Monte Carlo scatter correction method for computed tomography of general object geometries
First Claim
1. A method of eliminating artifacts that corrupt a reconstructed image of an object using computed tomography wherein the artifacts are caused by the scattering of the photons interacting with the object, comprising:
- configuring a Monte Carlo simulation that corresponds to a specific orientation of a computer tomography system having a source of photons and a projection plane for receiving the photons and the object placed between the source of photons and the projection plane;
receiving a reconstructed image array of values corresponding to the object including artifacts caused by one or more of the photons scattering wherein the reconstructed image array is transformed to a coordinate geometry of the Monte Carlo simulation;
identifying a threshold value within the range of values in the reconstructed image array of the object to assist in identifying the surface of the object wherein values above the threshold correspond to the interior of the object and below the threshold to empty space;
importing a digital projection view into the Monte Carlo simulation having one or more pixels corrupted by the scattered photons and measured by the computed tomography system wherein the projection view is data collected at a specific orientation of the source and the projection plane relative to the object;
orienting the reconstructed image array to correspond to the specific orientation of the computed tomography system that generated the particular projection view;
determining a probability, using the Monte Carlo simulation, that a photon emitted from the source at a given orientation will travel along a given direction within the object, interact with the object, and escape the surface of the object, becoming scattered photons detected at the projection plane;
counting the scattered photons using the Monte Carlo simulation causing radiation absorption by the projection plane at a particular orientation of the source and projection plane relative to the object; and
subtracting values from one or more pixels in the digital projection view that corresponds to a photon energy deposited by the scattered photons thereby removing the effects of the scattered photons from the digital projection view.
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Abstract
A method of correcting aberrations caused by target x-ray scatter in three-dimensional images generated by a volumetric computed tomographic system is disclosed. The method uses a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the distribution of scattered radiation reaching the detector plane. The geometry for the scatter calculation is determined using the uncorrected three-dimensional tomographic image. The calculated scatter is used to correct the primary projection data which is then processed routinely to provide the corrected image.
50 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of eliminating artifacts that corrupt a reconstructed image of an object using computed tomography wherein the artifacts are caused by the scattering of the photons interacting with the object, comprising:
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configuring a Monte Carlo simulation that corresponds to a specific orientation of a computer tomography system having a source of photons and a projection plane for receiving the photons and the object placed between the source of photons and the projection plane;
receiving a reconstructed image array of values corresponding to the object including artifacts caused by one or more of the photons scattering wherein the reconstructed image array is transformed to a coordinate geometry of the Monte Carlo simulation;
identifying a threshold value within the range of values in the reconstructed image array of the object to assist in identifying the surface of the object wherein values above the threshold correspond to the interior of the object and below the threshold to empty space;
importing a digital projection view into the Monte Carlo simulation having one or more pixels corrupted by the scattered photons and measured by the computed tomography system wherein the projection view is data collected at a specific orientation of the source and the projection plane relative to the object;
orienting the reconstructed image array to correspond to the specific orientation of the computed tomography system that generated the particular projection view;
determining a probability, using the Monte Carlo simulation, that a photon emitted from the source at a given orientation will travel along a given direction within the object, interact with the object, and escape the surface of the object, becoming scattered photons detected at the projection plane;
counting the scattered photons using the Monte Carlo simulation causing radiation absorption by the projection plane at a particular orientation of the source and projection plane relative to the object; and
subtracting values from one or more pixels in the digital projection view that corresponds to a photon energy deposited by the scattered photons thereby removing the effects of the scattered photons from the digital projection view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computed tomographic system that eliminates artifacts corrupting a reconstructed image of an object wherein the artifacts are caused by the scattering of the photons interacting with the object, comprising:
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a Monte Carlo simulation system configured to correspond to a specific orientation of a source photons and a projection plane for receiving the photons and the object placed between the source of photons and the projection plane in the computed tomographic system;
a storage area having a reconstructed image array of values corresponding to the object including artifacts caused by the one or more photons scattering wherein the image array of values are transformed to a coordinate geometry of the Monte Carlo simulation system;
a processor configured to execute instructions that, identify a threshold value within the range of values in the reconstructed image array of the object and assist in identifying the surface of the object wherein values above the threshold value correspond to the interior of the object and below the threshold to empty space, import a digital projection view into the Monte Carlo simulation having one or more pixels corrupted by the scattered photons and measured by the computed tomography system wherein the projection view is data collected at a specific orientation of the source and the projection plane relative to the object, orient the reconstructed image array to correspond to the specific orientation of the computed tomography system that generated the particular projection view, determine a probability, using the Monte Carlo simulation, that a photon emitted from the source at a given orientation will travel along a given direction within the object, interact with the object, and escape the surface of the object, becoming scattered photons detected at the projection plane, count the scattered photons using the Monte Carlo simulation that cause radiation absorbed by the projection plane at a particular orientation of the source and projection plane relative to the object, and subtract the values from one or more pixels in the digital projection view that corresponds to a photon energy deposited by the scatter radiation thereby removing the effects of the scattered photons from the digital projection view. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification