Improvements to conventional X-ray tube-based cone-beam computed tomography system

Conventional X-ray tube-based cone-beam computed tomography (CX-CBCT) systems have great potential in industrial applications. Such systems can rapidly obtain a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object. Conventional X-ray tubes fulfill the requirements for industrial applications, because of their high tube voltage and power. Continuous improvements have been made to CX-CBCT systems, such as imaging time shortening, acquisition strategy optimization, and imaging software development, etc. In this study, a CX-CBCT system is developed. Additionally, some improvements to the CX-CBCT system are proposed based on the hardware conditions of the X-ray tube and detector. A near-detector (ND) geometry condition is employed to obtain a sharper image and larger detection area. An improved acquisition strategy is proposed to simplify operations and reduce total imaging time. In the ND geometry condition, a simplified method called FBP slice stacking (SS-FBP) is proposed, which can be applied to 3D image reconstruction. SS-FBP is time-saving relative to traditional methods. Furthermore, imaging software for the CX-CBCT system is developed in the MATLAB environment. Several imaging experiments were performed. The results suggest that the CX-CBCT system works properly, and that the above improvements are feasible and practical.