ClearRay reconstruction Scatter and beam hardening correction

Traditionally, most MDCT systems employ a post collimation anti-scatter grid (ASG) in the angular (X) direction to compensate for the scatter radiation. However, with increasing Z-axis coverage offered by advanced state-of-the-art multi-slice CT (MSCT) scanners, the scatter level increases significantly and there is an opportunity to use software algorithms to further decrease the impact of scattered radiation. This paper highlights changes to the imaging chain in terms of new scatter and beam hardening correction techniques. These new techniques are based in first principles computations of these corrections and are enabled by advanced ray-tracing and Monte Carlo simulation techniques.