Statistical Iterative Reconstruction Algorithm Based on a Continuous-to-Continuous Model Formulated for Spiral Cone-Beam CT

This paper is closely related to the originally formulated 3D statistical model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm for spiral cone-beam x-ray tomography. The concept proposed here is based on a continuous-to-continuous data model, and the reconstruction problem is formulated as a shift invariant system. This algorithm significantly improves the quality of the subsequently reconstructed images, so allowing a reduction in the x-ray dose absorbed by a patient. This form of reconstruction problem permits a reduction in the computational complexity in comparison with other model-based iterative approaches. Computer simulations have shown that the reconstruction method presented here outperforms standard FDK methods with regard to the image quality obtained and can be competitive in terms of time of calculation.