Systems and methods for correcting projection images in computed tomography image reconstruction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11875434-B2
Application number	US-202218062001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2022
Priority date	Nov 8, 2017
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A method for correcting projection images in CT image reconstruction is provided. The method may include obtaining a plurality of projection images of a subject. Each of the plurality of projection images may correspond to one of the plurality of gantry angles. The method may further include correcting a first projection image of the plurality of projection images according to a process for generating a corrected projection image. The process may include performing, based on the first projection image and a second projection image of the plurality of projection images, a first correction on the first projection image to generate a preliminary corrected first projection image. The process may also include performing, based on at least part of the preliminary corrected first projection image, a second correction on the preliminary corrected first projection image to generate a corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a storage device storing a set of instructions; and
at least one processor in communication with the storage device, wherein when executing the set of instructions, the at least one processor is configured to cause the system to:
obtain a plurality of projection images of a subject, the plurality of projection images being generated according to scan data acquired by a CT scanner at a plurality of gantry angles, each of the plurality of projection images corresponding to one of the plurality of gantry angles; and
correct the plurality of projection images by performing one or more iterations, an iteration of the one or more iterations including:
correcting the plurality of projection images in the iteration to generate a plurality of corrected projection images;
determining whether the plurality of corrected projection images in the iteration satisfy a condition; and
in response to determining that the plurality of corrected projection images fail to satisfy the condition, designating the plurality of corrected projection images in the iteration as the plurality of projection images in a next iteration.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the iteration further comprises: in response to determining that the plurality of corrected projection images satisfy the condition, terminating the one or more iterations, and
the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to:
reconstruct, based on the plurality of corrected projection images, a CT image of the subject.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first projection image of the plurality of images is corrected according to a process for generating a corrected projection image, the first projection image corresponding to a first gantry angle of the plurality of gantry angles, the process including:
generating a corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle by performing a first correction on the first projection image based on a second projection image of the plurality of projection images, the second projection image corresponding to a second gantry angle of the plurality of gantry angles.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second gantry angle is a neighboring gantry angle of the first gantry angle.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the performing the first correction on the first projection image comprises:
determining, based on a difference between the first projection image and the second projection image, a first correction coefficient of the first projection image; and
performing the first correction on the first projection image based on the first correction coefficient.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the difference between the first projection image and the second projection image is a difference between grey information of the first projection image and grey information of the second projection image.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein a preliminary corrected first projection image is generated by the first correction, the corrected first projection image is generated by further performing a second correction on the preliminary corrected first projection image, and the second correction comprises:
identifying one or more pixels in the preliminary corrected first projection image, the one or more identified pixels corresponding to a middle-channel of the CT scanner at the first gantry angle;
for each pixel of the one or more pixels, identifying an opposite pixel corresponding to the each pixel of the one or more pixels; and
generating the corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle based on the one or more pixels and the one or more opposite pixels.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the generating the corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle based on the one or more pixels and the one or more opposite pixels comprises:
generating, based on the one or more opposite pixels of the one or more pixels, a reference image of the preliminary corrected first projection image;
determining, based on a difference between the one or more pixels and the reference image, a second correction coefficient of the preliminary corrected first projection image; and
generating, based on the second correction coefficient and the preliminary corrected first projection image, the corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein the generating a corrected first projection image comprises:
preprocessing the first projection image to generate a preprocessed first projection image, the preprocessing of the first projection image including at least one of a beam hardening correction or a scattering correction; and
generating the corrected first projection image by performing the first correction on the preprocessed first projection image.

10. The system of claim 3 , wherein the process further comprises:
post-processing the corrected first projection image, the post-processing of the corrected first projection image including at least one of a beam hardening correction or a scattering correction.

11. A method implemented on a computing device having at least one processor and at least one storage device, the method comprising:
obtaining a plurality of projection images of a subject, the plurality of projection images being generated according to scan data acquired by a CT scanner at a plurality of gantry angles, each of the plurality of projection images corresponding to one of the plurality of gantry angles; and
correcting the plurality of projection images by performing one or more iterations, an iteration of the one or more iterations including:
correcting the plurality of projection images in the iteration to generate a plurality of corrected projection images;
determining whether the plurality of corrected projection images in the iteration satisfy a condition; and
in response to determining that the plurality of corrected projection images fail to satisfy the condition, designating the plurality of corrected projection images in the iteration as the plurality of projection images in a next iteration.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein
the iteration further comprises: in response to determining that the plurality of corrected projection images satisfy the condition, terminating the one or more iterations, and
the method further comprises:
reconstructing, based on the plurality of corrected projection images, a CT image of the subject.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a first projection image of the plurality of images is corrected according to a process for generating a corrected projection image, the first projection image corresponding to a first gantry angle of the plurality of gantry angles, the process including:
generating a corrected first projection image corresponding to the first gantry angle by performing a first correction on the first projection image based on a second projection image of the plurality of projection images, the second projection image corresponding to a second gantry angle of the plurality of gantry angles.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second gantry angle is a neighboring gantry angle of the first gantry angle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the performing the first correction on the first projection image comprises:
determining, based on a difference between the first projection image and the second projection image, a first correction coefficient of the first projection image; and
performing the first correction on the first projection image based on the first correctio

Assignees

• Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Hongcheng
• Zhu Jianwei
• Sun Haining
• Maltz Jonathan

Classifications

• G06T12/10 Primary

  Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction · CPC title

• G06T12/30 Primary

  Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction · CPC title

• G06T11/008 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T11/005

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2211/424

  Iterative · CPC title