Gabor T. Herman Bücher

Focusing on the technical aspects of computerized tomography, this revised edition delves into the computational and mathematical methods essential for data collection, image reconstruction, and display. It introduces new topics such as the rapid calculation of ray sums in digitized images and a task-oriented approach to evaluating the performance of various reconstruction algorithms, providing readers with updated insights into the field's advancements.

The book explores advancements in diagnostic radiology, particularly focusing on computerized tomography (CT) and its ability to reconstruct density distributions within the human body from multiple x-ray projections. It highlights the necessity for numerous projections to achieve accurate reconstructions, especially in scenarios where objects have limited density values, such as in industrial CT or specific medical applications like angiography. The text also discusses the application of electron microscopy in reconstructing biological macromolecules and crystalline structures based on similar binary value assumptions.

The narrative explores the groundbreaking journey of developing the Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR) at the Mayo Clinic, aimed at advancing medical imaging by capturing the dynamic processes of the heart in real-time. This innovative device sought to enhance the understanding of cardiopulmonary physiology, contrasting with traditional methods that provide static two-dimensional images. The author reflects on the technical challenges and the vision behind creating a tool that could revolutionize how medical professionals visualize and interpret heart activity.

The book provides a unified presentation of new methods, algorithms, and select applications that are the foundations of multidimensional image construction and reconstruction. The self-contained survey chapters, written by leading mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists, present cutting-edge research and results in the field. Three main areas are theoretical results, algorithms, and practical applications. Following an historical and introductory overview of the field, the book explores the various mathematical and computational problems of discrete tomography with an emphasis on new applications.