Reconstruction of CT projection data

• US 20080056432A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Basu, Samit Kumar, Edic, Peter Michael, Wu, Xiaoye, Pack, Jed Douglas, Hill, John Charles, De Man, Bruno
• Application Number:
  US11/725,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/027 characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/005 Specific pre-processing for tomographic reconstruction, e.g. calibration, source positioning, rebinning, scatter correction, retrospective gating
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2211/416 Exact reconstruction
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2235/068 Multi-cathode assembly

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for reconstructing projection data that is mathematically complete or sufficient acquired using a computed tomography (CT) system. In one embodiment, a set of projection data representative of a sampled portion of a cylindrical surface is provided. The set of projection data is reconstructed using a suitable cone-beam reconstruction algorithm. In another embodiment, two or more sets of spatially interleaved helical projection data are processed using helical interpolation. The helically interpolated set of projection data is reconstructed using a two-dimensional axial reconstruction algorithm or a three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm.

Claims

1. A method for reconstructing projection data, comprising

providing a set of projection data representative of a sampled portion of a cylindrical surface;

and

reconstructing the set of projection data using a cone-beam reconstruction algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is designed to reconstruct projection data acquired at X-ray source locations disposed on two of more arcuate sources, wherein the X-ray source locations are activated in accordance with at least one of a bit reversed firing technique, a super-low pitch helical technique, or a golden ratio firing technique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is designed to reconstruct projection data sampled over the cylindrical surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is designed to reconstruct projection data acquired at X-ray source locations disposed on a semicircular arc source.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising activating a plurality of X-ray source locations of a distributed source non-sequentially to generate the a set of projection data representative of the sampled portion of the cylindrical surface.

6. One or more tangible, machine-readable media, comprising code executable to perform the acts of:

providing a set of projection data representative of a sampled portion of a cylindrical surface; and

reconstructing the set of projection data using a cone-beam reconstruction algorithm.

7. The one or more tangible, machine readable media of claim 6, wherein the code executable to provide a set of projection data acquires the set of projection data by activating X-ray source locations disposed on two or more arcuate sources in accordance with at least one of a bit reversed firing technique, a super-low pitch helical technique, or a golden ratio firing technique.

8. The one or more tangible, machine readable media of claim 7, wherein the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is designed to reconstruct projection data sampled over the cylindrical surface.

9. The one or more tangible, machine readable media of claim 6, wherein the code executable to provide a set of projection data acquires the set of projection data by activating X-ray source locations disposed on a semicircular arc source.

10. An image analysis system comprising:

processing circuitry configured to reconstruct projection data representative of a sampled portion of a cylindrical surface, wherein the image processing circuitry reconstructs the set of projection data using a cone-beam reconstruction algorithm.

11. The image analysis system of claim 10, wherein the portion of the cylindrical surface is sampled by X-ray source locations disposed on two of more arcuate sources, wherein the X-ray source locations are activated in accordance with at least one of a bit reversed firing technique, a super-low pitch helical technique, or a golden ratio firing technique.

12. The image analysis system of claim 10, wherein the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is designed to reconstruct projection data sampled over the cylindrical surface.

13. The image analysis system of claim 10, wherein the portion of the cylindrical surface is sampled by X-ray source locations disposed on a semicircular arc source.

14. The image analysis system of claim 10, wherein the portion of the cylindrical surface is sampled by non-sequentially activating a plurality of X-ray source locations of a distributed source.

15. A method for reconstructing projection data, comprising

processing two or more sets of spatially interleaved helical projection data using helical interpolation;

and

reconstructing the helically interpolated set of projection data using a two-dimensional axial reconstruction algorithm or a three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the two or more sets of spatially interleaved helical projection data are acquired using two or more arcuate sources each comprising a plurality of X-ray source locations.

17. One or more tangible, machine readable media, comprising code executable to perform the acts of:

processing two or more sets of spatially interleaved helical projection data using helical interpolation; and

reconstructing the helically interpolated set of projection data using a two-dimensional axial reconstruction algorithm or a three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm.

18. An image analysis system comprising:

processing circuitry configured to helically interpolate projection data acquired using a plurality of staggered arcuate sources and a plurality of detector arrays and to reconstruct the helically interpolated projection data using a two-dimensional axial reconstruction algorithm or a three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm.

19. The image analysis system of claim 18, wherein the projection data comprises two or more sets of spatially interleaved helical projection data.

20. The image analysis system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of arcuate sources are staggered along a Z-axis of the imaging system.