Patents by Inventor Johan Nuyts

Johan Nuyts has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10722178
    Abstract: A method for the reduction of motion artifacts in CT imaging, the method including the steps of: (a) reconstructing from the raw CT data an initial estimate of the object of interest; (b) estimating the pose of the object at each projection angle; (c) undertaking a motion-corrected reconstruction from the measured projections, accounting for the pose changes estimated in (b) by employing a modified source/detector orbit that accounts for the object motion; (d) iterating steps (b)-(c) until a predetermined convergence criterion is met; and (e) making a final reconstruction of the required image size using the pose estimates obtained in the previous steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignees: Western Sydney Local Health District, The University of Sydney, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Roger Fulton, Johan Nuyts, Tao Sun, Jung-Ha Kim
  • Publication number: 20170340287
    Abstract: A method for the reduction of motion artifacts in a helical CT reconstruction, the method including the steps of: (a) reconstructing from the raw CT data an initial estimate of the 3D attenuation distribution of the object of interest; (b) estimating a pose parameter set of the object for each projection angle; (c) undertaking a motion corrected reconstruction from the measured projections, accounting for the pose changes estimated in (b); (d) iterating steps (b)-(c) until some convergence criterion is met; and (e) making a final reconstruction of diagnostic quality using the pose estimates obtained in the previous steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Roger Fulton, Johan Nuyts, Tao Sun, Jung-Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 9155514
    Abstract: Reconstruction in positron emission tomography is performed with partially known attenuation. A PET-CT scanner is used to generate a PET image with time of flight emission information. To limit x-ray dose while providing increased sensitivity at the ends of the CT volume in the PET image, attenuation coefficients for oblique LORs passing outside the CT volume are determined from the time of flight emission information. The attenuation coefficients for LORs within the CT volume are derived from the CT data. An objective function may be maximized for the emission distribution without reconstructing the attenuation distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven Research & Development, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
    Inventors: Vladimir Y Panin, Michel Defrise, Johan Nuyts
  • Patent number: 9053569
    Abstract: The DCC (Data Consistency Condition) algorithm is used in combination with MLAA (Maximum Likelihood reconstruction of Attenuation and Activity) to generate extended attenuation correction maps for nuclear medicine imaging studies. MLAA and DCC are complementary algorithms that can be used to determine the accuracy of the mu-map based on PET data. MLAA helps to estimate the mu-values based on the biodistribution of the tracer while DCC checks if the consistency conditions are met for a given mu-map. These methods are combined to get a better estimation of the mu-values. In gated MR/PET cardiac studies, the PET data is framed into multiple gates and a series of MR based mu-maps corresponding to each gate is generated. The PET data from all gates is combined. Once the extended mu-map is generated the central region is replaced with the MR based mu-map corresponding to that particular gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Girish Bal, Frank Kehren, Vladimir Y. Panin, Christian J. Michel, Johan Nuyts
  • Publication number: 20150036789
    Abstract: Reconstruction in positron emission tomography is performed with partially known attenuation. A PET-CT scanner is used to generate a PET image with time of flight emission information. To limit x-ray dose while providing increased sensitivity at the ends of the CT volume in the PET image, attenuation coefficients for oblique LORs passing outside the CT volume are determined from the time of flight emission information. The attenuation coefficients for LORs within the CT volume are derived from the CT data. An objective function may be maximized for the emission distribution without reconstructing the attenuation distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Vladimir Y Panin, Michel Defrise, Johan Nuyts
  • Publication number: 20140056500
    Abstract: The DCC (Data Consistency Condition) algorithm is used in combination with MLAA (Maximum Likelihood reconstruction of Attenuation and Activity) to generate extended attenuation correction maps for nuclear medicine imaging studies. MLAA and DCC are complementary algorithms that can be used to determine the accuracy of the mu-map based on PET data. MLAA helps to estimate the mu-values based on the biodistribution of the tracer while DCC checks if the consistency conditions are met for a given mu-map. These methods are combined to get a better estimation of the mu-values. In gated MR/PET cardiac studies, the PET data is framed into multiple gates and a series of MR based mu-maps corresponding to each gate is generated. The PET data from all gates is combined. Once the extended mu-map is generated the central region is replaced with the MR based mu-map corresponding to that particular gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
    Inventors: Girish Bal, Frank Kehren, Vladimir Y. Panin, Christian J. Michel, Johan Nuyts
  • Patent number: 8620053
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of generating a best estimate of an image attenuation map derived from a truncated image attenuation map and PET emissions data for the object being imaged by a morphological imaging modality. The method involves a plurality of steps beginning with the recordation and processing of PET emissions data. Next, the morphological imaging modality records image data which is processed to determine an attenuation map. The attenuation map, for image modalities such as CT and MR scanning systems integrated with PET, is truncated, resulting in a truncated attenuation map image. Pixels for which attenuation data needs to be determined are identified and attenuation coefficients for these pixels are estimated and combined with the truncated attenuation map to generate a full initial attenuation map for the image, which is iteratively processed together with the PET emission data until the improvement change in the emission image reaches a defined threshold improvement level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Johan Nuyts
  • Patent number: 8594407
    Abstract: A method for digitally reconstructing a 3-dimensional tomosynthesis image by iterative reconstruction, a reconstructor, and a computer program product method are capable of plane-by-plane iterative reconstruction for digital breast tomosynthesis. The reconstruction process is based on a grouped coordinate ascent algorithm where the volume is split into a plurality of patches, wherein all patches are parallel to a surface of a detector. Splitting the volume allows implementing a modified model for image acquisition where the physical movement of the x-ray source is taken into account because each of the patches is updated separately and sequentially. In addition the splitting allows an efficient implementation on a graphical processing unit by reducing memory requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Anna Jerebko, Koen Michielsen, Johan Nuyts
  • Publication number: 20130202168
    Abstract: A method for digitally reconstructing a 3-dimensional tomosynthesis image by iterative reconstruction, a reconstructor, and a computer program product method are capable of plane-by-plane iterative reconstruction for digital breast tomosynthesis. The reconstruction process is based on a grouped coordinate ascent algorithm where the volume is split into a plurality of patches, wherein all patches are parallel to a surface of a detector. Splitting the volume allows implementing a modified model for image acquisition where the physical movement of the x-ray source is taken into account because each of the patches is updated separately and sequentially. In addition the splitting allows an efficient implementation on a graphical processing unit by reducing memory requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: ANNA JEREBKO, KOEN MICHIELSEN, JOHAN NUYTS
  • Publication number: 20110103669
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of generating a best estimate of an image attenuation map derived from a truncated image attenuation map and PET emissions data for the object being imaged by a morphological imaging modality. The method involves a plurality of steps beginning with the recordation and processing of PET emissions data. Next, the morphological imaging modality records image data which is processed to determine an attenuation map. The attenuation map, for image modalities such as CT and MR scanning systems integrated with PET, is truncated, resulting in a truncated attenuation map image. Pixels for which attenuation data needs to be determined are identified and attenuation coefficients for these pixels are estimated and combined with the truncated attenuation map to generate a full initial attenuation map for the image, which is iteratively processed together with the PET emission data until the improvement change in the emission image reaches a defined threshold improvement level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Johan Nuyts