Patent ID: 7518114

Claim:
A method of imaging a patient using a positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) dual modality scanner, said method comprising: determining a location of a volume of interest within the patient; determining a predetermined time window associated with the volume of interest; acquiring a plurality of frames of emission data, at least one frame including the volume of interest; automatically moving the volume of interest from a first position corresponding to a frame that includes a first axial periphery of the volume of interest to a second position corresponding to a frame that includes a second axial periphery of the volume of interest; determining a time-of-flight (TOF) information of at least a portion of the annihilations detected along a line of response between corresponding coincidence detectors; rejecting TOF information that is greater than the predetermined time window associated with the volume of interest; and generating an image of the patient from the emission data using the determined TOF information.