image based radiation: Topics by WorldWideScience.org

Sample records for image based radiation

Block-Based Compressed Sensing for Neutron Radiation Image Using WDFB

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Wei Jin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An ideal compression method for neutron radiation image should have high compression ratio while keeping more details of the original image. Compressed sensing (CS, which can break through the restrictions of sampling theorem, is likely to offer an efficient compression scheme for the neutron radiation image. Combining wavelet transform with directional filter banks, a novel nonredundant multiscale geometry analysis transform named Wavelet Directional Filter Banks (WDFB is constructed and applied to represent neutron radiation image sparsely. Then, the block-based CS technique is introduced and a high performance CS scheme for neutron radiation image is proposed. By performing two-step iterative shrinkage algorithm the problem of L1 norm minimization is solved to reconstruct neutron radiation image from random measurements. The experiment results demonstrate that the scheme not only improves the quality of reconstructed image obviously but also retains more details of original image.
SU-E-J-48: Imaging Origin-Radiation Isocenter Coincidence for Linac-Based SRS with Novalis Tx

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geraghty, C; Workie, D; Hasson, B

2015-01-01

Purpose To implement and evaluate an image-based Winston-Lutz (WL) test to measure the displacement between ExacTrac imaging origin and radiation isocenter on a Novalis Tx system using RIT V6.2 software analysis tools. Displacement between imaging and radiation isocenters was tracked over time. The method was applied for cone-based and MLC-based WL tests. Methods The Brainlab Winston-Lutz phantom was aligned to room lasers. The ExacTrac imaging system was then used to detect the Winston- Lutz phantom and obtain the displacement between the center of the phantom and the imaging origin. EPID images of the phantom were obtained at various gantry and couch angles and analyzed with RIT calculating the phantom center to radiation isocenter displacement. The RIT and Exactrac displacements were combined to calculate the displacement between imaging origin and radiation isocenter. Results were tracked over time. Results Mean displacements between ExacTrac origin and radiation isocenter were: VRT: −0.1mm ± 0.3mm, LNG: 0.5mm ± 0.2mm, LAT: 0.2mm ± 0.2mm (vector magnitude of 0.7 ± 0.2mm). Radiation isocenter was characterized by the mean of the standard deviations of the WL phantom displacements: σVRT: 0.2mm, σLNG: 0.4mm, σLAT: 0.6mm. The linac couch base was serviced to reduce couch walkout. This reduced σLAT to 0.2mm. These measurements established a new baseline of radiation isocenter-imaging origin coincidence. Conclusion The image-based WL test has ensured submillimeter localization accuracy using the ExacTrac imaging system. Standard deviations of ExacTrac-radiation isocenter displacements indicate that average agreement within 0.3mm is possible in each axis. This WL test is a departure from the tradiational WL in that imaging origin/radiation isocenter agreement is the end goal not lasers/radiation isocenter
An three-dimensional imaging algorithm based on the radiation model of electric dipole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Bo; Zhong Weijun; Tong Chuangming

2011-01-01

A three-dimensional imaging algorithm based on the radiation model of dipole (DBP) is presented. On the foundation of researching the principle of the back projection (BP) algorithm, the relationship between the near field imaging model and far field imaging model is analyzed based on the scattering model. Firstly, the far field sampling data is transferred to the near field sampling data through applying the radiation theory of dipole. Then the dealt sampling data was projected to the imaging region to obtain the images of targets. The capability of the new algorithm to detect targets is verified by using finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD), and the coupling effect for imaging is analyzed. (authors)
Task-based measures of image quality and their relation to radiation dose and patient risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, Harrison H; Kupinski, Matthew A; Myers, Kyle J; Hoeschen, Christoph; Little, Mark P

2015-01-01

The theory of task-based assessment of image quality is reviewed in the context of imaging with ionizing radiation, and objective figures of merit (FOMs) for image quality are summarized. The variation of the FOMs with the task, the observer and especially with the mean number of photons recorded in the image is discussed. Then various standard methods for specifying radiation dose are reviewed and related to the mean number of photons in the image and hence to image quality. Current knowledge of the relation between local radiation dose and the risk of various adverse effects is summarized, and some graphical depictions of the tradeoffs between image quality and risk are introduced. Then various dose-reduction strategies are discussed in terms of their effect on task-based measures of image quality. (topical review)
Influence of Ice Cloud Microphysics on Imager-Based Estimates of Earth's Radiation Budget

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Loeb, N. G.; Kato, S.; Minnis, P.; Yang, P.; Sun-Mack, S.; Rose, F. G.; Hong, G.; Ham, S. H.

2016-12-01

A central objective of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) is to produce a long-term global climate data record of Earth's radiation budget from the TOA down to the surface along with the associated atmospheric and surface properties that influence it. CERES relies on a number of data sources, including broadband radiometers measuring incoming and reflected solar radiation and OLR, high-resolution spectral imagers, meteorological, aerosol and ozone assimilation data, and snow/sea-ice maps based on microwave radiometer data. While the TOA radiation budget is largely determined directly from accurate broadband radiometer measurements, the surface radiation budget is derived indirectly through radiative transfer model calculations initialized using imager-based cloud and aerosol retrievals and meteorological assimilation data. Because ice cloud particles exhibit a wide range of shapes, sizes and habits that cannot be independently retrieved a priori from passive visible/infrared imager measurements, assumptions about the scattering properties of ice clouds are necessary in order to retrieve ice cloud optical properties (e.g., optical depth) from imager radiances and to compute broadband radiative fluxes. This presentation will examine how the choice of an ice cloud particle model impacts computed shortwave (SW) radiative fluxes at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and surface. The ice cloud particle models considered correspond to those from prior, current and future CERES data product versions. During the CERES Edition2 (and Edition3) processing, ice cloud particles were assumed to be smooth hexagonal columns. In the Edition4, roughened hexagonal columns are assumed. The CERES team is now working on implementing in a future version an ice cloud particle model comprised of a two-habit ice cloud model consisting of roughened hexagonal columns and aggregates of roughened columnar elements. In each case, we use the same ice particle model in both the
An intelligent approach for cooling radiator fault diagnosis based on infrared thermal image processing technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taheri-Garavand, Amin; Ahmadi, Hojjat; Omid, Mahmoud; Mohtasebi, Seyed Saeid; Mollazade, Kaveh; Russell Smith, Alan John; Carlomagno, Giovanni Maria

2015-01-01

This research presents a new intelligent fault diagnosis and condition monitoring system for classification of different conditions of cooling radiator using infrared thermal images. The system was adopted to classify six types of cooling radiator faults; radiator tubes blockage, radiator fins blockage, loose connection between fins and tubes, radiator door failure, coolant leakage, and normal conditions. The proposed system consists of several distinct procedures including thermal image acquisition, image pre-processing, image processing, two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (2D-DWT), feature extraction, feature selection using a genetic algorithm (GA), and finally classification by artificial neural networks (ANNs). The 2D-DWT is implemented to decompose the thermal images. Subsequently, statistical texture features are extracted from the original images and are decomposed into thermal images. The significant selected features are used to enhance the performance of the designed ANN classifier for the 6 types of cooling radiator conditions (output layer) in the next stage. For the tested system, the input layer consisted of 16 neurons based on the feature selection operation. The best performance of ANN was obtained with a 16-6-6 topology. The classification results demonstrated that this system can be employed satisfactorily as an intelligent condition monitoring and fault diagnosis for a class of cooling radiator. - Highlights: • Intelligent fault diagnosis of cooling radiator using thermal image processing. • Thermal image processing in a multiscale representation structure by 2D-DWT. • Selection features based on a hybrid system that uses both GA and ANN. • Application of ANN as classifier. • Classification accuracy of fault detection up to 93.83%
Half-Fan-Based Intensity-Weighted Region-of-Interest Imaging for Low-Dose Cone-Beam CT in Image-Guided Radiation Therapy.

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Yoo, Boyeol; Son, Kihong; Pua, Rizza; Kim, Jinsung; Solodov, Alexander; Cho, Seungryong

2016-10-01

With the increased use of computed tomography (CT) in clinics, dose reduction is the most important feature people seek when considering new CT techniques or applications. We developed an intensity-weighted region-of-interest (IWROI) imaging method in an exact half-fan geometry to reduce the imaging radiation dose to patients in cone-beam CT (CBCT) for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). While dose reduction is highly desirable, preserving the high-quality images of the ROI is also important for target localization in IGRT. An intensity-weighting (IW) filter made of copper was mounted in place of a bowtie filter on the X-ray tube unit of an on-board imager (OBI) system such that the filter can substantially reduce radiation exposure to the outer ROI. In addition to mounting the IW filter, the lead-blade collimation of the OBI was adjusted to produce an exact half-fan scanning geometry for a further reduction of the radiation dose. The chord-based rebinned backprojection-filtration (BPF) algorithm in circular CBCT was implemented for image reconstruction, and a humanoid pelvis phantom was used for the IWROI imaging experiment. The IWROI image of the phantom was successfully reconstructed after beam-quality correction, and it was registered to the reference image within an acceptable level of tolerance. Dosimetric measurements revealed that the dose is reduced by approximately 61% in the inner ROI and by 73% in the outer ROI compared to the conventional bowtie filter-based half-fan scan. The IWROI method substantially reduces the imaging radiation dose and provides reconstructed images with an acceptable level of quality for patient setup and target localization. The proposed half-fan-based IWROI imaging technique can add a valuable option to CBCT in IGRT applications.
SU-F-J-178: A Computer Simulation Model Observer for Task-Based Image Quality Assessment in Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolly, S; Mutic, S; Anastasio, M; Li, H; Yu, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: Traditionally, image quality in radiation therapy is assessed subjectively or by utilizing physically-based metrics. Some model observers exist for task-based medical image quality assessment, but almost exclusively for diagnostic imaging tasks. As opposed to disease diagnosis, the task for image observers in radiation therapy is to utilize the available images to design and deliver a radiation dose which maximizes patient disease control while minimizing normal tissue damage. The purpose of this study was to design and implement a new computer simulation model observer to enable task-based image quality assessment in radiation therapy. Methods: A modular computer simulation framework was developed to resemble the radiotherapy observer by simulating an end-to-end radiation therapy treatment. Given images and the ground-truth organ boundaries from a numerical phantom as inputs, the framework simulates an external beam radiation therapy treatment and quantifies patient treatment outcomes using the previously defined therapeutic operating characteristic (TOC) curve. As a preliminary demonstration, TOC curves were calculated for various CT acquisition and reconstruction parameters, with the goal of assessing and optimizing simulation CT image quality for radiation therapy. Sources of randomness and bias within the system were analyzed. Results: The relationship between CT imaging dose and patient treatment outcome was objectively quantified in terms of a singular value, the area under the TOC (AUTOC) curve. The AUTOC decreases more rapidly for low-dose imaging protocols. AUTOC variation introduced by the dose optimization algorithm was approximately 0.02%, at the 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: A model observer has been developed and implemented to assess image quality based on radiation therapy treatment efficacy. It enables objective determination of appropriate imaging parameter values (e.g. imaging dose). Framework flexibility allows for incorporation
Image-based modeling of tumor shrinkage in head and neck radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao Ming; Xie Yaoqin; Moros, Eduardo G.; Le, Quynh-Thu; Xing Lei

2010-01-01

Purpose: Understanding the kinetics of tumor growth/shrinkage represents a critical step in quantitative assessment of therapeutics and realization of adaptive radiation therapy. This article presents a novel framework for image-based modeling of tumor change and demonstrates its performance with synthetic images and clinical cases. Methods: Due to significant tumor tissue content changes, similarity-based models are not suitable for describing the process of tumor volume changes. Under the hypothesis that tissue features in a tumor volume or at the boundary region are partially preserved, the kinetic change was modeled in two steps: (1) Autodetection of homologous tissue features shared by two input images using the scale invariance feature transformation (SIFT) method; and (2) establishment of a voxel-to-voxel correspondence between the images for the remaining spatial points by interpolation. The correctness of the tissue feature correspondence was assured by a bidirectional association procedure, where SIFT features were mapped from template to target images and reversely. A series of digital phantom experiments and five head and neck clinical cases were used to assess the performance of the proposed technique. Results: The proposed technique can faithfully identify the known changes introduced when constructing the digital phantoms. The subsequent feature-guided thin plate spline calculation reproduced the ''ground truth'' with accuracy better than 1.5 mm. For the clinical cases, the new algorithm worked reliably for a volume change as large as 30%. Conclusions: An image-based tumor kinetic algorithm was developed to model the tumor response to radiation therapy. The technique provides a practical framework for future application in adaptive radiation therapy.
Image-based modeling of tumor shrinkage in head and neck radiation therapy

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Chao Ming; Xie Yaoqin; Moros, Eduardo G.; Le, Quynh-Thu; Xing Lei [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Stanford, California 94305-5847 and Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-1799 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-1799 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States)

2010-05-15

Purpose: Understanding the kinetics of tumor growth/shrinkage represents a critical step in quantitative assessment of therapeutics and realization of adaptive radiation therapy. This article presents a novel framework for image-based modeling of tumor change and demonstrates its performance with synthetic images and clinical cases. Methods: Due to significant tumor tissue content changes, similarity-based models are not suitable for describing the process of tumor volume changes. Under the hypothesis that tissue features in a tumor volume or at the boundary region are partially preserved, the kinetic change was modeled in two steps: (1) Autodetection of homologous tissue features shared by two input images using the scale invariance feature transformation (SIFT) method; and (2) establishment of a voxel-to-voxel correspondence between the images for the remaining spatial points by interpolation. The correctness of the tissue feature correspondence was assured by a bidirectional association procedure, where SIFT features were mapped from template to target images and reversely. A series of digital phantom experiments and five head and neck clinical cases were used to assess the performance of the proposed technique. Results: The proposed technique can faithfully identify the known changes introduced when constructing the digital phantoms. The subsequent feature-guided thin plate spline calculation reproduced the ''ground truth'' with accuracy better than 1.5 mm. For the clinical cases, the new algorithm worked reliably for a volume change as large as 30%. Conclusions: An image-based tumor kinetic algorithm was developed to model the tumor response to radiation therapy. The technique provides a practical framework for future application in adaptive radiation therapy.
Image-based modeling of tumor shrinkage in head and neck radiation therapy1

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Ming; Xie, Yaoqin; Moros, Eduardo G.; Le, Quynh-Thu; Xing, Lei

2010-01-01

Purpose: Understanding the kinetics of tumor growth∕shrinkage represents a critical step in quantitative assessment of therapeutics and realization of adaptive radiation therapy. This article presents a novel framework for image-based modeling of tumor change and demonstrates its performance with synthetic images and clinical cases. Methods: Due to significant tumor tissue content changes, similarity-based models are not suitable for describing the process of tumor volume changes. Under the hypothesis that tissue features in a tumor volume or at the boundary region are partially preserved, the kinetic change was modeled in two steps: (1) Autodetection of homologous tissue features shared by two input images using the scale invariance feature transformation (SIFT) method; and (2) establishment of a voxel-to-voxel correspondence between the images for the remaining spatial points by interpolation. The correctness of the tissue feature correspondence was assured by a bidirectional association procedure, where SIFT features were mapped from template to target images and reversely. A series of digital phantom experiments and five head and neck clinical cases were used to assess the performance of the proposed technique. Results: The proposed technique can faithfully identify the known changes introduced when constructing the digital phantoms. The subsequent feature-guided thin plate spline calculation reproduced the “ground truth” with accuracy better than 1.5 mm. For the clinical cases, the new algorithm worked reliably for a volume change as large as 30%. Conclusions: An image-based tumor kinetic algorithm was developed to model the tumor response to radiation therapy. The technique provides a practical framework for future application in adaptive radiation therapy. PMID:20527569
Radiation imaging with optically read out GEM-based detectors

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Brunbauer, F. M.; Lupberger, M.; Oliveri, E.; Resnati, F.; Ropelewski, L.; Streli, C.; Thuiner, P.; van Stenis, M.

2018-02-01

Modern imaging sensors allow for high granularity optical readout of radiation detectors such as MicroPattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGDs). Taking advantage of the high signal amplification factors achievable by MPGD technologies such as Gaseous Electron Multipliers (GEMs), highly sensitive detectors can be realised and employing gas mixtures with strong scintillation yield in the visible wavelength regime, optical readout of such detectors can provide high-resolution event representations. Applications from X-ray imaging to fluoroscopy and tomography profit from the good spatial resolution of optical readout and the possibility to obtain images without the need for extensive reconstruction. Sensitivity to low-energy X-rays and energy resolution permit energy resolved imaging and material distinction in X-ray fluorescence measurements. Additionally, the low material budget of gaseous detectors and the possibility to couple scintillation light to imaging sensors via fibres or mirrors makes optically read out GEMs an ideal candidate for beam monitoring detectors in high energy physics as well as radiotherapy. We present applications and achievements of optically read out GEM-based detectors including high spatial resolution imaging and X-ray fluorescence measurements as an alternative readout approach for MPGDs. A detector concept for low intensity applications such as X-ray crystallography, which maximises detection efficiency with a thick conversion region but mitigates parallax-induced broadening is presented and beam monitoring capabilities of optical readout are explored. Augmenting high resolution 2D projections of particle tracks obtained with optical readout with timing information from fast photon detectors or transparent anodes for charge readout, 3D reconstruction of particle trajectories can be performed and permits the realisation of optically read out time projection chambers. Combining readily available high performance imaging sensors with compatible
Deformable image registration in radiation therapy

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Oh, Seung Jong; Kim, Si Yong [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond (United States)

2017-06-15

The number of imaging data sets has significantly increased during radiation treatment after introducing a diverse range of advanced techniques into the field of radiation oncology. As a consequence, there have been many studies proposing meaningful applications of imaging data set use. These applications commonly require a method to align the data sets at a reference. Deformable image registration (DIR) is a process which satisfies this requirement by locally registering image data sets into a reference image set. DIR identifies the spatial correspondence in order to minimize the differences between two or among multiple sets of images. This article describes clinical applications, validation, and algorithms of DIR techniques. Applications of DIR in radiation treatment include dose accumulation, mathematical modeling, automatic segmentation, and functional imaging. Validation methods discussed are based on anatomical landmarks, physical phantoms, digital phantoms, and per application purpose. DIR algorithms are also briefly reviewed with respect to two algorithmic components: similarity index and deformation models.
Radiation dose reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) by means of deep-learning-based supervised image processing

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Liu, Junchi; Zarshenas, Amin; Qadir, Ammar; Wei, Zheng; Yang, Limin; Fajardo, Laurie; Suzuki, Kenji

2018-03-01

To reduce cumulative radiation exposure and lifetime risks for radiation-induced cancer from breast cancer screening, we developed a deep-learning-based supervised image-processing technique called neural network convolution (NNC) for radiation dose reduction in DBT. NNC employed patched-based neural network regression in a convolutional manner to convert lower-dose (LD) to higher-dose (HD) tomosynthesis images. We trained our NNC with quarter-dose (25% of the standard dose: 12 mAs at 32 kVp) raw projection images and corresponding "teaching" higher-dose (HD) images (200% of the standard dose: 99 mAs at 32 kVp) of a breast cadaver phantom acquired with a DBT system (Selenia Dimensions, Hologic, CA). Once trained, NNC no longer requires HD images. It converts new LD images to images that look like HD images; thus the term "virtual" HD (VHD) images. We reconstructed tomosynthesis slices on a research DBT system. To determine a dose reduction rate, we acquired 4 studies of another test phantom at 4 different radiation doses (1.35, 2.7, 4.04, and 5.39 mGy entrance dose). Structural SIMilarity (SSIM) index was used to evaluate the image quality. For testing, we collected half-dose (50% of the standard dose: 32+/-14 mAs at 33+/-5 kVp) and full-dose (standard dose: 68+/-23 mAs at 33+/-5 kvp) images of 10 clinical cases with the DBT system at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. NNC converted half-dose DBT images of 10 clinical cases to VHD DBT images that were equivalent to full dose DBT images. Our cadaver phantom experiment demonstrated 79% dose reduction.
Optical Imaging of Ionizing Radiation from Clinical Sources.

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Shaffer, Travis M; Drain, Charles Michael; Grimm, Jan

2016-11-01

Nuclear medicine uses ionizing radiation for both in vivo diagnosis and therapy. Ionizing radiation comes from a variety of sources, including x-rays, beam therapy, brachytherapy, and various injected radionuclides. Although PET and SPECT remain clinical mainstays, optical readouts of ionizing radiation offer numerous benefits and complement these standard techniques. Furthermore, for ionizing radiation sources that cannot be imaged using these standard techniques, optical imaging offers a unique imaging alternative. This article reviews optical imaging of both radionuclide- and beam-based ionizing radiation from high-energy photons and charged particles through mechanisms including radioluminescence, Cerenkov luminescence, and scintillation. Therapeutically, these visible photons have been combined with photodynamic therapeutic agents preclinically for increasing therapeutic response at depths difficult to reach with external light sources. Last, new microscopy methods that allow single-cell optical imaging of radionuclides are reviewed. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.
Scattered Radiation Emission Imaging: Principles and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. K. Nguyen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Imaging processes built on the Compton scattering effect have been under continuing investigation since it was first suggested in the 50s. However, despite many innovative contributions, there are still formidable theoretical and technical challenges to overcome. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art principles of the so-called scattered radiation emission imaging. Basically, it consists of using the cleverly collected scattered radiation from a radiating object to reconstruct its inner structure. Image formation is based on the mathematical concept of compounded conical projection. It entails a Radon transform defined on circular cone surfaces in order to express the scattered radiation flux density on a detecting pixel. We discuss in particular invertible cases of such conical Radon transforms which form a mathematical basis for image reconstruction methods. Numerical simulations performed in two and three space dimensions speak in favor of the viability of this imaging principle and its potential applications in various fields.
Radiation resistivity of pure-silica core image guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayami, H.; Ishitani, T.; Kishihara, O.; Suzuki, K.

1988-01-01

Radiation resistivity of pure-silica core image guides were investigated in terms of incremental spectral loss and quality of pictures transmitted through the image guides. Radiation-induced spectral losses were measured so as to clarify the dependences of radiation resistivity on such parameters as core materials (OH and Cl contents), picture element dimensions, (core packing density and cladding thickness), number of picture elements and drawing conditions. As the results, an image guide with OH-and Cl-free pure-silica core, 30-45% in core packing density, and 1.8 ∼ 2.2 μm in cladding thickness showed the lowest loss. The parameters to design this image guide were almost the same as those to obtain a image guide with good picture quality. Radiation resistivity of the image guide was not dependent on drawing conditions and number of picture elements, indicating that the image guide has large allowable in production conditions and that reliable quality is constantly obtained in production. Radiation resistivity under high total doses was evaluated using the image guide with the lowest radiation-induced loss. Maximum usable lengths of the image guide for practical use under specific high total doses and maximum allowable total doses for the image guide in specific lengths were extrapolated. Picture quality in terms of radiation-induced degradation in color fidelity in the pictures transmitted through image guides was quantitatively evaluated in the chromaticity diagram based on the CIE standard colorimetric system and in the color specification charts according to three attributes of colors. The image guide with the least spectral incremental loss gives the least radiation-induced degradation in color fidelity in the pictures as well. (author)
CT radiation dose and image quality optimization using a porcine model.

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Zarb, Francis; McEntee, Mark F; Rainford, Louise

2013-01-01

To evaluate potential radiation dose savings and resultant image quality effects with regard to optimization of commonly performed computed tomography (CT) studies derived from imaging a porcine (pig) model. Imaging protocols for 4 clinical CT suites were developed based on the lowest milliamperage and kilovoltage, the highest pitch that could be set from current imaging protocol parameters, or both. This occurred before significant changes in noise, contrast, and spatial resolution were measured objectively on images produced from a quality assurance CT phantom. The current and derived phantom protocols were then applied to scan a porcine model for head, abdomen, and chest CT studies. Further optimized protocols were developed based on the same methodology as in the phantom study. The optimization achieved with respect to radiation dose and image quality was evaluated following data collection of radiation dose recordings and image quality review. Relative visual grading analysis of image quality criteria adapted from the European guidelines on radiology quality criteria for CT were used for studies completed with both the phantom-based or porcine-derived imaging protocols. In 5 out of 16 experimental combinations, the current clinical protocol was maintained. In 2 instances, the phantom protocol reduced radiation dose by 19% to 38%. In the remaining 9 instances, the optimization based on the porcine model further reduced radiation dose by 17% to 38%. The porcine model closely reflects anatomical structures in humans, allowing the grading of anatomical criteria as part of image quality review without radiation risks to human subjects. This study demonstrates that using a porcine model to evaluate CT optimization resulted in more radiation dose reduction than when imaging protocols were tested solely on quality assurance phantoms.
Optimizing CT radiation dose based on patient size and image quality: the size-specific dose estimate method

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Larson, David B. [Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Stanford, CA (United States)

2014-10-15

The principle of ALARA (dose as low as reasonably achievable) calls for dose optimization rather than dose reduction, per se. Optimization of CT radiation dose is accomplished by producing images of acceptable diagnostic image quality using the lowest dose method available. Because it is image quality that constrains the dose, CT dose optimization is primarily a problem of image quality rather than radiation dose. Therefore, the primary focus in CT radiation dose optimization should be on image quality. However, no reliable direct measure of image quality has been developed for routine clinical practice. Until such measures become available, size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) can be used as a reasonable image-quality estimate. The SSDE method of radiation dose optimization for CT abdomen and pelvis consists of plotting SSDE for a sample of examinations as a function of patient size, establishing an SSDE threshold curve based on radiologists' assessment of image quality, and modifying protocols to consistently produce doses that are slightly above the threshold SSDE curve. Challenges in operationalizing CT radiation dose optimization include data gathering and monitoring, managing the complexities of the numerous protocols, scanners and operators, and understanding the relationship of the automated tube current modulation (ATCM) parameters to image quality. Because CT manufacturers currently maintain their ATCM algorithms as secret for proprietary reasons, prospective modeling of SSDE for patient populations is not possible without reverse engineering the ATCM algorithm and, hence, optimization by this method requires a trial-and-error approach. (orig.)
Knowledge-based iterative model reconstruction: comparative image quality and radiation dose with a pediatric computed tomography phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Young Jin; Choi, Young Hun; Cheon, Jung-Eun; Kim, Woo Sun; Kim, In-One; Ha, Seongmin

2016-01-01

CT of pediatric phantoms can provide useful guidance to the optimization of knowledge-based iterative reconstruction CT. To compare radiation dose and image quality of CT images obtained at different radiation doses reconstructed with knowledge-based iterative reconstruction, hybrid iterative reconstruction and filtered back-projection. We scanned a 5-year anthropomorphic phantom at seven levels of radiation. We then reconstructed CT data with knowledge-based iterative reconstruction (iterative model reconstruction [IMR] levels 1, 2 and 3; Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA), hybrid iterative reconstruction (iDose 4 , levels 3 and 7; Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA) and filtered back-projection. The noise, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. We evaluated low-contrast resolutions and detectability by low-contrast targets and subjective and objective spatial resolutions by the line pairs and wire. With radiation at 100 peak kVp and 100 mAs (3.64 mSv), the relative doses ranged from 5% (0.19 mSv) to 150% (5.46 mSv). Lower noise and higher signal-to-noise, contrast-to-noise and objective spatial resolution were generally achieved in ascending order of filtered back-projection, iDose 4 levels 3 and 7, and IMR levels 1, 2 and 3, at all radiation dose levels. Compared with filtered back-projection at 100% dose, similar noise levels were obtained on IMR level 2 images at 24% dose and iDose 4 level 3 images at 50% dose, respectively. Regarding low-contrast resolution, low-contrast detectability and objective spatial resolution, IMR level 2 images at 24% dose showed comparable image quality with filtered back-projection at 100% dose. Subjective spatial resolution was not greatly affected by reconstruction algorithm. Reduced-dose IMR obtained at 0.92 mSv (24%) showed similar image quality to routine-dose filtered back-projection obtained at 3.64 mSv (100%), and half-dose iDose 4 obtained at 1.81 mSv. (orig.)

Knowledge-based iterative model reconstruction: comparative image quality and radiation dose with a pediatric computed tomography phantom.

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Ryu, Young Jin; Choi, Young Hun; Cheon, Jung-Eun; Ha, Seongmin; Kim, Woo Sun; Kim, In-One

2016-03-01

CT of pediatric phantoms can provide useful guidance to the optimization of knowledge-based iterative reconstruction CT. To compare radiation dose and image quality of CT images obtained at different radiation doses reconstructed with knowledge-based iterative reconstruction, hybrid iterative reconstruction and filtered back-projection. We scanned a 5-year anthropomorphic phantom at seven levels of radiation. We then reconstructed CT data with knowledge-based iterative reconstruction (iterative model reconstruction [IMR] levels 1, 2 and 3; Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA), hybrid iterative reconstruction (iDose(4), levels 3 and 7; Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA) and filtered back-projection. The noise, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. We evaluated low-contrast resolutions and detectability by low-contrast targets and subjective and objective spatial resolutions by the line pairs and wire. With radiation at 100 peak kVp and 100 mAs (3.64 mSv), the relative doses ranged from 5% (0.19 mSv) to 150% (5.46 mSv). Lower noise and higher signal-to-noise, contrast-to-noise and objective spatial resolution were generally achieved in ascending order of filtered back-projection, iDose(4) levels 3 and 7, and IMR levels 1, 2 and 3, at all radiation dose levels. Compared with filtered back-projection at 100% dose, similar noise levels were obtained on IMR level 2 images at 24% dose and iDose(4) level 3 images at 50% dose, respectively. Regarding low-contrast resolution, low-contrast detectability and objective spatial resolution, IMR level 2 images at 24% dose showed comparable image quality with filtered back-projection at 100% dose. Subjective spatial resolution was not greatly affected by reconstruction algorithm. Reduced-dose IMR obtained at 0.92 mSv (24%) showed similar image quality to routine-dose filtered back-projection obtained at 3.64 mSv (100%), and half-dose iDose(4) obtained at 1.81 mSv.
Radiation protection in medical imaging and radiation oncology

CERN Document Server

Stoeva, Magdalena S

2016-01-01

Radiation Protection in Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology focuses on the professional, operational, and regulatory aspects of radiation protection. Advances in radiation medicine have resulted in new modalities and procedures, some of which have significant potential to cause serious harm. Examples include radiologic procedures that require very long fluoroscopy times, radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, and intravascular brachytherapy. This book summarizes evidence supporting changes in consensus recommendations, regulations, and health physics practices associated with these recent advances in radiology, nuclear medicine, and radiation oncology. It supports intelligent and practical methods for protection of personnel, the public, and patients. The book is based on current recommendations by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and is complemented by detailed practical sections and professional discussions by the world’s leading medical and health physics professionals. It also ...
Impact of Computed Tomography Image Quality on Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Based on Soft Tissue Registration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrow, Natalya V.; Lawton, Colleen A.; Qi, X. Sharon; Li, X. Allen

2012-01-01

Purpose: In image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), different computed tomography (CT) modalities with varying image quality are being used to correct for interfractional variations in patient set-up and anatomy changes, thereby reducing clinical target volume to the planning target volume (CTV-to-PTV) margins. We explore how CT image quality affects patient repositioning and CTV-to-PTV margins in soft tissue registration-based IGRT for prostate cancer patients. Methods and Materials: Four CT-based IGRT modalities used for prostate RT were considered in this study: MV fan beam CT (MVFBCT) (Tomotherapy), MV cone beam CT (MVCBCT) (MVision; Siemens), kV fan beam CT (kVFBCT) (CTVision, Siemens), and kV cone beam CT (kVCBCT) (Synergy; Elekta). Daily shifts were determined by manual registration to achieve the best soft tissue agreement. Effect of image quality on patient repositioning was determined by statistical analysis of daily shifts for 136 patients (34 per modality). Inter- and intraobserver variability of soft tissue registration was evaluated based on the registration of a representative scan for each CT modality with its corresponding planning scan. Results: Superior image quality with the kVFBCT resulted in reduced uncertainty in soft tissue registration during IGRT compared with other image modalities for IGRT. The largest interobserver variations of soft tissue registration were 1.1 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, and 3.2 mm for kVFBCT, kVCBCT, MVFBCT, and MVCBCT, respectively. Conclusions: Image quality adversely affects the reproducibility of soft tissue-based registration for IGRT and necessitates a careful consideration of residual uncertainties in determining different CTV-to-PTV margins for IGRT using different image modalities.
Impact of Computed Tomography Image Quality on Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Based on Soft Tissue Registration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrow, Natalya V.; Lawton, Colleen A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States); Qi, X. Sharon [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado (United States); Li, X. Allen, E-mail: ali@mcw.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States)

2012-04-01

Purpose: In image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), different computed tomography (CT) modalities with varying image quality are being used to correct for interfractional variations in patient set-up and anatomy changes, thereby reducing clinical target volume to the planning target volume (CTV-to-PTV) margins. We explore how CT image quality affects patient repositioning and CTV-to-PTV margins in soft tissue registration-based IGRT for prostate cancer patients. Methods and Materials: Four CT-based IGRT modalities used for prostate RT were considered in this study: MV fan beam CT (MVFBCT) (Tomotherapy), MV cone beam CT (MVCBCT) (MVision; Siemens), kV fan beam CT (kVFBCT) (CTVision, Siemens), and kV cone beam CT (kVCBCT) (Synergy; Elekta). Daily shifts were determined by manual registration to achieve the best soft tissue agreement. Effect of image quality on patient repositioning was determined by statistical analysis of daily shifts for 136 patients (34 per modality). Inter- and intraobserver variability of soft tissue registration was evaluated based on the registration of a representative scan for each CT modality with its corresponding planning scan. Results: Superior image quality with the kVFBCT resulted in reduced uncertainty in soft tissue registration during IGRT compared with other image modalities for IGRT. The largest interobserver variations of soft tissue registration were 1.1 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, and 3.2 mm for kVFBCT, kVCBCT, MVFBCT, and MVCBCT, respectively. Conclusions: Image quality adversely affects the reproducibility of soft tissue-based registration for IGRT and necessitates a careful consideration of residual uncertainties in determining different CTV-to-PTV margins for IGRT using different image modalities.
Line-Enhanced Deformable Registration of Pulmonary Computed Tomography Images Before and After Radiation Therapy With Radiation-Induced Fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Sensakovic, William F.; Maxim, Peter; Diehn, Maximilian; Loo, Billy W.; Xing, Lei

2018-01-01

Purpose: The deformable registration of pulmonary computed tomography images before and after radiation therapy is challenging due to anatomic changes from radiation fibrosis. We hypothesize that a line-enhanced registration algorithm can reduce landmark error over the entire lung, including the irradiated regions, when compared to an intensity-based deformable registration algorithm. Materials: Two intensity-based B-spline deformable registration algorithms of pre-radiation therapy and post-radiation therapy images were compared. The first was a control intensity–based algorithm that utilized computed tomography images without modification. The second was a line enhancement algorithm that incorporated a Hessian-based line enhancement filter prior to deformable image registration. Registrations were evaluated based on the landmark error between user-identified landmark pairs and the overlap ratio. Results: Twenty-one patients with pre-radiation therapy and post-radiation therapy scans were included. The median time interval between scans was 1.2 years (range: 0.3-3.3 years). Median landmark errors for the line enhancement algorithm were significantly lower than those for the control algorithm over the entire lung (1.67 vs 1.83 mm; P 5 Gy (2.25 vs 3.31; P 5 Gy dose interval demonstrated a significant inverse relationship with post-radiation therapy fibrosis enhancement after line enhancement filtration (Pearson correlation coefficient = −0.48; P = .03). Conclusion: The line enhancement registration algorithm is a promising method for registering images before and after radiation therapy. PMID:29343206
Radiation-induced thermoacoustic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowen, T.

1984-01-01

This invention provides a new technique for obtaining information non-invasively on the composition and structures of a material or body by detecting radiation-induced thermoacoustic image features. This is accomplished by utilizing the acoustic wave generated by sudden thermal stress. The sudden thermal stress is induced by a pulse of radiation which deposits energy causing a rapid, but very small, rise of temperature (typically, ΔT approximately 10sup(-6) - 10sup(-5) deg C). The radiation may be ionizing radiation, such as high energy electrons, photons (x-rays), neutrons, or other charged particles or it may be non-ionizing radiation, such as R.F. and microwave electromagnetic radiation and ultrasonic radiation. The choice of radiation depends on the nature of the body to be imaged and the type of information desired
Registration and monitoring of radiation exposure from radiological imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jungmann, F.; Pinto dos Santos, D.; Hempel, J.; Dueber, C.; Mildenberger, P.

2013-01-01

Strategies for reducing radiation exposure are an important part of optimizing medical imaging and therefore a relevant quality factor in radiology. Regarding the medical radiation exposure, computed tomography has a special relevance. The use of the integrating the healthcare enterprise (IHE) radiation exposure monitoring (REM) profile is the upcoming standard for organizing and collecting exposure data in radiology. Currently most installed base devices do not support this profile generating the required digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) dose structured reporting (SR). For this reason different solutions had been developed to register dose exposure measurements without having the dose SR object. Registration and analysis of dose-related parameters is required for constantly optimizing examination protocols, especially computed tomography (CT) examinations based on the latest research results in order to minimize the individual radiation dose exposure from medical imaging according to the principle as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). (orig.) [de
The benefits of folic acid-modified gold nanoparticles in CT-based molecular imaging: radiation dose reduction and image contrast enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Beik, Jaber; Jafariyan, Maryam; Montazerabadi, Alireza; Ghadimi-Daresajini, Ali; Tarighi, Parastoo; Mahmoudabadi, Alireza; Ghaznavi, Habib; Shakeri-Zadeh, Ali

2017-12-12

X-ray computed tomography (CT) requires an optimal compromise between image quality and patient dose. While high image quality is an important requirement in CT, the radiation dose must be kept minimal to protect the patients from ionizing radiation-associated risks. The use of probes based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) along with active targeting ligands for specific recognition of cancer cells may be one of the balanced solutions. Herein, we report the effect of folic acid (FA)-modified AuNP as a targeted nanoprobe on the contrast enhancement of CT images as well as its potential for patient dose reduction. For this purpose, nasopharyngeal KB cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors were incubated with AuNPs with and without FA modification and imaged in a CT scanner with the following X-ray tube parameters: peak tube voltage of 130 KVp, and tube current-time products of 60, 90, 120, 160 and 250 mAs. Moreover, in order to estimate the radiation dose to which the patient was exposed during a head CT protocol, the CT dose index (CTDI) value was measured by an X-ray electrometer by changing the tube current-time product. Raising the tube current-time product from 60 to 250 mAs significantly increased the absorbed dose from 18 mGy to 75 mGy. This increase was not associated with a significant enhancement of the image quality of the KB cells. However, an obvious increase in image brightness and CT signal intensity (quantified by Hounsfield units [HU]) were observed in cells exposed to nanoparticles without any increase in the mAs product or radiation dose. Under the same Au concentration, KB cells exposed to FA-modified AuNPs had significantly higher HU and brighter CT images than those of the cells exposed to AuNPs without FA modification. In conclusion, FA-modified AuNP can be considered as a targeted CT nanoprobe with the potential for dose reduction by keeping the required mAs product as low as possible while enhancing image contrast.
Space situational awareness satellites and ground based radiation counting and imaging detector technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, Frank; Behrens, Joerg; Pospisil, Stanislav; Kudela, Karel

2011-01-01

We review the current status from the scientific and technological point of view of solar energetic particles, solar and galactic cosmic ray measurements as well as high energy UV-, X- and gamma-ray imaging of the Sun. These particles and electromagnetic data are an important tool for space situational awareness (SSA) aspects like space weather storm predictions to avoid failures in space, air and ground based technological systems. Real time data acquisition, position and energy sensitive imaging are demanded by the international space weather forecast services. We present how newly developed, highly miniaturized radiation detectors can find application in space in view of future SSA related satellites as a novel space application due to their counting and imaging capabilities.
Space situational awareness satellites and ground based radiation counting and imaging detector technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, Frank, E-mail: frank.jansen@dlr.de [DLR Institute of Space Systems, Robert-Hooke-Str. 7, 28359 Bremen (Germany); Behrens, Joerg [DLR Institute of Space Systems, Robert-Hooke-Str. 7, 28359 Bremen (Germany); Pospisil, Stanislav [Czech Technical University, IEAP, 12800 Prague 2, Horska 3a/22 (Czech Republic); Kudela, Karel [Slovak Academy of Sciences, IEP, 04001 Kosice, Watsonova 47 (Slovakia)

2011-05-15

We review the current status from the scientific and technological point of view of solar energetic particles, solar and galactic cosmic ray measurements as well as high energy UV-, X- and gamma-ray imaging of the Sun. These particles and electromagnetic data are an important tool for space situational awareness (SSA) aspects like space weather storm predictions to avoid failures in space, air and ground based technological systems. Real time data acquisition, position and energy sensitive imaging are demanded by the international space weather forecast services. We present how newly developed, highly miniaturized radiation detectors can find application in space in view of future SSA related satellites as a novel space application due to their counting and imaging capabilities.
Radiation effects on video imagers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yates, G.J.; Bujnosek, J.J.; Jaramillo, S.A.; Walton, R.B.; Martinez, T.M.; Black, J.P.

1985-01-01

Radiation sensitivity of several photoconductive, photoemissive, and solid state silicon-based video imagers was measured by analyzing stored photocharge induced by irradiation with continuous and pulsed sources of high energy photons and neutrons. Transient effects as functions of absorbed dose, dose rate, fluences, and ionizing particle energy are presented
Development and application of the analyzer-based imaging technique with hard synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coan, P.

2006-07-01

The objective of this thesis is twofold: from one side the application of the analyser-based X-ray phase contrast imaging to study cartilage, bone and bone implants using ESRF synchrotron radiation sources and on the other to contribute to the development of the phase contrast techniques from the theoretical and experimental point of view. Several human samples have been studied in vitro using the analyser based imaging (ABI) technique. Examination included projection and computed tomography imaging and 3-dimensional volume rendering of hip, big toe and ankle articular joints. X-ray ABI images have been critically compared with those obtained with conventional techniques, including radiography, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and histology, the latter taken as gold standard. Results show that only ABI imaging was able to either visualize or correctly estimate the early pathological status of the cartilage. The status of the bone ingrowth in sheep implants have also been examined in vitro: ABI images permitted to correctly distinguish between good and incomplete bone healing. Pioneering in-vivo ABI on guinea pigs were also successfully performed, confirming the possible use of the technique to follow up the progression of joint diseases, the bone/metal ingrowth and the efficacy of drugs treatments. As part of the development of the phase contrast techniques, two objectives have been reached. First, it has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time that the ABI and the propagation based imaging (PBI) can be combined to create images with original features (hybrid imaging, HI). Secondly, it has been proposed and experimentally tested a new simplified set-up capable to produce images with properties similar to those obtained with the ABI technique or HI. Finally, both the ABI and the HI have been theoretically studied with an innovative, wave-based simulation program, which was able to correctly reproduce experimental results. (author)
Advanced concepts in multi-dimensional radiation detection and imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, Kai; Barnowski, Ross; Pavlovsky, Ryan; Haefner, Andy; Torii, Tatsuo; Shikaze, Yoshiaki; Sanada, Yukihisa

2016-01-01

Recent developments in the detector fabrication, signal readout, and data processing enable new concepts in radiation detection that are relevant for applications ranging from fundamental physics to medicine as well as nuclear security and safety. We present recent progress in multi-dimensional radiation detection and imaging in the Berkeley Applied Nuclear Physics program. It is based on the ability to reconstruct scenes in three dimensions and fuse it with gamma-ray image information. We are using the High-Efficiency Multimode Imager HEMI in its Compton imaging mode and combining it with contextual sensors such as the Microsoft Kinect or visual cameras. This new concept of volumetric imaging or scene data fusion provides unprecedented capabilities in radiation detection and imaging relevant for the detection and mapping of radiological and nuclear materials. This concept brings us one step closer to the seeing the world with gamma-ray eyes. (author)
Imaging Opportunities in Radiation Oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balter, James M.; Haffty, Bruce G.; Dunnick, N. Reed; Siegel, Eliot L.

2011-01-01

Interdisciplinary efforts may significantly affect the way that clinical knowledge and scientific research related to imaging impact the field of Radiation Oncology. This report summarizes the findings of an intersociety workshop held in October 2008, with the express purpose of exploring 'Imaging Opportunities in Radiation Oncology.' Participants from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American Association of physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American Board of Radiology (ABR), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), and Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) discussed areas of education, clinical practice, and research that bridge disciplines and potentially would lead to improved clinical practice. Findings from this workshop include recommendations for cross-training opportunities within the allowed structured of Radiology and Radiation Oncology residency programs, expanded representation of ASTRO in imaging related multidisciplinary groups (and reciprocal representation within ASTRO committees), increased attention to imaging validation and credentialing for clinical trials (e.g., through the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN)), and building ties through collaborative research as well as smaller joint workshops and symposia.
The public image and image shaping of the nuclear and radiation safety regulatory organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhiguo

2013-01-01

Good image is the basis of trust. It is imminent to build good public image as our society and the public pay close attention to the negative information of relevant government departments which directly or indirectly affects the public image of the government departments in recent years. In order to promote the public image of the government regulatory department, it is required for all staff to figure out how to conscientiously fulfill social responsibility, how to respond to and properly handle emergencies, and how to establish and improve a full-time public relations team. Based on nuclear and radiation safety regulatory task, this paper discussed the necessity of government departments to set up the public image, and how to shape the public image of the nuclear and radiation safety regulatory organization. (author)
In-vivo brain blood flow imaging based on laser speckle contrast imaging and synchrotron radiation microangiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao, Peng; Feng, Shihan; Zhang, Qi; Lin, Xiaojie; Xie, Bohua; Liu, Chenwei; Yang, Guo-Yuan

2014-01-01

Abstract In-vivo imaging of blood flow in the cortex and sub-cortex is still a challenge in biological and pathological studies of cerebral vascular diseases. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) only provides cortex blood flow information. Traditional synchrotron radiation micro-angiography (SRA) provides sub-cortical vasculature information with high resolution. In this study, a bolus front-tracking method was developed to extract blood flow information based on SRA. Combining LSCI and SRA, arterial blood flow in the ipsilateral cortex and sub-cortex was monitored after experimental intracerebral hemorrhage of mice. At 72 h after injury, a significant blood flow increase was observed in the lenticulostriate artery along with blood flow decrease in cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery. This combined strategy provides a new approach for the investigation of brain vasculature and blood flow changes in preclinical studies. (paper)
Quality of radiation field imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petr, I.

1988-01-01

The questions were studied of the quality of imaging the gamma radiation field and of the limits of the quality in directional detector scanning. A resolution angle was introduced to quantify the imaging quality, and its relation was sought with the detection effective half-angle of the directional detector. The resolution angle was defined for the simplest configuration of the radiation field consisting of two monoenergetic gamma beams in one plane. It was shown that the resolution angle decreases, i.e., resolution in imaging the radiation field is better, with the effective half-angle of the directional detector. It was also found that resolution of both gamma beams deteriorated when the beams were surrounded with an isotropic background field. If the beams are surrounded with a background field showing general distribution, the angle size will be affected not only by the properties of the detector but also by the distribution of the ambient radiation field and the method of its scanning. The method described can be applied in designing a directional detector necessary for imaging the presumed radiation field in the required quality. (Z.M.). 4 figs., 3 refs
Image-guided radiation therapy: physician's perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, T.; Anand Narayan, C.

2012-01-01

The evolution of radiotherapy has been ontogenetically linked to medical imaging. Over the years, major technological innovations have resulted in substantial improvements in radiotherapy planning, delivery, and verification. The increasing use of computed tomography imaging for target volume delineation coupled with availability of computer-controlled treatment planning and delivery systems have progressively led to conformation of radiation dose to the target tissues while sparing surrounding normal tissues. Recent advances in imaging technology coupled with improved treatment delivery allow near-simultaneous soft-tissue localization of tumor and repositioning of patient. The integration of various imaging modalities within the treatment room for guiding radiation delivery has vastly improved the management of geometric uncertainties in contemporary radiotherapy practice ushering in the paradigm of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Image-guidance should be considered a necessary and natural corollary to high-precision radiotherapy that was long overdue. Image-guided radiation therapy not only provides accurate information on patient and tumor position on a quantitative scale, it also gives an opportunity to verify consistency of planned and actual treatment geometry including adaptation to daily variations resulting in improved dose delivery. The two main concerns with IGRT are resource-intensive nature of delivery and increasing dose from additional imaging. However, increasing the precision and accuracy of radiation delivery through IGRT is likely to reduce toxicity with potential for dose escalation and improved tumor control resulting in favourable therapeutic index. The radiation oncology community needs to leverage this technology to generate high-quality evidence to support widespread adoption of IGRT in contemporary radiotherapy practice. (author)
Advanced multi-dimensional imaging of gamma-ray radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodring, Mitchell; Beddingfield, David; Souza, David; Entine, Gerald; Squillante, Michael; Christian, James; Kogan, Alex

2003-01-01

The tracking of radiation contamination and distribution has become a high-priority US DOE task. To support DOE needs, Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc. has been actively carrying out research and development on a gamma-radiation imager, RadCam 2000 TM . The imager is based upon a position-sensitive PMT coupled to a scintillator near a MURA coded aperture. The modulated gamma flux detected by the PSPMT is mathematically decoded to produce images that are computer displayed in near real time. Additionally, we have developed a data-manipulation scheme which allows a multi-dimensional data array, comprised of x position, y position, and energy, to be used in the imaging process. In the imager software a gate can be set on a specific isotope energy to reveal where in the field of view the gated data lies or, conversely, a gate can be set on an area in the field of view to examine what isotopes are present in that area. This process is complicated by the FFT decoding process used with the coded aperture; however, we have achieved excellent performance and results are presented here
Detecting ship targets in spaceborne infrared image based on modeling radiation anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haibo; Zou, Zhengxia; Shi, Zhenwei; Li, Bo

2017-09-01

Using infrared imaging sensors to detect ship target in the ocean environment has many advantages compared to other sensor modalities, such as better thermal sensitivity and all-weather detection capability. We propose a new ship detection method by modeling radiation anomalies for spaceborne infrared image. The proposed method can be decomposed into two stages, where in the first stage, a test infrared image is densely divided into a set of image patches and the radiation anomaly of each patch is estimated by a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and thereby target candidates are obtained from anomaly image patches. In the second stage, target candidates are further checked by a more discriminative criterion to obtain the final detection result. The main innovation of the proposed method is inspired by the biological mechanism that human eyes are sensitive to the unusual and anomalous patches among complex background. The experimental result on short wavelength infrared band (1.560 - 2.300 μm) and long wavelength infrared band (10.30 - 12.50 μm) of Landsat-8 satellite shows the proposed method achieves a desired ship detection accuracy with higher recall than other classical ship detection methods.

Synchrotron radiation imaging is a powerful tool to image brain microvasculature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Mengqi; Sun, Danni; Xie, Yuanyuan; Xia, Jian; Long, Hongyu; Hu, Kai; Xiao, Bo; Peng, Guanyun

2014-01-01

Synchrotron radiation (SR) imaging is a powerful experimental tool for micrometer-scale imaging of microcirculation in vivo. This review discusses recent methodological advances and findings from morphological investigations of cerebral vascular networks during several neurovascular pathologies. In particular, it describes recent developments in SR microangiography for real-time assessment of the brain microvasculature under various pathological conditions in small animal models. It also covers studies that employed SR-based phase-contrast imaging to acquire 3D brain images and provide detailed maps of brain vasculature. In addition, a brief introduction of SR technology and current limitations of SR sources are described in this review. In the near future, SR imaging could transform into a common and informative imaging modality to resolve subtle details of cerebrovascular function
Synchrotron radiation imaging is a powerful tool to image brain microvasculature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Mengqi; Sun, Danni; Xie, Yuanyuan; Xia, Jian; Long, Hongyu; Hu, Kai; Xiao, Bo, E-mail: csuxiaobo123456@163.com [Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008 (China); Peng, Guanyun [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

2014-03-15

Synchrotron radiation (SR) imaging is a powerful experimental tool for micrometer-scale imaging of microcirculation in vivo. This review discusses recent methodological advances and findings from morphological investigations of cerebral vascular networks during several neurovascular pathologies. In particular, it describes recent developments in SR microangiography for real-time assessment of the brain microvasculature under various pathological conditions in small animal models. It also covers studies that employed SR-based phase-contrast imaging to acquire 3D brain images and provide detailed maps of brain vasculature. In addition, a brief introduction of SR technology and current limitations of SR sources are described in this review. In the near future, SR imaging could transform into a common and informative imaging modality to resolve subtle details of cerebrovascular function.
Television imaging transducers for use in radiation fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konyaev, V.M.; Krasovskij, S.S.; Surikov, I.N.

1989-01-01

For optical television equipment widely used in nuclear energetics it appears to be importance to account for various radiation effects on the device material and units aiming at diminishing negative effects of radiation upon the devices operation. Basing on the experimental results (along with the analysis of literature data) the authors propose a mechanism of radiation effect upon television imaging sensors (TIS). Operation principles and construction of up-to date TIS are briefly described, as well as the characteristics of radiation conditions. Various radiation effects upon the TIS material and construction have been considered. Optimal radiation conditions and levels have been suggested for the equipment operation. The efficiencies of various TIS are compared. 230 refs.; 86 figs.; 4 tabs
Nuclear Radiation Degradation Study on HD Camera Based on CMOS Image Sensor at Different Dose Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Congzheng; Hu, Song; Gao, Chunming; Feng, Chang

2018-02-08

In this work, we irradiated a high-definition (HD) industrial camera based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) CMOS image sensor (CIS) with Cobalt-60 gamma-rays. All components of the camera under test were fabricated without radiation hardening, except for the lens. The irradiation experiments of the HD camera under biased conditions were carried out at 1.0, 10.0, 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h. During the experiment, we found that the tested camera showed a remarkable degradation after irradiation and differed in the dose rates. With the increase of dose rate, the same target images become brighter. Under the same dose rate, the radiation effect in bright area is lower than that in dark area. Under different dose rates, the higher the dose rate is, the worse the radiation effect will be in both bright and dark areas. And the standard deviations of bright and dark areas become greater. Furthermore, through the progressive degradation analysis of the captured image, experimental results demonstrate that the attenuation of signal to noise ratio (SNR) versus radiation time is not obvious at the same dose rate, and the degradation is more and more serious with increasing dose rate. Additionally, the decrease rate of SNR at 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h is far greater than that at 1.0 and 10.0 Gy/h. Even so, we confirm that the HD industrial camera is still working at 10.0 Gy/h during the 8 h of measurements, with a moderate decrease of the SNR (5 dB). The work is valuable and can provide suggestion for camera users in the radiation field.
Comparison of image quality and radiation exposure from digital and 105-mm film images in pediatric fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, D.G.; Day, D.L.; Alford, B.A.; Geise, R.; Thompson, W.M.

