JP3455041B2 - X-ray CT system - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an X-ray CT apparatus, and more particularly to an X-ray CT apparatus capable of reducing image artifacts obtained by performing a helical scan.

[0002]

[Prior art]

(1) Single-slice CT In recent years, as shown in FIG. 45 (a), the X-ray CT apparatus has an X-ray focal point 1 for generating a fan-shaped X-ray beam (fan beam).
01 and a single-slice CT having a fan-shaped or linear M-channel, for example, a detector 103 in which 1000-channel detection elements are arranged in a line are mainstream.
The X-ray focal point 101 and the detector 103 are rotated around the subject as shown in FIG.
Line intensity data (referred to as projection data) is collected. 1
For example, the projection data is collected 1000 times by rotation, and an image is reconstructed by the method described later based on this data. In addition, one data collection is referred to as one view, data of one detection element in one view, one beam, and all beams in one view (data of all detection elements) are collectively referred to as actual data.

(2) Two scan methods Two scan methods of the X-ray CT apparatus will be described.
The first scanning method is conventional scanning. As shown in FIG. 46 (a), this is a scanning method in which the target cross section, for example, the circumference of the cross section A is rotated once. If you want to obtain images of multiple cross sections, for example Section A and Section B,
As shown in FIG. 46 (a), first, data is collected while rotating once around the cross section A, and then the bed on which the subject is placed, or the X-ray focal point 101 and the detector 103 are moved to obtain the cross section B. Match the rotating surface. Then, as in the case of the cross section A, data is collected while rotating once around the subject. Therefore, when the imaging range is wide in the body axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the subject, and when there are many target cross sections, the imaging time becomes long.

The second scan method is a helical scan. As shown in FIG. 46 (b), it is a scanning method in which the X-ray focus and the detector are continuously rotated and the bed is moved in the body axis direction of the subject in synchronization with the rotation to collect data. The trajectory of the X-ray focal point 101 scans around the subject in a spiral shape. According to this scanning method, a wide range can be scanned at high speed.

The coordinate system is defined as shown on the left side of FIG. 51 (c). The XY plane corresponds to the cross-sections A and B scanned by the conventional scan, the Z-axis direction is the body axis direction of the subject, and is the direction called the slice direction in the single slice CT.

(3) Image Reconstruction of Conventional Scan The image reconstruction of the X-ray CT apparatus will be briefly described. The conventional scan consists of the following three steps.
Here, it is assumed that the subject has only the arrow signal at the center of rotation as shown in the upper left of FIG.

[1] Data Collection and Correction Data is collected by a conventional scan. Although the rotation angle is only 90 °, it is usually 360 °, 180 ° + fan angle or the like. The projection data is as shown in the upper right of FIG. The projection data is corrected in consideration of various factors such as the sensitivity of the detector 103 and the X-ray intensity to obtain raw data.

[2] Convolution operation with reconstruction function The raw data of each angle and the reconstruction function are convolved. The convolution data is as shown in the lower right of FIG. 47, and the signal that originally existed is depressed around it.

[3] The back projection operation convolution data is added to all pixels (pixels) on the X-ray passing path when the data is collected.
The lower left of FIG. 47 shows the backprojection calculation at a certain angle. Repeating this for the required angle leaves only the original signal.

(4) Image Reconstruction of Helical Scan FIG. 48 is a side view showing the states of the two scanning methods shown in FIG. 46, that is, conventional scanning and helical scanning. The horizontal axis represents the slice (Z axis) direction, the horizontal axis represents the rotation phase (angle), and the sampling positions of each data are connected by arrows. Hereinafter, such a diagram is referred to as a scan diagram.

In the conventional scan shown in FIG. 48 (a), data of 360 ° necessary for the target slice plane corresponding to the above-mentioned [1] is collected, and as described above, [1] to [3]. The image can be reconstructed by the step of.

On the other hand, in the helical scan of FIG. 48 (b), since it is a spiral scan, only one view is acquired in the target slice plane. Therefore, instead of the above [1], the raw data obtained by correcting the collected projection data is interpolated in the Z-axis direction to obtain the necessary data, and then the above [2] to [3] are performed. There are two types of typical interpolation methods in the single slice CT, the following (a) and (b).

(A) 360 ° interpolation method In the 360 ° interpolation method, as shown in FIG. 49 (a), the real data of two views having the same phase and sandwiching the target slice position is located between the slice plane and the sampling position. This is a method of linear interpolation with the inverse ratio of the distance to.

For example, if the target slice position (Z coordinate of the slice plane) is Z = Z0, the data collected at this slice position is only one view at phase 0 °. Therefore, for example, when obtaining the data of the phase θ, the actual data 1 on the upper side of the slice position and the actual data 2 on the lower side are selected, and the distance between the Z coordinate at which each data is sampled and the target slice position Z0 (Z Linear interpolation is performed with the inverse ratio of (coordinates) to obtain interpolated data. This is repeated for all necessary phases.

(B) Opposed beam interpolation method This is a method of using the opposed beam which is virtual data. As shown in FIG. 49 (c), the beam of the actual data collected when the focus is at the position of the black circle to each detection element is as shown by the solid line arrow. At this time, the beam 1 on the left side and the dotted line beam when the X-ray focus is at the position of the white circle are beams that pass through the same path. The beam from this white circle is called an opposite beam. Similarly, the beam 2 and the dotted beam from light gray, and the beam 3 and the dotted beam from dark gray are beams that pass through the same path and are opposite beams. Thus, all beams in the black circle have opposite beams. Therefore, the corresponding beam for each beam is extracted from the data of the focus positions of white circles, light gray, and dark gray to form virtual data (referred to as counter data), and linear interpolation is performed with this actual data and counter data. Is the counter beam interpolation method.

In the case of the helical scan, the sampling position of the opposite data is different for each beam (each channel) as shown in FIG. 49 (d), but in the following, it is represented by the sampling position of the central channel, and FIG. ) Is displayed as a dotted line. In addition to the above, several helical scan interpolation methods have been proposed, such as a method using a non-linear function for interpolation.

(5) Slice profile and image quality Representative of the indexes showing the performance of the system are the slice profile and image quality. The slice profile is Z
It shows a response in the axial direction (slice direction). An example is shown in FIG. 50. The closer to a rectangle and the smaller effective slice thickness (half-value width), the better. That is, profile 1 and profile 2 have the same effective slice thickness, but profile 1 is superior because it is closer to a rectangle, and profile 2 and profile 3 are superior because profile 2 has a smaller effective slice thickness.

As shown in FIG. 49, the distance between the sampling positions of two data used for interpolation is called an interpolation interval.
The interpolation interval is equivalent to the helical pitch in the 360 ° interpolation method,
In the counter beam interpolation method, it becomes 1/2 of the helical pitch,
The counter beam interpolation method is narrower. Since the effective slice thickness in the helical scan becomes thinner as the interpolation interval becomes narrower, the counter beam interpolation method becomes thinner.

(6) Multi-slice CT Due to the demand for high-resolution imaging of a wide area at high speed, two detector rows are provided as shown in FIGS. 51 (a), (b) and (c).
Multi-slice C with multiple rows such as 4 rows and 8 rows
T is proposed. FIG. 52 (a) is a view of them from the Z-axis direction, and the circle in the figure indicates the effective field of view FOV (Field
of View). FIG. 52 (b) is a 4-row multi-slice CT observed from the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis including the Z-axis. When X-rays incident on the detector element from the X-ray focal point pass through the center of rotation ( The thickness of the beam in the Z-axis direction (distance FCD from the X-ray focus) is defined as the basic slice thickness T.

(7) Helical scan in multi-slice CT The helical scan in multi-slice CT is described in JP-A-4-224736. The helical pitch P in the multi-slice CT is an extension of the concept of the basic pitch in the single-slice CT described above, and the product of the number N of detector rows and the basic slice thickness T, that is, the rotation center Is the same as the total slice thickness in.

P = N × T (1) Hereinafter, the helical pitch is expressed by a value obtained by dividing the helical pitch by the basic slice thickness. In formula (1), a helical scan with a pitch of 4 is used.

One of the interpolation methods proposed in the above publication when helical scanning is performed at a pitch N in the N-row multi-slice CT is an extension of the 360 ° interpolation method of the single-slice CT.

FIG. 53 is a scan diagram showing a case where the above method is performed in 4-row multislice CT. FIG. 49 (a)
This is a method of interpolating with two pieces of actual data sandwiching a target slice position, similar to the 360 ° interpolation method of. This is tentatively called an adjacent interpolation method. Since the interpolation interval is equivalent to the basic slice thickness as in the 360 ° interpolation method, the effective slice thickness is 360 °.
It can be seen that it is comparable to the interpolation method.

[0024]

However, in the interpolation method (7) described above, the effective slice thickness is large. Therefore, it is conceivable to use the counter beam to reduce the effective slice thickness.

FIG. 54 (a) shows the opposing beam in the helical scan at Pitch = 4. The opposite beam is indicated by diagonal lines, the first rotation is indicated by a left slant line, and the second rotation is indicated by a vertical line, but it can be seen that most of it overlaps with the sampling position of the actual data. When the concept of single-slice CT is expanded and opposite beams are collected to form opposite data, the opposite data of actual data indicated by black circles is in a range indicated by a black rectangle. However, since most of the opposite data exists on the same side as the actual data from the target slice position, most of it will be extrapolated, and if the opposite beams are made into a series, the beam (channel)
It can be seen that the beam is not the one closest to the slice position. Therefore, the error increases due to extrapolation,
Since it is not the closest beam, the effective slice thickness also increases.

FIG. 54 (b) shows an example in which counter beams are formed by collecting counter beams on the side opposite to the actual data in order to solve the above problem. The error is small because it is always interpolated, but
Since a discontinuous portion occurs between the beams whose sampling positions and weights of the weighted interpolation are adjacent to each other, the image quality deteriorates in the direction corresponding to this portion.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an X-ray CT apparatus capable of reconstructing a high quality image.

