CT image reconstruction with edge-maintaining filtering
View Patent ↗A method is disclosed for reconstructing image data of an examination object from measurement data, wherein the measurement data were captured previously during a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object. Filtered measurement data are calculated from the measurement data. First image data are calculated from the measurement data. Edge information is obtained from the first image data, wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies strength and direction of edges within the first image data. New measurement data are calculated using the edge information by mixing the measurement data and the filtered measurement data and second image data are calculated from the new measurement data.
1. A method for reconstructing image data of an examination object from measurement data, the measurement data being data captured during a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object, the method comprising:
calculating filtered measurement data from the measurement data;
calculating first image data from the measurement data;
obtaining edge information from the first image data, wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies a direction of edges within the first image data;
calculating, for every pixel in the first image data and relating to a respective pixel for each ray from the radiation source through the respective pixel to a detector element, new measurement data using the edge information by mixing the measurement data and the filtered measurement data using a weighting factor, the weighting factor containing the edge information and information relating to the direction of the respective ray; and
calculating second image data from the new measurement data.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor increasingly prefers the measurement data compared to the filtered measurement data with increasing parallelism between an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel and the ray direction in the mixture.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the weighting factor increasingly prefers the filtered measurement data compared to the measurement data with increasing orthogonality between an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel and the ray direction in the mixture.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies the direction and strength of edges within the first image data, the weighting factor increasingly prefers the measurement data compared to the filtered measurement data with increasing edge strength of an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel in the mixture.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies the direction and strength of edges within the first image data, the weighting factor increasingly prefers the measurement data compared to the filtered measurement data with increasing edge strength of an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel in the mixture.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor increasingly prefers the filtered measurement data compared to the measurement data with increasing orthogonality between an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel and the ray direction in the mixture.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies the direction and strength of edges within the first image data, the weighting factor increasingly prefers the measurement data compared to the filtered measurement data with increasing edge strength of an edge in the surroundings of the respective pixel in the mixture.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor increasingly prefers the filtered measurement data compared to the measurement data with increasing attenuation along the respective ray in the mixture.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filtered measurement data are calculated by virtue of the measurement data being subjected to smoothing.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one further set of filtered measurement data is calculated from the measurement data, the new measurement data are calculated using the edge information by mixing the measurement data, the filtered measurement data and the at least one further set of filtered measurement data, and the second image data are calculated from the new measurement data.
11. A computer unit for reconstructing image data of an examination object from measurement data of a CT system, the measurement data being data captured during a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object, the computer unit being configured to at least:
calculate filtered measurement data from the measurement data;
calculate first image data from the measurement data;
obtain edge information from the first image data, wherein the edge information, depending on position, specifies a direction of edges within the first image data;
calculate, for every pixel in the first image data and relating to a respective pixel for each ray from the radiation source through the respective pixel to a detector element, new measurement data using the edge information by mixing the measurement data and the filtered measurement data using a weighing factor, the weighting factor containing the edge information and information relating to the direction of the respective ray; and
calculate second image data from the new measurement data.
12. A CT system comprising the computer unit of claim 11 .
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code of a computer program, to carry out the method of claim 1 when the computer program is executed on a computer.