The n-PI-method for helical cone-beam CT

A new class of acquisition schemes for helical cone-beam computed tomography (CB-CT) scanning is introduced, and their effect on the reconstruction methods is analyzed. These acquisition schemes are based on a new detector shape that is bounded by the helix. It will be shown that the data acquired with these schemes are compatible with exact reconstruction methods, and the adaptation of exact reconstruction algorithms to the new acquisition geometry is described. At the same time, the so-called PI-sufficiency condition is fulfilled. Moreover, a good fit to the acquisition requirements of the various medical applications of cone-beam CT is achieved. In contrast to other helical cone-beam acquisition and reconstruction methods, the n-PI-method introduced in this publication allows for variable pitches of the acquisition helix. This additional feature will introduce a higher flexibility into the acquisition protocols of future medical cone-beam scanners. An approximative n-PI-filtered backprojection (n-PI-FBP) reconstruction method is presented and verified. It yields convincing image quality.     

Characterization of bread breakdown during mastication by image texture analysis

The methods currently used to characterise food breakdown during mastication are not easily applicable to cohesive and heterogeneous products such as white bread (baguettes). During this study, we investigated the applicability of image texture analysis to characterising the kinetics of bread bolus formation during chewing. Food boluses were collected from five subjects chewing four different breads after 10, 20 and 30 chewing cycles or at swallowing. Images were acquired and analysed using the Grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method. Food boluses were successfully discriminated: 60–73% of the images were correctly classified into their respective chewing cycles. Incorrect classifications arose from overlapping between subsequent cycles. Among the texture features the contrast was identified as being the best marker of food degradation. Different kinetics of bolus formation were observed between breads. This method revealed specific patterns of food degradation between subjects, which could be explained by their mastication behaviour and chewing efficiency.