1987-01-01

This study was designed to compare image quality of digitally acquired films compared with conventional 105-mm films in pediatric gastrointestinal and genitourinary fluoroscopic studies. Films were acquired digitally in 1,024 x 1,024 matrix, 512 x 512 matrix, and 105-mm film. Based on the observers' median scoring, the 1,024 x 1,024 reduced to 512 x 512 matrix provided similar overall image quality to the 105-mm films. The digital images produced a patient radiation exposure of 25% to 30% that of the 105-mm images on their equipment. The authors conclude that digital images provide similar image quality to 105-mm images with a significant reduction in patient radiation exposure
Radiation dose reduction and new image modalities development for interventional C-arm imaging system

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Kai

Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the leading health problems and causes of death in the US. Due to the minimally invasive nature of the evolution of image guided techniques, interventional radiological procedures are becoming more common and are preferred in treating many cardiovascular diseases and strokes. In addition, with the recent advances in hardware and device technology, the speed and efficacy of interventional treatment has significantly improved. This implies that more image modalities can be developed based on the current C-arm system and patients treated in interventional suites can potentially experience better health outcomes. However, during the treatment patients are irradiated with substantial amounts of ionizing radiation with a high dose rate (digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with 3muGy/frame and 3D cone beam CT image with 0.36muGy/frame for a Siemens Artis Zee biplane system) and/or a long irradiation time (a roadmapping image sequence can be as long as one hour during aneurysm embolization). As a result, the patient entrance dose is extremely high. Despite the fact that the radiation dose is already substantial, image quality is not always satisfactory. By default a temporal average is used in roadmapping images to overcome poor image quality, but this technique can result in motion blurred images. Therefore, reducing radiation dose while maintaining or even improving the image quality is an important area for continued research. This thesis is focused on improving the clinical applications of C-arm cone beam CT systems in two ways: (1) Improve the performance of current image modalities on the C-arm system. (2) Develop new image modalities based on the current system. To be more specific, the objectives are to reduce radiation dose for current modalities (e.g., DSA, fluoroscopy, roadmapping, and cone beam CT) and enable cone beam CT perfusion and time resolved cone beam CT angiography that can be used to diagnose and triage acute
Radiation imaging apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooperstein, G.; Lanza, R.C.; Sohval, A.R.

1980-01-01

Radiation imaging apparatus especially suited for use in a computerized tomographic (CT) scanner is specified. It employs a fixed array of discrete X-ray sources, each being a cold cathode diode having an impedance in excess of about 100 ohms and an adjacent fixed array of closely packed radiation detectors to produce images of rapidly moving body organs such as the beating heart. The X-ray source is pulsed by a 120 to 130 kv pulse of 150 to 160 ns duration, derived from an unregulated DC source, of output voltage 15 to 30 kv. Each X-ray source may comprise a cold cathode pulse or may be constituted by a pair of annular cathodes having radially extending anodes therebetween. (author)
Development of a new prior knowledge based image reconstruction algorithm for the cone-beam-CT in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaegler, Sven

2016-01-01

The treatment of cancer in radiation therapy is achievable today by techniques that enable highly conformal dose distributions and steep dose gradients. In order to avoid mistreatment, these irradiation techniques have necessitated enhanced patient localization techniques. With an integrated x-ray tube at modern linear accelerators kV-projections can be acquired over a sufficiently large angular space and can be reconstructed to a volumetric image data set from the current situation of the patient prior to irradiation. The so-called Cone-Beam-CT (CBCT) allows a precise verification of patient positioning as well as adaptive radiotherapy. The benefits of an improved patient positioning due to a daily performed CBCT's is contrary to an increased and not negligible radiation exposure of the patient. In order to decrease the radiation exposure, substantial research effort is focused on various dose reduction strategies. Prominent strategies are the decrease of the charge per projection, the reduction of the number of projections as well as the reduction of the acquisition space. Unfortunately, these acquisition schemes lead to images with degraded quality with the widely used Feldkamp-Davis-Kress image reconstruction algorithm. More sophisticated image reconstruction techniques can deal with these dose-reduction strategies without degrading the image quality. A frequently investigated method is the image reconstruction by minimizing the total variation (TV), which is also known as Compressed Sensing (CS). A Compressed Sensing-based reconstruction framework that includes prior images into the reconstruction algorithm is the Prior-Image-Constrained- Compressed-Sensing algorithm (PICCS). The images reconstructed by PICCS outperform the reconstruction results of the conventional Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm (FDK) based method if only a small number of projections are available. However, a drawback of PICCS is that major deviations between prior image data sets and the
18th International Workshop on Radiation Imaging Detectors

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

The International Workshops on Radiation Imaging Detectors are held yearly and provide an international forum for discussing current research and developments in the area of position sensitive detectors for radiation imaging, including semiconductor detectors, gas and scintillator-based detectors. Topics include processing and characterization of detector materials, hybridization and interconnect technologies, design of counting or integrating electronics, readout and data acquisition systems, and applications in various scientific and industrial fields. The workshop will have plenary sessions with invited and contributed papers presented orally and in poster sessions. The invited talks will be chosen to review recent advances in different areas covered in the workshop.
Image based Monte Carlo modeling for computational phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, M.; Wang, W.; Zhao, K.; Fan, Y.; Long, P.; Wu, Y.

2013-01-01

Full text of the publication follows. The evaluation on the effects of ionizing radiation and the risk of radiation exposure on human body has been becoming one of the most important issues for radiation protection and radiotherapy fields, which is helpful to avoid unnecessary radiation and decrease harm to human body. In order to accurately evaluate the dose on human body, it is necessary to construct more realistic computational phantom. However, manual description and verification of the models for Monte Carlo (MC) simulation are very tedious, error-prone and time-consuming. In addition, it is difficult to locate and fix the geometry error, and difficult to describe material information and assign it to cells. MCAM (CAD/Image-based Automatic Modeling Program for Neutronics and Radiation Transport Simulation) was developed as an interface program to achieve both CAD- and image-based automatic modeling. The advanced version (Version 6) of MCAM can achieve automatic conversion from CT/segmented sectioned images to computational phantoms such as MCNP models. Imaged-based automatic modeling program(MCAM6.0) has been tested by several medical images and sectioned images. And it has been applied in the construction of Rad-HUMAN. Following manual segmentation and 3D reconstruction, a whole-body computational phantom of Chinese adult female called Rad-HUMAN was created by using MCAM6.0 from sectioned images of a Chinese visible human dataset. Rad-HUMAN contains 46 organs/tissues, which faithfully represented the average anatomical characteristics of the Chinese female. The dose conversion coefficients (Dt/Ka) from kerma free-in-air to absorbed dose of Rad-HUMAN were calculated. Rad-HUMAN can be applied to predict and evaluate dose distributions in the Treatment Plan System (TPS), as well as radiation exposure for human body in radiation protection. (authors)
Model-based Iterative Reconstruction: Effect on Patient Radiation Dose and Image Quality in Pediatric Body CT

Science.gov (United States)

Dillman, Jonathan R.; Goodsitt, Mitchell M.; Christodoulou, Emmanuel G.; Keshavarzi, Nahid; Strouse, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Purpose To retrospectively compare image quality and radiation dose between a reduced-dose computed tomographic (CT) protocol that uses model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) and a standard-dose CT protocol that uses 30% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) with filtered back projection. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained. Clinical CT images of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis obtained with a reduced-dose protocol were identified. Images were reconstructed with two algorithms: MBIR and 100% ASIR. All subjects had undergone standard-dose CT within the prior year, and the images were reconstructed with 30% ASIR. Reduced- and standard-dose images were evaluated objectively and subjectively. Reduced-dose images were evaluated for lesion detectability. Spatial resolution was assessed in a phantom. Radiation dose was estimated by using volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol) and calculated size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). A combination of descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and t tests was used for statistical analysis. Results In the 25 patients who underwent the reduced-dose protocol, mean decrease in CTDIvol was 46% (range, 19%–65%) and mean decrease in SSDE was 44% (range, 19%–64%). Reduced-dose MBIR images had less noise (P > .004). Spatial resolution was superior for reduced-dose MBIR images. Reduced-dose MBIR images were equivalent to standard-dose images for lungs and soft tissues (P > .05) but were inferior for bones (P = .004). Reduced-dose 100% ASIR images were inferior for soft tissues (P ASIR. Conclusion CT performed with a reduced-dose protocol and MBIR is feasible in the pediatric population, and it maintains diagnostic quality. © RSNA, 2013 Online supplemental material is available for this article. PMID:24091359
The evaluation of non-ionizing radiation (near-infrared radiation) based medical imaging application: Diabetes foot

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Jung, Young Jin [Dept. of Radiological Science, Dongseo University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Cheol Won; Ahn, Sung Min; Hong, Jun Yong; Ahn, Yun Jin; Lim, Cheong Hwan [Dept. of Radiological Science, Hanseo University, Seosan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

Near-infrared radiation (NIR) is non-ionizing, non-invasive, and deep tissue penetration in biological material, thereby increasing research interests as a medical imaging technique in the world. However, the use of current near-infrared medical image is extremely limited in Korea (ROK) since it is not well known among radiologic technologists and radiological researchers. Therefore to strengthen the knowledge for NIR medical imaging is necessary so as to prepare a qualified radiological professionals to serve medical images in high-quality on the clinical sites. In this study, an overview of the features and principles of N IR imaging was demonstrated. The latest research topics and worldwide research trends were introduced for radiologic technologist to reinforce their technical skills. In particular, wound care and diabetic foot which have high feasibility for clinical translation were introduced in order to contribute to accelerating NIR research for developing the field of radiological science.
The evaluation of non-ionizing radiation (near-infrared radiation) based medical imaging application: Diabetes foot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Young Jin; Shin, Cheol Won; Ahn, Sung Min; Hong, Jun Yong; Ahn, Yun Jin; Lim, Cheong Hwan

2016-01-01

Near-infrared radiation (NIR) is non-ionizing, non-invasive, and deep tissue penetration in biological material, thereby increasing research interests as a medical imaging technique in the world. However, the use of current near-infrared medical image is extremely limited in Korea (ROK) since it is not well known among radiologic technologists and radiological researchers. Therefore to strengthen the knowledge for NIR medical imaging is necessary so as to prepare a qualified radiological professionals to serve medical images in high-quality on the clinical sites. In this study, an overview of the features and principles of N IR imaging was demonstrated. The latest research topics and worldwide research trends were introduced for radiologic technologist to reinforce their technical skills. In particular, wound care and diabetic foot which have high feasibility for clinical translation were introduced in order to contribute to accelerating NIR research for developing the field of radiological science
Radiographic imaging system for high energy radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, H.H.

1976-01-01

A radiographic imaging system for high energy radiation utilizing a detector of such radiation and a mask having regions relatively transparent to such radiation interspersed among regions relatively opaque to such radiation is described. A relative motion is imparted between the mask and the detector, the detector providing a time varying signal in response to the incident radiation and in response to the relative motion. The time varying signal provides, with the aid of a decoder, an image of a source of such radiation
Radiographic imaging system for high energy radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

A radiographic imaging system for high energy radiation is described utilizing a detector of such radiation and a mask having regions relatively transparent to such radiation and interspersed among regions relatively opaque to such radiation. A relative motion is imparted between the mask and the detector, the detector providing a time varying signal in response to the incident radiation and in response to the relative motion. The time varying signal provides, with the aid of a decoder, an image of a source of such radiation
Radiation: Rational use of diagnostic imaging studies in pediatrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentile, Fernando

2008-01-01

The objectives of this paper are to recognize the biological effects of radiation; explain the action of ionizing radiation on the cell; list the main sources of ionizing radiation; to indicate imaging studies considering the danger of radiation; select the method of imaging saving radiation; rational use of imaging studies without repeating exams. [es
Nuclear Radiation Degradation Study on HD Camera Based on CMOS Image Sensor at Different Dose Rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Congzheng Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this work, we irradiated a high-definition (HD industrial camera based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS CMOS image sensor (CIS with Cobalt-60 gamma-rays. All components of the camera under test were fabricated without radiation hardening, except for the lens. The irradiation experiments of the HD camera under biased conditions were carried out at 1.0, 10.0, 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h. During the experiment, we found that the tested camera showed a remarkable degradation after irradiation and differed in the dose rates. With the increase of dose rate, the same target images become brighter. Under the same dose rate, the radiation effect in bright area is lower than that in dark area. Under different dose rates, the higher the dose rate is, the worse the radiation effect will be in both bright and dark areas. And the standard deviations of bright and dark areas become greater. Furthermore, through the progressive degradation analysis of the captured image, experimental results demonstrate that the attenuation of signal to noise ratio (SNR versus radiation time is not obvious at the same dose rate, and the degradation is more and more serious with increasing dose rate. Additionally, the decrease rate of SNR at 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h is far greater than that at 1.0 and 10.0 Gy/h. Even so, we confirm that the HD industrial camera is still working at 10.0 Gy/h during the 8 h of measurements, with a moderate decrease of the SNR (5 dB. The work is valuable and can provide suggestion for camera users in the radiation field.
Multi-sensor radiation detection, imaging, and fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vetter, Kai [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2016-01-01

Glenn Knoll was one of the leaders in the field of radiation detection and measurements and shaped this field through his outstanding scientific and technical contributions, as a teacher, his personality, and his textbook. His Radiation Detection and Measurement book guided me in my studies and is now the textbook in my classes in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley. In the spirit of Glenn, I will provide an overview of our activities at the Berkeley Applied Nuclear Physics program reflecting some of the breadth of radiation detection technologies and their applications ranging from fundamental studies in physics to biomedical imaging and to nuclear security. I will conclude with a discussion of our Berkeley Radwatch and Resilient Communities activities as a result of the events at the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan more than 4 years ago. - Highlights: • .Electron-tracking based gamma-ray momentum reconstruction. • .3D volumetric and 3D scene fusion gamma-ray imaging. • .Nuclear Street View integrates and associates nuclear radiation features with specific objects in the environment. • Institute for Resilient Communities combines science, education, and communities to minimize impact of disastrous events.
Senior medical students' awareness of radiation risks from common diagnostic imaging examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Scali, Elena; Mayo, John; Nicolaou, Savvas; Kozoriz, Michael; Chang, Silvia

2017-12-01

Senior medical students represent future physicians who commonly refer patients for diagnostic imaging studies that may involve ionizing radiation. The radiology curriculum at the University of British Columbia provides students with broad-based knowledge about common imaging examinations. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' awareness of radiation exposures and risks. An anonymous multiple-choice cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to final year medical students to assess knowledge of radiation from common diagnostic examinations and radiation-related risks following completion of the longitudinal radiology curriculum, carried out over the four years of medical training. Sixty-three of 192 eligible students participated (33% response rate). The majority felt that knowledge of radiation doses of common imaging examinations is somewhat or very important; however, only 12% (N = 8) routinely discuss radiation-related risks with patients. While all respondents recognized children as most sensitive to the effects of radiation, only 24% (N = 15) correctly identified gonads as the most radiation-sensitive tissue. Almost all respondents recognized ultrasound and MRI as radiation free modalities. Respondents who correctly identified the relative dose of common imaging examinations in chest x-ray equivalents varied from 3-77% (N = 2 - 49); the remaining responses were largely underestimates. Finally, 44% (N = 28) correctly identified the excess risk of a fatal cancer from an abdominal CT in an adult, while the remainder underestimated this risk. Medical students acknowledge the importance of radiation-related issues to patient care. While almost all students are familiar with radiation-free modalities, many are not familiar with, and commonly underestimate, the relative doses and risks of common imaging studies. This may expose patients to increasing imaging investigations and exposure to radiation hazards.
Isotopic imaging via nuclear resonance fluorescence with laser-based Thomson radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Barty, Christopher P. J. [Hayward, CA; Hartemann, Frederic V [San Ramon, CA; McNabb, Dennis P [Alameda, CA; Pruet, Jason A [Brentwood, CA

2009-07-21

The present invention utilizes novel laser-based, high-brightness, high-spatial-resolution, pencil-beam sources of spectrally pure hard x-ray and gamma-ray radiation to induce resonant scattering in specific nuclei, i.e., nuclear resonance fluorescence. By monitoring such fluorescence as a function of beam position, it is possible to image in either two dimensions or three dimensions, the position and concentration of individual isotopes in a specific material configuration. Such methods of the present invention material identification, spatial resolution of material location and ability to locate and identify materials shielded by other materials, such as, for example, behind a lead wall. The foundation of the present invention is the generation of quasimonochromatic high-energy x-ray (100's of keV) and gamma-ray (greater than about 1 MeV) radiation via the collision of intense laser pulses from relativistic electrons. Such a process as utilized herein, i.e., Thomson scattering or inverse-Compton scattering, produces beams having diameters from about 1 micron to about 100 microns of high-energy photons with a bandwidth of .DELTA.E/E of approximately 10E.sup.-3.

The iQID camera: An ionizing-radiation quantum imaging detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, Brian W., E-mail: brian.miller@pnnl.gov [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Gregory, Stephanie J.; Fuller, Erin S. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Barrett, Harrison H.; Bradford Barber, H.; Furenlid, Lars R. [Center for Gamma-Ray Imaging, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States)

2014-12-11

We have developed and tested a novel, ionizing-radiation Quantum Imaging Detector (iQID). This scintillation-based detector was originally developed as a high-resolution gamma-ray imager, called BazookaSPECT, for use in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Recently, we have investigated the detector's response and imaging potential with other forms of ionizing radiation including alpha, neutron, beta, and fission fragment particles. The confirmed response to this broad range of ionizing radiation has prompted its new title. The principle operation of the iQID camera involves coupling a scintillator to an image intensifier. The scintillation light generated by particle interactions is optically amplified by the intensifier and then re-imaged onto a CCD/CMOS camera sensor. The intensifier provides sufficient optical gain that practically any CCD/CMOS camera can be used to image ionizing radiation. The spatial location and energy of individual particles are estimated on an event-by-event basis in real time using image analysis algorithms on high-performance graphics processing hardware. Distinguishing features of the iQID camera include portability, large active areas, excellent detection efficiency for charged particles, and high spatial resolution (tens of microns). Although modest, iQID has energy resolution that is sufficient to discriminate between particles. Additionally, spatial features of individual events can be used for particle discrimination. An important iQID imaging application that has recently been developed is real-time, single-particle digital autoradiography. We present the latest results and discuss potential applications.
Evaluation of multiple image-based modalities for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) of prostate carcinoma: A prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayyas, Essa; Chetty, Indrin J.; Chetvertkov, Mikhail; Wen, Ning; Neicu, Toni; Nurushev, Teamor; Ren Lei; Pradhan, Deepak; Movsas, Benjamin; Elshaikh, Mohamed A.; Lu Mei; Stricker, Hans

2013-01-01

Purpose: Setup errors and prostate intrafraction motion are main sources of localization uncertainty in prostate cancer radiation therapy. This study evaluates four different imaging modalities 3D ultrasound (US), kV planar images, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and implanted electromagnetic transponders (Calypso/Varian) to assess inter- and intrafraction localization errors during intensity-modulated radiation therapy based treatment of prostate cancer. Methods: Twenty-seven prostate cancer patients were enrolled in a prospective IRB-approved study and treated to a total dose of 75.6 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction). Overall, 1100 fractions were evaluated. For each fraction, treatment targets were localized using US, kV planar images, and CBCT in a sequence defined to determine setup offsets relative to the patient skin tattoos, intermodality differences, and residual errors for each patient and patient cohort. Planning margins, following van Herk's formalism, were estimated based on error distributions. Calypso-based localization was not available for the first eight patients, therefore centroid positions of implanted gold-seed markers imaged prior to and immediately following treatment were used as a motion surrogate during treatment. For the remaining 19 patients, Calypso transponders were used to assess prostate intrafraction motion. Results: The means (μ), and standard deviations (SD) of the systematic (Σ) and random errors (σ) of interfraction prostate shifts (relative to initial skin tattoo positioning), as evaluated using CBCT, kV, and US, averaged over all patients and fractions, were: [μ CBCT = (−1.2, 0.2, 1.1) mm, Σ CBCT = (3.0, 1.4, 2.4) mm, σ CBCT = (3.2, 2.2, 2.5) mm], [μ kV = (−2.9, −0.4, 0.5) mm, Σ kV = (3.4, 3.1, 2.6) mm, σ kV = (2.9, 2.0, 2.4) mm], and [μ US = (−3.6, −1.4, 0.0) mm, Σ US = (3.3, 3.5, 2.8) mm, σ US = (4.1, 3.8, 3.6) mm], in the anterior–posterior (A/P), superior–inferior (S/I), and the left–right (L
Evaluation of multiple image-based modalities for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) of prostate carcinoma: A prospective study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayyas, Essa; Chetty, Indrin J.; Chetvertkov, Mikhail; Wen, Ning; Neicu, Toni; Nurushev, Teamor; Ren Lei; Pradhan, Deepak; Movsas, Benjamin; Elshaikh, Mohamed A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Health System, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202 (United States); Lu Mei [Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit Michigan 48202 (United States); Stricker, Hans [Department of Urology, Henry Ford Health System, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit Michigan 48202 (United States)

2013-04-15

Purpose: Setup errors and prostate intrafraction motion are main sources of localization uncertainty in prostate cancer radiation therapy. This study evaluates four different imaging modalities 3D ultrasound (US), kV planar images, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and implanted electromagnetic transponders (Calypso/Varian) to assess inter- and intrafraction localization errors during intensity-modulated radiation therapy based treatment of prostate cancer. Methods: Twenty-seven prostate cancer patients were enrolled in a prospective IRB-approved study and treated to a total dose of 75.6 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction). Overall, 1100 fractions were evaluated. For each fraction, treatment targets were localized using US, kV planar images, and CBCT in a sequence defined to determine setup offsets relative to the patient skin tattoos, intermodality differences, and residual errors for each patient and patient cohort. Planning margins, following van Herk's formalism, were estimated based on error distributions. Calypso-based localization was not available for the first eight patients, therefore centroid positions of implanted gold-seed markers imaged prior to and immediately following treatment were used as a motion surrogate during treatment. For the remaining 19 patients, Calypso transponders were used to assess prostate intrafraction motion. Results: The means ({mu}), and standard deviations (SD) of the systematic ({Sigma}) and random errors ({sigma}) of interfraction prostate shifts (relative to initial skin tattoo positioning), as evaluated using CBCT, kV, and US, averaged over all patients and fractions, were: [{mu}{sub CBCT}= (-1.2, 0.2, 1.1) mm, {Sigma}{sub CBCT}= (3.0, 1.4, 2.4) mm, {sigma}{sub CBCT}= (3.2, 2.2, 2.5) mm], [{mu}{sub kV}= (-2.9, -0.4, 0.5) mm, {Sigma}{sub kV}= (3.4, 3.1, 2.6) mm, {sigma}{sub kV}= (2.9, 2.0, 2.4) mm], and [{mu}{sub US}= (-3.6, -1.4, 0.0) mm, {Sigma}{sub US}= (3.3, 3.5, 2.8) mm, {sigma}{sub US}= (4.1, 3.8, 3.6) mm], in the anterior
Simulation and measurement of total ionizing dose radiation induced image lag increase in pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan (China); State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Irradiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, P.O.Box 69-10, Xi’an (China); Chen, Wei, E-mail: chenwei@nint.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Irradiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, P.O.Box 69-10, Xi’an (China); Wang, Zujun, E-mail: wangzujun@nint.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Irradiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, P.O.Box 69-10, Xi’an (China); Xue, Yuanyuan; Yao, Zhibin; He, Baoping; Ma, Wuying; Jin, Junshan; Sheng, Jiangkun; Dong, Guantao [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Irradiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, P.O.Box 69-10, Xi’an (China)

2017-06-01

This paper presents an investigation of total ionizing dose (TID) induced image lag sources in pinned photodiodes (PPD) CMOS image sensors based on radiation experiments and TCAD simulation. The radiation experiments have been carried out at the Cobalt −60 gamma-ray source. The experimental results show the image lag degradation is more and more serious with increasing TID. Combining with the TCAD simulation results, we can confirm that the junction of PPD and transfer gate (TG) is an important region forming image lag during irradiation. These simulations demonstrate that TID can generate a potential pocket leading to incomplete transfer.
Influence of MR imaging in radiation therapy of chest lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsen, S.E.; Hoppe, R.; Bergin, C.J.

1991-01-01

This paper evaluates the influence of MR detection of additional sites of chest lymphoma on radiation therapy. Chest MR images and CT scans of 56 patients with new or recurrent mediastinal lymphoma obtained within 1 month of each other were retrospectively reviewed. MR images included T1- and T2-weighted SE and STIR sequences. Images were assessed for pleural and extrapleural disease. Radiation portals of patients with pleural or chest wall disease were reevaluated and compared with portals originally designed with CT. MR imaging demonstrated chest wall disease in 15 patients (21 sites). Ten patients also had pleural disease (13 sites). CT identified chest wall disease in four of these patients (five sites) and pleural disease in three patients (five sites). Seven of the 15 patients with chest wall disease were treated with radiation therapy alone. Two of the seven patients had significant modification of radiation portals based on MR findings. Retrospectively, therapy would have been altered in an additional two patients in whom pleural disease was identified at MR. The increased sensitivity of MR in detecting chest wall or pleural disease has important implications for treatment planning in chest wall lymphoma
Patterns of diagnostic imaging and associated radiation exposure among long-term survivors of young adult cancer: a population-based cohort study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daly, Corinne; Urbach, David R.; Stukel, Thérèse A.; Nathan, Paul C.; Deitel, Wayne; Paszat, Lawrence F.; Wilton, Andrew S.; Baxter, Nancy N.

2015-01-01

Survivors of young adult malignancies are at risk of accumulated exposures to radiation from repetitive diagnostic imaging. We designed a population-based cohort study to describe patterns of diagnostic imaging and cumulative diagnostic radiation exposure among survivors of young adult cancer during a survivorship time period where surveillance imaging is not typically warranted. Young adults aged 20–44 diagnosed with invasive malignancy in Ontario from 1992–1999 who lived at least 5 years from diagnosis were identified using the Ontario Cancer Registry and matched 5 to 1 to randomly selected cancer-free persons. We determined receipt of 5 modalities of diagnostic imaging and associated radiation dose received by survivors and controls from years 5–15 after diagnosis or matched referent date through administrative data. Matched pairs were censored six months prior to evidence of recurrence. 20,911 survivors and 104,524 controls had a median of 13.5 years observation. Survivors received all modalities of diagnostic imaging at significantly higher rates than controls. Survivors received CT at a 3.49-fold higher rate (95 % Confidence Interval [CI]:3.37, 3.62) than controls in years 5 to 15 after diagnosis. Survivors received a mean radiation dose of 26 miliSieverts solely from diagnostic imaging in the same time period, a 4.57-fold higher dose than matched controls (95 % CI: 4.39, 4.81). Long-term survivors of young adult cancer have a markedly higher rate of diagnostic imaging over time than matched controls, imaging associated with substantial radiation exposure, during a time period when surveillance is not routinely recommended. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1578-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
Development of the image registration program for portal and DRR images in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Ito, Takeshi; Nakazeko, Kazuma; Tachibana, Atsuhi; Hashimoto, Takeyuki; Shinohara, Hiroyuki

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors propose an image registration program of portal images and digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) images used as simulation images for external beam radiation therapy planning. First, the center of the radiation field in a portal image taken using a computed radiograhy cassette is matched to the center of the portal image. Then scale points projected on a DRR image and the portal image are deleted, and the portal image with the radiation field is extracted. Registration of the DRR and portal images is performed using mutual information as the registration criterion. It was found that the absolute displacement misregistrations in two directions (x, y) were 1.2±0.7 mm and 0.5±0.3 mm, respectively, and rotation disagreement about the z axis 0.3±0.3deg. It was concluded the proposed method was applicable to image registration of portal and DRR images in radiation therapy. (author)
Image noise-based dose adaptation in dynamic volume CT of the heart: dose and image quality optimisation in comparison with BMI-based dose adaptation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odedra, Devang [Queen' s University, School of Medicine, Kingston, ON (Canada); Blobel, Joerg [Toshiba Medical Systems Europe BV, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); University of Toronto, Division of Cardiothoracic Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON (Canada); AlHumayyd, Saad; Durand, Miranda; Jimenez-Juan, Laura; Paul, Narinder [University of Toronto, Division of Cardiothoracic Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2014-01-15

To compare the image quality and radiation dose using image-noise (IN)-based determination of X-ray tube settings compared with a body mass index (BMI)-based protocol during CT coronary angiography (CTCA). Two hundred consecutive patients referred for CTCA to our institution were divided into two groups: BMI-based, 100 patients had CTCA with the X-ray tube current adjusted to the patient's BMI while maintaining a fixed tube potential of 120 kV; IN-based, 100 patients underwent imaging with the X-ray tube current and voltage adjusted to the IN measured within the mid-left ventricle on a pre-acquisition trans-axial image. Two independent cardiac radiologists performed blinded image quality assessment with quantification of the IN and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from the mid-LV and qualitative assessment using a three-point score. Radiation dose (CTDI and DLP) was recorded from the console. Results showed: IN (HU): BMI-based, 30.1 ± 9.9; IN-based, 33.1 ± 6.7; 32 % variation reduction (P = 0.001); SNR: BMI-based, 18.6 ± 7.1; IN-based, 15.4 ± 3.7; 48 % variation reduction (P < 0.0001). Visual scores: BMI-based, 2.3 ± 0.6; IN-based, 2.2 ± 0.5 (P = 0.54). Radiation dose: CTDI (mGy), BMI-based, 22.68 ± 8.9; IN-based, 17.16 ± 7.6; 24.3 % reduction (P < 0.001); DLP (mGy.cm), BMI-based, 309.3 ± 127.5; IN-based, 230.6 ± 105.5; 25.4 % reduction (P < 0.001). Image-noise-based stratification of X-ray tube parameters for CTCA results in 32 % improvement in image quality and 25 % reduction in radiation dose compared with a BMI-based protocol. (orig.)
Imaging and Data Acquisition in Clinical Trials for Radiation Therapy

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FitzGerald, Thomas J., E-mail: Thomas.Fitzgerald@umassmed.edu [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts (United States); Bishop-Jodoin, Maryann [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts (United States); Followill, David S. [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Galvin, James [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Knopp, Michael V. [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Ohio, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (United States); Michalski, Jeff M. [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core St. Louis, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Rosen, Mark A. [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Bradley, Jeffrey D. [Washington University School of Medicine–Radiation Oncology, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Shankar, Lalitha K. [National Cancer Institute, Clinical Radiation Oncology Branch, Rockville, Maryland (United States); Laurie, Fran [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts (United States); Cicchetti, M. Giulia; Moni, Janaki [Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts (United States); Coleman, C. Norman; Deye, James A.; Capala, Jacek; Vikram, Bhadrasain [National Cancer Institute, Clinical Radiation Oncology Branch, Rockville, Maryland (United States)

2016-02-01

Cancer treatment evolves through oncology clinical trials. Cancer trials are multimodal and complex. Assuring high-quality data are available to answer not only study objectives but also questions not anticipated at study initiation is the role of quality assurance. The National Cancer Institute reorganized its cancer clinical trials program in 2014. The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) was formed and within it was established a Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance Organization. This organization is Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core, the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Group, consisting of 6 quality assurance centers that provide imaging and radiation therapy quality assurance for the NCTN. Sophisticated imaging is used for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management as well as for image-driven technologies to plan and execute radiation treatment. Integration of imaging and radiation oncology data acquisition, review, management, and archive strategies are essential for trial compliance and future research. Lessons learned from previous trials are and provide evidence to support diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy data acquisition in NCTN trials.
Imaging and Data Acquisition in Clinical Trials for Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FitzGerald, Thomas J.; Bishop-Jodoin, Maryann; Followill, David S.; Galvin, James; Knopp, Michael V.; Michalski, Jeff M.; Rosen, Mark A.; Bradley, Jeffrey D.; Shankar, Lalitha K.; Laurie, Fran; Cicchetti, M. Giulia; Moni, Janaki; Coleman, C. Norman; Deye, James A.; Capala, Jacek; Vikram, Bhadrasain

2016-01-01

Cancer treatment evolves through oncology clinical trials. Cancer trials are multimodal and complex. Assuring high-quality data are available to answer not only study objectives but also questions not anticipated at study initiation is the role of quality assurance. The National Cancer Institute reorganized its cancer clinical trials program in 2014. The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) was formed and within it was established a Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance Organization. This organization is Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core, the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Group, consisting of 6 quality assurance centers that provide imaging and radiation therapy quality assurance for the NCTN. Sophisticated imaging is used for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management as well as for image-driven technologies to plan and execute radiation treatment. Integration of imaging and radiation oncology data acquisition, review, management, and archive strategies are essential for trial compliance and future research. Lessons learned from previous trials are and provide evidence to support diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy data acquisition in NCTN trials.
Systematic measurements of whole-body imaging dose distributions in image-guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hälg, Roger A.; Besserer, Jürgen; Schneider, Uwe

2012-01-01

.4 mSv was measured, respectively. Using kilovoltage or megavoltage radiation to obtain cone beam computed tomography scans led to an additional dose of 8–46 mSv. For treatment verification images performed once per week using double exposure technique, an additional effective dose of up to 18 mSv was measured. Conclusions: Daily setup imaging using kilovoltage planar images or TomoTherapy megavoltage fan beam CT imaging can be used as a standard procedure in clinical routine. Daily kilovoltage and megavoltage cone beam computed tomography setup imaging should be applied on an individual or indication based protocol. Depending on the imaging scheme applied, image-guided radiation therapy can be administered without increasing the dose outside of the treated volume compared to therapies without image guidance.
Radically Reducing Radiation Exposure during Routine Medical Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Exposure to radiation from medical imaging in the United States has increased dramatically. NCI and several partner organizations sponsored a 2011 summit to promote efforts to reduce radiation exposure from medical imaging.
Radiation exposure near Chernobyl based on analysis of satellite images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldman, Marvin; Ustin, Susan [University of California, Laboratory for Energy-related Health Research, CA (United States); Warman, Edward A [Stone and Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, MA (United States)

1987-12-01

Radiation-induced damage in conifers adjacent to the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been evaluated using LANDSAT Thematic Mapper satellite images. Eight images acquired between April 22, 1986 and May 15, 1987 were used to assess the extent and magnitude of radiation effects on pine trees within 10 km of the reactor site. The timing and spatial extent of vegetation damaged was used to estimate the radiation doses in the near field around the Chernobyl nuclear power station and to derive dose rates as a function of time during and after the accident. A normalized vegetation index was developed from the TM spectral band data to visually demonstrate the damage and mortality to nearby conifer stands. The earliest date showing detectable injury 1 km west of the reactor unit was June 16, 1986. Subsequent dates revealed continued expansion of the affected areas to the west, north, and south. The greatest aerial expansion of this area occurred by October 15, 1986, with vegetation changes evident up to 5 km west, 2 km south, and 2 km north of the damaged Reactor Unit 4. By May 11, 1987, further scene changes were due principally to removal and mitigation efforts by the Soviet authorities. Areas showing spectral evidence of vegetation damage during the previous growing season do not show evidence of recovery and reflectance in the TM Bands 4 and 3 remain higher than surrounding vegetation, which infers that the trees are dead. The patterns of spectral change indicative of vegetation stress are consistent with changes expected for radiation injury and mortality. The extent and the timing of these effects enabled developing an integrated radiation dose estimate, which was combined with the information regarding the characteristics of radionuclide mix to provide an estimate of maximum dose rates during the early period of the accident. The derived peak dose rates during the 10-day release in the accident are high and are estimated at about 0.5 to 1 rad per hour. These
Fast image acquisition and processing on a TV camera-based portal imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baier, K.; Meyer, J.

2005-01-01

The present paper describes the fast acquisition and processing of portal images directly from a TV camera-based portal imaging device (Siemens Beamview Plus trademark). This approach employs not only hard- and software included in the standard package installed by the manufacturer (in particular the frame grabber card and the Matrox(tm) Intellicam interpreter software), but also a software tool developed in-house for further processing and analysis of the images. The technical details are presented, including the source code for the Matrox trademark interpreter script that enables the image capturing process. With this method it is possible to obtain raw images directly from the frame grabber card at an acquisition rate of 15 images per second. The original configuration by the manufacturer allows the acquisition of only a few images over the course of a treatment session. The approach has a wide range of applications, such as quality assurance (QA) of the radiation beam, real-time imaging, real-time verification of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) fields, and generation of movies of the radiation field (fluoroscopy mode). (orig.)
Application of Java technology in radiation image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Weifeng; Li Zheng; Chen Zhiqiang; Zhang Li; Gao Wenhuan

2002-01-01

The acquisition and processing of radiation image plays an important role in modern application of civil nuclear technology. The author analyzes the rationale of Java image processing technology which includes Java AWT, Java 2D and JAI. In order to demonstrate applicability of Java technology in field of image processing, examples of application of JAI technology in processing of radiation images of large container have been given
Solar Radiation Received by Slopes Using COMS Imagery, a Physically Based Radiation Model, and GLOBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong-Min Yeom

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study mapped the solar radiation received by slopes for all of Korea, including areas that are not measured by ground station measurements, through using satellites and topographical data. When estimating insolation with satellite, we used a physical model to measure the amount of hourly based solar surface insolation. Furthermore, we also considered the effects of topography using the Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE digital elevation model (DEM for the actual amount of incident solar radiation according to solar geometry. The surface insolation mapping, by integrating a physical model with the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS Meteorological Imager (MI image, was performed through a comparative analysis with ground-based observation data (pyranometer. Original and topographically corrected solar radiation maps were created and their characteristics analyzed. Both the original and the topographically corrected solar energy resource maps captured the temporal variations in atmospheric conditions, such as the movement of seasonal rain fronts during summer. In contrast, although the original solar radiation map had a low insolation value over mountain areas with a high rate of cloudiness, the topographically corrected solar radiation map provided a better description of the actual surface geometric characteristics.
Toward Imaging of Small Objects with XUV Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Sayrac, Muhammed; Kolomenski, Alexandre A.; Boran, Yakup; Schuessler, Hans

The coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) technique has the potential to capture high resolution images of nano- or micron-sized structures when using XUV radiation obtained by high harmonic radiation (HHG) process. When a small object is exposed to XUV radiation, a diffraction pattern of the object is created. The advances in the coherent HHG enable obtaining photon flux sufficient for XUV imaging. The diffractive imaging technique from coherent table top XUV beams have made possible nanometer-scale resolution imaging by replacing the imaging optics with a computer reconstruction algorithm. In this study, we present our initial work on diffractive imaging using a tabletop XUV source. The initial investigation of imaging of a micron-sized mesh with an optimized HHG source is demonstrated. This work was supported in part by the Robert A. Welch Foundation Grant No. A1546 and the Qatar Foundation under the grant NPRP 8-735-1-154. M. Sayrac acknowledges support from the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey.
Magnetic resonance imaging of radiation optic neuropathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, C.F.; Schatz, N.J.; Glaser, J.S.

1990-01-01

Three patients with delayed radiation optic neuropathy after radiation therapy for parasellar neoplasms underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The affected optic nerves and chiasms showed enlargement and focal gadopentetate dimeglumine enhancement. The magnetic resonance imaging technique effectively detected and defined anterior visual pathway changes of radionecrosis and excluded the clinical possibility of visual loss because of tumor recurrence
Radiation therapy treatment planning: CT, MR imaging and three-dimensional planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichter, A.S.

1987-01-01

The accuracy and sophistication of radiation therapy treatment planning have increased rapidly in the last decade. Currently, CT-based treatment planning is standard throughout the country. Care must be taken when CT is used for treatment planning because of clear differences between diagnostic scans and scans intended for therapeutic management. The use of CT in radiation therapy planning is discussed and illustrated. MR imaging adds another dimension to treatment planning. The ability to use MR imaging directly in treatment planning involves an additional complex set of capabilities from a treatment planning system. The ability to unwarp the geometrically distorted MR image is a first step. Three-dimensional dose calculations are important to display the dose on sagittal and acoronal sections. The ability to integrate the MR and CT images into a unified radiographic image is critical. CT and MR images are two-dimensional representations of a three-dimensional problem. Through sophisticated computer graphics techniques, radiation therapists are now able to integrate a three-dimensional image of the patient into the treatment planning process. This allows the use of noncoplanar treatment plans and a detailed analysis of tumor and normal tissue anatomy; it is the first step toward a fully conformational treatment planning system. These concepts are illustrated and future research goals outlined
Injectable Colloidal Gold for Use in Intrafractional 2D Image-Guided Radiation Therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jølck, Rasmus Irming; Rydhog, Jonas S.; Christensen, Anders Nymark

2015-01-01

radio-opacity, which allows for marker-based image guidance in 2D and 3D X-ray imaging during radiation therapy. This is achieved by surface-engineering gold nanoparticles to be highly compatible with a carbohydrate-based gelation matrix. The new fiducial marker is investigated in mice where...

Multiscale registration of medical images based on edge preserving scale space with application in image-guided radiation therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dengwang; Li, Hongsheng; Wan, Honglin; Chen, Jinhu; Gong, Guanzhong; Wang, Hongjun; Wang, Liming; Yin, Yong

2012-08-01

Mutual information (MI) is a well-accepted similarity measure for image registration in medical systems. However, MI-based registration faces the challenges of high computational complexity and a high likelihood of being trapped into local optima due to an absence of spatial information. In order to solve these problems, multi-scale frameworks can be used to accelerate registration and improve robustness. Traditional Gaussian pyramid representation is one such technique but it suffers from contour diffusion at coarse levels which may lead to unsatisfactory registration results. In this work, a new multi-scale registration framework called edge preserving multiscale registration (EPMR) was proposed based upon an edge preserving total variation L1 norm (TV-L1) scale space representation. TV-L1 scale space is constructed by selecting edges and contours of images according to their size rather than the intensity values of the image features. This ensures more meaningful spatial information with an EPMR framework for MI-based registration. Furthermore, we design an optimal estimation of the TV-L1 parameter in the EPMR framework by training and minimizing the transformation offset between the registered pairs for automated registration in medical systems. We validated our EPMR method on both simulated mono- and multi-modal medical datasets with ground truth and clinical studies from a combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner. We compared our registration framework with other traditional registration approaches. Our experimental results demonstrated that our method outperformed other methods in terms of the accuracy and robustness for medical images. EPMR can always achieve a small offset value, which is closer to the ground truth both for mono-modality and multi-modality, and the speed can be increased 5-8% for mono-modality and 10-14% for multi-modality registration under the same condition. Furthermore, clinical application by adaptive
Multiscale registration of medical images based on edge preserving scale space with application in image-guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Dengwang; Wan Honglin; Li Hongsheng; Chen Jinhu; Gong Guanzhong; Yin Yong; Wang Hongjun; Wang Liming

2012-01-01

Mutual information (MI) is a well-accepted similarity measure for image registration in medical systems. However, MI-based registration faces the challenges of high computational complexity and a high likelihood of being trapped into local optima due to an absence of spatial information. In order to solve these problems, multi-scale frameworks can be used to accelerate registration and improve robustness. Traditional Gaussian pyramid representation is one such technique but it suffers from contour diffusion at coarse levels which may lead to unsatisfactory registration results. In this work, a new multi-scale registration framework called edge preserving multiscale registration (EPMR) was proposed based upon an edge preserving total variation L1 norm (TV-L1) scale space representation. TV-L1 scale space is constructed by selecting edges and contours of images according to their size rather than the intensity values of the image features. This ensures more meaningful spatial information with an EPMR framework for MI-based registration. Furthermore, we design an optimal estimation of the TV-L1 parameter in the EPMR framework by training and minimizing the transformation offset between the registered pairs for automated registration in medical systems. We validated our EPMR method on both simulated mono- and multi-modal medical datasets with ground truth and clinical studies from a combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner. We compared our registration framework with other traditional registration approaches. Our experimental results demonstrated that our method outperformed other methods in terms of the accuracy and robustness for medical images. EPMR can always achieve a small offset value, which is closer to the ground truth both for mono-modality and multi-modality, and the speed can be increased 5–8% for mono-modality and 10–14% for multi-modality registration under the same condition. Furthermore, clinical application by
Workshops on radiation imaging detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sochinskii, N.V.; Sun, G.C.; Kostamo, P.; Silenas, A.; Saynatjoki, A.; Grant, J.; Owens, A.; Kozorezov, A.G.; Noschis, E.; Van Eijk, C.; Nagarkar, V.; Sekiya, H.; Pribat, D.; Campbell, M.; Lundgren, J.; Arques, M.; Gabrielli, A.; Padmore, H.; Maiorino, M.; Volpert, M.; Lebrun, F.; Van der Putten, S.; Pickford, A.; Barnsley, R.; Anton, M.E.G.; Mitschke, M.; Gros d'Aillon, E.; Frojdh, C.; Norlin, B.; Marchal, J.; Quattrocchi, M.; Stohr, U.; Bethke, K.; Bronnimann, C.H.; Pouvesle, J.M.; Hoheisel, M.; Clemens, J.C.; Gallin-Martel, M.L.; Bergamaschi, A.; Redondo-Fernandez, I.; Gal, O.; Kwiatowski, K.; Montesi, M.C.; Smith, K.

2005-01-01

This document gathers the transparencies that were presented at the international workshop on radiation imaging detectors. 9 sessions were organized: 1) materials for detectors and detector structure, 2) front end electronics, 3) interconnected technologies, 4) space, fusion applications, 5) the physics of detection, 6) industrial applications, 7) synchrotron radiation, 8) X-ray sources, and 9) medical and other applications
Workshops on radiation imaging detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sochinskii, N V; Sun, G C; Kostamo, P; Silenas, A; Saynatjoki, A; Grant, J; Owens, A; Kozorezov, A G; Noschis, E; Van Eijk, C; Nagarkar, V; Sekiya, H; Pribat, D; Campbell, M; Lundgren, J; Arques, M; Gabrielli, A; Padmore, H; Maiorino, M; Volpert, M; Lebrun, F; Van der Putten, S; Pickford, A; Barnsley, R; Anton, M E.G.; Mitschke, M; Gros d' Aillon, E; Frojdh, C; Norlin, B; Marchal, J; Quattrocchi, M; Stohr, U; Bethke, K; Bronnimann, C H; Pouvesle, J M; Hoheisel, M; Clemens, J C; Gallin-Martel, M L; Bergamaschi, A; Redondo-Fernandez, I; Gal, O; Kwiatowski, K; Montesi, M C; Smith, K

2005-07-01

This document gathers the transparencies that were presented at the international workshop on radiation imaging detectors. 9 sessions were organized: 1) materials for detectors and detector structure, 2) front end electronics, 3) interconnected technologies, 4) space, fusion applications, 5) the physics of detection, 6) industrial applications, 7) synchrotron radiation, 8) X-ray sources, and 9) medical and other applications.
Imaging with terahertz radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chan, W L; Deibel, Jason; Mittleman, Daniel M [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, MS-366, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005 (United States)

2007-08-15

Within the last several years, the field of terahertz science and technology has changed dramatically. Many new advances in the technology for generation, manipulation, and detection of terahertz radiation have revolutionized the field. Much of this interest has been inspired by the promise of valuable new applications for terahertz imaging and sensing. Among a long list of proposed uses, one finds compelling needs such as security screening and quality control, as well as whimsical notions such as counting the almonds in a bar of chocolate. This list has grown in parallel with the development of new technologies and new paradigms for imaging and sensing. Many of these proposed applications exploit the unique capabilities of terahertz radiation to penetrate common packaging materials and provide spectroscopic information about the materials within. Several of the techniques used for terahertz imaging have been borrowed from other, more well established fields such as x-ray computed tomography and synthetic aperture radar. Others have been developed exclusively for the terahertz field, and have no analogies in other portions of the spectrum. This review provides a comprehensive description of the various techniques which have been employed for terahertz image formation, as well as discussing numerous examples which illustrate the many exciting potential uses for these emerging technologies.
Imaging with terahertz radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, W L; Deibel, Jason; Mittleman, Daniel M

2007-01-01

Within the last several years, the field of terahertz science and technology has changed dramatically. Many new advances in the technology for generation, manipulation, and detection of terahertz radiation have revolutionized the field. Much of this interest has been inspired by the promise of valuable new applications for terahertz imaging and sensing. Among a long list of proposed uses, one finds compelling needs such as security screening and quality control, as well as whimsical notions such as counting the almonds in a bar of chocolate. This list has grown in parallel with the development of new technologies and new paradigms for imaging and sensing. Many of these proposed applications exploit the unique capabilities of terahertz radiation to penetrate common packaging materials and provide spectroscopic information about the materials within. Several of the techniques used for terahertz imaging have been borrowed from other, more well established fields such as x-ray computed tomography and synthetic aperture radar. Others have been developed exclusively for the terahertz field, and have no analogies in other portions of the spectrum. This review provides a comprehensive description of the various techniques which have been employed for terahertz image formation, as well as discussing numerous examples which illustrate the many exciting potential uses for these emerging technologies
Infrared Imaging for Inquiry-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Charles; Hazzard, Edmund

2011-01-01

Based on detecting long-wavelength infrared (IR) radiation emitted by the subject, IR imaging shows temperature distribution instantaneously and heat flow dynamically. As a picture is worth a thousand words, an IR camera has great potential in teaching heat transfer, which is otherwise invisible. The idea of using IR imaging in teaching was first…
TH-E-BRF-04: Characterizing the Response of Texture-Based CT Image Features for Quantification of Radiation-Induced Normal Lung Damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krafft, S; Court, L; Briere, T; Martel, M

2014-01-01

Purpose: Radiation induced lung damage (RILD) is an important dose-limiting toxicity for patients treated with radiation therapy. Scoring systems for RILD are subjective and limit our ability to find robust predictors of toxicity. We investigate the dose and time-related response for texture-based lung CT image features that serve as potential quantitative measures of RILD. Methods: Pre- and post-RT diagnostic imaging studies were collected for retrospective analysis of 21 patients treated with photon or proton radiotherapy for NSCLC. Total lung and selected isodose contours (0–5, 5–15, 15–25Gy, etc.) were deformably registered from the treatment planning scan to the pre-RT and available follow-up CT studies for each patient. A CT image analysis framework was utilized to extract 3698 unique texture-based features (including co-occurrence and run length matrices) for each region of interest defined by the isodose contours and the total lung volume. Linear mixed models were fit to determine the relationship between feature change (relative to pre-RT), planned dose and time post-RT. Results: Seventy-three follow-up CT scans from 21 patients (median: 3 scans/patient) were analyzed to describe CT image feature change. At the p=0.05 level, dose affected feature change in 2706 (73.1%) of the available features. Similarly, time affected feature change in 408 (11.0%) of the available features. Both dose and time were significant predictors of feature change in a total of 231 (6.2%) of the extracted image features. Conclusion: Characterizing the dose and time-related response of a large number of texture-based CT image features is the first step toward identifying objective measures of lung toxicity necessary for assessment and prediction of RILD. There is evidence that numerous features are sensitive to both the radiation dose and time after RT. Beyond characterizing feature response, further investigation is warranted to determine the utility of these features as
Global Solar Radiation in Spain from Satellite Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, L.; Mora, L.; Sidrach de Cardona, M.; Navarro, A. A.; Varela, M.; Cruz, M. de la

2003-01-01

In the context of the present work a series of algorithms of calculation of the solar radiation from satellite images has been developed. These models, have been applied to three years of images of the Meteosat satellite and the results of the treatment have been extrapolated to long term. For the development of the models of solar radiation registered in ground stations have been used, corresponding all of them to localities of peninsular Spain and the Balearic ones. The maximum periods of data available have been used, supposing in most of the cases periods of between 6 and 9 years. From the results has a year type of images of global solar radiation on horizontal surface. The original resolution of the image of 7x7 km in the study latitudes, has been reevaluated to 5x5 km. This supposes to have a value of the typical radiation for every day of the year, each 5x5 km in the study territory. This information, supposes an important advance as far as the knowledge of the space distribution of the radiation solar, impossible to reach about alternative methods. Doubtlessly, the precision of the provided values is not comparable with pyrano metric measures in a concrete locality, but it provides a very valid indicator in places in which it is not had previous information. In addition to the radiation maps, tables of the global solar radiation have been prepared on different inclinations, from the global radiation on horizontal surface calculated for every day of the year and in each pixel of the image. (Author) 24 refs
Ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Kamada, Kei; Yoshikawa, Akira

2018-02-16

High resolution imaging of radiation is required for such radioisotope distribution measurements as alpha particle detection in nuclear facilities or high energy physics experiments. For this purpose, we developed an ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate. We used a ~1-μm diameter fiber structured GdAlO 3 :Ce (GAP) /α-Al 2 O 3 scintillator plate to reduce the light spread. The fiber structured scintillator plate was optically coupled to a tapered optical fiber plate to magnify the image and combined with a lens-based high sensitivity CCD camera. We observed the images of alpha particles with a spatial resolution of ~25 μm. For the beta particles, the images had various shapes, and the trajectories of the electrons were clearly observed in the images. For the gamma photons, the images also had various shapes, and the trajectories of the secondary electrons were observed in some of the images. These results show that combining an optical fiber structure scintillator plate with a tapered optical fiber plate and a high sensitivity CCD camera achieved ultrahigh resolution and is a promising method to observe the images of the interactions of radiation in a scintillator.
Image quality in children with low-radiation chest CT using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction and model-based iterative reconstruction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihang Sun

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate noise reduction and image quality improvement in low-radiation dose chest CT images in children using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR and a full model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR algorithm. METHODS: Forty-five children (age ranging from 28 days to 6 years, median of 1.8 years who received low-dose chest CT scans were included. Age-dependent noise index (NI was used for acquisition. Images were retrospectively reconstructed using three methods: MBIR, 60% of ASIR and 40% of conventional filtered back-projection (FBP, and FBP. The subjective quality of the images was independently evaluated by two radiologists. Objective noises in the left ventricle (LV, muscle, fat, descending aorta and lung field at the layer with the largest cross-section area of LV were measured, with the region of interest about one fourth to half of the area of descending aorta. Optimized signal-to-noise ratio (SNR was calculated. RESULT: In terms of subjective quality, MBIR images were significantly better than ASIR and FBP in image noise and visibility of tiny structures, but blurred edges were observed. In terms of objective noise, MBIR and ASIR reconstruction decreased the image noise by 55.2% and 31.8%, respectively, for LV compared with FBP. Similarly, MBIR and ASIR reconstruction increased the SNR by 124.0% and 46.2%, respectively, compared with FBP. CONCLUSION: Compared with FBP and ASIR, overall image quality and noise reduction were significantly improved by MBIR. MBIR image could reconstruct eligible chest CT images in children with lower radiation dose.
Optimisation of radiation dose and image quality in mobile neonatal chest radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinojos-Armendáriz, V I; Mejía-Rosales, S J; Franco-Cabrera, M C

2018-05-01

To optimise the radiation dose and image quality for chest radiography in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by increasing the mean beam energy. Two techniques for the acquisition of NICU AP chest X-ray images were compared for image quality and radiation dose. 73 images were acquired using a standard technique (56 kV, 3.2 mAs and no additional filtration) and 90 images with a new technique (62 kV, 2 mAs and 2 mm Al filtration). The entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) was measured using a phantom and compared between the techniques and against established diagnostic reference levels (DRL). Images were evaluated using seven image quality criteria independently by three radiologists. Images quality and radiation dose were compared statistically between the standard and new techniques. The maximum ESAK for the new technique was 40.20 μGy, 43.7% of the ESAK of the standard technique. Statistical evaluation demonstrated no significant differences in image quality between the two acquisition techniques. Based on the techniques and acquisition factors investigated within this study, it is possible to lower the radiation dose without any significant effects on image quality by adding filtration (2 mm Al) and increasing the tube potential. Such steps are relatively simple to undertake and as such, other departments should consider testing and implementing this dose reduction strategy within clinical practice where appropriate. Copyright © 2017 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
System for verifiable CT radiation dose optimization based on image quality. part II. process control system.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, David B; Malarik, Remo J; Hall, Seth M; Podberesky, Daniel J

2013-10-01

To evaluate the effect of an automated computed tomography (CT) radiation dose optimization and process control system on the consistency of estimated image noise and size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) of radiation in CT examinations of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. This quality improvement project was determined not to constitute human subject research. An automated system was developed to analyze each examination immediately after completion, and to report individual axial-image-level and study-level summary data for patient size, image noise, and SSDE. The system acquired data for 4 months beginning October 1, 2011. Protocol changes were made by using parameters recommended by the prediction application, and 3 months of additional data were acquired. Preimplementation and postimplementation mean image noise and SSDE were compared by using unpaired t tests and F tests. Common-cause variation was differentiated from special-cause variation by using a statistical process control individual chart. A total of 817 CT examinations, 490 acquired before and 327 acquired after the initial protocol changes, were included in the study. Mean patient age and water-equivalent diameter were 12.0 years and 23.0 cm, respectively. The difference between actual and target noise increased from -1.4 to 0.3 HU (P process control chart identified several special causes of variation. Implementation of an automated CT radiation dose optimization system led to verifiable simultaneous decrease in image noise variation and SSDE. The automated nature of the system provides the opportunity for consistent CT radiation dose optimization on a broad scale. © RSNA, 2013.
Preliminary study on X-ray phase contrast imaging using synchrotron radiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Zhuang; Wang Jianhua; Yu Yongqiang; Jiang Shiping; Chen Yang; Tian Yulian

2006-01-01

Objective: To study the methodology of X-ray phase contrast imaging using synchrotron radiation, and evaluate the quality of phase contrast images. Methods: Several experiments to obtain phase contrast images and absorption contrast images of various biological samples were conducted in Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), and then these images were interpreted to find out the difference between the two kinds of imaging methods. Results: Satisfactory phase contrast images of these various samples were obtained, and the quality of these images was superior to that obtained with absorption contrast imaging. The phase contrast formation is based on the phenomenon of fresnel diffraction which transforms phase shifts into intensity variations upon a simple act of free-space propagation, so it requires highly coherent X-rays and appropriate distance between sample and detector. This method of imaging is very useful in imaging of low-absorption objects or objects with little absorption variation, and its resolution is far higher than that of the conventional X-ray imaging. The photographs obtained showed very fine inner microstructure of the biological samples, and the smallest microstructure to be distinguished is within 30-40 μm. There is no doubt that phase contrast imaging has a practical applicability in medicine. Moreover, it improves greatly the efficiency and the resolution of the existing X-ray diagnostic techniques. Conclusions: X-ray phase contrast imaging can be performed with synchrotron radiation source and has some advantages over the conventional absorption contrast imaging. (authors)
Gynecologic radiation therapy. Novel approaches to image-guidance and management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viswanathan, Akila N. [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Kirisits, Christian; Poetter, Richard (eds.) [Vienna General Hospital Medical Univ. (Austria). Dept. of Radiotherapy; Erickson, Beth E. [Medical College of Wisconsin Clinics Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, WI (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology

2011-07-01

Recent advances in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies led to a new worldwide consensus to introduce image guidance to gynecologic radiation therapy, particularly to brachytherapy. The book summarizes the changed practice of management: treatment planning for cervical cancer, not modified for over 60 years, has been shifted to an image-based approach, endometrial cancer management with an increase in the use of chemotherapy and vaginal brachytherapy, and vaginal cancer therapy including image guidance and high-dose delivery with IMRT. (orig.)
Radiation dosimetry estimates of "1"8F-alfatide II based on whole-body PET imaging of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Si-yang; Bao, Xiao; Wang, Ming-wei; Zhang, Yong-ping; Zhang, Ying-jian; Zhang, Jian-ping

2015-01-01

We estimated the dosimetry of "1"8F-alfatide II with the method established by MIRD based on biodistribution data of mice. Six mice (three females and three males) were scanned for 160 min on an Inveon MicroPET/CT scanner after injection of "1"8F-alfatide II via tail vein. Eight source organs were delineated on the CT images and their residence times calculated. The data was then converted to human using scaling factors based on organ and body weight. The absorbed doses for human and the resulting effective dose were computed by OLINDA 1.1 software. The highest absorbed doses was observed in urinary bladder wall (male 0.102 mGy/MBq, female 0.147 mGy/MBq); and the lowest one was detected in brain (male 0.0030 mGy/MBq, female 0.0036). The total effective doses were 0.0127 mSv/MBq for male and 0.0166 mSv/MBq for female, respectively. A 370-MBq injection of "1"8F-alfatide II led to an estimated effective dose of 4.70 mSv for male and 6.14 mSv for female. The potential radiation burden associated with "1"8F-alfatide II/PET imaging therefore is comparable to other PET examinations. - Highlights: • We demonstrated a proper mice model to estimate human radiation dosimetry. • This is the first paper to estimate human radiation dosimetry of "1"8F-alfatide II. • Estimated effective dose are in the range of routine nuclear medicine studies.
[Diagnostic imaging and radiation hazards].

