A method of conducting a multi-pass dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) scans using continuous bed motion (CBM) mode is disclosed where the method involves acquiring PET sinogram data using CBM mode as the patient bed is moving in a first direction; acquiring PET sonogram data using CBM mode as the patient bed is moving in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction; and reconstructing 3-D PET image from the acquired PET sonogram data.

A method for evaluating image quality is provided. The method may include: obtaining an image, the image including a plurality of elements, each element of the plurality of elements being a pixel or voxel, each element having a gray level; determining, based on a maximum gray level of the plurality of elements, one or more thresholds for segmenting the image; determining one or more sub-images of a region of interest by segmenting, based on the one or more thresholds, the image; and determining, based on the one or more sub-images of the region of interest, a quality index for the image.

A method for evaluating image quality is provided. The method may include: obtaining an image, the image including a plurality of elements, each element of the plurality of elements being a pixel or voxel, each element having a gray level; determining, based on a maximum gray level of the plurality of elements, one or more thresholds for segmenting the image; determining one or more sub-images of a region of interest by segmenting, based on the one or more thresholds, the image; and determining, based on the one or more sub-images of the region of interest, a quality index for the image.

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis allows for the acquisition of volumetric mammography images. The present invention allows for novel ways of viewing such images to detect microcalcifications and obstructions. In an embodiment a method for displaying volumetric images comprises computing a projection image using a viewing direction, displaying the projection image and then varying the projection image by varying the viewing direction. The viewing direction can be varied based on a periodic continuous mathematical function. A graphics processing unit can be used to compute the projection image and bricking can be used to accelerate the computation of the projection images.

The present disclosure provides a reconstruction method for motion compensated high quality four-dimensional (4D)-Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) image based on bilateral filtering, including the following steps: step 1, building a motion compensated three-dimensional (3D)-CBCT reconstruction model based on a simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART) to reconstruct a high quality CBCT image of a reference phase (phase 0%); step 2, creating an iterative optimization procedure and estimating a 4D Deformable Vector Field (DVF) model between phase 0% and other 4D phase images, thereby obtaining an exact 4D-DVF inclusive of an inverse sliding motion on a surface of a locomotive organ; and step 3, successively deforming the high quality phase 0% image in accordance with an optimized 4D-DVF to obtain a sequence of final high quality 4D-CBCT images. This method permits exact reconstruction of high quality 4D-CBCT images without changing the hardware structure of an existing linear accelerator for conventional radiotherapy.

A method for reconstructing target cardiac images is provided. The method may include: obtaining projection data, the projection data including a plurality of sub-sets of projection data, each sub-set of projection data corresponding to a cardiac motion phase; obtaining a plurality of sampled cardiac motion phases; generating a plurality of cardiac images of the plurality of sampled cardiac motion phases by reconstructing, based on the one or more sub-sets of projection data corresponding to the each sampled cardiac motion phase, one or more cardiac images of the each sampled cardiac motion phase; determining a plurality of cardiac motion parameters corresponding to the plurality of sampled cardiac motion phases based on the plurality of cardiac images; determining a mean phase based on the plurality of cardiac motion parameters corresponding to the plurality of sampled cardiac motion phases; and reconstructing the one or more target cardiac images of the mean phase.

Each of a plurality of slices of medical image data is adaptively processed using a noise reduction mode selected according to a target noise magnitude for all slices to an estimated noise magnitude for the respective slice to obtain consistent processed images for across slices, different size patients' and different reconstruction thickness. Unnecessary noise reduction and over-cleaning images resulting in inconsistent noise-level image data across slices or waxy/unnatural appearing processed images is avoided.

A method for reconstructing at least a first and a second independently moving body from one 3D tomography scan includes performing a movement of the first body relative to the second body, obtaining the movement, obtaining a 3D tomography scan of the first body and the second body during the movement, and reconstructing a first 3D model of the first body and a second 3D model of the second body by applying the recorded movement to the 3D tomography scan. This has the effect that reconstruction of several 3D tomography scanned bodies is possible during motion of the scanned bodies.

The invention relates to a data processor (1) for processing 3D radiographic imaging data. The processor comprises an input (2) for receiving the imaging data and for providing a motion signal indicative of a motion of the imaged subject. The processor comprises an image segmenter (4) for segmenting a body part of interest in a first image included in or derived from the imaging data, and a gating function calculator (5) for calculating temporal gating functions for voxels that belong to the body part taking the motion signal into account. The processor comprises an image reconstructor (3) for reconstructing the imaging data into reconstructed three-dimensional images, by taking the temporal gating functions into account such as to associate each of the reconstructed three-dimensional images with a corresponding phase of the motion.

The present invention is directed to a method of multi-motion compensation for high-quality cone-beam CT of the head. A multi-stage approach is incorporated that includes a pre-conditioning stage in which an initial estimation of the motion trajectory is obtained with 3D-2D registration using the motion-contaminated CBCT and projection data. In the present invention, the motion-contaminated CBCT is used as a basis for 3D-2D registration in the pre-conditioning stage to capture large amplitude, rapid movements of the head and provide better initialization of the autofocus solution.