Metal artifacts are a type of image distortion that appears in CT scans of objects containing high-density materials, such as metals. These artifacts, caused by phenomena like photon starvation and beam hardening, typically manifest as dark bands or bright streaks emanating from the metallic components in the reconstructed image.
Countermeasures to mitigate these artifacts can be applied during both data acquisition (the scanning process) and image reconstruction. Common methods applied during data acquisition include:
Increasing the X-ray tube voltage: This enhances the energy and penetration power of the X-rays, allowing them to pass through the dense metal more effectively.
Using a metal filter: Placing a filter, such as a thin copper plate, in the X-ray beam path removes lower-energy X-rays, which helps to reduce beam hardening effects.
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