A z-position on the system axis and a time position with respect to the periodic motion are allocated to the segment images. Segment images belonging to a desired range of z-positions and a desired range of time positions are selected such that the corresponding sub-segments have an overall length adequate for the reconstruction of a CT image. The selected segment images are at least indirectly combined into a resulting CT image with respect to a target image plane.