Science.gov (United States)

Claudon, Michel; Guillaume, Luc

2015-01-01

For the last 20 years, the exposure of the population to medical radiation has been increased by 600%, mainly due to the extension of new imaging modalities such as CT or interventional radiology. The risk for radio-induced hazards is especially marked for children, because of the high sensivity of tissues to radiation especially during the first decade of the life. Two main ways allow to better control and reduce the mean effective dose per patient in diagnostic imaging: the introduction of recent technical improvement (i.e. low dose CT scans using iterative reconstruction algorithms, low dose technique for pediatric spine), and the substitution to non-radiating techniques such as ultrasound and MRI. The French National institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety periodically publishes dose reference levels for conventional films and CT examinations, for both adults and pediatric patients. A close relationship between clinicians and radiologists remains essential for a better appreciation of the risk/benefit ratio of each individual examination using X-Rays.
Six-frame picosecond radiation camera based on hydrated electron photoabsorption phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutts, G.W.; Olk, L.B.; Gates, H.A.; St Leger-Barter, G.

1977-01-01

To obtain picosecond photographs of nanosecond radiation sources, a six-frame ultra-high speed radiation camera based on hydrated electron absorption phenomena has been developed. A time-dependent opacity pattern is formed in an acidic aqueous cell by a pulsed radiation source. Six time-resolved picosecond images of this changing opacity pattern are transferred to photographic film with the use of a mode-locked dye laser and six electronically gated microchannel plate image intensifiers. Because the lifetime of the hydrated electron absorption centers can be reduced to picoseconds, the opacity patterns represent time-space pulse profile images
[A Method to Reconstruct Surface Reflectance Spectrum from Multispectral Image Based on Canopy Radiation Transfer Model].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yong-guang; Ma, Ling-ling; Li, Chuan-rong; Zhu, Xiao-hua; Tang, Ling-li

2015-07-01

Due to the lack of enough spectral bands for multi-spectral sensor, it is difficult to reconstruct surface retlectance spectrum from finite spectral information acquired by multi-spectral instrument. Here, taking into full account of the heterogeneity of pixel from remote sensing image, a method is proposed to simulate hyperspectral data from multispectral data based on canopy radiation transfer model. This method first assumes the mixed pixels contain two types of land cover, i.e., vegetation and soil. The sensitive parameters of Soil-Leaf-Canopy (SLC) model and a soil ratio factor were retrieved from multi-spectral data based on Look-Up Table (LUT) technology. Then, by combined with a soil ratio factor, all the parameters were input into the SLC model to simulate the surface reflectance spectrum from 400 to 2 400 nm. Taking Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image as reference image, the surface reflectance spectrum was simulated. The simulated reflectance spectrum revealed different feature information of different surface types. To test the performance of this method, the simulated reflectance spectrum was convolved with the Landsat ETM + spectral response curves and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) spectral response curves to obtain the simulated Landsat ETM+ and MODIS image. Finally, the simulated Landsat ETM+ and MODIS images were compared with the observed Landsat ETM+ and MODIS images. The results generally showed high correction coefficients (Landsat: 0.90-0.99, MODIS: 0.74-0.85) between most simulated bands and observed bands and indicated that the simulated reflectance spectrum was well simulated and reliable.
The use of a sky camera for solar radiation estimation based on digital image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso-Montesinos, J.; Batlles, F.J.

2015-01-01

The necessary search for a more sustainable global future means using renewable energy sources to generate pollutant-free electricity. CSP (Concentrated solar power) and PV (photovoltaic) plants are the systems most in demand for electricity production using solar radiation as the energy source. The main factors affecting final electricity generation in these plants are, among others, atmospheric conditions; therefore, knowing whether there will be any change in the solar radiation hitting the plant's solar field is of fundamental importance to CSP and PV plant operators in adapting the plant's operation mode to these fluctuations. Consequently, the most useful technology must involve the study of atmospheric conditions. This is the case for sky cameras, an emerging technology that allows one to gather sky information with optimal spatial and temporal resolution. Hence, in this work, a solar radiation estimation using sky camera images is presented for all sky conditions, where beam, diffuse and global solar radiation components are estimated in real-time as a novel way to evaluate the solar resource from a terrestrial viewpoint. - Highlights: • Using a sky camera, the solar resource has been estimated for one minute periods. • The sky images have been processed to estimate the solar radiation at pixel level. • The three radiation components have been estimated under all sky conditions. • Results have been presented for cloudless, partially-cloudy and overcast conditions. • For beam and global radiation, the nRMSE value is of about 11% under overcast skies.

Database for radiation therapy images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shalev, S.; Cosby, S.; Leszczynski, K.; Chu, T.

1989-01-01

The authors have developed a database for images acquired during simulation and verification of radiation treatments. Simulation images originate as planning films that are digitized with a video camera, or through direct digitization of fluoroscopic images. Verification images may also be digitized from portal films or acquired with an on-line portal imaging system. Images are classified by the patient, the fraction, the field direction, static or dynamic (movie) sequences, and the type of processing applied. Additional parameters indicate whether the source is a simulation or treatment, whether images are digitized film or real-time acquisitions, and whether treatment is portal or double exposure for beam localization. Examples are presented for images acquired, processed, stored, and displayed with on-line portal imaging system (OPIUM) and digital simulation system (FLIP)
Patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Conference proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-12-01

This document brings together the available presentations given at the conference organised by the French society of radiation protection about patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Twelve presentations (slides) are compiled in this document and deal with: 1 - Medical exposure of the French population: methodology and results (Bernard Aubert, IRSN); 2 - What indicators for the medical exposure? (Cecile Etard, IRSN); 3 - Guidebook of correct usage of medical imaging examination (Philippe Grenier, Pitie-Salpetriere hospital); 4 - Radiation protection optimization in pediatric imaging (Hubert Ducou-Le-Pointe, Aurelien Bouette (Armand-Trousseau children hospital); 5 - Children's exposure to image scanners: epidemiological survey (Marie-Odile Bernier, IRSN); 6 - Management of patient's irradiation: from image quality to good practice (Thierry Solaire, General Electric); 7 - Dose optimization in radiology (Cecile Salvat (Lariboisiere hospital); 8 - Cancer detection in the breast cancer planned screening program - 2004-2009 era (Agnes Rogel, InVS); 9 - Mammographic exposures - radiobiological effects - radio-induced DNA damages (Catherine Colin, Lyon Sud hospital); 10 - Breast cancer screening program - importance of non-irradiating techniques (Anne Tardivon, Institut Curie); 11 - Radiation protection justification for the medical imaging of patients over the age of 50 (Michel Bourguignon, ASN); 12 - Search for a molecular imprint for the discrimination between radio-induced and sporadic tumors (Sylvie Chevillard, CEA)
Laser system for testing radiation imaging detector circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Zubrzycka, Weronika; Kasinski, Krzysztof

2015-09-01

Performance and functionality of radiation imaging detector circuits in charge and position measurement systems need to meet tight requirements. It is therefore necessary to thoroughly test sensors as well as read-out electronics. The major disadvantages of using radioactive sources or particle beams for testing are high financial expenses and limited accessibility. As an alternative short pulses of well-focused laser beam are often used for preliminary tests. There are number of laser-based devices available on the market, but very often their applicability in this field is limited. This paper describes concept, design and validation of laser system for testing silicon sensor based radiation imaging detector circuits. The emphasis is put on keeping overall costs low while achieving all required goals: mobility, flexible parameters, remote control and possibility of carrying out automated tests. The main part of the developed device is an optical pick-up unit (OPU) used in optical disc drives. The hardware includes FPGA-controlled circuits for laser positioning in 2 dimensions (horizontal and vertical), precision timing (frequency and number) and amplitude (diode current) of short ns-scale (3.2 ns) light pulses. The system is controlled via USB interface by a dedicated LabVIEW-based application enabling full manual or semi-automated test procedures.
Tailoring four-dimensional cone-beam CT acquisition settings for fiducial marker-based image guidance in radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Peng; van Wieringen, Niek; Hulshof, Maarten C C M; Bel, Arjan; Alderliesten, Tanja

2018-04-01

Use of four-dimensional cone-beam CT (4D-CBCT) and fiducial markers for image guidance during radiation therapy (RT) of mobile tumors is challenging due to the trade-off among image quality, imaging dose, and scanning time. This study aimed to investigate different 4D-CBCT acquisition settings for good visibility of fiducial markers in 4D-CBCT. Using these 4D-CBCTs, the feasibility of marker-based 4D registration for RT setup verification and manual respiration-induced motion quantification was investigated. For this, we applied a dynamic phantom with three different breathing motion amplitudes and included two patients with implanted markers. Irrespective of the motion amplitude, for a medium field of view (FOV), marker visibility was improved by reducing the imaging dose per projection and increasing the number of projection images; however, the scanning time was 4 to 8 min. For a small FOV, the total imaging dose and the scanning time were reduced (62.5% of the dose using a medium FOV, 2.5 min) without losing marker visibility. However, the body contour could be missing for a small FOV, which is not preferred in RT. The marker-based 4D setup verification was feasible for both the phantom and patient data. Moreover, manual marker motion quantification can achieve a high accuracy with a mean error of [Formula: see text].
Orbital radiation imaging with various physical principles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, Toru; Itai, Yuji [Tsukuba Univ., Ibaraki (Japan). Inst. of Clinical Medicine

2001-06-01

This paper describes the characteristics of orbital radiation and authors' investigations on the high spatial resolution X ray-CT, fluorescence X ray-CT and phase-type X ray imaging. Orbital radiation is an X ray generated by relativistic electron bended by magnet in the synchrotron and possesses the high photon density/unit area (>100,000 times higher than that of the ordinary X ray generated by the tube) and broad energy spectrum, which make it possible to select the X ray with appropriate energy for the target. The high spatial resolution X-CT has the resolution of 0.05 mm in contrast to 0.5 mm of the ordinary X-CT and is used for the hard structure like tooth and bone. The CT images of rat lumbar vertebrae and artificial bone are presented. Fluorescence X-CT is utilized for detection of trace elements. Images of the thyroid are presented on iodine detection. Concerning the phase-type X-imaging, the principle using the X ray interferometer is described and actual phase-images of blood vessels and 3-demensional ones of metastatic colon cancer in the liver are given. Imaging with the orbital radiation can be a useful technique in the near future. (K.H.)
Orbital radiation imaging with various physical principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Toru; Itai, Yuji

2001-01-01

This paper describes the characteristics of orbital radiation and authors' investigations on the high spatial resolution X ray-CT, fluorescence X ray-CT and phase-type X ray imaging. Orbital radiation is an X ray generated by relativistic electron bended by magnet in the synchrotron and possesses the high photon density/unit area (>100,000 times higher than that of the ordinary X ray generated by the tube) and broad energy spectrum, which make it possible to select the X ray with appropriate energy for the target. The high spatial resolution X-CT has the resolution of 0.05 mm in contrast to 0.5 mm of the ordinary X-CT and is used for the hard structure like tooth and bone. The CT images of rat lumbar vertebrae and artificial bone are presented. Fluorescence X-CT is utilized for detection of trace elements. Images of the thyroid are presented on iodine detection. Concerning the phase-type X-imaging, the principle using the X ray interferometer is described and actual phase-images of blood vessels and 3-demensional ones of metastatic colon cancer in the liver are given. Imaging with the orbital radiation can be a useful technique in the near future. (K.H.)
GammaCam trademark radiation imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-02-01

GammaCam trademark, a gamma-ray imaging system manufactured by AIL System, Inc., would benefit a site that needs to locate radiation sources. It is capable of producing a two-dimensional image of a radiation field superimposed on a black and white visual image. Because the system can be positioned outside the radiologically controlled area, the radiation exposure to personnel is significantly reduced and extensive shielding is not required. This report covers the following topics: technology description; performance; technology applicability and alternatives; cost; regulatory and policy issues; and lessons learned. The demonstration of GammaCam trademark in December 1996 was part of the Large-Scale Demonstration Project (LSDP) whose objective is to select and demonstrate potentially beneficial technologies at the Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL) Chicago Pile-5 Research Reactor (CP-5). The purpose of the LSDP is to demonstrate that by using innovative and improved decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) technologies from various sources, significant benefits can be achieved when compared to baseline D and D technologies
Radiotherapy supporting system based on the image database using IS&C magneto-optical disk

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, Yutaka; Tsukamoto, Nobuhiro; Kunieda, Etsuo; Kubo, Atsushi

1994-05-01

Since radiation oncologists make the treatment plan by prior experience, information about previous cases is helpful in planning the radiation treatment. We have developed an supporting system for the radiation therapy. The case-based reasoning method was implemented in order to search old treatments and images of past cases. This system evaluates similarities between the current case and all stored cases (case base). The portal images of the similar cases can be retrieved for reference images, as well as treatment records which show examples of the radiation treatment. By this system radiotherapists can easily make suitable plans of the radiation therapy. This system is useful to prevent inaccurate plannings due to preconceptions and/or lack of knowledge. Images were stored into magneto-optical disks and the demographic data is recorded to the hard disk which is equipped in the personal computer. Images can be displayed quickly on the radiotherapist's demands. The radiation oncologist can refer past cases which are recorded in the case base and decide the radiation treatment of the current case. The file and data format of magneto-optical disk is the IS&C format. This format provides the interchangeability and reproducibility of the medical information which includes images and other demographic data.
Radiation imaging apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

This invention relates to a radiation imaging apparatus. It relates more particularly to apparatus of this general type which employs stationary X-ray source and detector arrays capable of acquiring multiple ultrafast scans per second to facilitate the dynamic study of moving human organs such as the beating heart. While the invention has many applications, it has particular utility in connection with computerized tomographic (CT) scanners. (Auth.)
Multimodality Image Fusion and Planning and Dose Delivery for Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saw, Cheng B.; Chen Hungcheng; Beatty, Ron E.; Wagner, Henry

2008-01-01

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) relies on the quality of fused images to yield accurate and reproducible patient setup prior to dose delivery. The registration of 2 image datasets can be characterized as hardware-based or software-based image fusion. Hardware-based image fusion is performed by hybrid scanners that combine 2 distinct medical imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) into a single device. In hybrid scanners, the patient maintains the same position during both studies making the fusion of image data sets simple. However, it cannot perform temporal image registration where image datasets are acquired at different times. On the other hand, software-based image fusion technique can merge image datasets taken at different times or with different medical imaging modalities. Software-based image fusion can be performed either manually, using landmarks, or automatically. In the automatic image fusion method, the best fit is evaluated using mutual information coefficient. Manual image fusion is typically performed at dose planning and for patient setup prior to dose delivery for IGRT. The fusion of orthogonal live radiographic images taken prior to dose delivery to digitally reconstructed radiographs will be presented. Although manual image fusion has been routinely used, the use of fiducial markers has shortened the fusion time. Automated image fusion should be possible for IGRT because the image datasets are derived basically from the same imaging modality, resulting in further shortening the fusion time. The advantages and limitations of both hardware-based and software-based image fusion methodologies are discussed
Internet-based ICRP resource for healthcare providers on the risks and benefits of medical imaging that uses ionising radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Demeter, S; Applegate, K E; Perez, M

2016-06-01

The purpose of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Committee 3 Working Party was to update the 2001 web-based module 'Radiation and your patient: a guide for medical practitioners' from ICRP. The key elements of this task were: to clearly identify the target audience (such as healthcare providers with an emphasis on primary care); to review other reputable sources of information; and to succinctly publish the contribution made by ICRP to the various topics. A 'question-and-answer' format addressing practical topics was adopted. These topics included benefits and risks of imaging using ionising radiation in common medical situations, as well as pertaining to specific populations such as pregnant, breast-feeding, and paediatric patients. In general, the benefits of medical imaging and related procedures far outweigh the potential risks associated with ionising radiation exposure. However, it is still important to ensure that the examinations are clinically justified, that the procedure is optimised to deliver the lowest dose commensurate with the medical purpose, and that consideration is given to diagnostic reference levels for particular classes of examinations. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Temporal regularization of ultrasound-based liver motion estimation for image-guided radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O’Shea, Tuathan P., E-mail: tuathan.oshea@icr.ac.uk; Bamber, Jeffrey C.; Harris, Emma J. [Joint Department of Physics, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS foundation Trust, Sutton, London SM2 5PT (United Kingdom)

2016-01-15

Purpose: Ultrasound-based motion estimation is an expanding subfield of image-guided radiation therapy. Although ultrasound can detect tissue motion that is a fraction of a millimeter, its accuracy is variable. For controlling linear accelerator tracking and gating, ultrasound motion estimates must remain highly accurate throughout the imaging sequence. This study presents a temporal regularization method for correlation-based template matching which aims to improve the accuracy of motion estimates. Methods: Liver ultrasound sequences (15–23 Hz imaging rate, 2.5–5.5 min length) from ten healthy volunteers under free breathing were used. Anatomical features (blood vessels) in each sequence were manually annotated for comparison with normalized cross-correlation based template matching. Five sequences from a Siemens Acuson™ scanner were used for algorithm development (training set). Results from incremental tracking (IT) were compared with a temporal regularization method, which included a highly specific similarity metric and state observer, known as the α–β filter/similarity threshold (ABST). A further five sequences from an Elekta Clarity™ system were used for validation, without alteration of the tracking algorithm (validation set). Results: Overall, the ABST method produced marked improvements in vessel tracking accuracy. For the training set, the mean and 95th percentile (95%) errors (defined as the difference from manual annotations) were 1.6 and 1.4 mm, respectively (compared to 6.2 and 9.1 mm, respectively, for IT). For each sequence, the use of the state observer leads to improvement in the 95% error. For the validation set, the mean and 95% errors for the ABST method were 0.8 and 1.5 mm, respectively. Conclusions: Ultrasound-based motion estimation has potential to monitor liver translation over long time periods with high accuracy. Nonrigid motion (strain) and the quality of the ultrasound data are likely to have an impact on tracking
X-ray phase-contrast CT imaging of the acupoints based on synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chenglin, Liu; Xiaohua, Wang; Hua, Xu; Fang, Liu; Ruishan, Dang; Dongming, Zhang; Xinyi, Zhang; Honglan, Xie; Tiqiao, Xiao

2014-01-01

In this paper, the morphology of the acupuncture point (abbreviated as acupoint hereafter) or tissue where there were no acupoints in the fractional rabbit hind limb was studied by in-line phase contrast CT imaging (PCI-CT) methods based on synchrotron radiation. The density of micro-vessels was calculated for tissues with acupoints or without acupoints. Differences between acupoints area and non-acupoint areas determined by the density of the micro-vessels propose a strong evidence of the existence of acupoints. Our results showed that there were two significantly higher densities of the micro-vessels, where two acupoints were located, respectively. In addition, there were large numbers of involutedly microvascular structure in the acupoint areas. Nevertheless, in non-acupoints area, the microvascular structure was relatively simple and flat
X-ray phase-contrast CT imaging of the acupoints based on synchrotron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chenglin, Liu, E-mail: lclyctc@163.com [Physics Department of Yancheng Teachers’ College, Yancheng 224051 (China); Xiaohua, Wang; Hua, Xu [Physics Department of Yancheng Teachers’ College, Yancheng 224051 (China); Fang, Liu; Ruishan, Dang [Anatomy Department of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Dongming, Zhang; Xinyi, Zhang [Synchrotron Radiation Research Center of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Honglan, Xie; Tiqiao, Xiao [Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility of Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, CAS, Shanghai 201800 (China)

2014-10-15

In this paper, the morphology of the acupuncture point (abbreviated as acupoint hereafter) or tissue where there were no acupoints in the fractional rabbit hind limb was studied by in-line phase contrast CT imaging (PCI-CT) methods based on synchrotron radiation. The density of micro-vessels was calculated for tissues with acupoints or without acupoints. Differences between acupoints area and non-acupoint areas determined by the density of the micro-vessels propose a strong evidence of the existence of acupoints. Our results showed that there were two significantly higher densities of the micro-vessels, where two acupoints were located, respectively. In addition, there were large numbers of involutedly microvascular structure in the acupoint areas. Nevertheless, in non-acupoints area, the microvascular structure was relatively simple and flat.
Tomographic imaging of matter using primary and secondary X-and gamma-radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holloway, I.E.

1991-04-01

Gamma rays may interact with matter by a variety of processes, many of which give rise to secondary radiations. This thesis examines the possibility of performing tomographic imaging by means of these secondary photons using low-cost apparatus. The techniques are compared with each other and with transmission tomography, which plays such an important role in modern diagnostic imaging. The progress of industrial tomography is reviewed as are techniques of investigation using gamma ray scattering in both industry and medicine. Some new applications of a simple gamma ray computerized tomography (CT) scanner have been performed. A method of determining the spatial distribution of pure beta emitters in matter by performing tomographic imaging using the bremsstrahlung radiation produced by the beta particles has been demonstrated. This technique has been shown to permit imaging at depths in material greatly exceeding the range of beta particles in matter. All the imaging techniques using secondary radiation have displayed two principal limitations: long scanning times and poor quantitative accuracy. The low scanning rate results from the small number of secondary photons that are detected. The major contributing factors to poor accuracy are attenuation and the noise produced by unwanted in-scattering. The possible applications for secondary photon imaging have been briefly outlined and some suggestions for future work are included. Although techniques based upon imaging using secondary radiation will not be able to compete with transmission CT in the vast majority of applications, they may prove valuable in a range of specialised fields. (author)
Short-Term Solar Irradiance Forecasts Using Sky Images and Radiative Transfer Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Du

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a novel forecast method which addresses the difficulty in short-term solar irradiance forecasting that arises due to rapidly evolving environmental factors over short time periods. This involves the forecasting of Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI that combines prediction sky images with a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM. The prediction images (up to 10 min ahead are produced by a non-local optical flow method, which is used to calculate the cloud motion for each pixel, with consecutive sky images at 1 min intervals. The Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI and the diffuse radiation intensity field under clear sky and overcast conditions obtained from the RTM are then mapped to the sky images. Through combining the cloud locations on the prediction image with the corresponding instance of image-based DNI and diffuse radiation intensity fields, the GHI can be quantitatively forecasted for time horizons of 1–10 min ahead. The solar forecasts are evaluated in terms of root mean square error (RMSE and mean absolute error (MAE in relation to in-situ measurements and compared to the performance of the persistence model. The results of our experiment show that GHI forecasts using the proposed method perform better than the persistence model.
Identifying Vulnerable Plaques with Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Joshua Ryan

The rupture of arterial plaques is the most common cause of ischemic complications including stroke, the fourth leading cause of death and number one cause of long term disability in the United States. Unfortunately, because conventional diagnostic tools fail to identify plaques that confer the highest risk, often a disabling stroke and/or sudden death is the first sign of disease. A diagnostic method capable of characterizing plaque vulnerability would likely enhance the predictive ability and ultimately the treatment of stroke before the onset of clinical events. This dissertation evaluates the hypothesis that Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging can noninvasively identify lipid regions, that have been shown to increase a plaque's propensity to rupture, within carotid artery plaques in vivo. The work detailed herein describes development efforts and results from simulations and experiments that were performed to evaluate this hypothesis. To first demonstrate feasibility and evaluate potential safety concerns, finite- element method simulations are used to model the response of carotid artery plaques to an acoustic radiation force excitation. Lipid pool visualization is shown to vary as a function of lipid pool geometry and stiffness. A comparison of the resulting Von Mises stresses indicates that stresses induced by an ARFI excitation are three orders of magnitude lower than those induced by blood pressure. This thesis also presents the development of a novel pulse inversion harmonic tracking method to reduce clutter-imposed errors in ultrasound-based tissue displacement estimates. This method is validated in phantoms and was found to reduce bias and jitter displacement errors for a marked improvement in image quality in vivo. Lastly, this dissertation presents results from a preliminary in vivo study that compares ARFI imaging derived plaque stiffness with spatially registered composition determined by a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) gold standard
Imaging Changes in Pediatric Intracranial Ependymoma Patients Treated With Proton Beam Radiation Therapy Compared to Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunther, Jillian R.; Sato, Mariko; Chintagumpala, Murali; Ketonen, Leena; Jones, Jeremy Y.; Allen, Pamela K.; Paulino, Arnold C.; Okcu, M. Fatih; Su, Jack M.; Weinberg, Jeffrey; Boehling, Nicholas S.; Khatua, Soumen; Adesina, Adekunle; Dauser, Robert; Whitehead, William E.; Mahajan, Anita

2015-01-01

Purpose: The clinical significance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes after radiation therapy (RT) in children with ependymoma is not well defined. We compared imaging changes following proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT) to those after photon-based intensity modulated RT (IMRT). Methods and Materials: Seventy-two patients with nonmetastatic intracranial ependymoma who received postoperative RT (37 PBRT, 35 IMRT) were analyzed retrospectively. MRI images were reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists. Results: Sixteen PBRT patients (43%) developed postradiation MRI changes at 3.8 months (median) with resolution by 6.1 months. Six IMRT patients (17%) developed changes at 5.3 months (median) with 8.3 months to resolution. Mean age at radiation was 4.4 and 6.9 years for PBRT and IMRT, respectively (P=.06). Age at diagnosis (>3 years) and time of radiation (≥3 years) was associated with fewer imaging changes on univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR]: 0.35, P=.048; OR: 0.36, P=.05). PBRT (compared to IMRT) was associated with more frequent imaging changes, both on univariate (OR: 3.68, P=.019) and multivariate (OR: 3.89, P=.024) analyses. Seven (3 IMRT, 4 PBRT) of 22 patients with changes had symptoms requiring intervention. Most patients were treated with steroids; some PBRT patients also received bevacizumab and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. None of the IMRT patients had lasting deficits, but 2 patients died from recurrent disease. Three PBRT patients had persistent neurological deficits, and 1 child died secondarily to complications from radiation necrosis. Conclusions: Postradiation MRI changes are more common with PBRT and in patients less than 3 years of age at diagnosis and treatment. It is difficult to predict causes for development of imaging changes that progress to clinical significance. These changes are usually self-limiting, but some require medical intervention, especially those involving the brainstem
Integration of on-line imaging, plan adaptation and radiation delivery: proof of concept using digital tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mestrovic, Ante; Otto, Karl; Nichol, Alan; Clark, Brenda G

2009-01-01

The main objective of this manuscript is to propose a new approach to on-line adaptive radiation therapy (ART) in which daily image acquisition, plan adaptation and radiation delivery are integrated together and performed concurrently. A method is described in which on-line ART is performed based on intra-fractional digital tomosynthesis (DTS) images. Intra-fractional DTS images were reconstructed as the gantry rotated between treatment positions. An edge detection algorithm was used to automatically segment the DTS images as the gantry arrived at each treatment position. At each treatment position, radiation was delivered based on the treatment plan re-optimized for the most recent DTS image contours. To investigate the feasibility of this method, a model representing a typical prostate, bladder and rectum was used. To simulate prostate deformations, three clinically relevant, non-rigid deformations (small, medium and large) were modeled by systematically deforming the original anatomy. Using our approach to on-line ART, the original treatment plan was successfully adapted to arrive at a clinically acceptable plan for all three non-rigid deformations. In conclusion, we have proposed a new approach to on-line ART in which plan adaptation is performed based on intra-fractional DTS images. The study findings indicate that this approach can be used to re-optimize the original treatment plan to account for non-rigid anatomical deformations. The advantages of this approach are 1) image acquisition and radiation delivery are integrated in a single gantry rotation around the patient, reducing the treatment time, and 2) intra-fractional DTS images can be used to detect and correct for patient motion prior to the delivery of each beam (intra-fractional patient motion).
Lung cancer and angiogenesis imaging using synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaoxia; Zhao Jun; Xu, Lisa X; Sun Jianqi; Gu Xiang; Liu Ping; Xiao Tiqiao

2010-01-01

Early detection of lung cancer is the key to a cure, but a difficult task using conventional x-ray imaging. In the present study, synchrotron radiation in-line phase-contrast imaging was used to study lung cancer. Lewis lung cancer and 4T1 breast tumor metastasis in the lung were imaged, and the differences were clearly shown in comparison to normal lung tissue. The effect of the object-detector distance and the energy level on the phase-contrast difference was investigated and found to be in good agreement with the theory of in-line phase-contrast imaging. Moreover, 3D image reconstruction of lung tumor angiogenesis was obtained for the first time using a contrast agent, demonstrating the feasibility of micro-angiography with synchrotron radiation for imaging tumor angiogenesis deep inside the body.

WE-A-BRF-01: Dual-Energy CT Imaging in Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molloi, S; Li, B; Yin, F; Chen, H

2014-01-01

classification based on calcium scores shows excellent agreement with classification on the basis of conventional coronary artery calcium scoring. These studies demonstrate dual-energy cardiovascular CT can potentially be a noninvasive and sensitive modality in high risk patients. On-board KV/MV Imaging. To enhance soft tissue contrast and reduce metal artifacts, we have developed a dual-energy CBCT technique and a novel on-board kV/MV imaging technique based on hardware available on modern linear accelerators. We have also evaluated the feasibility of these two techniques in various phantom studies. Optimal techniques (energy, beam filtration, # of overlapping projections, etc) have been investigated with unique calibration procedures, which leads to successful decomposition of imaged material into acrylic-aluminum basis material pair. This enables the synthesis of virtual monochromatic (VM) CBCT images that demonstrate much less beam hardening, significantly reduced metal artifacts, and/or higher soft tissue CNR compared to single-energy CBCT. Adaptive Radiation Therapy. DECT could actually contribute to the area of Dose-Guided Radiation Therapy (or Adaptive Therapy). The application of DECT imaging using 80kV and 140 kV combinations could potentially increase the image quality by reducing the bone or high density material artifacts and also increase the soft tissue contrast by a light contrast agent. The result of this higher contrast / quality images is beneficial for deformable image registration / segmentation algorithm to improve its accuracy hence to make adaptive therapy less time consuming in its recontouring process. The real time re-planning prior to per treatment fraction could become more realistic with this improvement especially in hypofractional SBRT cases. Learning Objectives: Learn recent developments of dual-energy imaging in diagnosis and radiation therapy; Understand the unique clinical problem and required quantification accuracy in each application
SORIS—A standoff radiation imaging system

Science.gov (United States)

Zelakiewicz, Scott; Hoctor, Ralph; Ivan, Adrian; Ross, William; Nieters, Edward; Smith, William; McDevitt, Daniel; Wittbrodt, Michael; Milbrath, Brian

2011-10-01

The detection of radiological and special nuclear material within the country's borders is a crucial component of the national security network. Being able to detect small amounts of radiological material at large distances is especially important for search applications. To provide this capability General Electric's Research Center has developed, as a part of DNDO's standoff radiation detection system advanced technology demonstration (SORDS-ATD) program, a standoff radiation imaging system (SORIS). This vehicle-based system is capable of detecting weak sources at large distances in relatively short times. To accomplish this, GE has developed a novel coded aperture detector based on commercial components from GE Healthcare. An array of commercial gamma cameras modified to increase the system efficiency and energy range are used as position sensitive detectors. Unlike typical coded aperture systems, however, SORIS employs a non-planar mask and thus does not suffer the typical limitations of partially encoded regions giving it a wide field of view. Source identification is done using both low-statistics anomaly indicators and conventional high-statistics algorithms being developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of scanned areas and threats identified are displayed to the user and overlaid on satellite imagery.
SORIS-A standoff radiation imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelakiewicz, Scott; Hoctor, Ralph; Ivan, Adrian; Ross, William; Nieters, Edward; Smith, William; McDevitt, Daniel; Wittbrodt, Michael; Milbrath, Brian

2011-01-01

The detection of radiological and special nuclear material within the country's borders is a crucial component of the national security network. Being able to detect small amounts of radiological material at large distances is especially important for search applications. To provide this capability General Electric's Research Center has developed, as a part of DNDO's standoff radiation detection system advanced technology demonstration (SORDS-ATD) program, a standoff radiation imaging system (SORIS). This vehicle-based system is capable of detecting weak sources at large distances in relatively short times. To accomplish this, GE has developed a novel coded aperture detector based on commercial components from GE Healthcare. An array of commercial gamma cameras modified to increase the system efficiency and energy range are used as position sensitive detectors. Unlike typical coded aperture systems, however, SORIS employs a non-planar mask and thus does not suffer the typical limitations of partially encoded regions giving it a wide field of view. Source identification is done using both low-statistics anomaly indicators and conventional high-statistics algorithms being developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of scanned areas and threats identified are displayed to the user and overlaid on satellite imagery.
Algorithm-enabled exploration of image-quality potential of cone-beam CT in image-guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Xiao; Sidky, Emil Y; Pan, Xiaochuan; Pearson, Erik; Pelizzari, Charles; Al-Hallaq, Hania; Bian, Junguo

2015-01-01

Kilo-voltage (KV) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) unit mounted onto a linear accelerator treatment system, often referred to as on-board imager (OBI), plays an increasingly important role in image-guided radiation therapy. While the FDK algorithm is currently used for reconstructing images from clinical OBI data, optimization-based reconstruction has also been investigated for OBI CBCT. An optimization-based reconstruction involves numerous parameters, which can significantly impact reconstruction properties (or utility). The success of an optimization-based reconstruction for a particular class of practical applications thus relies strongly on appropriate selection of parameter values. In the work, we focus on tailoring the constrained-TV-minimization-based reconstruction, an optimization-based reconstruction previously shown of some potential for CBCT imaging conditions of practical interest, to OBI imaging through appropriate selection of parameter values. In particular, for given real data of phantoms and patient collected with OBI CBCT, we first devise utility metrics specific to OBI-quality-assurance tasks and then apply them to guiding the selection of parameter values in constrained-TV-minimization-based reconstruction. The study results show that the reconstructions are with improvement, relative to clinical FDK reconstruction, in both visualization and quantitative assessments in terms of the devised utility metrics. (paper)
A method to measure internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Qijie; Chang, Songtao; Li, Zhou; He, Fengyun; Qiao, Yanfeng

2017-03-01

The suppression level of internal stray radiation is a key criterion for infrared imaging systems, especially for high-precision cryogenic infrared imaging systems. To achieve accurate measurement for internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures, a measurement method, which is based on radiometric calibration, is presented in this paper. First of all, the calibration formula is deduced considering the integration time, and the effect of ambient temperature on internal stray radiation is further analyzed in detail. Then, an approach is proposed to measure the internal stray radiation of cryogenic infrared imaging systems under various ambient temperatures. By calibrating the system under two ambient temperatures, the quantitative relation between the internal stray radiation and the ambient temperature can be acquired, and then the internal stray radiation of the cryogenic infrared imaging system under various ambient temperatures can be calculated. Finally, several experiments are performed in a chamber with controllable inside temperatures to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can be used to measure internal stray radiation with high accuracy at various ambient temperatures and integration times. The proposed method has some advantages, such as simple implementation and the capability of high-precision measurement. The measurement results can be used to guide the stray radiation suppression and to test whether the internal stray radiation suppression performance meets the requirement or not.
ALARA and paediatric imaging in radiation therapy: A survey of Canadian paediatric imaging practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgerson, Christine

2014-01-01

Purpose: There is little discussion in the literature regarding paediatric imaging dose reduction with respect to conventional imaging carried out in radiotherapy departments. This is in contrast to diagnostic radiography where dose optimization when imaging children is a very current topic. For this reason Canadian radiotherapy clinics were surveyed to look at paediatric imaging practice, knowledge and perspectives with respect to imaging dose reduction. Method: As this was an exploratory study, a questionnaire was developed and sent to radiation therapy clinics across Canada, via email, to assess knowledge of paediatric imaging and dose reduction initiatives. The questionnaire focus was CT simulation and treatment verification imaging of children. Results: Practice and knowledge of paediatric imaging varied across Canada. Forty percent of clinics reported using paediatric specific protocols for CT simulation and 20% of clinics reported using paediatric specific protocols for treatment verification imaging. There was variation in imaging practices among the clinics that reported treating the most children. The survey results show that while some measures are being taken to reduce paediatric imaging dose in radiation therapy, 46.7% of the respondents felt more could be done. Conclusion: The survey demonstrates interest in dose reduction in radiation therapy imaging as well as differences in current practice and knowledge across Canada. Paediatric imaging dose reduction would appear to be an area of practice that would benefit from more study and development of standards of practice
KERMA-based radiation dose management system for real-time patient dose measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyo-Tae; Heo, Ye-Ji; Oh, Kyung-Min; Nam, Sang-Hee; Kang, Sang-Sik; Park, Ji-Koon; Song, Yong-Keun; Park, Sung-Kwang

2016-07-01

Because systems that reduce radiation exposure during diagnostic procedures must be developed, significant time and financial resources have been invested in constructing radiation dose management systems. In the present study, the characteristics of an existing ionization-based system were compared to those of a system based on the kinetic energy released per unit mass (KERMA). Furthermore, the feasibility of using the KERMA-based system for patient radiation dose management was verified. The ionization-based system corrected the effects resulting from radiation parameter perturbations in general radiography whereas the KERMA-based system did not. Because of this difference, the KERMA-based radiation dose management system might overestimate the patient's radiation dose due to changes in the radiation conditions. Therefore, if a correction factor describing the correlation between the systems is applied to resolve this issue, then a radiation dose management system can be developed that will enable real-time measurement of the patient's radiation exposure and acquisition of diagnostic images.
Radiation exposure and image quality in X-ray diagnostic radiology. Physical principles and clinical applications. 2. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saebel, Manfred; Aichinger, Horst; Dierker, Joachim; Joite-Barfuss, Sigrid

2012-01-01

Diagnostic X-rays are the largest contributor to radiation exposure to the general population, and protecting the patient from radiation damage is a major aim of modern health policy. Once the decision has been taken to use ionising radiation for imaging in a particular patient, it is necessary to optimize the image acquisition process taking into account the diagnostic quality of the images and the radiation dose to the patient. Both image quality and radiation dose are affected by a number of parameters, knowledge of which permits scientifically based decision making. The authors of this second edition of Radiation Exposure and Image Quality in X-ray Diagnostic Radiology have spent many years studying the optimization of radiological imaging. In this book they present in detail the basic physical principles of diagnostic radiology and their application to clinical problems. Particular attention is devoted to evaluation of the dose to the patient, the influence of scattered radiation on image quality, the use of antiscatter grids, and optimization of image quality and dose. The final section is a supplement containing tables of data and graphical depictions of X-ray spectra, interaction coefficients, characteristics of X-ray beams, and other aspects relevant to patient dose calculations. In addition, a complementary CD-ROM contains a user-friendly Excel file database covering these aspects that can be used in the reader's own programs. Since the first edition, the text, figures, tables, and references have all been thoroughly updated, and more detailed attention is now paid to image quality and radiation exposure when using digital imaging and computed tomography. This book will be an invaluable aid to medical physicists when performing calculations relating to patient dose and image quality, and will also prove useful for diagnostic radiologists and engineers. (orig.)
Atlas-based deformable image registration for MRI-guided prostate radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowling, J.; Fripp, J.; Salvado, O.; Lambert, J.; Denham, J.W.; Capp, A.; Grer, P.B.; Parker, J.

2010-01-01

Full text: To develop atlas-based deformable image registration methods to automatically segment organs and map electron densities to pelvic MRI scans for MRI-guided radiation therapy. Methods An MRT pelvic atlas and corresponding CT atlas were developed based on whole pelvic T 2 MRI scans and CT scans for 39 patients. Expert manual segmentations on both MRI and CT scans were obtained. The atlas was deformably registered to the individual patient MRI scans for automatic prostate, rectum, bladder and bone segmentation. These were compared to the manual segmentations using the Dice overlap coefficient. The same deformation vectors were then applied to the CT-atlas to produce pseudo-CT scans that correspond to the patient MRI scan anatomy but are populated with Hounsfield units. The original patient plan was recalculated on the pseudo-CT and compared to the original CT plan and bulk density plans on the MRI scans. Results Dice coefficient results were high (>0.8) for bone and prostate but lower (<0.7) for bladder and rectum which exhibit greater changes in shape and volume. Doses calculated on pseudo-CT scans were within 3% of original patient plans. Two sources of discrepancy were found; MR anatomy differences from CT due to patient setup differences at the MR scanner. and Hounsfield unit differences for bone in the pseudo-CT from original CT. Patient setup will be adressed with a
Reducing radiation dose without compromising image quality in preoperative perforator flap imaging with CTA using ASIR technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Niumsawatt, Vachara; Debrotwir, Andrew N; Rozen, Warren Matthew

2014-01-01

Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has become a mainstay in preoperative perforator flap planning in the modern era of reconstructive surgery. However, the increased use of CTA does raise the concern of radiation exposure to patients. Several techniques have been developed to decrease radiation dosage without compromising image quality, with varying results. The most recent advance is in the improvement of image reconstruction using an adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) algorithm. We sought to evaluate the image quality of ASIR in preoperative deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap surgery, through a direct comparison with conventional filtered back projection (FBP) images. A prospective review of 60 consecutive ASIR and 60 consecutive FBP CTA images using similar protocol (except for radiation dosage) was undertaken, analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. In both groups, we were able to accurately identify axial arteries and their perforators. Subjective analysis of image quality demonstrated no statistically significant difference between techniques. ASIR can thus be used for preoperative imaging with similar image quality to FBP, but with a 60% reduction in radiation delivery to patients.
The key network communication technology in large radiation image cooperative process system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zheng; Kang Kejun; Gao Wenhuan; Wang Jingjin

1998-01-01

Large container inspection system (LCIS) based on radiation imaging technology is a powerful tool for the customs to check the contents inside a large container without opening it. An image distributed network system is composed of operation manager station, image acquisition station, environment control station, inspection processing station, check-in station, check-out station, database station by using advanced network technology. Mass data, such as container image data, container general information, manifest scanning data, commands and status, must be on-line transferred between different stations. Advanced network communication technology is presented
The Use of Radiation Detectors in Medicine: Radiation Detectors for Morphological Imaging (1/3)

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

The development of radiation detectors in the field of nuclear and particle physics has had a terrific impact in medical imaging since this latter discipline took off in late ’70 with the invention of the CT scanners. The massive use in High Energy Physics of position sensitive gas detectors, of high Z and high density scintillators coupled to Photomultiplier (PMT) and Position Sensitive Photomultipliers (PSPMT), and of solid state detectors has triggered during the last 30 years a series of novel applications in Medical Imaging with ionizing radiation. The accelerated scientific progression in genetics and molecular biology has finally generated what it is now called Molecular Imaging. This field of research presents additional challenges not only in the technology of radiation detector, but more and more in the ASIC electronics, fast digital readout and parallel software. In this series of three lectures I will try to present how high energy physics and medical imaging development have both benefited by t...
The Use of Radiation Detectors in Medicine: Radiation Detectors for Functional Imaging (2/3)

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

The development of radiation detectors in the field of nuclear and particle physics has had a terrific impact in medical imaging since this latter discipline took off in late ’70 with the invention of the CT scanners. The massive use in High Energy Physics of position sensitive gas detectors, of high Z and high density scintillators coupled to Photomultiplier (PMT) and Position Sensitive Photomultipliers (PSPMT), and of solid state detectors has triggered during the last 30 years a series of novel applications in Medical Imaging with ionizing radiation. The accelerated scientific progression in genetics and molecular biology has finally generated what it is now called Molecular Imaging. This field of research presents additional challenges not only in the technology of radiation detector, but more and more in the ASIC electronics, fast digital readout and parallel software. In this series of three lectures I will try to present how high energy physics and medical imaging development have both benefited by t...
Recent state of CdTe-based radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, R.

2004-01-01

Recent state for development of CdTe-based radiation detectors is reviewed. The progress of the technologies such as the crystal growth of CdTe and CdZnTe, the deposition of electrodes on the crystal, the design of read out ASIC, and the bonding between crystal and ASIC, opened the way for the development of imaging devices for practical uses. A X-ray imager for non destructive inspections and a gamma ray imager for small animal radioisotope experiments or nuclear medicine are presented as examples. (author)
Investigation of cone-beam CT image quality trade-off for image-guided radiation therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Junguo; Sharp, Gregory C.; Park, Yang-Kyun; Ouyang, Jinsong; Bortfeld, Thomas; El Fakhri, Georges

2016-05-01

It is well-known that projections acquired over an angular range slightly over 180° (so-called short scan) are sufficient for fan-beam reconstruction. However, due to practical imaging conditions (projection data and reconstruction image discretization, physical factors, and data noise), the short-scan reconstructions may have different appearances and properties from the full-scan (scans over 360°) reconstructions. Nevertheless, short-scan configurations have been used in applications such as cone-beam CT (CBCT) for head-neck-cancer image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) that only requires a small field of view due to the potential reduced imaging time and dose. In this work, we studied the image quality trade-off for full, short, and full/short scan configurations with both conventional filtered-backprojection (FBP) reconstruction and iterative reconstruction algorithms based on total-variation (TV) minimization for head-neck-cancer IGRT. Anthropomorphic and Catphan phantoms were scanned at different exposure levels with a clinical scanner used in IGRT. Both visualization- and numerical-metric-based evaluation studies were performed. The results indicate that the optimal exposure level and number of views are in the middle range for both FBP and TV-based iterative algorithms and the optimization is object-dependent and task-dependent. The optimal view numbers decrease with the total exposure levels for both FBP and TV-based algorithms. The results also indicate there are slight differences between FBP and TV-based iterative algorithms for the image quality trade-off: FBP seems to be more in favor of larger number of views while the TV-based algorithm is more robust to different data conditions (number of views and exposure levels) than the FBP algorithm. The studies can provide a general guideline for image-quality optimization for CBCT used in IGRT and other applications.
Molecular image guided radiation therapy-MIGRT in radiobioluminescence and nanoradioguidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, V.L. Papineni

2014-01-01

Accurate dose delivery to malignant tissue in radiotherapy is essential for enhancing the treatment efficacy while minimizing morbidity of surrounding normal tissues. Advances in therapeutic strategies and diagnosis technologies along with our understanding of the biology of tumor response to radiation therapy have paved way to allow nearly 60% of current cancer patients to be treated with Radiation Therapy. The confluence of molecular imaging and nanotechnology fields are bridging physics and medicine and are quickly making strides in opening new avenues and therapeutic strategies that complement radiation therapy - with a distinct footprint in immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy, and targeted chemotherapy. Incorporating optical imaging in radiation therapy in my laboratory, endogenous bioluminescence resulting from whole body irradiation in different organs, and in different animals, which is distinct from the Cherenkov radiation. The endogenous bioluminescence in response to irradiation is coined recently as radiobioluminescence. Thus with the necessity, the design, construction, and validation of Molecular Image Guided Radiation Therapy (MIGRT) instrumentation for preclinical theragnostics is carried out
k-space sampling optimization for ultrashort TE imaging of cortical bone: Applications in radiation therapy planning and MR-based PET attenuation correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Lingzhi; Traughber, Melanie; Su, Kuan-Hao; Pereira, Gisele C.; Grover, Anu; Traughber, Bryan; Muzic, Raymond F. Jr.

