US 12171593

Here's a concise summary of US patent 12171593:

Title: Methods and systems for retrospective internal gating

Assignee: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Inventors: Adam L. Kesner

Filing Date: June 8, 2022 (based on Application number US17/835,509)

Issue Date: December 24, 2024

Abstract: The invention describes a method for deriving respiratory gated PET image reconstruction from raw PET data. It uses respiratory motion information, which is extracted from fluctuations in individual voxel signals, to generate usable respiratory phase information. This method enables the reconstruction of respiratory-gated PET images from PET data automatically and without the need for external hardware.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method for retrospective internal gating): This claim describes a method that involves:

  1. Acquiring image data: Obtaining a series of digital images (i1 to in) over time, which contain cyclical signals related to the periodic motion of an object.
  2. Extracting information: Getting data from multiple arrays (corresponding to voxels) within these images.
  3. Generating a time-varying object motion function: Creating a function that describes the object's motion over time, using the extracted voxel information.
  4. Determining phase information: Using the motion function to figure out the different phases of the object's periodic motion (e.g., different stages of a breath cycle).
  5. Generating a corrected image: Creating at least one image that accounts for and corrects the periodic motion, by using the original image data and the determined motion phase information.

• Claim 19 (Non-transitory computer-readable medium): This claim describes a computer-readable medium (like a hard drive or flash drive) that stores a program. When a processor runs this program, it performs the same steps as described in Claim 1: acquiring image data, extracting voxel information, generating a time-varying object motion function, determining phase information, and generating a motion-corrected image.

• Claim 20 (System): This claim describes a system that includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The medium has instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the system to perform the same steps as described in Claim 1: acquiring image data, extracting voxel information, generating a time-varying object motion function, determining phase information, and generating a motion-corrected image.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of CAFC 2026 dockets for US patent 12171593 did not yield any specific results indicating its presence in active litigation. The search results provided general information about CAFC cases in 2026 but did not mention patent 12171593. Therefore, I do not have authoritative information to confirm any ongoing legal challenges related to this specific patent in the CAFC dockets for 2026.