Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for guiding the delivery of therapeutic radiation using incomplete or partial images acquired during a treatment session. A partial image does not have enough information to determine the location of a target region due to, for example, poor or low contrast and/or low SNR. The radiation fluence calculation methods described herein do not require knowledge or calculation of the target location, and yet may help to provide real-time image guided radiation therapy using arbitrarily low SNR images.

Abstract: Systems and methods for shuttle mode radiation delivery are described herein. One method for radiation delivery comprises moving the patient platform through the patient treatment region multiple times during a treatment session. This may be referred to as patient platform or couch shuttling (i.e., couch shuttle mode). Another method for radiation delivery comprises moving the therapeutic radiation source jaw across a range of positions during a treatment session. The jaw may move across the same range of positions multiple times during a treatment session. This may be referred to as jaw shuttling (i.e., jaw shuttle mode). Some methods combine couch shuttle mode and jaw shuttle mode. Methods of dynamic or pipelined normalization are also described.

Abstract: As set forth herein low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired. A first material decomposed (MD) image of a first material basis and a second material decomposed (MD) image of a second material basis can be obtained using the low energy signal data and the high energy signal data. At least one of the first or second MD image can be input into a guide filter for output of at least one noise reduced and cross-contamination reduced image. A computed tomography (CT) imaging system can be provided that includes an X-ray source and a detector having a plurality of detector elements that detect X-ray beams emitted from the X-ray source. Low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired using the detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for guiding the delivery of therapeutic radiation using incomplete or partial images acquired during a treatment session. A partial image does not have enough information to determine the location of a target region due to, for example, poor or low contrast and/or low SNR. The radiation fluence calculation methods described herein do not require knowledge or calculation of the target location, and yet may help to provide real-time image guided radiation therapy using arbitrarily low SNR images.

Abstract: As set forth herein low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired. A first material decomposed (MD) image of a first material basis and a second material decomposed (MD) image of a second material basis can be obtained using the low energy signal data and the high energy signal data. At least one of the first or second MD image can be input into a guide filter for output of at least one noise reduced and cross-contamination reduced image. A computed tomography (CT) imaging system can be provided that includes an X-ray source and a detector having a plurality of detector elements that detect X-ray beams emitted from the X-ray source. Low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired using the detector.

Abstract: As set forth herein low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired. A first material decomposed (MD) image of a first material basis and a second material decomposed (MD) image of a second material basis can be obtained using the low energy signal data and the high energy signal data. At least one of the first or second MD image can be input into a guide filter for output of at least one noise reduced and cross-contamination reduced image. A computed tomography (CT) imaging system can be provided that includes an X-ray source and a detector having a plurality of detector elements that detect X-ray beams emitted from the X-ray source. Low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired using the detector.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for beam station delivery of radiation treatment, where the patient platform is moved to a series of discrete patient platform locations or beam stations that are determined during treatment planning, stopped at each of these locations while the radiation source rotates about the patient delivering radiation to the target regions that intersect the radiation beam path, and then moving to the next location after the prescribed dose of radiation (e.g., in accordance with a calculated fluence map) for that location has been delivered to the patient.

Abstract: Systems and methods for shuttle mode radiation delivery are described herein. One method for radiation delivery comprises moving the patient platform through the patient treatment region multiple times during a treatment session. This may be referred to as patient platform or couch shuttling (i.e., couch shuttle mode). Another method for radiation delivery comprises moving the therapeutic radiation source jaw across a range of positions during a treatment session. The jaw may move across the same range of positions multiple times during a treatment session. This may be referred to as jaw shuttling (i.e., jaw shuttle mode). Some methods combine couch shuttle mode and jaw shuttle mode. Methods of dynamic or pipelined normalization are also described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for guiding the delivery of therapeutic radiation using incomplete or partial images acquired during a treatment session. A partial image does not have enough information to determine the location of a target region due to, for example, poor or low contrast and/or low SNR. The radiation fluence calculation methods described herein do not require knowledge or calculation of the target location, and yet may help to provide real-time image guided radiation therapy using arbitrarily low SNR images.

Abstract: As set forth herein low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired. A first material decomposed (MD) image of a first material basis and a second material decomposed (MD) image of a second material basis can be obtained using the low energy signal data and the high energy signal data. At least one of the first or second MD image can be input into a guide filter for output of at least one noise reduced and cross-contamination reduced image. A computed tomography (CT) imaging system can be provided that includes an X-ray source and a detector having a plurality of detector elements that detect X-ray beams emitted from the X-ray source. Low energy signal data and high energy signal data can be acquired using the detector.

