Bayesian Image Reconstruction Using Edge Detecting Process for PET

Images reconstructed with Maximum-Likelihood Expectation-Maximization (MLEM) algorithm have been observed to have checkerboard effects and have noise artifacts near edges as iterations proceed. To compensate this ill-posed nature, numerous penalized maximum-likelihood methods have been proposed. We suggest a simple algorithm of applying edge detecting process to the MLEM and Bayesian Expectation-Maximization (BEM) to reduce the noise artifacts near edges and remove checkerboard effects. We have shown by simulation that this algorithm removes checkerboard effects and improves the clarity of the reconstructed image and has good properties based on root mean square error (RMS).