Tomography imaging apparatus and method

1. A tomography imaging apparatus comprising:

a data acquirer configured to acquire first X-ray data of an object, for each of a plurality of energy bands;

an image preprocessor configured to:

set a plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients comprising first beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to a lowest energy band among the plurality of energy bands and second beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to a highest energy band among the plurality of energy bands, and the first beam hardening correction coefficients being set to be greater in value than the second beam hardening correction coefficients; and

perform a beam hardening correction on the first X-ray data that is acquired, for each of the plurality of energy bands, based on the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients that is set, to generate second X-ray data of the object; and

an image reconstructor configured to reconstruct a tomography image of the object, based on the second X-ray data that is generated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image preprocessor is further configured to set the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, based on either one or both of a tube voltage and a number of slices to which the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients correspond.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image preprocessor is further configured to determine the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, using a phantom.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured to receive an input for setting the plurality of energy bands.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an X-ray generator configured to emit X-rays toward the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a photon counting detector configured to detect X-rays for each of the plurality of energy bands.

7. A tomography imaging method comprising:

acquiring first X-ray data of an object, for each of a plurality of energy bands;

setting a plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients comprising first beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to a lowest energy band among the plurality of energy bands and second beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to a highest energy band among the plurality of energy bands, and the first beam hardening correction coefficients being set to be greater in value than the second beam hardening correction coefficients;

performing a beam hardening correction on the first X-ray data that is acquired, for each of the plurality of energy bands, based on the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients that is set, to generate second X-ray data of the object; and

reconstructing a tomography image of the object, based on the second X-ray data that is generated.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients comprises setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, based on either one or both of a tube voltage and a number of slices to which the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients correspond.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of energy bands, using a phantom.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients comprises setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients so that a gray value in the tomography image of a water phantom that is reconstructed remains constant after the beam hardening correction is performed.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients comprises setting the plurality of beam hardening correction coefficients so that a rate of change in an attenuation amount of X-rays with respect to a penetration depth of the X-rays remains constant along the penetration depth.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving an input for setting the plurality of energy bands.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising emitting X-rays toward the object.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising detecting X-rays for each of the plurality of energy bands, using a photon counting detector.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform the method of claim 7 .