Medical image restoration of dynamic lungs using optical transfer functionof lung motion

When carrying out medical imaging based on detection of isotopic radiation levels of internal organs such a lungs or heart, distortions, and blur aris e as a result of the organ motion during breathing and blood supply. Conseq uently, image quality declines, despite the use of expensive high resolutio n devices and, such devices are not exploited fully. A method with which to overcome the problem is image restoration. Previously, we suggested and de veloped a method for calculating numerically the optical transfer function (OTF) for any type of image motion. The purpose of this research is restora tion of original isotope images (of the lungs) by restoration methods that depend on the OTF of the real time relative motion between the object and t he imaging system. This research uses different algorithms for the restorat ion of an image, according to the OTF of the lung motion, which is in sever al directions simultaneously. One way of handling the three-dimensional mov ement is to decompose the image into several portions, to restore each port ion according to its motion characteristics, and then to combine all the im age portions back into a single image. An additional complication is that t he image was recorded at different angles. The application of this research is In medical systems requiring high resolution imaging. The main advantag e of this approach is its low cost versus conventional approaches. (C) 2001 society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.