title: Local and global 3D noise power spectrum in cone-beam CT system with FDK reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examine the nonstationary noise behavior of a cone-beam CT system with FDK reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the nonstationary noise behavior, an analytical expression for the NPS of local volumes and an entire volume was derived and quantitatively compared to the NPS estimated from experimental air and water images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NPS of local volumes at different locations along the z-axis showed radial symmetry in the f(x)-f(y) plane and different missing cone regions in the f(z) direction depending on the tilt angle of rays through the local volumes. For local volumes away from the z-axis, the NPS of air and water images showed sharp transitions in the f(x)-f(y) and f(y)-f(z) planes and lack of radial symmetry in the f(x)-f(y) plane. These effects are mainly caused by varying magnification and different noise levels from view to view. In the NPS of the entire volume, the f(x)-f(y) plane showed radial symmetry because the nonstationary noise behaviors of local volumes were averaged out. The nonstationary sharp transitions were manifested as a high-frequency roll-off.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from noise power analysis for local volumes and an entire volume demonstrate the spatially varying noise behavior in the reconstructed cone-beam CT images.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. bjd1219@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Jongduk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Norbert J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Pelc
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water