IP Library Granted Patent US 9,747,704
Granted Patent B2
US 9,747,704 · App. 14/789,243 · Granted Aug 29, 2017

X-ray computed tomography apparatus and medical image processing apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,747,704
App. No.
14/789,243
Granted
Aug 29, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to embodiments includes image processing circuitry and decomposition circuitry. The image processing circuitry is configured to perform an image processing on each of a plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data of different energies, the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data being generated from projection data. The decomposition circuitry is configured to decompose, for each of a plurality of basis materials specified in advance, the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data after the image processing, to generate basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials.

Claims (22)

1. An X-ray computed tomography apparatus, comprising:

image processing circuitry configured to perform a correction process on each of a plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data of different energies, the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data being generated from projection data; and

decomposition circuitry configured to, after the correction process is performed, decompose, for each of a plurality of basis materials specified in advance, the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data on which the correction process has been performed, to generate basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials.

2. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

separating circuitry configured to separate the projection data into a plurality of pieces of line-integrated data of each of the plurality of basis materials; and

reconstructing circuitry configured to reconstruct, from each of the plurality of pieces of line-integrated data of each of the plurality of basis materials, basis material image data on which the correction process has not yet been performed, and configured to generate the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data using the reconstructed basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials.

3. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the reconstructing circuitry is configured to generate, from the basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials, monochromatic x-ray image data of an arbitrary energy, each of the basis material image data being generated by the decomposition circuitry.

4. X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the reconstructing circuitry is configured to generate, from the basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials, at least one of density image data and effective atomic number image data, each of the basis material image data being generated by the decomposition circuitry.

5. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the basis material image data is image data in which a pixel value of each pixel indicates an abundance ratio of a basis material that exists in the pixel.

6. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

number of the pieces of the plurality of monochromatic X-ray image data is equal to number of basis materials specified as the plurality of basis materials.

7. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the projection data is two pieces of projection data collected at two different tube voltages.

8. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the projection data is projection data obtained from a photon-counting mode detector configured to count individual photons originating from X-rays.

9. The X-ray computed tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of basis materials correspond to bones and water.

10. A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:

image processing circuitry configured to perform a correction process on each of a plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data of different energies, the plurality of pieces of monochromatic X-ray image data being generated from projection data; and

decomposition circuitry configured to, after the correction process is performed, decompose, for each of a plurality of basis materials specified in advance, the monochromatic X-ray image data on which the correction process has been performed, to generate basis material image data of each of the plurality of basis materials.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2016
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039133/0915 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2015
From: TAGUCHI, HIROKI; NAKANISHI, SATORU
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035999/0993 →