PET acquisition scheduling based on MR scout images
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to scheduling positron emission tomography (PET) scans for a combined PET-MRI scanner based on an acquisition of MR scout images of a subject. An anatomy and orientation of the subject can be determined based on the MR scout images and the schedule for acquiring PET scans of the subject can be determined from the anatomy of the subject. The schedule generated using exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can specify a sequence of bed positions, scan durations at each bed position, and whether respiratory gating will be used at one or more of the bed positions.
1. A method of operating a combined PET-MRI scanner comprising:
acquiring a sequence of MR scout images of a subject with a processing device in communication with MR imaging components to acquire the sequence of the MR scout images of the subject via a MRI scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner;
automatically determining an anatomy and an orientation of the subject at various table positions with the processing device based on the MR scout images; and
automatically generating a sequence of table positions and scan durations for each table position for acquiring PET scans of the subject with the processing device in communication with PET imaging components and the MR imaging components to acquire a sequence of PET scans of the subject via a PET scanner portion and according to the sequence programmatically generated based on the anatomy of the subject determined from the MR scout images, wherein each of the scan durations are determined based on at least one of an expected PET attenuation or whether retrospective respiratory gating will be used for a region identified in the MR scout images.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the table is automatically moved along a longitudinal axis with respect to an MRI scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner, and wherein the table is automatically moved through a field of view of the MRI scanner portion to acquire the sequence of MR scout images along at least a portion of a length of the table.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising acquiring at least one of the PET scans of the sequence of PET scans at each of the table positions.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sequence includes an acquisition time associated with each of the table positions and the method further comprises acquiring the at least one of the PET scans at each of the table positions according to the acquisition time.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising calculating the acquisition time based on the anatomy of the subject determined from the MR scout images.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying the PET scans of the sequence of PET scans for which respiratory gating or motion compensation algorithm will be used.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising calculating the table positions to separate moving anatomy PET scans from non-moving anatomy scans based on the MR scout images.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anatomy determined from the MR scout images are represented in an anatomy map and an orientation of the subject is determined based on the anatomy map.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the table is automatically moved along a longitudinal axis with respect to an MRI scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner to acquire the MR scout images; and wherein the table is automatically moved along the longitudinal axis with respect to the PET scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner to acquire at least one of the PET scans of the sequence of PET scans at a sequence of table positions according to the sequence.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instruction, wherein execution of the instructions by a processing device causes the processing device to implement a method comprising:
acquiring a sequence of MR scout images of a subject with the processing device in communication with MR imaging components to acquire the sequence of the MR scout images of the subject via a MRI scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner;
automatically determining an anatomy and an orientation of the subject at various table positions with the processing device based on the MR scout images; and
automatically generating a sequence of table positions and scan durations for each table position for acquiring PET scans of the subject with the processing device in communication with PET imaging components and the MR imaging components to acquire a sequence of PET scans of the subject via a PET scanner portion and according to the sequence programmatically generated based on the anatomy of the subject determined from the MR scout images, wherein each of the scan durations are determined based on at least one of an expected PET attenuation or whether retrospective respiratory gating will be used for a region identified in the MR scout images.
11. The medium of claim 10 , wherein an acquisition time is specified based on the anatomy of the subject determined from the MR scout images, and wherein a table is automatically moved along a longitudinal axis with respect to an MRI scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner to acquire the MR scout images; and wherein the table is automatically moved along the longitudinal axis with respect to the PET scanner portion of the combined PET-MRI scanner to acquire at least one of the PET scans of the sequence of PET scans at each of the table positions according to the sequence.
12. The medium of claim 10 , wherein the method implemented by the execution of the instructions further comprises:
calculating the table positions to separate moving anatomy PET scans from non-moving anatomy scans based on the MR scout images; and
identifying the PET scans of the sequence of PET scans for which respiratory gating will be used.