General simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (G-SMEIR)

To achieve better performance for 4D multi-frame reconstruction with the parametric motion model (MF-PMM), a general simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (G-SMEIR) method is proposed. In G-SMEIR, projection domain motion estimation and image domain motion estimation are performed alternatively to achieve better 4D reconstruction. This method can mitigate the local optimum trapping problem in either domain. To improve computational efficiency, the image domain motion estimation is accelerated by adapting fast convergent algorithms and graphics processing unit (GPU) computing. The proposed G-SMEIR method is tested using a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) simulation study of 4D XCAT phantom at different dose levels and compared with 3D total variation-based reconstruction (3D TV), 4D reconstruction with image domain motion estimation (IM4D), and SMEIR. G-SMEIR shows strong denoising capability and achieves similar performance at regular dose and half dose. The root mean squared error (RMSE) of G-SMEIR is the best among the four methods and improved about 12% over SMEIR for all respiratory phase images at full dose. G-SMEIR also achieved the best structural similarity index (SSIM) values among all methods. More importantly, G-SMEIR leads to more than 40% improvement of the mean deviation from the phantom tumor motion over SMEIR. A preliminary patient CBCT image reconstruction also shows better image quality of G-SMEIR than that of the frame-by-frame reconstruction (3D TV) and MF-PMM either using image domain motion estimation (IM4D) or using projection domain motion estimation (SMEIR) alone. G-SMEIR with a flexible combination of image domain and projection domain motion estimation provides an effective tool for 4D tomographic reconstruction.