Question

What is the cause of cone beam artifacts?

a. faulty detector elements
b. the use of standard filtered back projection reconstruction when the xray beam is more than 20 mm thick
c. hardening of the xray beam on multi row detector scanners
d. inefficient xray tubes used on multi row detector scanners

Answer 1

Cone beam artifacts in CT scans are caused by the use of standard projection reconstruction algorithms with an x-ray beam thicker than 20 mm, leading to image irregularities.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cause of cone beam artifacts in computed tomography (CT) scanning, particularly in the context of a multi row detector scanner, can be attributed to the use of standard filtered back projection reconstruction algorithms when the x-ray beam is more than 20 mm thick. This issue arises because these reconstruction algorithms are typically optimized for a narrower x-ray beam, and when a thicker beam is used, it can result in artifacts in the final image. Such artifacts are undesired irregularities that can compromise the quality of diagnostic images, making it difficult to accurately interpret them. To minimize these artifacts, advanced reconstruction techniques tailored for thicker beams are often needed.