Grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) is a promising imaging tool on the horizon for pre-clinical and clinical applications. Until now PCCT has been plagued by strong artifacts when dense materials like bones are present. In this paper, we present a new statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm which overcomes this limitation. It makes use of the fact that an X-ray interferometer provides a conventional absorption as well as a dark-field signal in addition to the phase-contrast signal. The method is based on a statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm utilizing maximum-a-posteriori principles and integrating the statistical properties of the raw data as well as information of dense objects gained from the absorption signal. Reconstruction of a pre-clinical mouse scan illustrates that artifacts caused by bones are significantly reduced and image quality is improved when employing our approach. Especially small structures, which are usually lost because of streaks, are recovered in our results. In comparison with the current state-of-the-art algorithms our approach provides significantly improved image quality with respect to quantitative and qualitative results. In summary, we expect that our new statistical iterative reconstruction method to increase the general usability of PCCT imaging for medical diagnosis apart from applications focused solely on soft tissue visualization.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4464273PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep10452DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

statistical iterative
16
iterative reconstruction
16
reconstruction algorithm
12
image quality
8
statistical
5
reconstruction
5
algorithm x-ray
4
x-ray phase-contrast
4
phase-contrast grating-based
4
grating-based phase-contrast
4

Similar Publications

Deep Equilibrium Unfolding Learning for Noise Estimation and Removal in Optical Molecular Imaging.

Comput Med Imaging Graph

January 2025

CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, China. Electronic address:

In clinical optical molecular imaging, the need for real-time high frame rates and low excitation doses to ensure patient safety inherently increases susceptibility to detection noise. Faced with the challenge of image degradation caused by severe noise, image denoising is essential for mitigating the trade-off between acquisition cost and image quality. However, prevailing deep learning methods exhibit uncontrollable and suboptimal performance with limited interpretability, primarily due to neglecting underlying physical model and frequency information.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: There is a shortage of individuals trained in using quantitative methods in biomedical research in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Improving public health in SSA requires new ways to promote quantitative knowledge and skills among faculty in biomedical research and better-integrated network systems of support.

Methods: We describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative faculty training and support program in SSA from December 2017-June 2020, using courses in monitoring and evaluation, data management, and complex surveys as prototypical examples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pharmacogenomics stands as a pivotal driver toward personalized medicine, aiming to optimize drug efficacy while minimizing adverse effects by uncovering the impact of genetic variations on inter-individual outcome variability. Despite its promise, the intricate landscape of drug metabolism introduces complexity, where the correlation between drug response and genes can be shaped by numerous nongenetic factors, often exhibiting heterogeneity across diverse subpopulations. This challenge is particularly pronounced in datasets such as the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetic Consortium (IWPC), which encompasses diverse patient information from multiple nations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Within the realm of orthopedic literature, the determination of statistical significance for outcomes relies on probability analysis and the reporting of P-values. The aim of this study was to employ fragility analysis as a means of evaluating the resilience of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess meniscus surgeries. It was hypothesized that dichotomous outcomes would be statistically fragile and comparable to other orthopedic specialties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A note on using random starting values in small sample SEM.

Behav Res Methods

January 2025

Department of Data Analysis, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.

Model estimation for SEM analyses in commonly used software typically involves iterative optimization procedures, which can lead to nonconvergence issues. In this paper, we propose using random starting values as an alternative to the current default strategies. By drawing from uniform distributions within data-driven lower and upper bounds (see De Jonckere et al.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!