Method for performing image reconstruction using hybrid computed tomography detectors

• US 7,372,934 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Basu, Samit Kumar, De Man, Bruno Kristiaan Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; Courtney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Alexander H
• Application Number:
  US11/317,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 378 38- 40, 378/98.12, 378/210, 378/901, 250/370.09, 250/370.11
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4241 using energy resolving detectors, e.g. photon counting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 378/901 Computer tomography program or processor

Abstract

A method for acquiring an image data set comprising energy integrating (EI) and energy discriminating (ED) data measurements is provided. The method comprises obtaining EI measurement data and ED measurement data during an acquisition cycle. The method then comprises combining the EI measurement data and the ED measurement data before, during or after reconstruction. Finally the method comprises performing reconstruction on the original or combined datasets to obtain one or more of an EI image and one or more ED component images.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring an image data set comprising energy integrating (EI) and energy discriminating (ED) data measurements, the method comprising:

obtaining EI measurement data and ED measurement data during an acquisition cycle;

combining the EI measurement data and the ED measurement data in a selected manner, wherein the combining comprises;

performing a first reconstruction based on the EI measurement data to generate an EI image;

performing a second reconstruction based on the ED measurement data to generate at least one ED component image; and

combining the EI image and the at least one ED component image to generate at least one of an updated ED component image or a combined ED and EI image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the ED component images to generate at least one of a linear attenuation coefficient image, a CT number image or a single material image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining comprises performing an iterative reconstruction on the ED measurement data and the EI measurement data to generate the at least one ED component image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ED component image is representative of at least one of attenuation due to Compton Scatter or attenuation due to a photo-electric effect.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the iterative reconstruction comprises at least one of a maximum likelihood (ML) technique, a maximum a posteriori (MAP) technique, a weighted least squares (WLS) technique, or a penalized weighted least squares (PWLS) technique.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining further comprises:

performing a first reconstruction based on the EI measurement data to generate an EI image; and

performing a second reconstruction based on the ED measurement data and the EI image to generate one or more ED component images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining further comprises:

performing a first reconstruction based on the EI measurement data to generate an EI image;

applying a partitioning algorithm on the EI image to generate a partitioned image; and

performing a second reconstruction based on the ED measurement data and the partitioned image to generate one or more ED component images.

8. A method for acquiring an image dataset comprising energy integrating (EI) and energy discriminating (ED) data measurements, the method comprising:

obtaining EI measurement data and ED measurement data during an acquisition cycle;

selectively combining the EI measurement data and the ED measurement data;

generating at least one of an EI dataset and one or more ED component datasets based on the combined EI measurement data and the ED measurement data; and

performing a reconstruction based on the EI dataset and the one or more ED component datasets to generate at least one of an EI reconstructed image and one or more ED component images.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ED component image is representative of at least one of attenuation due to Compton Scatter or attenuation due to a photo-electric effect.

10. A method for acquiring an image dataset comprising energy integrating (EI) and energy discriminating (ED) data measurements, the method comprising:

obtaining EI measurement data and ED measurement data during an acquisition cycle;

performing a first reconstruction based on the EI measurement data to generate an EI image; and

performing a second reconstruction based on the ED measurement data and the EI image to generate one or more ED component images.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second reconstruction comprises performing an iterative reconstruction to generate one or more ED component images.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second reconstruction comprises at least one of scaling the EI image, using the EI image as an initial estimate in the iterative reconstruction of the ED component images, or using the EI image as prior information in the iterative reconstruction of the ED component images.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the ED component image is representative of at least one of attenuation due to Compton Scatter or attenuation due to a photo-electric effect.

14. A method for acquiring an image dataset comprising energy integrating (EI) and energy discriminating (ED) data measurements, the method comprising:

obtaining EI measurement data and ED measurement data during an acquisition cycle;

performing a first reconstruction based on the EI measurement data to generate an EI image;

applying a partitioning algorithm on the EI image to generate a partitioned image; and

performing a second reconstruction based on the ED measurement data and the partitioned image to generate one or more ED component images.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the partitioning algorithm includes segmenting the EI image into at least one of bone regions, soft tissue regions or iodine regions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second reconstruction comprises performing an iterative reconstruction on the ED measurement data to generate the ED reconstructed image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second reconstruction comprises at least one of scaling the EI image, using the EI image as an initial estimate in the iterative reconstruction of the ED component images, or using the EI image as prior information in the iterative reconstruction of the ED component images.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the ED component image is representative of at least one of attenuation due to Compton Scatter or attenuation due to a photo-electric effect.