[0028]

[0029]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is to detect an X-ray beam generating source for irradiating an X-ray beam toward a subject and to detect the X-ray beam. Detecting means having at least two detector rows for obtaining actual data in the slice direction, and bed moving means for moving the bed on which the subject is placed in the body axis direction of the subject. In the X-ray CT apparatus, the X-ray beam is generated while rotating the X-ray beam generation source, and the bed is moved by the bed moving means to spirally scan the subject, and the actual result obtained by the detecting means is obtained. The data group and / or the opposite data group that faces the actual data group is filtered in the slice direction to obtain data at a target slice position. Also achieve the above objective
Therefore, the invention of claim 18 directs an X-ray beam to a subject.
X-ray beam source that irradiates
Detecting means having a detector array for outputting actual data;
Move the bed on which the subject is placed in the body axis direction of this subject.
An X-ray CT apparatus having a bed moving means for moving the bed.
The X-ray beam while rotating the X-ray beam source.
And the bed is moved by the bed moving means.
Then, the subject is spirally scanned and
Opposed to the actual data group and / or the actual data group obtained from
Create an image near the target slice position in the opposite data group.
Weight multiple data within a certain range in the slice direction
Add and add to obtain the target slice position data.
And are characterized by. Further achieve the above objective
For this reason, the invention according to claim 19 directs the X-ray beam toward the subject.
The X-ray beam generation source that irradiates and detects this X-ray beam
To obtain actual data by reducing the detector array in the slice direction.
Detecting means having two rows and a bed on which the subject is placed
And a bed moving means for moving the subject in the body axis direction of the subject,
In an X-ray CT apparatus having
The actual data group and the opposite data that opposes this actual data
The X-ray beam generation source is set so that the loci of the groups are not the same.
The bed causes while rotating generate X-ray beam
The bed is moved by moving means to spirally move the subject.
And the actual data group obtained by the detection means and
/ Or slice the opposite data group opposite to the actual data group
Data at the target slice position by filtering
It is characterized by obtaining. According to the invention,
A gap due to switching of interpolation pairs is suppressed, and a high quality reconstructed image can be obtained. Also, as in claim 19,
Helicopter so that the trajectories of the data group and the opposite data group are not the same.
Cull scan makes the sampling density denser and
Can reduce the noise when reconstructing the image
It

[0030]

[0031]

[0032]

[0033]

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037]

[0038]

[0039]

[0040]

[0041]

[0042]

[0043]

[0044]

[0045]

[0046]

[0047]

[0048]

[0049]

[0050]

[0051]

[0052]

[0053]

[0054]

[0055]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an X-ray CT according to the present invention.
It is the block diagram which showed 1st Embodiment of an apparatus.

The X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment interpolates the X-ray beam (detection data) at the target slice position using the adjacent interpolation method and shifts the slice position back and forth around the center. The X-ray beam is interpolated by using the adjacent interpolation method at at least two slice positions, and these X-ray beams are weighted and added to obtain the X-ray beam of the target slice.

The X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the system control unit 11, the gantry, the bed control unit 13, the bed moving unit 15, the X-ray control device 17, the high voltage generation device 19, the X-ray beam generation source 21, and the detector 23. It has a rotary mount 25, a data collection unit 27, an interpolation processing unit 29, an image reconstruction unit 31, and a display unit 33.

The system control unit 11 sets the rotation speed, the slice thickness, the fan angle, etc. among the helical scanning conditions such as the slice thickness and the rotation speed input using an input device (not shown) as the gantry and bed control signals. Frame and bed control unit 1
Output to 3. In addition, the system control unit 11 sets X
An X-ray beam generation control signal for controlling the generation of the line beam is output to the X-ray controller 17. Further, the system control unit 11 outputs a detection control signal indicating the timing of detecting the X-ray beam to the data collection unit 27. further,
The system control unit 11 outputs a data collection control signal for data collection to the data collection unit 27. Further, the system control unit 11 outputs an interpolation control signal indicating an interpolation method to the interpolation processing unit 29.

The gantry / bed control unit 13 rotates the rotary gantry 25 based on the gantry / bed control signal output from the system control unit 11 and outputs a bed moving signal to the bed moving unit 15.

The bed moving unit 15 includes a gantry and a bed control unit 13.
Based on the bed movement signal output by, the movement amount of the bed 15a per one rotation of the rotary gantry 25 is obtained, and the bed 15a is moved by this movement amount.

The X-ray controller 17 includes a system controller 11
The timing of high voltage generation by the high voltage generator 19 is controlled based on the X-ray beam generation control signal output by.

The high voltage generator 19 generates a high voltage for irradiating the X-ray beam from the X-ray beam generator 21 in accordance with a control signal from the X-ray controller 17.
Supply to.

The X-ray beam generation source 21 irradiates the X-ray beam with the high voltage supplied from the high voltage generator 19.

The detector 23 detects the X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray beam generation source 21 and transmitted through the subject.

The rotary mount 25 holds the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23. Further, the rotary mount 25 is rotated about a rotation axis passing through an intermediate point between the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23 by a mount rotation mechanism (not shown).

The data collection unit 27 collects the X-ray beam (actually a detection signal) detected by the detector 23 in correspondence with the data collection control signal output by the system control unit 11.

The interpolation processing unit 29 interpolates the X-ray beam at the target slice position based on the X-ray beam collected by the data collecting unit 27. The interpolation processing unit 29
It is composed of U and memory.

The image reconstructing section 31 reconstructs an image based on the X-ray beam interpolated by the interpolation processing section 29.

The display unit 33 displays the image reconstructed by the image reconstructing unit 31 on a monitor (not shown).

Next, the operation of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment will be described. First, the operator inputs a helical scan condition using an input device (not shown). For example, the following helical scan conditions are used.

Number of detector rows Nseg = 2 Number of detector channels Nch = 1000 Thickness of each row at the center of rotation in the Z-axis direction Dseg = 20 (mm) Thickness of beam at the center of rotation Nseg × Dseg = 40 (mm) Focus-rotation center distance FCD = 600 (mm) (Focus-Center-Distance) Focus-detector distance FDD = 1200 (mm) (Focus-Detector-Distance) Effective field diameter FOV = 500 (mm) (Field of View) Effective viewing angle (fan angle) φ = 50 ° When the helical scan condition is input, the system control unit 1
Among these helical scan conditions, 1 is a pedestal for rotation speed, slice thickness, fan angle, etc., and a pedestal for bed control signals.
Output to the bed control unit 13. Then, the gantry / bed control unit 13 outputs a bed movement signal to the bed moving unit 15 based on the gantry / bed control signal.

In this state, when the operator inputs a diagnosis start command from the input device, the system control section 11
The gantry / bed control unit 13 is instructed to start the diagnosis, and an X-ray beam generation control signal for controlling the X-ray beam generation is output to the X-ray controller 17. And the X
The X-ray controller 17 is associated with the line beam generation control signal.
Generates a high voltage from the high voltage generator 19.

As a result, the X-ray beam generation source 21 outputs X
The bed 15a is moved by the bed moving unit 15 as the line beam is emitted, and the diagnosis by the helical scan is started.

Then, when the data acquisition control signal is output by the system controller 11, the data acquisition unit 27 detects the X-ray beam from the detector 23 in correspondence with the data acquisition control signal, and detects the detected X-ray beam. The line beam (actually detection data) is supplied to the interpolation processing unit 29.

When the X-ray beam is supplied, the interpolation processing unit 2
9 is the X of the target slice position based on this X-ray beam.
Interpolate the line beam. An example of data interpolation by the interpolation processing unit 29 at this time is shown in FIG. Further, when interpolating the data of each phase between the phase 0 ° and the phase 360 °, the relationship between the phase to be interpolated and the weight of each data is shown in FIG.
Shown in.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the uppermost end (see FIG.
In the phase 0 ° in (a), interpolation is performed using the beam in the second row of the second rotation and the beam in the first row of the second rotation, and
The beam weight of the first row of the second rotation increases and the weight of the beam of the second row of the second rotation decreases as the interpolation point is moved from the phase 0 ° in FIG. In phase A, there is completely only the beam in the first row of the second rotation, and thereafter, as the weight of the beam in the first row of the second rotation decreases, the weight of the beam in the second row of the first rotation increases, and phase B Then, only the beam in the second row of the first rotation is completely obtained. After that, 1st rotation 2nd
The weight of the column decreases and the weight of the first column of the first rotation increases.

An example of data interpolation in single slice CT is shown in FIG. 3 (a). Further, the same change in weight in single slice CT is shown in FIG.
The difference between single-slice CT and multi-slice CT is 3
There are points. First, in multi-slice CT, FIG.
As shown in, the switching of the beams used for interpolation occurs N times, and the phases thereof are opposite phases such as θ and θ + 180 °. Secondly, the rate of change in weight (the amount of change in weight between adjacent views) is high. Third,
Since the output characteristics are different between the plurality of detector rows, the difference in the data characteristics due to the switching is larger than that in the single slice CT. Due to these three points, the image quality deterioration due to the data interpolation in the helical scan of the multi-slice CT is serious.

Further, since the influence of switching (gap) of beams used for interpolation is proportional to the switching width, it is better that the switching width is smaller. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the influence of this switching. Therefore, the X-ray C of the first embodiment
The T-device 10 adopts a method of avoiding the influence of switching from being concentrated on the phase A and the phase B.

For example, the slice position Z = Z0 shown in FIG.
The interpolation weights at + ΔZ are shown in FIG. Similarly, the interpolation weights at the slice position Z = Z0-ΔZ are shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C,
When the slice position is slightly shifted back and forth, the phase at which switching occurs is from phase A to phase A ± δ and from phase B to phase B.
It becomes ± δ and is slightly shifted.

