Method and apparatus for performing motion compensation in ct imaging systems

A method for performing motion compensation in a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising:

• acquiring projection data scanned from an imaging object by the CT imaging system;
• determining, in a time period corresponding to the acquired projection data, a target time point for which a motion-corrected image of the imaging object is to be reconstructed;
• reconstructing a first group of feature-enhanced partial images and a second group of feature-enhanced partial images, based on, respectively, a first set of the projection data and a second set of the projection data, the first and second sets of the projection data being on opposite sides of the determined target time point;
• estimating a motion vector field for the determined target time point, based on the reconstructed first group of feature-enhanced partial images and the reconstructed second group of feature-enhanced partial images;
• and
• performing, based on the estimated motion vector field, motion compensation on the acquired projection data to reconstruct an image of the imaging object, as the motion-corrected image for the determined target time point.

An apparatus for performing motion compensation in a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, the apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to:
• acquire projection data scanned from a first imaging object by the CT imaging system,
• determine, in a time period corresponding to the acquired projection data acquired from the first imaging object, a first target time point for which a motion-corrected image of the first imaging object is to be reconstructed,
• reconstruct a first group of feature-enhanced partial images and a second group of feature-enhanced partial images, based on, respectively, a first set of the projection data and a second set of the projection data, the first and second sets of the projection data being on opposite sides of the determined first target time point,
• input the reconstructed first group of feature-enhanced partial images and the reconstructed second group of feature-enhanced partial images to an input of a pre-trained neural network to infer a motion vector field for the determined first target time point, and
• perform, based on the inferred motion vector field, motion compensation on the acquired projection data to reconstruct an image of the first imaging object, as the motion-corrected image for the determined first target time point, wherein
• the pre-trained neural network was trained using a third group of feature-enhanced partial images and a fourth group of feature-enhanced partial images reconstructed based on, respectively, a first set of projection data acquired from a second imaging object and a second set of the projection data acquired from the second imaging object, the first and second sets of the projection data acquired from the second imaging object being on opposite sides of a second target time point determined in a time period corresponding to the projection data acquired from the second imaging object, and
• the second imaging object is a same or different imaging object as the first imaging object.