Patents by Inventor A. Hans Vija

A. Hans Vija 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).

  • Publication number: 20240389957
    Abstract: A system and method include generation of a first tomographic image of a subject based on first gamma rays detected by the detector while the detector is disposed at a first position with respect to the subject, generation of a second tomographic image of the subject based on second gamma rays detected by the detector while the detector is disposed at a second position with respect to the subject, identification of one or more structures of the subject depicted in the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image, and generation of a composite tomographic image based on the first tomographic image, the second tomographic image, and the identified one or more structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues, Dennis Steibel
  • Publication number: 20240361477
    Abstract: For larger FOV in a gamma camera, multiple solid-state detectors are tiled. The edge pixels of the pixelated detectors are smaller than interior pixels so that the pitch of the pixels or anodes is constant across the tiled detectors. The constant pitch occurs where pairs of edge pixels combined from different detectors contribute the pitch or area of an interior pixel. As a result of this optimized edge pixel pairing and corresponding regular pitch across the tiles, the spectral and other performance is less degraded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20240293095
    Abstract: A multi-modality imaging system allows for selectable photoelectric effect and/or Compton effect detection. The camera or detector is a module with a catcher detector. Depending on the use or design, a scatter detector and/or a coded physical aperture are positioned in front of the catcher detector relative to the patient space. For low energies, emissions passing through the scatter detector continue through the coded aperture to be detected by the catcher detector using the photoelectric effect. Alternatively, the scatter detector is not provided. For higher energies, some emissions scatter at the scatter detector, and resulting emissions from the scattering pass by or through the coded aperture to be detected at the catcher detector for detection using the Compton effect. Alternatively, the coded aperture is not provided. The same module may be used to detect using both the photoelectric and Compton effects where both the scatter detector and coded aperture are provided with the catcher detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20240230930
    Abstract: A system includes a housing having a first end portion and a second end portion, a SPECT detector disposed in the housing, a first support, a first coupling coupled to the first end portion of the housing and to the first support, a second support defining a bore, and a second coupling coupled to the second end portion of the housing and to the second support, where the housing is disposed between the first support and the second support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Andrew Scheffel
  • Patent number: 11998374
    Abstract: A multi-modality imaging system allows for selectable photoelectric effect and/or Compton effect detection. The camera or detector is a module with a catcher detector. Depending on the use or design, a scatter detector and/or a coded physical aperture are positioned in front of the catcher detector relative to the patient space. For low energies, emissions passing through the scatter detector continue through the coded aperture to be detected by the catcher detector using the photoelectric effect. Alternatively, the scatter detector is not provided. For higher energies, some emissions scatter at the scatter detector, and resulting emissions from the scattering pass by or through the coded aperture to be detected at the catcher detector for detection using the Compton effect. Alternatively, the coded aperture is not provided. The same module may be used to detect using both the photoelectric and Compton effects where both the scatter detector and coded aperture are provided with the catcher detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20240148345
    Abstract: For calibration in medical emission tomography, the dosimeter and/or detector is calibrated in the field, such as at the clinic or other patient scanning location. To allow for a fewer number of calibration sources used in calibrating and/or assist in calibration for multispectral emission tomography, a calibration source includes multiple isotopes and/or a proxy source or isotope is used instead of the same isotope used in factory calibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20240119273
    Abstract: A physics-based network model is trained to learn weights such as trapping, detrapping, and/or transport of holes and/or electrons, as well as voltage distribution on a voxel-by-voxel basis throughout a solid-state detector model. The physics-based network may be used to estimate material property variation throughout the voxels. To reduce the number of experimental setups and information needed to train the models, the models may be trained using more easily acquired ground truth. Just the electrode signals or just the free charge data is used to train the model to characterize the solid-state detector. With this reduced data, the detector may be characterized using equivalency, such as combining multiple trapping centers to an equivalent trapping center. Regularization may be used in the loss calculation, such as where just the electrode signals are used, to deal with the reduced data available as ground truth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Srutarshi Banerjee, Miesher Rodrigues, Alexander Hans Vija, Aggelos Katsaggelos
  • Patent number: 11948290
    Abstract: A framework for characterization of a collimator. In accordance with one aspect, first and second sides of the collimator are photographed to generate first and second image data. An optical characterization map (OCM) may be generated based on the first and second image data, wherein the optical characterization map characterizes the individual channels of the collimator. Quality assessment or image reconstruction may then be performed based on the OCM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Francesc dAssis Massanes Basi, Amos Yahill, Ronald E. Malmin
  • Patent number: 11903750
    Abstract: For calibration in medical emission tomography, the dosimeter and/or detector is calibrated in the field, such as at the clinic or other patient scanning location. To allow for a fewer number of calibration sources used in calibrating and/or assist in calibration for multispectral emission tomography, a calibration source includes multiple isotopes and/or a proxy source or isotope is used instead of the same isotope used in factory calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 11816764
