Method and Apparatus for Reconstructing Image Projections

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for acquiring image data of a subject. The image data can be collected with an imaging system having a detector able to move relative to the subject. A contrast agent can be injected into the subject and image data can be acquired with the contrast agent in various phases of the subject. A volumetric model of multiple phases can be reconstructed selected reconstruction techniques.

1 . A system to reconstruct multiple phases of a subject, comprising:
 an imaging system having:
 an energy source operable to emit energy in a selected direction; 
 a detector positioned opposite the energy source to detect the emitted energy; 
 a gantry operable to be positioned around the subject such that the detector and the source are able to move around the subject in response to an imaging system instruction; 
   a pump operable to inject a contrast agent into the subject in response to a pump instruction;   a controller in communication with the imaging system and the pump operable to provide the imaging system instruction to the imaging system and the pump instruction to the pump;   wherein the controller is operable to at least one of control or record timing of acquisition of image data with the imaging system and timing of the injection of the contrast agent into the subject;   wherein the controller is further operable to acquire the image data based upon the timing of the injection of the contrast agent.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pump timer operable to determine an amount of time that has passed since the beginning of the injection of the contrast agent by the pump; and   an imaging system timer operable to determine an amount of time that has passed since the beginning of the injection of the contrast agent by the pump and generated an index time for the image data.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an image data indexer, wherein the image data includes a plurality of image data frames collected of the subject over time and time stamped by the imaging system timer and the image data indexer is operable to execute instructions to determine whether a selected portion of the image data is regarding a first anatomical phase or a second anatomical phase based on at least one of the indexed time of the image data and input constraints.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a memory system that stores the input constraints that are input to the image data indexer based on prior knowledge of a physiology of the subject, anatomy of the subject, and number of anatomical phases.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a three-dimensional model reconstruction system operable to execute instructions to reconstruct a first model of the first anatomical phase and a second model of the second anatomical phase.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a tracking system operable to track an instrument in a navigation space; and   a display device operable to display at least one of the first model of the first anatomical phase or the second model of the second anatomical phase and an instrument icon representing a location of the instrument relative to the phase in the navigation space.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging system further comprises:
 a cart having a set of wheels operable to allow the cart to move the gantry and the attached detector and source from a first operating room to a second operating room.   
     
     
         8 . A method reconstructing multiple phases of a subject, comprising:
 injecting a contrast agent into the subject at a selected injection start time, wherein the contrast agent injected into the subject has a x-ray scattering pattern different than that of an anatomy of the subject;   powering a x-ray source to emit x-rays to be detected by a detector at a selected imaging start time;   moving the x-ray source and the detector relative to the subject; and   acquiring image data of a selected portion of the subject over time while moving the x-ray source and the detector, wherein the image data includes a plurality of image frames of the subject acquired over the time and at different positions relative to the subject based on the moving of the x-ray source and the detector;   correlating the plurality of image frames over time to a position of the contrast agent in the subject over time;   selecting a first phase of the subject;   determining a first phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames that relate to the first phase in the subject; and   reconstructing a model of the first phase of the subject based on the determined first phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 moving the single x-ray source tube to the first selected position relative to the subject in a selected operating theater.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 wherein reconstructing a model of the first phase of the subject includes executing instructions with a processor to determine a model of the first phase of the subject based on the determined first phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting a second phase of the subject;   determining a second phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames that relate to the second phase in the subject; and   reconstructing a model of the second phase of the subject based on the determined second phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein executing instructions with the processor to reconstruct a model of the selected portion of the subject includes reconstructing a multi-phase model of the selected portion of the subject including both the first phase and the second phase. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein reconstructing a multi-phase model of the selected portion of the subject includes constructing the multi-phase model to illustrate a first phase of physiological action and anatomical location and a second phase of physiological action and anatomical location. 
     
     
         14 . A method reconstructing multiple phases of a subject, comprising:
 selecting a first phase of the subject to be reconstructed;   receiving image data of a selected portion of the subject over time while a contrast agent is moving through the selected portion of the subject, wherein the image data includes a plurality of image frames of the selected portion of the subject acquired over time;   correlating each of the plurality of image frames to a position of the contrast agent in the subject;   determining a first phase sub-plurality of image frames of the plurality of image frames that relate to the selected first phase in the subject; and   reconstructing a first phase model of the selected first phase of the subject based on the determined first phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the received image data includes image frames at different perspectives relative to the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 inputting constraints to a processor systems regarding the selected first phase;   executing instructions with the processor system to perform the determining the first phase sub-plurality of image frames of the plurality of image frames that relate to the selected first phase in the subject is based on the input constraints; and   executing instructions with the processor system to reconstruct the first phase model based on the determined first phase sub-plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the input constraints include at least one of a time constraint, a number of phases constraint, a timing of an injection of the contrast constraint, and a perfusion rate constraint. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining a time of injection of the contrast agent into the subject relative to an initial image frame acquisition of the plurality of image frames of the received image data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 selecting a second phase of the subject to be reconstructed;   determining a second phase sub-plurality of image frames of the plurality of image frames that relate to the selected second phase in the subject; and   reconstructing a second phase model of the selected second phase of the subject based on the determined second phase sub-plurality of the plurality of image frames.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 inputting constraints to a processor systems regarding both of the selected first phase and the selected second phase.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first phase is different than the second phase. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selecting a first phase includes selecting an arterial phase of the subject and selecting the second phase includes selecting a venous phase of the subject. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 tracking an instrument relative to at least one of the arterial phase of the subject or the venous phase of the subject; and   displaying a location of the tracked instrument relative to the at least one of the arterial phase of the subject or the venous phase of the subject as an instrument icon on a display device superimposed on at least one of the reconstructed first phase model or reconstructed second phase model.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein selecting a first phase includes selecting a portion of a vasculature of the subject less than a complete vasculature of the subject within the selected portion of the subject to be reconstructed as the first phase model. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 injecting the contrast agent into the subject; and   moving an imaging portion of an imaging device relative to the subject at a rate to collect less than a complete 360 degree rotation of the subject while the contrast agent is in the selected first phase.