NPRE 435: Radiological Imaging
Fall, 2025
Course
Description
This course is designed to introduce
the physical, mathematical, and experimental foundation of radiological image
techniques and their applications in diagnostic radiology and nuclear security.
During the first half of the course, we will discuss linear system theory and
tomographic image processing techniques, radiation sources for diagnostic
imaging and radiation therapy, the interaction of ionizing radiation, imaging
sensor technologies, and image formation techniques. The second half of the
course will focus on the standard radiological imaging modalities, including
X-ray computed tomography (CT), single-photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and their applications in clinical
radiology and radiation therapy. We will also discuss emerging imaging
techniques that explore complex nuclear physics phenomena, such as the temporal
and angular correlation of X-ray and gamma-ray emissions, positronium lifetime,
and quantum entanglement of annihilation photons.
Teaching
Staff and Office Hours
Instructor: Ling-Jian Meng, Ph.D. E-mail: ljmeng@illinois.edu; Office:
111E Talbot Lab; Tel: 217-3337710.
Office hours: 3-5 pm on Friday. Please feel free to come to my office
during regular hours or to send me an email to make an appointment.
Lecture Time and Place
MWF
2:00pm-2:50pm; 111K Talbot Lab.
Prerequisites
Unofficially: radiation interactions, basic principles of
radiation detectors, probability, and random variables complex numbers, linear
algebra, Matlab.
Textbook
Required textbooks
[1] Medical Imaging Signals and Systems (2nd Edition), J. Prince and J. M. Links, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012.
Chapter 1-3, Chapter 4-6.
Reference
[1]
Foundations of Medical Imaging, Z. H. Cho, John Wiley & Sons, 1993.
[2] Radiation
Detection and Measurements, Third Edition, G. F. Knoll, John Wiley & Sons,
1999.
Course Website
Course website:
https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/npre435/
Lecture Notes (will be
posted after each lecture)
Introduction to Radiological Imaging.
Chapter 1: Mathematical Preliminaries for Radiological
Imaging
§ Signals and systems:
Reading Material: Chapters 2 in Ref. book [1].
§ Fourier transform basics and sampling theory: Reading
Material: Chapters 2 in Ref. book [1] and Chapters 2 in Ref. book [2].
§ Analytical Image Reconstruction Methods (1): Radon
Transform & Central Slice Theorem: Reading: Chapter 3 in Ref. book [1].
Chapter 6 (Pages 192-207) in Ref. book [2]
§ Analytical Image Reconstruction Methods (2):
Back-projection-based reconstruction methods
§ A brief introduction to MATLAB.
§ Iterative Image Reconstruction Methods: please also see
the attached paper by Shepp and Vardi on the MLEM algorithm.
§ Image Quality: Reading Material: Chapters 3 in Ref. book
[2].
Chapter 2: Introduction to Physical Principles
§ Typical radiation sources for radiological imaging and
radiation therapy. Reading Material: Chapters 1 in Ref. book [3].
§ 
Spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics of X-ray
and gamma-ray emissions. Reading Material: Chapters 2 in Ref. book [3].
§ Interactions of ionizing radiation with matter.
Chapter 3: X-ray Radiography and Computed Tomography
§
Basic principles, current implementations,
and future trends of X-ray generators. Reading Material: Chapters 4 & 5 in
Ref. book [2]
§
X-ray imaging sensors. Reading Material:
Chapters 4 & 5 in Ref. book [2]
§
Planar radiography and X-Ray computed
tomography (CT). Reading Material: Chapters 4 & 5 in Ref. book [2]
§
Neutron and charged-particle transmission CT.
Reading Material: Chapters 6 in Ref. book [2].
Chapter 4: Emission Tomography I: Standard
Modalities for Diagnostic Radiology
§ The tracer principle in emission tomography and
radionuclide therapy
§ Gamma-ray imaging sensor technologies
§ Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
§ Positron emission tomography (PET)
Chapter 5: Emission Tomography II: Emerging
Imaging Technologies
§ Positronium lifetime tomography
§ Imaging techniques exploring the
spatial-spectral-temporal correlations of gamma-ray emissions
§ Imaging techniques exploring the quantum entanglement of
annihilation gamma-rays
Homework (will be posted
after each Monday’s lecture)
Homework 1. Due on Monday,
September 15.
Mid-term Exam
Information
TBD.
Final Exam Information
TBD.
Grading
Homework 30%
Mid-term exam: 30%
Quizzes: 10%
Final exam:
Exam 30%