Patent ID: 7027855

Claim:
A method to be used with a CT imaging system including a heart beat monitor that senses R-peaks and generates a heart beat signal including R-peak pulses where each R-peak pulse indicates a sensed peak heart cycle magnitude, the method for correcting for heart beat signal errors corresponding to data collected over the course of several heart cycles, the method comprising the steps of: for each specific heart cycle where the specific heart cycle corresponds to a period between first and second R-peak pulses occurring at times t( 1 ) and t( 2 ), respectively: identifying a heart rate; using the heart rate to determine when an R-peak error has likely occurred; and when an R-peak error has likely occurred, modifying the heart beat signal Rpeak pulse times by at least one of storing and eliminating at least one R-peak pulses; wherein the step of using includes the step of determining when at least one undetected R-peak has likely occurred between times t( 1 ) and t( 2 ) and where the step of modifying includes, when at least one undetected R-peak has likely occurred, storing at least one estimated R-peak pulse time t(e) corresponding to the heart beat signal between times t( 1 ) and t( 2 ).