Positron emission tomographic images and expectation maximization: a VLSI architecture for multiple iterations per second

A digital electronic architecture for parallel processing of the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm for positron-emission-tomography (PET) image reconstruction is proposed. Rapid (0.2-s) EM iterations on high-resolution (256*256) images are supported. Arrays of two VLSI chips perform forward and back projection calculations. The architecture is described, including data flow and partitioning relevant to EM and parallel processing. EM images are shown that are produced with software simulating the proposed hardware reconstruction algorithm. Projected cost of the system is estimated to be small in comparison to the cost of current PET scanners.<
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