Abstract: An imaging device accesses projection data collected by a medical imaging system during a scan of a body. The imaging device uses the projection data directly to render an image of a region of interest of the body.

Abstract: A method of and a system for spectral correction in multi-energy computed tomography are provided to correct reconstructed images, including high-energy CT images and Z (effective atomic number) images, for spectral variations, which include time variations on a scanner due to HVPS drift and scanner to scanner variations due to the beamline component differences. The method uses a copper filter mounted on the detector array for tracking the spectral changes. The method comprises: generating copper ratios; computing working air tables; calculating scales and offsets; and correcting high-energy CT images and Z images using calculated scales and offsets. The method further includes an off-line calibration procedure to generate necessary parameters for the online correction.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing image data from measured sinogram data acquired from a CT system is provided. The CT system is configured for industrial imaging. The method includes pre-processing the measured sinogram data. The pre-processing includes performing a beam hardening correction on the measured sinogram data and performing a detector point spread function (PSF) correction and a detector lag correction on the measured sinogram data. The pre-processed sinogram data is reconstructed to generate the image data.

Abstract: A medical X-ray device arrangement for producing three-dimensional information of an object in a medical X-ray imaging, the medical X-ray device arrangement comprising an X-ray source for X-radiating the object from at least two different directions and a detector for detecting the X-radiation to form projection data of the object. The medical X-ray device arrangement comprises means for modelling X-ray attenuation coefficient of said object using a multiresolution representation, eliminating part of the coefficients in said multiresolution representation to form reduced multiresolution representation, and utilizing said projection data in a regularized reconstruction method based on minimizing the penalty F(f)=?Af?m?2/2+??f?B+?g(f) over the coefficients in the said reduced multiresolution representation to produce three-dimensional information of the object.

Abstract: When photographing is started, pulsation of a subject is detected and a pulsation period T is measured. A standstill period is determined and the rotation time S of a rotation table is calculated according to the equation S=nT (where n denotes an odd number). When rotation is started and a predetermined speed and a predetermined angle are attained, X-ray exposure is started, and the exposure is stopped when a predetermined number of views are obtained. After scan data is collected, a motion area is detected and data-rearrangement is performed, and a half-scan reconstructed image is created by using the rearranged scan data. When an artifact is identified by reconstructed-image evaluation, a retry is made. Subsequently, a standstill period is changed, the data rearrangement is performed again, and half-scan reconstruction and image evaluation are performed again. When the image evaluation is successful, three-dimension-voxel coupling is performed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method using matrix transformations of the three coordinate systems used in radiotherapy to correct for any deviation between a planned dosimetric treatment target and the actual location of the treatment target.

Abstract: A method and system of CT colonography is presented that includes the acquisition of energy sensitive or energy-discriminating CT data from a colorectal region of a subject. CT data is acquired and decomposed into basis material density maps and used to differentiate and enhance contrast between tissues in the colorectal region. The invention is particularly applicable with the detection of colon polyps without cathartic preparation or insufflation of the colorectal region. The invention is further directed to the automatic detection of colon polyps.

Abstract: An image reconstruction method for cone beam x-ray attenuation data acquired over a super-short-scan, short-scan or full-scan includes backproejcting over three adjacent segments of the arc traversed by the x-ray source. Each backprojection consists of a weighted combination of 1D Hilbert filtering of the modified cone-beam data along both horizontal and non-horizontal directions.

Abstract: A technique is provided for CT reconstruction for use in CT metrology. The boundary based CT reconstruction method includes the steps of initializing a boundary of an object to obtain a boundary estimate, defining a forward model based on the boundary estimate, linearizing the forward model to obtain a system matrix and implementing an iterative image reconstruction process using the system matrix to update the boundary estimate.

