Metal Artifact Reduction in Industrial 3D Cone Beam CT
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial 3D CT systems face challenges in accurately removing metal artifacts due to the beam hardening effect, which existing methods, including hardware and software approaches, fail to adequately address, often introducing secondary artifacts.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device and method that utilizes computer-aided design (CAD) data to register and correct sinogram data, aligning CAD volume data with CT volume data using particle swarm optimization, and performing average fill-in processes to reconstruct a corrected CT image, effectively removing metal artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If physical filtering or dual spectral system is used to reduce beam hardening artifacts, then metal artifact reduction is improved, but signal to noise ratio decreases or scanning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical filtering mechanisms with a computational method that uses CAD data registration and sinogram correction algorithms to remove metal artifacts, eliminating the need for physical filters that degrade signal quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from physical parameter modification (filters, spectral systems) to data parameter modification by correcting sinogram values based on registered CAD geometry, achieving artifact removal without degrading signal to noise ratio
2Object-affected harmful factors
If image preprocessing or postprocessing algorithms are used to reduce beam hardening artifacts, then artifact reduction is improved, but secondary artifacts are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by registering CAD data with CT data before reconstruction, establishing accurate geometric information about metal objects in advance to guide subsequent sinogram correction and prevent secondary artifact generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CAD data as an intermediary that bridges the gap between actual CT measurements and reconstructed images, using the registered CAD geometry to correct sinogram data and eliminate both primary and secondary artifacts
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional artifact reduction algorithms are applied to correct CT data, then metal artifact removal is improved, but accuracy of product quality evaluation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses registered CAD data as a geometric copy or template of the actual object, leveraging the precise design information to correct sinogram data and reconstruct accurate CT images that faithfully represent material characteristics for quality evaluation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach accurately and effectively removes metal artifacts from industrial 3D CT images by correcting corrupted sinogram data using CAD registration, improving image quality and reducing secondary artifacts compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a relatively lower energy component of an X-ray spectrum is more easily attenuated or even completely absorbed when travelling through a dense part
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method and apparatus for metal artifact reduction in industrial three-dimensional (3D) cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) that may align computer-aided design (CAD) data to correspond to CT data, generate registration data from the aligned CAD data, set a sinogram surgery region corresponding to a metal region based on the registration data, perform an average fill-in process on the CT data based on the registration data, update data of the sinogram surgery region based on the averaged filled-in information, and reconstruct a 3D CT image from the updated sinogram data with surgery region.