Systems and methods for generating simulated computed tomography (CT) images

A system, comprising:

• a CT imaging simulator, comprising a user interface, a display screen, a processor, and a non-transitory storage medium comprising programming instructions;
• a phantom database in communication with the CT imaging simulator, wherein the phantom database comprises one or more virtual phantoms;
• and
• a scanner database in communication with the CT imaging simulator, wherein the scanner database comprises information about one or more CT scanners, including a subject CT scanner;
• wherein the programming instructions, if executed, enable the processor to:
• receive patient information about a subject patient, wherein the patient information comprises information about one or more physical properties of the subject patient;
• receive from the phantom database a virtual phantom, wherein the virtual phantom has been selected based on a comparison of the patient information with characteristics of the virtual phantom;
• receive scanner information about the subject CT scanner, wherein the scanner information comprises information about an image reconstruction technique employed by the subject CT scanner;
• perform an image simulation process, wherein the image simulation process comprises generating a simulated CT image using the virtual phantom and the scanner information;
• and
• provide the simulated CT image on the display screen in a visually perceptible form.

CT imaging simulator software stored on a non-transitory storage medium to generate a simulated CT image of a subject patient, the CT imaging simulator software comprising programming instructions that, if executed, enable a processor to:

• receive patient information about the subject patient, wherein the patient information comprises information about one or more physical properties of the subject patient;
• receive a virtual phantom, wherein the virtual phantom has been selected based on a comparison of the patient information with characteristics of the virtual phantom;
• receive scanner information about a subject CT scanner, wherein the scanner information comprises information about an image reconstruction technique employed by the subject CT scanner;
• perform an image simulation process, wherein the image simulation process comprises generating a simulated CT image using the virtual phantom and the scanner information;
• and
• provide the simulated CT image in a visually perceptible form.