Medical imaging system and method

A medical imaging method, comprising:

• moving a radiation source over a plurality of positions about an object support surface;
• emitting the radiation source at each position, to irradiate an object arranged on the object support surface;
• detecting, for each position of the source, by a radiation detector of the radiation which has passed through the object, so as to obtain a plurality of radiographic projections;
• reconstructing a three-dimensional representation from the radiographic projections;
• determining, for each point in a plane located above or at the level of the object support surface, of the number of projections contributing towards reconstruction of the three-dimensional data in the vicinity of this point, and inferring the incidence on the quality of the reconstructed three-dimensional data;
• and
• identifying, prior to emitting the radiation source, volume points lying between the source and the plane of the object support surface in which the reconstructed three-dimensional data does not show any degradation resulting from use of an effective number of projections that is lower than the threshold and illuminating said volume points;
• presenting information on a zone in which the quality of reconstructed three-dimensional data does not show any degradation resulting from use of an effective number of projections that is lower than a predetermined threshold.

A medical imaging device, comprising:

• an object support surface;
• a radiation source to emit radiation, the source movable in a plurality of positions around the object support surface;
• a radiation detector configured to detect the radiation emitted by the source, the radiation source emitting radiation which is received by the detector at each position, so as to obtain a plurality of projections corresponding to the plurality of positions of the radiation source;
• a processor which, for each point in a plane located above or at a level of the object support surface, is configured to determine an effective number of projections contributing towards reconstruction of the three-dimensional data in the vicinity of a predetermined point, and to infer from this determination an incidence on the quality of the reconstructed three-dimensional data;
• and
• a viewing device configured to present information on the quality of reconstructed three-dimensional data of at least one zone within the reconstructed three-dimensional data based on the effective number of projections contributing to each of the at least one zone, wherein the viewing device comprises an identification device which, prior to acquiring the plurality of projections, is configured to locate volume points lying between the source and the plane of the object support surface in which the reconstructed three-dimensional data does not show any degradation resulting from use of an effective number of projections that is lower than the threshold, wherein the identification device comprises an illumination device to illuminate said volume points.