Deep learning based image reconstruction algorithm for limited-angle translational computed tomography

PLoS One. 2020 Jan 6;15(1):e0226963. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226963. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

As a low-end computed tomography (CT) system, translational CT (TCT) is in urgent demand in developing countries. Under some circumstances, in order to reduce the scan time, decrease the X-ray radiation or scan long objects, furthermore, to avoid the inconsistency of the detector for the large angle scanning, we use the limited-angle TCT scanning mode to scan an object within a limited angular range. However, this scanning mode introduces some additional noise and limited-angle artifacts that seriously degrade the imaging quality and affect the diagnosis accuracy. To reconstruct a high-quality image for the limited-angle TCT scanning mode, we develop a limited-angle TCT image reconstruction algorithm based on a U-net convolutional neural network (CNN). First, we use the SART method to the limited-angle TCT projection data, then we import the image reconstructed by SART method to a well-trained CNN which can suppress the artifacts and preserve the structures to obtain a better reconstructed image. Some simulation experiments are implemented to demonstrate the performance of the developed algorithm for the limited-angle TCT scanning mode. Compared with some state-of-the-art methods, the developed algorithm can effectively suppress the noise and the limited-angle artifacts while preserving the image structures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Artifacts
  • Deep Learning*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / standards

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 61771003 and 61701174, in part by National Instrumentation Program of China under Grant 2013YQ030629.