Enhanced resolution imaging and measurement systems

Abstract

A computed axial tomography (CAT) system including a ring assembly surrounding a location at which the object is placed; an X-ray source mounted on the ring assembly; an array of X-ray sensors arranged on the periphery of the ring assembly for measuring X-ray intensity from the object; a drive motor for rotating the ring assembly about the object; measurement control circuitry controlling the drive motor, receiving data from the array of X-ray sensors and generating a plurality of vectors of X-ray data therefrom, said plurality of vectors being represented by a measured column tensor; a memory for storing the measured column tensor; and a computer programmed to left multiply the measured column tensor stored in said memory by a reconstruction tensor T to obtain an estimate of a desired measurement column tensor, wherein said reconstruction tensor T is equal to R.sub.dm R.sub.mm.sup.-1, R.sub.dm being a cross-covariance tensor computed for d, a desired measurement column tensor, and m, the measured column tensor, and R.sub.mm being an auto-covariance tensor computed for m, the measured column tensor, and wherein the estimate of a desired measurement column tensor represents an estimate of measurements that would be obtained from an hypothetical array of X-ray sensors having a higher resolution than said first mentioned array of X-ray sensors.