Apparatus for computer tomography X-ray data acquired at high relative pitch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12288276-B2
Application number	US-202017785955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus ( 10 ) for correcting computer tomography (“CT”) X-ray data acquired at high relative pitch, the apparatus comprising: an input unit ( 20 ); a processing unit ( 30 ); and an output unit ( 40 ). The input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with CT X-ray data of a body part of a person acquired at high relative pitch. The processing unit is configured to determine CT slice reconstruction data of the body part of the person with no or reduced high relative pitch operation reconstruction artefacts using a machine learning algorithm. The machine learning algorithm was trained on the basis of CT slice reconstruction data, and wherein the CT slice reconstruction data comprised first CT slice reconstruction data with high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts and comprised second CT slice reconstruction data with less, less severe, or no high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts. The output unit is configured to output the CT slice reconstruction data of the body part of the person.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for correcting computed tomography (CT) X-ray data, the apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores a plurality of instructions; and
processor circuitry that couples to the memory and is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to:
acquire the CT X-ray data at a high relative pitch;
determine CT slice reconstruction data with no or reduced high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts using a machine learning algorithm, wherein, the machine learning algorithm is trained on CT slice reconstruction data, and wherein the CT slice reconstruction data comprises first CT slice reconstruction data with the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts and comprises second CT slice reconstruction data without the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts, wherein the CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data comprises CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data that has been manipulated; and
output the CT slice reconstruction data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data is acquired at a low relative pitch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data comprises complete angular coverage data.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data comprises CT X-ray data of a body part of one or more test persons.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulation comprises simulating the CT X-ray data from the second CT slice reconstruction data in order to provide CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data that was effectively acquired at a higher relative pitch than the relative pitch used for acquisition of the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data.

6. The apparatus according to of claim 1 , wherein the manipulation comprises simulating the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data in order to provide CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data that is simulated as having been acquired by a resized detector to that used for acquisition of the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the simulation comprises reducing a size of the detector in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of an X-ray imaging system used to acquire the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data comprises CT X-ray data of one or more test persons.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein training of the machine learning algorithm comprises a registration of at least some of the second CT slice reconstruction data with the first CT slice reconstruction data reconstructed from the CT X-ray data of one or more test persons.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data comprises CT X-ray data of a body part of the one or more test persons.

11. A computer-implemented method for correcting computed tomography (CT) X-ray data, the method comprising:
providing the CT X-ray data acquired at a high relative pitch;
determining CT slice reconstruction data with no or reduced high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts using a machine learning algorithm, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on CT slice reconstruction data, and wherein the CT slice reconstruction data comprises first CT slice reconstruction data with the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts and comprises second CT slice reconstruction data substantially without the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts;
manipulating the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data to derive the CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data; and
outputting the CT slice reconstruction data.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing executable instructions, which cause a computer-implemented method to be performed to correct computed tomography (CT) X-ray data, the method comprising:
providing the CT X-ray data acquired at a high relative pitch;
determining CT slice reconstruction data with no or reduced high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts using a machine learning algorithm, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on CT slice reconstruction data, and wherein the CT slice reconstruction data comprises first CT slice reconstruction data with the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts and comprises second CT slice reconstruction data substantially without the high relative pitch reconstruction artefacts;
manipulating the CT X-ray data for the second CT slice reconstruction data to derive the CT X-ray data for the first CT slice reconstruction data; and
outputting the CT slice reconstruction data.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Bergner Frank
• Grass Michael
• Stehle Thomas Heiko

Classifications

• G06T12/30 Primary

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

• A61B6/5258

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G06T11/008 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic