Multiscale Higher Order TV Operators for L1 Regularization

In the realm of signal and image denoising and reconstruction, $\ell_1$ regularization techniques have generated a great deal of attention with a multitude of variants. A key component for their success is that under certain assumptions, the solution of minimum $\ell_1$ norm is a good approximation to the solution of minimum $\ell_0$ norm. In this work, we demonstrate that this approximation can result in artifacts that are inconsistent with desired sparsity promoting $\ell_0$ properties, resulting in subpar results in {some} instances. With this as our motivation, we develop a multiscale higher order total variation (MHOTV) approach, which we show is related to the use of multiscale Daubechies wavelets. We also develop the tools necessary for MHOTV computations to be performed efficiently, via operator decomposition and alternatively converting the problem into Fourier space. The relationship of higher order regularization methods with wavelets, which we believe has generally gone unrecognized, is shown to hold in several numerical results, although notable improvements are seen with our approach over both wavelets and classical HOTV

Limited Tomography Reconstruction via Tight Frame and Sinogram Extrapolation

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is one of widely used diagnostic tools for medical and dental tomographic imaging of the human body. However, the standard filtered backprojection reconstruction method requires the complete knowledge of the projection data. In the case of limited data, the inverse problem of CT becomes more ill-posed, which makes the reconstructed image deteriorated by the artifacts. In this paper, we consider two dimensional CT reconstruction using the horizontally truncated projections. Over the decades, the numerous results including the sparsity model based approach has enabled the reconstruction of the image inside the region of interest (ROI) from the limited knowledge of the data. However, unlike these existing methods, we try to reconstruct the entire CT image from the limited knowledge of the sinogram via the tight frame regularization and the simultaneous sinogram extrapolation. Our proposed model shows more promising numerical simulation results compared with the existing sparsity model based approach

Spatially-Adaptive Reconstruction in Computed Tomography Based on Statistical Learning

We propose a direct reconstruction algorithm for Computed Tomography, based on a local fusion of a few preliminary image estimates by means of a non-linear fusion rule. One such rule is based on a signal denoising technique which is spatially adaptive to the unknown local smoothness. Another, more powerful fusion rule, is based on a neural network trained off-line with a high-quality training set of images. Two types of linear reconstruction algorithms for the preliminary images are employed for two different reconstruction tasks. For an entire image reconstruction from full projection data, the proposed scheme uses a sequence of Filtered Back-Projection algorithms with a gradually growing cut-off frequency. To recover a Region Of Interest only from local projections, statistically-trained linear reconstruction algorithms are employed. Numerical experiments display the improvement in reconstruction quality when compared to linear reconstruction algorithms.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Image Processin

Generalized sampling: stable reconstructions, inverse problems and compressed sensing over the continuum

The purpose of this paper is to report on recent approaches to reconstruction problems based on analog, or in other words, infinite-dimensional, image and signal models. We describe three main contributions to this problem. First, linear reconstructions from sampled measurements via so-called generalized sampling (GS). Second, the extension of generalized sampling to inverse and ill-posed problems. And third, the combination of generalized sampling with sparse recovery techniques. This final contribution leads to a theory and set of methods for infinite-dimensional compressed sensing, or as we shall also refer to it, compressed sensing over the continuum.Comment: 59 pages, 25 figure

A moment-based variational approach to tomographic reconstruction

Caption title.Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-26).Supported by the National Science Foundation. 9015281-MIP Supported by the Office of Naval Research. N00014-91-J-1004 Supported by the US Army Research Office. DAAL03-92-G-0115 Supported by the Clement Vaturi Fellowship in Biomedical Imaging Sciences at MIT.Peyman Milanfar, W. Clem Karl, Alan S. Willsky

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy: Mathematical theory, computational challenges, and opportunities

