Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for optimizing an amount of radiation dose and acquisition time in cardiac Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. The apparatus and method include providing an organ, acquiring images of the organ at projected views. Then a projected view that projects the organ as an annulus is selected; a region of interest (ROI) is also selected in the projected view, wherein the ROI is in a lateral wall of the organ. An average count in the ROI is determined; and an image quality of a reconstructed image based on the average count is predicted.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of assessing the quality of a functional image for an object includes causing a computer to execute instructions for providing a signal distribution of values N generating a transformed distribution by calculating, for each value N, a transformed value X=?{square root over (N+¼)}, reconstructing the functional image from the signal distribution, deriving an expected distribution of expected values ? from the functional image, generating a residual distribution by calculating, for each value N, a residual values ?X=X??{square root over (?)}, and outputting the residual distribution.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes causing a computer system to execute instructions for providing a first data set and a second data set, each derived from a common object, providing a first tomographic image object associated with the first data set providing a second tomographic image object associated with the second data set, generating a multimodal pixon map for pixon smoothing on the basis of the first data set, the first tomographic image object, the second data set, and the second tomographic image object, and outputting the multimodal pixon map.

Abstract: Methods of nuclear imaging can include, in a pre-scan, detecting radiation emitted from a patient in a first plurality of viewing angles including at least a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle, generating nuclear data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a first nuclear event distribution from the nuclear data, selecting a region of interest, determining a first signal-to-noise ratio of the first nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, selecting a second plurality of viewing angles not including the first viewing angle, reconstructing a second nuclear event distribution from the nuclear data associated with the second plurality of viewing angles, determining a second signal-to-noise ratio of the second nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, determining that the second signal-to-noise ratio is greater than or equal to the first signal-to-noise ratio, and nuclear imaging the patient by detecting nuclear data based on a nuclear imaging process that is based

Abstract: A method for obtaining nuclear medical images of a patient in which one or more first images are obtained. The one or more first images can be used to identify one or more regions of interest for subsequent images that focus on the regions of interest. The process can occur iteratively until it is determined, either by a physician or a computer program that sufficient images have been obtained to identify lesions or other pathology within a reasonable level of confidence.

Abstract: An imaging system includes interleaved emission detectors and transmission detectors. Emission detectors and transmission detectors can be interleaved along the axis of relative patient motion. Emission detectors and transmission detectors can be interleaved orthogonal to the axis of relative patient motion. Emission detectors can be single photon emission computed tomography detectors and the transmission detectors can be x-ray computed tomography detectors.

Abstract: Methods of determining an acquisition time adapted to a region of interest for a nuclear imaging process of a patient include detecting radiation from at least a first viewing angle during a first test amount of time, generating first test data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a nuclear event distribution from the first test data, determining a test signal-to-noise ratio for the reconstructed nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, and determining the acquisition time using the test signal-to-noise ratio and the first test amount of time.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for performing multimodal imaging of an object. The system and method includes performing spatio-temporal detection of transmission CT data of a fan X-ray beam, performing, and simultaneously with the spatio-temporal detection of transmission CT data, spatio-temporal detection of emission nuclear imaging data emitted from the object with a propagation direction across the propagation direction of the fan X-ray beam. The system and method further includes identifying at least two zones in the object based on the transmission CT data, reconstructing an image object from the emission nuclear imaging data under the constraint that respective portions of detected nuclear events are associated with selected zones, and outputting data representative of the image object.

Abstract: Methods of nuclear imaging can include, in a pre-scan, detecting radiation emitted from a patient in a first plurality of viewing angles including at least a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle, generating nuclear data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a first nuclear event distribution from the nuclear data, selecting a region of interest, determining a first signal-to-noise ratio of the first nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, selecting a second plurality of viewing angles not including the first viewing angle, reconstructing a second nuclear event distribution from the nuclear data associated with the second plurality of viewing angles, determining a second signal-to-noise ratio of the second nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, determining that the second signal-to-noise ratio is greater than or equal to the first signal-to-noise ratio, and nuclear imaging the patient by detecting nuclear data based on a nuclear imaging process that is based

Abstract: Methods of determining an acquisition time adapted to a region of interest for a nuclear imaging process of a patient include detecting radiation from at least a first viewing angle during a first test amount of time, generating first test data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a nuclear event distribution from the first test data, determining a test signal-to-noise ratio for the reconstructed nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, and determining the acquisition time using the test signal-to-noise ratio and the first test amount of time.