2014-01-01

-enhanced images can be generated using a reduced sampled UTE sequence with no visible compromise in image quality and they preserved bone-to-air contrast with as low as a 25% sampling rate. Conclusions: This UTE strategy with angular undersampling preserves the image quality and contrast of cortical bone, while reducing the total scanning time by as much as 75%. The quantitative results of R2 ∗ and the water fraction of skull based on Dixon analysis of UTE images acquired at multiple echo times provide guidance for the clinical adoption and further parameter optimization of the UTE sequence when used for radiation therapy and MR-based PET attenuation correction
Knowledge of medical imaging radiation dose and risk among doctors.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Nicholas; Jones, Lee

2013-02-01

The growth of computed tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine (NM) scans has revolutionised healthcare but also greatly increased population radiation doses. Overuse of diagnostic radiation is becoming a feature of medical practice, leading to possible unnecessary radiation exposures and lifetime-risks of developing cancer. Doctors across all medical specialties and experience levels were surveyed to determine their knowledge of radiation doses and potential risks associated with some diagnostic imaging. A survey relating to knowledge and understanding of medical imaging radiation was distributed to doctors at 14 major Queensland public hospitals, as well as fellows and trainees in radiology, emergency medicine and general practice. From 608 valid responses, only 17.3% correctly estimated the radiation dose from CT scans and almost 1 in 10 incorrectly believed that CT radiation is not associated with any increased lifetime risk of developing cancer. There is a strong inverse relationship between a clinician's experience and their knowledge of CT radiation dose and risks, even among radiologists. More than a third (35.7%) of doctors incorrectly believed that typical NM imaging either does not use ionising radiation or emits doses equal to or less than a standard chest radiograph. Knowledge of CT and NM radiation doses is poor across all specialties, and there is a significant inverse relationship between experience and awareness of CT dose and risk. Despite having a poor understanding of these concepts, most doctors claim to consider them prior to requesting scans and when discussing potential risks with patients. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.
Stereo imaging and random array stratified imaging for cargo radiation inspecting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jingjin; Zeng Yu

2003-01-01

This paper presents a Stereo Imaging and Random Array Stratified Imaging for cargo container radiation Inspecting. By using dual-line vertical detector array scan, a stereo image of inspected cargo can be obtained and watched with virtual reality view. The random detector array has only one-row of detectors but distributed in a certain horizontal dimension randomly. To scan a cargo container with this random array detector, a 'defocused' image is obtained. By using 'anti-random focusing', one layer of the image can be focused on the background of all defocused images from other layers. A stratified X-ray image of overlapped bike wheels is presented
Compton scatter imaging: A promising modality for image guidance in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Redler, Gage; Jones, Kevin C; Templeton, Alistair; Bernard, Damian; Turian, Julius; Chu, James C H

2018-03-01

Lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) requires delivering large radiation doses with millimeter accuracy, making image guidance essential. An approach to forming images of patient anatomy from Compton-scattered photons during lung SBRT is presented. To investigate the potential of scatter imaging, a pinhole collimator and flat-panel detector are used for spatial localization and detection of photons scattered during external beam therapy using lung SBRT treatment conditions (6 MV FFF beam). MCNP Monte Carlo software is used to develop a model to simulate scatter images. This model is validated by comparing experimental and simulated phantom images. Patient scatter images are then simulated from 4DCT data. Experimental lung tumor phantom images have sufficient contrast-to-noise to visualize the tumor with as few as 10 MU (0.5 s temporal resolution). The relative signal intensity from objects of different composition as well as lung tumor contrast for simulated phantom images agree quantitatively with experimental images, thus validating the Monte Carlo model. Scatter images are shown to display high contrast between different materials (lung, water, bone). Simulated patient images show superior (~double) tumor contrast compared to MV transmission images. Compton scatter imaging is a promising modality for directly imaging patient anatomy during treatment without additional radiation, and it has the potential to complement existing technologies and aid tumor tracking and lung SBRT image guidance. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

In-room CT techniques for image-guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, C.-M. Charlie; Paskalev, Kamen M.S.

2006-01-01

Accurate patient setup and target localization are essential to advanced radiation therapy treatment. Significant improvement has been made recently with the development of image-guided radiation therapy, in which image guidance facilitates short treatment course and high dose per fraction radiotherapy, aiming at improving tumor control and quality of life. Many imaging modalities are being investigated, including x-ray computed tomography (CT), ultrasound imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonant imaging, magnetic resonant spectroscopic imaging, and kV/MV imaging with flat panel detectors. These developments provide unique imaging techniques and methods for patient setup and target localization. Some of them are different; some are complementary. This paper reviews the currently available kV x-ray CT systems used in the radiation treatment room, with a focus on the CT-on-rails systems, which are diagnostic CT scanners moving on rails installed in the treatment room. We will describe the system hardware including configurations, specifications, operation principles, and functionality. We will review software development for image fusion, structure recognition, deformation correction, target localization, and alignment. Issues related to the clinical implementation of in-room CT techniques in routine procedures are discussed, including acceptance testing and quality assurance. Clinical applications of the in-room CT systems for patient setup, target localization, and adaptive therapy are also reviewed for advanced radiotherapy treatments
Mechanistic insights into nanotoxicity determined by synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared imaging and multivariate analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Riding, Matthew J; Trevisan, Júlio; Hirschmugl, Carol J; Jones, Kevin C; Semple, Kirk T; Martin, Francis L

2012-12-01

Our ability to identify the mechanisms by which carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) exert toxicity in cells is constrained by the lack of standardized methodologies to assay endpoint effects. Herein we describe a method of mechanistically identifying the effects of various CBN types in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells using multi-beam synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared imaging (SR-FTIRI) at diffraction-limited resolution. This technique overcomes many of the inherent difficulties of assaying nanotoxicity and demonstrates exceptional sensitivity in identifying the effects of CBNs in cells at environmentally-relevant concentrations. We identify key mechanisms of nanotoxicity as the alteration of Amide and lipid biomolecules, but propose more specific bioactivity of CBNs occurs as a result of specific interactions between CBN structural conformation and cellular characteristics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fetal Implications of Diagnostic Radiation Exposure During Pregnancy: Evidence-based Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimawi, Bassam H; Green, Victoria; Lindsay, Michael

2016-06-01

The purpose of this article is to review the fetal and long-term implications of diagnostic radiation exposure during pregnancy. Evidence-based recommendations for radiologic imaging modalities utilizing exposure of diagnostic radiation during pregnancy, including conventional screen-film mammography, digital mammography, tomosynthesis, and contrast-enhanced mammography are described.
Observation of parametric X-ray radiation by an imaging plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takabayashi, Y.; Shchagin, A.V.

2012-01-01

We have demonstrated experimentally the application of an imaging plate for registering the angular distribution of parametric X-ray radiation. The imaging plate was used as a two-dimensional position-sensitive X-ray detector. High-quality images of the fine structure in the angular distributions of the yield around the reflection of the parametric X-ray radiation produced in a silicon crystal by a 255-MeV electron beam from a linear accelerator have been observed in the Laue geometry. A fairly good agreement between results of measurements and calculations by the kinematic theory of parametric X-ray radiation is shown. Applications of the imaging plates for the observation of the angular distribution of X-rays produced by accelerated particles in a crystal are also discussed.
Apparatus for minimizing radiation exposure and improving resolution in radiation imaging devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashe, J.B.; Williams, G.H.; Sypal, K.L.

1978-01-01

A collimator is disclosed for minimizing radiation exposure and improving resolution in radiation imaging devices. The collimator provides a penetrating beam of radiation from a source thereof, which beam is substantially non-diverging in at least one direction. In the preferred embodiment, the collimator comprises an elongated sandwich assembly of a plurality of layers of material exhibiting relatively high radiation attenuation characteristics, which attenuating layers are spaced apart and separated from one another by interleaved layers of material exhibiting relatively low radiation attenuation characteristics. The sandwich assembly is adapted for lengthwise disposition and orientation between a radiation source and a target or receiver such that the attenuating layers are parallel to the desired direction of the beam with the interleaved spacing layers providing direct paths for the radiation
TH-C-18A-06: Combined CT Image Quality and Radiation Dose Monitoring Program Based On Patient Data to Assess Consistency of Clinical Imaging Across Scanner Models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christianson, O; Winslow, J; Samei, E

2014-01-01

Purpose: One of the principal challenges of clinical imaging is to achieve an ideal balance between image quality and radiation dose across multiple CT models. The number of scanners and protocols at large medical centers necessitates an automated quality assurance program to facilitate this objective. Therefore, the goal of this work was to implement an automated CT image quality and radiation dose monitoring program based on actual patient data and to use this program to assess consistency of protocols across CT scanner models. Methods: Patient CT scans are routed to a HIPPA compliant quality assurance server. CTDI, extracted using optical character recognition, and patient size, measured from the localizers, are used to calculate SSDE. A previously validated noise measurement algorithm determines the noise in uniform areas of the image across the scanned anatomy to generate a global noise level (GNL). Using this program, 2358 abdominopelvic scans acquired on three commercial CT scanners were analyzed. Median SSDE and GNL were compared across scanner models and trends in SSDE and GNL with patient size were used to determine the impact of differing automatic exposure control (AEC) algorithms. Results: There was a significant difference in both SSDE and GNL across scanner models (9–33% and 15–35% for SSDE and GNL, respectively). Adjusting all protocols to achieve the same image noise would reduce patient dose by 27–45% depending on scanner model. Additionally, differences in AEC methodologies across vendors resulted in disparate relationships of SSDE and GNL with patient size. Conclusion: The difference in noise across scanner models indicates that protocols are not optimally matched to achieve consistent image quality. Our results indicated substantial possibility for dose reduction while achieving more consistent image appearance. Finally, the difference in AEC methodologies suggests the need for size-specific CT protocols to minimize variability in image
TH-C-18A-06: Combined CT Image Quality and Radiation Dose Monitoring Program Based On Patient Data to Assess Consistency of Clinical Imaging Across Scanner Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christianson, O; Winslow, J; Samei, E [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: One of the principal challenges of clinical imaging is to achieve an ideal balance between image quality and radiation dose across multiple CT models. The number of scanners and protocols at large medical centers necessitates an automated quality assurance program to facilitate this objective. Therefore, the goal of this work was to implement an automated CT image quality and radiation dose monitoring program based on actual patient data and to use this program to assess consistency of protocols across CT scanner models. Methods: Patient CT scans are routed to a HIPPA compliant quality assurance server. CTDI, extracted using optical character recognition, and patient size, measured from the localizers, are used to calculate SSDE. A previously validated noise measurement algorithm determines the noise in uniform areas of the image across the scanned anatomy to generate a global noise level (GNL). Using this program, 2358 abdominopelvic scans acquired on three commercial CT scanners were analyzed. Median SSDE and GNL were compared across scanner models and trends in SSDE and GNL with patient size were used to determine the impact of differing automatic exposure control (AEC) algorithms. Results: There was a significant difference in both SSDE and GNL across scanner models (9–33% and 15–35% for SSDE and GNL, respectively). Adjusting all protocols to achieve the same image noise would reduce patient dose by 27–45% depending on scanner model. Additionally, differences in AEC methodologies across vendors resulted in disparate relationships of SSDE and GNL with patient size. Conclusion: The difference in noise across scanner models indicates that protocols are not optimally matched to achieve consistent image quality. Our results indicated substantial possibility for dose reduction while achieving more consistent image appearance. Finally, the difference in AEC methodologies suggests the need for size-specific CT protocols to minimize variability in image
Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Radiation-Absorbed Dose Estimation of Ho-166 Microspheres in Liver Radioembolization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seevinck, Peter R.; van de Maat, Gerrit H.; de Wit, Tim C.; Vente, Maarten A. D.; Nijsen, Johannes F. W.; Bakker, Chris J. G.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for accurate assessment of the three-dimensional Ho-166 activity distribution to estimate radiation-absorbed dose distributions in Ho-166-loaded poly (L-lactic acid) microsphere (Ho-166-PLLA-MS) liver radioembolization.
From 'Image Gently' to image intelligently: a personalized perspective on diagnostic radiation risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillerman, R.P.

2014-01-01

The risk of ionizing radiation from diagnostic imaging has been a popular topic in the radiology literature and lay press. Communicating the magnitude of risk to patients and caregivers is problematic because of the uncertainty in estimates derived principally from epidemiological studies of large populations, and alternative approaches are needed to provide a scientific basis for personalized risk estimates. The underlying patient disease and life expectancy greatly influence risk projections. Research into the biological mechanisms of radiation-induced DNA damage and repair challenges the linear no-threshold dose-response assumption and reveals that individuals vary in sensitivity to radiation. Studies of decision-making psychology show that individuals are highly susceptible to irrational biases when judging risks. Truly informed medical decision-making that respects patient autonomy requires appropriate framing of radiation risks in perspective with other risks and with the benefits of imaging. To follow the principles of personalized medicine and treat patients according to their specific phenotypic and personality profiles, diagnostic imaging should optimally be tailored not only to patient size, body region and clinical indication, but also to underlying disease conditions, radio-sensitivity and risk perception and preferences that vary among individuals. (orig.)
Spatially weighted mutual information image registration for image guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Samuel B.; Rhee, Frank C.; Monroe, James I.; Sohn, Jason W.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To develop a new metric for image registration that incorporates the (sub)pixelwise differential importance along spatial location and to demonstrate its application for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Methods: It is well known that rigid-body image registration with mutual information is dependent on the size and location of the image subset on which the alignment analysis is based [the designated region of interest (ROI)]. Therefore, careful review and manual adjustments of the resulting registration are frequently necessary. Although there were some investigations of weighted mutual information (WMI), these efforts could not apply the differential importance to a particular spatial location since WMI only applies the weight to the joint histogram space. The authors developed the spatially weighted mutual information (SWMI) metric by incorporating an adaptable weight function with spatial localization into mutual information. SWMI enables the user to apply the selected transform to medically ''important'' areas such as tumors and critical structures, so SWMI is neither dominated by, nor neglects the neighboring structures. Since SWMI can be utilized with any weight function form, the authors presented two examples of weight functions for IGRT application: A Gaussian-shaped weight function (GW) applied to a user-defined location and a structures-of-interest (SOI) based weight function. An image registration example using a synthesized 2D image is presented to illustrate the efficacy of SWMI. The convergence and feasibility of the registration method as applied to clinical imaging is illustrated by fusing a prostate treatment planning CT with a clinical cone beam CT (CBCT) image set acquired for patient alignment. Forty-one trials are run to test the speed of convergence. The authors also applied SWMI registration using two types of weight functions to two head and neck cases and a prostate case with clinically acquired CBCT/MVCT image sets. The
Spatially weighted mutual information image registration for image guided radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Samuel B; Rhee, Frank C; Monroe, James I; Sohn, Jason W

2010-09-01

To develop a new metric for image registration that incorporates the (sub)pixelwise differential importance along spatial location and to demonstrate its application for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). It is well known that rigid-body image registration with mutual information is dependent on the size and location of the image subset on which the alignment analysis is based [the designated region of interest (ROI)]. Therefore, careful review and manual adjustments of the resulting registration are frequently necessary. Although there were some investigations of weighted mutual information (WMI), these efforts could not apply the differential importance to a particular spatial location since WMI only applies the weight to the joint histogram space. The authors developed the spatially weighted mutual information (SWMI) metric by incorporating an adaptable weight function with spatial localization into mutual information. SWMI enables the user to apply the selected transform to medically "important" areas such as tumors and critical structures, so SWMI is neither dominated by, nor neglects the neighboring structures. Since SWMI can be utilized with any weight function form, the authors presented two examples of weight functions for IGRT application: A Gaussian-shaped weight function (GW) applied to a user-defined location and a structures-of-interest (SOI) based weight function. An image registration example using a synthesized 2D image is presented to illustrate the efficacy of SWMI. The convergence and feasibility of the registration method as applied to clinical imaging is illustrated by fusing a prostate treatment planning CT with a clinical cone beam CT (CBCT) image set acquired for patient alignment. Forty-one trials are run to test the speed of convergence. The authors also applied SWMI registration using two types of weight functions to two head and neck cases and a prostate case with clinically acquired CBCT/ MVCT image sets. The SWMI registration with
Image processing techniques for thermal, x-rays and nuclear radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chadda, V.K.

1998-01-01

The paper describes image acquisition techniques for the non-visible range of electromagnetic spectrum especially thermal, x-rays and nuclear radiations. Thermal imaging systems are valuable tools used for applications ranging from PCB inspection, hot spot studies, fire identification, satellite imaging to defense applications. Penetrating radiations like x-rays and gamma rays are used in NDT, baggage inspection, CAT scan, cardiology, radiography, nuclear medicine etc. Neutron radiography compliments conventional x-rays and gamma radiography. For these applications, image processing and computed tomography are employed for 2-D and 3-D image interpretation respectively. The paper also covers main features of image processing systems for quantitative evaluation of gray level and binary images. (author)
Picture archiving and communications systems in radiation oncology (PACSRO): tools for a physician-based digital image review system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGee, K.P.; Das, I.J.; Fein, D.A.; Martin, E.E.; Schultheiss, T.E.; Hanks, G.E.

1995-01-01

Digital imaging is becoming more and more important in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of patients in radiation oncology. In order to facilitate the most efficient interface of this technology to physicians and other users of this information, a medical image display system (MID) has been developed at the Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC). The system runs on 20 personal computers situated in physicians offices as well as a modified system located in the radiation oncology conference room. Access to CT, MRI, and EPID information is achieved through an Ethernet connection to the hospital picture archiving and communications system (PACS). Over a 1-year period a total of 503 patients and 3845 images have been stored on the system. Physician approval using the MID system (without conventional films) was performed on 106 patients. Of these, 22%, 16%, 11%, 10%, and 9% consisted of breast, prostate, pelvic, lung, and head and neck patients, respectively. Digital images sent from a variety of image sources to the MID system take up to 15 s to process and format while image access and display can take 2-5 s, dependent upon image size and speed of the host computer
Image Guidance and Assessment of Radiation Induced Gene Therapy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pelizzari, Charles

2004-01-01

Image guidance and assessment techniques are being developed for combined radiation/gene therapy, which utilizes a radiation-inducible gene promoter to cause expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha...
Imaging Primary Lung Cancers in Mice to Study Radiation Biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirsch, David G.; Grimm, Jan; Guimaraes, Alexander R.; Wojtkiewicz, Gregory R.; Perez, Bradford A.; Santiago, Philip M.; Anthony, Nikolas K.; Forbes, Thomas; Doppke, Karen

2010-01-01

Purpose: To image a genetically engineered mouse model of non-small-cell lung cancer with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to measure tumor response to radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: The Cre-loxP system was used to generate primary lung cancers in mice with mutation in K-ras alone or in combination with p53 mutation. Mice were serially imaged by micro-CT, and tumor volumes were determined. A comparison of tumor volume by micro-CT and tumor histology was performed. Tumor response to radiation therapy (15.5 Gy) was assessed with micro-CT. Results: The tumor volume measured with free-breathing micro-CT scans was greater than the volume calculated by histology. Nevertheless, this imaging approach demonstrated that lung cancers with mutant p53 grew more rapidly than lung tumors with wild-type p53 and also showed that radiation therapy increased the doubling time of p53 mutant lung cancers fivefold. Conclusions: Micro-CT is an effective tool to noninvasively measure the growth of primary lung cancers in genetically engineered mice and assess tumor response to radiation therapy. This imaging approach will be useful to study the radiation biology of lung cancer.
Monitoring radiation use in cardiac fluoroscopy imaging procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, Nathaniel T.; Steiner, Stefan H.; Smith, Ian R.; MacKay, R. Jock

2011-01-01

Purpose: Timely identification of systematic changes in radiation delivery of an imaging system can lead to a reduction in risk for the patients involved. However, existing quality assurance programs involving the routine testing of equipment performance using phantoms are limited in their ability to effectively carry out this task. To address this issue, the authors propose the implementation of an ongoing monitoring process that utilizes procedural data to identify unexpected large or small radiation exposures for individual patients, as well as to detect persistent changes in the radiation output of imaging platforms. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from records routinely collected during procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization imaging facility at St. Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, over the period January 2008-March 2010. A two stage monitoring process employing individual and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts was developed and used to identify unexpectedly high or low radiation exposure levels for individual patients, as well as detect persistent changes in the radiation output delivered by the imaging systems. To increase sensitivity of the charts, we account for variation in dose area product (DAP) values due to other measured factors (patient weight, fluoroscopy time, and digital acquisition frame count) using multiple linear regression. Control charts are then constructed using the residual values from this linear regression. The proposed monitoring process was evaluated using simulation to model the performance of the process under known conditions. Results: Retrospective application of this technique to actual clinical data identified a number of cases in which the DAP result could be considered unexpected. Most of these, upon review, were attributed to data entry errors. The charts monitoring the overall system radiation output trends demonstrated changes in equipment performance
Monitoring radiation use in cardiac fluoroscopy imaging procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevens, Nathaniel T.; Steiner, Stefan H.; Smith, Ian R.; MacKay, R. Jock [Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Business and Industrial Statistics Research Group, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); St. Andrew' s Medical Institute, St. Andrew' s War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 (Australia); Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Business and Industrial Statistics Research Group, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2011-01-15

Purpose: Timely identification of systematic changes in radiation delivery of an imaging system can lead to a reduction in risk for the patients involved. However, existing quality assurance programs involving the routine testing of equipment performance using phantoms are limited in their ability to effectively carry out this task. To address this issue, the authors propose the implementation of an ongoing monitoring process that utilizes procedural data to identify unexpected large or small radiation exposures for individual patients, as well as to detect persistent changes in the radiation output of imaging platforms. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from records routinely collected during procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization imaging facility at St. Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, over the period January 2008-March 2010. A two stage monitoring process employing individual and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts was developed and used to identify unexpectedly high or low radiation exposure levels for individual patients, as well as detect persistent changes in the radiation output delivered by the imaging systems. To increase sensitivity of the charts, we account for variation in dose area product (DAP) values due to other measured factors (patient weight, fluoroscopy time, and digital acquisition frame count) using multiple linear regression. Control charts are then constructed using the residual values from this linear regression. The proposed monitoring process was evaluated using simulation to model the performance of the process under known conditions. Results: Retrospective application of this technique to actual clinical data identified a number of cases in which the DAP result could be considered unexpected. Most of these, upon review, were attributed to data entry errors. The charts monitoring the overall system radiation output trends demonstrated changes in equipment
THz near-field imaging of biological tissues employing synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schade, Ulrich; Holldack, Karsten; Martin, Michael C.; Fried, Daniel

2004-01-01

Terahertz scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) below 1 THz is demonstrated. The near-field technique benefits from the broadband and highly brilliant coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) from an electron storage ring and from a detection method based on locking onto the intrinsic time structure of the synchrotron radiation. The scanning microscope utilizes conical wave guides as near-field probes with apertures smaller than the wavelength. Different cone approaches have been investigated to obtain maximum transmittance. Together with a Martin-Puplett spectrometer the set-up enables spectroscopic mapping of the transmittance of samples well below the diffraction limit. Spatial resolution down to about lambda/40 at 2 wavenumbers (0.06 THz) is derived from the transmittance spectra of the near-field probes. The potential of the technique is exemplified by imaging biological samples. Strongly absorbing living leaves have been imaged in transmittance with a spatial resolution of 130 mu-m at about 12 wave numbers (0.36 THz). The THz near-field images reveal distinct structural differences of leaves from different plants investigated. The technique presented also allows spectral imaging of bulky organic tissues. Human teeth samples of various thicknesses have been imaged between 2 and 20 wavenumbers (between 0.06and 0.6 THz). Regions of enamel and dentin within tooth samples are spatially and spectrally resolved, and buried caries lesions are imaged through both the outer enamel and into the underlying dentin
FEM-based evaluation of deformable image registration for radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Hualiang; Peters, Terry; Siebers, Jeffrey V

2007-01-01

This paper presents a new concept to automatically detect the neighborhood in an image where deformable registration is mis-performing. Specifically, the displacement vector field (DVF) from a deformable image registration is substituted into a finite-element-based elastic framework to calculate unbalanced energy in each element. The value of the derived energy indicates the quality of the DVF in its neighborhood. The new voxel-based evaluation approach is compared with three other validation criteria: landmark measurement, a finite element approach and visual comparison, for deformable registrations performed with the optical-flow-based 'demons' algorithm as well as thin-plate spline interpolation. This analysis was performed on three pairs of prostate CT images. The results of the analysis show that the four criteria give mutually comparable quantitative assessments on the six registration instances. As an objective concept, the unbalanced energy presents no requirement on boundary constraints in its calculation, different from traditional mechanical modeling. This method is automatic, and at voxel level suitable to evaluate deformable registration in a clinical setting
Attenuation-based automatic kilovolt (kV)-selection in computed tomography of the chest: Effects on radiation exposure and image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eller, Achim; Wuest, Wolfgang; Scharf, Michael; Brand, Michael [Department of Radiology, University Erlangen (Germany); Achenbach, Stephan [Department of Cardiology, University Erlangen (Germany); Uder, Michael [Department of Radiology, University Erlangen (Germany); Imaging Science Institute, Erlangen (Germany); Lell, Michael M., E-mail: Michael.lell@uk-erlangen.de [Department of Radiology, University Erlangen (Germany); Imaging Science Institute, Erlangen (Germany)

2013-12-01

Objectives: To evaluate an automated attenuation-based kV-selection in computed tomography of the chest in respect to radiation dose and image quality, compared to a standard 120 kV protocol. Materials and methods: 104 patients were examined using a 128-slice scanner. Fifty examinations (58 ± 15 years, study group) were performed using the automated adaption of tube potential (100–140 kV), based on the attenuation profile of the scout scan, 54 examinations (62 ± 14 years, control group) with fixed 120 kV. Estimated CT dose index (CTDI) of the software-proposed setting was compared with a 120 kV protocol. After the scan CTDI volume (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded. Image quality was assessed by region of interest (ROI) measurements, subjective image quality by two observers with a 4-point scale (3 – excellent, 0 – not diagnostic). Results: The algorithm selected 100 kV in 78% and 120 kV in 22%. Overall CTDIvol reduction was 26.6% (34% in 100 kV) overall DLP reduction was 22.8% (32.1% in 100 kV) (all p < 0.001). Subjective image quality was excellent in both groups. Conclusion: The attenuation based kV-selection algorithm enables relevant dose reduction (∼27%) in chest-CT while keeping image quality parameters at high levels.

Attenuation-based automatic kilovolt (kV)-selection in computed tomography of the chest: Effects on radiation exposure and image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eller, Achim; Wuest, Wolfgang; Scharf, Michael; Brand, Michael; Achenbach, Stephan; Uder, Michael; Lell, Michael M.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate an automated attenuation-based kV-selection in computed tomography of the chest in respect to radiation dose and image quality, compared to a standard 120 kV protocol. Materials and methods: 104 patients were examined using a 128-slice scanner. Fifty examinations (58 ± 15 years, study group) were performed using the automated adaption of tube potential (100–140 kV), based on the attenuation profile of the scout scan, 54 examinations (62 ± 14 years, control group) with fixed 120 kV. Estimated CT dose index (CTDI) of the software-proposed setting was compared with a 120 kV protocol. After the scan CTDI volume (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded. Image quality was assessed by region of interest (ROI) measurements, subjective image quality by two observers with a 4-point scale (3 – excellent, 0 – not diagnostic). Results: The algorithm selected 100 kV in 78% and 120 kV in 22%. Overall CTDIvol reduction was 26.6% (34% in 100 kV) overall DLP reduction was 22.8% (32.1% in 100 kV) (all p < 0.001). Subjective image quality was excellent in both groups. Conclusion: The attenuation based kV-selection algorithm enables relevant dose reduction (∼27%) in chest-CT while keeping image quality parameters at high levels
Gallium-67 citrate imaging for the assessment of radiation pneumonitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kataoka, Masaaki

1989-01-01

In order to evaluate its usefulness in the assessment of radiation pneumotinis, gallium-67 citrate ( 67 Ga) imaging was performed before and after radiation therapy (RT) on 103 patients with lung cancer. In 23 patients with radiation pneumonitis detected radiographically, abnormal 67 Ga uptake in sites other than tumors was found in all post-RT 67 Ga lung images. Three patterns of uptake were found: (A) focal uptake corresponding to the RT field (n=10); (B) diffuse uptake including the RT field (n=4); and (C) diffuse uptake outside the RT field (n=9). The area of 67 Ga uptake was consistent with that of interstitial pneumonitis as revealed histopathologically in 7 cases. 67 Ga uptake in pattern (C) was an indicator of poor prognosis for the patients with radiation pneumonitis. 67 Ga uptake in the patients with reversible pneumonitis disappeared with steroid therapy. Sixteen (20%) of 80 asymptomatic patients, in whose chest radiographs there was no finding of radiation pneumonitis, showed transient 67 Ga uptake. These were considered to occur in the subclinical radiation pneumonitis. These data suggest that 67 Ga imaging is more sensitive than chest radiography in the detection of radiation pneumonitis and is useful in the assessment of the extent and clinical course of radiation pneumonitis. (author)
Lipiodol as a Fiducial Marker for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freilich, Jessica M.; Spiess, Philippe E.; Biagioli, Matthew C.; Fernandez, Daniel C.; Shi, Ellen J.; Hunt, Dylan C.; Gupta, Shilpa; Wilder, Richard B., E-mail: richard.wilder@moffitt.org [Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL (United States)

2014-03-15

Purpose: To evaluate Lipiodol as a liquid, radio-opaque fiducial marker for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for bladder cancer; Materials and Methods: Between 2011 and 2012, 5 clinical T2a-T3b N0 M0 stage II-III bladder cancer patients were treated with maximal transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to 64.8 Gy in 36 fractions ± concurrent weekly cisplatin-based or gemcitabine chemotherapy. Ten to 15mL Lipiodol, using 0.5mL per injection, was injected into bladder submucosa circumferentially around the entire periphery of the tumor bed immediately following maximal TURBT. The authors looked at inter-observer variability regarding the size and location of the tumor bed (CTVboost) on computed tomography scans with versus without Lipiodol. Results: Median follow-up was 18 months. Lipiodol was visible on every orthogonal two-dimensional kV portal image throughout the entire, 7-week course of IGRT. There was a trend towards improved inter-observer agreement on the CTVboost with Lipiodol (p = 0.06). In 2 of 5 patients, the tumor bed based upon Lipiodol extended outside a planning target volume that would have been treated with a radiation boost based upon a cystoscopy report and an enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan for staging. There was no toxicity attributable to Lipiodol: Conclusions: Lipiodol constitutes a safe and effective fiducial marker that an urologist can use to demarcate a tumor bed immediately following maximal TURBT. Lipiodol decreases inter-observer variability in the definition of the extent and location of a tumor bed on a treatment planning CT scan for a radiation boost. (author)
Lipiodol as a Fiducial Marker for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica M. Freilich

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose To evaluate Lipiodol as a liquid, radio-opaque fiducial marker for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT for bladder cancer.Materials and Methods Between 2011 and 2012, 5 clinical T2a-T3b N0 M0 stage II-III bladder cancer patients were treated with maximal transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT to 64.8 Gy in 36 fractions ± concurrent weekly cisplatin-based or gemcitabine chemotherapy. Ten to 15mL Lipiodol, using 0.5mL per injection, was injected into bladder submucosa circumferentially around the entire periphery of the tumor bed immediately following maximal TURBT. The authors looked at inter-observer variability regarding the size and location of the tumor bed (CTVboost on computed tomography scans with versus without Lipiodol.Results Median follow-up was 18 months. Lipiodol was visible on every orthogonal two-dimensional kV portal image throughout the entire, 7-week course of IGRT. There was a trend towards improved inter-observer agreement on the CTVboost with Lipiodol (p = 0.06. In 2 of 5 patients, the tumor bed based upon Lipiodol extended outside a planning target volume that would have been treated with a radiation boost based upon a cystoscopy report and an enhanced computed tomography (CT scan for staging. There was no toxicity attributable to Lipiodol.Conclusions Lipiodol constitutes a safe and effective fiducial marker that an urologist can use to demarcate a tumor bed immediately following maximal TURBT. Lipiodol decreases inter-observer variability in the definition of the extent and location of a tumor bed on a treatment planning CT scan for a radiation boost.
Paediatric x-ray radiation dose reduction and image quality analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, L; Ruddlesden, R; Makepeace, C; Robinson, L; Mistry, T; Starritt, H

2013-09-01

Collaboration of multiple staff groups has resulted in significant reduction in the risk of radiation-induced cancer from radiographic x-ray exposure during childhood. In this study at an acute NHS hospital trust, a preliminary audit identified initial exposure factors. These were compared with European and UK guidance, leading to the introduction of new factors that were in compliance with European guidance on x-ray tube potentials. Image quality was assessed using standard anatomical criteria scoring, and visual grading characteristics analysis assessed the impact on image quality of changes in exposure factors. This analysis determined the acceptability of gradual radiation dose reduction below the European and UK guidance levels. Chest and pelvis exposures were optimised, achieving dose reduction for each age group, with 7%-55% decrease in critical organ dose. Clinicians confirmed diagnostic image quality throughout the iterative process. Analysis of images acquired with preliminary and final exposure factors indicated an average visual grading analysis result of 0.5, demonstrating equivalent image quality. The optimisation process and final radiation doses are reported for Carestream computed radiography to aid other hospitals in minimising radiation risks to children.
Paediatric x-ray radiation dose reduction and image quality analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, L; Ruddlesden, R; Mistry, T; Starritt, H; Makepeace, C; Robinson, L

2013-01-01

Collaboration of multiple staff groups has resulted in significant reduction in the risk of radiation-induced cancer from radiographic x-ray exposure during childhood. In this study at an acute NHS hospital trust, a preliminary audit identified initial exposure factors. These were compared with European and UK guidance, leading to the introduction of new factors that were in compliance with European guidance on x-ray tube potentials. Image quality was assessed using standard anatomical criteria scoring, and visual grading characteristics analysis assessed the impact on image quality of changes in exposure factors. This analysis determined the acceptability of gradual radiation dose reduction below the European and UK guidance levels. Chest and pelvis exposures were optimised, achieving dose reduction for each age group, with 7%–55% decrease in critical organ dose. Clinicians confirmed diagnostic image quality throughout the iterative process. Analysis of images acquired with preliminary and final exposure factors indicated an average visual grading analysis result of 0.5, demonstrating equivalent image quality. The optimisation process and final radiation doses are reported for Carestream computed radiography to aid other hospitals in minimising radiation risks to children. (paper)
3D ultrasound Nakagami imaging for radiation-induced vaginal fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaofeng; Rossi, Peter; Shelton, Joseph; Bruner, Debrorah; Tridandapani, Srini; Liu, Tian

2014-03-01

Radiation-induced vaginal fibrosis is a debilitating side-effect affecting up to 80% of women receiving radiotherapy for their gynecological (GYN) malignancies. Despite the significant incidence and severity, little research has been conducted to identify the pathophysiologic changes of vaginal toxicity. In a previous study, we have demonstrated that ultrasound Nakagami shape and PDF parameters can be used to quantify radiation-induced vaginal toxicity. These Nakagami parameters are derived from the statistics of ultrasound backscattered signals to capture the physical properties (e.g., arrangement and distribution) of the biological tissues. In this paper, we propose to expand this Nakagami imaging concept from 2D to 3D to fully characterize radiation-induced changes to the vaginal wall within the radiation treatment field. A pilot study with 5 post-radiotherapy GYN patients was conducted using a clinical ultrasound scanner (6 MHz) with a mechanical stepper. A serial of 2D ultrasound images, with radio-frequency (RF) signals, were acquired at 1 mm step size. The 2D Nakagami shape and PDF parameters were calculated from the RF signal envelope with a sliding window, and then 3D Nakagami parameter images were generated from the parallel 2D images. This imaging method may be useful as we try to monitor radiation-induced vaginal injury, and address vaginal toxicities and sexual dysfunction in women after radiotherapy for GYN malignancies.
Response-driven imaging biomarkers for predicting radiation necrosis of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazem-Zadeh, Mohammad-Reza; Chapman, Christopher H; Lawrence, Theodore S; Ten Haken, Randall K; Tsien, Christina I; Cao, Yue; Chenevert, Thomas

2014-01-01

Radiation necrosis is an uncommon but severe adverse effect of brain radiation therapy (RT). Current predictive models based on radiation dose have limited accuracy. We aimed to identify early individual response biomarkers based upon diffusion tensor (DT) imaging and incorporated them into a response model for prediction of radiation necrosis. Twenty-nine patients with glioblastoma received six weeks of intensity modulated RT and concurrent temozolomide. Patients underwent DT-MRI scans before treatment, at three weeks during RT, and one, three, and six months after RT. Cases with radiation necrosis were classified based on generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) of whole brain and DT index early changes in the corpus callosum and its substructures. Significant covariates were used to develop normal tissue complication probability models using binary logistic regression. Seven patients developed radiation necrosis. Percentage changes of radial diffusivity (RD) in the splenium at three weeks during RT and at six months after RT differed significantly between the patients with and without necrosis (p = 0.05 and p = 0.01). Percentage change of RD at three weeks during RT in the 30 Gy dose–volume of the splenium and brain gEUD combined yielded the best-fit logistic regression model. Our findings indicate that early individual response during the course of RT, assessed by radial diffusivity, has the potential to aid the prediction of delayed radiation necrosis, which could provide guidance in dose-escalation trials. (paper)
Object-Oriented Hierarchy Radiation Consistency for Different Temporal and Different Sensor Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Su

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In the paper, we propose a novel object-oriented hierarchy radiation consistency method for dense matching of different temporal and different sensor data in the 3D reconstruction. For different temporal images, our illumination consistency method is proposed to solve both the illumination uniformity for a single image and the relative illumination normalization for image pairs. Especially in the relative illumination normalization step, singular value equalization and linear relationship of the invariant pixels is combined used for the initial global illumination normalization and the object-oriented refined illumination normalization in detail, respectively. For different sensor images, we propose the union group sparse method, which is based on improving the original group sparse model. The different sensor images are set to a similar smoothness level by the same threshold of singular value from the union group matrix. Our method comprehensively considered the influence factors on the dense matching of the different temporal and different sensor stereoscopic image pairs to simultaneously improve the illumination consistency and the smoothness consistency. The radiation consistency experimental results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method by comparing two other methods. Moreover, in the dense matching experiment of the mixed stereoscopic image pairs, our method has more advantages for objects in the urban area.
Use of imaging techniques in radiation oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borras, C.; Rudder, D.; Jimenez, P.

2002-01-01

Imaging techniques are used in radiation oncology for: disease diagnosis, tumor localization and staging, treatment simulation, treatment planning, clinical dosimetry displays, treatment verification and patient follow up. In industrialized countries, up to the 1970's, conventional radiology was used for diagnosis, simulation and planning. Gamma cameras helped tumor staging by detecting metastases. In the 1970's, simulators were developed for exclusive use in radiation oncology departments. Clinical dosimetry displays consisted mainly in axial dose distributions. Treatment verification was done placing films in the radiation beam with the patient under treatment. In the 1980's, 2-D imaging was replaced by 3-D displays with the incorporation of computerized tomography (CT) scanners, and in the 1990's of magnetic resonance imagers (MRI). Ultrasound units, briefly used in the 1960's for treatment planning purposes, were found again useful, mainly for brachytherapy dosimetry. Digital portal imagers allowed accurate treatment field verification. Treatment planning systems incorporated the capability of 'inverse planning', i.e. once the desired dose distribution is decided, the field size, gantry, collimator and couch angles, etc, can be automatically selected. At the end of the millennium, image fusion permitted excellent anatomical display of tumors and adjacent sensitive structures. The 2000's are seeing a change from anatomical to functional imaging with the advent of MRI units capable of spectroscopy at 3 Tesla and positron emission tomography (PET) units. In 2001 combined CT/PET units appeared in RT departments. In 2002, fusion of CT, MRI and PET images became available. Molecular imaging is being developed. The situation in developing countries is quite different. To start with, cancer incidence is different in developing and in industrialized countries. In addition, the health services pattern is different: Cancer treatment is mostly done in public institutions
Reducing Radiation Dose in Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Using Image Noise Reduction Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kastrati, Mirlind; Langenbrink, Lukas; Piatkowski, Michal; Michaelsen, Jochen; Reimann, Doris; Hoffmann, Rainer

2016-08-01

This study sought to quantitatively evaluate the reduction of radiation dose in coronary angiography and angioplasty with the use of image noise reduction technology in a routine clinical setting. Radiation dose data from consecutive 605 coronary procedures (397 consecutive coronary angiograms and 208 consecutive coronary interventions) performed from October 2014 to April 2015 on a coronary angiography system with noise reduction technology (Allura Clarity IQ) were collected. For comparison, radiation dose data from consecutive 695 coronary procedures (435 coronary angiograms and 260 coronary interventions) performed on a conventional coronary angiography system from October 2013 to April 2014 were evaluated. Patient radiation dosage was evaluated based on the cumulative dose area product. Operators and operator practice did not change between the 2 evaluated periods. Patient characteristics were collected to evaluate similarity of patient groups. Image quality was evaluated on a 5-grade scale in 30 patients of each group. There were no significant differences between the 2 evaluated groups in gender, age, weight, and fluoroscopy time (6.8 ± 6.1 vs 6.9 ± 6.3 minutes, not significant). The dose area product was reduced from 3195 ± 2359 to 983 ± 972 cGycm(2) (65%, p technology. Image quality was graded as similar between the evaluated systems (4.0 ± 0.7 vs 4.2 ± 0.6, not significant). In conclusion, a new x-ray technology with image noise reduction algorithm provides a substantial reduction in radiation exposure without the need to prolong the procedure or fluoroscopy time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Imaging and characterization of primary and secondary radiation in ion beam therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granja, Carlos, E-mail: carlos.granja@utef.cvut.cz; Opalka, Lukas [Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic); Martisikova, Maria; Gwosch, Klaus [German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Jakubek, Jan [Advacam, Prague (Czech Republic)

2016-07-07

Imaging in ion beam therapy is an essential and increasingly significant tool for treatment planning and radiation and dose deposition verification. Efforts aim at providing precise radiation field characterization and online monitoring of radiation dose distribution. A review is given of the research and methodology of quantum-imaging, composition, spectral and directional characterization of the mixed-radiation fields in proton and light ion beam therapy developed by the IEAP CTU Prague and HIT Heidelberg group. Results include non-invasive imaging of dose deposition and primary beam online monitoring.
Imaging and characterization of primary and secondary radiation in ion beam therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granja, Carlos; Opalka, Lukas; Martisikova, Maria; Gwosch, Klaus; Jakubek, Jan

2016-01-01

Imaging in ion beam therapy is an essential and increasingly significant tool for treatment planning and radiation and dose deposition verification. Efforts aim at providing precise radiation field characterization and online monitoring of radiation dose distribution. A review is given of the research and methodology of quantum-imaging, composition, spectral and directional characterization of the mixed-radiation fields in proton and light ion beam therapy developed by the IEAP CTU Prague and HIT Heidelberg group. Results include non-invasive imaging of dose deposition and primary beam online monitoring.
Use of an Online Education Platform to Enhance Patients' Knowledge About Radiation in Diagnostic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Joseph R; Jones, A Kyle; Clarke, Ryan K; Shiao, Sue J; Wei, Wei; Shoemaker, Stowe; Parmar, Simrit

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the impact of a digital interactive education platform and standard paper-based education on patients' knowledge regarding ionizing radiation. Beginning in January 2015, patients at a tertiary cancer center scheduled for diagnostic imaging procedures were randomized to receive information about ionizing radiation delivered through a web-based interactive education platform (interactive education group), the same information in document format (document education group), or no specialized education (control group). Patients who completed at least some education and control group patients were invited to complete a knowledge assessment; interactive education patients were invited to provide feedback about satisfaction with their experience. A total of 2,226 patients participated. Surveys were completed by 302 of 745 patients (40.5%) participating in interactive education, 488 of 993 (49.1%) participating in document education, and 363 of 488 (74.4%) in the control group. Patients in the interactive education group were significantly more likely to say that they knew the definition of ionizing radiation, outperformed the other groups in identifying which imaging examinations used ionizing radiation, were significantly more likely to identify from a list which imaging modality had the highest radiation dose, and tended to perform better when asked about the tissue effects of radiation in diagnostic imaging, although this difference was not significant. In the interactive education group, 84% of patients were satisfied with the experience, and 79% said that they would recommend the program. Complex information on a highly technical subject with personal implications for patients may be conveyed more effectively using electronic platforms, and this approach is well accepted. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Relationship between images of risk and anxiety toward radiation. Comparison of radiation from chest X-rays and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Yuko

2003-01-01

In order to clarify the components of people's images of radiation risk and the determinants for the degree of anxiety about radiation exposure, an investigation was conducted. Two kinds of radiation, from nuclear power plants and during a chest X-ray, which are relatively familiar to people, were focused on. As a result, only a 'dread' factor was common to both radiation types of. Although the degree of anxiety toward both types of radiation showed a positive correlation with the 'dread' image, the anxiety toward X-ray radiation showed a negative correlation with the 'feeling of conquest'. Anxiety toward radiation from nuclear power plants had a negative correlation with 'control by experts'. These results suggest that the words radiation from nuclear power plants' evoke an image of a situation with high radiation exposure, which is beyond the experts' control abilities. (author)
Knowledge of medical imaging radiation dose and risk among doctors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Nicholas; Jones, Lee

2013-01-01

The growth of computed tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine (NM) scans has revolutionised healthcare but also greatly increased population radiation doses. Overuse of diagnostic radiation is becoming a feature of medical practice, leading to possible unnecessary radiation exposures and lifetime-risks of developing cancer. Doctors across all medical specialties and experience levels were surveyed to determine their knowledge of radiation doses and potential risks associated with some diagnostic imaging. A survey relating to knowledge and understanding of medical imaging radiation was distributed to doctors at 14 major Queensland public hospitals, as well as fellows and trainees in radiology, emergency medicine and general practice. From 608 valid responses, only 17.3% correctly estimated the radiation dose from CT scans and almost 1 in 10 incorrectly believed that CT radiation is not associated with any increased lifetime risk of developing cancer. There is a strong inverse relationship between a clinician's experience and their knowledge of CT radiation dose and risks, even among radiologists. More than a third (35.7%) of doctors incorrectly believed that typical NM imaging either does not use ionising radiation or emits doses equal to or less than a standard chest radiograph. Knowledge of CT and NM radiation doses is poor across all specialties, and there is a significant inverse relationship between experience and awareness of CT dose and risk. Despite having a poor understanding of these concepts, most doctors claim to consider them prior to requesting scans and when discussing potential risks with patients.
Radiation-induced optic neuropathy: A magnetic resonance imaging study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guy, J.; Mancuso, A.; Beck, R.; Moster, M.L.; Sedwick, L.A.; Quisling, R.G.; Rhoton, A.L. Jr.; Protzko, E.E.; Schiffman, J.

1991-01-01

Optic neuropathy induced by radiation is an infrequent cause of delayed visual loss that may at times be difficult to differentiate from compression of the visual pathways by recurrent neoplasm. The authors describe six patients with this disorder who experienced loss of vision 6 to 36 months after neurological surgery and radiation therapy. Of the six patients in the series, two had a pituitary adenoma and one each had a metastatic melanoma, multiple myeloma, craniopharyngioma, and lymphoepithelioma. Visual acuity in the affected eyes ranged from 20/25 to no light perception. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed sellar and parasellar recurrence of both pituitary adenomas, but the intrinsic lesions of the optic nerves and optic chiasm induced by radiation were enhanced after gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA) administration and were clearly distinguishable from the suprasellar compression of tumor. Repeated MR imaging showed spontaneous resolution of gadolinium-DTPA enhancement of the optic nerve in a patient who was initially suspected of harboring recurrence of a metastatic malignant melanoma as the cause of visual loss. The authors found the presumptive diagnosis of radiation-induced optic neuropathy facilitated by MR imaging with gadolinium-DTPA. This neuro-imaging procedure may help avert exploratory surgery in some patients with recurrent neoplasm in whom the etiology of visual loss is uncertain
Deformable registration of the planning image (kVCT) and the daily images (MVCT) for adaptive radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Weiguo; Olivera, Gustavo H; Chen, Quan; Ruchala, Kenneth J; Haimerl, Jason; Meeks, Sanford L; Langen, Katja M; Kupelian, Patrick A

2006-01-01

The incorporation of daily images into the radiotherapy process leads to adaptive radiation therapy (ART), in which the treatment is evaluated periodically and the plan is adaptively modified for the remaining course of radiotherapy. Deformable registration between the planning image and the daily images is a key component of ART. In this paper, we report our researches on deformable registration between the planning kVCT and the daily MVCT image sets. The method is based on a fast intensity-based free-form deformable registration technique. Considering the noise and contrast resolution differences between the kVCT and the MVCT, an 'edge-preserving smoothing' is applied to the MVCT image prior to the deformable registration process. We retrospectively studied daily MVCT images from commercial TomoTherapy machines from different clinical centers. The data set includes five head-neck cases, one pelvis case, two lung cases and one prostate case. Each case has one kVCT image and 20-40 MVCT images. We registered the MVCT images with their corresponding kVCT image. The similarity measures and visual inspections of contour matches by physicians validated this technique. The applications of deformable registration in ART, including 'deformable dose accumulation', 'automatic re-contouring' and 'tumour growth/regression evaluation' throughout the course of radiotherapy are also studied
Quantitative Ultrasonic Nakagami Imaging of Neck Fibrosis After Head and Neck Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Xiaofeng [Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Yoshida, Emi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California (United States); Cassidy, Richard J.; Beitler, Jonathan J.; Yu, David S.; Curran, Walter J. [Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Liu, Tian, E-mail: tliu34@emory.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States)

2015-06-01

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of ultrasound Nakagami imaging to quantitatively assess radiation-induced neck fibrosis, a common sequela of radiation therapy (RT) to the head and neck. Methods and Materials: In a pilot study, 40 study participants were enrolled and classified into 3 subgroups: (1) a control group of 12 healthy volunteers; (2) an asymptomatic group of 11 patients who had received intensity modulated RT for head and neck cancer and had experienced no neck fibrosis; and (3) a symptomatic group of 17 post-RT patients with neck fibrosis. Each study participant underwent 1 ultrasound study in which scans were performed in the longitudinal orientation of the bilateral neck. Three Nakagami parameters were calculated to quantify radiation-induced tissue injury: Nakagami probability distribution function, shape, and scaling parameters. Physician-based assessments of the neck fibrosis were performed according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late morbidity scoring scheme, and patient-based fibrosis assessments were rated based on symptoms such as pain and stiffness. Results: Major discrepancies existed between physician-based and patient-based assessments of radiation-induced fibrosis. Significant differences in all Nakagami parameters were observed between the control group and 2 post-RT groups. Moreover, significant differences in Nakagami shape and scaling parameters were observed among asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Compared with the control group, the average Nakagami shape parameter value increased by 32.1% (P<.001), and the average Nakagami scaling parameter increased by 55.7% (P<.001) for the asymptomatic group, whereas the Nakagami shape parameter increased by 74.1% (P<.001) and the Nakagami scaling parameter increased by 83.5% (P<.001) for the symptomatic group. Conclusions: Ultrasonic Nakagami imaging is a potential quantitative tool to characterize radiation-induced asymptomatic and symptomatic neck fibrosis.
Quantitative Ultrasonic Nakagami Imaging of Neck Fibrosis After Head and Neck Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiaofeng; Yoshida, Emi; Cassidy, Richard J.; Beitler, Jonathan J.; Yu, David S.; Curran, Walter J.; Liu, Tian

2015-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of ultrasound Nakagami imaging to quantitatively assess radiation-induced neck fibrosis, a common sequela of radiation therapy (RT) to the head and neck. Methods and Materials: In a pilot study, 40 study participants were enrolled and classified into 3 subgroups: (1) a control group of 12 healthy volunteers; (2) an asymptomatic group of 11 patients who had received intensity modulated RT for head and neck cancer and had experienced no neck fibrosis; and (3) a symptomatic group of 17 post-RT patients with neck fibrosis. Each study participant underwent 1 ultrasound study in which scans were performed in the longitudinal orientation of the bilateral neck. Three Nakagami parameters were calculated to quantify radiation-induced tissue injury: Nakagami probability distribution function, shape, and scaling parameters. Physician-based assessments of the neck fibrosis were performed according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late morbidity scoring scheme, and patient-based fibrosis assessments were rated based on symptoms such as pain and stiffness. Results: Major discrepancies existed between physician-based and patient-based assessments of radiation-induced fibrosis. Significant differences in all Nakagami parameters were observed between the control group and 2 post-RT groups. Moreover, significant differences in Nakagami shape and scaling parameters were observed among asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Compared with the control group, the average Nakagami shape parameter value increased by 32.1% (P<.001), and the average Nakagami scaling parameter increased by 55.7% (P<.001) for the asymptomatic group, whereas the Nakagami shape parameter increased by 74.1% (P<.001) and the Nakagami scaling parameter increased by 83.5% (P<.001) for the symptomatic group. Conclusions: Ultrasonic Nakagami imaging is a potential quantitative tool to characterize radiation-induced asymptomatic and symptomatic neck fibrosis

Radiation exposure near Chernobyl based on analysis of conifer injury using thematic mapper satellite images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, M.; Ustin, S.L.; Sadowski, F.G.

