Effects of scattered X-rays on CT images

Abstract

Scatter to primary radiation ratios at detector positions were calculated for uniform cylindrical water phantoms in both third and fourth generation X-ray CT scanners using the Monte Carlo simulation method. A rapid method for determining the scattering angle is given. In the process of image reconstruction, the effect of scatter was isolated by applying the authors' new calculation technique. The decrease in CT number due to scatter was found to be less than 10. In the third generation CT scanner the rate of scatter is larger at the centre than at the edge because of the effect of the collimator at the detectors. As a result the cupping artefact occurs in the CT image. The collimator cannot be used in the fourth generation CT scanner and, therefore, the rate of scatter is almost uniform, leading to the appearance of rounded-off edges.