Project description

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a radiographic imaging technique that reconstructs three-dimensional images based a series of projections acquired by a rotating X-ray tube and detector. One of the most common applications of CBCT is in dentistry and related specialties. CBCT images show high sharpness but are highly susceptible to aberrations (‘artefacts’) e.g. due to metal objects and patient motion. As a result, whereas dental CBCT scans are predominantly used for visualizing the hard tissues (i.e. bones and teeth), it is currently not feasible to quantify Hounsfield Units (HU) and/or bone mineral density (BMD) using CBCT. The current project aims to advance CBCT into an imaging technology that is able to assess bone quality in an autonomous and robust manner, by (1) developing dedicated CBCT artefact reduction techniques for X-ray scatter, beam hardening and truncation using deep learning; (2) developing a new test object for automated calibration of HU and BMD on dental CBCT scanners; (3) determining a hybrid model to express bone quality of the jaw bones based on a combination  of densitometry, morphometry and deep learning. 

Short bio

Ruben Pauwels is a Biomedical Scientist with over 10 years of experience in medical imaging research. After obtaining a PhD at KU Leuven (Belgium) in 2012, he spent over 3 years at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) as a lecturer, followed by another period at KU Leuven as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, his main research interests comprise 3D image quality assessment, CNN-based deep learning, CT reconstruction artefacts and medical radiation protection.