1988-01-01

Radiation-induced damage in conifers adjacent to the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been evaluated using LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite images. Eight images acquired between 22 April 1986 and 15 May 1987 were used to assess the extent and magnitude of radiation effects on pine trees within 10 km of the reactor site. The timing and spatial extent of vegetation damaged was used to estimate the radiation doses in the near field around the Chernobyl nuclear power station and to indirectly derive the dose rates as a function of time during and after the accident. A normalized vegetation index was developed from the TM band data to visually demonstrate the damage and mortality to nearby conifer stands. The patterns of spectral change indicative of vegetation stress are consistent with changes expected for radiation injury and mortality. The extent and timing of these effects permitted the development of an integrated dose estimate, which was combined with the information regarding the characteristics of radionuclide mix, to provide an estimate of maximum dose rates during the early period of the accident. The derived peak dose rates during the 10-day release in the accident are high and are estimated at about 0.5 to 1 rad per hour. These are not considered life-threatening and would therefore require prompt but not immediate evacuation; that is, no off-site fatalities would be likely under such conditions. The methodology employed to combine remote-sensing analyses and the estimates of source term release with the known radiation effects on conifers represent a unique integration of these scientific and technical tools. The results of the study show that remote-sensing techniques can be used to develop a quantitative methodology for dosimetric applications and for future monitoring activities related to reactor safety
Radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging among patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Desmond, Alan N

2012-03-01

There are concerns about levels of radiation exposure among patients who undergo diagnostic imaging for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), compared with other gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. We quantified imaging studies and estimated the cumulative effective dose (CED) of radiation received by patients with organic and functional GI disorders. We also identified factors and diagnoses associated with high CEDs.
Intrafraction Bladder Motion in Radiation Therapy Estimated From Pretreatment and Posttreatment Volumetric Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foroudi, Farshad, E-mail: farshad.foroudi@petermac.org [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Pham, Daniel [Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Bressel, Mathias [Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Gill, Suki [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Kron, Tomas [Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

2013-05-01

Purpose: The use of image guidance protocols using soft tissue anatomy identification before treatment can reduce interfractional variation. This makes intrafraction clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) changes more important, including those resulting from intrafraction bladder filling and motion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the required intrafraction margins for soft tissue image guidance from pretreatment and posttreatment volumetric imaging. Methods and Materials: Fifty patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (T2-T4) underwent an adaptive radiation therapy protocol using daily pretreatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) with weekly posttreatment CBCT. A total of 235 pairs of pretreatment and posttreatment CBCT images were retrospectively contoured by a single radiation oncologist (CBCT-CTV). The maximum bladder displacement was measured according to the patient's bony pelvis movement during treatment, intrafraction bladder filling, and bladder centroid motion. Results: The mean time between pretreatment and posttreatment CBCT was 13 minutes, 52 seconds (range, 7 min 52 sec to 30 min 56 sec). Taking into account patient motion, bladder centroid motion, and bladder filling, the required margins to cover intrafraction changes from pretreatment to posttreatment in the superior, inferior, right, left, anterior, and posterior were 1.25 cm (range, 1.19-1.50 cm), 0.67 cm (range, 0.58-1.12 cm), 0.74 cm (range, 0.59-0.94 cm), 0.73 cm (range, 0.51-1.00 cm), 1.20 cm (range, 0.85-1.32 cm), and 0.86 cm (range, 0.73-0.99), respectively. Small bladders on pretreatment imaging had relatively the largest increase in pretreatment to posttreatment volume. Conclusion: Intrafraction motion of the bladder based on pretreatment and posttreatment bladder imaging can be significant particularly in the anterior and superior directions. Patient motion, bladder centroid motion, and bladder filling all contribute to changes between
Review on the characteristics of radiation detectors for dosimetry and imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seco, Joao; Clasie, Ben; Partridge, Mike

2014-01-01

The enormous advances in the understanding of human anatomy, physiology and pathology in recent decades have led to ever-improving methods of disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Many of these achievements have been enabled, at least in part, by advances in ionizing radiation detectors. Radiology has been transformed by the implementation of multi-slice CT and digital x-ray imaging systems, with silver halide films now largely obsolete for many applications. Nuclear medicine has benefited from more sensitive, faster and higher-resolution detectors delivering ever-higher SPECT and PET image quality. PET/MR systems have been enabled by the development of gamma ray detectors that can operate in high magnetic fields. These huge advances in imaging have enabled equally impressive steps forward in radiotherapy delivery accuracy, with 4DCT, PET and MRI routinely used in treatment planning and online image guidance provided by cone-beam CT. The challenge of ensuring safe, accurate and precise delivery of highly complex radiation fields has also both driven and benefited from advances in radiation detectors. Detector systems have been developed for the measurement of electron, intensity-modulated and modulated arc x-ray, proton and ion beams, and around brachytherapy sources based on a very wide range of technologies. The types of measurement performed are equally wide, encompassing commissioning and quality assurance, reference dosimetry, in vivo dosimetry and personal and environmental monitoring. In this article, we briefly introduce the general physical characteristics and properties that are commonly used to describe the behaviour and performance of both discrete and imaging detectors. The physical principles of operation of calorimeters; ionization and charge detectors; semiconductor, luminescent, scintillating and chemical detectors; and radiochromic and radiographic films are then reviewed and their principle applications discussed. Finally, a general
A research on radiation calibration of high dynamic range based on the dual channel CMOS

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Kai; Shi, Zhan; Pan, Xiaodong; Wang, Yongsheng; Wang, Jianghua

2017-10-01

The dual channel complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) can get high dynamic range (HDR) image through extending the gray level of the image by using image fusion with high gain channel image and low gain channel image in a same frame. In the process of image fusion with dual channel, it adopts the coefficients of radiation response of a pixel from dual channel in a same frame, and then calculates the gray level of the pixel in the HDR image. For the coefficients of radiation response play a crucial role in image fusion, it has to find an effective method to acquire these parameters. In this article, it makes a research on radiation calibration of high dynamic range based on the dual channel CMOS, and designs an experiment to calibrate the coefficients of radiation response for the sensor it used. In the end, it applies these response parameters in the dual channel CMOS which calibrates, and verifies the correctness and feasibility of the method mentioned in this paper.
Real time, tv-based, point-image quantizer and sorter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Case, A.L.; Davidson, J.B.

1976-01-01

A device is provided for improving the vertical resolution in a television-based, two-dimensional readout for radiation detection systems such as are used to determine the location of light or nuclear radiation impinging a target area viewed by a television camera, where it is desired to store the data indicative of the centroid location of such images. 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures
Radiation resistivity of pure silica core image guides for industrial fiberscopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Shinichi; Ohnishi, Tokuhiro; Kanazawa, Tamotsu; Tsuji, Yukio; Hayami, Hiroyuki; Ishitani, Tadayoshi; Akutsu, Takeji; Suzuki, Koichi.

1991-01-01

Industrial fiberscopes incorporating pure silica core image guides have been extensively used for remote visual inspection in radiation fields including nuclear power plants, owing to their superior radiation resistivity. The authors have been intensively conducting R and D on improving radiation resistivity of pure silica core image guides. This paper reports the results of experiments to compare the effects of core materials on radiation resistivity and to investigate the dependence of radiation resistivity on total dose, does rate, and support pipe material. The results confirmed the superior radiation resistivity of the core material containing fluorine at any irradiation condition and indicated the existence of a critical dose rate at which radiation-induced deterioration was stabilized. No difference in radiation resistivity attributable to support layer material was observed. (author)
MO-G-9A-01: Imaging Refresher for Standard of Care Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labby, Z [The University of Michigan Hospital ' Health Sys, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Sensakovic, W [Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL (United States); Hipp, E [NYULMC Clinical Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Altman, M [Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2014-06-15

Imaging techniques and technology which were previously the domain of diagnostic medicine are becoming increasingly integrated and utilized in radiation therapy (RT) clinical practice. As such, there are a number of specific imaging topics that are highly applicable to modern radiation therapy physics. As imaging becomes more widely integrated into standard clinical radiation oncology practice, the impetus is on RT physicists to be informed and up-to-date on those imaging modalities relevant to the design and delivery of therapeutic radiation treatments. For example, knowing that, for a given situation, a fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image set is most likely what the physician would like to import and contour is helpful, but may not be sufficient to providing the best quality of care. Understanding the physics of how that pulse sequence works and why it is used could help assess its utility and determine if it is the optimal sequence for aiding in that specific clinical situation. It is thus important that clinical medical physicists be able to understand and explain the physics behind the imaging techniques used in all aspects of clinical radiation oncology practice. This session will provide the basic physics for a variety of imaging modalities for applications that are highly relevant to radiation oncology practice: computed tomography (CT) (including kV, MV, cone beam CT [CBCT], and 4DCT), positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and imaging specific to brachytherapy (including ultrasound and some brachytherapy specific topics in MR). For each unique modality, the image formation process will be reviewed, trade-offs between image quality and other factors (e.g. imaging time or radiation dose) will be clarified, and typically used cases for each modality will be introduced. The current and near-future uses of these modalities and techniques in radiation oncology clinical practice will also be discussed. Learning
Skull base tumours part I: Imaging technique, anatomy and anterior skull base tumours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borges, Alexandra [Instituto Portugues de Oncologia Francisco Gentil, Centro de Lisboa, Servico de Radiologia, Rua Professor Lima Basto, 1093 Lisboa Codex (Portugal)], E-mail: borgesalexandra@clix.pt

2008-06-15

Advances in cross-sectional imaging, surgical technique and adjuvant treatment have largely contributed to ameliorate the prognosis, lessen the morbidity and mortality of patients with skull base tumours and to the growing medical investment in the management of these patients. Because clinical assessment of the skull base is limited, cross-sectional imaging became indispensable in the diagnosis, treatment planning and follow-up of patients with suspected skull base pathology and the radiologist is increasingly responsible for the fate of these patients. This review will focus on the advances in imaging technique; contribution to patient's management and on the imaging features of the most common tumours affecting the anterior skull base. Emphasis is given to a systematic approach to skull base pathology based upon an anatomic division taking into account the major tissue constituents in each skull base compartment. The most relevant information that should be conveyed to surgeons and radiation oncologists involved in patient's management will be discussed.
Skull base tumours part I: Imaging technique, anatomy and anterior skull base tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borges, Alexandra

2008-01-01

Advances in cross-sectional imaging, surgical technique and adjuvant treatment have largely contributed to ameliorate the prognosis, lessen the morbidity and mortality of patients with skull base tumours and to the growing medical investment in the management of these patients. Because clinical assessment of the skull base is limited, cross-sectional imaging became indispensable in the diagnosis, treatment planning and follow-up of patients with suspected skull base pathology and the radiologist is increasingly responsible for the fate of these patients. This review will focus on the advances in imaging technique; contribution to patient's management and on the imaging features of the most common tumours affecting the anterior skull base. Emphasis is given to a systematic approach to skull base pathology based upon an anatomic division taking into account the major tissue constituents in each skull base compartment. The most relevant information that should be conveyed to surgeons and radiation oncologists involved in patient's management will be discussed
Pediatric providers and radiology examinations: knowledge and comfort levels regarding ionizing radiation and potential complications of imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildman-Tobriner, Benjamin; Parente, Victoria M; Maxfield, Charles M

2017-12-01

Pediatric providers should understand the basic risks of the diagnostic imaging tests they order and comfortably discuss those risks with parents. Appreciating providers' level of understanding is important to guide discussions and enhance relationships between radiologists and pediatric referrers. To assess pediatric provider knowledge of diagnostic imaging modalities that use ionizing radiation and to understand provider concerns about risks of imaging. A 6-question survey was sent via email to 390 pediatric providers (faculty, trainees and midlevel providers) from a single academic institution. A knowledge-based question asked providers to identify which radiology modalities use ionizing radiation. Subjective questions asked providers about discussions with parents, consultations with radiologists, and complications of imaging studies. One hundred sixty-nine pediatric providers (43.3% response rate) completed the survey. Greater than 90% of responding providers correctly identified computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy and radiography as modalities that use ionizing radiation, and ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as modalities that do not. Fewer (66.9% correct, Pionizing radiation. A majority of providers (82.2%) believed that discussions with radiologists regarding ionizing radiation were helpful, but 39.6% said they rarely had time to do so. Providers were more concerned with complications of sedation and cost than they were with radiation-induced cancer, renal failure or anaphylaxis. Providers at our academic referral center have a high level of basic knowledge regarding modalities that use ionizing radiation, but they are less aware of ionizing radiation use in nuclear medicine studies. They find discussions with radiologists helpful and are concerned about complications of sedation and cost.
Radiation dosimetry using magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, L.E.

1991-01-01

A new dosimetry system for 3D dose distribution measurements based on the Fricke dosimeter and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been developed. The dosimeter consists of a ferrous sulphate solution incorporated in an agarose gel, which together constitute the dosimeter gel. The absorbed dose to the gel is measured by means of the proton spin-lattice relaxation rate, 1/T1 in an MR scanner. The dose distribution to an arbitrary slice within a dosimeter gel phantom can thus be determined. The chemical yield of the dosimeter gel is significantly higher than that of the for Fricke solution, and is strongly dependent of the initial ferrous sulphate concentration, assuming that the gel is bubbled with oxygen during preparation. A gel of 1.5 mM [Fe 2+ ] and 50 mM [H 2 SO 4 ] has a sensitivity of 0.108 s -1 Gy -1 and is linear up to 50 Gy. The dosimeter gel has uniform dose response over large volumes. Above 50 mM[H 2 SO 4 ] the yield increases only slightly, but the gel strength decreases and results in gel phantoms with non-uniform dose response. Below 50 mM[H 2 SO 4 ] the sensitivity of the dosimeter falls rapidly due to the decreased relaxivity of the ferric ions. The high chemical yield can be explained by a chain reaction and a reaction scheme is accordingly proposed. The dosimeter gel shows no dependence on dose rate or radiation quality and can be regarded as water-equivalent with respect to the interaction of the radiation. The diffusion coefficient of the ferric ions in the agarose gel is 1.19x10 -2 cm 2 /h. The diffusion blurs the dosimeteric image, but poses only a minor problem if the MR measurements are completed within the first two hours after irradiation. Dose distribution data from external radiation therapy units have been determined using the dosimeter gel and MRI with good accuracy, but the precision is poor, about 5-10%. (au) (84 refs.)
Simulation of seagrass bed mapping by satellite images based on the radiative transfer model

Science.gov (United States)

Sagawa, Tatsuyuki; Komatsu, Teruhisa

2015-06-01

Seagrass and seaweed beds play important roles in coastal marine ecosystems. They are food sources and habitats for many marine organisms, and influence the physical, chemical, and biological environment. They are sensitive to human impacts such as reclamation and pollution. Therefore, their management and preservation are necessary for a healthy coastal environment. Satellite remote sensing is a useful tool for mapping and monitoring seagrass beds. The efficiency of seagrass mapping, seagrass bed classification in particular, has been evaluated by mapping accuracy using an error matrix. However, mapping accuracies are influenced by coastal environments such as seawater transparency, bathymetry, and substrate type. Coastal management requires sufficient accuracy and an understanding of mapping limitations for monitoring coastal habitats including seagrass beds. Previous studies are mainly based on case studies in specific regions and seasons. Extensive data are required to generalise assessments of classification accuracy from case studies, which has proven difficult. This study aims to build a simulator based on a radiative transfer model to produce modelled satellite images and assess the visual detectability of seagrass beds under different transparencies and seagrass coverages, as well as to examine mapping limitations and classification accuracy. Our simulations led to the development of a model of water transparency and the mapping of depth limits and indicated the possibility for seagrass density mapping under certain ideal conditions. The results show that modelling satellite images is useful in evaluating the accuracy of classification and that establishing seagrass bed monitoring by remote sensing is a reliable tool.
Attenuation-based automatic kilovolt (kV)-selection in computed tomography of the chest: effects on radiation exposure and image quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Eller, Achim; Wuest, Wolfgang; Scharf, Michael; Brand, Michael; Achenbach, Stephan; Uder, Michael; Lell, Michael M

2013-12-01

To evaluate an automated attenuation-based kV-selection in computed tomography of the chest in respect to radiation dose and image quality, compared to a standard 120 kV protocol. 104 patients were examined using a 128-slice scanner. Fifty examinations (58 ± 15 years, study group) were performed using the automated adaption of tube potential (100-140 kV), based on the attenuation profile of the scout scan, 54 examinations (62 ± 14 years, control group) with fixed 120 kV. Estimated CT dose index (CTDI) of the software-proposed setting was compared with a 120 kV protocol. After the scan CTDI volume (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded. Image quality was assessed by region of interest (ROI) measurements, subjective image quality by two observers with a 4-point scale (3--excellent, 0--not diagnostic). The algorithm selected 100 kV in 78% and 120 kV in 22%. Overall CTDIvol reduction was 26.6% (34% in 100 kV) overall DLP reduction was 22.8% (32.1% in 100 kV) (all pimage quality was excellent in both groups. The attenuation based kV-selection algorithm enables relevant dose reduction (~27%) in chest-CT while keeping image quality parameters at high levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Light at the end of the tunnel in radiation therapy: molecular imaging in radiation research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, V.L. Papineni

2013-01-01

Accurate dose delivery to malignant tissue in radiotherapy is quite important for enhancing the treatment efficacy while minimizing morbidity of surrounding normal tissues. Advances in therapeutic strategies and diagnosis technologies along with our understanding of the biology of tumor response to radiation therapy have paved way to allow nearly 60% of current cancer patients to be treated with Radiation Therapy. The confluence of molecular imaging and nanotechnology fields are bridging physics and medicine and are quickly making strides in opening new avenues and therapeutic strategies that complement radiation therapy - with a distinct footprint in immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy, and targeted chemotherapy. Incorporating optical imaging in radiation therapy in my laboratory, we demonstrated that molecular probes can monitor radiation-induced physiological changes at the target and off-target sites using in vivo molecular imaging approaches. Further we show endogenous bioluminescence resulting from whole body irradiation, which is distinct from the Cherenkov radiation. Mice without anesthesia were held in ventilated mouse pie cage and subjected to 5 Gy X-ray irradiation using commercially available X-RAD320 irradiator (1 Gy/min; F2 beam hardening filter 1.5 mm Al, 0.25 mm Cu, 0.75 mm Sn,). The endogenous bioluminescence from the subjects was captured using cooled CCD camera. Significant increase (up to 100 fold) in the amounts of photons released as bioluminescence was detected during 5 min capture from the mice subjected to irradiation compared to that of the control. To determine the early inflammatory response, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity was monitored using L-012 (8-amino-5-chloro-7-phenylpyridol (3,4-d)pyridazine-1,4(2H,3H) dione), a chemiluminescence reporter. L-012 was administered (i.p) after 15 min of irradiation. Chemiluminescence resulting from the irradiation induced ROS activity, possible through the action of the
Radiation protection and image quality in dental radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boer, J.A. den; Sprengers, J.H.M.

1980-01-01

A comparison is made between radiation protection standards affecting dental X-ray equipment for intra-oral film. The comparison shows that the standards not only promote a reduction of the radiation load on the patient but also, and with more emphasis in the more recent standards, an optimum image quality. These standards can therefore be considered to balance the cost in terms of the radiation load against the benefit of the image quality obtained, a conclusion which explains the lack of strict requirements on tube voltage and the complete absence of requirements on film speed. An evolutionary development of the standards in the course of time can be traced, and future developments can be anticipated. A continuing consultation between the regulatory organizations, the dental profession and the industry is necessary to maintain the cost/benefit balance. (Auth.)
Radiation protection and image quality in dental radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

den Boer, J A; Sprengers, J H.M. [Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken N.V., Eindhoven (Netherlands)

1980-01-01

A comparison is made between radiation protection standards affecting dental X-ray equipment for intra-oral film. The comparison shows that the standards not only promote a reduction of the radiation load on the patient but also, and with more emphasis in the more recent standards, an optimum image quality. These standards can therefore be considered to balance the cost in terms of the radiation load against the benefit of the image quality obtained, a conclusion which explains the lack of strict requirements on tube voltage and the complete absence of requirements on film speed. An evolutionary development of the standards in the course of time can be traced, and future developments can be anticipated. A continuing consultation between the regulatory organizations, the dental profession and the industry is necessary to maintain the cost/benefit balance.
Effect of body mass index on shifts in ultrasound-based image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy for abdominal malignancies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Mehee; Fuller, Clifton D.; Wang, Samuel J.; Siddiqi, Ather; Wong, Adrian; Thomas, Charles R.; Fuss, Martin

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: We investigated whether corrective shifts determined by daily ultrasound-based image-guidance correlate with body mass index (BMI) of patients treated with image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) for abdominal malignancies. The utility of daily image-guidance, particularly for patients with BMI > 25.0, is examined. Materials and methods: Total 3162 ultrasound-directed shifts were performed in 86 patients. Direction and magnitude of shifts were correlated with pretreatment BMI. Bivariate statistical analysis and analysis of set-up correction data were performed using systematic and random error calculations. Results: Total 2040 daily alignments were performed. Average 3D vector of set-up correction for all patients was 12.1 mm/fraction. Directional and absolute shifts and 3D vector length were significantly different between BMI cohorts. 3D displacement averaged 4.9 mm/fraction and 6.8mm/fraction for BMI ≤ 25.0 and BMI > 25.0, respectively. Systematic error in all axes and 3D vector was significantly greater for BMI > 25.0. Differences in random error were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Set-up corrections derived from daily ultrasound-based IG-IMRT of abdominal tumors correlated with BMI. Daily image-guidance may improve precision of IMRT delivery with benefits assessed for the entire population, particularly patients with increased habitus. Requisite PTV margins suggested in the absence of daily image-guidance are significantly greater in patients with BMI > 25.0.
Recommendations from gynaecological (GYN) GEC ESTRO working group (II): Concepts and terms in 3D image-based treatment planning in cervix cancer brachytherapy-3D dose volume parameters and aspects of 3D image-based anatomy, radiation physics, radiobiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poetter, Richard; Haie-Meder, Christine; Limbergen, Erik van; Barillot, Isabelle; Brabandere, Marisol De; Dimopoulos, Johannes; Dumas, Isabelle; Erickson, Beth; Lang, Stefan; Nulens, An; Petrow, Peter; Rownd, Jason; Kirisits, Christian

2006-01-01

The second part of the GYN GEC ESTRO working group recommendations is focused on 3D dose-volume parameters for brachytherapy of cervical carcinoma. Methods and parameters have been developed and validated from dosimetric, imaging and clinical experience from different institutions (University of Vienna, IGR Paris, University of Leuven). Cumulative dose volume histograms (DVH) are recommended for evaluation of the complex dose heterogeneity. DVH parameters for GTV, HR CTV and IR CTV are the minimum dose delivered to 90 and 100% of the respective volume: D90, D100. The volume, which is enclosed by 150 or 200% of the prescribed dose (V150, V200), is recommended for overall assessment of high dose volumes. V100 is recommended for quality assessment only within a given treatment schedule. For Organs at Risk (OAR) the minimum dose in the most irradiated tissue volume is recommended for reporting: 0.1, 1, and 2 cm 3 ; optional 5 and 10 cm 3 . Underlying assumptions are: full dose of external beam therapy in the volume of interest, identical location during fractionated brachytherapy, contiguous volumes and contouring of organ walls for >2 cm 3 . Dose values are reported as absorbed dose and also taking into account different dose rates. The linear-quadratic radiobiological model-equivalent dose (EQD 2 )-is applied for brachytherapy and is also used for calculating dose from external beam therapy. This formalism allows systematic assessment within one patient, one centre and comparison between different centres with analysis of dose volume relations for GTV, CTV, and OAR. Recommendations for the transition period from traditional to 3D image-based cervix cancer brachytherapy are formulated. Supplementary data (available in the electronic version of this paper) deals with aspects of 3D imaging, radiation physics, radiation biology, dose at reference points and dimensions and volumes for the GTV and CTV (adding to [Haie-Meder C, Poetter R, Van Limbergen E et al
Cone beam computed tomography radiation dose and image quality assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lofthag-Hansen, Sara

2010-01-01

Diagnostic radiology has undergone profound changes in the last 30 years. New technologies are available to the dental field, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) as one of the most important. CBCT is a catch-all term for a technology comprising a variety of machines differing in many respects: patient positioning, volume size (FOV), radiation quality, image capturing and reconstruction, image resolution and radiation dose. When new technology is introduced one must make sure that diagnostic accuracy is better or at least as good as the one it can be expected to replace. The CBCT brand tested was two versions of Accuitomo (Morita, Japan): 3D Accuitomo with an image intensifier as detector, FOV 3 cm x 4 cm and 3D Accuitomo FPD with a flat panel detector, FOVs 4 cm x 4 cm and 6 cm x 6 cm. The 3D Accuitomo was compared with intra-oral radiography for endodontic diagnosis in 35 patients with 46 teeth analyzed, of which 41 were endodontically treated. Three observers assessed the images by consensus. The result showed that CBCT imaging was superior with a higher number of teeth diagnosed with periapical lesions (42 vs 32 teeth). When evaluating 3D Accuitomo examinations in the posterior mandible in 30 patients, visibility of marginal bone crest and mandibular canal, important anatomic structures for implant planning, was high with good observer agreement among seven observers. Radiographic techniques have to be evaluated concerning radiation dose, which requires well-defined and easy-to-use methods. Two methods: CT dose index (CTDI), prevailing method for CT units, and dose-area product (DAP) were evaluated for calculating effective dose (E) for both units. An asymmetric dose distribution was revealed when a clinical situation was simulated. Hence, the CTDI method was not applicable for these units with small FOVs. Based on DAP values from 90 patient examinations effective dose was estimated for three diagnostic tasks: implant planning in posterior mandible and

Radiation-Force Assisted Targeting Facilitates Ultrasonic Molecular Imaging

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Shukui Zhao

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic molecular imaging employs contrast agents, such as microbubbles, nanoparticles, or liposomes, coated with ligands specific for receptors expressed on cells at sites of angiogenesis, inflammation, or thrombus. Concentration of these highly echogenic contrast agents at a target site enhances the ultrasound signal received from that site, promoting ultrasonic detection and analysis of disease states. In this article, we show that acoustic radiation force can be used to displace targeted contrast agents to a vessel wall, greatly increasing the number of agents binding to available surface receptors. We provide a theoretical evaluation of the magnitude of acoustic radiation force and show that it is possible to displace micron-sized agents physiologically relevant distances. Following this, we show in a series of experiments that acoustic radiation force can enhance the binding of targeted agents: The number of biotinylated microbubbles adherent to a synthetic vessel coated with avidin increases as much as 20-fold when acoustic radiation force is applied; the adhesion of contrast agents targeted to αvβ3 expressed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells increases 27-fold within a mimetic vessel when radiation force is applied; and finally, the image signal-to-noise ratio in a phantom vessel increases up to 25 dB using a combination of radiation force and a targeted contrast agent, over use of a targeted contrast agent alone.
New patient-controlled abdominal compression method in radiography: radiation dose and image quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Piippo-Huotari, Oili; Norrman, Eva; Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta; Geijer, Håkan

2018-05-01

The radiation dose for patients can be reduced with many methods and one way is to use abdominal compression. In this study, the radiation dose and image quality for a new patient-controlled compression device were compared with conventional compression and compression in the prone position . To compare radiation dose and image quality of patient-controlled compression compared with conventional and prone compression in general radiography. An experimental design with quantitative approach. After obtaining the approval of the ethics committee, a consecutive sample of 48 patients was examined with the standard clinical urography protocol. The radiation doses were measured as dose-area product and analyzed with a paired t-test. The image quality was evaluated by visual grading analysis. Four radiologists evaluated each image individually by scoring nine criteria modified from the European quality criteria for diagnostic radiographic images. There was no significant difference in radiation dose or image quality between conventional and patient-controlled compression. Prone position resulted in both higher dose and inferior image quality. Patient-controlled compression gave similar dose levels as conventional compression and lower than prone compression. Image quality was similar with both patient-controlled and conventional compression and was judged to be better than in the prone position.
Pediatric providers and radiology examinations. Knowledge and comfort levels regarding ionizing radiation and potential complications of imaging

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Wildman-Tobriner, Benjamin; Maxfield, Charles M. [Duke University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Durham, NC (United States); Parente, Victoria M. [Duke University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Durham, NC (United States)

2017-12-15

Pediatric providers should understand the basic risks of the diagnostic imaging tests they order and comfortably discuss those risks with parents. Appreciating providers' level of understanding is important to guide discussions and enhance relationships between radiologists and pediatric referrers. To assess pediatric provider knowledge of diagnostic imaging modalities that use ionizing radiation and to understand provider concerns about risks of imaging. A 6-question survey was sent via email to 390 pediatric providers (faculty, trainees and midlevel providers) from a single academic institution. A knowledge-based question asked providers to identify which radiology modalities use ionizing radiation. Subjective questions asked providers about discussions with parents, consultations with radiologists, and complications of imaging studies. One hundred sixty-nine pediatric providers (43.3% response rate) completed the survey. Greater than 90% of responding providers correctly identified computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy and radiography as modalities that use ionizing radiation, and ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as modalities that do not. Fewer (66.9% correct, P<0.001) knew that nuclear medicine utilizes ionizing radiation. A majority of providers (82.2%) believed that discussions with radiologists regarding ionizing radiation were helpful, but 39.6% said they rarely had time to do so. Providers were more concerned with complications of sedation and cost than they were with radiation-induced cancer, renal failure or anaphylaxis. Providers at our academic referral center have a high level of basic knowledge regarding modalities that use ionizing radiation, but they are less aware of ionizing radiation use in nuclear medicine studies. They find discussions with radiologists helpful and are concerned about complications of sedation and cost. (orig.)
Image quality and radiation exposure in digital storage plate mammography with magnification technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiedler, E.; Aichinger, U.; Boehner, C.; Schulz-Wendtland, R.; Bautz, W.; Saebel, M.

1999-01-01

Purpose: Comparison of image quality between digital phosphor storage plate mammography in magnification technique and a conventional film screen system regarding the special aspect of radiation exposure. Materials and Methods: Radiograms of a RMI-mammography phantom were acquired using a conventional film screen system and two digital storage plate systems. Additionally, the radiograms of one digital system were postprocessed emphasizing contrast and included in the comparison. Results: The detectability of details in storage plate mammographies with magnification technique is almost equal to that of film screen mammographies. Thereby, lower radiation exposures were necessary using the digital systems. Conclusions: Based on these results, storage plate mammography in magnification technique is used in clinical routine at our institution. The correct parameters in image postprocessing are of elementary importance for detail detectability. Future studies must show, whether the lower radiation exposure in digital radiograms of the breast, revealing much higher background noise, will allow the same detail detectability as film screen mammographies. (orig.) [de
Internal stray radiation measurement for cryogenic infrared imaging systems using a spherical mirror.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Qijie; Chang, Songtao; He, Fengyun; Li, Zhou; Qiao, Yanfeng

2017-06-10

Internal stray radiation is a key factor that influences infrared imaging systems, and its suppression level is an important criterion to evaluate system performance, especially for cryogenic infrared imaging systems, which are highly sensitive to thermal sources. In order to achieve accurate measurement for internal stray radiation, an approach is proposed, which is based on radiometric calibration using a spherical mirror. First of all, the theory of spherical mirror design is introduced. Then, the calibration formula considering the integration time is presented. Following this, the details regarding the measurement method are presented. By placing a spherical mirror in front of the infrared detector, the influence of internal factors of the detector on system output can be obtained. According to the calibration results of the infrared imaging system, the output caused by internal stray radiation can be acquired. Finally, several experiments are performed in a chamber with controllable inside temperatures to validate the theory proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that the measurement results are in good accordance with the theoretical analysis, and demonstrate that the proposed theories are valid and can be employed in practical applications. The proposed method can achieve accurate measurement for internal stray radiation at arbitrary integration time and ambient temperatures. The measurement result can be used to evaluate whether the suppression level meets the system requirement.
Just-in-time tomography (JiTT): a new concept for image-guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang, G; Rowlands, J A

2005-01-01

Soft-tissue target motion is one of the main concerns in high-precision radiation therapy. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been developed recently to image soft-tissue targets in the treatment room and guide the radiation therapy treatment. However, due to its relatively long image acquisition time the CBCT approach cannot provide images of the target at the instant of the treatment and thus it is not adequate for imaging targets with intrafraction motion. In this note, a new approach for image-guided radiation therapy-just-in-time tomography (JiTT)-is proposed. Differing from CBCT, JiTT takes much less time to generate the needed tomographical, beam's-eye-view images of the treatment target at the right moment to guide the radiation therapy treatment. (note)
3D IMAGING USING COHERENT SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Cloetens

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Three dimensional imaging is becoming a standard tool for medical, scientific and industrial applications. The use of modem synchrotron radiation sources for monochromatic beam micro-tomography provides several new features. Along with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and improved spatial resolution, these include the possibility of quantitative measurements, the easy incorporation of special sample environment devices for in-situ experiments, and a simple implementation of phase imaging. These 3D approaches overcome some of the limitations of 2D measurements. They require new tools for image analysis.
Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) Practice Patterns and IGRT's Impact on Workflow and Treatment Planning: Results From a National Survey of American Society for Radiation Oncology Members

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Nabavizadeh, Nima, E-mail: nabaviza@ohsu.edu [Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States); Elliott, David A. [Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States); Chen, Yiyi [Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States); Kusano, Aaron S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (United States); Mitin, Timur; Thomas, Charles R.; Holland, John M. [Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States)

2016-03-15

Purpose: To survey image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) practice patterns, as well as IGRT's impact on clinical workflow and planning treatment volumes (PTVs). Methods and Materials: A sample of 5979 treatment site–specific surveys was e-mailed to the membership of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), with questions pertaining to IGRT modality/frequency, PTV expansions, method of image verification, and perceived utility/value of IGRT. On-line image verification was defined as images obtained and reviewed by the physician before treatment. Off-line image verification was defined as images obtained before treatment and then reviewed by the physician before the next treatment. Results: Of 601 evaluable responses, 95% reported IGRT capabilities other than portal imaging. The majority (92%) used volumetric imaging (cone-beam CT [CBCT] or megavoltage CT), with volumetric imaging being the most commonly used modality for all sites except breast. The majority of respondents obtained daily CBCTs for head and neck intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), lung 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or IMRT, anus or pelvis IMRT, prostate IMRT, and prostatic fossa IMRT. For all sites, on-line image verification was most frequently performed during the first few fractions only. No association was seen between IGRT frequency or CBCT utilization and clinical treatment volume to PTV expansions. Of the 208 academic radiation oncologists who reported working with residents, only 41% reported trainee involvement in IGRT verification processes. Conclusion: Consensus guidelines, further evidence-based approaches for PTV margin selection, and greater resident involvement are needed for standardized use of IGRT practices.
Accelerated Compressed Sensing Based CT Image Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, SayedMasoud; Beheshti, Soosan; Gill, Patrick R; Paul, Narinder S; Cobbold, Richard S C

2015-01-01

In X-ray computed tomography (CT) an important objective is to reduce the radiation dose without significantly degrading the image quality. Compressed sensing (CS) enables the radiation dose to be reduced by producing diagnostic images from a limited number of projections. However, conventional CS-based algorithms are computationally intensive and time-consuming. We propose a new algorithm that accelerates the CS-based reconstruction by using a fast pseudopolar Fourier based Radon transform and rebinning the diverging fan beams to parallel beams. The reconstruction process is analyzed using a maximum-a-posterior approach, which is transformed into a weighted CS problem. The weights involved in the proposed model are calculated based on the statistical characteristics of the reconstruction process, which is formulated in terms of the measurement noise and rebinning interpolation error. Therefore, the proposed method not only accelerates the reconstruction, but also removes the rebinning and interpolation errors. Simulation results are shown for phantoms and a patient. For example, a 512 × 512 Shepp-Logan phantom when reconstructed from 128 rebinned projections using a conventional CS method had 10% error, whereas with the proposed method the reconstruction error was less than 1%. Moreover, computation times of less than 30 sec were obtained using a standard desktop computer without numerical optimization.
Accelerated Compressed Sensing Based CT Image Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SayedMasoud Hashemi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In X-ray computed tomography (CT an important objective is to reduce the radiation dose without significantly degrading the image quality. Compressed sensing (CS enables the radiation dose to be reduced by producing diagnostic images from a limited number of projections. However, conventional CS-based algorithms are computationally intensive and time-consuming. We propose a new algorithm that accelerates the CS-based reconstruction by using a fast pseudopolar Fourier based Radon transform and rebinning the diverging fan beams to parallel beams. The reconstruction process is analyzed using a maximum-a-posterior approach, which is transformed into a weighted CS problem. The weights involved in the proposed model are calculated based on the statistical characteristics of the reconstruction process, which is formulated in terms of the measurement noise and rebinning interpolation error. Therefore, the proposed method not only accelerates the reconstruction, but also removes the rebinning and interpolation errors. Simulation results are shown for phantoms and a patient. For example, a 512 × 512 Shepp-Logan phantom when reconstructed from 128 rebinned projections using a conventional CS method had 10% error, whereas with the proposed method the reconstruction error was less than 1%. Moreover, computation times of less than 30 sec were obtained using a standard desktop computer without numerical optimization.
Cardiac imaging modalities with ionizing radiation: the role of informed consent.

Science.gov (United States)

Paterick, Timothy E; Jan, M Fuad; Paterick, Zachary R; Tajik, A Jamil; Gerber, Thomas C

2012-06-01

Informed consent ideally results in patient autonomy and rational health care decisions. Frequently, patients face complex medical decisions that require a delicate balancing of anticipated benefits and potential risks, which is the concept of informed consent. This balancing process requires an understanding of available medical evidence and alternative medical options, and input from experienced physicians. The informed consent doctrine places a positive obligation on physicians to partner with patients as they try to make the best decision for their specific medical situation. The high prevalence and mortality related to heart disease in our society has led to increased cardiac imaging with modalities that use ionizing radiation. This paper reviews how physicians can meet the ideals of informed consent when considering cardiac imaging with ionizing radiation, given the limited evidence for risks and benefits. The goal is an informed patient making rational choices based on available medical information. Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Voxel-based model construction from colored tomographic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loureiro, Eduardo Cesar de Miranda

2002-07-01

This work presents a new approach in the construction of voxel-based phantoms that was implemented to simplify the segmentation process of organs and tissues reducing the time used in this procedure. The segmentation process is performed by painting tomographic images and attributing a different color for each organ or tissue. A voxel-based head and neck phantom was built using this new approach. The way as the data are stored allows an increasing in the performance of the radiation transport code. The program that calculates the radiation transport also works with image files. This capability allows image reconstruction showing isodose areas, under several points of view, increasing the information to the user. Virtual X-ray photographs can also be obtained allowing that studies could be accomplished looking for the radiographic techniques optimization assessing, at the same time, the doses in organs and tissues. The accuracy of the program here presented, called MCvoxEL, that implements this new approach, was tested by comparison to results from two modern and well-supported Monte Carlo codes. Dose conversion factors for parallel X-ray exposure were also calculated. (author)
Clinical utility of MR imaging in chronic progressive radiation myelopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melki, P.S.; Halimi, P.; Wibault, P.; Doyon, D.

1990-01-01

This paper defines the diagnostic and prognostic value of MR imaging in chronic progressive radiation myelopathy 9CPRM). In this series, MR imaging showed excellent sensitivity (199%) for the demonstration of radiation-induced lesions of the spinal cord. Fifty percent of the cases showed spinal cord hypertrophy (pseudotumoral, 33%; cystic, 17%) occurring within 8 months of the clinical onset of myelopathy. The remaining 50% showed spinal cord atrophy, which occurred more than 8 months following the onset of myelopathy. These medullary lesions were located at least partially in the radiation field but extended beyond its boundaries in 73% of the cases. MR imaging helped to establish disease prognosis: spinal cord hypertrophy was usually associated with neurologic deterioration and fatal outcome within a mean of 11.5 months; in spinal atrophy, neurologic deficit was often static and survival rates were better
Radiation from Cardiac Imaging Tests

Science.gov (United States)

... his or her test will be performed with attention paid to keeping radiation exposure low. Two Questions ... based, whereby less radiation is used to take pictures of skinnier patients. Questions for CT Angiograms Do ...
Oncology Patient Perceptions of the Use of Ionizing Radiation in Diagnostic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Joseph R; Jones, Aaron K; Clarke, Ryan K; Giordano, Sharon H; Shoemaker, Stowe

2016-07-01

To measure the knowledge of oncology patients regarding use and potential risks of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging. A 30-question survey was developed and e-mailed to 48,736 randomly selected patients who had undergone a diagnostic imaging study at a comprehensive cancer center between November 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. The survey was designed to measure patients' knowledge about use of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging and attitudes about radiation. Nonresponse bias was quantified by sending an abbreviated survey to patients who did not respond to the original survey. Of the 48,736 individuals who were sent the initial survey, 9,098 (18.7%) opened it, and 5,462 (11.2%) completed it. A total of 21.7% of respondents reported knowing the definition of ionizing radiation; 35.1% stated correctly that CT used ionizing radiation; and 29.4% stated incorrectly that MRI used ionizing radiation. Many respondents did not understand risks from exposure to diagnostic doses of ionizing radiation: Of 3,139 respondents who believed that an abdominopelvic CT scan carried risk, 1,283 (40.9%) believed sterility was a risk; 669 (21.3%) believed heritable mutations were a risk; 657 (20.9%) believed acute radiation sickness was a risk; and 135 (4.3%) believed cataracts were a risk. Most patients and caregivers do not possess basic knowledge regarding the use of ionizing radiation in oncologic diagnostic imaging. To ensure health literacy and high-quality patient decision making, efforts to educate patients and caregivers should be increased. Such education might begin with information about effects that are not risks of diagnostic imaging. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From 'Image Gently' to image intelligently: a personalized perspective on diagnostic radiation risk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guillerman, R.P. [Department of Pediatric Radiology, Texas Children' s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States)

2014-10-15

The risk of ionizing radiation from diagnostic imaging has been a popular topic in the radiology literature and lay press. Communicating the magnitude of risk to patients and caregivers is problematic because of the uncertainty in estimates derived principally from epidemiological studies of large populations, and alternative approaches are needed to provide a scientific basis for personalized risk estimates. The underlying patient disease and life expectancy greatly influence risk projections. Research into the biological mechanisms of radiation-induced DNA damage and repair challenges the linear no-threshold dose-response assumption and reveals that individuals vary in sensitivity to radiation. Studies of decision-making psychology show that individuals are highly susceptible to irrational biases when judging risks. Truly informed medical decision-making that respects patient autonomy requires appropriate framing of radiation risks in perspective with other risks and with the benefits of imaging. To follow the principles of personalized medicine and treat patients according to their specific phenotypic and personality profiles, diagnostic imaging should optimally be tailored not only to patient size, body region and clinical indication, but also to underlying disease conditions, radio-sensitivity and risk perception and preferences that vary among individuals. (orig.)
Prior image constrained scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography image-guided radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Stephen; Nett, Brian E; Tolakanahalli, Ranjini; Chen, Guang-Hong

2011-02-21

X-ray scatter is a significant problem in cone-beam computed tomography when thicker objects and larger cone angles are used, as scattered radiation can lead to reduced contrast and CT number inaccuracy. Advances have been made in x-ray computed tomography (CT) by incorporating a high quality prior image into the image reconstruction process. In this paper, we extend this idea to correct scatter-induced shading artifacts in cone-beam CT image-guided radiation therapy. Specifically, this paper presents a new scatter correction algorithm which uses a prior image with low scatter artifacts to reduce shading artifacts in cone-beam CT images acquired under conditions of high scatter. The proposed correction algorithm begins with an empirical hypothesis that the target image can be written as a weighted summation of a series of basis images that are generated by raising the raw cone-beam projection data to different powers, and then, reconstructing using the standard filtered backprojection algorithm. The weight for each basis image is calculated by minimizing the difference between the target image and the prior image. The performance of the scatter correction algorithm is qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated through phantom studies using a Varian 2100 EX System with an on-board imager. Results show that the proposed scatter correction algorithm using a prior image with low scatter artifacts can substantially mitigate scatter-induced shading artifacts in both full-fan and half-fan modes.
Just-in-time tomography (JiTT): a new concept for image-guided radiation therapy

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Pang, G; Rowlands, J A [Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto M4N 3M5 (Canada); Imaging Research, Sunnybrook and Women' s College Health Sciences Centre, Departments of Radiation Oncology and Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

2005-11-07

Soft-tissue target motion is one of the main concerns in high-precision radiation therapy. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been developed recently to image soft-tissue targets in the treatment room and guide the radiation therapy treatment. However, due to its relatively long image acquisition time the CBCT approach cannot provide images of the target at the instant of the treatment and thus it is not adequate for imaging targets with intrafraction motion. In this note, a new approach for image-guided radiation therapy-just-in-time tomography (JiTT)-is proposed. Differing from CBCT, JiTT takes much less time to generate the needed tomographical, beam's-eye-view images of the treatment target at the right moment to guide the radiation therapy treatment. (note)
Scintillator Based Coded-Aperture Imaging for Neutron Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayes, Sean-C.; Gamage, Kelum-A-A.

2013-06-01

In this paper we are going to assess the variations of neutron images using a series of Monte Carlo simulations. We are going to study neutron images of the same neutron source with different source locations, using a scintillator based coded-aperture system. The Monte Carlo simulations have been conducted making use of the EJ-426 neutron scintillator detector. This type of detector has a low sensitivity to gamma rays and is therefore of particular use in a system with a source that emits a mixed radiation field. From the use of different source locations, several neutron images have been produced, compared both qualitatively and quantitatively for each case. This allows conclusions to be drawn on how suited the scintillator based coded-aperture neutron imaging system is to detecting various neutron source locations. This type of neutron imaging system can be easily used to identify and locate nuclear materials precisely. (authors)
SU-D-BRA-04: Computerized Framework for Marker-Less Localization of Anatomical Feature Points in Range Images Based On Differential Geometry Features for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soufi, M; Arimura, H; Toyofuku, F; Nakamura, K; Hirose, T; Umezu, Y; Shioyama, Y

2016-01-01

framework might be useful for tasks involving feature-based image registration in range-image guided radiation therapy.

SU-D-BRA-04: Computerized Framework for Marker-Less Localization of Anatomical Feature Points in Range Images Based On Differential Geometry Features for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soufi, M; Arimura, H; Toyofuku, F [Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka (Japan); Nakamura, K [Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (Japan); Hirose, T; Umezu, Y [Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka (Japan); Shioyama, Y [Saga Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Tosu, Tosu, Saga (Japan)

2016-06-15

framework might be useful for tasks involving feature-based image registration in range-image guided radiation therapy.
Attenuation-based kV pair selection in dual source dual energy computed tomography angiography of the chest: impact on radiation dose and image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renapurkar, Rahul D.; Azok, Joseph; Lempel, Jason; Karim, Wadih; Graham, Ruffin [Thoracic Imaging, L10, Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (United States); Primak, Andrew [Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA (United States); Tandon, Yasmeen [Case Western Reserve University-Metro Health Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cleveland, OH (United States); Bullen, Jennifer [Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (United States); Dong, Frank [Section of Medical Physics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (United States)

2017-08-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of attenuation-based kilovoltage (kV) pair selection in dual source dual energy (DSDE)-pulmonary embolism (PE) protocol examinations on radiation dose savings and image quality. A prospective study was carried out on 118 patients with suspected PE. In patients in whom attenuation-based kV pair selection selected the 80/140Sn kV pair, the pre-scan 100/140Sn CTDIvol (computed tomography dose index volume) values were compared with the pre-scan 80/140Sn CTDIvol values. Subjective and objective image quality parameters were assessed. Attenuation-based kV pair selection switched to the 80/140Sn kV pair (''switched'' cohort) in 63 out of 118 patients (53%). The mean 100/140Sn pre-scan CTDIvol was 8.8 mGy, while the mean 80/140Sn pre-scan CTDIvol was 7.5 mGy. The average estimated dose reduction for the ''switched'' cohort was 1.3 mGy (95% CI 1.2, 1.4; p < 0.001), representing a 15% reduction in dose. After adjusting for patient weight, mean attenuation was significantly higher in the ''switched'' vs. ''non-switched'' cohorts in all five pulmonary arteries and in all lobes on iodine maps. This study demonstrates that attenuation-based kV pair selection in DSDE examination is feasible and can offer radiation dose reduction without compromising image quality. (orig.)
Systems and methods for imaging using radiation from laser produced plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Renard-Le Galloudec, Nathalie; Cowan, Thomas E.; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Rassuchine, Jennifer

2009-06-30

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for imaging a subject using radiation emitted from a laser produced plasma generating by irradiating a target with a laser. In particular examples, the target includes at least one radiation enhancing component, such as a fluor, cap, or wire. In further examples, the target has a metal layer and an internal surface defining an internal apex, the internal apex of less than about 15 .mu.m, such as less than about 1 .mu.m. The targets may take a variety of shapes, including cones, pyramids, and hemispheres. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide improved imaging of a subject, such as improved medical images of a radiation dose than typical conventional methods and systems.
Improving abdomen tumor low-dose CT images using a fast dictionary learning based processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yang; Shi Luyao; Shu Huazhong; Luo Limin; Coatrieux, Jean-Louis; Yin Xindao; Toumoulin, Christine

2013-01-01

In abdomen computed tomography (CT), repeated radiation exposures are often inevitable for cancer patients who receive surgery or radiotherapy guided by CT images. Low-dose scans should thus be considered in order to avoid the harm of accumulative x-ray radiation. This work is aimed at improving abdomen tumor CT images from low-dose scans by using a fast dictionary learning (DL) based processing. Stemming from sparse representation theory, the proposed patch-based DL approach allows effective suppression of both mottled noise and streak artifacts. The experiments carried out on clinical data show that the proposed method brings encouraging improvements in abdomen low-dose CT images with tumors. (paper)
INVITED REVIEW--IMAGE REGISTRATION IN VETERINARY RADIATION ONCOLOGY: INDICATIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE ADVANCES.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yang; Lawrence, Jessica; Cheng, Kun; Montgomery, Dean; Forrest, Lisa; Mclaren, Duncan B; McLaughlin, Stephen; Argyle, David J; Nailon, William H

2016-01-01

The field of veterinary radiation therapy (RT) has gained substantial momentum in recent decades with significant advances in conformal treatment planning, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and intensity-modulated (IMRT) techniques. At the root of these advancements lie improvements in tumor imaging, image alignment (registration), target volume delineation, and identification of critical structures. Image registration has been widely used to combine information from multimodality images such as computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) to improve the accuracy of radiation delivery and reliably identify tumor-bearing areas. Many different techniques have been applied in image registration. This review provides an overview of medical image registration in RT and its applications in veterinary oncology. A summary of the most commonly used approaches in human and veterinary medicine is presented along with their current use in IGRT and adaptive radiation therapy (ART). It is important to realize that registration does not guarantee that target volumes, such as the gross tumor volume (GTV), are correctly identified on the image being registered, as limitations unique to registration algorithms exist. Research involving novel registration frameworks for automatic segmentation of tumor volumes is ongoing and comparative oncology programs offer a unique opportunity to test the efficacy of proposed algorithms. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Radiology.
Research on cloud background infrared radiation simulation based on fractal and statistical data

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xingrun; Xu, Qingshan; Li, Xia; Wu, Kaifeng; Dong, Yanbing

2018-02-01

Cloud is an important natural phenomenon, and its radiation causes serious interference to infrared detector. Based on fractal and statistical data, a method is proposed to realize cloud background simulation, and cloud infrared radiation data field is assigned using satellite radiation data of cloud. A cloud infrared radiation simulation model is established using matlab, and it can generate cloud background infrared images for different cloud types (low cloud, middle cloud, and high cloud) in different months, bands and sensor zenith angles.
Exposure Risks Among Children Undergoing Radiation Therapy: Considerations in the Era of Image Guided Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, Clayton B.; Thompson, Holly M.; Benedict, Stanley H.; Seibert, J. Anthony; Wong, Kenneth; Vaughan, Andrew T.; Chen, Allen M.

2016-01-01

Recent improvements in toxicity profiles of pediatric oncology patients are attributable, in part, to advances in the field of radiation oncology such as intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) and proton therapy (IMPT). While IMRT and IMPT deliver highly conformal dose to targeted volumes, they commonly demand the addition of 2- or 3-dimensional imaging for precise positioning—a technique known as image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this manuscript we address strategies to further minimize exposure risk in children by reducing effective IGRT dose. Portal X rays and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) are commonly used to verify patient position during IGRT and, because their relative radiation exposure is far less than the radiation absorbed from therapeutic treatment beams, their sometimes significant contribution to cumulative risk can be easily overlooked. Optimizing the conformality of IMRT/IMPT while simultaneously ignoring IGRT dose may result in organs at risk being exposed to a greater proportion of radiation from IGRT than from therapeutic beams. Over a treatment course, cumulative central-axis CBCT effective dose can approach or supersede the amount of radiation absorbed from a single treatment fraction, a theoretical increase of 3% to 5% in mutagenic risk. In select scenarios, this may result in the underprediction of acute and late toxicity risk (such as azoospermia, ovarian dysfunction, or increased lifetime mutagenic risk) in radiation-sensitive organs and patients. Although dependent on variables such as patient age, gender, weight, body habitus, anatomic location, and dose-toxicity thresholds, modifying IGRT use and acquisition parameters such as frequency, imaging modality, beam energy, current, voltage, rotational degree, collimation, field size, reconstruction algorithm, and documentation can reduce exposure, avoid unnecessary toxicity, and achieve doses as low as reasonably achievable, promoting a culture and practice of “gentle IGRT.”
Exposure Risks Among Children Undergoing Radiation Therapy: Considerations in the Era of Image Guided Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hess, Clayton B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, California (United States); Thompson, Holly M. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California (United States); Benedict, Stanley H. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, California (United States); Seibert, J. Anthony [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California (United States); Wong, Kenneth [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California (United States); Vaughan, Andrew T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, California (United States); Chen, Allen M., E-mail: allenmchen@yahoo.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California (United States)

2016-04-01

Recent improvements in toxicity profiles of pediatric oncology patients are attributable, in part, to advances in the field of radiation oncology such as intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) and proton therapy (IMPT). While IMRT and IMPT deliver highly conformal dose to targeted volumes, they commonly demand the addition of 2- or 3-dimensional imaging for precise positioning—a technique known as image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this manuscript we address strategies to further minimize exposure risk in children by reducing effective IGRT dose. Portal X rays and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) are commonly used to verify patient position during IGRT and, because their relative radiation exposure is far less than the radiation absorbed from therapeutic treatment beams, their sometimes significant contribution to cumulative risk can be easily overlooked. Optimizing the conformality of IMRT/IMPT while simultaneously ignoring IGRT dose may result in organs at risk being exposed to a greater proportion of radiation from IGRT than from therapeutic beams. Over a treatment course, cumulative central-axis CBCT effective dose can approach or supersede the amount of radiation absorbed from a single treatment fraction, a theoretical increase of 3% to 5% in mutagenic risk. In select scenarios, this may result in the underprediction of acute and late toxicity risk (such as azoospermia, ovarian dysfunction, or increased lifetime mutagenic risk) in radiation-sensitive organs and patients. Although dependent on variables such as patient age, gender, weight, body habitus, anatomic location, and dose-toxicity thresholds, modifying IGRT use and acquisition parameters such as frequency, imaging modality, beam energy, current, voltage, rotational degree, collimation, field size, reconstruction algorithm, and documentation can reduce exposure, avoid unnecessary toxicity, and achieve doses as low as reasonably achievable, promoting a culture and practice of “gentle IGRT.”.
Radiation exposure and image quality in x-Ray diagnostic radiology physical principles and clinical applications

CERN Document Server

Aichinger, Horst; Joite-Barfuß, Sigrid; Säbel, Manfred

2012-01-01

The largest contribution to radiation exposure to the population as a whole arises from diagnostic X-rays. Protecting the patient from radiation is a major aim of modern health policy, and an understanding of the relationship between radiation dose and image quality is of pivotal importance in optimising medical diagnostic radiology. In this volume the data provided for exploring these concerns are partly based on X-ray spectra, measured on diagnostic X-ray tube assemblies, and are supplemented by the results of measurements on phantoms and simulation calculations.
Comparative occupational radiation exposure between fixed and mobile imaging systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendrick, Daniel E; Miller, Claire P; Moorehead, Pamela A; Kim, Ann H; Baele, Henry R; Wong, Virginia L; Jordan, David W; Kashyap, Vikram S

2016-01-01

Endovascular intervention exposes surgical staff to scattered radiation, which varies according to procedure and imaging equipment. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in occupational exposure between procedures performed with fixed imaging (FI) in an endovascular suite compared with conventional mobile imaging (MI) in a standard operating room. A series of 116 endovascular cases were performed over a 4-month interval in a dedicated endovascular suite with FI and conventional operating room with MI. All cases were performed at a single institution and radiation dose was recorded using real-time dosimetry badges from Unfors RaySafe (Hopkinton, Mass). A dosimeter was mounted in each room to establish a radiation baseline. Staff dose was recorded using individual badges worn on the torso lead. Total mean air kerma (Kar; mGy, patient dose) and mean case dose (mSv, scattered radiation) were compared between rooms and across all staff positions for cases of varying complexity. Statistical analyses for all continuous variables were performed using t test and analysis of variance where appropriate. A total of 43 cases with MI and 73 cases with FI were performed by four vascular surgeons. Total mean Kar, and case dose were significantly higher with FI compared with MI. (mean ± standard error of the mean, 523 ± 49 mGy vs 98 ± 19 mGy; P < .00001; 0.77 ± 0.03 mSv vs 0.16 ± 0.08 mSv, P < .00001). Exposure for the primary surgeon and assistant was significantly higher with FI compared with MI. Mean exposure for all cases using either imaging modality, was significantly higher for the primary surgeon and assistant than for support staff (ie, nurse, radiology technologist) beyond 6 feet from the X-ray source, indicated according to one-way analysis of variance (MI: P < .00001; FI: P < .00001). Support staff exposure was negligible and did not differ between FI and MI. Room dose stratified according to case complexity (Kar) showed statistically significantly
THz near-field imaging of biological tissues employing synchrotron radiation (Invited Paper)

Science.gov (United States)

Schade, Ulrich; Holldack, Karsten; Martin, Michael C.; Fried, Daniel

2005-04-01

Terahertz scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) below 1 THz is demonstrated. The near-field technique benefits from the broadband and highly brilliant coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) from an electron storage ring and from a detection method based on locking on to the intrinsic time structure of the synchrotron radiation. The scanning microscope utilizes conical waveguides as near-field probes with apertures smaller than the wavelength. Different cone approaches have been investigated to obtain maximum transmittance. Together with a Martin-Puplett spectrometer the set-up enables spectroscopic mapping of the transmittance of samples well below the diffraction limit. Spatial resolution down to about λ/40 at 2 wavenumbers (0.06 THz) is derived from the transmittance spectra of the near-field probes. The potential of the technique is exemplified by imaging biological samples. Strongly absorbing living leaves have been imaged in transmittance with a spatial resolution of 130 μm at about 12 wavenumbers (0.36 THz). The THz near-field images reveal distinct structural differences of leaves from different plants investigated. The technique presented also allows spectral imaging of bulky organic tissues. Human teeth samples of various thicknesses have been imaged between 2 and 20 wavenumbers (between 0.06 and 0.6 THz). Regions of enamel and dentin within tooth samples are spatially and spectrally resolved, and buried caries lesions are imaged through both the outer enamel and into the underlying dentin.
Circumvention of radiation-induced noise in CCD and CID imagers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yates, G.J.; Turko, B.T.

