Iterative reconstruction for segmentation of trabecular bone from in vivo microCT

Aims. MicroCT allows the in vivo imaging of small animal bone structures. To detect subtle alterations in bone structures over time or between different mouse models, a sensitive segmentation method is required. The segmentation becomes problematic when image resolution decreases, as is the case for in vivo imaging. Murine trabecular bone can have dimensions similar to the system resolution, leading to blurred and less intense trabeculae in the reconstruction. To correctly segment even the thin bone structures, we attempt to incorporate the blurring of the projection data due to the microCT scanner, which is characterised by the point spread function (PSF) of the scanner.

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