The present invention relates to the field of
medical imaging. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems, and devices for imaging, including for
tomography-based applications. Embodiments of the invention include, for example, a
computed tomography based imaging
system comprising: (a) at least one wide-beam gray-scale
imaging chain capable of performing a global scan of an object and acquiring projection data relating to the object; (b) at least one narrow-beam true-
color imaging chain capable of performing a spectral interior scan of a
region of interest (ROI) of and acquiring projection data relating to the object; (c) a
processing module operably configured for: (1) receiving the projection data; (2) reconstructing the ROI into an image by analyzing the data with a color interior
tomography algorithm, aided by an individualized gray-scale reconstruction of an entire
field of view (FOV), including the ROI; and (d) a processor for executing the
processing module. The extended interior methods and systems for spectral, optical, and photoacoustic imaging presented in this application can lead to better medical diagnoses by providing images with higher resolution or quality, and can lead to
safer procedures by providing systems capable of reducing a patient's
exposure time to, and thus quantity of, potentially harmful x-rays. Embodiments of the invention also provide tools for real-time
tomography-based analyses.