1989-01-01

Measurements of radiation sensitivity for interline transfer charge-injection devices (CIDs) from irradiation with high-energy photons ( 60 Co gammas and 3- to 5-MeV end-point Bremsstrahlung) and 14 MeV neutrons are presented to establish imager susceptibility in such environments. Results from electronic clearing techniques designed for quick (∼300μs for the CCDs and ∼10μs for CIDs) removal (or dumping) of radiation-induced charge from prompt sources are discussed. Application of the techniques coupled with long (microsecond to millisecond) persistence radiation-to-light converters for image retention are described. Typical data illustrating the effectiveness of charge clearing in removal of radiation noise are included for nanosecond duration pulsed x-ray/γ-ray doses (50 millirad to 5-rad range) and microsecond duration neutron fluences approaching 10 8 n/cm 2
Neutron imaging system based on a video camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinca, M.

2004-01-01

possess versatile and unique readout capabilities that have established their utility in scientific and especially for radiation field applications. A detector for neutron radiography based on a cooled CID camera offers some capabilities, as follows: - Extended linear dynamic range up to 109 without blooming or streaking; - Arbitrary pixel selection and nondestructive readout makes it possible to introduce a high degree of exposure control to low-light viewing of static scenes; - Read multiple areas of interest of an image within a given frame at higher rates; - Wide spectral response (185 nm - 1100 nm); - CIDs tolerate high radiation environments up to 3 Mrad integrated dose; - The contiguous pixel structure of CID arrays contributes to accurate imaging because there are virtually no opaque areas between pixels. (author)
TU-G-BRA-08: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): Hybrid PET-MRI Imaging of Acute Radiation Induced Cardiac Toxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sherif, O; Xhaferllari, I; Gaede, S; Sykes, J; Butler, J; Wisenberg, G; Prato, F

2015-01-01

Purpose: To identify the presence of low-dose radiation induced cardiac toxicity in a canine model using hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Research ethics board approval was obtained for a longitudinal imaging study of 5 canines after cardiac irradiation. Animals were imaged at baseline, 1 week post cardiac irradiation, and 1 month post cardiac irradiation using a hybrid PET- MRI system (Biograph mMR, Siemens Healthcare). The imaging protocol was designed to assess acute changes in myocardial perfusion and inflammation. Myocardial perfusion imaging was performed using N13-ammonia tracer followed by a dynamic PET acquisition scan. A compartmental tracer kinetic model was used for absolute perfusion quantification. Myocardial inflammation imaging was performed using F18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer. The standard uptake value (SUV) over a region encompassing the whole heart was used to compare FDG scans. All animals received a simulation CT scan (GE Medical Systems) for radiation treatment planning. Radiation treatment plans were created using the Pinncale3 treatment planning system (Philips Radiation Oncology Systems) and designed to resemble the typical cardiac exposure during left-sided breast cancer radiotherapy. Cardiac irradiations were performed in a single fraction using a TrueBeam linear accelerator (Varian Medical Systems). Results: The delivered dose (mean ± standard deviation) to heart was 1.8±0.2 Gy. Reductions in myocardial stress perfusion relative to baseline were observed in 2 of the 5 animals 1 month post radiation. A global inflammatory response 1 month post radiation was observed in 4 of the 5 animals. The calculated SUV at 1 month post radiation was significantly higher (p=0.05) than the baseline SUV. Conclusion: Low doses of cardiac irradiation (< 2 Gy) may lead to myocardial perfusion defects and a global inflammatory response that can be detectable as early as 1 month post irradiation
TU-G-BRA-08: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): Hybrid PET-MRI Imaging of Acute Radiation Induced Cardiac Toxicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Sherif, O; Xhaferllari, I; Gaede, S [Western Univeristy, London, ON (United Kingdom); London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON (United Kingdom); Sykes, J; Butler, J [Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON (United Kingdom); Wisenberg, G; Prato, F [Western Univeristy, London, ON (United Kingdom); Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON (United Kingdom)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To identify the presence of low-dose radiation induced cardiac toxicity in a canine model using hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Research ethics board approval was obtained for a longitudinal imaging study of 5 canines after cardiac irradiation. Animals were imaged at baseline, 1 week post cardiac irradiation, and 1 month post cardiac irradiation using a hybrid PET- MRI system (Biograph mMR, Siemens Healthcare). The imaging protocol was designed to assess acute changes in myocardial perfusion and inflammation. Myocardial perfusion imaging was performed using N13-ammonia tracer followed by a dynamic PET acquisition scan. A compartmental tracer kinetic model was used for absolute perfusion quantification. Myocardial inflammation imaging was performed using F18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer. The standard uptake value (SUV) over a region encompassing the whole heart was used to compare FDG scans. All animals received a simulation CT scan (GE Medical Systems) for radiation treatment planning. Radiation treatment plans were created using the Pinncale3 treatment planning system (Philips Radiation Oncology Systems) and designed to resemble the typical cardiac exposure during left-sided breast cancer radiotherapy. Cardiac irradiations were performed in a single fraction using a TrueBeam linear accelerator (Varian Medical Systems). Results: The delivered dose (mean ± standard deviation) to heart was 1.8±0.2 Gy. Reductions in myocardial stress perfusion relative to baseline were observed in 2 of the 5 animals 1 month post radiation. A global inflammatory response 1 month post radiation was observed in 4 of the 5 animals. The calculated SUV at 1 month post radiation was significantly higher (p=0.05) than the baseline SUV. Conclusion: Low doses of cardiac irradiation (< 2 Gy) may lead to myocardial perfusion defects and a global inflammatory response that can be detectable as early as 1 month post irradiation
A three-dimensional radiation image display on a real space image created via photogrammetry

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Y.; Ozawa, S.; Tanifuji, Y.; Torii, T.

2018-03-01

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., went into meltdown after the occurrence of a large tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. The radiation distribution measurements inside the FDNPS buildings are indispensable to execute decommissioning tasks in the reactor buildings. We have developed a three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction method for radioactive substances using a compact Compton camera. Moreover, we succeeded in visually recognizing the position of radioactive substances in real space by the integration of 3D radiation images and the 3D photo-model created using photogrammetry.
Comparison between radiation exposure levels using an image intensifier and a flat-panel detector-based system in image-guided central venous catheter placement in children weighing less than 10 kg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miraglia, Roberto; Maruzzelli, Luigi; Cortis, Kelvin; Gerasia, Roberta; Maggio, Simona; Luca, Angelo [Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (ISMETT), Palermo (Italy); Piazza, Marcello [Department of Anesthesia, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (ISMETT), Palermo (Italy); Tuzzolino, Fabio [Department of Information Technology, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (ISMETT), Palermo (Italy)

2014-09-10

Ultrasound-guided central venous puncture and fluoroscopic guidance during central venous catheter (CVC) positioning optimizes technical success and lowers the complication rates in children, and is therefore considered standard practice. The purpose of this study was to compare the radiation exposure levels recorded during CVC placement in children weighing less than 10 kg in procedures performed using an image intensifier-based angiographic system (IIDS) to those performed in a flat-panel detector-based interventional suite (FPDS). A retrospective review of 96 image-guided CVC placements, between January 2008 and October 2013, in 49 children weighing less than 10 kg was performed. Mean age was 8.2 ± 4.4 months (range: 1-22 months). Mean weight was 7.1 ± 2.7 kg (range: 2.5-9.8 kg). The procedures were classified into two categories: non-tunneled and tunneled CVC placement. Thirty-five procedures were performed with the IIDS (21 non-tunneled CVC, 14 tunneled CVC); 61 procedures were performed with the FPDS (47 non-tunneled CVC, 14 tunneled CVC). For non-tunneled CVC, mean DAP was 113.5 ± 126.7 cGy cm{sup 2} with the IIDS and 15.9 ± 44.6 cGy . cm{sup 2} with the FPDS (P < 0.001). For tunneled CVC, mean DAP was 84.6 ± 81.2 cGy . cm{sup 2} with the IIDS and 37.1 ± 33.5 cGy cm{sup 2} with the FPDS (P = 0.02). The use of flat-panel angiographic equipment reduces radiation exposure in small children undergoing image-guided CVC placement. (orig.)
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance pO2 Image Tumor Oxygen-Guided Radiation Therapy Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Epel, Boris; Maggio, Matt; Pelizzari, Charles; Halpern, Howard J

2017-01-01

Modern standards for radiation treatment do not take into account tumor oxygenation for radiation treatment planning. Strong correlation between tumor oxygenation and radiation treatment success suggests that oxygen-guided radiation therapy (OGRT) may be a promising enhancement of cancer radiation treatment. We have developed an OGRT protocol for rodents. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging is used for recording oxygen maps with high spatial resolution and excellent accuracy better than 1 torr. Radiation is delivered with an animal intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) XRAD225Cx micro-CT/ therapy system. The radiation plan is delivered in two steps. First, a uniform 15% tumor control dose (TCD 15 ) is delivered to the whole tumor. In the second step, an additional booster dose amounting to the difference between TCD 98 and TCD 15 is delivered to radio-resistant, hypoxic tumor regions. Delivery of the booster dose is performed using a multiport conformal beam protocol. For radiation beam shaping we used individual radiation blocks 3D-printed from tungsten infused ABS polymer. Calculation of beam geometry and the production of blocks is performed next to the EPR imager, immediately after oxygen imaging. Preliminary results demonstrate the sub-millimeter precision of the radiation delivery and high dose accuracy. The efficacy of the radiation treatment is currently being tested on syngeneic FSa fibrosarcoma tumors grown in the legs of C3H mice.
Advanced Nanoscale Characterization of Cement Based Materials Using X-Ray Synchrotron Radiation: A Review

KAUST Repository

Chae, Sejung R.; Moon, Juhyuk; Yoon, Seyoon; Bae, Sungchul; Levitz, Pierre; Winarski, Robert; Monteiro, Paulo J. M.

2013-01-01

We report various synchrotron radiation laboratory based techniques used to characterize cement based materials in nanometer scale. High resolution X-ray transmission imaging combined with a rotational axis allows for rendering of samples in three
Study on radiation dose in the medical image data display method-focus on the DICOM standard

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jung Su [Dept. of Radio-technology, Health Welfare, Wonkwang Health Science University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standards are generally introduced as de facto and de jure standards in modern medical imaging devices to store and to transmit medical image information. DICOM Dose Structured Report (DICOM dose SR) is implemented to report radiation exposure information in image acquiring process. and DIOCM Modality Performed Procedure Step (DICOM MPPS) is also partly used to report this exposure with the information in its DICOM tag. This article is focused on three type of radiation exposure information of DICOM standards, 1) DICOM dose SR, 2) DICOM MPPS and 3) Radiation Exposure Monitoring(REM) profile by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise(IHE), to study on radiation exposure reporting. Healthcare facility and its staff of medical imaging related to radiation exposure should have a deep understanding of radiation exposure, and it required a standards to enhance the quality control of medical imaging and the safety of patients and staffs. Staff member have to pay attention on radiation exposures and controlling processes from the purchasing stage of X-ray devices.

Study on radiation dose in the medical image data display method-focus on the DICOM standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Su

2015-01-01

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standards are generally introduced as de facto and de jure standards in modern medical imaging devices to store and to transmit medical image information. DICOM Dose Structured Report (DICOM dose SR) is implemented to report radiation exposure information in image acquiring process. and DIOCM Modality Performed Procedure Step (DICOM MPPS) is also partly used to report this exposure with the information in its DICOM tag. This article is focused on three type of radiation exposure information of DICOM standards, 1) DICOM dose SR, 2) DICOM MPPS and 3) Radiation Exposure Monitoring(REM) profile by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise(IHE), to study on radiation exposure reporting. Healthcare facility and its staff of medical imaging related to radiation exposure should have a deep understanding of radiation exposure, and it required a standards to enhance the quality control of medical imaging and the safety of patients and staffs. Staff member have to pay attention on radiation exposures and controlling processes from the purchasing stage of X-ray devices
TU-G-201-00: Imaging Equipment Specification and Selection in Radiation Oncology Departments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2015-06-15

This session will update therapeutic physicists on technological advancements and radiation oncology features of commercial CT, MRI, and PET/CT imaging systems. Also described are physicists’ roles in every stage of equipment selection, purchasing, and operation, including defining specifications, evaluating vendors, making recommendations, and optimal and safe use of imaging equipment in radiation oncology environment. The first presentation defines important terminology of CT and PET/CT followed by a review of latest innovations, such as metal artifact reduction, statistical iterative reconstruction, radiation dose management, tissue classification by dual energy CT and spectral CT, improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity in PET, and potentials of PET/MR. We will also discuss important technical specifications and items in CT and PET/CT purchasing quotes and their impacts. The second presentation will focus on key components in the request for proposal for a MRI simulator and how to evaluate vendor proposals. MRI safety issues in radiation Oncology, including MRI scanner Zones (4-zone design), will be discussed. Basic MR terminologies, important functionalities, and advanced features, which are relevant to radiation therapy, will be discussed. In the third presentation, justification of imaging systems for radiation oncology, considerations in room design and construction in a RO department, shared use with diagnostic radiology, staffing needs and training, clinical/research use cases and implementation, will be discussed. The emphasis will be on understanding and bridging the differences between diagnostic and radiation oncology installations, building consensus amongst stakeholders for purchase and use, and integrating imaging technologies into the radiation oncology environment. Learning Objectives: Learn the latest innovations of major imaging systems relevant to radiation therapy Be able to describe important technical specifications of CT, MRI
Functional image guided radiation therapy planning in volumetric modulated arc therapy for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshiko Doi, MD

2017-04-01

Conclusions: Significant reductions in fV5, fV10, fMLD, V5, and MLD were achieved with the functional image guided VMAT plan without negative effects on other factors. LAA-based functional image guided radiation therapy planning in VMAT is a feasible method to spare the functional lung in patients with MPM.
Dual energy CT intracranial angiography: image quality, radiation dose and initial application results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai Xue; Zhang Longjiang; Lu Guangming; Zhou Changsheng

2009-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical value of dual-energy intracranial CT angiography (CTA). Methods: Forty-one patients suspected of intracranial vascular diseases underwent dual-energy intracranial CT angiography, and 41 patients who underwent conventional subtraction CT were enrolled as the control group. Image quality of intracranial and skull base vessels and radiation dose between dual-energy CTA and conventional subtraction CTA were compared using two independent sample nonparametric test and independent-samples t test, respectively. Prevalence and size of lesions detected by dual-energy CTA and digital subtraction CTA were compared using paired-samples t test and Spearman correlative analysis. Results: The percentage of image quality scored 5 was 70.7% (29/41) for dual-energy CTA and 75.6% (31/41) for conventional subtraction CTA. There was no significant difference between the two groups (Z= -0.455, P=0.650). Image quality of vessels at the skull base in conventional subtraction CTA was superior to that in dual-energy CTA, especially for the petrosal and syphon segment (Z=-4.087, P=0.000). Radiation exposure of dual energy CTA and conventional CTA were (396.54±17.43) and (1090.95±114.29) mGy·cm respectively. Radiation exposure was decreased by 64% (t=-38.52, P=0.000) by dual energy CTA compared with conventional subtraction CTA. Out of the 41 patients, 19 patients were diagnosed as intracranial aneurysm, 2 patients as arteriovenous malformation (AVM), 3 patients with Moya-moya's disease, and the remaining 17 patients with negative results. Nine patients with intracranial aneurysm, 2 patients with AVM, 3 patients with Moya-moya's disease, and 2 patients with negative findings underwent DSA or operation, with concordant findings from both techniques. Diameter of aneurysm neck, long axis and minor axis by dual-energy CTA was (2.90±1.61), (5.23±1.68) and (3.83±1.69) mm, respectively; Diameter of aneurysm neck, long axis and minor axis by DSA was (2.95±1
Development of novel imaging probe for optical/acoustic radiation imaging (OARI).

Science.gov (United States)

Ejofodomi, O'tega A; Zderic, Vesna; Zara, Jason M

2013-11-01

Optical/acoustic radiation imaging (OARI) is a novel imaging modality being developed to interrogate the optical and mechanical properties of soft tissues. OARI uses acoustic radiation force to generate displacement in soft tissue. Optical images before and after the application of the force are used to generate displacement maps that provide information about the mechanical properties of the tissue under interrogation. Since the images are optical images, they also represent the optical properties of the tissue as well. In this paper, the authors present the first imaging probe that uses acoustic radiation force in conjunction with optical coherence tomography (OCT) to provide information about the optical and mechanical properties of tissues to assist in the diagnosis and staging of epithelial cancers, and in particular bladder cancer. The OARI prototype probe consisted of an OCT probe encased in a plastic sheath, a miniaturized transducer glued to a plastic holder, both of which were encased in a 10 cm stainless steel tube with an inner diameter of 10 mm. The transducer delivered an acoustic intensity of 18 W/cm(2) and the OCT probe had a spatial resolution of approximately 10-20 μm. The tube was filled with deionized water for acoustic coupling and covered by a low density polyethylene cap. The OARI probe was characterized and tested on bladder wall phantoms. The phantoms possessed Young's moduli ranging from 10.2 to 12 kPa, mass density of 1.05 g/cm(3), acoustic attenuation coefficient of 0.66 dB/cm MHz, speed of sound of 1591 m/s, and optical scattering coefficient of 1.80 mm(-1). Finite element model (FEM) theoretical simulations were performed to assess the performance of the OARI probe. The authors obtained displacements of 9.4, 8.7, and 3.4 μm for the 3%, 4%, and 5% bladder wall phantoms, respectively. This shows that the probe is capable of generating optical images, and also has the ability to generate and track displacements in tissue. This will
A Comparison of Image Quality and Radiation Exposure Between the Mini C-Arm and the Standard C-Arm.

Science.gov (United States)

van Rappard, Juliaan R M; Hummel, Willy A; de Jong, Tijmen; Mouës, Chantal M

2018-04-01

The use of intraoperative fluoroscopy has become mandatory in osseous hand surgery. Due to its overall practicality, the mini C-arm has gained popularity among hand surgeons over the standard C-arm. This study compares image quality and radiation exposure for patient and staff between the mini C-arm and the standard C-arm, both with flat panel technology. An observer-based subjective image quality study was performed using a contrast detail (CD) phantom. Five independent observers were asked to determine the smallest circles discernable to them. The results were plotted in a graph, forming a CD curve. From each curve, an image quality figure (IQF) was derived. A lower IQF equates to a better image quality. The patients' entrance skin dose was measured, and to obtain more information about the staff exposure dose, a perspex hand phantom was used. The scatter radiation was measured at various distances and angles relative to a central point on the detector. The IQF was significantly lower for the mini C-arm resulting in a better image quality. The patients' entrance dose was 10 times higher for the mini C-arm as compared with the standard C-arm, and the scatter radiation threefold. Due to its improved image quality and overall practicality, the mini C-arm is recommended for hand surgical procedures. To ensure that the surgeons' radiation exposure is not exceeding the safety limits, monitoring radiation exposure using mini C-arms with flat panel technology during surgery should be done in a future clinical study.
Image based radiotherapy, where we stand?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangacharyulu, Chary

2016-01-01

Since the invention of X-ray tube, image based therapy has evolved in many ways. The latest tool is the MR-Linac, where MRI guided Linac Bremsstrahlung radiation therapy is being promoted to cure cancers. Studies are underway to combine proton radiation therapy with positron emission tomography. Also, there are ideas for Bremsstrahlung beam therapy using a few MeV photons to combine with real-time positron emission tomography. While these technologies offer promises to revolutionize radiation oncology, one should be concerned about the potential excessive doses and their consequences to the patient. Also, one should be wary about the instantaneous real-time responses from oncologist or, even a bit scarier, automated decisions based on algorithm dictated protocols, which may result in life and death or even worse, those which may adversely affect the well being of a patient. In essence, treatment protocols which incorporate a thorough, careful assessments are warranted. Further concerns are economics of these developments weighed against the quality of life to the patients and their beloved's. This talk will present the current status and speculate on the possible developments with a few cautionary remarks. (author)
Image noise reduction technology reduces radiation in a radial-first cardiac catheterization laboratory

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Gunja, Ateka; Pandey, Yagya [Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Xie, Hui [Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Wolska, Beata M. [Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Cardiovascular Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Shroff, Adhir R.; Ardati, Amer K. [Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Vidovich, Mladen I., E-mail: miv@uic.edu [Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States)

2017-04-15

Background: Transradial coronary angiography (TRA) has been associated with increased radiation doses. We hypothesized that contemporary image noise reduction technology would reduce radiation doses in the cardiac catheterization laboratory in a typical clinical setting. Methods and results: We performed a single-center, retrospective analysis of 400 consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations in a predominantly TRA laboratory with traditional fluoroscopy (N = 200) and a new image noise reduction fluoroscopy system (N = 200). The primary endpoint was radiation dose (mGy cm{sup 2}). Secondary endpoints were contrast dose, fluoroscopy times, number of cineangiograms, and radiation dose by operator between the two study periods. Radiation was reduced by 44.7% between the old and new cardiac catheterization laboratory (75.8 mGy cm{sup 2} ± 74.0 vs. 41.9 mGy cm{sup 2} ± 40.7, p < 0.0001). Radiation was reduced for both diagnostic procedures (45.9%, p < 0.0001) and interventional procedures (37.7%, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in radiation dose between individual operators (p = 0.84). In multivariate analysis, radiation dose remained significantly decreased with the use of the new system (p < 0.0001) and was associated with weight (p < 0.0001), previous coronary artery bypass grafting (p < 0.0007) and greater than 3 stents used (p < 0.0004). TRA was used in 90% of all cases in both periods. Compared with a transfemoral approach (TFA), TRA was not associated with higher radiation doses (p = 0.20). Conclusions: Image noise reduction technology significantly reduces radiation dose in a contemporary radial-first cardiac catheterization clinical practice. - Highlights: • Radial arterial access has been associated with higher doses compared to femoral access. • In a radial-first cardiac catheterization laboratory (90% radial) we examined radiation doses reduction with a contemporary image
Image noise reduction technology reduces radiation in a radial-first cardiac catheterization laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunja, Ateka; Pandey, Yagya; Xie, Hui; Wolska, Beata M.; Shroff, Adhir R.; Ardati, Amer K.; Vidovich, Mladen I.

2017-01-01

Background: Transradial coronary angiography (TRA) has been associated with increased radiation doses. We hypothesized that contemporary image noise reduction technology would reduce radiation doses in the cardiac catheterization laboratory in a typical clinical setting. Methods and results: We performed a single-center, retrospective analysis of 400 consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations in a predominantly TRA laboratory with traditional fluoroscopy (N = 200) and a new image noise reduction fluoroscopy system (N = 200). The primary endpoint was radiation dose (mGy cm"2). Secondary endpoints were contrast dose, fluoroscopy times, number of cineangiograms, and radiation dose by operator between the two study periods. Radiation was reduced by 44.7% between the old and new cardiac catheterization laboratory (75.8 mGy cm"2 ± 74.0 vs. 41.9 mGy cm"2 ± 40.7, p < 0.0001). Radiation was reduced for both diagnostic procedures (45.9%, p < 0.0001) and interventional procedures (37.7%, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in radiation dose between individual operators (p = 0.84). In multivariate analysis, radiation dose remained significantly decreased with the use of the new system (p < 0.0001) and was associated with weight (p < 0.0001), previous coronary artery bypass grafting (p < 0.0007) and greater than 3 stents used (p < 0.0004). TRA was used in 90% of all cases in both periods. Compared with a transfemoral approach (TFA), TRA was not associated with higher radiation doses (p = 0.20). Conclusions: Image noise reduction technology significantly reduces radiation dose in a contemporary radial-first cardiac catheterization clinical practice. - Highlights: • Radial arterial access has been associated with higher doses compared to femoral access. • In a radial-first cardiac catheterization laboratory (90% radial) we examined radiation doses reduction with a contemporary image-noise compared to
Image gently, step lightly: increasing radiation dose awareness in pediatric interventions through an international social marketing campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Sidhu, Manrita K; Goske, Marilyn J; Coley, Brian J; Connolly, Bairbre; Racadio, John; Yoshizumi, Terry T; Utley, Tara; Strauss, Keith J

2009-09-01

In the past several decades, advances in imaging and interventional techniques have been accompanied by an increase in medical radiation dose to the public. Radiation exposure is even more important in children, who are more sensitive to radiation and have a longer lifespan during which effects may manifest. To address radiation safety in pediatric computed tomography, in 2008 the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging launched an international social marketing campaign entitled Image Gently. This article describes the next phase of the Image Gently campaign, entitled Step Lightly, which focuses on radiation safety in pediatric interventional radiology.
Cherenkov Video Imaging Allows for the First Visualization of Radiation Therapy in Real Time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, Lesley A.; Zhang, Rongxiao; Gladstone, David J.; Jiang, Shudong; Hitchcock, Whitney; Friedman, Oscar D.; Glaser, Adam K.; Jermyn, Michael; Pogue, Brian W.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To determine whether Cherenkov light imaging can visualize radiation therapy in real time during breast radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: An intensified charge-coupled device (CCD) camera was synchronized to the 3.25-μs radiation pulses of the clinical linear accelerator with the intensifier set × 100. Cherenkov images were acquired continuously (2.8 frames/s) during fractionated whole breast irradiation with each frame an accumulation of 100 radiation pulses (approximately 5 monitor units). Results: The first patient images ever created are used to illustrate that Cherenkov emission can be visualized as a video during conditions typical for breast radiation therapy, even with complex treatment plans, mixed energies, and modulated treatment fields. Images were generated correlating to the superficial dose received by the patient and potentially the location of the resulting skin reactions. Major blood vessels are visible in the image, providing the potential to use these as biological landmarks for improved geometric accuracy. The potential for this system to detect radiation therapy misadministrations, which can result from hardware malfunction or patient positioning setup errors during individual fractions, is shown. Conclusions: Cherenkoscopy is a unique method for visualizing surface dose resulting in real-time quality control. We propose that this system could detect radiation therapy errors in everyday clinical practice at a time when these errors can be corrected to result in improved safety and quality of radiation therapy
Radiation therapists' perceptions of the minimum level of experience required to perform portal image analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rybovic, Michala; Halkett, Georgia K.; Banati, Richard B.; Cox, Jennifer

2008-01-01

Background and purpose: Our aim was to explore radiation therapists' views on the level of experience necessary to undertake portal image analysis and clinical decision making. Materials and methods: A questionnaire was developed to determine the availability of portal imaging equipment in Australia and New Zealand. We analysed radiation therapists' responses to a specific question regarding their opinion on the minimum level of experience required for health professionals to analyse portal images. We used grounded theory and a constant comparative method of data analysis to derive the main themes. Results: Forty-six radiation oncology facilities were represented in our survey, with 40 questionnaires being returned (87%). Thirty-seven radiation therapists answered our free-text question. Radiation therapists indicated three main themes which they felt were important in determining the minimum level of experience: 'gaining on-the-job experience', 'receiving training' and 'working as a team'. Conclusions: Radiation therapists indicated that competence in portal image review occurs via various learning mechanisms. Further research is warranted to determine perspectives of other health professionals, such as radiation oncologists, on portal image review becoming part of radiation therapists' extended role. Suitable training programs and steps for implementation should be developed to facilitate this endeavour
Graphical-based construction of combinatorial geometries for radiation transport and shielding applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, T.J.

1992-01-01

A graphical-based code system is being developed at ORNL to manipulate combinatorial geometries for radiation transport and shielding applications. The current version (basically a combinatorial geometry debugger) consists of two parts: a FORTRAN-based ''view'' generator and a Microsoft Windows application for displaying the geometry. Options and features of both modules are discussed. Examples illustrating the various options available are presented. The potential for utilizing the images produced using the debugger as a visualization tool for the output of the radiation transport codes is discussed as is the future direction of the development
Technical and clinical evaluation of an improved-contrast screen-film combination for radiation therapy portal localization imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haus, Arthur G.; Dickerson, Robert E.; Huff, Kenneth E.; Monte, Suzanne; Schlager, Barbara A.; Atanas, Meri; Matloubieh, Ahmad

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: A problem with conventional radiation therapy portal images is low image contrast, due in part to the low attenuation of the exposing radiation by the anatomical parts being imaged and the contrast capabilities of the film or screen-film combination. The purpose of this study was to design, develop and clinically evaluate a new screen-film combination for portal localization imaging which provides significantly higher contrast and therefore improved image quality. Materials and Methods: Comparison phantom and clinical images were made at two radiation oncology facilities with the new prototype screen-film combination and a commercial screen-film combination currently used for portal localization imaging. All images were made with linear accelerators at 6MV. Sensitometric data was also obtained. The prototype combination features a 1.0mm copper front screen plus front and back gadolinium oxysulfide fluorescent intensifying screens and a very-slow-speed film having inherently high contrast. The film emulsion layers are coated on a 7 mil Estar base which allows processing in a conventional rapid process film processor. For this combination, the film is exposed primarily by light from the intensifying screens. The current, commercially available screen-film combination was a Kodak X-Omatic L Radiation Therapy Cassette with a 1.0mm copper front screen and a 0.25mm lead back screen and Kodak X-Omat RP film in ready pack envelope. With this combination, the film emulsion is exposed by electrons generated in the metal screens. All films were processed in a Kodak M35A X-Omat processor. Radiation oncologists reviewed the phantom and clinical images. Results: Sensitometric data indicate that the film contrast (average gradient) of the new prototype combination is approximately 4 times higher than the conventional commercially available combination. Phantom and clinical comparisons at St. Mary Cancer Center, Langhorne PA. and the Daisy Marquis Jones
Adobe Photoshop images software in the verification of radiation portal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang Shuigen; Wang Xiaohu; Liu Zhiqiang; Wei Xiyi; Qi Yong

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the value of Adobe Photoshop images software in the verification of radiation portal. Methods: The portal and simulation films or CT reconstruction images were imported into computer using a scanner. The image size, gray scale and contrast scale were adjusted with Adobe Photoshop images software, then image registration and measurement were completed. Results: By the comparison between portal image and simulation image, the set-up errors in right-left, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior directions were (1.11 ± 1.37) mm, (1.33 ± 1.25) mm and (0.83±0.79) mm in the head and neck;(1.44±1.03) mm,(1.6±1.52) mm and (1.34±1.17) mm in the thorax;(1.53±0.86) mm, (1.83 ± 1.19) mm and (1.67 ± 0.68)mm in the abdomen; (1.93 ± I. 83) mm, (1.59 ± 1.07)mm and (0.85 ± 0.72)mm in the pelvic cavity. Conclusions: Accurate radiation portal verification and position measurement can be completed by using Adobe Photoshop, which is a simple, safe and reliable method. (authors)
Evaluation of radiation dose and image quality of CT scan for whole-body pediatric PET/CT: A phantom study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Ching-Ching, E-mail: cyang@tccn.edu.tw [Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Tzu-Chi College of Technology, 970, Hualien, Taiwan (China); Liu, Shu-Hsin [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital, 970, Hualien, Taiwan and Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Tzu-Chi College of Technology, 970, Hualien, Taiwan (China); Mok, Greta S. P. [Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau (China); Wu, Tung-Hsin [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 112, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2014-09-15

Purpose: This study aimed to tailor the CT imaging protocols for pediatric patients undergoing whole-body PET/CT examinations with appropriate attention to radiation exposure while maintaining adequate image quality for anatomic delineation of PET findings and attenuation correction of PET emission data. Methods: The measurements were made by using three anthropomorphic phantoms representative of 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old children with tube voltages of 80, 100, and 120 kVp, tube currents of 10, 40, 80, and 120 mA, and exposure time of 0.5 s at 1.75:1 pitch. Radiation dose estimates were derived from the dose-length product and were used to calculate risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer. The influence of image noise on image contrast and attenuation map for CT scans were evaluated based on Pearson's correlation coefficient and covariance, respectively. Multiple linear regression methods were used to investigate the effects of patient age, tube voltage, and tube current on radiation-induced cancer risk and image noise for CT scans. Results: The effective dose obtained using three anthropomorphic phantoms and 12 combinations of kVp and mA ranged from 0.09 to 4.08 mSv. Based on our results, CT scans acquired with 80 kVp/60 mA, 80 kVp/80 mA, and 100 kVp/60 mA could be performed on 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old children, respectively, to minimize cancer risk due to CT scans while maintaining the accuracy of attenuation map and CT image contrast. The effective doses of the proposed protocols for 1-, 5- and 10-year-old children were 0.65, 0.86, and 1.065 mSv, respectively. Conclusions: Low-dose pediatric CT protocols were proposed to balance the tradeoff between radiation-induced cancer risk and image quality for patients ranging in age from 1 to 10 years old undergoing whole-body PET/CT examinations.
Comparison of image quality and radiation dose between combined automatic tube current modulation and fixed tube current technique in CT of abdomen and pelvis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sanghee (Dept. of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan Univ. School of Medicine (Korea, Republic of)); Yoon, Sang-Wook; Yoo, Seung-Min; Kim, Kyoung Ah; Kim, Sang Heum; Lee, Jong Tae (Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA Univ. (Korea, Republic of)), email: jansons@cha.ac.kr; Ji, Young Geon (Preventive Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA Univ. (Korea, Republic of))

2011-12-15

Background. Tube current is an important determinant of radiation dose and image quality in X-ray-based examination. The combined automatic tube current modulation technique (ATCM) enables automatic adjustment of the tube current in various planes (x-y and z) based on the size and attenuation of the body area scanned. Purpose. To compare image quality and radiation dose of the ATCM with those of a fixed tube current technique (FTC) in CT of the abdomen and pelvis performed with a 16-slice multidetector row CT. Material and Methods. We reviewed 100 patients in whom initial and follow-up CT of the abdomen and pelvis were performed with FTC and ATCM. All acquisition parameters were identical in both techniques except for tube current. We recorded objective image noise in liver parenchyma, subjective image noise and diagnostic acceptability by using a five-point scale, radiation dose, and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). Data were analyzed with parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. Results. There was no significant difference in image noise and diagnostic acceptability between two techniques. All subjects had acceptable subjective image noise in both techniques. The significant reduction in radiation dose (45.25% reduction) was noted with combined ATCM (P < 0.001). There was a significant linear statistical correlation between BMI and dose reduction (r = -0.78, P < 0.05). Conclusion. The ATCM for CT of the abdomen and pelvis substantially reduced radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic image quality. Patients with lower BMI showed more reduction in radiation dose
A Novel Murine Model for Localized Radiation Necrosis and its Characterization Using Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jost, Sarah C.; Hope, Andrew; Kiehl, Erich; Perry, Arie; Travers, Sarah; Garbow, Joel R.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To develop a murine model of radiation necrosis using fractionated, subtotal cranial irradiation; and to investigate the imaging signature of radiation-induced tissue damage using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four mice each received 60 Gy of hemispheric (left) irradiation in 10 equal fractions. Magnetic resonance images at 4.7 T were subsequently collected using T1-, T2-, and diffusion sequences at selected time points after irradiation. After imaging, animals were killed and their brains fixed for correlative histologic analysis. Results: Contrast-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images at months 2, 3, and 4 showed changes consistent with progressive radiation necrosis. Quantitatively, mean diffusivity was significantly higher (mean = 0.86, 1.13, and 1.24 μm 2 /ms at 2, 3, and 4 months, respectively) in radiated brain, compared with contralateral untreated brain tissue (mean = 0.78, 0.82, and 0.83 μm 2 /ms) (p < 0.0001). Histology reflected changes typically seen in radiation necrosis. Conclusions: This murine model of radiation necrosis will facilitate investigation of imaging biomarkers that distinguish between radiation necrosis and tumor recurrence. In addition, this preclinical study supports clinical data suggesting that diffusion-weighted imaging may be helpful in answering this diagnostic question in clinical settings.
Software for medical image based phantom modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Possani, R.G.; Massicano, F.; Coelho, T.S.; Yoriyaz, H.

2011-01-01

Latest treatment planning systems depends strongly on CT images, so the tendency is that the dosimetry procedures in nuclear medicine therapy be also based on images, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT), to extract anatomical and histological information, as well as, functional imaging or activities map as PET or SPECT. This information associated with the simulation of radiation transport software is used to estimate internal dose in patients undergoing treatment in nuclear medicine. This work aims to re-engineer the software SCMS, which is an interface software between the Monte Carlo code MCNP, and the medical images, that carry information from the patient in treatment. In other words, the necessary information contained in the images are interpreted and presented in a specific format to the Monte Carlo MCNP code to perform the simulation of radiation transport. Therefore, the user does not need to understand complex process of inputting data on MCNP, as the SCMS is responsible for automatically constructing anatomical data from the patient, as well as the radioactive source data. The SCMS was originally developed in Fortran- 77. In this work it was rewritten in an object-oriented language (JAVA). New features and data options have also been incorporated into the software. Thus, the new software has a number of improvements, such as intuitive GUI and a menu for the selection of the energy spectra correspondent to a specific radioisotope stored in a XML data bank. The new version also supports new materials and the user can specify an image region of interest for the calculation of absorbed dose. (author)
Photons-based medical imaging - Radiology, X-ray tomography, gamma and positrons tomography, optical imaging; Imagerie medicale a base de photons - Radiologie, tomographie X, tomographie gamma et positons, imagerie optique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fanet, H.; Dinten, J.M.; Moy, J.P.; Rinkel, J. [CEA Leti, Grenoble (France); Buvat, I. [IMNC - CNRS, Orsay (France); Da Silva, A. [Institut Fresnel, Marseille (France); Douek, P.; Peyrin, F. [INSA Lyon, Lyon Univ. (France); Frija, G. [Hopital Europeen George Pompidou, Paris (France); Trebossen, R. [CEA-Service hospitalier Frederic Joliot, Orsay (France)

2010-07-01

This book describes the different principles used in medical imaging. The detection aspects, the processing electronics and algorithms are detailed for the different techniques. This first tome analyses the photons-based techniques (X-rays, gamma rays and visible light). Content: 1 - physical background: radiation-matter interaction, consequences on detection and medical imaging; 2 - detectors for medical imaging; 3 - processing of numerical radiography images for quantization; 4 - X-ray tomography; 5 - positrons emission tomography: principles and applications; 6 - mono-photonic imaging; 7 - optical imaging; Index. (J.S.)

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancers a case-based review

CERN Document Server

Beyzadeoglu, Murat; Selek, Ugur

2014-01-01

This evidence-based guide to the current management of cancer cases at all head and neck sites will assist in the appropriate selection and delineation of tumor volumes/fields for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), including volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Each tumor site-related chapter presents, from the perspective of an academic expert, several actual cases at different stages in order to clarify specific clinical concepts. The coverage includes case presentation, a case-related literature review, patient preparation, simulation, contouring, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and follow-up. The text is accompanied by illustrations ranging from slice-by-slice delineations on planning CT images to finalized plan evaluations based on detailed acceptance criteria. The book will be of value for residents, fellows, practicing radiation oncologists, and medical physicists interested in clinical radiation oncology.
Objective assessment of image quality VI: imaging in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, Harrison H; Kupinski, Matthew A; Müeller, Stefan; Halpern, Howard J; Morris, John C III; Dwyer, Roisin

2013-01-01

Earlier work on objective assessment of image quality (OAIQ) focused largely on estimation or classification tasks in which the desired outcome of imaging is accurate diagnosis. This paper develops a general framework for assessing imaging quality on the basis of therapeutic outcomes rather than diagnostic performance. By analogy to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and their variants as used in diagnostic OAIQ, the method proposed here utilizes the therapy operating characteristic or TOC curves, which are plots of the probability of tumor control versus the probability of normal-tissue complications as the overall dose level of a radiotherapy treatment is varied. The proposed figure of merit is the area under the TOC curve, denoted AUTOC. This paper reviews an earlier exposition of the theory of TOC and AUTOC, which was specific to the assessment of image-segmentation algorithms, and extends it to other applications of imaging in external-beam radiation treatment as well as in treatment with internal radioactive sources. For each application, a methodology for computing the TOC is presented. A key difference between ROC and TOC is that the latter can be defined for a single patient rather than a population of patients. (paper)
MO-FG-204-08: Optimization-Based Image Reconstruction From Unevenly Distributed Sparse Projection Views

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Huiqiao; Yang, Yi; Tang, Xiangyang; Niu, Tianye; Ren, Yi

2015-01-01

Purpose: Optimization-based reconstruction has been proposed and investigated for reconstructing CT images from sparse views, as such the radiation dose can be substantially reduced while maintaining acceptable image quality. The investigation has so far focused on reconstruction from evenly distributed sparse views. Recognizing the clinical situations wherein only unevenly sparse views are available, e.g., image guided radiation therapy, CT perfusion and multi-cycle cardiovascular imaging, we investigate the performance of optimization-based image reconstruction from unevenly sparse projection views in this work. Methods: The investigation is carried out using the FORBILD and an anthropomorphic head phantoms. In the study, 82 views, which are evenly sorted out from a full (360°) axial CT scan consisting of 984 views, form sub-scan I. Another 82 views are sorted out in a similar manner to form sub-scan II. As such, a CT scan with sparse (164) views at 1:6 ratio are formed. By shifting the two sub-scans relatively in view angulation, a CT scan with unevenly distributed sparse (164) views at 1:6 ratio are formed. An optimization-based method is implemented to reconstruct images from the unevenly distributed views. By taking the FBP reconstruction from the full scan (984 views) as the reference, the root mean square (RMS) between the reference and the optimization-based reconstruction is used to evaluate the performance quantitatively. Results: In visual inspection, the optimization-based method outperforms the FBP substantially in the reconstruction from unevenly distributed, which are quantitatively verified by the RMS gauged globally and in ROIs in both the FORBILD and anthropomorphic head phantoms. The RMS increases with increasing severity in the uneven angular distribution, especially in the case of anthropomorphic head phantom. Conclusion: The optimization-based image reconstruction can save radiation dose up to 12-fold while providing acceptable image quality
Reverse-Contrast Imaging and Targeted Radiation Therapy of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thorek, Daniel L.J., E-mail: dthorek1@jhmi.edu [Division of Nuclear Medicine, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Kramer, Robin M. [Tri-Institutional Training Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine and Science, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Weill Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (United States); Chen, Qing; Jeong, Jeho; Lupu, Mihaela E. [Department of Medical Physics, MSKCC, New York, NY (United States); Lee, Alycia M.; Moynahan, Mary E.; Lowery, Maeve [Department of Medicine, MSKCC, New York, NY (United States); Ulmert, David [Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, MSKCC, New York, NY (United States); Department of Surgery (Urology), Skåne University Hospital, Malmö (Sweden); Zanzonico, Pat; Deasy, Joseph O.; Humm, John L. [Department of Medical Physics, MSKCC, New York, NY (United States); Russell, James, E-mail: russellj@mskcc.org [Department of Medical Physics, MSKCC, New York, NY (United States)

2015-10-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of delivering experimental radiation therapy to tumors in the mouse pancreas. Imaging and treatment were performed using combined CT (computed tomography)/orthovoltage treatment with a rotating gantry. Methods and Materials: After intraperitoneal administration of radiopaque iodinated contrast, abdominal organ delineation was performed by x-ray CT. With this technique we delineated the pancreas and both orthotopic xenografts and genetically engineered disease. Computed tomographic imaging was validated by comparison with magnetic resonance imaging. Therapeutic radiation was delivered via a 1-cm diameter field. Selective x-ray radiation therapy of the noninvasively defined orthotopic mass was confirmed using γH2AX staining. Mice could tolerate a dose of 15 Gy when the field was centered on the pancreas tail, and treatment was delivered as a continuous 360° arc. This strategy was then used for radiation therapy planning for selective delivery of therapeutic x-ray radiation therapy to orthotopic tumors. Results: Tumor growth delay after 15 Gy was monitored, using CT and ultrasound to determine the tumor volume at various times after treatment. Our strategy enables the use of clinical radiation oncology approaches to treat experimental tumors in the pancreas of small animals for the first time. We demonstrate that delivery of 15 Gy from a rotating gantry minimizes background healthy tissue damage and significantly retards tumor growth. Conclusions: This advance permits evaluation of radiation planning and dosing parameters. Accurate noninvasive longitudinal imaging and monitoring of tumor progression and therapeutic response in preclinical models is now possible and can be expected to more effectively evaluate pancreatic cancer disease and therapeutic response.
Reverse-Contrast Imaging and Targeted Radiation Therapy of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorek, Daniel L.J.; Kramer, Robin M.; Chen, Qing; Jeong, Jeho; Lupu, Mihaela E.; Lee, Alycia M.; Moynahan, Mary E.; Lowery, Maeve; Ulmert, David; Zanzonico, Pat; Deasy, Joseph O.; Humm, John L.; Russell, James

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of delivering experimental radiation therapy to tumors in the mouse pancreas. Imaging and treatment were performed using combined CT (computed tomography)/orthovoltage treatment with a rotating gantry. Methods and Materials: After intraperitoneal administration of radiopaque iodinated contrast, abdominal organ delineation was performed by x-ray CT. With this technique we delineated the pancreas and both orthotopic xenografts and genetically engineered disease. Computed tomographic imaging was validated by comparison with magnetic resonance imaging. Therapeutic radiation was delivered via a 1-cm diameter field. Selective x-ray radiation therapy of the noninvasively defined orthotopic mass was confirmed using γH2AX staining. Mice could tolerate a dose of 15 Gy when the field was centered on the pancreas tail, and treatment was delivered as a continuous 360° arc. This strategy was then used for radiation therapy planning for selective delivery of therapeutic x-ray radiation therapy to orthotopic tumors. Results: Tumor growth delay after 15 Gy was monitored, using CT and ultrasound to determine the tumor volume at various times after treatment. Our strategy enables the use of clinical radiation oncology approaches to treat experimental tumors in the pancreas of small animals for the first time. We demonstrate that delivery of 15 Gy from a rotating gantry minimizes background healthy tissue damage and significantly retards tumor growth. Conclusions: This advance permits evaluation of radiation planning and dosing parameters. Accurate noninvasive longitudinal imaging and monitoring of tumor progression and therapeutic response in preclinical models is now possible and can be expected to more effectively evaluate pancreatic cancer disease and therapeutic response
Radiation biology of medical imaging

CERN Document Server

Kelsey, Charles A; Sandoval, Daniel J; Chambers, Gregory D; Adolphi, Natalie L; Paffett, Kimberly S

2014-01-01

This book provides a thorough yet concise introduction to quantitative radiobiology and radiation physics, particularly the practical and medical application. Beginning with a discussion of the basic science of radiobiology, the book explains the fast processes that initiate damage in irradiated tissue and the kinetic patterns in which such damage is expressed at the cellular level. The final section is presented in a highly practical handbook style and offers application-based discussions in radiation oncology, fractionated radiotherapy, and protracted radiation among others. The text is also supplemented by a Web site.
Refraction-contrast bone imaging using synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Koichi; Sekine, Norio; Sato, Hitoshi; Shikano, Naoto; Shimao, Daisuke; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Oka, Hiroshi

2002-01-01

The X-ray refraction-contrast imaging using synchrotron radiation with some X-ray energies is successfully performed at B120B2 of SPring-8. The refraction-contrast images of bone samples such as human dried proximal phalanx, wrist, upper cervical vertebrae and sella turcica and as mouse proximal femur using the synchrotron X-ray are always better in image contrast and resolution than those of the absorption-contrast images using the synchrotron X-ray and/or the conventional X-ray tube. There is much likeness in the image contrast and resolution of trabeculae bone in the human dried proximal phalanx between X-ray energy of 30 keV at sample-to-film distance of 1 m and those of 40, 50 keV at those of 4,5 m, respectively. High-energy refraction-contrast imaging with suitable sample-to-film distance could reduce the exposure dose in human imaging. In the refraction-contrast imaging of human wrist, upper cervcal vertebrae, sella turcica and mouse proximal femur using the synchrotron X-ray, we can obtain better image contrast and resolution to correctly extract morphological information for diagnosis corresponding to each of the clinical field than those of the absorption-contrast images. (author)
Study warns of radiation risk in medical imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Gwynne, Peter

2009-10-01

A study of a million US patients suggests that some who undergo medical imaging could be exposed to more ionizing radiation than those who work with radioactive materials in nuclear power plants. The study, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine (361 849), implies that current exposure to radiation from conventional X-ray equipment as well as computed tomography (CT) and positron-emission tomography (PET) scanners could lead to tens of thousands of extra cases of cancer in the US alone.
Volumetric Spectroscopic Imaging of Glioblastoma Multiforme Radiation Treatment Volumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parra, N. Andres [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Maudsley, Andrew A. [Department of Radiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Gupta, Rakesh K. [Department of Radiology and Imaging, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, Haryana (India); Ishkanian, Fazilat; Huang, Kris [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Walker, Gail R. [Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core Resource, Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Padgett, Kyle [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Roy, Bhaswati [Department of Radiology and Imaging, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, Haryana (India); Panoff, Joseph; Markoe, Arnold [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States); Stoyanova, Radka, E-mail: RStoyanova@med.miami.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (United States)

2014-10-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) are used almost exclusively in radiation therapy planning of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), despite their well-recognized limitations. MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can identify biochemical patterns associated with normal brain and tumor, predominantly by observation of choline (Cho) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) distributions. In this study, volumetric 3-dimensional MRSI was used to map these compounds over a wide region of the brain and to evaluate metabolite-defined treatment targets (metabolic tumor volumes [MTV]). Methods and Materials: Volumetric MRSI with effective voxel size of ∼1.0 mL and standard clinical MR images were obtained from 19 GBM patients. Gross tumor volumes and edema were manually outlined, and clinical target volumes (CTVs) receiving 46 and 60 Gy were defined (CTV{sub 46} and CTV{sub 60}, respectively). MTV{sub Cho} and MTV{sub NAA} were constructed based on volumes with high Cho and low NAA relative to values estimated from normal-appearing tissue. Results: The MRSI coverage of the brain was between 70% and 76%. The MTV{sub NAA} were almost entirely contained within the edema, and the correlation between the 2 volumes was significant (r=0.68, P=.001). In contrast, a considerable fraction of MTV{sub Cho} was outside of the edema (median, 33%) and for some patients it was also outside of the CTV{sub 46} and CTV{sub 60}. These untreated volumes were greater than 10% for 7 patients (37%) in the study, and on average more than one-third (34.3%) of the MTV{sub Cho} for these patients were outside of CTV{sub 60}. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of whole-brain MRSI for radiation therapy planning of GBM and revealed that areas of metabolically active tumor are not covered by standard RT volumes. The described integration of MTV into the RT system will pave the way to future clinical trials investigating outcomes in patients treated based on
Global Solar radiation in Spain from Satellite Images; Radiacion Solar Global en la Espana Peninsular a partir de images de satelite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramirez Santigosa, L.; Mora Lopez, L.; Sidrach de Cardona Ortin, M.; Navarro Fernandez, A. A.; Varela conde, M.; Cruz Echeandia, M. de la

2003-07-01

In the context of the present work a series of algorithms of calculation of the solar radiation from satellite images has been developed. These models, have been applied to three years of images of the Meteosat satellite and the results of the treatment have been extrapolated to long term. For the development of the models of solar radiation registered in ground stations have been used, corresponding all of them to localities of peninsular Spain and the Balearic ones. The maximum periods of data available have been used, supposing in most of the cases periods of between 6 and 9 years. From the results has a year type of images of global solar radiation on horizontal surface. The original resolution of the image of 7x7 km in the study latitudes, has been revaluate to 5x5 km. This supposes to have a value of the typical radiation for every day of the year, each 5x5 km in the study territory. This information, supposes an important advance as far as the knowledge of the space distribution of the radiation solar,impossible to reach about alternative methods. Doubtlessly, the precision of the provided values is not comparable with pyranometric measures in a concrete localise, but it provides a very valid indicator in places in which, it not had previous information. In addition to the radiation maps, tables of the global solar radiation have been prepared on different inclinations, from the global radiation on horizontal surface calculated for every day of the year and in each pixel of the image. (Author) 24 refs.
Radiation imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Redmayne, I.

