Artifact Reduced Tomographic Algorithms

JDLL will experimentally rank the four most troublesome causes of artifacts in 2D and 3D industrial computed tomography (CT), including imprecise geometry, beam-hardening, scatter, and partial volume effect. We will then demonstrate artifact reduction algorithms corresponding to the most critical. We propose six promising candidate algorithms. Four of these are original. We also propose two promising algorithms developed for medical CT but not yet applied to industrial CT. In Phase I we will evaluate and deliver demonstrations of the most promising algorithms. In Phase II we will complete all demonstrations and deliver a prototype reduced-artifact CT reconstructor. This reconstructor, which incorporates each successful algorithm, will be productized for two markets: new turnkey CT systems and retrofitting of existing JDLL systems. With over 100 man-years of CT experience, members of the JDLL team have designed and built production industrial CT systems and implemented hardware and software solutions for yielding exactly the data required at the expense of low-priority data. Our most successful programs have always been by involving likely end-users done from the get-go: United Technologies and Alliant Techsystems, who already possess JDLL's production UCT and HECT2 systems, have already expressed enthusiasm for this proposal's Phase III.