Abstract: The application discloses multimodality imaging systems that include a gantry with a stationary unit and a rotating unit rotatable around a rotation axis and providing an opening extending along the rotation axis through which a subject is insertable, a support table coupled to the stationary unit for supporting a subject, a table drive unit coupled to the support table for translating the support table in a direction extending along the rotation axis, and a CT source coupled to the rotating unit, the CT source being configured to emit a fan beam through the opening, a CT detector coupled to the rotating unit opposite the CT source, the CT source being configured to detect the fan beam, a nuclear imaging detector coupled to the rotating unit, the nuclear imaging detector being configured to detect nuclear radiation emitted from within the opening in a direction differing from a propagation direction of the fan beam.

Abstract: A method for tomographic nuclear imaging determines the distance between a non-parallel hole collimator surface and a region of interest (ROI) by obtaining difference images between images acquired at different view angles of the ROI. The distance may be used in a nuclear image reconstruction algorithm to more accurately reconstruct an image of the ROI. The method takes advantage of the non-stationary Point Spread Function of a non-parallel hole collimator to determine depth information of gamma events emitted from the ROI.

Abstract: Tomographically reconstructing a 3D image object corresponding to a data set includes for each step in a series of iteration steps, determining an updated object by performing a combined operation, which includes performing an update operation for updating an input object and performing a pixon smoothing operation, and following a last iteration, outputting one of the updated objects as the 3D image object.

Abstract: Smoothing a first object, thereby creating a smoothed object having a smoothed value associated with each object point in object space, includes receiving the first object, determining, in a series of iteration steps, single-kernel-smoothed objects, wherein each iteration step includes based on the first object, determining a start object and smoothing the start object using a kernel function associated with the iteration step, thereby creating the single-kernel-smoothed object having single-kernel-smoothed values associated with each object point, and constructing the smoothed object from the single-kernel-smoothed values.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of assessing the quality of a functional image for an object includes causing a computer to execute instructions for providing a signal distribution of values N generating a transformed distribution by calculating, for each value N, a transformed value X=?{square root over (N+¼)}, reconstructing the functional image from the signal distribution, deriving an expected distribution of expected values A from the functional image, generating a residual distribution by calculating, for each value N, a residual values ?X=X??{square root over (?)}, and outputting the residual distribution.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods of reconstructing an image object for a measured object in object space from image data in data space include causing a computer to execute instructions for providing zonal information separating the object space into at least two zones, providing at least two zonal image objects, each zonal image object being associated with one of the at least two zones, reconstructing the image object using a data model derived from forward projecting the zonal image objects into data space, wherein the contribution of each zonal image object to the data model is weighted according to a zonal scaling factor, and outputting the image object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes causing a computer system to execute instructions for providing a first data set and a second data set, each derived from a common object, providing a first tomographic image object associated with the first data set providing a second tomographic image object associated with the second data set, generating a multimodal pixon map for pixon smoothing on the basis of the first data set, the first tomographic image object, the second data set, and the second tomographic image object, and outputting the multimodal pixon map.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods of reconstructing an image object for a measured object in object space from image data in data space cause a computer system to execute instructions for providing zonal information separating the object space into at least two zones, providing at least two zonal image objects, each zonal image object being associated with one of the at least two zones, performing a zonal smoothing operation on at least one of the zonal image objects, thereby generating at least one smoothed zonal image object, reconstructing the image object on the basis of the at least one smoothed zonal image object, and outputting the image object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of presenting an image of an object includes causing a computer to execute instructions for providing a signal distribution of values N, generating a transformed distribution by calculating, for each value N, a transformed value X=?{square root over (N+3/8)}, and outputting the transformed distribution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for nuclear medicine imaging in which the imaging platform is attached directly to the detectors for nuclear imaging to allow for minimal constant distance between the detector(s) and the object to be imaged. As the detector moves around the object to be imaged to capture different angular views of the object, the imaging platform is rotated in a compensatory manner to maintain a its long axis perpendicular to gravity during movement of the detector. An advantage of this configuration over prior systems is the ability to obtain multiple angular projections while the distance between the detector and the object being imaged is maintained at a minimum, but the danger of detector-object collision is minimized and the necessity for orbital path calibration to preserve precision of detector movement and distance is eliminated.