Abstract: A method for iteratively reconstructing an image is provided. The method includes acquiring, with a detector, computed tomography (CT) imaging information. The method also includes generating, with at least one processor, sinogram information from the CT imaging information. Further, the method includes generating, with the at least one processor, image domain information from the CT imaging information. Also, the method includes updating the image using the sinogram information. The method further includes updating the image using the image domain information. Updating the image using the sinogram information and updating the image using the image domain information are performed separately and alternately in an iterative fashion.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining spectral computed tomography (CT) information via an acquisition unit having an X-ray source and a CT detector. The method also includes, generating, with one or more processing units, using at least one image transform, a first basis image and a second basis image using the spectral CT information. Further, the method includes performing, with the one or more processing units, guided processing on the second basis image using the first basis image as a guide to provide a modified second basis image. Also, the method includes performing at least one inverse image transform using the first basis image and the modified second basis image to generate at least one modified image.

Abstract: A method for iteratively reconstructing an image is provided. The method includes acquiring, with a detector, computed tomography (CT) imaging information. The method also includes generating, with at least one processor, sinogram information from the CT imaging information. Further, the method includes generating, with the at least one processor, image domain information from the CT imaging information. Also, the method includes updating the image using the sinogram information. The method further includes updating the image using the image domain information. Updating the image using the sinogram information and updating the image using the image domain information are performed separately and alternately in an iterative fashion.

Abstract: A framework for an iterative reconstruction algorithm is described which combines two or more of an ordered subset method, a preconditioner method, and a nested loop method. In one type of implementation a nested loop (NL) structure is employed where the inner loop sub-problems are solved using ordered subset (OS) methods. The inner loop may be solved using OS and a preconditioner method. In other implementations, the inner loop problems are created by augmented Lagrangian methods and then solved using OS method.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for spectral computed tomography imaging are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring a first projection dataset and a second projection dataset, detecting a location of metal in the first projection dataset, applying corrections to the first and second projection datasets based on the location of the metal, and displaying an image reconstructed from the corrected first and second projection datasets. In this way, metal artifacts may be substantially reduced in dual or multi-energy CT imaging.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for spectral computed tomography imaging are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring a first projection dataset and a second projection dataset, detecting a location of metal in the first projection dataset, applying corrections to the first and second projection datasets based on the location of the metal, and displaying an image reconstructed from the corrected first and second projection datasets. In this way, metal artifacts may be substantially reduced in dual or multi-energy CT imaging.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining spectral computed tomography (CT) information via an acquisition unit having an X-ray source and a CT detector. The method also includes, generating, with one or more processing units, using at least one image transform, a first basis image and a second basis image using the spectral CT information. Further, the method includes performing, with the one or more processing units, guided processing on the second basis image using the first basis image as a guide to provide a modified second basis image. Also, the method includes performing at least one inverse image transform using the first basis image and the modified second basis image to generate at least one modified image.

Abstract: The use of the channelized preconditioners in iterative reconstruction is disclosed. In certain embodiments, different channels correspond to different frequency sub-bands and the output of the different channels can be combined to update an image estimate used in the iterative reconstruction process. While individual channels may be relatively simple, the combined channels can represent complex spatial variant operations. The use of channelized preconditioners allows empirical adjustment of individual channels.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining spectral computed tomography (CT) information via an acquisition unit having an X-ray source and a CT detector. The method also includes, generating, with one or more processing units, using at least one image transform, a first basis image and a second basis image using the spectral CT information. Further, the method includes performing, with the one or more processing units, guided processing on the second basis image using the first basis image as a guide to provide a modified second basis image. Also, the method includes performing at least one inverse image transform using the first basis image and the modified second basis image to generate at least one modified image.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a rotatable gantry for receiving an object to be scanned, a generator configured to energize an x-ray source to generate x-rays, a detector positioned to receive the x-rays that pass through the object, and a computer. The computer is programmed to obtain knowledge of a metal within the object, scan the object using system scanning parameters, reconstruct an image of the object using a reconstruction algorithm, and automatically select at least one of the system scanning parameters and the reconstruction algorithm based on the obtained knowledge.