High-resolution helical cone-beam micro-CT with theoretically-exact reconstruction from experimental data

Purpose: In this paper we show that optimization-based autofocus may be used to overcome the instabilities that have, until now, made high-resolution theoretically-exact tomographic reconstruction impractical. To our knowledge, this represents the first successful use of theoretically-exact reconstruction in helical micro computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging. We show that autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact helical CT is a viable option for high-resolution micro-CT imaging at high cone-angles (similar to 50 degrees). The elevated cone-angle enables better utilization of the available X-ray flux and therefore shorter image acquisition time than conventional micro-CT systems. Methods: By using the theoretically-exact Katsevich 1PI inversion formula, we are not restricted to a low-cone-angle regime; we can in theory obtain artefact-free reconstructions from projection data acquired at arbitrary high cone-angles. However, this reconstruction method is sensitive to misalignments in the tomographic data, which result in geometric distortion and streaking artefacts. We use a parametric model to quantify the deviation between the actual acquisition trajectory and an ideal helix, and use an autofocus method to estimate the relevant parameters. We define optimal units for each parameter, and use these to ensure consistent alignment accuracy across different cone-angles and different magnification factors. The tomographic image is obtained from a set of virtual projections in which software correction for hardware misalignment has been applied. Results: We make significant modifications to the autofocus method that allow this method to be used in helical micro-CT reconstruction, and show that these developments enable theoretically-exact reconstruction from experimental data using the Katsevich 1PI (K1PI) inversion formula. We further demonstrate how autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact helical CT reduces the image acquisition time by an order of magnitude compared to conventional circular scan micro-CT. Conclusions: Autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact cone-beam reconstruction is a viable option for reducing acquisition time in high-resolution micro-CT imaging. It also opens up the possibility of efficiently imaging long objects. (C) 2011 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. [DOI: 10.1118/1.3633900]