Patent ID: 7945306

Claim:
A method for generating an image exposure of a heart, said image exposure being acquired with a medical imaging apparatus using an image exposure protocol that gives said image exposure a diagnostically-sufficient image quality, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring a first image comprising a depiction of the heart in a heart position, within cardiac cycle, that is relevant for said image exposure, by operating said medical imaging apparatus with a different imaging protocol from said image exposure imaging protocol; acquiring a plurality of second images, each at a different time within the cardiac cycle, also by operating said medical imaging apparatus with said different imaging protocol, each comprising a depiction of the heart in a different current position at a different time within the cardiac cycle; in a control unit of the medical imaging apparatus, automatically determining when substantial depiction correlation exists between the current position depicted in one of said second images and the position of the heart depicted in said first image; and when said substantial depiction correlation is determined to exist, triggering, from said control unit, operation of said medical imaging apparatus to acquire said image exposure with said image exposure protocol.