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CN-122023389-A - Improved medical scanning scheme for patient data acquisition analysis within a scanner

CN122023389ACN 122023389 ACN122023389 ACN 122023389ACN-122023389-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved medical scanning scheme for in-scanner patient data acquisition analysis, providing a method of performing a medical scan of a subject using a medical imaging system, the method comprising a) initiating a medical scanning session, b) performing an image acquisition sequence during the medical scanning session using the medical imaging system to obtain image scan data, c) performing an image analysis on the image scan data acquired during the image acquisition sequence using a computer system to identify one or more quantitative indicators of a pathology, d) determining, using the computer system, if a notification should be generated based on the identification of one or more of the quantitative indicators of a pathology in step c), and if so, the method further comprises e) generating a notification relating to a possible pathology during the medical scanning session, the possible pathology being associated with the one or more identified quantitative indicators. This approach reduces the likelihood that the patient will be recalled for further scanning.

Inventors

  • NIELSEN MADS
  • Robert Megro Lauritzen
  • Akshai Sadananda Upinakudru Pai

Assignees

  • 塞雷布里优公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20200626
Priority Date
20190626

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method of performing a medical scan of a subject using a medical imaging system, the method comprising: a) Initiating a medical scanning session; b) Performing an image acquisition sequence during a medical scanning session using a medical imaging system to obtain image scan data; c) Performing image analysis on image scan data acquired during the image acquisition sequence using a computer system to identify one or more quantitative indicators of pathology; d) Based on the identification of one or more of the quantitative indicators of pathology in step c), determining, using a computer system, whether a notification should be generated, and if so, the method further comprises: e) During a medical scan session, a notification is generated relating to a possible pathology associated with the one or more identified quantitative indicators.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided to an operator of the medical imaging system and/or a medical professional during the medical scanning session.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification indicates a likely need for urgent treatment of the subject.
  4. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the one or more quantitative indicators identified in step c) provide an indication of one or more of bleeding, micro-bleeding, or infarction, and emergency treatments associated with stroke.
  5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification indicates that thrombolytic therapy, blood thinning medication, or therapy avoiding blood thinning medication may be required.
  6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) further comprises: f) Image analysis is performed using a computer system on image scan data acquired during the image acquisition sequence to identify one or more quantitative indicators of image quality.
  7. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein step d) further comprises: g) Determining, using a computer system, whether any additional image acquisition sequences are required during the medical scanning session based on the identifying of the one or more quantitative indicators in step c), and, if required: h) Determining a second image acquisition sequence using the computer system based on the one or more quantitative indicators, and I) It is suggested that the second image acquisition sequence is performed by the medical imaging system while the subject remains within the medical imaging system during the medical scanning session to obtain second image scan data.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein step i) further comprises: j) A second image acquisition sequence is performed during the medical scanning session using the medical imaging system to obtain second image scan data.
  9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) includes using a classifier including a machine learning algorithm trained to classify and execute on a computer system specific features in the first image scan data, performing image analysis on the first image scan data acquired during the first image acquisition sequence to identify one or more quantitative indicators of pathology, wherein the one or more quantitative indicators of pathology include classification of specific features in the first image scan data indicative of a likely pathology.
  10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a neural network algorithm.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, prior to step a): k) A neural network algorithm is trained using a training set comprising a set of medical scan tuples to identify the quantitative indicator.
  12. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) does not require previous image scan data of a particular subject.
  13. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition sequence comprises a plurality of different scan types.
  14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical imaging system comprises an MRI scanner and the plurality of scan types is selected from T2 fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR), diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI), dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DEC-MRI), gradient echo (GRE), 3D magnetic Sensitivity Weighted Imaging (SWI); Gradient echo and T1 Turbo Spin Echo (TSE), T1 weighted imaging, T2 weighted imaging, and magnetic Sensitive Weighted Imaging (SWI).
  15. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein step b) includes performing a first type of image scan of a plurality of different scan types, followed by a second type of image scan of a second of the plurality of different scan types.
  16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein step c) is performed on image scan data from a second image scan concurrently with the image scan.
  17. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical imaging system comprises an MRI scanner and the image scan data is generated by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or The medical imaging system comprises a CT scanner and the image scanning data comprises Computed Tomography (CT) data, or The medical imaging system includes a PET scanner and the image scan data includes PET data.
  18. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more quantitative indicators are derived from a previous training process.
  19. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a sound signal and/or is provided on one or more displays.
  20. 20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to perform a method when executed, the method comprising: a) Initiating a medical scanning session; b) Performing an image acquisition sequence during a medical scanning session using a medical imaging system to obtain image scan data; c) Performing image analysis on image scan data acquired during the image acquisition sequence using a computer system to identify one or more quantitative indicators of pathology; d) Based on the identification of one or more of the quantitative indicators of pathology in step c), determining, using a computer system, whether a notification should be generated, and if so, the method further comprises: e) During a medical scan session, a notification is generated relating to a possible pathology associated with the one or more identified quantitative indicators.

