Method for thoracic vertebral bone density measurement by thoracic quantitative computed tomography

摘要

A technique for measuring thoracic vertebral bone density (BMD) and coronary calcium score (CCS). Representatively, BMD was measured and averaged at three consecutive thoracic spines (3T) starting from the left main coronary artery caudally and averaging the results of the measurements at the first, second and third spine regions to obtain a thoracic trabecular bone mineral density measurement. The “reference”, as the 3T BMD value of 30 year old and the piBMD (predicted individual BMD (piBMD) were developed. Based on the “reference”, and piBMD, T and Z score of 3T formula were derived in both genders. The new calibration phantom of TQCT and LQCT was designed. The ratios of CTHU/mg/cc were obtained with varying scanners, which were used to translate the CTHU to density units (mg/cc) in BMD and CCS mass measurement. A processor capable of quantitating both BMD and CCS burden was designed. In image without a calibration phantom, formulas were created to quantitate BMD with a high precision.

主权项

1. A method for determining bone mineral density using phantomless quantitative computed tomography, the method comprising:
obtaining image data representing a heart from a scan performed by a computed tomography (CT) scanner, the scan being performed without a calibration phantom; using the image data, calculating a bone mineral density at three consecutive thoracic spine levels by:
identifying, using a computer, a first spine level at a position corresponding to a site of origin of an identified left main coronary artery in the image data; andcalculating, using the computer, a bone mineral density based on image data values at each of the three consecutive thoracic spine levels including the first spine level, a second spine level, and a third spine level; and determining, using the computer, a thoracic trabecular bone mineral density measurement based on the bone mineral density calculations at the first spine level, the second spine level, and the third spine level.