Image quality evaluation and improvement of a digital tomosynthesis system

In a digital tomosynthesis (DTS), it is important to acquire high quality images for obtaining an exact cross sectional image. DTS images can be distorted and blurred according to the surface shape of an image intensifier and to the synthesis method used. In this paper, image quality factors such as distortion, sharpness, and artifact are analyzed in order to improve the quality of DTS images. Firstly, a new DTS system, called object-detector synchronous rotation (ODSR), is suggested and designed to acquire DTS images. Secondly, the shape distortion of DTS images generated by an image intensifier is modeled. A new synthesis algorithm that overcomes the limitations of the existing synthesis algorithms is suggested to improve the sharpness of the synthesized image. Also an artifact analysis of the DTS system is performed. Finally, the experimental verification of image quality improvement is accomplished by the newly designed ODSR system.