The visualization and characterization of benign and malignant structures using computed tomography (CT) is an integral part of clinical routine and thus, CT is one of the most important non-invasive imaging modalities available today [1–4]. The number of CT scans performed each year is approximately 300 million with an annual growth rate of 4 % [1]. A disadvantage of the current CT imaging technology, however, is the detection of the X-rays, which is conventionally performed using energy-integr…