WO2005119025A3 - Radioactive-emission-measurement optimization to specific body structures - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems, methods, and probes are provided for functional imaging by radioactive-emission-measurements, specfic to body structures, such as the prostate, the esophagus, the cervix, the uterus, the ovaries, the heart, the breast, the brain, and the whole body, and other body structures (fig. 5c element 206). The nuclear imaging may be performed alone, or together with structural imaging, for example, by x-rays, ultrasound, or MRI. Preferably, the radioactive-emission-measuring probes include detectors, which are adapted for individual motions with respect to the probe housings, to generate views from different orientations and to change their view orientations (fig. 5c element 207). These motions are optimized with respect to functional information gained about the body structure, by identifying preferred sets of views for measurements, based on models of the body structures abd information theoretic measures (fig. 5c element 208). A second iteration, for identifying preferred sets of views for measurements of a portion of body structure, based on models of a location of a pathology that has been identified, makes it possible, in effect, to zoom in on a suspected pathology. The systems are programmed to provide these motions automatically.