Patent Document ID: 8472689
Application ID: 12180692
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for providing an enhanced 3-D image for a volume imaging apparatus comprising: a) obtaining a plurality of 3-D volume images of an object, the images having voxels at a first resolution, wherein at least two of the images are obtained at different spatial orientations; b) forming a 3-D matrix of voxels at a second resolution, higher than the first resolution, by iterations of 3-D modeling steps in the following sequence: (i) registering two or more of the 3-D volume images that have different spatial orientations at the first resolution; (ii) mapping the voxels at the first resolution onto the 3-D matrix; (iii) executing a 3-D inpainting routine at the second resolution that iteratively convolves one or more 3-D directional Gaussian functions in order to fill in gap regions between mapped voxels in the 3-D matrix; (iv) generating, by 3-D modeling, simulated first-resolution data values according to one or more 3-D matrix voxel values at the second resolution; and (v) comparing the simulated first-resolution data values in each obtained spatial orientation with corresponding observed first-resolution data values from the plurality of 3-D volume images from the same obtained spatial orientation; and, until the simulated first resolution data values are within a predetermined threshold value of the observed first-resolution data value or until a predetermined number of iterations is reached, evaluating a residual error of the simulated and observed data values and minimizing the residual error by combining the residual error with the 3-D matrix voxel values at the second resolution and recomputing the simulated first-resolution data value from (iv); and c) storing the 3-D matrix voxel values at the second resolution as the enhanced 3-D image.