Task-oriented optimization of high-performance positron emission tomography

正电子发射断层扫描(PET)可以研究物体的内部，无论是用于医学研究的人脑，还是用于工业过程的搅拌容器的内部。这项研究计划的目标是推进用于成像这些过程的计算算法和方法。目前，原始数据的处理、重建和分析的方式并没有充分考虑进行PET扫描的原因。这会导致较差的图像质量和不必要的高噪音。这项研究计划将从根本上改变进行处理的方式，始终牢记：i)进行扫描的原因，ii)如何从有限的噪声数据中提取最佳信息，以及iii)利用其他信息来源(例如，来自其他医疗机构的图像)。考虑到这些因素，将有可能极大地改善图像质量，从而使任何给定的PET扫描仪的全部潜力得以实现。脑成像的首要任务是更准确地测量大脑功能，而工业过程成像将是混合或反应动力学的增强分辨率成像。理想情况下，所有算法将完全集成到单个单元中，以确保优化使用原始PET数据并在每个阶段进行准确的噪声建模，从而在现有数据的情况下实现任务的最高性能。这项研究计划的另一个关键部分将是对新型PET扫描仪进行稳健、先进的验证和质量保证，这将得到积极的追求，以支持所有图像质量的改善。

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) allows the inside of objects to be investigated, be it the human brain for medical research or the inside of a mixing vessel for industrial processes. The objective of this research program is to advance the computational algorithms and methods used for imaging these processes. At present, the way the raw data are processed, reconstructed and analyzed does not pay full attention to the reason why the PET scan is being done. This leads to poor image quality and unnecessarily high noise. This program of research will radically change the way the processing is performed, to always keep in mind: i) the reason for doing the scan, ii) how to draw the best out of the limited noisy data, and iii) exploitation of other sources of information (e.g. images from other modalities). By accounting for these factors much improved image quality will be possible, permitting the full potential of any given PET scanner to be realized. The top priority for brain imaging will be more accurate measurements of brain function, whereas for industrial process imaging it will be enhanced resolution imaging of mixing or reaction dynamics. Ideally all algorithms will be fully integrated into a single unit to ensure optimal use of raw PET data and accurate noise modeling at every stage, achieving the highest performance for the task in hand with the available data. A further pivotal component to this research program will be robust, advanced validation and quality assurance for novel PET scanners, which will be vigorously pursued in order to underpin all of the image quality improvements.