Therefore, the slice position is set to Z = Z0-nΔ
To Z = Z0 + n.Δ, interpolation data Data (θ, Z0 + i · Δ) of 2n + 1 slice positions shifted by Δ.
(I = -n, n) is obtained, and weighted addition is performed with W (i) as in the following expression (2) to obtain the target phase data Data (θ, Z0).

[0081]

[Equation 1] In this case, since the slice position is shifted and the interpolated data is weighted and added, the effective slice thickness becomes thicker.
As shown in (d), the change in the interpolation weight becomes gradual.

Here, FIG. 4 (e) is an enlarged view of the changing portion of the interpolation weight (the portion of the phase A in FIG. 4 (d)). As shown in FIG. 4E, the changing portion of the interpolation weight (see FIG.
(D) Phase A portion), the weight of the first row of the second rotation increases from the top, the weight of the beam of the second row of the second rotation decreases, and the weight of the beam of the second row of the first rotation decreases. The weight increases. After that, the weight of the first row of the second rotation decreases and the weight of the beam of the second row of the second rotation decreases.
Instead, the weight of the beam in the second row of the first rotation increases. For this reason, the change in the interpolation weight becomes gradual, and the effect of switching the beam used for the interpolation is reduced, so that the image quality is improved.

Further, in this case, as shown in FIG. 5, n pieces of data are added before and after the data of the target slice position Z = Z0. Figure 5
This is similar to performing the filtering process shown in the lower part of FIG. Further, conventionally, interpolation is performed using two beams for one phase, whereas interpolation is performed using two or more beams. The number of beams depends on the interval between the beams used for interpolation, the relationship between the phase and the phase at which switching occurs. Hereinafter, this interpolation method is referred to as a filter interpolation method. The weighting may be any weight. Further, FIG. 5 is an example of the uniform arithmetic mean.

As is clear from the principle, the filter interpolation method is an interpolation method that is more effective when the sampling density is higher. Here, for convenience of explanation, the data is interpolated 2n + 1 times and the weighted addition is performed, but in practice, interpolation may be performed using a filter having a similar effect in the slice direction.

For example, considering the data Dn (θ), Dn + 1 (θ) ... Collected at the phase θ with the phase fixed, it is found that there are a plurality of sampling points in the slice direction as shown in FIG. Become. Therefore, a filtering process is performed in the slice direction to calculate a weighting coefficient for each data for obtaining the interpolation data of the target slice position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the weighting coefficient of each data used for interpolation is obtained from the weighting filter function. For example of phase θ
The weight for the n + 3th data Dn + 3 (θ) is the target slice position, the weighting filter function, and the data Dn + 3 (θ).
From the relationship of the Z coordinate of W (Z, Dn + 3
(Θ)). Then, in order to normalize the weight of each data, it is divided by the total weight of all data as shown in the following formula (3).

[0087]

[Equation 2] In this way, the weight of each data may be calculated, and the interpolation data may be calculated by the following equation (4).

[0088]

[Equation 3] In this way, the X-ray beam (detection data) interpolated by the interpolation processing unit 29 is supplied to the image reconstruction unit 31. Then, the image reconstructing unit 31 reconstructs the image and displays it on the monitor of the display unit 33.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the X-ray beam is interpolated at the target slice position by using the adjacent interpolation method, and the slice position is shifted back and forth. Interpolate the X-ray beam using the adjacent interpolation method at at least two slice positions, and
Since the X-ray beam of the target slice is obtained by weighting and adding the line beams, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the image quality due to the switching of the beams used for interpolation.

Next, the X-ray CT apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. Whereas the conventional counter beam interpolation method performs interpolation interpolation (where the target slice position is inside the beam used for interpolation) or extrapolation with the original beam and the counter beam that are closest to the slice position, In the X-ray CT apparatus of the second embodiment, the interpolating interpolation is performed by positively utilizing the opposing beams as well.

This interpolation method is, for example, when the detector 23 having two detector rows makes four rotations and the original beam of the phase θ and the counter beam are combined, 2 rows × 4 rotations × 2 (original Although there are 16 beams (counter beam and counter beam), the interpolation is performed with the two beams that are closest to the slice position with the slice position sandwiched among all the beams. That is, the interpolation of the opposite beams is also actively performed. Hereinafter, this is referred to as a new counter beam interpolation method.

The X-ray CT apparatus according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG.
Since the apparatus configuration is the same as that of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Next, the operation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The operation other than the interpolation processing unit 29 is the same as that of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

For example, the same detector 23 as the detector 23 of the X-ray CT apparatus of the first embodiment (the number of detector rows Nseg =
2, the number of detector channels Nch = 1000) is used, the counter beam of 1000 channels and arbitrary phase is
As shown in FIG. 7, channels 1 to 1000 are indicated by solid squares. That is, there are opposite beams having different slice positions depending on the channel as shown by the dotted rectangle. Here, focusing on 1000 channels, since the counter beam exists at the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8A, the original beam 2 rotations shown by the solid line ×
2 rows = 4 beams and 2 rotations of the opposing beam shown by the dotted line x 2
The objective for 1000 channels is to perform linear or non-linear interpolation with the inverse ratio of the distance between the beam position of these two beams and the slice position, using the two beams closest to each other across the slice position from a total of 8 beams of row = 4 beams. And the data of the phase. It should be noted that interpolation is also performed for one channel as in the case of 1000 channels as shown in FIG. These operations are repeated to obtain data for all phases of 360 °.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the second embodiment, the data is interpolated by using the new counter beam interpolation method, so that the phase at which the switching of the beam used for interpolation occurs differs depending on the channel. , It is less likely to switch at a time in view units (there is a certain number depending on the helical pitch, but the number decreases), and the image quality is also improved. Further, as compared with the adjacent interpolation method shown in FIG. 2, the intervals of the beams used for interpolation also become narrower on average, so the effective slice thickness also becomes thinner.

Next, the X-ray CT apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described. The X-ray CT apparatus of the third embodiment is a combination of the filter interpolation method of the X-ray CT apparatus of the first embodiment and the new counter beam interpolation method of the second embodiment.

The X-ray CT apparatus according to the third embodiment is shown in FIG.
Since the apparatus configuration is the same as that of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Next, the operation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The operation other than the interpolation processing unit 29 is the same as that of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The interpolation processing unit 29 of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the third embodiment firstly, for example, slice position Z = Z0 shown in FIG.
The data Data (Z0) of arbitrary phase .theta. Is obtained by the new counter beam interpolation method described above. Then, Z = Z0 + i.Δ
Data of phase θ at (i = -n, n) Data (Z0 + i
Δ) is obtained by the new counter beam interpolation method described above. And
These obtained data Data (Z0) and data Data
Based on (Z0 + i · Δ), similar to the filter interpolation method described above,
Weighted addition is performed as in the equation (2) to obtain the target phase data Data (θ, Z0). These operations are repeated to obtain data for all phases of 360 °.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the third embodiment, the data interpolation is performed by combining the filter interpolation method and the new counter beam interpolation method, so that the deterioration of the image quality due to the switching of the beam used for the interpolation is caused. Can be reduced. Further, the intervals of the beams used for interpolation are also narrowed on average, so that the effective slice thickness is also thinned.

Next, the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment will be described. In the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, the interpolation error in the multi-slice CT does not become extremely large,
That is, the helical pitch and the beam thickness are not made equal so that the slice position of the original beam and the slice position of the opposite beam are not close to each other, the opposite beam position is shifted, and the filter interpolation method and the new opposite beam interpolation method are combined to interpolate the data. It is something that is done.

The X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is shown in FIG.
Since the apparatus configuration is the same as that of the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

Next, the operation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment, the helical pitch P is set to be equal to or less than the basic pitch shown in the equation (1) and to be shown in the following equation (5).

(N / 2−0.5) × T <P <NT (5) In addition, the helical pitch is calculated according to the following equation (6) so that the beam position of the counter beam does not overlap with the position of the original beam. Determine P.

[0106]

[Equation 4] Where α is a number of FOV sizes shown in FIG.
Then, only the size M and the size LL are shown). Even if the maximum is the size (LL size in FIG. 9), the X-rays emitted from the X-ray beam generation source 21 are kept so that the slice positions of the two beams are not close to each other.
A number equal to or larger than the fan angle of the line beam (for example, fan angle φ = 5
In the case of 0 °, α = 55).

In the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment, the helical scan is performed at the helical pitch P thus determined.

Then, the interpolation processing section 29 first obtains the data Data (Z0) of the arbitrary phase θ at the slice position Z = Z0 shown in FIG. 10 by the new counter beam interpolation method described above. In FIG. 10, the solid line shows the original beam and the dotted line shows the opposite beam. Then, Z = Z0 + i.Δ (i = -n, n)
The data Data (Z0 + i..DELTA.) Of the phase .theta. Is obtained by the new counter beam interpolation method described above. Then, the obtained data Data (Z0) and data Data (Z0 + i.Δ)
Based on the above, similar to the filter interpolation method described above, weighted addition is performed as in Expression (2), and the target phase data Data (θ,
Z0) is obtained. By repeating these operations, all phases 360
Get data about °.

For example, the number of detector rows N = 2, the fan angle φ =
When 50 ° (LL size) and α = 55, the helical pitch P is P <3.06 or P> 5.76.
Here, a scan diagram in the case of P = 3 (mm) is shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the solid line is the original beam and the dotted line is the opposite beam. Here, the interpolation of the opposite beams is also actively performed.

Now, comparing the case of using the data interpolation shown in FIG. 10 with the case of using the adjacent interpolation method shown in FIG. 11A, the case of using the data interpolation shown in FIG. It can be seen that the interval between the beams used for interpolation is narrower and the effective slice thickness is smaller. For example, in the phase of the original beam indicated by the solid circle in FIG. 11A, when the adjacent interpolation method is used for the target slice position, the original beam in the second row in the second rotation and the first beam in the second rotation are used. Interpolation is performed using the original beam in the column. In the case of the data interpolation shown in FIG. 10, the original beam indicated by the solid circle and the counter beam indicated by the dotted circle are used for the target slice position, and the interpolation is performed. The space between the beams used for is narrow.

