Abstract: A reconstruction image is generated with a small number of updates, with the use of an iterative approximation method. A specified tomographic image of a subject is received, and a process is performed two or more times, where an update process is performed according to the iterative approximation method, using the tomographic image as an initial image and an update image is obtained. Then, an update vector corresponding to a difference between thus generated update images of the update process performed twice is multiplied by predetermined coefficients, so as to generate an estimated update vector. Using this vector, an update image is generated. Then, this update image is used as a new initial image, and a process is repeated where the update process is performed according to the iterative approximation method and an update image is obtained, thereby generating a tomographic image of the subject.

Abstract: In order to provide a technique capable of restoring measured data from projection data with high accuracy and removing system noise included in the measured data, a signal processing device obtains measured data x including signal values of 0 or less by processing an output signal from a data acquisition system, and performs a conversion process on the measured data x by using a predefined function including a logarithmic function so as to generate projection data (logarithmically converted data z), in which the predefined function is a function of which an inverse function is present for values of a predetermined negative number s or more, and the measured data x including signal values of 0 or less within a predetermined range is restored from the projection data by applying the inverse function to the projection data.

Abstract: In order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus which can reconstruct a tomographic image with less unevenness in image quality at a high speed on the basis of projection data which is obtained by irradiating an object with X-rays, the X-ray CT apparatus of the invention includes an inverse projection phase width setting unit that sets an inverse projection phase width which is an angular width of projection data used for reconstruction, for each tomographic image, and a view weight calculation unit that calculates a view weight which is a weight coefficient multiplied by projection data within the inverse projection phase width and is a function of a view angle, for each position of a pixel of a tomographic image.

Abstract: In order to provide a technique for reducing system noise from an output signal value (measurement data), an X-ray CT apparatus includes an X-ray generation unit that irradiates X-rays to an object, an X-ray detector that detects the X-rays transmitted through the object, a correction processing unit that corrects an output signal from the X-ray detector, and a reconstruction calculating unit that reconstructs an image on the basis of an output from the correction processing unit, in which the X-ray detector includes arranged detection elements, and in which the correction processing unit maintains an average value of output signal values of a plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on a focused detection element among the detection elements, and also reduces a variance of the output signal values of the plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on the focused detection element.

Abstract: In order to provide a data processing device and the like, capable of performing highly accurate reference correction even in a case where an object protrudes in reference channels in most of the measurement views, an image processing device (data processing device) of an X-ray CT apparatus calculates a unit air calibration reference value which is a value per unit tube current of an air calibration reference value which is reference data measured during air calibration, calculates a reference value (estimated reference value) corresponding to an X-ray condition in the main scanning on the basis of an output tube current value in the main scanning and a unit air calibration reference value, and corrects normalized reference data obtained by normalizing a measured reference value in the main scanning with the estimated reference value, to be included in an allowable error range, so as to remove the influence of protrusion.

Abstract: In a case where helical scanning, etc., is performed in an X-ray CT apparatus, upsampled projection data that more approximates to an observed value is obtained. There is provided an X-ray CT apparatus that improves spatial resolution of an overall effective field of view without reducing rotation speed, in an FFS method of acquiring projection data through moving of an X-ray focus position to a plurality of positions. The X-ray CT apparatus: converts projection data acquired through helical scanning into projection data of normal scanning performed by one rotation; generates a virtual-counter-data space in which virtual counter data are acquired on substantially coincident X-ray transmission path in the converted projection data; performs upsampling in a view direction; and similarly upsamples FFS projection data in the view direction for focus-shifted projection data obtained by performing the helical scanning while causing the X-ray focus position to shift (virtual counter data space generation).

Abstract: A CT image reconstructing method, a CT image reconstructing device and a CT system are provided for reducing motion artifacts in CT images in case of motion of an object. The CT image reconstructing method reconstructs CT images from projection data obtained by X-ray scanning, including a moving object position detecting step for detecting a position of a moving object in a CT image; a partial angle selecting step for selecting a view point and an angle range according to said position of the moving object and selecting data of partial angles in said projection data according to said view point and said angle range; a partial angle constraint step for generating partial angles constraint conditions according to the data of said partial angles; and an iterative reconstruction step for generating CT images by iterative reconstruction, thereby improving temporal resolution of CT images of moving objects and reducing motion artifacts.

