Metal artifact correction

An x-ray system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to:
• project x-rays to scan a volumetric region of an object and generate corresponding cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image data;
• reconstruct an enlarged CBCT volume from the CBCT image data, the enlarged CBCT volume representative of the volumetric region and a volume outside the volumetric region;
• generate from the enlarged CBCT volume and a projection geometry, maximum intensity projections on a virtual plane;
• detect attenuated image areas in the maximum intensity projections corresponding to metal;
• correspond the detected attenuated image areas corresponding to the metal to areas of the CBCT image data;
• and
• reconstruct a final CBCT volume using the CBCT image data by suppression of the areas of the CBCT image data corresponding to the detected attenuated image areas of the maximum intensity projections.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• project x-rays to scan a volumetric region of an object and generate corresponding cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image data;
• reconstruct an enlarged CBCT volume from the CBCT image data, the enlarged CBCT volume representative of the volumetric region and a volume outside the volumetric region;
• generate from the enlarged CBCT volume and a projection geometry, maximum intensity projections on a virtual plane;
• detect attenuated image areas in the maximum intensity projections corresponding to metal;
• correspond the detected attenuated image areas corresponding to the metal to areas of the CBCT image data;
• and
• reconstruct a final CBCT volume using the CBCT image data by suppression of the areas of the CBCT image data corresponding to the detected attenuated image areas of the maximum intensity projections.