X-ray scatter correction algorithm for cone beam CT imaging

• Published in: Medical physics (Lancaster) 2004-05, Vol.31 (5), p.1195-1202
• Main Authors: Ning, Ruola, Tang, Xiangyang, Conover, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; antiscatter grid; Computed radiography; Computed tomography; computerised tomography; Cone beam computed tomography; cone beam CT; cone beam reconstruction; flat panel detector; Humans; Image analysis; Image quality; image reconstruction; image scanners; image sensors; image sequences; Medical image contrast; Medical image noise; medical image processing; Medical image reconstruction; Medical imaging; Medical X‐ray imaging; phantoms; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiographic Image Enhancement - methods; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Radiography, Thoracic - instrumentation; Radiography, Thoracic - methods; Reproducibility of Results; scatter; scatter correction; Scattering, Radiation; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Spiral Computed - methods; X-Rays; X‐ray imaging; X‐ray scattering
• ISSN: 0094-2405; 2473-4209
• DOI: 10.1118/1.1711475

Developing and optimizing an x-ray scatter control and reduction technique is one of the major challenges for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) because CBCT will be much less immune to scatter than fan-beam CT. X-ray scatter reduces image contrast, increases image noise and introduces reconstruction error into CBCT. To reduce scatter interference, a practical algorithm that is based upon the beam stop array technique and image sequence processing has been developed on a flat panel detector-based CBCT prototype scanner. This paper presents a beam stop array-based scatter correction algorithm and the evaluation results through phantom studies. The results indicate that the beam stop array-based scatter correction algorithm is practical and effective to reduce and correct x-ray scatter for a CBCT imaging task.