Abstract
Purpose. To provide PET/CT image fusion with an improved PET resolution and better contrast ratios than standard reconstructions. Method. Using a super-resolution algorithm, several PET acquisitions were combined to
improve the resolution. In addition, functional PET data was smoothed with a hybrid
computed tomography algorithm (HCT), in which anatomical edge information taken from
the CT was employed to retain sharper edges. The combined HCT and super-resolution
technique were evaluated in phantom and patient studies using a clinical PET scanner.
Results. In the phantom studies, 3 mm