Digital breast Tomosynthesis reconstruction using adaptive voxel grid
Some embodiments are associated with generation of a volumetric image representing an imaged object associated with a patient. According to some embodiments, tomosynthesis projection data may be acquired. A computer processor may then automatically generate the volumetric image based on the acquired tomosynthesis projection data. Moreover, distances between voxels in the volumetric image may be spatially varied.
1. A method for generating a volumetric image representing an imaged object associated with a patient, comprising:
acquiring tomosynthesis projection data; and
automatically generating, by a computer processor, the volumetric image based on the acquired tomosynthesis projection data, wherein distances between voxels in the volumetric image are spatially varied;
wherein the distances between voxels is spatially varied along a z axis and spacing between voxels in an x/y plane, substantially parallel to a detector that acquired the projection data, is uniform.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein locations of one or more voxels are selected based upon information extracted from projection data.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for any given x/y position, there are a fixed number of voxels distributed along the z axis.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each voxel is associated with one of a plurality of nominal slice vertical locations along the z axis.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein selected vertical locations of one or more voxels along the z axis differ from the associated nominal slice vertical locations.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a difference between a nominal slice vertical location for a voxel and the selected vertical location for that voxel is selected from a set of potential vertical adaptations.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selection is based upon backprojected modified projection images.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modified projection images comprise at least one of: (i) projection images, and (ii) detail-only images generated from the projection images.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said selection comprises evaluating numbers of positive contributions in the backprojected modified projection images at each of the set of potential vertical adaptions.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the selected vertical adaptation of a first voxel is based at least in part on information associated with a second voxel at a neighboring nominal slice vertical location along the z axis.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said acquiring of the tomosynthesis projection data comprises one of: (i) acquiring the data in substantially real time, or (ii) retrieving stored data that was previously acquired.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein distances between voxels is spatially varied such that the distance between a first and a second voxel is different than a distance between the second and a third voxel along at least one axis.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting the volumetric image by performing at least one of: (i) storing the volumetric image in a data storage system, or (ii) displaying the volumetric image via a display system.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acquired tomosynthesis projection data is associated with a digital breast tomosynthesis dataset.
15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform a method for generating a volumetric image representing an imaged object associated with a patient, the method comprising:
acquiring tomosynthesis projection data; and
generating the volumetric image based on the acquired tomosynthesis projection data, wherein distances between voxels in the volumetric image are spatially varied;
wherein the distances between voxels is spatially varied along a z axis and spacing between voxels in an x/y plane, substantially parallel to a detector that acquired the projection data, is uniform.
16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein locations of one or more voxels are selected based upon information extracted from projection data.
17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein, for any given x/y position, there are a fixed number of voxels distributed along the z axis.
18. A system for generating a volumetric image representing an imaged object associated with a patient, comprising:
an input port to acquire tomosynthesis projection data; and
a computer system coupled to the input port to generate the volumetric image based on the acquired tomosynthesis projection data, wherein distances between voxels in the volumetric image are spatially varied;
wherein the distances between voxels is spatially varied along a z axis and spacing between voxels in an x/y plane, substantially parallel to a detector that acquired the projection data, is uniform.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein locations of one or more voxels are selected based upon information extracted from projection data.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein, for any given x/y position, there are a fixed number of voxels distributed along the z axis.