AUTOMATIC SETTING OF IMAGING PARAMETERS

1 . A computer-implemented medical method of determining a patient-specific setting of at least one imaging parameter of an imaging device, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

acquiring patient data, describing information relating to a patient and having impact on the setting of at least one imaging parameter of the imaging device including at least one of a position, size, or shape of an anatomical structure of interest or of a predefined object coupled to the patient's anatomy; and

determining imaging parameter data based on the patient data, describing a patient-specific setting of the imaging device as to at least one of the position of a scan trajectory with respect to the patient's anatomy or with respect to the predefined object.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient data is acquired from a medical navigation system operably coupled to the imaging device.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of acquiring patient data involves selecting a dataset of the patient.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the patient includes at least one of:

the patient's age;

the patient's gender;

the patient's weight;

the patient's height;

a type of disease of the patient and/or a type of an associated treatment procedure;

a position, size and/or shape of a region to be imaged;

a spatial registration of the patient with respect to previously acquired image data.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is controlled on the basis of the determined imaging parameter data.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one further imaging parameter of the imaging device is selected from the list comprising:

a position of the isocenter of the imaging device with respect to the patient's anatomy;

a position, size and/or shape of the imaging region with respect to the patient's anatomy, with respect to objects coupled the patient's anatomy and/or with respect to the imaging device;

a position of the imaging device with respect to the patient's anatomy and/or with respect to objects coupled the patient's anatomy;

a position, size and/or shape of a collimator opening of the imaging device;

a scan voltage and/or scan current of an x-ray tube;

a dose modulation;

a selection of a reconstruction kernel and algorithm;

a metal artefact reduction modality;

a subtraction angiography modality;

a dual-energy imaging modality;

a number of x-ray pulses per second;

a number of acquired projections;

a modality and/or setting for post-processing at least one image obtained with the imaging device.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining imaging parameter data involves determining, based on a first subset of information relating to the patient, a preset of at least one predetermined imaging parameter setting.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the preset is selected from a plurality of predetermined presets.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein determining imaging parameter data further involves adjusting, based on a second subset of information relating to the patient, at least one predetermined imaging parameter setting included in the preset, wherein the second subset includes at least one of the following information relating to the patient:

the patient's gender;

the patient's weight;

the patient's height;

a position, size and/or shape of anatomical structures of interest, which is based on information retrieved from an anatomical atlas;

a position, size and/or shape of predefined objects;

a spatial registration of the patient with respect to previously acquired image data.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is a x-ray imaging device which is spatially tracked by a medical tracking system operably coupled to the medical navigation system.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the following steps:

acquiring current position data is acquired describing a current position of the imaging device with respect to the patient's anatomy; and

determining target position data based on the current position data and the imaging parameter data, describing a target position of the imaging device with respect to the patient's anatomy for acquiring image data of the patient with the determined patient-specific setting of the at least one imaging parameter.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein a motorized carrier of the imaging device is controlled on the basis of the current position data and the target position data to move the imaging device to the target position.

13 . A program logic stored in a memory device of a computer that when running on the computer or when loaded onto the computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

acquiring patient data, describing information relating to a patient and having impact on a setting of at least one imaging parameter of an imaging device including at least one of a position, size, or shape of an anatomical structure of interest or of a predefined object coupled to the patient's anatomy; and

determining imaging parameter data based on the patient data, describing a patient-specific setting of the imaging device as to at least one of the position of a scan trajectory with respect to the patient's anatomy or with respect to the predefined object.

14 . A medical system, comprising:

at least one computer configured to perform a method including:

acquiring patient data, describing information relating to a patient and having impact on a setting of at least one imaging parameter of an imaging device including at least one of a position, size, or shape of an anatomical structure of interest or of a predefined object coupled to the patient's anatomy; and

determining imaging parameter data based on the patient data, describing a patient-specific setting of the imaging device as to at least one of the position of a scan trajectory with respect to the patient's anatomy or with respect to the predefined object;

at least one electronic data storage device storing at least the patient data; and

an imaging device for acquiring image data of the patient,

wherein the at least one computer is operably coupled to

the at least one electronic data storage device for acquiring, from the at least one data storage device, at least the patient data, and

the imaging device for issuing a control signal to the imaging device for controlling the operation of the imaging device on the basis of the patient data.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein selecting a dataset of the patient includes the patient's name and/or ID.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the current position data is acquired based on the patient data.