Abstract: In order to provide a data processing method and the like capable of suppressing high-frequency errors such as moiré using data uniformly by presuming that adjacent pixels and beams overlap and performing calculation in a back projection process or a forward projection process for reconstructing images, the image processing device 122 sets a pixel size wider than a pixel interval, performs the back projection process or the forward projection process for calculating an interpolation value to be assigned to the pixels or the beams using a size-dependent weight (pixel window) according to an overlap amount of the adjacent pixels, sets a beam size wider than a beam interval, and then performs the back projection process or the forward projection process for calculating an interpolation value to be assigned to the pixels or the beams using a size-dependent weight (beam window) according to an overlap amount of the adjacent beams.

Abstract: An X-ray CT apparatus includes an extraction unit that acquires air data measured using the X-ray CT apparatus and the measurement data obtained by scanning the object, that extracts sensitivity variation data which is a sensitivity variation component of a detection element from the air data, and that extracts blank data from which the sensitivity variation component is removed, and a projection data generation unit that removes the sensitivity variation component and noise which are included in the measurement data, based on the sensitivity variation data, and that uses the blank data so as to perform a correction process of the measurement data from which the sensitivity variation component and the noise are removed.

Abstract: In order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus and a contrast enhanced scanning method that can obtain an image having a favorable contrast effect without re-injecting contrast medium even when a scanning position overtakes a position of the contrast medium during scanning using the contrast medium, the X-ray CT apparatus determines whether or not a current scanning position overtakes the contrast medium during main scanning, resets a scanning condition when overtaking the contrast medium, executes re-scanning under the reset scanning condition, and determines overtaking of the contrast medium based on differential data between measurement data acquired by non-contrast enhanced scanning to be performed before the main scanning and measurement data to be acquired by the main scanning. Hence, no image needs to be reconstructed during scanning to check whether or not there is a contrast effect, and the overtaking determination is performed at a high speed, which can swiftly shift to re-scanning.

Abstract: In order to provide a technique capable of restoring measured data from projection data with high accuracy and removing system noise included in the measured data, a signal processing device obtains measured data x including signal values of 0 or less by processing an output signal from a data acquisition system, and performs a conversion process on the measured data x by using a predefined function including a logarithmic function so as to generate projection data (logarithmically converted data z), in which the predefined function is a function of which an inverse function is present for values of a predetermined negative number s or more, and the measured data x including signal values of 0 or less within a predetermined range is restored from the projection data by applying the inverse function to the projection data.

Abstract: In order to provide an image processing device and the like making it possible to generate a target image in which edges of a structure are upheld and from which streaking artifacts are removed, a computation device determines a shape of a non-linear function on the basis of feature amounts of an original image and a smoothed image (S101). Next, the computation device calculates a condition coefficient of the original image and the smoothed image by using the non-linear function for which the shape was determined in S101 (S102). Next, the computation device uses the condition coefficients calculated in S102 to calculate a weighting coefficient for each of the pixels of the original image and the smoothed image (S103). Next, the computation device adds weighting to the original image and the smoothed image to generate the target image (S104).

Abstract: To generate a reconstructed image suitable to characteristics of a bilaterally symmetric site and possible to an appropriate image diagnosis, a computation device: computes a back projection phase width at a rotational center and distance between the rotational center location which is a reference location and a pixel to be reconstructed; according to the distance between the rotational center location and the pixel to be reconstructed, sets a function (f1) changing the back projection phase width; computes a back projection phase width in the pixel to be reconstructed, substituting a value of the distance between the rotational center location and a pixel to be reconstructed in the function (f1); computes a view weighting, on the basis of the back projection phase width in the post-correction pixel to be reconstructed and a slope width of a view weighting function; and reconstructs a CT image, using the view weighting.

