METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INDIVIDUALLY OPTIMIZING UNIFORM CONTRAST ENHANCEMENTS IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING

摘要

A method is provided for optimizing a contrast injection function for CT imaging. The method includes injecting, with an injector pump, a test bolus of a contrast agent into a subject. The method also includes computing, on a processor, an impulse enhancement function. The method also includes determining, on a processor, a target enhancement function for a region of interest. The method also includes determining, with a processor, a plurality of parameters for a functional form for a contrast injection function in a time domain. The method also includes determining for the contrast injection function a constraint. The method also includes determining, with a processor, particular values for the plurality of parameters, which satisfy the constraint and minimize a difference between a value of an enhancement function and the target enhancement function computed in the time domain at discrete time periods without use of a Fourier transform.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
injecting a test bolus of a contrast agent into a subject based on a test injection function and scanning a region of interest to obtain a test bolus scan; computing an impulse enhancement function based on the test bolus scan; determining a target enhancement function for the region of interest based on the contrast agent; determining a plurality of parameters for a functional form for a contrast injection function in a time domain; determining for the contrast injection function a constraint comprising at least a total volume of contrast agent; determining an enhancement function based on the impulse enhancement function and the contrast injection function; and determining particular values for the plurality of parameters, which particular values satisfy the constraint and minimize a difference between a value of the enhancement function and the target enhancement function, wherein the difference is computed in the time domain at discrete time periods without use of a Fourier transform; and injecting the contrast agent into the subject based on the contrast injection function using the particular values for the plurality of parameters.