Abstract: A computed tomography (CT) imaging apparatus (40) includes a CT imaging scanner (42) that acquires projection data. Data acquisition electronics (90) communicate with the CT scanner (42), and an acquisition computer (601) receives the projection data via the data acquisition electronics (90). A communication network (70) communicates with the acquisition computer (601) and with at least one additional computer (602, 603, 604). The at least one additional computer (602, 603, 604) cooperates with the data acquisition computer (601) and the communication network (70) to define a computational pipeline (104) that reconstructs selected projection data into a selected image representation.

Abstract: An image reconstruction method for reconstructing cone or wedge-beam computed tomography projection data includes re-binning (50) the projection data to associate projection data having the similar angular orientation (&thgr;), weighting (60) projection data based on at least one of its angular orientation (&thgr;) and its location within a detector aperture (20), and reconstructing (66) the weighted projection data (64) to form a volume image representation (70). In one preferred embodiment, the weighting (60) includes distributing (56) re-binned projection data (52) associated with a selected image element which one of (a) has the same angular orientation (&thgr;) and (b) is angularly separated by integer multiples of 180° into a selected one or more of a plurality of parallel processing pipelines (60m), and combining (62) the outputs of the selected one or more parallel processing pipelines (60m) to produce weighted projection data (64).

Abstract: An image reconstruction method for reconstructing cone or wedge-beam computed tomography projection data includes re-binning (50) the projection data to associate projection data having the similar angular orientation (&thgr;), weighting (60) projection data based on at least one of its angular orientation (&thgr;) and its location within a detector aperture (20), and reconstructing (66) the weighted projection data (64) to form a volume image representation (70). In one preferred embodiment, the weighting (60) includes distributing (56) re-binned projection data (52) associated with a selected image element which one of (a) has the same angular orientation (&thgr;) and (b) is angularly separated by integer multiples of 180° into a selected one or more of a plurality of parallel processing pipelines (60m), and combining (62) the outputs of the selected one or more parallel processing pipelines (60m) to produce weighted projection data (64).

Abstract: A computed tomography (CT) imaging apparatus (40) includes a CT imaging scanner (42) that acquires projection data. Data acquisition electronics (90) communicate with the CT scanner (42), and an acquisition computer (601) receives the projection data via the data acquisition electronics (90). A communication network (70) communicates with the acquisition computer (601) and with at least one additional computer (602, 603, 604). The at least one additional computer (602, 603, 604) cooperates with the data acquisition computer (601) and the communication network (70) to define a computational pipeline (104) that reconstructs selected projection data into a selected image representation.