Abstract: In order to provide a technique for reducing system noise from an output signal value (measurement data), an X-ray CT apparatus includes an X-ray generation unit that irradiates X-rays to an object, an X-ray detector that detects the X-rays transmitted through the object, a correction processing unit that corrects an output signal from the X-ray detector, and a reconstruction calculating unit that reconstructs an image on the basis of an output from the correction processing unit, in which the X-ray detector includes arranged detection elements, and in which the correction processing unit maintains an average value of output signal values of a plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on a focused detection element among the detection elements, and also reduces a variance of the output signal values of the plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on the focused detection element.

Abstract: In order to provide a CT image with high-spatial resolution and a CPR image without deterioration due to interpolation by scanning while always moving a site of interest of an object to the scanning center, a bed on which the object is placed is moved in a direction orthogonal to the body-axis direction of the object or a scanner angle is changed when scanning the object while moving it in a direction crossing the rotation direction i.e., the body-axis direction of the object, during the rotation of a rotary disk where a radiation source and a radiation detector are disposed oppositely. Image reconstruction is performed using bed movement information (movement information in a direction orthogonal to the body-axis direction) or scanner angle information during scanning.

Abstract: In order to provide a technique of obtaining an image having high diagnosability without degrading the operability in an X-ray CT apparatus that suppresses the amount of exposure of an object by controlling the amount of radiation by setting a target image SD and determining the imaging conditions (tube current) satisfying the target image SD, there is provided an X-ray CT apparatus that controls the amount of radiation according to the size of an object in consideration of the contrast by simply inputting one image quality level as a reference of the image quality level that the operator desires. The input image quality level is set as a target image SD when scanning an object having a standard size with a standard tube voltage.

Abstract: To provide an image reconstruction device capable of creating an image with image quality matching the operator's request when a cross-sectional image is reconstructed through a repeated calculation, the image reconstruction device which performs a repeated calculation on the basis of a difference between calculated projection data and measured projection data, the calculated projection data being obtained by performing a forward projection calculation on a reconstructed image which is reconstructed based on the measured projection data, includes an input section to which an image quality parameter which is considered to be important by an operator is input, a weight calculation section that calculates a weighting coefficient on the basis of the image quality parameter, and a repeated calculation section that performs a repeated calculation on the basis of a value obtained by weighting and adding a pixel value obtained in the previous iteration to a pixel value obtained from now using the weighting coefficien

Abstract: With respect to projection data covering a plurality of sites, in order to create a medical image in which a uniform noise reduction effect is achieved for all sites within the projection data, an arithmetic device (5) determines one or more of proper subsets on the basis of scanning conditions and reconstruction conditions (step 2). Next, the arithmetic device (5) calculates a penalty-term weight for each proper subset on the basis of a detector output weight corresponding to a set element contained in the proper subset (step 3). Then, the arithmetic unit (5) performs an iterative approximation by using the penalty-term weight for each proper subset (step 4).

Abstract: In order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus and the like that reconstruct an image using an iterative approximation method which ensures stable convergence and can be executed at high speed, a computation device 5 of an X-ray CT apparatus 1 calculates matrices A, B, D, R, and R? on the basis of the scanning conditions input through an input device 6 (step 1). Then, the computation device 5 calculates each element of a matrix I??(SBTDA+?SR) (step 2). Then, the computation device 5 calculates the operator norm ?I??(SBTDA+?SR)? of the matrix I??(SBTDA+?SR) (step 3). Then, the computation device 5 determines a relaxation coefficient ? such that a predetermined conditional expression is satisfied (step 4).

Abstract: In order to provide a reconstruction computing device, a reconstruction computing method, and an X-ray CT apparatus capable of improving the image quality while reducing the amount of computation when reconstructing an X-ray CT image using an iterative method, a reconstruction computing device 45 divides an initial image 50 reconstructed using an analytical method such as an FBP method into a bed region 51, an object region 52, and the other air region 53, sets reconstruction conditions including at least convergence conditions and a pixel size for each of the divided regions, updates estimation images by performing an iterative process, and fixes estimation images or forward projection data of a subset satisfying the convergence conditions until other subsets satisfy the convergence conditions.