Abstract: A method and apparatus for computed axial tomography (CAT) image reconstruction applicable to X-ray scanning of the human body. Successive series of calculations determine the values of a characteristic in defined segmented areas of an examination plane. A reduction in the time and equipment requirements for reconstruction calculations may thereby be effected.Images representative of the difference between the value of the characteristic at a reconstruction point and the average value of the characteristic in adjacent regions (.DELTA..mu.) may be calculated and displayed from measurements taken within a localized contiguous region of the examination plane. Radiation dose to patients and computation time in X-ray computerized axial tomography scanning systems is thus reduced. Differential displays of the type described may be adjusted to image boundaries, in which case they do not suffer from gray scale resolution problems which are typical of prior art displays.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for examining relative movement of two masses of different radiation attenuation characteristics, separated by a boundary and moving relative to one another over a repetitive motion cycle. The masses are examined from a plurality of successive angles about a common center of rotation. The object is scanned over each motion cycle from each of these angles to derive a plurality of attenuation coefficients encompassing the entire motion cycle. A plurality of differential points is calculated between adjacent scans of a single motion cycle, and a single composite image of all of these differential points is reconstructed for each individual time period of each motion cycle for display.