Method and apparatus for ecg gated volumetric cardiac computed tomography imaging

摘要

In a diagnostic cardiac imaging session of a patient's heart using a computed tomography imaging scanner ( 10 ) and a cardiac cycle monitor ( 42 ), a diagnostic objective ( 100 ) is received. Survey imaging ( 104 ) of the heart is performed to determine optimized imaging parameter values for the received diagnostic objective ( 100 ). Monitor imaging ( 108 ) of a limited portion of the heart is performed during influx of a contrast agent ( 22 ) using a low patient x-ray exposure condition to detect a trigger condition. Volume imaging ( 110 ) of the heart responsive to detection of the trigger condition is performed using the optimized imaging parameter values to obtain volumetric imaging data. Cardiac cycle data is recorded during at least a portion of the survey imaging ( 104 ), the monitor imaging ( 108 ), and the volume imaging ( 110 ). High resolution reconstructing ( 130 ) of at least some volumetric imaging data is performed to produce high resolution image representations ( 132 ).