System and method for molecular breast imaging

1. A method for motion correcting molecular breast imaging (MBI) images, said method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images during a scan of a breast using a MBI system, wherein the plurality of 2D images are acquired at different times during the scan and each include a feature of interest;

selecting a reference image from the plurality of 2D images, the plurality of 2D images remaining correspond to a plurality of non-reference images;

selecting the feature of interest in the reference image;

determining a location of the feature of interest in the reference image;

calculating correction values for each of the plurality of non-reference images, wherein the correction values are based on a difference in the location of the feature of interest in the reference image and a location of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

combining the plurality of non-reference images with the reference image to form a motion correction 2D image based on the calculated correction values.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images of a breast using a MBI system comprises:

acquiring data from the MBI system in a list mode format; and

creating a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images from the acquired data in a list mode format, wherein each one of the two-dimensional (2D) images is generated from a sub-set of events in the data acquired from the MBI system in the list mode format.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a feature of interest comprises displaying the reference image on a display; and selecting at least one of a breast wall or a physical feature within the breast based on user inputs from an input device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the correction values comprises:

identifying a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image based on a center point of the feature of interest;

identifying a boundary of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculating a shift between the boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and the boundary of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the correction values comprises calculating a difference between a location of a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and a boundary of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images, wherein the correction values are a set of X-Y coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the correction values comprises:

identifying a center point of the feature of interest in the reference image;

identifying a center point of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculating a shift between the center point of the feature of interest in the reference image and the center points of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MBI system includes two detectors, said method further comprising:

generating a first 2D image using emission data acquired from the first detector;

generating a second 2D image using emission data acquired from the second detector; and

combining the first and second 2D images to generate the reference image.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MBI system includes a pair of CZT detectors configured to immobilize the breast there between.

9. A molecular breast imaging (MBI) system comprising:

at least one detector having a plurality of pixels; and

a processing unit having one or more processors, the processing unit is coupled to the detector, the processing unit configured to

obtain a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images during a scan of a breast using a MBI system, wherein the plurality of 2D image are acquired at different times during the scan and each include a feature of interest;

receive a user input selecting a reference image from the plurality of 2D images, the plurality of 2D images remaining correspond to a plurality of non-reference images;

receive a user input selecting the feature of interest in the reference image;

determine a location of the feature of interest in the reference image;

calculate a correction value for each of the plurality of non-reference images, where the correction values are based on a difference in the location of the feature of interest in the reference image and a location of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images; and

combine the plurality of non-reference images with the reference image to form a motion correction 2D image based on the calculated correction values.

10. The MBI system of claim 9 , further comprising a pair of CZT detectors configured to immobilize the breast there between.

11. The MBI system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

acquire data from the MBI system in a list mode format; and

create a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images from the acquired data in a list mode format, wherein each one of the two-dimensional (2D) images is generated from a sub-set of events in the data acquired from the MBI system in the list mode format.

12. The MBI system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

identify a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image based on a center point of the feature of interest;

identify a boundary of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculate a shift between the boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and the boundaries of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

13. The MBI system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a difference between a location of a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and a boundary of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

14. The MBI system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive a user input identifying a center point of the feature of interest in the reference image;

automatically identify a center point of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculate a shift between the center point of the feature of interest in the reference image and the center points of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

15. The MBI system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

generate a first 2D image using emission data acquired from the first detector;

generate a second 2D image using emission data acquired from the second detector; and

combine the first and second 2D images to generate the reference image.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a program to instruct a processing unit to:

obtain a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images during a scan of a breast using a MBI system, wherein the plurality of 2D images are acquired at different times during the scan and each include a feature of interest;

receive a user input selecting a reference image from the plurality of 2D images, the plurality of 2D images remaining correspond to a plurality of non-reference images;

receive a user input selecting the feature of interest in the reference image;

determine a location of the feature of interest in the reference image;

calculate correction values for each of the plurality of non-reference images based on a difference in a location of the feature of interest in the reference image and a location of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

combine the plurality non-reference images with the reference image to form a motion correction 2D image based on the calculated correction values.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further encoded with a program to instruct a processing unit to:

acquire data from the MBI system in a list mode format; and

create a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images from the acquired data in a list mode format, wherein each one of the two-dimensional (2D) images is generated from a sub-set of events in the data acquired from the MBI system in the list mode format.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further encoded with a program to instruct a processing unit to:

identify a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image based on a center point of the feature of interest;

identify a boundary of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculate a shift between the boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and the boundaries of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further encoded with a program to instruct a processing unit to calculate a difference between a location of a boundary of the feature of interest in the reference image and a boundary of the feature of interest in the plurality of non-reference images.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further encoded with a program to instruct a processing unit to:

receive a user input identifying a center point of the feature of interest in the reference image;

automatically identify a center point of the feature of interest in each of the plurality of non-reference images; and

calculate a shift between the center point of the feature of interest in the reference image.