Comparison of ring artifact removal methods using flat panel detector based CT images

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ring artifacts are the concentric rings superimposed on the tomographic images often caused by the defective and insufficient calibrated detector elements as well as by the damaged scintillator crystals of the flat panel detector. It may be also generated by objects attenuating X-rays very differently in different projection direction. Ring artifact reduction techniques so far reported in the literature can be broadly classified into two groups. One category of the approaches is based on the sinogram processing also known as the pre-processing techniques and the other category of techniques perform processing on the 2-D reconstructed images, recognized as the post-processing techniques in the literature. The strength and weakness of these categories of approaches are yet to be explored from a common platform.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>In this paper, a comparative study of the two categories of ring artifact reduction techniques basically designed for the multi-slice CT instruments is presented from a common platform. For comparison, two representative algorithms from each of the two categories are selected from the published literature. A very recently reported state-of-the-art sinogram domain ring artifact correction method that classifies the ring artifacts according to their strength and then corrects the artifacts using class adaptive correction schemes is also included in this comparative study. The first sinogram domain correction method uses a wavelet based technique to detect the corrupted pixels and then using a simple linear interpolation technique estimates the responses of the bad pixels. The second sinogram based correction method performs all the filtering operations in the transform domain, i.e., in the wavelet and Fourier domain. On the other hand, the two post-processing based correction techniques actually operate on the polar transform domain of the reconstructed CT images. The first method extracts the ring artifact template vector using a homogeneity test and then corrects the CT images by subtracting the artifact template vector from the uncorrected images. The second post-processing based correction technique performs median and mean filtering on the reconstructed images to produce the corrected images.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The performances of the comparing algorithms have been tested by using both quantitative and perceptual measures. For quantitative analysis, two different numerical performance indices are chosen. On the other hand, different types of artifact patterns, e.g., single/band ring, artifacts from defective and mis-calibrated detector elements, rings in highly structural object and also in hard object, rings from different flat-panel detectors are analyzed to perceptually investigate the strength and weakness of the five methods. An investigation has been also carried out to compare the efficacy of these algorithms in correcting the volume images from a cone beam CT with the parameters determined from one particular slice. Finally, the capability of each correction technique in retaining the image information (e.g., small object at the iso-center) accurately in the corrected CT image has been also tested.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results show that the performances of the algorithms are limited and none is fully suitable for correcting different types of ring artifacts without introducing processing distortion to the image structure. To achieve the diagnostic quality of the corrected slices a combination of the two approaches (sinogram- and post-processing) can be used. Also the comparing methods are not suitable for correcting the volume images from a cone beam flat-panel detector based CT.</p

Cat scanner as a tool for geotechnical sample inspection

X-ray computed tomography (CT) provides nondestructive three-dimensional visualization and characterization, creating images that map the variation of X-ray attenuation within objects, which relates closely to bulk density. In this work it was considered interesting to use this technique as a tool for geotechnical inspection sample. CT scans of soil samples of Castelló d'Empúries (close to Figueres, Spain) were quantitatively evaluated to determine wet bulk density. The CT scans performed over Castello soil samples were obtained as part of a larger experimental program related to the Soft Soil Project (Arroyo et al., 2012). This project had as a main objective the evaluation of sample disturbance produced by various sampling methods. A state-of-art of X-ray computed tomography applied to geosciences was perfomed. It was found that X-ray attenuation depends on the bulk density of the sample, its porosity, water content and chemical composition in a complex way. Therefore, experimental calibration was necessary to unambiguosly determine the wet bulk density of the Castello soil from the CAT values. A complementary experimental campaign using several reconstituted soils was performed for that purpose. Once the calibration was established it was applied to the CT scans of the Castello soil samples to obtain detailed profiles of wet bulk density for the tube samples and specific values for the lab test specimens. For the late wet bulk density values had been previously obtained from lab procedures. It was the possible to check the quality of the results obtained from CT scan analysis. Very good agreement was attained between both measurements. This means that the calibration and the post-process of the CT scan data were successful. Specimen quality classification results of the Soft Soil Project were reviewed, since the initial results were unreliable. The reviewing process included the sample disturbance criterion applied (Lunne et al. 1997) and all the laboratory tests results. The newly obtained CAT density was useful to identify some mistakes in the original test interpretation. After correcting then, the results were re-analyzed. A new quality classification for the specimens was obtained and it was checked for consistency against the results of the laboratory tests. This study confirms the applicability of the Lunne criteria of sample quality well away from the geotechnical setting for which they were originally proposed. The CT scan images and the sample quality assessment results indicate that, for the Castello soil, there is no advantage in using Osterberg piston-type samplers instead of simpler pushed Shelby tubes

Imagerie 3D des matériaux et modélisations numériques : application aux multi-matériaux ferroélectriques