Further, when the data interpolation shown in FIG. 10 is used and when the 360 ° interpolation method in the single slice CT shown in FIG. 11B is used, the single slice CT shown in FIG. 11C is used. Comparing with the case of using the counter beam interpolation method in Fig. 10, in the case of using the data interpolation shown in Fig. 10, the intervals of the beams used for the interpolation are equal to those in the case of using the counter beam interpolation method, or depending on the phase, It can be seen that the intervals are narrower. For example, in the phase of the original beam shown by the solid circle in FIG. 11B, when the 360 ° interpolation method is used for the target slice position, the original beam of the second rotation and the original beam of the first rotation are In the data interpolation shown in FIG. 10, the original beam indicated by the solid line circle and the counter beam indicated by the dotted line circle are used for the data interpolation shown in FIG. Is narrowing.

Therefore, even if an interpolation method combining the filter interpolation method and the new counter beam interpolation method is used, a sufficiently thin effective slice thickness can be obtained.

Further, when the number of detector rows N = 4, the helical pitch P is P <6.12 or P> 11.52 from the equation (6). Here, a scan chart when P = 5 (mm) is shown in FIG. 12, a scan chart when P = 6 (mm) is shown in FIG. 13, and a scan chart when P = 7 (mm) is shown in FIG. Incidentally, when the helical pitch P = 5 (mm) shown in FIG. 12, the helical pitch P = 7 (m
Compared with m), the helical pitch P is narrower, so the image quality is better, but the scanning time is longer and the radiation dose is increased.

Here, comparing the case of using the data interpolation shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 with the case of using the conventional interpolation method shown in FIG. 15, the data interpolation shown in FIGS. The helical pitch P is one column in FIG.
3 is larger by 1.5 columns and FIG. 14 is larger by 2 columns, but the sampling densities are the same. Therefore, when helical scanning is performed at these helical pitches P,
The sampling density becomes dense, and the effect of the filter interpolation method becomes higher as described above.

The helical pitch P is selected for the purpose of shifting the slice positions of the original beam and the counter beam with respect to each other, but when the detector row N = 2, 1.5 rows (P = 1. 5T) and the detector array N = 4, if 2.5 arrays (P = 2.5T) are used, the sampling density is high, and ideal sampling can be achieved at substantially equal intervals without bias.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment, the helical pitch P and the beam thickness are not made equal, the positions of the opposite beams are shifted, and the data interpolation is performed by combining the filter interpolation method and the new opposite beam interpolation method. I decided to do so,
The sampling density becomes higher, and the noise when the image is reconstructed can be reduced.

In the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment, data interpolation is performed by combining the filter interpolation method and the new counter beam interpolation method, but the present invention is not limited to this, and filter interpolation is possible. Data may be interpolated by any one of the method and the new counter beam interpolation method.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention (using Pitch = 2.5 (3.5,4.5)) + (adjacent interpolation method) will be described. The X-ray CT apparatus according to the fifth embodiment is
Similar to the X-ray CT apparatus 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the system control unit 11, the gantry / bed control unit 13, the bed moving unit 15, the X-ray control device 17, and the high voltage generation device 19 are provided.
An X-ray tube 21 having an X-ray beam generation source or an X-ray focus, a detector 23, a rotary mount 25, a data acquisition unit 27, an interpolation processing unit 29, an image reconstruction unit 31, and a display unit. And 33.

The system control section 11 controls the X-ray irradiation dose, the basic slice thickness T, and the
Among the imaging conditions such as the helical pitch P and the rotation speed, necessary information such as the slice thickness T, the helical pitch P and the rotation speed is output to the gantry and the bed control unit 13 as a bed control signal. The system control unit 11 also outputs an X-ray beam generation control signal for controlling the generation of X-ray beams to the X-ray control device 17, and a detection control signal indicating the detection timing of the X-ray beam to the data collection unit 27. Output to
A data collection control signal for data collection is output to the data collection unit 27, and an interpolation control signal indicating an interpolation method is output to the interpolation processing unit 29.

The gantry / bed control unit 13 rotates the rotary gantry 25 based on the gantry / bed control signal output from the system control unit 11, and outputs a bed moving signal to the bed moving unit 15.

The bed moving unit 15 detects whether or not one of the rotary pedestals 25 is in accordance with the bed moving signal output by the bed and bed control signal.
The movement amount of the bed 15a per rotation is obtained, and the bed 15a is moved by this movement amount.

The X-ray controller 17 includes a system controller 11
The timing of high voltage generation by the high voltage generator 19 is controlled based on the X-ray beam generation control signal output by.

The high voltage generator 19 generates a high voltage for exposing the X-ray beam from the X-ray beam generator 21 in accordance with a control signal from the X-ray controller 17.
Supply to.

The X-ray beam generation source 21 irradiates the X-ray beam with the high voltage supplied from the high voltage generator 19.

The detector 23 detects the X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray beam generation source 21 and passing through the subject.

The rotary mount 25 holds the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23. Further, the rotary mount 25 is rotated about a rotation axis between the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23 by a mount rotation mechanism (not shown).

The data collection unit 27 collects the X-ray control signal detected by the detector 23 in association with the data collection control signal detected by the system control unit 11. Further, various corrections such as X-ray intensity correction and detector sensitivity correction are performed to obtain raw data.

The interpolation processing unit 29 interpolates the data at the target slice position based on the raw data collected and corrected by the data collecting unit 27. The interpolation processing unit 29 is composed of a CPU, a memory, and the like.

The image reconstructing section 31 reconstructs an image based on the data interpolated by the interpolation processing section 29.

The display unit 33 displays the image reconstructed by the image reconstructing unit 31 on a monitor (not shown).

The operation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fifth embodiment will be described next. First, as the detector 23 shown in FIG.
A case where a 4-row multi-slice detector is used as shown in (b) will be described.

First, the operator inputs photographing conditions using an input device (not shown). For example, the following conditions are set. Imaging mode Helical scan pitch Pitch = 2.5 Interpolation method Adjacent interpolation method Basic slice thickness T Number of acquired data 4

When the photographing conditions are input, the system controller 1
1 gives the above-mentioned instruction according to this condition and informs the operator of the preparation. The operator inputs a shooting start command. When the operator inputs an imaging start command from the input device, the system control unit 11 irradiates X-rays while performing helical scanning according to the imaging conditions, collects and corrects data, and obtains raw data. . Based on this raw data, the data at the target slice position is interpolated according to the following, and then image reconstruction is performed according to a well-known procedure.

The helical scan pitch and the interpolation method, which are the characteristic parts of the fifth embodiment, will be described below. A scan diagram when Pitch = 2.5 is shown in FIG. The interpolation method is the simplest adjacent interpolation method, and the interpolation is performed using only actual data. Compared to the scan diagram when Pitch = 4 and Fig. 53, the interpolation interval is narrowed to 1/2 at more than half of the 360 degrees. That is, the effective slice thickness becomes thin.

A scan diagram when the pitch of the helical scan is Pitch = 3.5 is shown in FIG. 17, and a scan diagram when the pitch of Pitch = 4.5 is shown in FIG. Pitch = 3.5 but Pitch = 4.
It can be seen that compared to 5, the interpolation interval becomes narrower and the effective slice thickness becomes thinner. As shown in FIG. 18, when Pitch = 4.5, the interpolation interval becomes wider than when Pitch = 4, but when the basic slice thickness is halved as shown in FIG. 19, it is more than when Pitch = 2.5. The interpolation interval becomes narrow.

Next, a case where a two-row multi-slice detector is used as the detector 23 will be described. FIG. 20 shows Pitch = 2
21 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 1.5, which is an example of the high-density sampling scan method. It can be seen that the interpolation interval becomes narrow and the effective slice thickness becomes thin, as in the case of the 4-row multi-slice CT.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, in the helical scan of the multi-slice CT, the basic slice thickness and the helical pitch are set so that the interpolation interval becomes narrow and the sampling density in the Z-axis direction becomes high. Since the selection is made, high density sampling can be performed and a high quality image can be reconstructed.

Next, a sixth embodiment of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention (using the new counter beam interpolation method) will be described. The configuration of the X-ray CT apparatus of the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the fifth embodiment.

In the fifth embodiment, "multi-slice CT
In the helical scan, the basic slice thickness and the helical pitch are selected so that the loci do not overlap the actual data and the sampling density of the actual data is high. ” A new counter-beam interpolation method using counter-beams is explained in conjunction with "multi-slice CT," which is a "high-density sampling scan method" in the new counter-beam interpolation method.
In the helical scan of, the trajectory is such that the actual data and the counter beams do not overlap (as much as possible) and the total sampling density of the actual data and the counter beam is high (sampling). "Selecting the basic slice thickness and the helical pitch" will be described.

Here, the number of detector rows in multi-slice CT is not limited to two or four. Other numbers of rows may be used. Further, the helical pitch is not limited to the examples given here. Modifications and applications are possible without departing from the basic idea.

The helical scan interpolation method, which is different from the fifth embodiment, will be described below. The new counter beam interpolation method is an interpolation method in which "the two nearest beams (data) sandwiching a target slice position are independently selected from actual data and counter beams for each channel and weighted interpolation". Is. The weighted interpolation may be linear interpolation based on the inverse ratio of distance or may be nonlinear interpolation. The data is selected from the data collected at the spatially different sampling positions and timings collected by the plurality of detector rows. The difference with the conventional counter beam interpolation method is that the conventional method "interpolates with the actual data that is closest to the target slice position and the counter data that opposes it," whereas "the actual data can be changed for each channel" Points and
"Interpolation between opposite data" or interpolation between actual data is also performed. "

As shown in the scan diagram of FIG. 20, in the fifth embodiment, the actual beam and the sampling position of the counter beam of the central channel overlap. But now consider an opposite beam of a beam that is not the central channel. FIG. 22
The figure below shows the first channel from the focus position indicated by the black circle,
..., Nth channel, ..., central channel, ..., Nth channel
2 shows a beam of actual data for the second channel, ..., The 1000th channel. The beams of actual data on the N1st channel and the N2th channel are deviated from the center channel by the angle θ in the fan angle direction.

