Image reconstruction on PI-lines by use of filtered backprojection in helical cone-beam CT

Recently, we have derived a general formula for image reconstruction from helical cone-beam projections. Based upon this formula, we have also developed an exact algorithm for image reconstruction on PI-line segments from minimum data within the Tam-Danielsson window. This previous algorithm can be referred to as a backprojection-filtration algorithm because it reconstructs an image by first backprojection of the data derivatives and then filtration of the backprojections on PI-line segments. In this work, we propose an alternative algorithm, which reconstructs an image by first filtering the modified data along the cone-beam projections of the PI-lines onto the detector plane and then backprojecting the filtered data onto PI-line segments. Therefore, we refer to this alternative algorithm as the filtered-backprojection algorithm. A preliminary computer-simulation study was performed for validating and demonstrating this new algorithm. Furthermore, we derive a practically useful expression to accurately compute the derivative of the data function for image reconstruction. The proposed filtered-backprojection algorithm can reconstruct the image within any selected ROI inside the helix and thus can handle naturally the long object problem and the super-short scan problem. It can also be generalized to reconstruct images from data acquired with other scanning configurations such as the helical scan with a varying pitch.