Method of and system for reducing metal artifacts in images generated by x-ray scanning devices
First Claim
1. A method of reducing metal artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
- A. generating a preliminary image from input projection data collected by the CT system;
B. identifying metal objects in the preliminary image;
C. generating secondary projections from said input projection data by removing projections of objects having characteristics that may cause the objects to be altered in a final artifact-corrected image;
D. extracting the projections of metal objects identified in step B from the secondary projection data generated in step C;
E. generating corrected projections by removing the projections of the metal objects extracted in Step D from said input projection data;
F. generating a final image by reconstructing said corrected projections generated in step E and inserting the metal objects identified in Step B into the final image;
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Abstract
A method of reducing metal artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system includes:
A. generating a preliminary image from input projection data collected by the CT system;
B. identifying metal objects in the preliminary image;
C. generating secondary projections from the input projection data by removing projections of objects having characteristics that may cause the objects to be altered in a final artifact-corrected image.
D. extracting the projections of metal objects identified in step B from the secondary projection data generated in step C.
E. generating corrected projections by removing the projections of the metal objects extracted in Step D from the input projection data.
F. generating a final image by reconstructing the corrected projections generated in step E and inserting the metal objects identified in Step B into the final image.
177 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of reducing metal artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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A. generating a preliminary image from input projection data collected by the CT system;
B. identifying metal objects in the preliminary image;
C. generating secondary projections from said input projection data by removing projections of objects having characteristics that may cause the objects to be altered in a final artifact-corrected image;
D. extracting the projections of metal objects identified in step B from the secondary projection data generated in step C;
E. generating corrected projections by removing the projections of the metal objects extracted in Step D from said input projection data;
F. generating a final image by reconstructing said corrected projections generated in step E and inserting the metal objects identified in Step B into the final image; - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17)
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15. A method of reducing metal artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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A. generating a preliminary image from input projection data collected by the CT system;
B. identifying metal objects in the preliminary image which have generated metal artifacts in the preliminary image;
C. identifying objects in the preliminary image having characteristics which may cause the objects to be altered in a final artifact-corrected image;
D. generating a modified image by setting pixels in the preliminary image which are not included in objects identified in step C to a mean value of the preliminary image;
E. reprojecting the modified image;
F. subtracting the reprojections from the input projection data to generate secondary projections containing the preliminary image with the objects identified in step C removed;
G. identifying at least one region in the secondary image which contains projections of metal objects identified in step B;
H. determining a baseline value of each of said at least one regions;
I. subtracting each baseline value from the secondary projection values in its respective region to generate projection data corresponding to said metal object in each region;
J. Subtracting said metal projection data from said input projection data to generate corrected projections;
K. reconstructing said final artifact-corrected image by;
a. reconstructing corrected projections; and
b. superimposing said metal objects identified in step B into said corrected image. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A system for reducing metal artifacts in a computed tomography (CT) system comprising:
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a tunnel having a platform disposed therein for receiving an object to be scanned;
an x-ray source for directing x-rays at the object to be scanned;
a detector array including a plurality of detectors for receiving said x-rays within said tunnel; and
processing means for reducing metal artifacts in images of the object reconstructed from the x-rays detected by said detectors, said processing means performing the steps of;
A. generating a preliminary image from input projection data collected by the CT system;
B. identifying metal objects in the preliminary image;
C. generating secondary projections from said input projection data by removing projections of objects having characteristics that may cause the objects to be altered in a final artifact-corrected image;
D. extracting the projections of metal objects identified in step B from the secondary projection data generated in step C;
E. generating corrected projections by removing the projections of the metal objects extracted in Step D from said input projection data;
F. generating a final image by reconstructing said corrected projections generated in step E and inserting the metal objects identified in Step B into the final image. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification