Apparatus and method for medical image reconstruction using deep learning to improve image quality in position emission tomography (PET)

    公开(公告)号:US11234666B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-02-01

    申请号:US16258396

    申请日:2019-01-25

    Abstract: A deep learning (DL) convolution neural network (CNN) reduces noise in positron emission tomography (PET) images, and is trained using a range of noise levels for the low-quality images having high noise in the training dataset to produceuniform high-quality images having low noise, independently of the noise level of the input image. The DL-CNN network can be implemented by slicing a three-dimensional (3D) PET image into 2D slices along transaxial, coronal, and sagittal planes, using three separate 2D CNN networks for each respective plane, and averaging the outputs from these three separate 2D CNN networks. Feature-oriented training can be implemented by segmenting each training image into lesion and background regions, and, in the loss function, applying greater weights to voxels in the lesion region. Other medical images (e.g. MRI and CT) can be used to enhance resolution of the PET images and provide partial volume corrections.

    Event property-dependent point spread function modeling and image reconstruction for PET

    公开(公告)号:US12159330B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-12-03

    申请号:US17674063

    申请日:2022-02-17

    Abstract: Upon receiving list-mode data by detecting radiation emitted from a radiation source positioned with a field of view of a medical imaging scanner, each photon included in the list-mode data can be classified according to one or more interaction properties, such as energy or number of crystals interacted with. Grouped pairs of photons can be generated based on the classifying, and a corresponding interaction-property-specific correction kernel (e.g., a corresponding interaction-property-specific point spread function correction kernel) can be selected for each group. Corresponding interaction-property-specific correction kernels can then be utilized to generate higher quality images.

    Method and system for PET detector efficiency normalization

    公开(公告)号:US11835669B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-12-05

    申请号:US17557710

    申请日:2021-12-21

    CPC classification number: G01T1/2985

    Abstract: A method of normalizing detector elements in an imaging system is described herein. The method includes a line source that is easier to handle for a user, and decouples the normalization of the detector elements into a transaxial domain and an axial domain in order to isolate errors due to positioning of the line source. Additional simulations are performed to augment the real scanner normalization. A simulation of a simulated line source closely matching the real line source can be performed to isolate errors due to physical properties of the crystals and position of the crystals in the system, wherein the simulated detector crystals are otherwise modeled uniformly. A simulation of a simulated cylinder source can be performed to determine errors due to other effects stemming from gaps between the detector crystals.

    Method and system for PET detector efficiency normalization

    公开(公告)号:US11249206B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-02-15

    申请号:US16866993

    申请日:2020-05-05

    Abstract: A method of normalizing detector elements in an imaging system is described herein. The method includes a line source that is easier to handle for a user, and decouples the normalization of the detector elements into a transaxial domain and an axial domain in order to isolate errors due to positioning of the line source. Additional simulations are performed to augment the real scanner normalization. A simulation of a simulated line source closely matching the real line source can be performed to isolate errors due to physical properties of the crystals and position of the crystals in the system, wherein the simulated detector crystals are otherwise modeled uniformly. A simulation of a simulated cylinder source can be performed to determine errors due to other effects stemming from gaps between the detector crystals.

    Activity-dependent, spatially-varying regularization parameter design for regularized image reconstruction

    公开(公告)号:US11049294B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-06-29

    申请号:US16149439

    申请日:2018-10-02

    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided to iteratively reconstruct an image from gamma-ray emission data by optimizing an objective function with a spatially-varying regularization term. The image is reconstructed using a regularization term that varies spatially based on an activity-level map to spatially vary the regularization term in the objective function. For example, more smoothing (or less edge-preserving) can be imposed where the activity is lower. The activity-level map can be used to calculate a spatially-varying smoothing parameter and/or spatially-varying edge-preserving parameter. The smoothing parameter can be a regularization parameter β that scales/weights the regularization term relative to a data fidelity term of the objective function, and the regularization parameter β can depend on a sensitivity parameter. The edge-preserving parameter β can control the shape of a potential function that is applied as a penalty in the regularization term of the objective function.

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