Referring to FIG. 49 (d), when forming the counter data of this actual data, counter beams are extracted and collected for each channel from the data at the focal position as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. Now, when the actual data of the N1th channel when Pitch = 2 is shown by a solid line and the opposite beam is shown by a dotted line on the scan diagram, it becomes as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the actual data of the N2nd channel and the opposite beam are as shown in FIG. In the N1th channel, the sampling position of the opposite data is shifted to the left side (Z axis negative direction) of the actual data, whereas in the N2th channel, it is shifted to the right side (Z axis positive direction). Thus, it can be seen that the sampling position of the actual data is the same position for all channels, but the sampling position of the opposite beam differs depending on the channel.

By the new counter beam interpolation method described above, the data used for interpolation are selected and interpolated as shown in FIG. 23A for the N1th channel and FIG. 23B for the N2th channel. For example, focusing on the data of the phase θ,
One channel is to be interpolated by the actual data of the second row of the first rotation and the opposite beam of the second row of the first rotation, and it can be seen that the weight of data selection and interpolation is different depending on the channel. This method also does not solve one of the two problems described in the problem, "the beam sampling position becomes discontinuous between adjacent channels", but the more important problem "interpolation weight is discontinuous between adjacent channels". "Becomes" is solved, and because it is stable interpolation interpolation,
The image quality is improved. Further, it can be seen that the distance between the two beams used for interpolation and the interpolation distance are narrower than in the case of FIG. 20, and the effective slice thickness is also thin. In this situation, it can be generalized when the helical scan is performed with Pitch = N in the N-row multi-slice CT. In other words, with 4-row multi-slice CT, Pi
It is also applicable when performing a helical scan with tch = 4.

Next, in 2-row multi-slice CT, Pitch = 1.
The high-density sampling scan of 5 will be explained. FIG. 24 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high density sampling scan method with Pitch = 1.5 in a two-row multi-slice CT. In FIG. 24, the trajectory of the counter beam of the central channel is shown by the dotted line.

In the high-density sampling scan, since the value obtained by dividing the pitch by 2 is not an integer (Pitch / 2 ≠ integer, that is, Pitch ≠ even number), the sampling position of the counter beam of the center channel is different from the sampling position of the actual data. The position is shifted. Therefore, since the sampling positions of the opposite beam and the actual data do not overlap, the total sampling density of the actual data and the opposite data becomes high, and the interpolation interval is the single-slice CT opposite beam interpolation method (FIG. 49 (b)). Is equal to or half of that. Therefore, the effective slice thickness of the image becomes thin. Further, it can be seen that around the phase θ, the interpolating beams are interpolated, and at the phase near 360 °, the actual data are interpolated.

As can be easily predicted, the counter beams of channels other than the central channel, for example, the N1st channel and the N2th channel, have sampling positions deviated from the central channel in the Z axis positive and negative directions as described above.
The helical pitch is selected so that it does not overlap in the important channels so that the sampling density of the more important parts is increased. The effective field of view FOV changes depending on the object to be photographed. For example, when capturing a head image, only channels near the center have valid data, so the sampling density of the portion other than the center does not affect the image quality. These should be considered. FIG. 24 shows a high density sampling scan method in which the sampling density of the central portion of the image, which is generally important, that is, the central channel, is set to be high.

Next, in 4-row multi-slice CT, Pitch = 2.
An example in which the new counter beam interpolation method is applied to the helical scan by the high-density sampling scan method of 5 will be described.

FIG. 25 shows a 4-row multi-slice CT with Pitch =
It is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by the high-density sampling scan method of 2.5. Similar to FIG. 24, the interpolation interval is minimized and the image with a small effective slice thickness is obtained by combining the interpolation of the opposing beams and the interpolation of the actual data.

FIG. 26 shows the same 4-row multi-slice CT with Pi
FIG. 7 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high-density sampling scan method with tch = 3.5. Although not as great as when Pitch = 2.5, the interpolation interval becomes narrower and the effective slice thickness becomes thinner than the adjacent interpolation method of Pitch = 4 shown in FIG.

FIG. 27 shows the same 4-row multi-slice CT with Pi
It is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by the high-density sampling scan method of tch = 4.5. When the new counter beam interpolation method is applied, the interpolation interval is narrower than that in the case of the adjacent interpolation method shown in FIG. Also shown in FIG.
It is clear that the interpolation interval is narrower than the neighboring interpolation method with Pitch = 4, despite the large helical pitch.
Further, when the high density sampling scan method with Pitch = 4.5 in the 4-row multi-slice CT and the basic slice thickness is thinned as shown in FIG. 19, the interpolation interval is further narrowed.

The new counter beam interpolation method and the method of combining the new counter beam interpolation method with the high-density sampling / scan method have been described above. As described above, when the interpolation is performed using the new counter beam interpolation method, the high-density sampling scan method is “a helical scan of multi-slice CT has a trajectory in which actual data does not overlap with each other. Select the basic slice thickness and helical pitch so that the sampling density is high. ”That is, not only the scanning method that focuses on the sampling density of the actual data, but the“ slice scanning helical scan of multi-slice CT that considers the total sampling density. In, the basic slice thickness is set so that the actual data and the opposite data do not overlap (as much as possible) and the total sampling density of the actual data and the opposite data becomes high (sampling). And selecting the helical pitch ”.
Here, "(as much as possible)" means that the sampling position of the counter beam depends on the channel, as is clear from the above description, so that the sampling position of the counter beam overlaps with the actual data depending on the channel. This is due to the fact that there are some cases. When the sampling positions overlap, the helical pitch is determined so as to increase the sampling density of the data such as the central channel that has a great influence on the image quality of the target image.

Further, the sampling density becomes higher as the helical pitch becomes smaller. For example, in 4-row multi-slice CT, the highest density is the high-density sampling scan method with Pitch = 1.5. If the sampling density is increased, the helical pitch becomes smaller and the photographing time in a certain range becomes longer, so the selection is made according to the purpose of photographing.

The number of detector rows in the multi-slice CT is 2
The number of columns is not limited to four or four, and other numbers may be used. Further, the helical pitch is not limited to the examples given here.
Modifications and applications are possible without departing from the basic idea.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus of the sixth embodiment, in the helical scan of the multi-slice CT, the two nearest beams (data) sandwiching the target slice position are divided into the real data and the counter beam. Since high-quality images can be reconstructed because the channels are selected independently from each other and weighted interpolation is performed.

Next, a seventh embodiment of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention (using an interpolation method by direct filter processing)
Will be explained. The configuration of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment. Hereinafter, a helical scan interpolation method, which is different from the sixth embodiment, will be described.

The filter interpolation method based on the direct filter processing means that "data of a plurality of beams in the same phase and in the same direction within a certain range near the target slice position is filtered in the slice direction to obtain the target slice. This is a processing method of “using the data of the beam corresponding to the position and the corresponding direction” (conceptually, it is closer to “filtering in the Z-axis direction” than “interpolation”).

First, helical scanning is performed by the high-density sampling / scanning method described in the fifth embodiment, and the counter beam is also taken into consideration for sampling by applying the new counter beam interpolation method described in the sixth embodiment, and the filter interpolation method is used. The case of obtaining the data of the target slice position will be described.

The upper diagram in FIG. 28 shows a 4-row multi-slice CT.
It is a scan figure of the helical scan of Pitch = 2.5. Assume a rectangular range near the target slice position Z = Z0. Now, the sampling data d (i) of the phase θ
28 is extracted only near the target slice position Z0.
It is sampled as shown below. Here, the slice direction filter function ZF which is the point of the filter interpolation method
Filter processing is performed in consideration of C (ΔZ). The number of data of the phase θ is N, for example.

First, the phase θ from the slice direction filter function ZFC (ΔZ) is calculated according to the following equations (7) and (8).
The weight W (i) of the sampling data d (i) of is obtained. FIG. 28 illustrates how to obtain the weight W (4) of d (4) and the weight W (5) of d (5).

[0161]

[Equation 5] Then, the weight W (i) of the sampling data d (i) of the phase θ is normalized according to the following equation (9), and the weight W
Get U (i).

[0162]

[Equation 6] Next, the data date (θ) of the phase θ at the target slice position Z0 is determined according to the following equation (10).

[0163]

[Equation 7] Next, after the necessary phase data is created using equations (7) to (10), normal fan beam reconstruction is performed.

As described above, the data of the target slice position can be obtained and the image can be reconstructed. Again, since the sampling position of the counter beam depends on the channel, the selection result of the data that exists within the assumed range and is used for processing (actual data or counter data in what row of what rotation), Weights are independent depending on the channel. Moreover, as described below, the filter function ZF
When there are a plurality of shapes (width and weight) of C, it depends on the filter function ZFC.

Here, an example of the high-density sampling / scanning method with Pitch = 2.5 in the 4-row multi-slice CT has been described, but another pitch, for example, high-density with Pitch = 3.5 or Pitch = 4.5 in the 4-row multi-slice CT. The present invention can be applied to the sampling / scanning method and also to the high-density sampling / scanning method in other number of columns, for example, two-row multi-slice CT.

