Invention:
This invention provides a device and method for correcting motion related artifacts. It does it by detecting motion of the object and using a corresponding algorithm to eliminate the artifact.
Background:
Motion artifacts are disruption in medical images caused by motion of the object being imaged. The elimination of motion artifacts is important when using multi-modality imaging systems; for example, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and MRI/SPECT (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
During operation, these systems may exhibit image quality that is affected by the motion of the object being imaged. This poses a major problem for patients who have suffered from uncontrollable muscle tremors such as Parkinson’s Disease. These patients struggle to stay still during imaging making it really difficult to obtain a high quality image. Also, images of certain areas of the body, for example the chest, are affected by the movement of the heart and lungs. These motion artifacts cause underestimation and misinterpretation of medical images. For example, images of the lung or brain region suffer from these artifacts and if undetected could lead to misinterpretation by health professionals. This invention addresses these problems.
Applications
- Medical imaging
- Especially nuclear imaging modalities (PET/SPECT)
- Imaging applications where it is desirable to eliminate artifacts due to motion
Status: issued U.S. Patent #10,013,743
