A diagnostic imaging
system in an example comprises a
high frequency electromagnetic
energy source, a
detector, a
data acquisition system (DAS), and a computer. The
high frequency electromagnetic
energy source emits a beam of
high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged. The
detector receives high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the high frequency electromagnetic
energy source. The DAS is operably connected to the
detector. The computer is operably connected to the DAS and programmed to employ a threshold to trigger a filter operation on a pixel, in a basis
material decomposition (BMD) image of a plurality of BMD images, through comparison of an actual
noise ratio between a pair of BMD images, of the plurality of BMD images, to a theoretical BMD
noise ratio value. The computer operably connected to the DAS is programmed to employ a correlation in
noise distribution of the plurality of BMD images to reduce
image noise in the plurality of BMD images. The computer operably connected to the DAS is programmed to realize an
adaptive algorithm through employment of an exponential correction function of a difference between the actual noise ratio and the theoretical BMD noise
ratio value. The computer operably connected to the DAS is programmed to employ the
adaptive algorithm to reduce the
image noise in the plurality of BMD images.