METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ARTIFACT REDUCTION

• US 20080292173A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hsieh, Jiang, Fox, Stanley Haim
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• 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 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/30 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 378/901 Computer tomography program or processor

Abstract

A method for facilitating a reduction in image artifacts is provided. The method includes receiving data regarding a scan of an object, reconstructing a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space, determining an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation, locating the maximum intensity pixels within a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation, and filtering around each maximum intensity pixel along each ray path.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a reduction in image artifacts, said method comprising:

receiving data regarding a scan of an object;

reconstructing a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space;

determining an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation;

locating the maximum intensity pixels within a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation; and

filtering around each maximum intensity pixel along each ray path.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using a low pass filter.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using an adaptive filter.

41. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises modifying an amount of filtering based on a local noise property of the reconstructed image.

4. A method for facilitating a reduction in image artifacts, said method comprising:

receiving data regarding a scan of an object;

reconstructing a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space;

determining an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation which is at an angle relative to a reconstructed image plane; and

locating the maximum intensity pixels along a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising filtering around each maximum intensity pixel.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using a low pass filter.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using an adaptive filter.

40. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein filtering around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises including in the filter adjacent pixel samples having intensities that are within a pre-determined value from the maximum intensity pixel.

8-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An imaging system comprising:

a radiation source;

a radiation detector; and

a computer operationally coupled to said radiation source and said detector, said computer configured to;

receive data regarding a scan of an object;

reconstruct a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space;

determine an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation;

locate the maximum intensity pixels within a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation; and

filter around each maximum intensity pixel along each ray path.

30. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said computer is configured to filter around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using a low pass filter.

31. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said computer is configured to include in the filter adjacent pixel samples having intensities that are within a pre-determined value from the maximum intensity pixel.

32. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said computer is configured to filter around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using an adaptive filter.

33. A system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said computer is configured to filter modify an amount of filtering based on a local noise property of the reconstructed image.

34. An imaging system comprising:

a radiation source;

a radiation detector; and

a computer operationally coupled to said radiation source and said detector, said computer configured to;

receive data regarding a scan of an object;

reconstruct a plurality of images using the received data to form a three-dimensional image space;

determine an orientation for a maximum intensity pixel operation which is at an angle relative to a reconstructed image plane; and

locate the maximum intensity pixels along a plurality of ray paths in accordance with the determined orientation.

35. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer is configured to filter around each maximum intensity pixel.

36. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer is configured to filter around each maximum intensity pixel for each ray path comprises using a low pass filter.

37. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer is configured to include in the filter adjacent pixel samples having intensities that are within a pre-determined value from the maximum intensity pixel.

38. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer is configured to filter around each MIP for each ray path comprises using an adaptive filter.

39. A system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer is configured to filter modify an amount of filtering based on a local noise property of the reconstructed image.