Further, although one filter function ZFC has been illustrated here, it is not limited to this, and for example, FIG.
As shown in (f), various filter functions may be provided according to the characteristics of the image to be obtained, and may be selected and used properly. This has the effect that the effective slice thickness of the image can be changed by the filter shape. Further, as compared with the opposed beam interpolation method or the adjacent interpolation method, the amount of data contributing to the image increases, the influence of one data is reduced, the influence of the characteristics of the detector 23 is suppressed, and the image quality is improved. To do. Further, as described with reference to FIG. 50, the slice profile in the helical scan is not an ideal rectangle but a monomodal shape. However, if a filter as shown in FIG. Can be rectangular or nearly rectangular. Further, if this is further developed, not only can the final slice profile be rectangular, but a slice profile of any shape can be obtained. That is, if a target slice profile is set, a filter that can obtain it can be obtained by back calculation.
If the filter processing is performed using the filter obtained by this inverse calculation, the target slice profile will be obtained.

Specifically, first, a slice profile SP2 (Z) as shown in FIG. 30 (b) obtained when the filter processing is performed with the temporary filter F1 (ΔZ) as shown in FIG. 30 (a). Ask or anticipate. If the target slice profile SP3 (Z) is the one shown in FIG. 30 (c), then the function SP4 as shown in FIG. 30 (d) for changing to the slice profile SP3 (Z). Find (Z). This is, for example,
The slice profile SP3 (Z) is divided by the slice profile SP2 (Z), that is, SP4 (Z) = SP.
It is calculated by 3 (Z) / SP2 (Z). However, as shown in FIG. 30C, the target slice profile SP3 (Z) is set to a shape slightly blunted from a true rectangle so that divergence does not occur in the calculation at both ends of the profile. Alternatively, it is necessary to slightly change the result of division (for example, set an upper limit in the profile). Next, a filter F5 (ΔZ) as shown in FIG. 30 (e) for obtaining the slice profile SP4 (Z) shown in FIG. 30 (d) is calculated. Finally, the filter F5 (ΔZ) is replaced with the first temporary filter F1.
By dividing by (ΔZ), a final filter F5 ′ (ΔZ) as shown in FIG. 30 (f) is obtained. If the first provisional filter F1 (ΔZ) is set to a rectangle as shown in FIG. 30 (a), the conversion from the final filter F5 (ΔZ) to the filter F5 ′ (ΔZ) is simply normalization. It becomes an operation.

The above-described design for obtaining an arbitrary slice profile can also be performed on the frequency axis.

Next, a method of performing filter interpolation using the high-density sampling / scanning method without using opposing data will be briefly described. In this case, in FIG. 28, the dotted line indicating the opposite data and the data d (2),
It is sufficient to consider excluding d (5), d (7), d (8), and d (10), and the basic idea is the same. Further, although detailed description is omitted, the present invention can be applied to a CT having another number of detector rows, such as two rows, or a single slice CT.

Next, a method of filter interpolation using the opposite data without using the high-density sampling / scanning method will be described. FIG. 31 is a scan diagram of an ordinary helical scan with Pitch = 4 in the 4-row multi-slice CT. The dotted line shows the counter beam of the N-th channel shown in FIG. 22, not the counter beam of the center channel.

The state of the counter beam shown in FIG.
Compared with FIG. 32 (a) showing the state of the counter beam of Pitch = 1.5 in the row multi-slice CT, the trajectory of the actual data is originally inclined in the Z-axis direction, and the counter beam of the N1th channel is sampled. It can be seen that the position is largely deviated in the negative direction of the Z axis from the sampling position of the counter beam of the central channel, that is, the sampling position of the actual data. As can be seen in FIG. 31, relatively uniform sampling is obtained in the Z-axis direction. As described above, the deviation of the sampling position of the counter beam of the N2th channel is in the positive direction of the actual data.

Similar to FIG. 28, the data d (i) sampled in the vicinity of the target slice position Z = Z0 is
It is sampled as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Hereinafter, the filter processing is performed with the slice direction filter function ZFC (ΔZ) in the same manner as in FIG. 28 and the above description.
The data is the data of the N1th channel of phase θ at the target slice position. The same process is performed for all channels to obtain data for all channels of phase θ at the target slice position. This is repeated for the required phase 360 ° or 180 ° + fan angle, and fan beam back projection is performed to reconstruct an image.

In a 4-row multi-slice CT, a normal helical scan is performed at Pitch = 4, data of a target slice position is obtained by a filter interpolation method without using an opposite beam, and image reconstruction is performed. In the scan diagram of 31, except for the dotted line showing the trajectory of the counter beam of the N1th channel, d
Filtering is performed excluding (1), d (3), d (5), d (7), ....

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the seventh embodiment, the data of a plurality of beams in the same phase and in the same direction within a certain range near the target slice position is filtered in the slice direction. Since the data of the beam at the corresponding phase and the corresponding direction of the target slice position is used, a high-quality image can be reconstructed.

Next, the eighth embodiment of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention ((Pitch = 2.5) + (new counter beam interpolation method) +
(Using a filter interpolation method by resampling processing) will be described. The configuration of the X-ray CT apparatus of the eighth embodiment is the same as that of the seventh embodiment. Hereinafter, a helical scan interpolation method, which is a difference from the seventh embodiment, will be described.

The filter interpolation method based on the resampling process means that the data of a plurality of beams in the same phase and in the same direction within a certain range near the target slice position is filtered in the slice direction. By doing so, the processing method of "corresponding phase of the target slice position, beam data in the corresponding direction" is used, while "the vicinity of the target slice position has a plurality of equal intervals at fine intervals. Assuming slice positions, the data at each slice position is interpolated by an arbitrary method such as a new counter beam interpolation method or an adjacent interpolation method to obtain a plurality of interpolation data (resampling data), and the plurality of interpolation data (resampling data (Data) is weighted and added or filtered to obtain the data at the target slice position. " It is a method. Conceptually, it is similar to the case of the seventh embodiment.

First, helical scanning is performed by the high-density sampling / scanning method of the fifth embodiment, and resampling data V-data (i), which is virtual data, is obtained by the new counter beam interpolation method described in the sixth embodiment. A case will be described in which data at a target slice position is obtained by using a filter interpolation method called weighted addition of virtual data.

FIG. 33 shows Pitc in 4-row multislice CT.
It is a scan diagram of a helical scan at h = 2.5. Figure 31
Similarly to the target slice position Z = Z in phase θ
Data d (1), d within a certain range near 0
(2), ... Are extracted and shown at the sampling positions. The number N of resampling points is N = 10 here.
And

First, according to the following equation (11), N resampling points are considered within a certain range near the target slice position Z0, and resampling data V-data (i) at each resampling point is given by Two data d (j) and d sandwiching each resampling point using the new counter beam interpolation method
It is obtained by linear interpolation of (j + 1).

[0180]

[Equation 8] Then, according to the following expression (12), the resampling data V-data (i) is weighted and added with the normalized weight WU (i), and the phase θ at the target slice position Z0 is obtained.
Data (θ) of is determined.

[0181]

[Equation 9] In this method, since the relative position between the target slice position and the sampling position of the resampling data is fixed instead of increasing the number of interpolation calculations for obtaining the resampling data, the weights are normalized in advance. It is possible to Further, FIG. 32 lower diagram or FIG.
It is possible to freely change the spatial resolution in the slice direction by using weights in the shapes shown in (a) to (f) and FIG.

The interpolation means for obtaining the resampling data at the resampling point is not limited to the new counter beam interpolation method, but may be another interpolation method such as an adjacent interpolation method or a non-linear interpolation method. Further, similarly to the case of the sixth embodiment, the helical pitch and the number of detector rows are not limited, and the invention can be applied to the single slice CT.

Further, the filter interpolation method by the resampling process and the filter interpolation method by the direct filter process may change the order of the processes in the linear process as is well known mathematically. A × B × C = (A × B) × C = A × (B × C) Now, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 34, the resampling method obtains resampling data by resampling the original data, This is a two-step processing method for filtering resampling data. That is, it corresponds to the intermediate formula of the above formula. Therefore, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 34, resampling processing by two-point interpolation having position dependence and filter processing by weighted addition having no position dependence are put together on the basis of original data, and position-dependent It is also possible to process the original data as a fluctuation filter. This is a method located in the middle of the seventh embodiment and the eighth embodiment.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the eighth embodiment, a plurality of slice positions at equal intervals are assumed in the vicinity of the target slice position, and the data which can be placed at each slice position is stored in the new counter beam. Interpolate by any method such as interpolation method or adjacent interpolation method to obtain a plurality of interpolation data (resampling data), and add or filter the plurality of interpolation data (resampling data) to obtain the target slice Since the position data is used, a high quality image can be reconstructed.

Next, a ninth embodiment of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention ((Pitch = 2.5) + (new counter beam interpolation method) +
(Using a filter interpolation method by high-density interpolation data processing) will be described.

The X-ray CT apparatus according to the ninth embodiment is a method in which raw data of a virtual conventional scan is created, and based on the raw data, filtering processing or weighted addition is performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray CT apparatus according to the ninth embodiment also has a system controller 11, a gantry, and a bed controller 13.
A bed moving part 15, an X-ray controller 17, a high voltage generator 19, an X-ray tube 21 having an X-ray beam source or an X-ray focus, a detector 23, a rotary mount 25, and data. The collection unit 27, the interpolation processing unit 29, and the image reconstruction unit 3
1 and a display unit 33. The detector 23 is shown in FIG.
It is a 4-row multi-slice detector as shown in FIG.