1986-05-21

A detector for the detection of radiation such as X-ray radiation comprises an array of scintillation elements embedded in a sheet of radiation absorbing material. The scintillation elements are monitored individually, for example by a corresponding array of photodiodes, to build up a picture of the incident radiation. The front face of the sheet and the inner walls of the bores may be coated with a reflective material. The detector finds particular application in weld radiography. The detector may be stepped relative to the radiation source, the signals produced by the rows of the detector as they pass a predetermined point being summed.
Radiation imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redmayne, Ian.

1986-01-01

A detector for the detection of radiation such as X-ray radiation comprises an array of scintillation elements embedded in a sheet of radiation absorbing material. The scintillation elements are monitored individually, for example by a corresponding array of photodiodes, to build up a picture of the incident radiation. The front face of the sheet and the inner walls of the bores may be coated with a reflective material. The detector finds particular application in weld radiography. The detector may be stepped relative to the radiation source, the signals produced by the rows of the detector as they pass a predetermined point being summed. (author)
Current radiation exposure of man: a comparison between digital imaging and environmental, workplace and accidental radiation burden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regulla, Dieter; Hoeschen, Christoph; Wahl, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

X-ray imaging in diagnostic radiology is recognized worldwide as an outstanding tool for the early recognition and prevention of diseases. The reverse side is that radiography contributes essentially to the exposure of the public. Mean effective doses, averaged over patients and non-patients, are reaching or exceeding the level of natural radiation. This is particularly the case when digital imaging techniques are utilized, such as CT, coronary angiography and interventional radiology. Individual effective doses for a patient may occur between several mSv and several hundred mSv by one examination or a series of examinations, while individual organ doses of a patient may reach equivalent doses even up to several Sv, such as for the skin. The purpose of this review is to provide information on effective dose levels occurring in diagnostic radiology as compared with individual effective doses achieved from environmental radiation, radiation at workplaces and after major radiation incidents. (author)
MR imaging assisted radiation therapy planning of brain tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Just, M.; Roesler, H.P.; Higer, H.P.; Kutzner, J.; Thelen, M.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on the improvement of the accuracy of treatment portals in radiation therapy of brain tumors with use of MR imaging. After proper processing, the parasagittal MR image showing the largest tumor size and the midline sagittal image were superimposed. With common anatomic landmarks of midline tomogram and lateral simulation radiograph, commensurate reference grids were laid over both images in identical positions. Tumor coordinates were then transferred from the synthesized MR image to the lateral radiograph. Rectangular fields or individual shielding blocks encompassing the tumor could be drawn directly. This new method was used in 17 patients, and results were compared with CT-assisted results
Head CT: Image quality improvement of posterior fossa and radiation dose reduction with ASiR - comparative studies of CT head examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Guziński, Maciej; Waszczuk, Łukasz; Sąsiadek, Marek J

2016-10-01

To evaluate head CT protocol developed to improve visibility of the brainstem and cerebellum, lower bone-related artefacts in the posterior fossa and maintain patient radioprotection. A paired comparison of head CT performed without Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASiR) and a clinically indicated follow-up with 40 % ASiR was acquired in one group of 55 patients. Patients were scanned in the axial mode with different scanner settings for the brain and the posterior fossa. Objective image quality analysis was performed with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Subjective image quality analysis was based on brain structure visibility and evaluation of the artefacts. We achieved 19 % reduction of total DLP and significantly better image quality of posterior fossa structures. SNR for white and grey matter in the cerebellum were 34 % to 36 % higher, respectively, CNR was improved by 142 % and subjective analyses were better for images with ASiR. When imaging parameters are set independently for the brain and the posterior fossa imaging, ASiR has a great potential to improve CT performance: image quality of the brainstem and cerebellum is improved, and radiation dose for the brain as well as total radiation dose are reduced. •With ASiR it is possible to lower radiation dose or improve image quality •Sequentional imaging allows setting scan parameters for brain and posterior-fossa independently •We improved visibility of brainstem structures and decreased radiation dose •Total radiation dose (DLP) was decreased by 19.
Dependence of fading patterns of photo-stimulated luminescence from imaging plates on radiation, energy, and image reader

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohuchi, H.; Yamadera, A.

2002-01-01

We have been investigating the fading characteristics of imaging plates (IPs) as integral type detectors. The dependence on alpha, beta, and gamma ray radiation and their energies of the fading effect was measured using three types of IPs (BAS-UR, BAS-TR, and BAS-MS). The functions to correct the fading were determined by using the method reported in a previous paper. In all types of IPs, we confirmed that the fading effect is independent of the energy of the incident particles of beta and gamma rays and also independent of radiation except for the first component, which fades out in a very short time after irradiation with alpha rays. These results are very useful in the utilization of IPs as integral detectors in practical radiation fields. Empirically, the fading pattern is known to change when the IP is scanned by different types of image readers. The differences in the fading patterns obtained with two types of image readers, the BAS-1000 and the BAS-5000 (Fuji Film Co.), is discussed. Development of an equation for correcting the effects of the differences in the image readers was attempted
Evaluation of usefulness of portal image using Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) in the patients who received pelvic radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Woo Chul; Kim, Heon Jong; Park, Seong Young; Cho, Young Kap; Loh, John J. K.; Park, Won; Suh, Chang Ok; Kim, Gwi Eon

1998-01-01

To evaluate the usefulness of electronic portal imaging device through objective compare of the images acquired using an EPID and a conventional port film. From Apr. to Oct. 1997, a total of 150 sets of images from 20 patients who received radiation therapy in the pelvis area were evaluated in the Inha University Hospital and Severance Hospital. A dual image recording technique was devised to obtain both electronic portal images and port film images simultaneously with one treatment course. We did not perform double exposure. Five to ten images were acquired from each patient. All images were acquired from posteroanterior (PA) view except images from two patients. A dose rate of 100-300 MU/min and a 10-MV X-ray beam were used and 2-10 MUs were required to produce a verification image during treatment. Kodak diagnostic film with metal/film imaging cassette which was located on the top of the EPID detector was used for the port film. The source to detector distance was 140 cm. Eight anatomical landmarks (pelvic brim, sacrum, acetabulum, iliopectineal line, symphysis, ischium, obturator foramen, sacroiliac joint) were assessed. Four radiation oncologist joined to evaluate each image. The individual landmarks in the port film or in the EPID were rated-very clear (1), clear (2), visible (3), notclear (4), not visible (5). Using an video camera based EPID system, there was no difference of image quality between no enhanced EPID images and port film images. However, when we provided some change with window level for the portal image, the visibility of the sacrum and obturator foramen was improved in the portal images than in the port film images. All anatomical landmarks were more visible in the portal images than in the port film when we applied the CLAHE mode enhancement. The images acquired using an matrix ion chamber type EPID were also improved image quality after window level adjustment. The quality of image acquired using an electronic portal imaging device was
Fluorescent X-ray computed tomography using synchrotron radiation for imaging nonradioactive tracer materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akiba, Masahiro; Yuasa, Tetsuya; Uchida, Akira; Akatsuka, Takao [Yamagata Univ., Yonezawa (Japan). Electrical and Information of Engineering; Takeda, Tohoru; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Itai, Yuji

1997-09-01

We describe a system of fluorescent X-ray computed tomography using synchrotron radiation (SR-FXCT) to image nonradioactive contrast materials. The system operates on the basis of computed tomography (CT) scanned by the pencil beam. In the previous experiment, we have imaged an acrylic cylindrical phantom with cross-shaped channel, filled with a diluted iodine-based tracer material of 200 {mu}g/ml. This research is aimed to improve image quality, to select the optimum energy of the incident X-ray, to confirm quantitative evaluation of the image, and to demonstrate FXCT image for living body. First, we simulated output energy profile by the Monte Carlo simulation and confirmed to predetermine the incident X-ray energy at 37 keV, in order to separate the fluorescent photons from background scattering components. Next, the imaging experiment was performed by using conventional CT algorithm under the optimum parameter at the Tristan Accumulation Ring, KEK, Japan. An acrylic phantom containing five paraxial channels of 5 and 4 mm in diameter, could be imaged; where each channel was respectively filled with diluted iodine-based contrast materials of 50, 100, 200 and 500 {mu}g/ml. From the reconstructed image, we confirmed quantitativity in the FXCT image. Finally, a rat`s brain was imaged in vitro by FXCT and monochromatic transmission CT. The comparison between these results showed that the iodine-rich region in the FXCT image corresponded with that in the monochromatic transmission CT image. (author)
Simultaneous acquisition of dual analyser-based phase contrast X-ray images for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitchen, Marcus J.; Pavlov, Konstantin M.; Hooper, Stuart B.; Vine, David J.; Siu, Karen K.W.; Wallace, Megan J.; Siew, Melissa L.L.; Yagi, Naoto; Uesugi, Kentaro; Lewis, Rob A.

2008-01-01

Analyser-based phase contrast X-ray imaging can provide high-contrast images of biological tissues with exquisite sensitivity to the boundaries between tissues. The phase and absorption information can be extracted by processing multiple images acquired at different analyser orientations. Recording both the transmitted and diffracted beams from a thin Laue analyser crystal can make phase retrieval possible for dynamic systems by allowing full field imaging. This technique was used to image the thorax of a mechanically ventilated newborn rabbit pup using a 25 keV beam from the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. The diffracted image was produced from the (1 1 1) planes of a 50 mm x 40 mm, 100 μm thick Si analyser crystal in the Laue geometry. The beam and analyser were large enough to image the entire chest, making it possible to observe changes in anatomy with high contrast and spatial resolution
Simultaneous acquisition of dual analyser-based phase contrast X-ray images for small animal imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitchen, Marcus J. [School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Marcus.Kitchen@sci.monash.edu.au; Pavlov, Konstantin M. [School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Physics and Electronics, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, NSW 2351 (Australia)], E-mail: Konstantin.Pavlov@sci.monash.edu.au; Hooper, Stuart B. [Department of Physiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Stuart.Hooper@med.monash.edu.au; Vine, David J. [School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: David.Vine@sci.monash.edu.au; Siu, Karen K.W. [School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Karen.Siu@sci.monash.edu.au; Wallace, Megan J. [Department of Physiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Megan.Wallace@med.monash.edu.au; Siew, Melissa L.L. [Department of Physiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Melissa.Siew@med.monash.edu.au; Yagi, Naoto [SPring-8/JASRI, Sayo (Japan)], E-mail: yagi@spring8.or.jp; Uesugi, Kentaro [SPring-8/JASRI, Sayo (Japan)], E-mail: ueken@spring8.or.jp; Lewis, Rob A. [School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Monash Centre for Synchrotron Science, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia)], E-mail: Rob.Lewis@sync.monash.edu.au

2008-12-15

Analyser-based phase contrast X-ray imaging can provide high-contrast images of biological tissues with exquisite sensitivity to the boundaries between tissues. The phase and absorption information can be extracted by processing multiple images acquired at different analyser orientations. Recording both the transmitted and diffracted beams from a thin Laue analyser crystal can make phase retrieval possible for dynamic systems by allowing full field imaging. This technique was used to image the thorax of a mechanically ventilated newborn rabbit pup using a 25 keV beam from the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. The diffracted image was produced from the (1 1 1) planes of a 50 mm x 40 mm, 100 {mu}m thick Si analyser crystal in the Laue geometry. The beam and analyser were large enough to image the entire chest, making it possible to observe changes in anatomy with high contrast and spatial resolution.

X-ray elastography: Modification of x-ray phase contrast images using ultrasonic radiation pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, Theron J.; Bailat, Claude; Rose-Petruck, Christoph; Diebold, Gerald J.; Gehring, Stephan; Laperle, Christopher M.; Wands, Jack

2009-01-01

The high resolution characteristic of in-line x-ray phase contrast imaging can be used in conjunction with directed ultrasound to detect small displacements in soft tissue generated by differential acoustic radiation pressure. The imaging method is based on subtraction of two x-ray images, the first image taken with, and the second taken without the presence of ultrasound. The subtraction enhances phase contrast features and, to a large extent, removes absorption contrast so that differential movement of tissues with different acoustic impedances or relative ultrasonic absorption is highlighted in the image. Interfacial features of objects with differing densities are delineated in the image as a result of both the displacement introduced by the ultrasound and the inherent sensitivity of x-ray phase contrast imaging to density variations. Experiments with ex vivo murine tumors and human tumor phantoms point out a diagnostic capability of the method for identifying tumors.
The Physics of Imaging with Remote Sensors : Photon State Space & Radiative Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Anthony B.

2012-01-01

Standard (mono-pixel/steady-source) retrieval methodology is reaching its fundamental limit with access to multi-angle/multi-spectral photo- polarimetry. Next... Two emerging new classes of retrieval algorithm worth nurturing: multi-pixel time-domain Wave-radiometry transition regimes, and more... Cross-fertilization with bio-medical imaging. Physics-based remote sensing: - What is "photon state space?" - What is "radiative transfer?" - Is "the end" in sight? Two wide-open frontiers! center dot Examples (with variations.
Patient positioning method based on binary image correlation between two edge images for proton-beam radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Akira; Yoda, Kiyoshi; Numano, Masumi; Futami, Yasuyuki; Yamashita, Haruo; Murayama, Shigeyuki; Tsugami, Hironobu

2005-01-01

A new technique based on normalized binary image correlation between two edge images has been proposed for positioning proton-beam radiotherapy patients. A Canny edge detector was used to extract two edge images from a reference x-ray image and a test x-ray image of a patient before positioning. While translating and rotating the edged test image, the absolute value of the normalized binary image correlation between the two edge images is iteratively maximized. Each time before rotation, dilation is applied to the edged test image to avoid a steep reduction of the image correlation. To evaluate robustness of the proposed method, a simulation has been carried out using 240 simulated edged head front-view images extracted from a reference image by varying parameters of the Canny algorithm with a given range of rotation angles and translation amounts in x and y directions. It was shown that resulting registration errors have an accuracy of one pixel in x and y directions and zero degrees in rotation, even when the number of edge pixels significantly differs between the edged reference image and the edged simulation image. Subsequently, positioning experiments using several sets of head, lung, and hip data have been performed. We have observed that the differences of translation and rotation between manual positioning and the proposed method were within one pixel in translation and one degree in rotation. From the results of the validation study, it can be concluded that a significant reduction in workload for the physicians and technicians can be achieved with this method
Study report by the Committee of Actual Surbey for Radiation Doses in Digital Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katakura, Toshihiko; Yasuhiko, Shigeru; Abe, Yoshihiro

1995-01-01

The aim of this questionnaire survey was to assess the reasonable radiation doses in computed radiography (CR). Questionnaires were sent to 430 facilities having CR apparatus, and 221 of these (51.3%) answered them. The conventional screen/film analog (S/F) imaging serves as control. Radiation doses of CR were smaller than or equal to those of S/F imaging. Estimated radiation doses were obtained from the skull, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, hip joint, leg joint, chest, abdomen, pediatric chest, pediatric hip joint, pediatric abdomen, salivary gland, renal pelvis, uterus, ovaries, and mammary glands. Exposure doses to the chest, which requires resolution, were increased. Reliability of S value was examined. S value varied greatly among CR systems. It was, however, considered to become an indicator for radiation doses in individual systems. Furthermore, image quality of CR imaging was compared with basic characteristics of S/F imaging (such as MTF, Wiener spectral value, and photographic density). MTF in CR was extremely low, as compared with HR-4/HR-S with moderate sensitivity. Wiener spectral value in CR was almost equal to that in S/F imaging at the same doses. (N.K.)
In-situ radiation dosimetry based on radio-fluorogenic co-polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warman, John M; Luthjens, Leonard H; Haas, Matthijs P de

2009-01-01

A fluorimetric method of radiation dosimetry is presented for which the intensity of the fluorescence of a (tissue equivalent) medium is linearly dependent on accumulated dose from a few Gray up to kiloGrays. The method is based on radio-fluorogenic co-polymerization (RFCP) in which a normally very weakly fluorescent molecule becomes highly fluorescent when incorporated into a (radiation-initiated) growing polymer chain. The method is illustrated with results of in-situ measurements within the chamber of a cobalt-60 irradiator. It is proposed that RFCP could form the basis for fluorimetric multi-dimensional dose imaging.
A preliminary study on cone beam CT image based treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padmanaban, Sriram; Jeevanandham, Prakash; Boopathy, Raghavendiran; Sukumar, Prabakar; Syam Kumar, S.A.; Kunjithapatham, Bhuvana; Nagarajan, Vivekanandan

2008-01-01

Kilovolt Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) based on flat panel technology is primarily used for positioning verification. However it is required to evaluate the accuracy of dose calculation based on CBCT images for the purpose of re-planning in adaptive radiation therapy (ART). In this study, 3DCRT and IMRT plans were done using both the planning CT and CBCT images and the corresponding variations in dose and MUs were analyzed, hence evaluating the feasibility of using kilovolt CBCT for dose calculation and patient dose verification. (author)
Radiation therapists' perceptions of the minimum level of experience required to perform portal image analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rybovic, Michala [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825 (Australia)], E-mail: mryb6983@mail.usyd.edu.au; Halkett, Georgia K. [Western Australia Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care, Curtin University of Technology, Health Research Campus, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia)], E-mail: g.halkett@curtin.edu.au; Banati, Richard B. [Faculty of Health Sciences, Brain and Mind Research Institute - Ramaciotti Centre for Brain Imaging, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825 (Australia)], E-mail: r.banati@usyd.edu.au; Cox, Jennifer [Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW 1825 (Australia)], E-mail: jenny.cox@usyd.edu.au

2008-11-15

Background and purpose: Our aim was to explore radiation therapists' views on the level of experience necessary to undertake portal image analysis and clinical decision making. Materials and methods: A questionnaire was developed to determine the availability of portal imaging equipment in Australia and New Zealand. We analysed radiation therapists' responses to a specific question regarding their opinion on the minimum level of experience required for health professionals to analyse portal images. We used grounded theory and a constant comparative method of data analysis to derive the main themes. Results: Forty-six radiation oncology facilities were represented in our survey, with 40 questionnaires being returned (87%). Thirty-seven radiation therapists answered our free-text question. Radiation therapists indicated three main themes which they felt were important in determining the minimum level of experience: 'gaining on-the-job experience', 'receiving training' and 'working as a team'. Conclusions: Radiation therapists indicated that competence in portal image review occurs via various learning mechanisms. Further research is warranted to determine perspectives of other health professionals, such as radiation oncologists, on portal image review becoming part of radiation therapists' extended role. Suitable training programs and steps for implementation should be developed to facilitate this endeavour.
Quality image analysis and radiation protection in dental radiodiagnosis in Sobral city, BA, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menezes, Francisca L.; Ferreira, Fernanda C.L.; Paschoal, Cinthia M.M.; Belinato, Walmir

2015-01-01

The radiographic processing is one of the steps to acquire radiographic images and requires appropriate quality control. The image should allow an accurate diagnosis and avoid repetition of examinations, which is consistent with the principles of radiation protection. This study aimed to verify the quality of periapical radiographic imaging and to investigate the suitability of dental X-ray equipment on the principles of radiation protection established by the Health Ministry Decree 453/98, by applying radiation field test and application questionnaires to dentists professionals. The result showed that it takes greater care professionals about the treatment radiographic and radiation protection, requiring that inspection agencies require compliance with the rules so that there is maintaining the quality of dental diagnostic radiology services. (author)
Remote radiation imaging system using a compact gamma-ray imager mounted on a multicopter drone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Yuki; Terasaka, Yuta; Kaburagi, Masaaki; Tanifuji, Yuta; Kawabata, Kuniaki; Miyamura, Hiroko; Torii, Tatsuo; Ozawa, Shingo; Izumi, Ryo; Suzuki, Toshikazu

2018-01-01

A remote radiation imaging system comprising a lightweight Compton camera and a multicopter drone was developed to remotely and quickly measure radioactive contamination inside the buildings of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). The drone system is used for measuring detailed radiation distributions in narrow areas, which have been difficult to gauge with conventional aircraft monitoring using helicopters. A measurement of radiation distributions in outdoor environments in the coastal areas of Fukushima, Japan, was performed. The drone system with the Compton camera succeeded in remote observations of dense hotspots from the sky over a contaminated area near the FDNPS. The time required for image reconstruction is approximately 550 s in the case of a 9-m flight altitude for the hotspots with a surface dose rate of several tens of μSv/h. This drone system will be used inside the buildings of the FDNPS for remote measurement of radioactive contamination. (author)
Ultrasound-based guidance of intensity-modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fung, Albert Y.C.; Ayyangar, Komanduri M.; Djajaputra, David; Nehru, Ramasamy M.; Enke, Charles A.

2006-01-01

In ultrasound-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of prostate cancer, ultrasound imaging ascertains the anatomical position of patients during x-ray therapy delivery. The ultrasound transducers are made of piezoelectric ceramics. The same crystal is used for both ultrasound production and reception. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound devices capture and correlate series of 2-dimensional (2D) B-mode images. The transducers are often arranged in a convex array for focusing. Lower frequency reaches greater depth, but results in low resolution. For clear image, some gel is usually applied between the probe and the skin contact surface. For prostate positioning, axial and sagittal scans are performed, and the volume contours from computed tomography (CT) planning are superimposed on the ultrasound images obtained before radiation delivery at the linear accelerator. The planning volumes are then overlaid on the ultrasound images and adjusted until they match. The computer automatically deduces the offset necessary to move the patient so that the treatment area is in the correct location. The couch is translated as needed. The currently available commercial equipment can attain a positional accuracy of 1-2 mm. Commercial manufacturer designs differ in the detection of probe coordinates relative to the isocenter. Some use a position-sensing robotic arm, while others have infrared light-emitting diodes or pattern-recognition software with charge-couple-device cameras. Commissioning includes testing of image quality and positional accuracy. Ultrasound is mainly used in prostate positioning. Data for 7825 daily fractions of 234 prostate patients indicated average 3D inter-fractional displacement of about 7.8 mm. There was no perceivable trend of shift over time. Scatter plots showed slight prevalence toward superior-posterior directions. Uncertainties of ultrasound guidance included tissue inhomogeneities, speckle noise, probe pressure, and inter
Investigation of innovative radiation imaging method and system for radiological environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, H. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Joung, J., E-mail: jinhun.joung@nucaremed.com [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Nucare, Inc., Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Y. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Nucare, Inc., Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, K. [School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-01

We have developed a novel imaging method that can be applied to most applications in the field of radiological environment imaging. It resolves either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) distributions of radioactive sources in applications for homeland security, environmental monitoring, radiation contamination monitoring, baggage inspection, nuclear power plant monitoring, and more. The proposed imaging method uses a simple detector configured as a radiation-counting detector with spectroscopic capabilities. The detector module consists of two components: a flat field-of-view (FOV) collimator with a 30° FOV opening and a typical single-channel radiation detector made of a 2 in.×2 in. NaI(Tl) scintillator coupled to a 2 in photomultiplier tube (PMT). This simple detector module makes it possible to develop a cost-effective imaging system and provide design freedom in extending the system configuration to include one-dimensional (1D) or 2D detector-array shapes to meet the needs of various applications. One of most distinctive features of the new imaging method is that it uses only a pair of 2D projections to obtain a 3D reconstruction. The projections are measured by the proposed detector module at two positions orthogonal to one another; the measured projections are manipulated to enhance the resolution of the reconstructed 3D image. The imaging method comprises several steps performed consecutively: projection measurement, energy re-binning, projection separation, resolution and attenuation recovery, image reconstruction, and image consolidation and quantitative analysis. The resolution and attenuation recovery step provides the most distinctive and important processing by which the poor quality of projection data is enhanced. Such poor quality is mainly due to the use of a simple detector with a wide-opening flat FOV collimator. Simulation and experimental studies have been conducted to validate the proposed method. In this investigation, we
Development and application of the analyzer-based imaging technique with hard synchrotron radiation; Developpement et application d'une technique d'imagerie par rayonnement synchrotron basee sur l'utilisation d'un cristal analyseur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coan, P

2006-07-15

The objective of this thesis is twofold: from one side the application of the analyser-based X-ray phase contrast imaging to study cartilage, bone and bone implants using ESRF synchrotron radiation sources and on the other to contribute to the development of the phase contrast techniques from the theoretical and experimental point of view. Several human samples have been studied in vitro using the analyser based imaging (ABI) technique. Examination included projection and computed tomography imaging and 3-dimensional volume rendering of hip, big toe and ankle articular joints. X-ray ABI images have been critically compared with those obtained with conventional techniques, including radiography, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and histology, the latter taken as gold standard. Results show that only ABI imaging was able to either visualize or correctly estimate the early pathological status of the cartilage. The status of the bone ingrowth in sheep implants have also been examined in vitro: ABI images permitted to correctly distinguish between good and incomplete bone healing. Pioneering in-vivo ABI on guinea pigs were also successfully performed, confirming the possible use of the technique to follow up the progression of joint diseases, the bone/metal ingrowth and the efficacy of drugs treatments. As part of the development of the phase contrast techniques, two objectives have been reached. First, it has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time that the ABI and the propagation based imaging (PBI) can be combined to create images with original features (hybrid imaging, HI). Secondly, it has been proposed and experimentally tested a new simplified set-up capable to produce images with properties similar to those obtained with the ABI technique or HI. Finally, both the ABI and the HI have been theoretically studied with an innovative, wave-based simulation program, which was able to correctly reproduce experimental results. (author)
Peculiarities of perception of stereoscopic radiation images in full colour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamchev, G.V.

1994-01-01

The principles of coloring stereoscopic radiation images providing their three-dimensional structure distinguishing increase are discussed. The results of analytical and experimental studies dealing with estimation of the effect of stereoscopic image chromaticity on accuracy of metric operations realization in three-dimensional space are given. 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab
Comprehensive evaluations of cone-beam CT dose in image-guided radiation therapy via GPU-based Monte Carlo simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montanari, Davide; Scolari, Enrica; Silvestri, Chiara; Graves, Yan Jiang; Cervino, Laura [Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037-0843 (United States); Yan, Hao; Jiang, Steve B; Jia, Xun [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9315 (United States); Rice, Roger [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037-0843 (United States)

2014-03-07

Cone beam CT (CBCT) has been widely used for patient setup in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Radiation dose from CBCT scans has become a clinical concern. The purposes of this study are (1) to commission a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation package gCTD for Varian On-Board Imaging (OBI) system and test the calculation accuracy, and (2) to quantitatively evaluate CBCT dose from the OBI system in typical IGRT scan protocols. We first conducted dose measurements in a water phantom. X-ray source model parameters used in gCTD are obtained through a commissioning process. gCTD accuracy is demonstrated by comparing calculations with measurements in water and in CTDI phantoms. Twenty-five brain cancer patients are used to study dose in a standard-dose head protocol, and 25 prostate cancer patients are used to study dose in pelvis protocol and pelvis spotlight protocol. Mean dose to each organ is calculated. Mean dose to 2% voxels that have the highest dose is also computed to quantify the maximum dose. It is found that the mean dose value to an organ varies largely among patients. Moreover, dose distribution is highly non-homogeneous inside an organ. The maximum dose is found to be 1–3 times higher than the mean dose depending on the organ, and is up to eight times higher for the entire body due to the very high dose region in bony structures. High computational efficiency has also been observed in our studies, such that MC dose calculation time is less than 5 min for a typical case. (paper)
High-intensity power-resolved radiation imaging of an operational nuclear reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, Jonathan S; Mellor, Matthew P; Villa, Mario; Joyce, Malcolm J

2015-10-09

Knowledge of the neutron distribution in a nuclear reactor is necessary to ensure the safe and efficient burnup of reactor fuel. Currently these measurements are performed by in-core systems in what are extremely hostile environments and in most reactor accident scenarios it is likely that these systems would be damaged. Here we present a compact and portable radiation imaging system with the ability to image high-intensity fast-neutron and gamma-ray fields simultaneously. This system has been deployed to image radiation fields emitted during the operation of a TRIGA test reactor allowing a spatial visualization of the internal reactor conditions to be obtained. The imaged flux in each case is found to scale linearly with reactor power indicating that this method may be used for power-resolved reactor monitoring and for the assay of ongoing nuclear criticalities in damaged nuclear reactors.
Current concepts in F18 FDG PET/CT-based Radiation Therapy planning for Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Percy eLee

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Radiation therapy is an important component of cancer therapy for early stage as well as locally advanced lung cancer. The use of F18 FDG PET/CT has come to the forefront of lung cancer staging and overall treatment decision-making. FDG PET/CT parameters such as standard uptake value and metabolic tumor volume provide important prognostic and predictive information in lung cancer. Importantly, FDG PET/CT for radiation planning has added biological information in defining the gross tumor volume as well as involved nodal disease. For example, accurate target delineation between tumor and atelectasis is facilitated by utilizing PET and CT imaging. Furthermore, there has been meaningful progress in incorporating metabolic information from FDG PET/CT imaging in radiation treatment planning strategies such as radiation dose escalation based on standard uptake value thresholds as well as using respiratory gated PET and CT planning for improved target delineation of moving targets. In addition, PET/CT based follow-up after radiation therapy has provided the possibility of early detection of local as well as distant recurrences after treatment. More research is needed to incorporate other biomarkers such as proliferative and hypoxia biomarkers in PET as well as integrating metabolic information in adaptive, patient-centered, tailored radiation therapy.
Investigations on image improvement in radiodiagnosis under special consideration of reducing scattered radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, R.

1976-10-01

In the study, image improvement is proposed for scintiscanning, X-ray and neutron diagnosis as well as computer axial tomography. In order to reduce the scattered radiation, mainly two-dimensional radiation transport calculations are carried out, and the imaging properties are studied by simulation on a large computer. It was found, among other things, that in contrast to X-ray techniques, in diagnosis with fast neutrons the image quality can hardly be improved by screens for scattered radiation. Here the problem of scattered radiation can only be solved by using scanners with narrow beams. The new method of neutron diagnosis resulting from this is especially suited for representing structures behind bones or for the localization of bone tumors invisible to X-rays, but not for representing fatty tissue. For large depths of irradiation, the scattered radiation with neutron sources below 1 MeV gets so intensive that diagnosis becomes impossible. When fast neutrons are used are used, the method is applicable for computer axial tomography because of the narrow beams. (ORU) [de
Radiation damage assessment by digital correlation of images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, J.; Salih, S.M.; Cosslett, V.E.

1974-01-01

Structural changes in the electron microscopic specimen due to radiation damage are conveniently studied by electron diffraction. However, two disadvantages of this method are that it does not work for amorphous specimens and that it is not sensitive to structural changes that affect only the phase of the structure factor. It has been proposed that a series of successive images taken under minimum exposure conditions could provide additional information in those cases where the relationship between object function and image intensity can be established. In order to test the proposed method, both lattice images and diffraction patterns of coronene crystals were recorded in separate experiments at controlled levels of exposure. (author)
Size measurement of radioactive aerosol particles in intense radiation fields using wire screens and imaging plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oki, Yuichi; Tanaka, Toru; Takamiya, Koichi; Ishi, Yoshihiro; UesugI, Tomonori; Kuriyama, Yasutoshi; Sakamoto, Masaaki; Ohtsuki, Tsutomu [Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, Osaka (Japan); Nitta, Shinnosuke [Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Osada, Naoyuki [Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University, Okayama (Japan)

2016-09-15

Very fine radiation-induced aerosol particles are produced in intense radiation fields, such as high-intensity accelerator rooms and containment vessels such as those in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP). Size measurement of the aerosol particles is very important for understanding the behavior of radioactive aerosols released in the FDNPP accident and radiation safety in high-energy accelerators. A combined technique using wire screens and imaging plates was developed for size measurement of fine radioactive aerosol particles smaller than 100 nm in diameter. This technique was applied to the radiation field of a proton accelerator room, in which radioactive atoms produced in air during machine operation are incorporated into radiation-induced aerosol particles. The size of 11C-bearing aerosol particles was analyzed using the wire screen technique in distinction from other positron emitters in combination with a radioactive decay analysis. The size distribution for 11C-bearing aerosol particles was found to be ca. 70 μm in geometric mean diameter. The size was similar to that for 7Be-bearing particles obtained by a Ge detector measurement, and was slightly larger than the number-based size distribution measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer. The particle size measuring method using wire screens and imaging plates was successfully applied to the fine aerosol particles produced in an intense radiation field of a proton accelerator. This technique is applicable to size measurement of radioactive aerosol particles produced in the intense radiation fields of radiation facilities.
SU-E-T-300: Dosimetric Comparision of 4D Radiation Therapy and 3D Radiation Therapy for the Liver Tumor Based On 4D Medical Image

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, C; Yin, Y [Shandong Tumor Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Provice (China)

2015-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to determine the dosimetric benefit to normal tissues by tracking liver tumor dose in four dimensional radiation therapy (4DRT) on ten phases of four dimensional computer tomagraphy(4DCT) images. Methods: Target tracking each phase with the beam aperture for ten liver cancer patients were converted to cumulative plan and compared to the 3D plan with a merged target volume based on 4DCT image in radiation treatment planning system (TPS). The change in normal tissue dose was evaluated in the plan by using the parameters V5, V10, V15, V20,V25, V30, V35 and V40 (volumes receiving 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40Gy, respectively) in the dose-volume histogram for the liver; mean dose for the following structures: liver, left kidney and right kidney; and maximum dose for the following structures: bowel, duodenum, esophagus, stomach and heart. Results: There was significant difference between 4D PTV(average 115.71cm3 )and ITV(169.86 cm3). When the planning objective is 95% volume of PTV covered by the prescription dose, the mean dose for the liver, left kidney and right kidney have an average decrease 23.13%, 49.51%, and 54.38%, respectively. The maximum dose for bowel, duodenum,esophagus, stomach and heart have an average decrease 16.77%, 28.07%, 24.28%, 4.89%, and 4.45%, respectively. Compared to 3D RT, radiation volume for the liver V5, V10, V15, V20, V25, V30, V35 and V40 by using the 4D plans have a significant decrease(P≤0.05). Conclusion: The 4D plan method creates plans that permit better sparing of the normal structures than the commonly used ITV method, which delivers the same dosimetric effects to the target.

Post-radiation sarcomas: A review of the clinical and imaging features in 63 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, Declan G.; Libshitz, Hermann I.

2001-01-01

AIMS: The development of sarcomas is a recognized complication of radiation therapy. We set out to retrospectively review the clinical and therapeutic demographics, as well as the cross-sectional imaging findings in patients with post-radiation sarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three patients with post-radiation sarcomas were identified at a single institution. Computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging was available for all patients. The medical records were reviewed for the primary diagnoses, the radiation history, and the latency period to the development of the sarcoma. RESULTS: There were 43 women and 20 men with a mean age of 52.8 years. The mean radiation dose delivered was 50.1 Gy, with a mean latency period for the development of the sarcoma of 15.5 years. The most common primary diagnoses were breast cancer, lymphoma and head and neck cancer. The most common sarcoma histopathologies were osteosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The most common imaging findings were a soft tissue mass and bone destruction. CONCLUSIONS: Post-radiation sarcomas, while uncommon, are not rare. The imaging findings are not pathognomonic, but an appreciation of the expected latency period may help to suggest the diagnosis. Sheppard, D.G. and Libshitz, H.I. (2001)
Image Gently: A campaign to promote radiation protection for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-12-14

Dec 14, 2015 ... developing education materials that support the protection of children worldwide from unnecessary radiation ... Emory University School of. Medicine .... materials for the Image Gently campaign are provided free of charge (cf.
Radiation Dose Risk and Diagnostic Benefit in Imaging Investigations

OpenAIRE

Dobrescu, Lidia; Rădulescu, Gheorghe-Cristian

2015-01-01

The paper presents many facets of medical imaging investigations radiological risks. The total volume of prescribed medical investigations proves a serious lack in monitoring and tracking of the cumulative radiation doses in many health services. Modern radiological investigations equipment is continuously reducing the total dose of radiation due to improved technologies, so a decrease in per caput dose can be noticed, but the increasing number of investigations has determined a net increase ...
Towards integration of PET/MR hybrid imaging into radiation therapy treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulus, Daniel H.; Thorwath, Daniela; Schmidt, Holger; Quick, Harald H.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Multimodality imaging has become an important adjunct of state-of-the-art radiation therapy (RT) treatment planning. Recently, simultaneous PET/MR hybrid imaging has become clinically available and may also contribute to target volume delineation and biological individualization in RT planning. For integration of PET/MR hybrid imaging into RT treatment planning, compatible dedicated RT devices are required for accurate patient positioning. In this study, prototype RT positioning devices intended for PET/MR hybrid imaging are introduced and tested toward PET/MR compatibility and image quality. Methods: A prototype flat RT table overlay and two radiofrequency (RF) coil holders that each fix one flexible body matrix RF coil for RT head/neck imaging have been evaluated within this study. MR image quality with the RT head setup was compared to the actual PET/MR setup with a dedicated head RF coil. PET photon attenuation and CT-based attenuation correction (AC) of the hardware components has been quantitatively evaluated by phantom scans. Clinical application of the new RT setup in PET/MR imaging was evaluated in anin vivo study. Results: The RT table overlay and RF coil holders are fully PET/MR compatible. MR phantom and volunteer imaging with the RT head setup revealed high image quality, comparable to images acquired with the dedicated PET/MR head RF coil, albeit with 25% reduced SNR. Repositioning accuracy of the RF coil holders was below 1 mm. PET photon attenuation of the RT table overlay was calculated to be 3.8% and 13.8% for the RF coil holders. With CT-based AC of the devices, the underestimation error was reduced to 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Comparable results were found within the patient study. Conclusions: The newly designed RT devices for hybrid PET/MR imaging are PET and MR compatible. The mechanically rigid design and the reproducible positioning allow for straightforward CT-based AC. The systematic evaluation within this study provides the
TH-A-16A-01: Image Quality for the Radiation Oncology Physicist: Review of the Fundamentals and Implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seibert, J; Imbergamo, P

2014-01-01

The expansion and integration of diagnostic imaging technologies such as On Board Imaging (OBI) and Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) into radiation oncology has required radiation oncology physicists to be responsible for and become familiar with assessing image quality. Unfortunately many radiation oncology physicists have had little or no training or experience in measuring and assessing image quality. Many physicists have turned to automated QA analysis software without having a fundamental understanding of image quality measures. This session will review the basic image quality measures of imaging technologies used in the radiation oncology clinic, such as low contrast resolution, high contrast resolution, uniformity, noise, and contrast scale, and how to measure and assess them in a meaningful way. Additionally a discussion of the implementation of an image quality assurance program in compliance with Task Group recommendations will be presented along with the advantages and disadvantages of automated analysis methods. Learning Objectives: Review and understanding of the fundamentals of image quality. Review and understanding of the basic image quality measures of imaging modalities used in the radiation oncology clinic. Understand how to implement an image quality assurance program and to assess basic image quality measures in a meaningful way
Hyperspectral image classifier based on beach spectral feature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Zhang; Lianru, Gao; Bing, Zhang

2014-01-01

The seashore, especially coral bank, is sensitive to human activities and environmental changes. A multispectral image, with coarse spectral resolution, is inadaptable for identify subtle spectral distinctions between various beaches. To the contrary, hyperspectral image with narrow and consecutive channels increases our capability to retrieve minor spectral features which is suit for identification and classification of surface materials on the shore. Herein, this paper used airborne hyperspectral data, in addition to ground spectral data to study the beaches in Qingdao. The image data first went through image pretreatment to deal with the disturbance of noise, radiation inconsistence and distortion. In succession, the reflection spectrum, the derivative spectrum and the spectral absorption features of the beach surface were inspected in search of diagnostic features. Hence, spectra indices specific for the unique environment of seashore were developed. According to expert decisions based on image spectrums, the beaches are ultimately classified into sand beach, rock beach, vegetation beach, mud beach, bare land and water. In situ surveying reflection spectrum from GER1500 field spectrometer validated the classification production. In conclusion, the classification approach under expert decision based on feature spectrum is proved to be feasible for beaches
Uterine cervical cancer. Usefulness of MR imaging after the initial radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monzen, Yoshio; Mori, Hiromu; Matsumoto, Akira; Yoshida, Shintaro; Wakisaka, Masaki; Komatsu, Eiji; Tashiro, Makoto; Hori, Yuko.

1995-01-01

To evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing residual or recurrent tumors of cervical cancer after radiation therapy, we investigated the time difference between MRI and gynecologic findings in the diagnosis of residual or recurrent tumor in 12 patients with invasive cervical cancer. We defined a positive finding for residual or recurrent tumor as an uterine cervical mass isointense to muscle on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and when a positive biopsy specimen was obtained. Two patients were diagnosed as having a residual or recurrent tumor by MRI. Positivity was demonstrated four and seven months later, respectively. MRI was more useful in the earlier diagnosis of residual or recurrent tumor of cervical cancer after radiation therapy than uterine biopsy. There was one patient whose differentiation from residual tumor or radiation-induced necrosis or inflammation on MRI was difficult. MRI and gynecologic check-up at a regular interval after radiation therapy was needed to distinguish them. One patient was diagnosed as having a recurrent tumor by gynecologic finding three months earlier than by MRI. Follow-up MRI examinations at a regular interval in addition to gynecologic examination is necessary for the early detection of recurrent cervical cancer after radiation therapy. (author)
Biological imaging in radiation therapy: role of positron emission tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nestle, Ursula; Hentschel, Michael; Grosu, Anca-Ligia [Departments of Radiation Oncology, University of Freiburg, Robert Koch Str. 3, 79106 Freiburg (Germany); Weber, Wolfgang [Nuclear Medicine, University of Freiburg, Robert Koch Str. 3, 79106 Freiburg (Germany)], E-mail: ursula.nestle@uniklinik-freiburg.de

2009-01-07

In radiation therapy (RT), staging, treatment planning, monitoring and evaluation of response are traditionally based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These radiological investigations have the significant advantage to show the anatomy with a high resolution, being also called anatomical imaging. In recent years, so called biological imaging methods which visualize metabolic pathways have been developed. These methods offer complementary imaging of various aspects of tumour biology. To date, the most prominent biological imaging system in use is positron emission tomography (PET), whose diagnostic properties have clinically been evaluated for years. The aim of this review is to discuss the valences and implications of PET in RT. We will focus our evaluation on the following topics: the role of biological imaging for tumour tissue detection/delineation of the gross tumour volume (GTV) and for the visualization of heterogeneous tumour biology. We will discuss the role of fluorodeoxyglucose-PET in lung and head and neck cancer and the impact of amino acids (AA)-PET in target volume delineation of brain gliomas. Furthermore, we summarize the data of the literature about tumour hypoxia and proliferation visualized by PET. We conclude that, regarding treatment planning in radiotherapy, PET offers advantages in terms of tumour delineation and the description of biological processes. However, to define the real impact of biological imaging on clinical outcome after radiotherapy, further experimental, clinical and cost/benefit analyses are required. (topical review)
Biological imaging in radiation therapy: role of positron emission tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Nestle, Ursula; Weber, Wolfgang; Hentschel, Michael; Grosu, Anca-Ligia

2009-01-07

In radiation therapy (RT), staging, treatment planning, monitoring and evaluation of response are traditionally based on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These radiological investigations have the significant advantage to show the anatomy with a high resolution, being also called anatomical imaging. In recent years, so called biological imaging methods which visualize metabolic pathways have been developed. These methods offer complementary imaging of various aspects of tumour biology. To date, the most prominent biological imaging system in use is positron emission tomography (PET), whose diagnostic properties have clinically been evaluated for years. The aim of this review is to discuss the valences and implications of PET in RT. We will focus our evaluation on the following topics: the role of biological imaging for tumour tissue detection/delineation of the gross tumour volume (GTV) and for the visualization of heterogeneous tumour biology. We will discuss the role of fluorodeoxyglucose-PET in lung and head and neck cancer and the impact of amino acids (AA)-PET in target volume delineation of brain gliomas. Furthermore, we summarize the data of the literature about tumour hypoxia and proliferation visualized by PET. We conclude that, regarding treatment planning in radiotherapy, PET offers advantages in terms of tumour delineation and the description of biological processes. However, to define the real impact of biological imaging on clinical outcome after radiotherapy, further experimental, clinical and cost/benefit analyses are required.
Use of 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography-Based Ventilation Imaging to Correlate Lung Dose and Function With Clinical Outcomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy; Castillo, Richard; Castillo, Edward; Tucker, Susan L.; Liao, Zhongxing; Guerrero, Thomas; Martel, Mary K.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based ventilation is an emerging imaging modality that can be used in the thoracic treatment planning process. The clinical benefit of using ventilation images in radiation treatment plans remains to be tested. The purpose of the current work was to test the potential benefit of using ventilation in treatment planning by evaluating whether dose to highly ventilated regions of the lung resulted in increased incidence of clinical toxicity. Methods and Materials: Pretreatment 4DCT data were used to compute pretreatment ventilation images for 96 lung cancer patients. Ventilation images were calculated using 4DCT data, deformable image registration, and a density-change based algorithm. Dose–volume and ventilation-based dose function metrics were computed for each patient. The ability of the dose–volume and ventilation-based dose–function metrics to predict for severe (grade 3+) radiation pneumonitis was assessed using logistic regression analysis, area under the curve (AUC) metrics, and bootstrap methods. Results: A specific patient example is presented that demonstrates how incorporating ventilation-based functional information can help separate patients with and without toxicity. The logistic regression significance values were all lower for the dose–function metrics (range P=.093-.250) than for their dose–volume equivalents (range, P=.331-.580). The AUC values were all greater for the dose–function metrics (range, 0.569-0.620) than for their dose–volume equivalents (range, 0.500-0.544). Bootstrap results revealed an improvement in model fit using dose–function metrics compared to dose–volume metrics that approached significance (range, P=.118-.155). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that attempts to correlate lung dose and 4DCT ventilation-based function to thoracic toxicity after radiation therapy. Although the results were not significant at the .05 level, our data suggests
Dosimetric Comparison of Real-Time MRI-Guided Tri-Cobalt-60 Versus Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Lung Cancer Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojcieszynski, Andrzej P; Hill, Patrick M; Rosenberg, Stephen A; Hullett, Craig R; Labby, Zacariah E; Paliwal, Bhudatt; Geurts, Mark W; Bayliss, R Adam; Bayouth, John E; Harari, Paul M; Bassetti, Michael F; Baschnagel, Andrew M

2017-06-01

Magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiation therapy has entered clinical practice at several major treatment centers. Treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer with stereotactic body radiation therapy is one potential application of this modality, as some form of respiratory motion management is important to address. We hypothesize that magnetic resonance imaging-guided tri-cobalt-60 radiation therapy can be used to generate clinically acceptable stereotactic body radiation therapy treatment plans. Here, we report on a dosimetric comparison between magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiation therapy plans and internal target volume-based plans utilizing volumetric-modulated arc therapy. Ten patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer who underwent radiation therapy planning and treatment were studied. Following 4-dimensional computed tomography, patient images were used to generate clinically deliverable plans. For volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans, the planning tumor volume was defined as an internal target volume + 0.5 cm. For magnetic resonance imaging-guided plans, a single mid-inspiratory cycle was used to define a gross tumor volume, then expanded 0.3 cm to the planning tumor volume. Treatment plan parameters were compared. Planning tumor volumes trended larger for volumetric-modulated arc therapy-based plans, with a mean planning tumor volume of 47.4 mL versus 24.8 mL for magnetic resonance imaging-guided plans ( P = .08). Clinically acceptable plans were achievable via both methods, with bilateral lung V20, 3.9% versus 4.8% ( P = .62). The volume of chest wall receiving greater than 30 Gy was also similar, 22.1 versus 19.8 mL ( P = .78), as were all other parameters commonly used for lung stereotactic body radiation therapy. The ratio of the 50% isodose volume to planning tumor volume was lower in volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans, 4.19 versus 10.0 ( P guided tri-cobalt-60 radiation therapy is capable of delivering lung high
Image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) for skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma: preliminary outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahgal, Arjun; Chan, Michael W; Atenafu, Eshetu G; Masson-Cote, Laurence; Bahl, Gaurav; Yu, Eugene; Millar, Barbara-Ann; Chung, Caroline; Catton, Charles; O'Sullivan, Brian; Irish, Jonathan C; Gilbert, Ralph; Zadeh, Gelareh; Cusimano, Michael; Gentili, Fred; Laperriere, Normand J

2015-06-01

We report our preliminary outcomes following high-dose image-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) for skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma. Forty-two consecutive IG-IMRT patients, with either skull base chordoma (n = 24) or chondrosarcoma (n = 18) treated between August 2001 and December 2012 were reviewed. The median follow-up was 36 months (range, 3-90 mo) in the chordoma cohort, and 67 months (range, 15-125) in the chondrosarcoma cohort. Initial surgery included biopsy (7% of patients), subtotal resection (57% of patients), and gross total resection (36% of patients). The median IG-IMRT total doses in the chondrosarcoma and chordoma cohorts were 70 Gy and 76 Gy, respectively, delivered with 2 Gy/fraction. For the chordoma and chondrosarcoma cohorts, the 5-year overall survival and local control rates were 85.6% and 65.3%, and 87.8% and 88.1%, respectively. In total, 10 patients progressed locally: 8 were chordoma patients and 2 chondrosarcoma patients. Both chondrosarcoma failures were in higher-grade tumors (grades 2 and 3). None of the 8 patients with grade 1 chondrosarcoma failed, with a median follow-up of 77 months (range, 34-125). There were 8 radiation-induced late effects-the most significant was a radiation-induced secondary malignancy occurring 6.7 years following IG-IMRT. Gross total resection and age were predictors of local control in the chordoma and chondrosarcoma patients, respectively. We report favorable survival, local control and adverse event rates following high dose IG-IMRT. Further follow-up is needed to confirm long-term efficacy. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Development of a hemispherical rotational modulation collimator system for imaging spatial distribution of radiation sources

Science.gov (United States)

Na, M.; Lee, S.; Kim, G.; Kim, H. S.; Rho, J.; Ok, J. G.

