Patent ID: 7809178

Claim:
A method to enhance a first CT image composed of a plurality of elements, each element having an intensity value indicative of a tissue type, the method comprising: receiving the first CT image, providing, by enhancement processing based on the first CT image, one or more processed CT images, the enhancement processing being performed with respect to at least one predetermined intensity value range, and combining the first CT image and one or more of the one or more processed CT images or at least two of the processed CT images, whereby an enhanced CT image is provided, the combining being based on a classification with respect to intensity values of regions within at least one of the first CT image and the one or more processed CT images, wherein the combining includes determining a first region mask for the first CT image or a first of the one or more processed CT images, the first region mask defining an area within the first CT image, or the first of the one or more processed CT images, whose elements have intensity values within a first intensity value range, determining a respective additional region mask for a second of the one or more of the processed CT images, the respective additional region mask defining an area within the second of the one or more of the processed CT images, whose elements have intensity values within the at least one predetermined intensity value range, and combining the first CT image or the first of the one or more processed CT images with the second of the one or more of the processed CT images, weighted by their respective region masks, whereby the enhanced CT image is provided.