title: Mathematical model of conventional tomography.
abstract: A Fourier decomposition approach is used to study the imaging properties of conventional tomography. Spatial frequency response curves (MTFs) are calculated for both linear and axial transverse tomography. These curves depend on the product of the spatial frequency of the sinusoidal density variations in thin layers parallel to the tomographic plane and the distance between such layers and the tomographic plane. Based on the spatial frequency response curves, a quantitative definition of tomographic layer thickness is given. Furthermore, the spatial frequency response curves suggest that unattenuated low-frequency information from outside the tomographic layer limits the resolution in conventional tomograms and that high-pass spatial filtering of the image may substantially improve the diagnostic quality of tomographic images, particularly in the identification of boundaries.
mesh_terms: D008433:Mathematics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013679:Technology, Radiologic; D014056:Tomography, X-Ray