Method and apparatus for automatic image quality assessment

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for assessing the image quality of a CT scanner is described in which assessment can be made manually or automatically. No special image quality mode of CT scanner operation is necessary, and no precise alignment of the phantom is necessary. In general, performance of the scanner comprises: using the scanner (a) to scan a phantom in one or more of its normal modes of operation while translating said phantom along the scanner axis of rotation and (b) to produce scanned data of the phantom, and assessing the performance of the scanner from the scanned data. In accordance with another aspect, the assessment is performed by (a) using the scanner to scan a phantom in one or more of its normal modes of operation; (b) reconstructing a three-dimensional volume CT image for a region containing at least a portion of the phantom; (c) calculating properties of the CT image; and (d) using the calculated properties of the CT image to assess CT scanner performance.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.