System and method for generating PET-CT images

1. A method for executing a scanning procedure comprising the steps of:

(a) generating CT image data for a scan;

(b) generating CT attenuation correction data for the scan;

(c) acquiring a current frame of PET data for the scan in a 3D format; and

(d) simultaneously conducting the following steps:

reconstructing at least a portion of a PET image for the current frame, including

the step of overlapping a portion of the current frame with an adjacent frame, and

acquiring at least a portion of a next frame of PET data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating step (d) for at least one subsequent frame.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D format comprises a projection plane format.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of reconstructing at least a portion of a PET image comprises applying a Fourier rebinning process to directly convert the PET data from the projection plane format to a sinogram format.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of overlapping comprises computing a weight for each overlapping slice in the overlapping portion of the current frame and the adjacent frame.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjacent frame comprises a previous frame, and the step of overlapping comprises retrieving a stored overlapping portion of the previous frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing an overlapping portion of the current frame to enable overlapping during reconstruction of the next frame.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of automatically configuring a scan protocol for the PET data based on a scan protocol used to acquire the image CT data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating a fused PET-CT image with the CT image data and the PET image.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reconstructing step includes applying an attenuation correction to the PET image using the CT attenuation correction data.

11. A PET-CT system comprising:

a CT detector;

a PET detector;

at least one memory; and

at least one processor, which is programmed to

control a generation of CT image data for the scan;

control a generation of CT attenuation correction data for the scan;

control an acquisition of a current frame of PET data for the scan in a 3D format; and

control a simultaneous execution of (a) a reconstruction of at least a portion of a PET image for the current frame, including overlapping a portion of the current frame with an adjacent frame, and (b) an acquisition of at least a portion of a next frame of PET data.

12. The PET- CT system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to repeat, for at least one subsequent frame, the step of controlling the simultaneous execution of (a) and (b).

13. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the 3D format comprises a projection plane format.

14. The PET-CT system of claim 13 , wherein the reconstruction of at least a portion of a PET image comprises application of a Fourier rebinning process to convert the PET data from the projection plane format to a sinogram format.

15. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to compute a weight for each overlapping slice in the overlapping portion of the current frame and the adjacent frame.

16. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the adjacent frame comprises a previous frame, and the at least one processor is programmed to retrieve a stored overlapping portion of the previous frame.

17. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to store an overlapping portion of the current frame to enable overlapping during reconstruction of the next frame.

18. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to automatically configure a scan protocol for the PET data based on a scan protocol used to acquire the image CT data.

19. The PET-CT system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to generate a fused PET-CT image with the CT image data and the PET image.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to apply an attenuation correction to the PET image using the CT attenuation correction data.