This thesis is focused on the conception of new tunable ferroelectric/dielectric compositematerials. Dielectric granules (MgO, TiO2) obtained by spray-drying are dispersed in a ferroelectricmatrix (Ba1-xSrxTiO3). Mixing powder is then densified by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). An originalapproach is developed in order to determine parameters linking the microstructure to the physicalproperties for each step of the elaboration - characterization - modelling optimization procedure.The adopted strategy is based on i) specific SPS properties which provide an accurate control of theinterfaces between each components; ii) potentialities offered by X-ray microtomography to describethe internal 3D microstructure of the composite materials during the key steps of their elaboration.Associated with powerful image processing tools, it allows to obtain relevant elements guiding theoptimization and understanding of the final properties; iii) the development of a 3D numerical modelof tunability applied directly to the real geometry which has been extracted from 3Dmicrotomography images. This step is essential to understand the origin of the redistribution of theelectric field between the different phases. Numerical results are directly compared to experimentalmeasurements.Cette thèse s’intéresse à la conception de nouveaux matériaux compositesferroélectriques/diélectriques aux propriétés accordables en tension. Des granules diélectriques(MgO, TiO2) obtenues par atomisation sont dispersées dans une matrice ferroélectrique (Ba1-xSrxTiO3). Le mélange est ensuite densifié par Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Une approcheoriginale est développée afin de déterminer les paramètres reliant la microstructure aux propriétésphysiques pour chacune des étapes de la boucle d’optimisation élaboration - caractérisation -modélisation. La stratégie adoptée s’appuie sur i) l’utilisation des propriétés spécifiques du frittageSPS qui offre une gestion précise des interfaces entre les différents composés. Cette méthode nonconventionnellea permis l’élaboration de composites ferroélectriques architecturés, constituésd’inclusions diélectriques de géométries contrôlées ; ii) les potentialités offertes par lamicrotomographie X comme moyen de description de la microstructure 3D des matériauxcomposites aux étapes clés de leur conception. Couplée à de puissants outils de traitements desimages elle permet d’extraire les éléments pertinents guidant l’optimisation et la compréhension despropriétés finales ; iii) le développement d’un modèle numérique 3D de l’accordabilité appliquédirectement à la géométrie réelle des matériaux extraite des images de microtomographie. Cetteétape est essentielle pour comprendre l’origine de la redistribution du champ électrique entre lesphases. Les résultats numériques obtenus sont directement confrontés aux mesuresexpérimentales

Assessing the impact of motion on treatment planning during stereotactic body radiotherapy of lung cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia and approximately 52% of cancer patients will require radiotherapy at some stage in their treatment. In recent years, stereotactic radiotherapy has emerged as an increasingly common treatment modality for small lesions in various sites of the human body.  To facilitate the investigation into the effects of imaging small mobile lesions, a see-saw 4D-CT phantom was developed. This phantom was used to investigate phase-binning artifacts that can be present when assigning an insufficient number of phases to 4D-CT data. The interplay between a lesion’s size and its amplitude, and the effects this relationship has on 4D-CT data was also investigated. An upgrade to a commercially available respiratory motion phantom was also pursued in order to replicate patient motion recorded with the Varian RPM system. Monte Carlo methods were used to determine the impact of motion on PET data by incorporating a computational moving phantom (XCAT) with a full Monte Carlo model of a commercially available PET scanner. To assess the impact of motion on treatment planning and dose calculation, two treatment planning scenarios were simulated using Monte Carlo. The traditional method of calculating dose on an average intensity projection from 4D-CT was compared to 4D dose calculation, in which tumour motion data from 4D-CT is explicitly incorporated into the treatment plan. Monte Carlo methods are also employed to evaluate the degree of underdosage at the periphery of lung lesions arising from electronic disequilibrium associated with density changes.  It was found that small lesions typically seen in SBRT of lung cancer require extra care when considering treatment planning, motion mitigation, and treatment delivery. The upgraded QUASAR phantom allows for patient specific verification of SBRT/SABR treatment plans to be conducted and was found to replicate patient motion accurately. Respiratory analysis software presented in this work enables detailed statistics of a patient’s respiratory characteristics to be evaluated. The number of phase-bins required to mitigate banding artifacts in 4D-CT projections is quantified in a simple equation for sinusoidal motion. It was also found that for lesion with diameters greater than 2.0 cm and amplitudes less than 4.0 cm, ten phase-bins are adequate to negate all banding artifacts in projection images.  Experimental and Monte Carlo simulations of PET and 4D-PET revealed that motion greater than 1.0 cm resulted in a reduction in apparent activity that increased with motion amplitude. A Dose Reduction Factor (DRF) metric was developed using Monte Carlo simulation which is defined as the ratio of the average dose to the periphery of the lesion to the dose in the central portion. The mean DRF was found to be 0.97 and 0.92 for 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams respectively, for lesion sizes ranging from 10 – 50 mm. The dynamic scenario was simulated with 4D dose calculation methods of registering and adding the dose distributions in each phase-bin from 4D-CT. The dose-volume distributions compared well with 3D (AIP) methods if multiple beams were used and the amplitude of motion was less than 3.0 cm.