Method for reconstructing a three-dimensional image volume and x-ray devices

• US 7,711,083 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Scherl, Holger, Hornegger, Joachim, Scholz, Bernhard, Hoppe, Stefan, Zellerhoff, Michael, Rührnschopf, Ernst-Peter, Heigl, Benno
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Alexander H
• Application Number:
  US11/897,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378 20- 22
• US Class Current: 378/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/027 characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/612 biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

To enable an artifact free reconstruction even in the case of large regions of interest and with scanning paths of below 360°, provision is made for a method, with which a three-dimensional image volume is reconstructed from a number of two-dimensional projection images of a region of interest, which were recorded about the region of interest during a rotation of a recording system, comprising an x-ray source with a focal point and a detector, by calculating the gray scale values of the voxels of the image volume by back projection of the projection images, with which each two-dimensional projection images is composed in each instance from at least two individual projection images to form an extended two-dimensional projection image, with the respectively at least two individual projection images being recorded with a constant relative position between the focal point and the region of interest.

Claims

1. A method for reconstructing a three-dimensional image volume of a region of interest of a patient, comprising:

recording a plurality of individual two-dimensional projection images of the region of interest during a rotation of a recording system comprising an x-ray source and an x-ray detector with a constant relative position between a focal point of the x-ray source and the region of interest, the recording system being rotated about a first rotation center between the radiation source and the x-ray detector and simultaneously about a second rotation center in the focal point of the x-ray source;

combining the individual two-dimensional projection images to produce a plurality of extend two-dimensional projection images of the region of interest by a control and computing unit; and

reconstructing the three-dimensional image volume of the region of interest from the extend two-dimensional projection images with a reduced artifact by the control and computing unit for medically examining the patient.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the individual projection images are different in that the focal point and the region of interest are positioned differently relative to one another with the constant relative position and the recording system is rotated differently about the focal point or about an axis of rotation through the focal point.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual projection images are different in respect of an angle of rotation through which the recording system or the region of interest is rotated about the focal point or about an axis of rotation through the focal point while the focal point and the region of interest are fixed.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the angle of rotation is arranged in a plane.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotation of the recording system or the region of interest about the focal point lies in a rotation plane of the recording system about the region of interest.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a first and a second individual projection images are recorded at a first and second angle of rotations of the recording system about the focal point or about an axis of rotation through the focal point, and

wherein the first angle of rotation corresponds to a negative of the second angle of rotation.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual projection images to be combined comprises an overlap relative to one another of more than 0% and less than 50% or 10%.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the overlap is adjusted as a function of a size of the interest region.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual projection images are recorded by recording all first individual projection images during a first rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest and recoding all second individual projection images during a second rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual projection images are recorded in a direct sequence during a single rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an x-ray beam generated by the x-ray source is a cone or a fan beam.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual projection images are combined by setting up a virtual detector based on Cartesian arrangement of a detector matrix of the x-ray detector or an arrangement of filter lines.

13. An x-ay device for reconstructing a three-dimensional image volume of a region of interest of a patient, comprising:

a recording system comprising an x-ray source and an x-ray detector that records a plurality of individual two-dimensional projection images of the region of interest by rotating the recording system about a first rotation center between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector and simultaneously about a second rotation center in a focal point of the x-ray source; and

a control and computing unit that;

combines the individual two-dimensional projection images to produce an extend two-dimensional projection image, and

reconstructs the three-dimensional image volume from the extend two-dimensional projection image with a reduced artifact.

14. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the individual projection images are recorded by recording all first individual projection images during a first rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest and recoding all second individual projection images during a second rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

15. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the individual projection images are recorded in a direct sequence during a single rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

16. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the recording system is arranged on an articulated arm robot or industrial robot directly or by a bracket.

17. An x-ray device for reconstructing a three-dimensional image volume of a region of interest of a patient, comprising:

a recording system comprising an x-ray source and an x-ray detector that records a plurality of individual two-dimensional projection images of the region of interest by rotating the recording system about a first rotation center between the radiation source and the x-ray detector;

an adjustable patient support table that rotates the region of interest about a second rotation center in a focal point of the x-ray source; and

a control and computing unit that;

combines the individual two-dimensional projection images to produce an extend two-dimensional projection image, and

reconstructs the three-dimensional image volume from the extend two-dimensional projection image with a reduced artifact.

18. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the individual projection images are recorded by recording all first individual projection images during a first rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest and recoding all second individual projection images during a second rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

19. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the individual projection images are recorded in a direct sequence during a single rotational pass of the recording system about the region of interest.

20. The x-ray device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the recording system is arranged on an articulated arm robot or industrial robot directly or by a bracket.