Chord-based image reconstruction in cone-beam CT with a curved detector

• Published in: Medical physics (Lancaster) 2006-10, Vol.33 (10), p.3743-3757
• Main Authors: Zuo, Nianming, Xia, Dan, Zou, Yu, Jiang, Tianzi, Pan, Xiao-Chuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALGORITHMS; BEAMS; chords; Computed radiography; computed tomography; Computer Science; computerised tomography; COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY; Computers; Cone beam computed tomography; cone-beam; curved detector; FLEXIBILITY; Humans; Image analysis; IMAGE PROCESSING; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Image quality; image reconstruction; image resolution; IMAGE SCANNERS; Image sensors; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Interpolation; medical image processing; Medical image reconstruction; Medical Imaging; Models, Statistical; Models, Theoretical; NOISE; noise property; Non‐ionizing radiation equipment and techniques; Numerical modeling; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; SPATIAL RESOLUTION; Tomography, Spiral Computed - instrumentation; Tomography, Spiral Computed - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - instrumentation; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; X-RAY TUBES; X‐ray detectors
• ISSN: 0094-2405; 2473-4209
• DOI: 10.1118/1.2337270

Modern computed tomography (CT) scanners use cone-beam configurations for increasing volume coverage, improving x-ray-tube utilization, and yielding isotropic spatial resolution. Recently, there have been significant developments in theory and algorithms for exact image reconstruction from cone-beam projections. In particular, algorithms have been proposed for image reconstruction on chords; and advantages over the existing algorithms offered by the chord-based algorithms include the high flexibility of exact image reconstruction for general scanning trajectories and the capability of exact reconstruction of images within a region of interest from truncated data. These chord-based algorithms have been developed only for flat-panel detectors. Many cone-beam CT scanners employ curved detectors for important practical considerations. Therefore, in this work, we have derived chord-based algorithms for a curved detector so that they can be applied to reconstructing images directly from data acquired by use of a CT scanner with a curved detector. We have also conducted preliminary numerical studies to demonstrate and evaluate the reconstruction properties of the derived chord-based algorithms for curved detectors.