Patent ID: 7796829

Claim:
A method for generating images from projection data comprising: scanning an area using at least one data receiving element to obtain first values representing combined positional and recorded data; each of said first values forming a point in an array of k data points; the first point in the array representing the positional information and the recorded data obtained during the first increment; the k th data point in the array representing the combined positional information and recorded data obtained by the at least one data receiving element during the k th increment; where k is a number greater than 1; removing approximately twenty to fifty percent of the data points from the array; forming a first preliminary bit-mapped image using the reduced array of data points; forming a second array by removing approximately twenty to fifty percent of the data points from the array; forming a second preliminary bit-mapped image using the second array of data points; generating a combined image by comparing each bit-mapped location of the first and second preliminary images and removing any pixel value which is greater in value at respective bit mapped locations to form a merged image of lesser or equal value pixels; subsequently repeating the steps of removing approximately twenty to fifty percent of the data points from the array to form a reduced array, and forming a subsequent preliminary image from the reduced array, and generating a merged image by comparing the pixel values of the subsequent preliminary image to the preceding merged image, eliminating the greater values, and forming a subsequent combined image from the resulting lesser or equal pixel values; whereby the steps are repeated over a series of iterations until the desired image resolution is obtained.