Abstract: A method for reconstructing an image of an object utilizing a computed tomographic (CT) imaging system having a radiation source configured to project a beam of radiation through an object and towards a multislice detector array configured to sense attenuation of the radiation passing through the object; the method includes helically scanning an object to acquire a plurality of slices of projection data, generating a separate projection dataset for each of N separate detector rows wherein the separate projection datasets include detector row projection data and detector row conjugate projection data, combining the detector row projection data and the detector row conjugate projection data, and helically weighting the combined projection data using a combined helical weighting and conjugate data weighting algorithm such that a greater weight is applied to combined center row projection data than to at least one outermost detector row projection data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly rendering thick CT slice images wherein the data corresponding to an optimal number of slice images to be combined to generate a thick image and the data set required to generate the thick image are determined as a function of an optimal Z-smoothing factor and wherein Z-smoothing is implemented in software that performs quickly and is useable with any helical weighting algorithm and Z-smoothing function.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing an image of an object utilizing a computed tomographic (CT) imaging system having a radiation source configured to project a beam of radiation through an object and towards a multislice detector array configured to sense attenuation of the radiation passing through the object; the method includes helically scanning an object to acquire a plurality of slices of projection data, generating a separate projection dataset for each of N separate detector rows wherein the separate projection datasets include detector row projection data and detector row conjugate projection data, combining the detector row projection data and the detector row conjugate projection data, and helically weighting the combined projection data using a combined helical weighting and conjugate data weighting algorithm such that a greater weight is applied to combined center row projection data than to at least one outermost detector row projection data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly rendering thick CT slice images wherein the data corresponding to an optimal number of slice images to be combined to generate a thick image and the data set required to generate the thick image are determined as a function of an optimal Z-smoothing factor and wherein Z-smoothing is implemented in software that performs quickly and is useable with any helical weighting algorithm and Z-smoothing function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing image reconstruction using data obtained by an N beam helical scan, the method including generating projection data arrays for each of the N row in a CT detector, weighting the data arrays using a unique weighting function that is applicable to detectors having many different numbers of rows N to generate helical weighted arrays for each row, weighting the helical weighted arrays by applying a conjugate weighting function to generate conjugate arrays for each detector row and then combining the conjugate weighted arrays, filtering and back-projecting to generate a slice image.

Abstract: There is therefore provided, in one aspect, a method for imaging an object utilizing a computed tomographic (CT) imaging system having a rotating gantry, a multislice detector array on the rotating gantry and using at least n>1 rows of detector channels, and a radiation source on the rotating gantry configured to project a beam of radiation towards the multislice detector array through an object to be imaged. The method includes helically scanning the object with the CT imaging system at a pitch p>n to acquire projection data from the n rows of detector channels; applying a combined helical weight and conjugate weight to at least a portion of the acquired projection data to produce virtual projection data compensating for incomplete helical row data of the acquired projection data; and reconstructing an image of the object utilizing the acquired projection data and the virtual projection data.