Cone beam computed tomography with a flat panel imager Effects of image lag英文文献.pdfVIP

Cone-beam computed tomography with a flat-panel imager: Effects of image lag J. H. Siewerdsena) and D. A. Jaffray Department of Radiation Oncology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073 Received 12 May 1999; accepted for publication 29 September 1999 A system for cone-beam computed tomography CBCT has been developed based upon the tech- nology of active matrix flat-panel imagers FPIs, and the system has demonstrated the potential for fully three-dimensional volumetric imaging with high spatial and contrast resolution. This paper investigates the effects of image lag arising from charge trapping and release in the FPI pixels upon CBCT reconstructions. Hypotheses were derived based upon a simple, geometrical/physical model, suggesting that image lag in the projection data results primarily in two artifacts: a spatial blurring artifact in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation called a ‘‘comet’’ and a line artifact along the direction of the first few projections called a ‘‘streak’’. The hypotheses were tested by means of computer simulations and experimental measurements that yielded CBCT im- ages of a simple cylindrical water phantom containing an attenuating rod of varying size and composition. The computer simulations generated projection images based upon analysis of the system geometry and a simple model of the FPI that allowed free adjustment of the image lag. Experimental measurements involved CBCT scans of the phantom under various conditions and modes of acquisition followed by examination of the resulting CBCT axial slices for lag artifacts. Measurements were performed as a function of exposure level, position and contrast of the rod, and for three