Press Releases
TeraRecon to demonstrate high performance
Cone Beam CT Reconstruction Server at RSNA
San Mateo, CA--November
13, 2001: TeraRecon
announced that it will showcase its latest Cone Beam Reconstruction
server at RSNA. Applying TeraRecon's XTrillion array processor, the
Cone Beam Reconstructor (CBR) is designed for the most demanding image
reconstruction tasks. The CBR server promises to make volumetric CT
a practical reality for multi-detector CT scanners. Employing an array
of up to 32 XTrillion processors working in parallel, on a standard
PC host, the server reconstructs images that keep pace with data generated
from modern multi-detector CT scanners to perform true 3D reconstruction
calculations.
"The ability to deliver much improved performance
with higher image quality to an ever-increasing amount of CT projection
data has important implications for a wide array of medical and non-medical
3D imaging devices," states Dr. Horst Bruning, Senior VP of CT Engineering
at TeraRecon. "Perhaps the most striking result is that CT can now
move rapidly from a slice-based paradigm to a true volumetric approach.
Using a flat panel detector, a cone beam CT scanner can collect data
of a whole organ in a single revolution, enough to reconstruct a volume
with 5123 voxels. This is an improvement of two orders-of- magnitude
over today's multi-row detector CT scanners."
The bottleneck between acquisition and review
or post-processing has always been the lack of performance of conventional
image reconstruction systems. TeraRecon's CBR server can perform filtering
and back-projection of input data at the acquisition rate of current
and next-generation multi-detector CT scanners, removing this bottleneck.
The CT community has so far been unable to move away from working
with individual slices, but now with the development of TeraRecon's
CBR server, and the company's related real-time 3D visualization offerings,
it is finally practical to do so.
The CBR server delivers such performance
that previous compromises between image quality and performance are
no longer required. Before now, the limits of processing bandwidth
have forced cone beam CT designers utilize only 50 to 100 projections
in a reconstruction calculation, resulting in streaks and other image
artifacts that could be avoided if more projections could be used.
These limitations are effectively removed by the CBR server, which
can handle 500 to 1000 projections and deliver nearly artifact-free
isotropic volume reconstructions.
TeraRecon is also the industry leader in
real time volumetric imaging. As a post-processing technique, volume
rendering is increasingly entering the daily routine of medical diagnostic
imaging, thanks in part to real-time performance offered by TeraRecon's
patented VolumePro® hardware volume rendering solution. With
CBR for back end processing, and VolumePro® for real-time visualization,
volume CT reconstruction as a real time technique is now a realistic
possibility.
About TeraRecon, Inc.
TeraRecon, Inc. is a technology-driven provider of advanced 3D imaging
systems for medical and other visualization applications, with solutions
based on its unique and patented image processing technologies. The
company has developed a leading portfolio of products that advance
the performance, quality, functionality, and integration of image
processing and 3D visualization systems. Founded in 1997, TeraRecon
has developed a unique family of powerful processors that are used
in its real-time diagnostic workstations, enterprise-wide 3D imaging
servers using thin-client PCs, color Doppler ultrasound systems, mini
gamma cameras, high performance reconstruction engines, and real-time
volume rendering hardware engines. TeraRecon is a fast growing, privately
held company with headquarters in San Mateo, CA, and branch offices
in Concord, MA; Tokyo, Japan; Osaka, Japan; and Trondheim, Norway.
Contact:
TeraRecon, Inc.
Robert Taylor, Ph.D.
COO & Executive VP
650.372.1100
taylor@terarecon.com
www.terarecon.com
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