Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides improvements in a digital data processor of the type that renders a three-dimensional (3D) volume image data into a two-dimensional (2D) image suitable for display. The improvements include a graphics processing unit (GPU) that comprises a plurality of programmable vertex shaders that are coupled to a plurality of programmable pixel shaders, where one or more of the vertex and pixel shaders are adapted to determine intensities of a plurality of pixels in the 2D image as an iterative function of intensities of sample points in the 3D image through which a plurality viewing rays associated with those pixels are passed. The pixel shaders compute, for each ray, multiple iteration steps of the iterative function prior to computing respective steps for a subsequent ray.

Abstract: The invention provides in one aspect methods and apparatus for use with C-arm and other CT systems, e.g., with non-rigid geometries. In such systems, by way of example, calibration can be performed to determine the exact position of the x-ray source and the exact orientation of the detector where each projection measurement is made. Next, a weighting coefficient can be determined for the voxels in each plane of a reconstruction volume at every possible projection. Finally, the order in which to process the voxels during image reconstruction can be determined. Following an actual CT scan procedure in which scans are obtained of a volume to be constructed, a system according to these and related aspects of the invention can use an optimal, pre-calculated processing method, while utilizing offsets and weighting coefficients determined during calibration, for performing backprojection image reconstruction.

Abstract: The invention provides in one aspect methods and apparatus for use with C-arm and other CT systems, e.g., with non-rigid geometries. In such systems, by way of example, calibration can be performed to determine the exact position of the x-ray source and the exact orientation of the detector where each projection measurement is made. Next, a weighting coefficient can be determined for the voxels in each plane of a reconstruction volume at every possible projection. Finally, the order in which to process the voxels during image reconstruction can be determined. Following an actual CT scan procedure in which scans are obtained of a volume to be constructed, a system according to these and related aspects of the invention can use an optimal, pre-calculated processing method, while utilizing offsets and weighting coefficients determined during calibration, for performing backprojection image reconstruction.

Abstract: The invention provides in one aspect methods and apparatus for use with C-arm and other CT systems, e.g., with non-rigid geometries. In such systems, by way of example, calibration can be performed to determine the exact position of the x-ray source and the exact orientation of the detector where each projection measurement is made. Next, a weighting coefficient can be determined for the voxels in each plane of a reconstruction volume at every possible projection. Finally, the order in which to process the voxels during image reconstruction can be determined. Following an actual CT scan procedure in which scans are obtained of a volume to be constructed, a system according to these and related aspects of the invention can use an optimal, pre-calculated processing method, while utilizing offsets and weighting coefficients determined during calibration, for performing backprojection image reconstruction.

Abstract: The invention provides, in some aspects, methods and apparatus for signal and/or image processing which perform convolution-based filtering utilizing a graphics processing unit (GPU, also called “graphics card”) to compute multiple output pixels at once. This has the advantage of saving memory bandwidth, while leveraging the GPUs vector multiplication and dot product units during the calculation. Related aspects of the invention provide such methods and apparatus in which multiple output pixels are computed simultaneously by using render targets with more than one channel, e.g., an RGBA render target, or multiple render targets, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides improvements in reconstructive imaging of the type in which a volume is reconstructed from a series of measured projection images (or other two-dimensional representations) generated by projection of a point x-ray source (or other radiation source), positioned at a distinct focus, through the volume to a plane at which the respective projection image is acquired (“detector plane”). In one aspect, the improvements are with respect to back-projecting a two-dimensional representation lying in the detector plane (representing, for example, a difference between an originally-acquired measured projection image and a subsequently-generated estimate thereof) to generate three-dimensional representation (which can be used, for example, to update an estimate of the volume).

Abstract: The invention provides, in one aspect, a digital data processor including a motherboard comprising a printed circuit board having disposed thereon (a) a central processing unit and one or more associated memories, and (b) a primary slot adapted to provide signal coupling compatible with the PCI-Express industry standard. The digital data processor further includes a graphics interface device that is mounted in the primary slot and that, as a consequence, is in mechanical and signal coupling with the motherboard. That graphics interface device, itself, has a plurality of further slots, each of which is adapted to provide signal coupling compatible with the PCI-Express industry standard.

Abstract: The invention provides improvements in reconstructive imaging of the type in which a volume is reconstructed from a series of measured projection images (or other two-dimensional representations) generated by projection of a point x-ray source (or other radiation source), positioned at a distinct focus, through the volume to a plane at which the respective projection image is acquired (“detector plane”). In one aspect, the improvements are with respect to back-projecting a two-dimensional representation lying in the detector plane (representing, for example, a difference between an originally-acquired measured projection image and a subsequently-generated estimate thereof) to generate three-dimensional representation (which can be used, for example, to update an estimate of the volume).