The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 27, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2000
Kwok Tam, Edison, NJ (US);
Siemens Corporation Research, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for three dimensional (3D) computerized tomographic (CT) imaging of an object, wherein image reconstruction processing is applied to a plurality of sets of 2D cone beam projection data, each set being acquired on a 2D detector at a corresponding plurality of scan path source positions. A first image reconstruction processing step comprises applying a mask to each set of the projection data so that data inside the boundaries of each mask form a corresponding plurality of masked 2D data sets. Next, the data inside each masked 2D data set is processed along line segments formed in the masked 2D data set, and having their endpoints determined by the mask boundaries, to develop a first 2D estimate of data determined from a given set of the 2D cone beam projection data. The next step comprises identifying portions of said line segments which is not used to develop said first 2D estimate of data, to develop 2D correction data for each of the first 2D estimates of data. The final step comprises combining each of the first estimates of data and the 2D correction data calculated therefore, in a process which reconstructs an exact 3D image of the object.