The system control section 11 controls the X-ray irradiation amount, the basic slice thickness T, which is input using an input device (not shown),
Among the imaging conditions such as the helical pitch P and the rotation speed, necessary information such as the slice thickness T, the helical pitch P and the rotation speed is output to the gantry and the bed control unit 13 as a bed control signal. The system control unit 11 also outputs an X-ray beam generation control signal for controlling the generation of X-ray beams to the X-ray control device 17, and a detection control signal indicating the detection timing of the X-ray beam to the data collection unit 27. Output to
A data collection control signal for data collection is output to the data collection unit 27, and an interpolation control signal indicating an interpolation method is output to the interpolation processing unit 29. The gantry / bed control unit 13 rotates the rotary gantry 25 based on the gantry / bed control signal output from the system control unit 11, and outputs a bed moving signal to the bed moving unit 15. The X-ray controller 17 controls the timing of high voltage generation by the high voltage generator 19 based on the X-ray beam generation control signal output from the system controller 11. The high voltage generator 19 supplies a high voltage for exposing the X-ray beam from the X-ray beam generation source 21 to the X-ray beam generation source 21 according to a control signal from the X-ray control unit 17. The X-ray beam generation source 21 irradiates the X-ray beam with the high voltage supplied from the high voltage generator 19. Detector 23
The detector 23 detects the X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray beam generation source 21 and passing through the subject. The rotary mount 25 holds the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23. Further, the rotary mount 25 is rotated about a rotation axis between the X-ray beam generation source 21 and the detector 23 by a mount rotation mechanism (not shown).

The data collection unit 27 collects the X-ray control signal detected by the detector 23 in association with the data collection control signal detected by the system control unit 11. Further, various corrections such as X-ray intensity correction and detector sensitivity correction are performed to obtain raw data.

As shown in FIG. 35, the interpolation processing unit 29 stores the interpolation means storage unit 2 for storing various interpolation processing means such as a new counter beam interpolation method, an adjacent interpolation method or another non-linear interpolation method.
9A, interpolation means 29B for interpolating and creating fine pitch virtual conventional scan raw data (called virtual scan raw data) based on the helical scan raw data by the set interpolation method, and interpolated at fine intervals The virtual scan raw data storage unit 29C stores the virtual scan raw data, and the filter processing unit 29D filters the virtual scan raw data.

The image reconstructing section 31 reconstructs an image under the set image reconstructing condition based on the data of the target slice position obtained by the filtering process.

The display unit 33 displays the image reconstructed by the image reconstructing unit 31 on a monitor (not shown).

Next, the operation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the ninth embodiment will be described. Here, only the characteristic operation part of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 36 and 37.

Interpolation Means Storage Unit 29A of Interpolation Processing Unit 29
Reads out the interpolation method set in advance and executes the interpolation means 29.
36, the interpolation means 29B, based on the raw data of the helical scan acquired and corrected by the data acquisition unit 27 as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 36, slices set in advance at fine intervals as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Virtual scan raw data, which is the raw data of the virtual conventional scan of the position, is obtained by interpolating by the set interpolation method (FIG. 37,
Step S1). The virtual scan raw data is stored in the virtual scan raw data storage unit 29C in association with the slice position. Here, the system control unit 11
Deletes or overwrites unnecessary raw data to save memory capacity.

In this state, the image reconstructing section 31 requests the interpolation processing section 29 for virtual scan raw data corresponding to the input image reconstructing slice position. The filter processing unit 29D of the interpolation processing unit 29 reads out one or a plurality of virtual scan raw data corresponding to the input image reconstruction slice position from the virtual scan raw data storage unit 29C, performs a filtering process, and The slice position data to be obtained is obtained and passed to the image reconstruction unit 31 (step S
3). When the data of the target slice position is obtained, the image reconstruction unit 31 performs normal fan beam reconstruction to reconstruct the image (step S5).

Here, in the seventh embodiment, as shown in FIG. 38, raw data is read, a plurality of sampling data are filtered to obtain data of a target slice position (step S11), and a normal fan beam is used. This is a method for performing reconstruction (step S13). Further, in the eighth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 39, the helical raw data is read out and the data at the virtual slice position in the vicinity of the target slice position is interpolated by a new counter beam interpolation method or the like to obtain virtual data (step S21) is a method of performing filter processing or weighted addition processing on virtual data to obtain data at a target slice position (step S23), and performing normal fan beam reconstruction (step S25). In other words, both are methods of image reconstruction based on the raw data of the helical scan stored and stored.

On the other hand, in the ninth embodiment, the raw data of the virtual conventional scan is created in high density in advance so that the raw data of the helical scan is conventionally scanned at fine intervals, and the purpose is based on this. According to the method, an image is reconstructed after weighted addition or filtering if necessary.

Here, the interpolation means for obtaining the raw data of the virtual conventional scan is arbitrary such as a new counter beam interpolation method, an adjacent interpolation method or another non-linear interpolation method. Further, the number of detector rows, the helical pitch, etc. are also arbitrary.

FIG. 40 is a hardware description of the ninth embodiment. The helical raw data 201 is
Interpolation processing 202 such as new counter beam interpolation is performed, and the data is temporarily stored as virtual scan raw data 203 at high density. Thereafter, the virtual scan raw data 203 is transferred at high speed to other hardware via the bus 200,
Therefore, the filtering process 204 is performed. Filtering 2
The 04 data is reconstructed as an image by fan beam reconstruction.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the ninth embodiment, the virtual conventional scan raw data is created in high density in advance so that the conventional scan raw data is obtained by performing conventional scans at fine intervals.
Since the image is reconstructed based on this, a high-quality image can be reconstructed and high-speed processing can be performed.

Here, the filter interpolation method based on the virtual helical scan raw data method will be described. Although the ninth embodiment has the same meaning as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 36, a method has been described in which the raw data of the virtual conventional scan is drawn with a wide interval, but a modification may be made as shown in FIG. 41. FIG. 41 shows a method for generating virtual raw data obtained by performing a helical scan with virtual single slice CT. At the time of reorganization, the raw data of this virtual single slice is read for multiple rotations according to the filter width, and by interpolation processing of weighted addition using the data for multiple rotations, an operation that can perform filter processing and interpolation processing simultaneously is performed. Then, the normal image reconstruction is performed.

Next, the tenth X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention will be described.
Embodiment ((Pitch = 2.5) + (New counter beam interpolation method) +
(Using a filter interpolation method by voxel filter processing) will be described. The X-ray CT of the tenth embodiment
The configuration of the device is the same as that of the ninth embodiment. The characteristic parts of the tenth embodiment will be described below.

The X-ray CT apparatus according to the tenth embodiment processes the image (voxels) after reconstructing the image at the fine intervals by the filter processing or the weighted addition processing described in the seventh to ninth embodiments. Is the way to do it. FIG. 42
FIG. 43 shows a conceptual diagram of the tenth embodiment, and FIG. 43 shows a characteristic flowchart of the tenth embodiment.

First, the target slice position Z = Z0 is interpolated by using the adjacent interpolation method or the new counter beam interpolation method, and the convolution calculation and the back projection calculation with the reconstruction function are performed as in the conventional case. Then, the first image reconstruction is performed.

Similarly, the following equations (13) and (1)
According to 4), the slice position Z = Z shifted by δZ (i) in the Z-axis direction around the target slice position Z = Z0
(I) = Z0 + δZ (i) also performs image reconstruction similarly,
The image is reconstructed for the first time (FIG. 43, step S31). As a result, it becomes possible to obtain the voxel data as shown in FIG.

[0206]

[Equation 10] Next, n temporary reconstructed images IMAG obtained by reconstruction.
E (x, y, z) or the provisional reconstructed voxel data, which have the same (x, y) coordinates, are one-dimensional in the Z-axis direction according to the following equation (15) or equation (16). The target slice position Z = Z0 by weighted addition processing or filter processing as shown in FIG.
Image data (steps S33, S35).

[0207]

[Equation 11] The filter shape, the number of detector rows, the helical pitch, etc. are not limited to the above examples, and can be changed as appropriate.

As described above, in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the tenth embodiment, the filter processing or the weighted addition processing is performed on the image (voxel) after the image is reconstructed at fine intervals, so that the image quality is high. Images can be reconstructed.

Incidentally, in the seventh to tenth embodiments, the hardware or software for performing the filter processing with the standard filter width as shown in FIG. 44A is provided, and as shown in FIG. When performing a filtering process with a filter having a large width in the axial direction, the filter may be divided into a plurality of processes. In this case, composition after division may be performed at the time of image addition, or may be performed at an intermediate stage such as interpolation data. Further, FIG. 44 shows an example in which the filter is divided into two, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the filter may be divided into three or more.

The filter processing in the seventh to tenth embodiments can also be applied to single slice CT.

[0211]

As described above, according to the present invention, a gap due to switching of interpolation pairs is suppressed, and a high quality reconstructed image can be obtained.

[0212]

[0213]

[0214]

[0215]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of data interpolation of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of data interpolation in single slice CT.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an interpolation weight at a target slice position, an interpolation weight at a slice position displaced by ± ΔZ from this position, and an interpolation weight obtained by adding these.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a case where n pieces of data are added before and after data of a target slice position Z = Z0.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data collected with the phase θ fixed and the weighting filter function.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a base beam and a counter beam when a detector with the number of detector rows Nseg = 2 and the number of detector channels Nch = 1000 is used.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a new counter beam interpolation method in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an FOV size.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a case in which data is interpolated by combining a filter interpolation method and a new counter beam interpolation method using two rows of detectors in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an adjacent interpolation method, a 360 ° interpolation method, and an opposite beam interpolation method.

FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a case of using four rows of detectors in the X-ray CT apparatus of the fourth embodiment and performing data interpolation by combining a filter interpolation method and an opposed beam interpolation method at a helical pitch P = 2.5T. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case of using four rows of detectors in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment and performing data interpolation by combining a filter interpolation method and an opposed beam interpolation method at a helical pitch P = 3.0T. FIG.

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining a case of performing data interpolation by combining a filter interpolation method and an opposed beam interpolation method at a helical pitch P = 3.5T using four rows of detectors in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. FIG.

FIG. 15: Helical pitch P = (N / 2-0.5) × T
It is a figure which shows the conventional interpolation method obtained according to.

