Method for generating a combined projection image and imaging device

1. A method of generating a combined projection image from a medical inspection object, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing a set of initial projection images;

reconstructing a first three-dimensional volume and a second three-dimensional volume from the set of initial projection images;

generating a first re-projection image from the first three-dimensional volume and a second re-projection image from the second three-dimensional volume;

weighting the first re-projection image and the second re-projection image; and

generating a single combined projection image by linearly combining the weighted first re-projection image and the weighted second re-projection image, wherein the first re-projection image is a Maximum-Intensity-Projection (MIP) and the second re-projection image is an Average-Intensity Projection (AIP).

2. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises generating one or both of the first and second re-projection images under an orthographic projection geometry, cone beam projection geometry or fan beam projection geometry from the respective first or second three-dimensional volume.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of reconstructing the first and second three-dimensional volume is based on a filtered back-projection algorithm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises reconstructing the first or/and the second three-dimensional volume from a reduced subset of initial projection images.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the reduced subset of initial projection images comprises a number of initial projection images from views adjacent to views used to reconstruct one of the first and second re-projection images.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of capturing a set of initial projection images is based on x-ray imaging from different angles on a circular trajectory.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the capturing step comprises acquiring a set of initial projection images based on a tomosynthesis acquisition.

8. The method according to claim 7 , which comprises performing the tomosynthesis acquisition with a computer tomography apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises independently weighting each pixel in the first re-projection image and in the second re-projection.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weighting step comprises multiplying the respective first and/or second re-projection image with a weighting factor.

11. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises noise filtering at least one or more of the initial projection images, the reconstructed volumes, the re-projection images, and/or the combined projection image.

12. A method for generating a combined projection image from a medical inspection object, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing a set of initial projection images;

reconstructing a three-dimensional volume from the set of initial projection images;

generating a first re-projection image and a second re-projection image from the three-dimensional volume;

weighting the first re-projection image to form a weighted first re-projection image and the second re-projection image to form a weighted second re-projection image; and

generating a single combined projection image by linearly combining the weighted first re-projection image and the weighted second re-projection image, wherein the first re-projection image is a Maximum-Intensity-Projection (MIP) and the second re-projection image is an Average-Intensity Projection (AIP).

13. An imaging device for generating a combined projection image from a medical inspection object, the device comprising:

a capturing device for capturing a set of initial projection images;

reconstruction means for reconstructing a first and a second three-dimensional volume from the set of initial projection images;

generation means for generating a first re-projection image from the first three-dimensional volume and a second re-projection image from the second three-dimensional volume;

weighting means for weighting the first re-projection image and the second re-projection image; and

combination means generating a single combined projection image by linearly combining the weighted first re-projection image and the weighted second re-projection image, wherein the first re-projection image is a Maximum-Intensity-Projection (MIP) and the second re-projection image is an Average-Intensity Projection (AIP).