Evaluation of image reconstruction according to changing physical parameter

This study is to determine an optimum kernel, which objectively compares and analyzes the image according to physical parameters such as FBP, which is widely used in abdominal CT, as well as SAFIRE, which was developed recently. CT images were acquired with a 20-cm-diameter cylinder phantom filled with water and a SOMATOM Definition Edge CT (Siemens Healthcare). The images were reconstructed with a 3-mm-thick kernel such as FBP, which has B10 (very smooth), B20 (smooth), B30 (medium smooth), B40 (medium), B50 (medium sharp), and SAFIRE, which has I30 (strength 1 to 5) and I40 (strength 1 to 5). SNR, PSNR, RMSE, MAE and Plot profile were measured using the image J (version 1.49q; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) in reconstructed images. In conclusion, the optimum kernel for abdominal CT should be a SAFIRE I30 kernel of strength 1.