A computed tomography scanner has multiple radiation sources or source arrays, in specific geometric dimensions for optimized imaging speed. A CT system with maximum fan-angle Γ and K simultaneously active x-ray sources distributed over an angle of π-2Γ radians, the sources partially overlapping on a detector array, measures summed projection data corresponding to K or less line-integrals at each detector element. When the CT machines dimensions RM, Rd, and RS, corresponding respectively to the measurement field-of-view, detector distance from iso-center, and source distance from iso-center, are such that projections of the two extreme radiation sources do not overlap on the detector, the individual line-integrals can be recovered by inversion of linear systems comprising K or less rows in fewer unknown than rows the unknowns given by the exponential of the negative of the line integrals to be recovered. The CT scanner then reconstructs an image from the line-integral estimates.
