US 11,986,326 B2
Computed tomography (CT) imaging artifact reduction technique making use of tilted scans
David Followill, Houston, TX (US); Stephen Kry, Houston, TX (US); and Daniela Branco, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, Austin, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/618,429
Filed by Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 10, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/037095
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/252094, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/860,052, filed on Jun. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0249033 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 6/03 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/51 (2024.01)
CPC A61B 6/032 (2013.01) [A61B 6/51 (2024.01); A61B 6/5241 (2013.01); A61B 6/5282 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of imaging a region of a subject comprising an artifact, the method comprising:
obtaining a first computed tomography (CT) scan of the region, wherein the first CT scan comprises a first set of images obtained at a superior angle with respect to the subject;
obtaining a second CT scan of the region, wherein the second CT scan comprises a second set of images obtained at an inferior angle with respect to the subject;
performing a first three-dimensional affine geometric transformation to the first set of images and to the second set of images;
performing a second three-dimensional affine geometric transformation to the first set of images and to the second set of images;
converting the first set of images to a first modified set of axial images, wherein a first portion of the first modified set of axial images comprises a first artifact-free region posterior to the artifact;
converting the second set of images to a second modified set of axial images, wherein a second portion of the second modified set of axial images comprises a second artifact-free region posterior to the artifact; and
constructing an image of a region posterior to the artifact by combining the first artifact-free region posterior to the artifact and the second artifact-free region posterior to the artifact.