The Evolution of Image Reconstruction in PET: From Filtered Back-Projection to Artificial Intelligence

PET Clin. 2021 Oct;16(4):533-542. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2021.06.004.

Abstract

PET can provide functional images revealing physiologic processes in vivo. Although PET has many applications, there are still some limitations that compromise its precision: the absorption of photons in the body causes signal attenuation; the dead-time limit of system components leads to the loss of the count rate; the scattered and random events received by the detector introduce additional noise; the characteristics of the detector limit the spatial resolution; and the low signal-to-noise ratio caused by the scan-time limit (eg, dynamic scans) and dose concern. The early PET reconstruction methods are analytical approaches based on an idealized mathematical model.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Deep neural network; Image reconstruction.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Artificial Intelligence*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio