Photon counting CT apparatus and imaging method

Inventor: Masaharu Tsuyuki (Nasushiobara, JP)

Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

A61B6/4241 A61B6/032 A61B6/463 A61B6/481

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12685499
App. No.: 18/448,201
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A photon counting CT apparatus of an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to generate data from which a plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances can be discriminated on the basis of detection results obtained by monitoring scanning performed on a subject into which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances have been injected.

Claims (23)

1 . A photon counting computed tomography (CT) apparatus comprising:

a memory storing determination condition information in which different determination conditions are associated with each of a plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances, the determination conditions defining conditions for determining a timing of main scanning at a time of performing imaging using the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances and being defined on a basis of at least one of an upper limit threshold value of a contrast effect, a lower limit threshold value of the contrast effect, and an elapsed time from exceeding a threshold value or a peak value of the contrast effect; and

processing circuitry configured to:

generate data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated on the basis of detection results obtained by monitoring scanning performed on a subject into which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances have been injected;

calculate the contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances on the basis of the data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated;

determine whether or not the calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies determination conditions corresponding to a combination of determination conditions set for each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances injected into the subject; and

start main scanning for the subject at a timing when determining that the calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies the determination conditions,

wherein, when determining that the calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances does not satisfy the determination conditions, the processing circuitry is configured to:

perform re-monitoring scanning on the subject and re-generating data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated on the basis of detection results obtained by the re-monitoring scanning;

re-calculate the contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances on the basis of the re-generated data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated; and

re-determine whether or not the re-calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies the determination conditions set for each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances injected into the subject.

2 . The photon counting CT apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause a display device to display an image in which display modes of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are different on the basis of the generated data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated.

3 . The photon counting CT apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the display device to display the image in which colors or patterns of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are different.

4 . The photon counting CT apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are contrast agents sequentially injected into the subject with a time difference.

5 . An imaging method, using a photon counting computed tomography (CT) apparatus comprising a memory storing determination condition information in which different determination conditions are associated with each of a plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances, the determination conditions defining conditions for determining a timing of main scanning at a time of performing imaging using the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances and being defined on the basis of at least one of an upper limit threshold value of a contrast effect, a lower limit threshold value of the contrast effect, and an elapsed time from exceeding a threshold value or a peak value of the contrast effect, the imaging method, comprising:

generating data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated on the basis of detection results obtained by monitoring scanning performed on a subject into which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances have been injected;

calculating the contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances on the basis of the data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated;

determining whether or not the calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies determination conditions set for each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances injected into the subject; and

starting main scanning for the subject at a timing when determining that the calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies the determination conditions,

performing re-monitoring scanning on the subject and re-generating data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated on the basis of detection results obtained by the re-monitoring scanning;

re-calculating the contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances on the basis of the re-generated data from which the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances are able to be discriminated; and

re-determining whether or not the re-calculated contrast effect of each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances satisfies the determination conditions set for each of the plurality of types of contrast-enhancing substances injected into the subject.