    Abstract: For partial volume correction, the partial volume effect is simulated using patient-specific segmentation. An organ or other object of the patient is segmented using anatomical imaging. For simulation, the locations of the patient-specific object or objects are sub-divided, creating artificial boundaries in the object. A test activity is assigned to each sub-division and forward projected. The difference of the forward projected activity to the test activity provides a location-by-location partial volume correction map. This correction map is used in reconstruction from the measured emissions, resulting in more accurate activity estimation with less partial volume effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Michal Cachovan
  • Patent number: 11810228
    Abstract: A system and method include training of an artificial neural network to generate an output three-dimensional image volume based on input two-dimensional projection images, the training based on a plurality of subsets of two-dimensional projection images of each of a plurality of sets of two-dimensional projection images and associated ones of three-dimensional image volumes reconstructed from each of the plurality of sets of two-dimensional projection images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Michal Cachovan, Alexander Hans Vija
  • Patent number: 11790526
    Abstract: A system and method includes acquisition of a plurality of images, each of the plurality of images representing radiotracer concentration in a respective volume at a respective time period, and training of a neural network, based on the plurality of images, to output data indicative of radiation dose associated with a first volume over a first time period based on a first image representing radiotracer concentration in the first volume over a second time period, the second time period being shorter than the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Maximilian Reymann
  • Patent number: 11774608
    Abstract: A system and method include an array of sensors electrically coupled to a material capable of converting a gamma ray to electrical charge, where distances between a center of a first sensor and centers of each sensor immediately-adjacent to the first sensor are substantially equal. Signals are collected from each sensor immediately-adjacent to the first sensor, and one of a plurality of logical sub-pixels of the first sensor is determined based on the signals collected from each sensor immediately-adjacent to the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 11744534
    Abstract: A detector used for tomography imaging is mobile, allowing the detector to move about an object (e.g., patient to be imaged). A swarm of such detectors, such as a swarm of drones with detectors, may be used for tomography imaging. The trajectory or trajectories of the mobile detectors may account for the pose and/or movement of the object being imaged. The trajectory or trajectories may be based, in part, on the sampling for desired tomography. An image of an internal region of the object is reconstructed from detected signals of the mobile detectors using tomography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Michal Cachovan
  • Patent number: 11701074
    Abstract: A Compton camera for medical imaging is divided into segments with each segment including part of the scatter detector, part of the catcher detector, and part of the electronics. The different segments may be positioned together to form the Compton camera arcing around part of the patient space. By using segments, any number of segments may be used to fit with a multi-modality imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues, James Frank Caruba
  • Patent number: 11701067
    Abstract: A system and method includes determination of a region of interest of an imaging subject, generation of a first linear attenuation coefficient map of the imaging subject, the first linear attenuation coefficient map generated to associate voxels of the region of interest of the imaging subject with greater linear attenuation coefficients than voxels of other regions of the imaging subject, attenuation-correction of a plurality of tomographic frames of the imaging subject based on the first linear attenuation coefficient map to generate a second plurality of tomographic frames, and determination of tomographic inconsistency of the second plurality of tomographic frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Francesc dAssis Massanes Basi
  • Patent number: 11704795
    Abstract: A framework for quality-driven image processing. In accordance with one aspect, image data and anatomical data of a region of interest are received. Zonal information is generated based on the anatomical data. Image processing is performed based on the image data to generate an intermediate image. One or more image quality metrics may then be determined for the intermediate image data using the zonal information. A processing action may be performed based on the one or more image quality metrics to generate a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Francesc dAssis Massanes Basi
  • Patent number: 11647973
    Abstract: For gamma ray detection, 3D tiling is made possible by modules that include a gamma ray detector with at least some electronics extending away from the detector as a side wall, leaving an air or low attenuation gap behind the gamma ray detector. The modules may be stacked to form arrays of any shape in 3D, including stacking to form a Compton detector with a scatter detector separated from the catcher detector by the low attenuation gap where the electronics form at least one side wall between the detectors. The modules may be stacked so that the detectors from the different modules are in different planes and/or not part of a same surface (e.g., same surface provided with just 1D or 2D tiling).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 11642093
    Abstract: For calibration of internal dose in nuclear imaging, the dose model used for estimating internal dose in a patient is calibrated. One or more values of the dose model (e.g., a physics simulation, dose kernels, or a transport model) are set based on measured dose. The dose may be measured relative to specific tissues and/or isotopes, providing for tracer and tissue specific calibration. For example, dose from the tracer to be injected into the patient is estimated from emissions as well as measured by a dosimeter in a tissue mimicking tissue mimicking object. These doses are used to calibrate the dose model, which calibrated dose model is then used to determine internal dose for the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Michal Cachovan, Miesher Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20230120478
    Abstract: For dosimetry, a miniaturized nuclear imaging system with a solid-state detector is used to determine the activity and/or injected dose for a radiopharmaceutical. By being sized to scan the syringe or vial, the injected dose may be determined using the solid-state detector with greater accuracy than current dose calibrators and with less frequent use of a calibrated or standardized source. This miniaturized nuclear imaging system reconstructs activity in a same way as the nuclear imaging system scanning a patient, so may be used to calibrate the dose model. A tissue mimicking object with a solid-state dosimeter measures dose from the radiopharmaceutical, which dose is used to calibrate the dose model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Alexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues