Patent ID: 7031425

Claim:
A method for obtaining data, said method comprising: operating a Computed Tomography (CT) imaging system comprising a detector array having a plurality of detector rows to acquire scout data at a Z location with a first x-ray spectrum; operating the CT imaging system to acquire scout data at the Z location with a second x-ray spectrum different from the first x-ray spectrum; and performing a basis material decomposition on the acquired scout data from the first x-ray spectrum and the second x-ray spectrum; wherein the scout data acquired with the first x-ray spectrum and the scout data acquired with the second x-ray spectrum are acquired interleaved by different rows of the detector and further wherein said acquiring scout data at a Z location with a first x-ray spectrum comprises acquiring scout data at a first angle at a Z location with a first x-ray spectrum, said acquiring scout data at the Z location with a second x-ray spectrum different from the first x-ray spectrum comprises acquiring scout data at the first angle at the Z location with a second x-ray spectrum different from the first x-ray spectrum, said method further comprising: acquiring scout data at a second angle at the Z location with a first x-ray spectrum; acquiring scout data at the second angle at the Z location with a second x-ray spectrum different from the first x-ray spectrum; generating a first difference image from the acquired scout data from the first x-ray spectrum and the second x-ray spectrum at the first angle; generating a second difference image from the acquired scout data from the first x-ray spectrum and the second x-ray spectrum at the second angle; and generating a stereoscopic view using the first and second difference images.