FIG. 16 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 2.5 in four-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 17 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 3.5 in four-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 18 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 4.5 in four-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 19 is a 4-row multi-slice CT with Pitch = 4.5,
FIG. 19 is a scan diagram when the basic slice thickness is halved as compared with the case shown in FIG.

FIG. 20 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 2 in a two-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 21 is a scan diagram when Pitch = 1.5, which is an example of a high-density sampling scan method.

FIG. 22 is a beam of actual data of the first channel, the N1th channel, the center channel, the N2nd channel, and the 1000th channel, and a counter beam of the first channel, the N1th channel, the center channel, the N2th channel, and the 1000th channel. It is the figure which showed.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the actual data of the N1th channel and the opposing beams of the N1th channel and the N2th channel on the scan diagram by the solid line when Pitch = 2 in the two-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 24 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high-density sampling scan method with Pitch = 1.5 in a two-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 25 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high density sampling scan method with Pitch = 2.5 in a 4-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 26 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high density sampling method with Pitch = 3.5 in a 4-row multi-slice CT.

[Fig. 27] Fig. 27 is a scan diagram when a helical scan is performed by a high-density sampling scan method with Pitch = 4.5 in a 4-row multi-slice CT.

[Fig. 28] Fig. 28 is a diagram for describing a filter interpolation method using an opposing beam when high-density sampling / scanning with Pitch = 2.5 is performed in a 4-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing another example of the filter function ZFC.

FIG. 30 is a diagram for explaining a method of designing a filter for forming a slice profile having an arbitrary shape.

FIG. 31: Nth Pitch = 4 in 4-row multi-slice CT
It is a figure for demonstrating the filter interpolation method using the counter beam of 1 channel.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an opposed beam at Pitch = 1.5 of two-row multi-slice CT and an opposite beam at Pitch = 4 of two-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 33 is a diagram for explaining resampling processing.

FIG. 34 is a diagram for explaining the concept of resampling processing and processing for obtaining an equivalent result by the direct filtering method.

FIG. 35 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an interpolation processing unit.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing raw data of a helical scan acquired and corrected at Pitch = 2.5 by four-row multi-slice CT, and virtual raw data of a virtual conventional scan obtained based on the raw data.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation of the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 39 is a flowchart showing the characteristic operation of the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 40 is a diagram showing the characteristic operation of the ninth embodiment in terms of hardware.

FIG. 41 is a diagram for explaining a method of generating virtual raw data that is helically scanned by a virtual single slice CT.

FIG. 42 is a conceptual diagram of the tenth embodiment using the filter interpolation method by voxel filtering.

FIG. 43 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation of the tenth embodiment.

[Fig. 44] Fig. 44 is a diagram for describing a case where a filter is divided into a plurality of parts and processed when performing the filtering process.

FIG. 45 is a diagram showing a single slice CT.

FIG. 46 is a diagram for explaining a conventional scan and a helical scan.

FIG. 47 is a diagram for explaining image reconstruction of the X-ray CT apparatus.

FIG. 48 is a scan diagram of a conventional scan and a helical scan.

FIG. 49 is a diagram for explaining a 360 ° interpolation method (a), an opposed beam interpolation method (b), an opposed beam (c), and sampling positions of the opposed beam.

FIG. 50 is a diagram showing a slice profile.

FIG. 51 is a diagram showing a two-row multi-slice CT, a four-row multi-slice CT, and an eight-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 52 is a view of the two-row multi-slice CT, the four-row multi-slice CT, and the eight-row multi-slice CT viewed from the Z-axis direction, and the four-row multi-slice CT from the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis.
It is the figure observed including an axis.

[Fig. 53] Fig. 53 is a scan diagram showing a case where an adjacent interpolation method is performed in four-row multi-slice CT.

FIG. 54 is a diagram showing, on a scan diagram, opposed beams in a helical scan at Pitch = 4 in 4-row multi-slice CT.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 X-ray CT system 11 System control unit 13 pedestal and bed control unit 15 Sleeper moving part 15a sleeper 17 X-ray controller 19 High voltage generator 21 X-ray beam source 23 detector 25 rotating mount 27 Data Collection Department 29 Interpolation processing unit 29A interpolation means storage unit 29B interpolation means 29C Virtual scan raw data storage 29D filter processing unit 31 Image reconstruction unit 33 Display 201 Helical raw data 202 interpolation processing 203 virtual scan data 204 Filtering 205 Fan beam reconstruction

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-7-246200 (JP, A) JP-A-8-19532 (JP, A) JP-A-4-224736 (JP, A) JP-A-7- 194590 (JP, A) JP-A-7-67868 (JP, A) JP-A-8-250832 (JP, A) Special table 8-505309 (JP, A) US patent 5485493 (US, A) US patent 4965726 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 6/00-6/14

Claims (19)

(57) [Claims] 1. An X which irradiates an object with an X-ray beam.
A line beam source, a detector having at least two detector rows for detecting the X-ray beam to obtain actual data in the slice direction, and a bed on which the subject is placed are arranged in the body axis direction of the subject. An X-ray CT apparatus having a bed moving means for moving the bed, the X-ray beam is generated while rotating the X-ray beam generation source, and the bed is moved by the bed moving means to spirally scan the subject. Then, the actual data group and / or the opposed data group opposed to the actual data group obtained by the detection means are filtered in the slice direction to obtain the data at the target slice position.
T device. 2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter processing is weighted addition. 3. The filtering process selects a plurality of data from a real data group and / or a facing data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means, and interpolates the selected plurality of data. 3. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray CT apparatus is a process of obtaining data of a plurality of virtual slice positions and performing weighted addition of the data of the plurality of virtual slice positions. 4. The filtering process selects a plurality of data from a real data group and / or a facing data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means, and selects the object from the plurality of selected data. Think near the slice position
Interpolate multiple resampling data within a specified range
3. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray CT apparatus is a process for weighting and adding a plurality of resampling data obtained by . 5. The filter processing interpolates an actual data group obtained by the detecting means and / or an opposite data group opposed to the actual data group to obtain a virtual slice position as a curve.
5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the process is a process of obtaining real data as if it were a conventional scan and obtaining the data of the target slice position from the real data of the virtual conventional scan. X-ray C
T device. 6. The virtual single-slice CT in which the filter processing interpolates a real data group and / or a counter data group that opposes the real data group obtained by the detection means, and has one detector row. Of the virtual helical scan, and obtains the data of the target slice position from the real data of the virtual helical scan and / or the facing data facing the real data group. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the subject is spirally scanned, scanning is performed so that loci of the actual data group and the trajectory of the opposite data group are not the same. The X-ray CT apparatus according to item 1. 8. The filtering process selects two or more data near the virtual slice position from a real data group and / or a facing data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means. and, X-rays CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3, 7 which is characterized in that using the selected two or more data. 9. The virtual processing is performed by using the data closest to the virtual slice position from the real data group and / or the facing data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means. manner interpolate data slice positions, according to claim 3, 4, characterized in that the processing weighted addition of the plurality of interpolated data, 7 either 1
The X-ray CT apparatus according to the item. 10. The filtering process is virtually performed from a real data group and / or an opposite data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means .
8. The X-ray C according to claim 5 or 7 , wherein two or more data in the vicinity of the scan position which is canceled are selected and the selected two or more data are used.
T device. 11. The filter processing comprises two data in the vicinity of a scan position for the virtual helical scan, from the real data group and / or the opposite data group facing the real data group obtained by the detecting means. Select
8. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 7, which is performed by using the selected two data. 12. The above filtering is divided into a plurality of filters in the slice direction, performs a filtering process for each the divided filter, later claims 1 to 11, characterized in that synthesizing the results One of
The X-ray CT apparatus according to the item. 13. The filtering process comprises at least two slice positions that are shifted before and after the target slice position from the actual data group and / or the opposing data group obtained by the detecting means in a multi-slice helical scan. 2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data of the target slice position is obtained by performing the interpolation with the above, and performing weighted addition of the plurality of interpolation data. 14. The filtering process is performed by a plurality of filters within a certain range assumed near the target slice position among the actual data group and / or the opposing data group obtained by the detecting means in a multi-slice helical scan. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein beam data is filtered in the slice direction. 15. The detection means includes at least two detector rows, and the filtering process includes the actual data obtained by the at least two detector rows according to a phase obtained by the target slice position. 14. The group and / or the opposite data group have different weights, as claimed in claim 13 or claim 13.
14. The X-ray CT apparatus according to 14 . 16. A filter for performing the filter processing comprises:
The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray CT apparatus is calculated back based on a slice profile to be finally obtained. 17. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the filter processing uses two or more pieces of data sandwiching the slice position. 18. An X-ray beam generation source for irradiating an X-ray beam toward a subject, a detection means having a detector array for detecting the X-ray beam to obtain actual data, and the subject to be mounted. An X-ray CT apparatus having a bed moving means for moving a placed bed in the body axis direction of the subject, wherein the X-ray beam is generated while rotating the X-ray beam generation source, and the bed moving means is used. Within a certain range assumed near the target slice position in the actual data group and / or the opposing data group that opposes the actual data group obtained by the detection means by scanning the subject in a spiral shape by moving the bed. An X-ray CT apparatus characterized in that a plurality of pieces of data of (1) are weighted and added in the slice direction to obtain data of a target slice position. 19. An X-ray beam generation source that irradiates an object with an X-ray beam, and a detection means having at least two detector rows in the slice direction for detecting the X-ray beam and obtaining actual data. A bed moving means for moving the bed on which the subject is placed in the body axis direction of the subject.
In the line CT apparatus, an X-ray beam is generated while rotating the X-ray beam generation source so that the trajectories of the actual data group obtained by the detection means and the opposite data group facing this actual data are not the same. Along with the bed moving means to move the bed to scan the subject in a spiral shape, the actual data group obtained by the detecting means and / or the opposing data group facing the actual data group is filtered in the slice direction, X-ray CT characterized by obtaining data of target slice position
apparatus.