Abstract: A method of and a system for computing Z (effective atomic number) images from projection data are provided, wherein the projections are acquired using at least two x-ray spectra for a set of scanned objects, including a set of low energy projections and a set of high energy projections; the method comprises decomposing the low energy projections and high energy projections into photoelectric projections, reconstructing the photoelectric projections into photoelectric images, reconstructing one of the two sets of projections into CT images, and computing Z images from the CT images and the photoelectric images with parameters obtained from a calibration procedure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computerized tomography method, in which an examination area is scanned radiographically along a helical trajectory by a conical beam. The radiation transmitted through the examination area is measured by means of a detector unit, wherein the absorption distribution in the examination area is reconstructed exactly or at least quasi-exactly from these measured values. Reconstruction uses redundant measured values and comprises derivation of the measured values from parallel rays of different projections, integration of these values along ?-lines, weighting of these values and back-projection.

Abstract: A method and a CT unit are proposed for producing CT images of an examination object having a periodically moving subregion, preferably a beating heart, by multi-planar reconstruction. Subsequent to joining the axial images with pixels from a number of partial volumes calculated for the rest phases, a reduction takes place to reduce artifacts occurring in overlap regions. This is done by carrying out threshold value formation in the zone of the boundary regions of the partial volumes with result image Dz. A pixel-oriented median filtering then occurs, resulting in image Mz. A differential value image is then produced using Fz=Dz?Mz. Subsequently, two-dimensional lowpass filtering is applied to Fz to produce a result image Gz. Finally, a calculation of Bz?Gz is used to form the final image Ez.

Abstract: A conebeam computed tomography scanner (10) acquires conebeam projection data along a generally helical source trajectory around an examination region (14). An exact reconstruction processor (40) includes a convolution processor (42) and an aperture weighted backprojection processor (46, 66). The convolution processor (42) performs at least one convolution of the acquired projection data. The convolving operates on projection data falling within an exact reconstruction window (38) and on at least some redundant projection data falling outside the exact reconstruction window (38) to produce convolved projection data.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing an image of an object utilizing a cone-beam volumetric computed tomographic imaging apparatus includes helically scanning the object with a radiation source utilizing the cone-beam volumetric computed tomographic imaging apparatus; selecting radiation beams emitted by the radiation source passing through a pixel P having a smallest cone angle in comparison with that of the conjugate rays of the radiation beam; and reconstructing an image of the object utilizing projection data obtained from the selected radiation beams while avoiding the use of redundant projection data from unselected conjugate rays of the selected radiation beams.

Abstract: An x-ray computed tomography system, method, and computer product that generates an x-ray beam with an x-ray generator and detects with an x-ray detector at least one characteristic of the x-ray beam generated by the x-ray generator, after the x-ray beam has passed through an object, the system including a converting unit configured to obtain analog projection data outputted by the x-ray detector and to convert the analog projection data to digital projection data, and a processing unit configured to obtain the digital projection data from the converting unit, to detect overflow digital projection data that overflows a measuring range of the computed tomography system, and to correct the overflow digital projection data of the digital projection data by using a curve fitting function.

Abstract: A method of CT beam hardening calibration comprises: the step of obtaining raw data of a first phantom and a second phantom by scanning the first phantom and the second phantom respectively; the step of calculating a first filter material length and a second filter material length according to one ore more spectrum function and the raw data of the first phantom as well as the second phantom; the step of adjusting said spectrum function to make the first filter material length and the second filter material length agree with predefined conditions; the step of calculating a beam hardening curve according to the adjusted spectrum function and the first filter material length as well as the second filter material length met with the predefined conditions; and the step of processing the raw data by the calculated beam hardening curve to eliminate beam hardening effects.

Abstract: Method of and system for adaptive scatter correction in the absence of scatter detectors in multi-energy computed tomography are provided, wherein input projection data acquired using at least two x-ray spectra for scanned objects may include a set of low energy projections and a set of high energy projections; wherein a low-pass filter of variable size is provided; the method comprises estimating the size of the low-pass filter; computing amounts of scatter; and correcting both sets of projections for scatter. The estimation of low-pass filter size comprises thresholding high energy projections into binary projections; filtering the binary projections; finding the maximum of the filtered binary projections; calculating the low-pass filter size from the found maximum. The computation of amounts of scatter comprises exponentiating input projections; low-pass filtering the exponentiated projections with the estimated filter size; computing the amounts of scatter from the filtered projections.