Description

Improved medical scanning scheme for patient data acquisition analysis within a scanner The application relates to a Chinese patent application with the application number 202080046421.1 and the name of improved medical scanning scheme for data acquisition and analysis of patients in scanners, which is divided into 26 days of the application date 2020. Technical Field The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for patient data acquisition analysis within a scanner. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for scan selection and acquisition in response to one or more metrics. The at least one indicator may comprise a pathology indication measure or a quantitative parameter. Background One non-invasive technique for imaging the brain and other body areas is a Computed Tomography (CT) scan that combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around the body and uses computational methods to create cross-sectional images (slices) of bone, blood vessels and soft tissue within the body. Another technique is Positron Emission Tomography (PET), which can be used to produce detailed three-dimensional images of the interior of the body. PET scanning uses a radioactive tracer, which is a molecule that contains a small amount of radioactive material that can be detected in the PET scanning. They are designed to accumulate in cancerous tumors or inflammatory areas. They may also be allowed to bind to specific proteins in the body. An increasingly preferred technique is structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI is a non-invasive technique for examining physical structures of the body (e.g., calculating tissue volume). This is of great value for monitoring tissue damage, particularly neurodegenerative diseases. MRI is well known to be based on the magnetization characteristics of nuclei. The large and uniform external magnetic field aligns proteins within the water nucleus of the tissue under examination. This alignment is then disturbed by an external Radio Frequency (RF) signal. The nuclei return to stationary alignment through a number of different relaxation processes during which RF signals are transmitted. By varying the sequence of transmission and detection of the RF pulses, different characteristics of the tissue under examination can be measured. The repetition Time (TR) is the amount of time between successive pulse sequences applied to the same slice. The echo Time (TE) is the time between the delivery of the RF pulse and the receipt of the echo signal. Many MRI techniques are available. T1 weighted and T2 weighted scans are common. T1 (longitudinal relaxation time) is a time constant that determines the rate at which excited protons rearrange with an applied external magnetic field. T2 (transverse relaxation time) is a time constant that determines the rate at which excited protons lose phase coherence with nuclei having spins perpendicular to the applied external magnetic field. The T1 weighted image is characterized by short TE and TR times. Instead, T2 weighted images are generated by using longer TE and TR times. An increasingly used sequence is fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR). FLAIR is similar to T2 weighted images except that TE and TR are long. Using this method, the anomaly remains bright, but the cerebrospinal fluid dilutes, and therefore darkens in the acquired image. Such a system is also referred to as a T2 FLAIR scan. Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) is a form of MRI that is based on measuring random brownian motion of water molecules within voxels (volume pixels) of tissue under test. In general, highly cellular tissues or tissues with cellular swelling exhibit lower diffusion coefficients. Diffusion is particularly useful in tumor characterization and cerebral ischemia. Contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DEC-MRI) are also available techniques. In CE-MRI, gadolinium contrast agents are used to improve the sharpness of the available imaging. CE-MRI, for example, can improve the visibility of inflammation, blood vessels, and tumors. DCE-MRI, a plurality of MR images are acquired sequentially after administration of a contrast agent. This allows for monitoring contrast ("wash-in" and "wash-out") of the contrast agent, enabling improved detection of e.g. vascular lesions and tumors. A still further technique is gradient echo (GRE) MRI scanning. This is created by a single RF pulse in combination with gradient inversion. After the RF pulse, the first negative part of the gradient lobe causes phase dispersion of the precessing spin. When the gradient is reversed, the spins refocus and form gradient (callback) echoes. GRE scanning typically involves short TR and short TE values, thus providing fast signal acquisition. Thus, GRE sequences can provide rapid imaging and MR angiography techniques. Magnetically Sensitive Weighted Imaging (SWI) is a 3D high spatial resolution ve