In recent years, an abundance of new molecular structures have been elucidated using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), largely due to advances in hardware technology and data processing techniques. Owing to these new exciting developments, cryo-EM was selected by Nature Methods as Method of the Year 2015, and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 was awarded to three pioneers in the field. The main goal of this article is to introduce the challenging and exciting computational tasks involved in reconstructing 3-D molecular structures by cryo-EM. Determining molecular structures requires a wide range of computational tools in a variety of fields, including signal processing, estimation and detection theory, high-dimensional statistics, convex and non-convex optimization, spectral algorithms, dimensionality reduction, and machine learning. The tools from these fields must be adapted to work under exceptionally challenging conditions, including extreme noise levels, the presence of missing data, and massively large datasets as large as several Terabytes. In addition, we present two statistical models: multi-reference alignment and multi-target detection, that abstract away much of the intricacies of cryo-EM, while retaining some of its essential features. Based on these abstractions, we discuss some recent intriguing results in the mathematical theory of cryo-EM, and delineate relations with group theory, invariant theory, and information theory

Tomographic reconstruction algorithms using optoelectronic devices

During the last two decades, iterative computerized tomography (CT) algorithms, such as ART (Algebraic Reconstruction Technique) and SIRT (Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction Technique), have been applied to the solution of overdetermined and underdetermined systems. These algorithms arrive at the least squares solution of normal equations. In theory, such algorithms converge to the minimum-norm solution when a system is underdetermined if there are no computational errors and the initial vector is chosen properly. In practice, computational errors may lead to failure to converge to a unique solution.;The dissertation introduces a method called the projection iterative reconstruction technique (PIRT) which differs from the other reconstruction algorithms used for solving underdetermined systems. Even though the differences between the method outlined in this dissertation and the algorithms proposed earlier are subtle, the proposed scheme guarantees convergence to a unique minimum-norm solution. Several acceleration techniques are discussed in the dissertation. Furthermore, the iterative algorithm can also be generalized and employed to solve other large and sparse linear systems

Sub-pixel Registration In Computational Imaging And Applications To Enhancement Of Maxillofacial Ct Data

In computational imaging, data acquired by sampling the same scene or object at different times or from different orientations result in images in different coordinate systems. Registration is a crucial step in order to be able to compare, integrate and fuse the data obtained from different measurements. Tomography is the method of imaging a single plane or slice of an object. A Computed Tomography (CT) scan, also known as a CAT scan (Computed Axial Tomography scan), is a Helical Tomography, which traditionally produces a 2D image of the structures in a thin section of the body. It uses X-ray, which is ionizing radiation. Although the actual dose is typically low, repeated scans should be limited. In dentistry, implant dentistry in specific, there is a need for 3D visualization of internal anatomy. The internal visualization is mainly based on CT scanning technologies. The most important technological advancement which dramatically enhanced the clinician\u27s ability to diagnose, treat, and plan dental implants has been the CT scan. Advanced 3D modeling and visualization techniques permit highly refined and accurate assessment of the CT scan data. However, in addition to imperfections of the instrument and the imaging process, it is not uncommon to encounter other unwanted artifacts in the form of bright regions, flares and erroneous pixels due to dental bridges, metal braces, etc. Currently, removing and cleaning up the data from acquisition backscattering imperfections and unwanted artifacts is performed manually, which is as good as the experience level of the technician. On the other hand the process is error prone, since the editing process needs to be performed image by image. We address some of these issues by proposing novel registration methods and using stonecast models of patient\u27s dental imprint as reference ground truth data. Stone-cast models were originally used by dentists to make complete or partial dentures. The CT scan of such stone-cast models can be used to automatically guide the cleaning of patients\u27 CT scans from defects or unwanted artifacts, and also as an automatic segmentation system for the outliers of the CT scan data without use of stone-cast models. Segmented data is subsequently used to clean the data from artifacts using a new proposed 3D inpainting approach

Microlocal analysis of a Compton tomography problem

Here we present a novel microlocal analysis of a new toric section transform which describes a two dimensional image reconstruction problem in Compton scattering tomography and airport baggage screening. By an analysis of two separate limited data problems for the circle transform and using microlocal analysis, we show that the canonical relation of the toric section transform is 2--1. This implies that there are image artefacts in the filtered backprojection reconstruction. We provide explicit expressions for the expected artefacts and demonstrate these by simulations. In addition, we prove injectivity of the forward operator for $L^\infty$ functions supported inside the open unit ball. We present reconstructions from simulated data using a discrete approach and several regularizers with varying levels of added pseudo-random noise.Comment: 31 pages, 18 figure