title: Evaluation of image noise in fan-beam x-ray computed tomography.
abstract: We investigate the problem of evaluating noise in computed tomography images that are reconstructed from x-ray measurements collected in fan-beam geometry. For reconstruction, we use the classical direct filtered backprojection method, which acts directly on the fan-beam projections without rebinning to the parallel-beam geometry. In this context, we present an accurate and efficient method to evaluate the image noise. This method is first validated using results from Monte-Carlo simulations. Then, we illustrate its advantages through the implementation of a channelized Hotelling observer for a lesion detection task.
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. awunder@ucair.med.utah.edu
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noo
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*