METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING STEP SIZE IN A MULTI-STEP WHOLE-BODY PET IMAGING

摘要

A method of imaging a region of interest (ROI) in an object, the ROI having an axial extent greater than an axial FOV of a PET scanner. The method includes determining a number of overlapping scans of the PET scanner necessary to image at least the axial extent of the ROI, wherein each scan has a same axial length equal to the axial FOV, and each scan overlaps an adjacent scan by a predetermined overlap percentage of the axial length of each scan. Further, the method includes determining a total amount of excess scanning length of the scans based on the number, the axial extent of the ROI, and the axial FOV, and determining a new overlap percentage based on the total amount of excess scanning length and the predetermined overlap percentage, so that a new total amount of excess scanning length, as determined with the new overlap percentage, is zero.