2017-12-01

Detecting and mapping the spatial distribution of radioactive materials is of great importance for environmental and security issues. We design and present a novel hemispherical rotational modulation collimator (H-RMC) system which can visualize the location of the radiation source by collecting signals from incident rays that go through collimator masks. The H-RMC system comprises a servo motor-controlled rotating module and a hollow heavy-metallic hemisphere with slits/slats equally spaced with the same angle subtended from the main axis. In addition, we also designed an auxiliary instrument to test the imaging performance of the H-RMC system, comprising a high-precision x- and y-axis staging station on which one can mount radiation sources of various shapes. We fabricated the H-RMC system which can be operated in a fully-automated fashion through the computer-based controller, and verify the accuracy and reproducibility of the system by measuring the rotational and linear positions with respect to the programmed values. Our H-RMC system may provide a pivotal tool for spatial radiation imaging with high reliability and accuracy.
Passive ranging using a filter-based non-imaging method based on oxygen absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hao; Liu, Bingqi; Yan, Zongqun; Zhang, Yu

2017-10-01

To solve the problem of poor real-time measurement caused by a hyperspectral imaging system and to simplify the design in passive ranging technology based on oxygen absorption spectrum, a filter-based non-imaging ranging method is proposed. In this method, three bandpass filters are used to obtain the source radiation intensities that are located in the oxygen absorption band near 762 nm and the band's left and right non-absorption shoulders, and a photomultiplier tube is used as the non-imaging sensor of the passive ranging system. Range is estimated by comparing the calculated values of band-average transmission due to oxygen absorption, τ O 2 , against the predicted curve of τ O 2 versus range. The method is tested under short-range conditions. Accuracy of 6.5% is achieved with the designed experimental ranging system at the range of 400 m.
Phantom evaluation of a commercially available three modality image guided radiation therapy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ploquin, Nicolas; Rangel, Alejandra; Dunscombe, Peter

2008-01-01

The authors describe a detailed evaluation of the capabilities of imaging and image registration systems available with Varian linear accelerators for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Specifically, they present modulation transfer function curves for megavoltage planar, kilovoltage (kV) planar, and cone beam computed tomography imaging systems and compare these with conventional computed tomography. While kV planar imaging displayed the highest spatial resolution, all IGRT imaging techniques were assessed as adequate for their intended purpose. They have also characterized the image registration software available for use in conjunction with these imaging systems through a comprehensive phantom study involving translations in three orthogonal directions. All combinations of imaging systems and image registration software were found to be accurate, although the planar kV imaging system with automatic registration was generally superior, with both accuracy and precision of the order of 1 mm, under the conditions tested. Based on their phantom study, the attainable accuracy for rigid body translations using any of the features available with Varian equipment will more likely be limited by the resolution of the couch readouts than by inherent limitations in the imaging systems and image registration software. Overall, the accuracy and precision of currently available IGRT technology exceed published experience with the accuracy and precision of contouring for planning.
Software engineering methods for the visualization in the modeling of radiation imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Jie; Zhang Li; Chen Zhiqiang; Zhao Ziran; XiaoYongshun

2003-01-01

This thesis has accomplished the research in visualization in the modeling of radiation imaging system, and a visualize software was developed using OpenGL and Visual C++ tools. It can load any model files, which are made by the user for every component of the radiation image system, and easily manages the module dynamic link library (DLL) designed by the user for possible movements of those components
Intra-individual diagnostic image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose comparison between spiral cCT with iterative image reconstruction and z-axis automated tube current modulation and sequential cCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenz, Holger; Maros, Máté E.; Meyer, Mathias; Gawlitza, Joshua; Förster, Alex; Haubenreisser, Holger; Kurth, Stefan; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Groden, Christoph; Henzler, Thomas

2016-01-01

•Superiority of spiral versus sequential cCT in image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose.•Spiral cCT: lower organ-specific-radiation-dose in eye lense compared to tilted sequential cCT.•State-of-the-art IR spiral cCT techniques has significant advantages over sequential cCT techniques. Superiority of spiral versus sequential cCT in image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose. Spiral cCT: lower organ-specific-radiation-dose in eye lense compared to tilted sequential cCT. State-of-the-art IR spiral cCT techniques has significant advantages over sequential cCT techniques. To prospectively evaluate image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose of spiral cranial CT (cCT) combined with automated tube current modulation (ATCM) and iterative image reconstruction (IR) in comparison to sequential tilted cCT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) without ATCM. 31 patients with a previous performed tilted non-contrast enhanced sequential cCT aquisition on a 4-slice CT system with only FBP reconstruction and no ATCM were prospectively enrolled in this study for a clinical indicated cCT scan. All spiral cCT examinations were performed on a 3rd generation dual-source CT system using ATCM in z-axis direction. Images were reconstructed using both, FBP and IR (level 1–5). A Monte-Carlo-simulation-based analysis was used to compare organ-specific-radiation dose. Subjective image quality for various anatomic structures was evaluated using a 4-point Likert-scale and objective image quality was evaluated by comparing signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Spiral cCT led to a significantly lower (p < 0.05) organ-specific-radiation dose in all targets including eye lense. Subjective image quality of spiral cCT datasets with an IR reconstruction level 5 was rated significantly higher compared to the sequential cCT acquisitions (p < 0.0001). Consecutive mean SNR was significantly higher in all spiral datasets (FBP, IR 1–5) when compared to sequential cCT with a mean
Radiation dose reduction during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt implantation using a new imaging technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spink, C., E-mail: c.spink@uke.de [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany); Avanesov, M. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany); Schmidt, T. [Philips Healthcare, Hamburg (Germany); Grass, M. [Philips Research, Hamburg (Germany); Schoen, G. [Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany); Adam, G.; Bannas, P.; Koops, A. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • The new imaging technology halved the radiation exposure. • DSA image quality observed was not decreased after technology upgrade. • Radiation time and contrast consumption not significantly increased using the new technology. - Abstract: Objective: To compare patient radiation dose in patients undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) implantation before and after an imaging-processing technology upgrade. Methods: In our retrospective single-center-study, cumulative air kerma (AK), cumulative dose area product (DAP), total fluoroscopy time and contrast agent were collected from an age- and BMI-matched collective of 108 patients undergoing TIPS implantation. 54 procedures were performed before and 54 after the technology upgrade. Mean values were calculated and compared using two-tailed t-tests. Two blinded, independent readers assessed DSA image quality using a four-rank likert scale and the Wilcoxcon test. Results: The new technology demonstrated a significant reduction of 57% of mean DAP (402.8 vs. 173.3 Gycm{sup 2}, p < 0.001) and a significant reduction of 58% of mean AK (1.7 vs. 0.7 Gy, p < 0.001) compared to the precursor technology. Time of fluoroscopy (26.4 vs. 27.8 min, p = 0.45) and amount of contrast agent (109.4 vs. 114.9 ml, p = 0.62) did not differ significantly between the two groups. The DSA image quality of the new technology was not inferior (2.66 vs. 2.77, p = 0.56). Conclusions: In our study the new imaging technology halved radiation dose in patients undergoing TIPS maintaining sufficient image quality without a significant increase in radiation time or contrast consumption.
Concomitant Imaging Dose and Cancer Risk in Image Guided Thoracic Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yibao; Wu, Hao [Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing (China); Chen, Zhe [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (United States); Knisely, Jonathan P.S. [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York (United States); Nath, Ravinder [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (United States); Feng, Zhongsu [Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing (China); Bao, Shanglian [Beijing Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China); Deng, Jun, E-mail: jun.deng@yale.edu [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)

2015-11-01

Purpose: Kilovoltage cone beam computed tomography (CT) (kVCBCT) imaging guidance improves the accuracy of radiation therapy but imposes an extra radiation dose to cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate concomitant imaging dose and associated cancer risk in image guided thoracic radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: The planning CT images and structure sets of 72 patients were converted to CT phantoms whose chest circumferences (C{sub chest}) were calculated retrospectively. A low-dose thorax protocol on a Varian kVCBCT scanner was simulated by a validated Monte Carlo code. Computed doses to organs and cardiac substructures (for 5 selected patients of various dimensions) were regressed as empirical functions of C{sub chest}, and associated cancer risk was calculated using the published models. The exposures to nonthoracic organs in children were also investigated. Results: The structural mean doses decreased monotonically with increasing C{sub chest}. For all 72 patients, the median doses to the heart, spinal cord, breasts, lungs, and involved chest were 1.68, 1.33, 1.64, 1.62, and 1.58 cGy/scan, respectively. Nonthoracic organs in children received 0.6 to 2.8 cGy/scan if they were directly irradiated. The mean doses to the descending aorta (1.43 ± 0.68 cGy), left atrium (1.55 ± 0.75 cGy), left ventricle (1.68 ± 0.81 cGy), and right ventricle (1.85 ± 0.84 cGy) were significantly different (P<.05) from the heart mean dose (1.73 ± 0.82 cGy). The blade shielding alleviated the exposure to nonthoracic organs in children by an order of magnitude. Conclusions: As functions of patient size, a series of models for personalized estimation of kVCBCT doses to thoracic organs and cardiac substructures have been proposed. Pediatric patients received much higher doses than did the adults, and some nonthoracic organs could be irradiated unexpectedly by the default scanning protocol. Increased cancer risks and disease adverse events in the
Vision 20/20: Increased image resolution versus reduced radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritman, Erik L.

2008-01-01

This is a review of methods, currently and potentially, available for significantly reducing x-ray exposure in medical x-ray imaging. It is stimulated by the radiation exposure implications of the growing use of helical scanning, multislice, x-ray computed tomography for screening, such as for coronary artery atherosclerosis and cancer of the colon and lungs. Screening requires high-throughput imaging with high spatial and contrast resolution to meet the need for high sensitivity and specificity of detection and classification of specific imaged features. To achieve this goal beyond what is currently available with x-ray imaging methods requires increased x-ray exposure, which increases the risk of tissue damage and ultimately cancer development. These consequences limit the utility of current x-ray imaging in screening of at-risk subjects who have not yet developed the clinical symptoms of disease. Current methods for reducing x-ray exposure in x-ray imaging, mostly achieved by increasing sensitivity and specificity of the x-ray detection process, may still have potential for an up-to-tenfold decrease. This could be sufficient for doubling the spatial resolution of x-ray CT while maintaining the current x-ray exposure levels. However, a spatial resolution four times what is currently available might be needed to adequately meet the needs for screening. Consequently, for the proposed need to increase spatial resolution, an additional order of magnitude of reduction of x-ray exposure would be needed just to keep the radiation exposure at current levels. This is conceivably achievable if refraction, rather than the currently used attenuation, of x rays is used to generate the images. Existing methods that have potential for imaging the consequences of refracted x ray in a clinical setting are (1) by imaging the edge enhancement that occurs at the interfaces between adjacent tissues of different refractive indices, or (2) by imaging the changes in interference

Radiation myelopathy in over-irradiated patients: MR imaging findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfonso, E.R.; Gregorio, M.A. de; Mateo, P.; Esco, R.; Bascon, N.; Morales, F.; Bellosta, R.; Lopez, P.; Gimeno, M.; Roca, M.; Villavieja, J.L.

1997-01-01

The objective of this work is to report the MRI findings in patients with radiation myelopathy due to accidental local over-irradiation syndrome. Eight patients (seven males and one female) were suffering from over-irradiation syndrome as a result of treatments from a malfunctioning linear electron accelerator. The mean accidental estimated dose was 136 Gy delivered to the ''open-neck'' (seven cases) and to the thoracic wall (one case), during a mean of 5.4 sessions (range 1-9 sessions). Paresthesia and weakness in the upper extremities were the earliest symptoms (87.5 %), with evolution to paralysis in all patients. No patient is alive (mean survival time 64 days). In all cases MRI was negative for neurologic lesions in the acute phase (< 90 days from irradiation; Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring system). Late signs of radiation myelitis manifested as high-intensity signals on T2-weighted images in three patients, and as Gd-DTPA enhancement of T1-weighted images in one case. Autopsies performed on four patients who died in acute phase showed morphologic alterations in white matter: edema in 75 %, and necrosis and glial reaction as well as obliterative vasculitis in all cases. In cases of over-irradiation, MRI may be normal in acute phase even if the patients have severe neurologic deficit, as positive MRI findings appear only in delayed radiation myelitis. (orig.). With 3 figs., 2 tabs
Radiation myelopathy in over-irradiated patients: MR imaging findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alfonso, E.R. [Radiology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Gregorio, M.A. de [Radiology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Mateo, P. [Radiation Oncology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Esco, R. [Radiation Oncology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Bascon, N. [Radiation Oncology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Morales, F. [Neurology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Bellosta, R. [Radiation Oncology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Lopez, P. [Radiation Oncology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain); Gimeno, M. [Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza (Spain); Roca, M. [Radiology Service, Hospital Miguel Servet, E-50 009 Zaragoza (Spain); Villavieja, J.L. [Radiology Service, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Zaragoza (Spain)

1997-04-01

The objective of this work is to report the MRI findings in patients with radiation myelopathy due to accidental local over-irradiation syndrome. Eight patients (seven males and one female) were suffering from over-irradiation syndrome as a result of treatments from a malfunctioning linear electron accelerator. The mean accidental estimated dose was 136 Gy delivered to the ``open-neck`` (seven cases) and to the thoracic wall (one case), during a mean of 5.4 sessions (range 1-9 sessions). Paresthesia and weakness in the upper extremities were the earliest symptoms (87.5 %), with evolution to paralysis in all patients. No patient is alive (mean survival time 64 days). In all cases MRI was negative for neurologic lesions in the acute phase (< 90 days from irradiation; Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring system). Late signs of radiation myelitis manifested as high-intensity signals on T2-weighted images in three patients, and as Gd-DTPA enhancement of T1-weighted images in one case. Autopsies performed on four patients who died in acute phase showed morphologic alterations in white matter: edema in 75 %, and necrosis and glial reaction as well as obliterative vasculitis in all cases. In cases of over-irradiation, MRI may be normal in acute phase even if the patients have severe neurologic deficit, as positive MRI findings appear only in delayed radiation myelitis. (orig.). With 3 figs., 2 tabs.
Radiation protection in newer medical imaging techniques: Cardiac CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Medical imaging has seen many developments as it has evolved since the mid-1890s. In the last 30-40 years, the pace of innovation has increased, starting with the introduction of computed tomography (CT) in the early 1970s. During the last decade, the rate of change has accelerated further, in terms of continuing innovation and its global application. Most patient exposure now arises from practices that barely existed two decades ago. These developments are evident in the technology on which this volume is based - multislice/detector CT scanning and its application in cardiac imaging. However, this advance is achieved at the cost of a radiation burden to the individual patient, and possibly to the community, if its screening potential is exploited. Much effort will be required to ensure that the undoubted benefit of this new practice will not pose an undue level of detriment to the individual in multiple examinations. For practitioners and regulators, it is evident that innovation has been driven by both the imaging industry and an increasing array of new applications generated and validated in the clinical environment. Regulation, industrial standardization, safety procedures and advice on best practices lag (inevitably) behind the industrial and clinical innovations. This series of Safety Reports (Nos 58, 60 and 61) is designed to help fill this growing vacuum, by bringing up to date and timely advice from experienced practitioners to bear on the problems involved. The advice in this report has been developed as part of the IAEA's statutory responsibility to establish standards for the protection of people against exposure to ionizing radiation and to provide for the worldwide application of these standards. The Fundamental Safety Principles and the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS) were issued by the IAEA and co-sponsored by organizations including the Food and Agriculture
Analyser-based x-ray imaging for biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suortti, Pekka; Keyriläinen, Jani; Thomlinson, William

2013-01-01

Analyser-based imaging (ABI) is one of the several phase-contrast x-ray imaging techniques being pursued at synchrotron radiation facilities. With advancements in compact source technology, there is a possibility that ABI will become a clinical imaging modality. This paper presents the history of ABI as it has developed from its laboratory source to synchrotron imaging. The fundamental physics of phase-contrast imaging is presented both in a general sense and specifically for ABI. The technology is dependent on the use of perfect crystal monochromator optics. The theory of the x-ray optics is developed and presented in a way that will allow optimization of the imaging for specific biomedical systems. The advancement of analytical algorithms to produce separate images of the sample absorption, refraction angle map and small-angle x-ray scattering is detailed. Several detailed applications to biomedical imaging are presented to illustrate the broad range of systems and body sites studied preclinically to date: breast, cartilage and bone, soft tissue and organs. Ultimately, the application of ABI in clinical imaging will depend partly on the availability of compact sources with sufficient x-ray intensity comparable with that of the current synchrotron environment. (paper)
A hardware investigation of robotic SPECT for functional and molecular imaging onboard radiation therapy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Susu; Tough, MengHeng; Bowsher, James; Yin, Fang-Fang; Cheng, Lin

2014-01-01

Purpose: To construct a robotic SPECT system and to demonstrate its capability to image a thorax phantom on a radiation therapy flat-top couch, as a step toward onboard functional and molecular imaging in radiation therapy. Methods: A robotic SPECT imaging system was constructed utilizing a gamma camera detector (Digirad 2020tc) and a robot (KUKA KR150 L110 robot). An imaging study was performed with a phantom (PET CT Phantom TM ), which includes five spheres of 10, 13, 17, 22, and 28 mm diameters. The phantom was placed on a flat-top couch. SPECT projections were acquired either with a parallel-hole collimator or a single-pinhole collimator, both without background in the phantom and with background at 1/10th the sphere activity concentration. The imaging trajectories of parallel-hole and pinhole collimated detectors spanned 180° and 228°, respectively. The pinhole detector viewed an off-centered spherical common volume which encompassed the 28 and 22 mm spheres. The common volume for parallel-hole system was centered at the phantom which encompassed all five spheres in the phantom. The maneuverability of the robotic system was tested by navigating the detector to trace the phantom and flat-top table while avoiding collision and maintaining the closest possible proximity to the common volume. The robot base and tool coordinates were used for image reconstruction. Results: The robotic SPECT system was able to maneuver parallel-hole and pinhole collimated SPECT detectors in close proximity to the phantom, minimizing impact of the flat-top couch on detector radius of rotation. Without background, all five spheres were visible in the reconstructed parallel-hole image, while four spheres, all except the smallest one, were visible in the reconstructed pinhole image. With background, three spheres of 17, 22, and 28 mm diameters were readily observed with the parallel-hole imaging, and the targeted spheres (22 and 28 mm diameters) were readily observed in the pinhole
Full-field digital mammography versus computed radiology mammography: comparison in image quality and radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yongxia; Song Shaojuan; Liu Chuanya; Qi Hengtao; Qin Weichang

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the differences in image quality and radiation dose between full- field digital mammography (FFDM) system and compute radiology mammography (CRM) system. Methods: The ALVIM mammographic phantom was exposed by FFDM system with automatic exposure control (AEC) and then exposed by CRM system with the unique imaging plank on the same condition. The FFDM system applied the same kV value and the different mAs values (14, 16, 18, 22 and 24 mAs), and the emission skin dose (ESD) and the average gland dose (AGD) were recorded for the above-mentioned exposure factors. All images were read by five experienced radiologists under the same condition and judged based on 5-point scales. And then receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn and the probability (P det ) values were calculated. The data were statistically processed with ANOVA. Results: The P det values of calcifications and lesion lump were higher with FFDM system than with CRM system at the same dose (1.36 mGy). Especially, for microcalcifications and lesion lump, the largest difference of the P det value was 0.215, and that of lesion lump was 0.245. In comparison with CRM system, the radiation dose of FFDM system could be reduced at the same P det value. The ESD value was reduced by 26%, and the ACD value was reduced by 41%. When the mAs value exceed AEC value, the P det value almost had no change, though the radiation dose was increased. Conclusions: The detection rates of microcalcifications and lesion lump with FFDM system are proven to be superior to CRM system at the same dose. The radiation dose of FFDM system was less than CRM system for the same image quality. (authors)
Spectral Imaging Technology-Based Evaluation of Radiation Treatment Planning to Remove Contrast Agent Artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi-Qun, Xu; Wei, Liu; Xin-Ye, Ni

2016-10-01

This study employs dual-source computed tomography single-spectrum imaging to evaluate the effects of contrast agent artifact removal and the computational accuracy of radiotherapy treatment planning improvement. The phantom, including the contrast agent, was used in all experiments. The amounts of iodine in the contrast agent were 30, 15, 7.5, and 0.75 g/100 mL. Two images with different energy values were scanned and captured using dual-source computed tomography (80 and 140 kV). To obtain a fused image, 2 groups of images were processed using single-energy spectrum imaging technology. The Pinnacle planning system was used to measure the computed tomography values of the contrast agent and the surrounding phantom tissue. The difference between radiotherapy treatment planning based on 80 kV, 140 kV, and energy spectrum image was analyzed. For the image with high iodine concentration, the quality of the energy spectrum-fused image was the highest, followed by that of the 140-kV image. That of the 80-kV image was the worst. The difference in the radiotherapy treatment results among the 3 models was significant. When the concentration of iodine was 30 g/100 mL and the distance from the contrast agent at the dose measurement point was 1 cm, the deviation values (P) were 5.95% and 2.20% when image treatment planning was based on 80 and 140 kV, respectively. When the concentration of iodine was 15 g/100 mL, deviation values (P) were -2.64% and -1.69%. Dual-source computed tomography single-energy spectral imaging technology can remove contrast agent artifacts to improve the calculated dose accuracy in radiotherapy treatment planning. © The Author(s) 2015.
Distinction between glioma progression and post-radiation change by combined physiologic MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsusue, Eiji [University of Washington, Department of Radiology, Seattle, WA (United States); Tottori University, Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori (Japan); Fink, James R.; Maravilla, Kenneth R. [University of Washington, Department of Radiology, Seattle, WA (United States); Rockhill, Jason K. [University of Washington, Department of Radiation Oncology, Seattle, WA (United States); Ogawa, Toshihide [Tottori University, Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori (Japan)

2010-04-15

Magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging (DSC), and MR spectroscopy (MRS) techniques provide specific physiologic information that may distinguish malignant glioma progression from post-radiation change, yet no single technique is completely reliable. We propose a simple, multiparametric scoring system to improve diagnostic accuracy beyond that of each technique alone. Fifteen subjects with lesions suspicious for glioma progression following radiation therapy who had also undergone 3-tesla DWI, DSC, and MRS studies of the lesion were retrospectively reviewed. Minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratio, maximum regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) ratio, and maximum MRS choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) and choline/N-acetyl-aspartate (Cho/NAA) metabolic peak-height ratios were quantified within each lesion. Each parameter (ADC ratio, rCBV ratio, and combined Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA ratios) was scored as either glioma progression (one point) or radiation change (zero point) based upon thresholds derived from our own data. For each lesion, the combined parameters yielded a multiparametric score (0 to 3) for prediction of tumor progression or post-radiation change. Optimum thresholds for ADC ratio (1.30), rCBV ratio (2.10), and either combined Cho/Cr (1.29) and Cho/NAA (1.06) yielded diagnostic accuracies of 86.7%, 86.7%, and 84.6%, respectively (p < 0.05). A combined multiparametric score threshold of 2 improved diagnostic accuracy to 93.3% (p < 0.05). In this small series combining 3-T DWI, DSC, and MRS diagnostic results using a simple, multiparametric scoring system has potential to improve overall diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing glioma progression from post-radiation change beyond that of each technique alone. (orig.)
Estimation of four-dimensional dose distribution using electronic portal imaging device in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizoguchi, Asumi; Arimura, Hidetaka; Shioyama, Yoshiyuki

2013-01-01

We are developing a method to evaluate four-dimensional radiation dose distribution in a patient body based upon the animated image of EPID (electronic portal imaging device) which is an image of beam-direction at the irradiation. In the first place, we have obtained the image of the dose which is emitted from patient body at therapy planning using therapy planning CT image and dose evaluation algorism. In the second place, we have estimated the emission dose image at the irradiation using EPID animated image which is obtained at the irradiation. In the third place, we have got an affine transformation matrix including respiratory movement in the body by performing linear registration on the emission dose image at therapy planning to get the one at the irradiation. In the fourth place, we have applied the affine transformation matrix on the therapy planning CT image and estimated the CT image 'at irradiation'. Finally we have evaluated four-dimensional dose distribution by calculating dose distribution in the CT image 'at irradiation' which has been estimated for each frame of the EPID animated-image. This scheme may be useful for evaluating therapy results and risk management. (author)
These images show thermal infrared radiation from Jupiter at different wavelengths which are diagnos

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

These images show thermal infrared radiation from Jupiter at different wavelengths which are diagnostic of physical phenomena The 7.85-micron image in the upper left shows stratospheric temperatures which are elevated in the region of the A fragment impact (to the left of bottom). Temperatures deeper in the atmosphere near 150-mbar are shown by the 17.2-micron image in the upper right. There is a small elevation of temperatures at this depth, indicated by the arrow, and confirmed by other measurements near this wavelength. This indicates that the influence of the impact of fragment A on the troposphere has been minimal. The two images in the bottom row show no readily apparent perturbation of the ammmonia condensate cloud field near 600 mbar, as diagnosed by 8.57-micron radiation, and deeper cloud layers which are diagnosed by 5-micron radiation.
Radiation Dose and Image Quality from Coronary Angiography in 320-Detecor Row CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thanomphudsa, J.; Krisanachinda, A.; Tumkosit, M.

2012-01-01

Introduction: Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography examinations are increasing rapidly. New Computed Tomography has been developed to improve image quality with the patient dose reduction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate radiation dose and image quality of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in patients using 320-detector row CT. Methods: Forty-one patients referred for cardiac CT examinations at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital were included in this study. All coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) examinations were performed on the 320-detector row CT, Toshiba Aquilion One. Scanning protocol was investigated on dose estimates and image quality. Patients were scanned base on heart rate (HR) by HR 75 bpm use retrospective with dose modulation. Scanning parameters, kVp, mAs, HR, BMI, CTDIvol(mGy) and DLP(mGy.cm), were recorded to study the factors affecting the image quality and patient dose. And mA and kVp setting depend on BMI of the patient. Effective dose is calculated from DLP using specific conversion factor. The image quality was evaluated in 4 vessels by two radiologists. Noise assessment was also studied quantitatively. Results: The patient effective dose in prospective gating 70-80% was 3.6 ± 0.9 mSv, prospective gating 30-80% (1R-R) was 6.3 ± 1.9 mSv, and 30-80% (2R-R) was 10.8 ± 1.8 mSv and in retrospective with tube current modulation was 12.1± 7.7 mSv. Image noise was highest in PGT 70-80% 1R-R and decreased in RGT with tube current modulation, PGT 30-80% 1R-R and lowest in PGT 30-80% 2 R-R. And overall qualitative image quality was mostly good to excellent score. Discussion: The heart rate, heart rate variability and disease of the patient are affecting in the radiation dose and image quality so the suitable acquisition protocol used could be necessary. the effective dose and the image noise for the image quality. (author)
CT imaging of congenital lung lesions: effect of iterative reconstruction on diagnostic performance and radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haggerty, Jay E.; Smith, Ethan A.; Dillman, Jonathan R.; Kunisaki, Shaun M.

2015-01-01

Different iterative reconstruction techniques are available for use in pediatric computed tomography (CT), but these techniques have not been systematically evaluated in infants. To determine the effect of iterative reconstruction on diagnostic performance, image quality and radiation dose in infants undergoing CT evaluation for congenital lung lesions. A retrospective review of contrast-enhanced chest CT in infants (<1 year) with congenital lung lesions was performed. CT examinations were reviewed to document the type of lung lesion, vascular anatomy, image noise measurements and image reconstruction method. CTDI vol was used to calculate size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). CT findings were correlated with intraoperative and histopathological findings. Analysis of variance and the Student's t-test were used to compare image noise measurements and radiation dose estimates between groups. Fifteen CT examinations used filtered back projection (FBP; mean age: 84 days), 15 used adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR; mean age: 93 days), and 11 used model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR; mean age: 98 days). Compared to operative findings, 13/15 (87%), 14/15 (93%) and 11/11 (100%) lesions were correctly characterized using FBP, ASiR and MBIR, respectively. Arterial anatomy was correctly identified in 12/15 (80%) using FBP, 13/15 (87%) using ASiR and 11/11 (100%) using MBIR. Image noise was less for MBIR vs. ASiR (P < 0.0001). Mean SSDE was different among groups (P = 0.003; FBP = 7.35 mGy, ASiR = 1.89 mGy, MBIR = 1.49 mGy). Congenital lung lesions can be adequately characterized in infants using iterative CT reconstruction techniques while maintaining image quality and lowering radiation dose. (orig.)
CT imaging of congenital lung lesions: effect of iterative reconstruction on diagnostic performance and radiation dose

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Haggerty, Jay E.; Smith, Ethan A.; Dillman, Jonathan R. [University of Michigan Health System, Section of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Kunisaki, Shaun M. [University of Michigan Health System, Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2015-07-15

Different iterative reconstruction techniques are available for use in pediatric computed tomography (CT), but these techniques have not been systematically evaluated in infants. To determine the effect of iterative reconstruction on diagnostic performance, image quality and radiation dose in infants undergoing CT evaluation for congenital lung lesions. A retrospective review of contrast-enhanced chest CT in infants (<1 year) with congenital lung lesions was performed. CT examinations were reviewed to document the type of lung lesion, vascular anatomy, image noise measurements and image reconstruction method. CTDI{sub vol} was used to calculate size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). CT findings were correlated with intraoperative and histopathological findings. Analysis of variance and the Student's t-test were used to compare image noise measurements and radiation dose estimates between groups. Fifteen CT examinations used filtered back projection (FBP; mean age: 84 days), 15 used adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR; mean age: 93 days), and 11 used model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR; mean age: 98 days). Compared to operative findings, 13/15 (87%), 14/15 (93%) and 11/11 (100%) lesions were correctly characterized using FBP, ASiR and MBIR, respectively. Arterial anatomy was correctly identified in 12/15 (80%) using FBP, 13/15 (87%) using ASiR and 11/11 (100%) using MBIR. Image noise was less for MBIR vs. ASiR (P < 0.0001). Mean SSDE was different among groups (P = 0.003; FBP = 7.35 mGy, ASiR = 1.89 mGy, MBIR = 1.49 mGy). Congenital lung lesions can be adequately characterized in infants using iterative CT reconstruction techniques while maintaining image quality and lowering radiation dose. (orig.)
A digital image-based method for determining of total acidity in red wines using acid-base titration without indicator.

Science.gov (United States)

Tôrres, Adamastor Rodrigues; Lyra, Wellington da Silva; de Andrade, Stéfani Iury Evangelista; Andrade, Renato Allan Navarro; da Silva, Edvan Cirino; Araújo, Mário César Ugulino; Gaião, Edvaldo da Nóbrega

2011-05-15

This work proposes the use of digital image-based method for determination of total acidity in red wines by means of acid-base titration without using an external indicator or any pre-treatment of the sample. Digital images present the colour of the emergent radiation which is complementary to the radiation absorbed by anthocyanines present in wines. Anthocyanines change colour depending on the pH of the medium, and from the variation of colour in the images obtained during titration, the end point can be localized with accuracy and precision. RGB-based values were employed to build titration curves, and end points were localized by second derivative curves. The official method recommends potentiometric titration with a NaOH standard solution, and sample dilution until the pH reaches 8.2-8.4. In order to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method, titrations of ten red wines were carried out. Results were compared with the reference method, and no statistically significant difference was observed between the results by applying the paired t-test at the 95% confidence level. The proposed method yielded more precise results than the official method. This is due to the trivariate nature of the measurements (RGB), associated with digital images. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Image quality, radiation dose and diagnostic accuracy of 70 kVp whole brain volumetric CT perfusion imaging: a preliminary study

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Fang, Xiao Kun; Ni, Qian Qian; Zhou, Chang Sheng; Chen, Guo Zhong; Luo, Song; Zhang, Long Jiang; Lu, Guang Ming [Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Charleston, SC (United States); Fuller, Stephen R.; De Cecco, Carlo N. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Charleston, SC (United States)

2016-11-15

To evaluate image quality and diagnostic accuracy for acute infarct detection and radiation dose of 70 kVp whole brain CT perfusion (CTP) and CT angiography (CTA) reconstructed from CTP source data. Patients were divided into three groups (n = 50 each): group A, 80 kVp, 21 scanning time points; groups B, 70 kVp, 21 scanning time points; group C, 70 kVp, 17 scanning time points. Objective and subjective image quality of CTP and CTA were compared. Diagnostic accuracy for detecting acute infarct and cerebral artery stenosis ≥ 50 % was calculated for CTP and CTA with diffusion weighted imaging and digital subtraction angiography as reference standards. Effective radiation dose was compared. There were no differences in any perfusion parameter value between three groups (P > 0.05). No difference was found in subjective image quality between three groups (P > 0.05). Diagnostic accuracy for detecting acute infarct and vascular stenosis showed no difference between three groups (P > 0.05). Compared with group A, radiation doses of groups B and C were decreased by 28 % and 37 % (both P < 0.001), respectively. Compared with 80 kVp protocol, 70 kVp brain CTP allows comparable vascular and perfusion assessment and lower radiation dose while maintaining high diagnostic accuracy in detecting acute infarct. (orig.)
Single-energy pediatric chest computed tomography with spectral filtration at 100 kVp: effects on radiation parameters and image quality

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Bodelle, Boris; Fischbach, Constanze; Booz, Christian; Yel, Ibrahim; Frellesen, Claudia; Kaup, Moritz; Beeres, Martin; Vogl, Thomas J.; Scholtz, Jan-Erik [Goethe University of Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany)

2017-06-15

Most of the applied radiation dose at CT is in the lower photon energy range, which is of limited diagnostic importance. To investigate image quality and effects on radiation parameters of 100-kVp spectral filtration single-energy chest CT using a tin-filter at third-generation dual-source CT in comparison to standard 100-kVp chest CT. Thirty-three children referred for a non-contrast chest CT performed on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner were examined at 100 kVp with a dedicated tin filter with a tube current-time product resulting in standard protocol dose. We compared resulting images with images from children examined using standard single-source chest CT at 100 kVp. We assessed objective and subjective image quality and compared radiation dose parameters. Radiation dose was comparable for children 5 years old and younger, and it was moderately decreased for older children when using spectral filtration (P=0.006). Effective tube current increased significantly (P=0.0001) with spectral filtration, up to a factor of 10. Signal-to-noise ratio and image noise were similar for both examination techniques (P≥0.06). Subjective image quality showed no significant differences (P≥0.2). Using 100-kVp spectral filtration chest CT in children by means of a tube-based tin-filter on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner increases effective tube current up to a factor of 10 to provide similar image quality at equivalent dose compared to standard single-source CT without spectral filtration. (orig.)
Single-energy pediatric chest computed tomography with spectral filtration at 100 kVp: effects on radiation parameters and image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodelle, Boris; Fischbach, Constanze; Booz, Christian; Yel, Ibrahim; Frellesen, Claudia; Kaup, Moritz; Beeres, Martin; Vogl, Thomas J.; Scholtz, Jan-Erik

2017-01-01

Most of the applied radiation dose at CT is in the lower photon energy range, which is of limited diagnostic importance. To investigate image quality and effects on radiation parameters of 100-kVp spectral filtration single-energy chest CT using a tin-filter at third-generation dual-source CT in comparison to standard 100-kVp chest CT. Thirty-three children referred for a non-contrast chest CT performed on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner were examined at 100 kVp with a dedicated tin filter with a tube current-time product resulting in standard protocol dose. We compared resulting images with images from children examined using standard single-source chest CT at 100 kVp. We assessed objective and subjective image quality and compared radiation dose parameters. Radiation dose was comparable for children 5 years old and younger, and it was moderately decreased for older children when using spectral filtration (P=0.006). Effective tube current increased significantly (P=0.0001) with spectral filtration, up to a factor of 10. Signal-to-noise ratio and image noise were similar for both examination techniques (P≥0.06). Subjective image quality showed no significant differences (P≥0.2). Using 100-kVp spectral filtration chest CT in children by means of a tube-based tin-filter on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner increases effective tube current up to a factor of 10 to provide similar image quality at equivalent dose compared to standard single-source CT without spectral filtration. (orig.)
Radiation-induced changes in normal-appearing gray matter in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Xiao-Fei; Zheng, Xiao-Li; Zhang, Wei-Dong; Liu, Li-Zhi; Zhang, You-Ming; Chen, Ming-Yuan; Li, Li

2014-01-01

Evidence is accumulating that temporal lobe radiation necrosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy (RT) could involve gray matter (GM). The purpose of the study was to assess the radiation-induced GM volume differences between NPC patients who had and had not received RT and the effect of time after RT on GM volume differences in those patients who had received RT. We used magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to assess differences in GM volume between 30 NPC patients with normal-appearing whole-brain GM after RT and 15 control patients with newly diagnosed but not yet medically treated NPC. Correlation analyses were used to investigate the relationship between GM volume changes and time after RT. Patients who had received RT had GM volume decreases in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and right inferior parietal lobule (p 100 voxels). Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that regional GM volume loss in the left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus were negatively related to the mean dose to the ipsilateral temporal lobe, respectively. These results indicate that GM volume deficits in bilateral temporal lobes in patients who had received RT might be radiation-induced. Our findings might provide new insight into the pathogenesis of radiation-induced structural damage in normal-appearing brain tissue. Yet this is an exploratory study, whose findings should therefore be taken with caution. (orig.)
Initial studies of synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging in the field of medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shaoliang; Zhang Xi; Peng Yifeng; Li Beilei; Cheng Aiping; Zhu Peiping; Yuan Xiqing; Huang Wanxia

2010-01-01

Recently,research on using X-ray phase information in medicine has been growing remarkably fast. Phase-contrast imaging with synchrotron radiation can reveal inner soft tissues such as tendons, cartilage, ligaments, adipose tissue, vessels and nerves without a contrast agent. We have visualized the liver, bile duct, lung, kidney, stomach and intestine, heart, blood vessel, bone and arthrosis, and tumor tissues using 'in-line' phase contrast imaging and diffraction-enhanced imaging. It is seen that the synchrotron radiation graphs show much higher resolution. This method is especially suitable for studying soft tissue structure and blood vessels. (authors)
The role of imaging in pediatric radiation oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stowe, S.M.

1985-01-01

The pediatric radiation oncologist is involved in treating a different spectrum of tumors that is generally seen by the adult radiation oncologist. More than one-third of pediatric patients with malignancies suffer from acute lymphocytic leukemia and lymphomas. Approximately one-quarter of the patients have primary tumors of the brain and central nervous system, while the remaining patients mostly present with mesenchymal sarcomas as opposed to the carcinomas more generally seen in adult practice. Pediatric tumors are frequently deep seated and therefore more difficult to evaluate by physical examination that the typical adult epithelial tumors. In the following sections, the various tumor types and locations are discussed with reference to the specific imaging requirements for each of the groups. This is preceded by a brief introduction to modern radiation oncology in order to clarify the role of these modalities

Conformal image-guided microbeam radiation therapy at the ESRF biomedical beamline ID17

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donzelli, Mattia; Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Nemoz, Christian; Brochard, Thierry; Oelfke, Uwe

2016-01-01

Purpose: Upcoming veterinary trials in microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) demand for more advanced irradiation techniques than in preclinical research with small animals. The treatment of deep-seated tumors in cats and dogs with MRT requires sophisticated irradiation geometries from multiple ports, which impose further efforts to spare the normal tissue surrounding the target. Methods: This work presents the development and benchmarking of a precise patient alignment protocol for MRT at the biomedical beamline ID17 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The positioning of the patient prior to irradiation is verified by taking x-ray projection images from different angles. Results: Using four external fiducial markers of 1.7 mm diameter and computed tomography-based treatment planning, a target alignment error of less than 2 mm can be achieved with an angular deviation of less than 2 ∘ . Minor improvements on the protocol and the use of smaller markers indicate that even a precision better than 1 mm is technically feasible. Detailed investigations concerning the imaging dose lead to the conclusion that doses for skull radiographs lie in the same range as dose reference levels for human head radiographs. A currently used online dose monitor for MRT has been proven to give reliable results for the imaging beam. Conclusions: The ESRF biomedical beamline ID17 is technically ready to apply conformal image-guided MRT from multiple ports to large animals during future veterinary trials.
Conformal image-guided microbeam radiation therapy at the ESRF biomedical beamline ID17

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donzelli, Mattia, E-mail: donzelli@esrf.fr [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71, Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble 38000, France and The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton SM2 5NG (United Kingdom); Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Nemoz, Christian; Brochard, Thierry [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71, Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble 38000 (France); Oelfke, Uwe [The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton SM2 5NG (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Upcoming veterinary trials in microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) demand for more advanced irradiation techniques than in preclinical research with small animals. The treatment of deep-seated tumors in cats and dogs with MRT requires sophisticated irradiation geometries from multiple ports, which impose further efforts to spare the normal tissue surrounding the target. Methods: This work presents the development and benchmarking of a precise patient alignment protocol for MRT at the biomedical beamline ID17 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The positioning of the patient prior to irradiation is verified by taking x-ray projection images from different angles. Results: Using four external fiducial markers of 1.7 mm diameter and computed tomography-based treatment planning, a target alignment error of less than 2 mm can be achieved with an angular deviation of less than 2{sup ∘}. Minor improvements on the protocol and the use of smaller markers indicate that even a precision better than 1 mm is technically feasible. Detailed investigations concerning the imaging dose lead to the conclusion that doses for skull radiographs lie in the same range as dose reference levels for human head radiographs. A currently used online dose monitor for MRT has been proven to give reliable results for the imaging beam. Conclusions: The ESRF biomedical beamline ID17 is technically ready to apply conformal image-guided MRT from multiple ports to large animals during future veterinary trials.
Functional image-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy planning for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsegmed, Uranchimeg [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Kimura, Tomoki, E-mail: tkkimura@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Nakashima, Takeo [Division of Radiation Therapy, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima (Japan); Nakamura, Yuko; Higaki, Toru [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Imano, Nobuki; Doi, Yoshiko; Kenjo, Masahiro; Ozawa, Shuichi; Murakami, Yuji [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Awai, Kazuo [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Nagata, Yasushi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan)

2017-07-01

The aim of the current planning study is to evaluate the ability of gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI)–guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) planning by using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) techniques in sparing the functional liver tissues during SBRT for hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were enrolled. Functional liver tissues were defined according to quantitative liver-spleen contrast ratios ≥ 1.5 on a hepatobiliary phase scan. Functional images were fused with the planning computed tomography (CT) images; the following 2 SBRT plans were designed using a “step-and-shoot” static IMRT technique for each patient: (1) an anatomical SBRT plan optimization based on the total liver; and (2) a functional SBRT plan based on the functional liver. The total prescribed dose was 48 gray (Gy) in 4 fractions. Dosimetric parameters, including dose to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV D{sub 95%}), percentages of total and functional liver volumes, which received doses from 5 to 30 Gy (V5 to V30 and fV5 to fV30), and mean doses to total and functional liver (MLD and fMLD, respectively) of the 2 plans were compared. Compared with anatomical plans, functional image-guided SBRT plans reduced MLD (mean: plan A, 5.5 Gy; and plan F, 5.1 Gy; p < 0.0001) and fMLD (mean: plan A, 5.4 Gy; and plan F, 4.9 Gy; p < 0.0001), as well as V5 to V30 and fV5 to fV30. No differences were noted in PTV coverage and nonhepatic organs at risk (OARs) doses. In conclusion, EOB-MRI–guided SBRT planning using the IMRT technique may preserve functional liver tissues in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Scattered radiation in fan beam imaging systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johns, P.C.; Yaffe, M.

1982-01-01

Scatter-to-primary energy fluence ratios (S/P) have been studied for fan x-ray beams as used in CT scanners and slit projection radiography systems. The dependence of S/P on phantom diameter, distance from phantom to image receptor, and kilovoltage is presented. An empirical equation is given that predicts S/P over a wide range of fan beam imaging configurations. For CT body scans on a 4th-generation machine, S/P is approximately 5%. Scattered radiation can produce a significant cupping artefact in CT images which is similar to that due to beam hardening. When multiple slices are used in scanned slit radiography, they can be arranged such that the increase in S/P is negligible. Calculations of scatter-to-primary ratios for first order scattering showed that for fan beams the contribution of coherent scatter is comparable to or greater than that of incoherent first scatter
Tissue feature-based intra-fractional motion tracking for stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yaoqin; Xing, Lei; Gu, Jia; Liu, Wu

2013-06-01

Real-time knowledge of tumor position during radiation therapy is essential to overcome the adverse effect of intra-fractional organ motion. The goal of this work is to develop a tumor tracking strategy by effectively utilizing the inherent image features of stereoscopic x-ray images acquired during dose delivery. In stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiation delivery, two orthogonal x-ray images are acquired either simultaneously or sequentially. The essence of markerless tumor tracking is the reliable identification of inherent points with distinct tissue features on each projection image and their association between two images. The identification of the feature points on a planar x-ray image is realized by searching for points with high intensity gradient. The feature points are associated by using the scale invariance features transform descriptor. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated by using images of a motion phantom and four archived clinical cases acquired using either a CyberKnife equipped with a stereoscopic x-ray imaging system, or a LINAC equipped with an onboard kV imager and an electronic portal imaging device. In the phantom study, the results obtained using the proposed method agree with the measurements to within 2 mm in all three directions. In the clinical study, the mean error is 0.48 ± 0.46 mm for four patient data with 144 sequential images. In this work, a tissue feature-based tracking method for stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiation therapy is developed. The technique avoids the invasive procedure of fiducial implantation and may greatly facilitate the clinical workflow.
Tissue feature-based intra-fractional motion tracking for stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Yaoqin; Gu Jia; Xing Lei; Liu Wu

2013-01-01

Real-time knowledge of tumor position during radiation therapy is essential to overcome the adverse effect of intra-fractional organ motion. The goal of this work is to develop a tumor tracking strategy by effectively utilizing the inherent image features of stereoscopic x-ray images acquired during dose delivery. In stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiation delivery, two orthogonal x-ray images are acquired either simultaneously or sequentially. The essence of markerless tumor tracking is the reliable identification of inherent points with distinct tissue features on each projection image and their association between two images. The identification of the feature points on a planar x-ray image is realized by searching for points with high intensity gradient. The feature points are associated by using the scale invariance features transform descriptor. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated by using images of a motion phantom and four archived clinical cases acquired using either a CyberKnife equipped with a stereoscopic x-ray imaging system, or a LINAC equipped with an onboard kV imager and an electronic portal imaging device. In the phantom study, the results obtained using the proposed method agree with the measurements to within 2 mm in all three directions. In the clinical study, the mean error is 0.48 ± 0.46 mm for four patient data with 144 sequential images. In this work, a tissue feature-based tracking method for stereoscopic x-ray image guided radiation therapy is developed. The technique avoids the invasive procedure of fiducial implantation and may greatly facilitate the clinical workflow. (paper)
Radiation dose reduction without compromise to image quality by alterations of filtration and focal spot size in cerebral angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong Joon; Park, Min Keun; Jung, Da Eun; Kang, Jung Han; Kim, Byung Moon [Dept. of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-01

Different angiographic protocols may influence the radiation dose and image quality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of filtration and focal spot size on radiation dose and image quality for diagnostic cerebral angiography using an in-vitro model and in-vivo patient groups. Radiation dose and image quality were analyzed by varying the filtration and focal spot size on digital subtraction angiography exposure protocols (1, inherent filtration + large focus; 2, inherent + small; 3, copper + large; 4, copper + small). For the in-vitro analysis, a phantom was used for comparison of radiation dose. For the in-vivo analysis, bilateral paired injections, and patient cohort groups were compared for radiation dose and image quality. Image quality analysis was performed in terms of contrast, sharpness, noise, and overall quality. In the in-vitro analysis, the mean air kerma (AK) and dose area product (DAP)/frame were significantly lower with added copper filtration (protocols 3 and 4). In the in-vivo bilateral paired injections, AK and DAP/frame were significantly lower with filtration, without significant difference in image quality. The patient cohort groups with added filtration (protocols 3 and 4) showed significant reduction of total AK and DAP/patient without compromise to the image quality. Variations in focal spot size showed no significant differences in radiation dose and image quality. Addition of filtration for angiographic exposure studies can result in significant total radiation dose reduction without loss of image quality. Focal spot size does not influence radiation dose and image quality. The routine angiographic protocol should be judiciously investigated and implemented.
Construction of data base for radiation safety assessment of low dose ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saigusa, Shin

2001-01-01

Data base with an electronic text on the safety assessment of low dose ionizing radiation have been constructed. The contents and the data base system were designed to provide useful information to Japanese citizens, radiation specialists, and decision makers for a scientific and reasonable understanding of radiation health effects, radiation risk assessment, and radiation protection. The data base consists of the following four essential parts, namely, ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION, DETAILED INFORMATION, TOPIC INFORMATION, and RELATED INFORMATION. The first two parts of the data base are further classified into following subbranches: Radiobiological effects, radiation risk assessment, and radiation exposure and protection. (author)
Low-dose CT image reconstruction using gain intervention-based dictionary learning

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Yadunath; Arya, K. V.; Tiwari, Shailendra

2018-05-01

Computed tomography (CT) approach is extensively utilized in clinical diagnoses. However, X-ray residue in human body may introduce somatic damage such as cancer. Owing to radiation risk, research has focused on the radiation exposure distributed to patients through CT investigations. Therefore, low-dose CT has become a significant research area. Many researchers have proposed different low-dose CT reconstruction techniques. But, these techniques suffer from various issues such as over smoothing, artifacts, noise, etc. Therefore, in this paper, we have proposed a novel integrated low-dose CT reconstruction technique. The proposed technique utilizes global dictionary-based statistical iterative reconstruction (GDSIR) and adaptive dictionary-based statistical iterative reconstruction (ADSIR)-based reconstruction techniques. In case the dictionary (D) is predetermined, then GDSIR can be used and if D is adaptively defined then ADSIR is appropriate choice. The gain intervention-based filter is also used as a post-processing technique for removing the artifacts from low-dose CT reconstructed images. Experiments have been done by considering the proposed and other low-dose CT reconstruction techniques on well-known benchmark CT images. Extensive experiments have shown that the proposed technique outperforms the available approaches.
An image scanning device using radiating energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, Daniel.

1976-01-01

Said invention relates to an image scanning device using radiating energy. More particularly, it relates to a device for generating a scanning beam of rectangular cross section from a γ or X-ray source. Said invention can be applied to radiographic units of the 'microdose' type used by airline staffs and others for the fast efficient inspection of luggage and parcels in view of detecting hidden things [fr
Effective Patient Education in Medical Imaging: Public Perceptions of Radiation Exposure Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, Rebecca L.; Turner, Lori W.

2002-01-01

In a cross-sectional survey of 200 adults, less than half agreed with experts on the risks of radiation exposure; 75-90% thought that medical imaging providers should be highly regulated; and less than one-quarter knew that most radiation damage is not permanent. (SK)
Objectively Quantifying Radiation Esophagitis With Novel Computed Tomography–Based Metrics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niedzielski, Joshua S., E-mail: jsniedzielski@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, Texas (United States); Yang, Jinzhong [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, Texas (United States); Stingo, Francesco [Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Martel, Mary K.; Mohan, Radhe [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, Texas (United States); Gomez, Daniel R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Briere, Tina M. [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, Texas (United States); Liao, Zhongxing [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Court, Laurence E. [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, Texas (United States)

2016-02-01

Purpose: To study radiation-induced esophageal expansion as an objective measure of radiation esophagitis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Eighty-five patients had weekly intra-treatment CT imaging and esophagitis scoring according to Common Terminlogy Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0, (24 Grade 0, 45 Grade 2, and 16 Grade 3). Nineteen esophageal expansion metrics based on mean, maximum, spatial length, and volume of expansion were calculated as voxel-based relative volume change, using the Jacobian determinant from deformable image registration between the planning and weekly CTs. An anatomic variability correction method was validated and applied to these metrics to reduce uncertainty. An analysis of expansion metrics and radiation esophagitis grade was conducted using normal tissue complication probability from univariate logistic regression and Spearman rank for grade 2 and grade 3 esophagitis endpoints, as well as the timing of expansion and esophagitis grade. Metrics' performance in classifying esophagitis was tested with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: Expansion increased with esophagitis grade. Thirteen of 19 expansion metrics had receiver operating characteristic area under the curve values >0.80 for both grade 2 and grade 3 esophagitis endpoints, with the highest performance from maximum axial expansion (MaxExp1) and esophageal length with axial expansion ≥30% (LenExp30%) with area under the curve values of 0.93 and 0.91 for grade 2, 0.90 and 0.90 for grade 3 esophagitis, respectively. Conclusions: Esophageal expansion may be a suitable objective measure of esophagitis, particularly maximum axial esophageal expansion and esophageal length with axial expansion ≥30%, with 2.1 Jacobian value and 98.6 mm as the metric value for 50% probability of grade 3 esophagitis. The uncertainty in esophageal Jacobian calculations can be reduced
Objectively Quantifying Radiation Esophagitis With Novel Computed Tomography–Based Metrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niedzielski, Joshua S.; Yang, Jinzhong; Stingo, Francesco; Martel, Mary K.; Mohan, Radhe; Gomez, Daniel R.; Briere, Tina M.; Liao, Zhongxing; Court, Laurence E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To study radiation-induced esophageal expansion as an objective measure of radiation esophagitis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Eighty-five patients had weekly intra-treatment CT imaging and esophagitis scoring according to Common Terminlogy Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0, (24 Grade 0, 45 Grade 2, and 16 Grade 3). Nineteen esophageal expansion metrics based on mean, maximum, spatial length, and volume of expansion were calculated as voxel-based relative volume change, using the Jacobian determinant from deformable image registration between the planning and weekly CTs. An anatomic variability correction method was validated and applied to these metrics to reduce uncertainty. An analysis of expansion metrics and radiation esophagitis grade was conducted using normal tissue complication probability from univariate logistic regression and Spearman rank for grade 2 and grade 3 esophagitis endpoints, as well as the timing of expansion and esophagitis grade. Metrics' performance in classifying esophagitis was tested with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: Expansion increased with esophagitis grade. Thirteen of 19 expansion metrics had receiver operating characteristic area under the curve values >0.80 for both grade 2 and grade 3 esophagitis endpoints, with the highest performance from maximum axial expansion (MaxExp1) and esophageal length with axial expansion ≥30% (LenExp30%) with area under the curve values of 0.93 and 0.91 for grade 2, 0.90 and 0.90 for grade 3 esophagitis, respectively. Conclusions: Esophageal expansion may be a suitable objective measure of esophagitis, particularly maximum axial esophageal expansion and esophageal length with axial expansion ≥30%, with 2.1 Jacobian value and 98.6 mm as the metric value for 50% probability of grade 3 esophagitis. The uncertainty in esophageal Jacobian calculations can be reduced
3D modeling of satellite spectral images, radiation budget and energy budget of urban landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Gastellu-Etchegorry, J. P.

2008-12-01

DART EB is a model that is being developed for simulating the 3D (3 dimensional) energy budget of urban and natural scenes, possibly with topography and atmosphere. It simulates all non radiative energy mechanisms (heat conduction, turbulent momentum and heat fluxes, water reservoir evolution, etc.). It uses DART model (Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer) for simulating radiative mechanisms: 3D radiative budget of 3D scenes and their remote sensing images expressed in terms of reflectance or brightness temperature values, for any atmosphere, wavelength, sun/view direction, altitude and spatial resolution. It uses an innovative multispectral approach (ray tracing, exact kernel, discrete ordinate techniques) over the whole optical domain. This paper presents two major and recent improvements of DART for adapting it to urban canopies. (1) Simulation of the geometry and optical characteristics of urban elements (houses, etc.). (2) Modeling of thermal infrared emission by vegetation and urban elements. The new DART version was used in the context of the CAPITOUL project. For that, districts of the Toulouse urban data base (Autocad format) were translated into DART scenes. This allowed us to simulate visible, near infrared and thermal infrared satellite images of Toulouse districts. Moreover, the 3D radiation budget was used by DARTEB for simulating the time evolution of a number of geophysical quantities of various surface elements (roads, walls, roofs). Results were successfully compared with ground measurements of the CAPITOUL project.
Imaging modalities in radiation treatment planning of brain tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgiev, D.

2009-01-01

The radiation therapy is a standard treatment after surgery for most of malignant and some of benignant brain tumors. The restriction in acquiring local tumor control is an inability in realization of high dose without causing radiation necrosis in irradiated area and sparing normal tissues. The development of imaging modalities during the last years is responsible for better treatment results and lower early and late toxicity. Essential is the role of image methods not only in the diagnosis and also in the precise anatomical (during last years also functional) localisation, spreading of the tumor, treatment planning process and the effects of the treatment. Target delineation is one of the great geometrical uncertainties in the treatment planning process. Early studies on the use of CT in treatment planning documented that tumor coverage without CT was clearly inadequate in 20% of the patients and marginal in another 27 %. The image fusion of CT, MBI and PET and also the use of contrast materia helps to get over those restrictions. The use of contrast material enhances the signal in 10 % of the patients with glioblastoma multiform and in a higher percentage of the patients with low-grade gliomas
Radiation exposure map based on fuzzy logic for the representation of areas with high natural background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcelos, Wagner Eustaquio de; Lira, Carlos Alberto Brayner de Oliveira

2009-01-01

The identification of areas with high concentrations of natural radionuclides is an important task in classifying these areas in relation to the health risk for residents in the region. The aim of this work is to identify areas of high exposure to nuclear radiation using a geographic representation based on the theory of fuzzy sets. Radiometric data obtained from previous works developed in a region of high concentrations in natural uranium were used to create a fuzzy map of the local radiation levels. During the image processing, a nonlinear filter was applied to eliminate noise i.e. to reduce isolated pixels that would eventually cause major uncertainties in the results. A resulting image was geographically positioned (WGS40) and obtained in gray scale. This image was fuzzified for membership functions that represent linguistic variables as low exposure, medium exposure and high exposure. After representing the membership grade in a RGB (red, green and blue) image it was possible to visualize the radiation level in the area of exposure. When compared to data from the region, results demonstrated the good efficiency of the technique here employed for the representation of areas with high radioactivity levels. The image obtained also provided important information about those areas where exposure to radiation is more pronounced. Hence, the fuzzy map can be applied in decision-making of experts when a risk situation is identified. (author)
The Use of Radiation Detectors in Medicine: The Future of Molecular Imaging and Multimodality Imaging: Advantages and Technological Challenges (3/3)

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

The development of radiation detectors in the field of nuclear and particle physics has had a terrific impact in medical imaging since this latter discipline took off in late ’70 with the invention of the CT scanners. The massive use in High Energy Physics of position sensitive gas detectors, of high Z and high density scintillators coupled to Photomultiplier (PMT) and Position Sensitive Photomultipliers (PSPMT), and of solid state detectors has triggered during the last 30 years a series of novel applications in Medical Imaging with ionizing radiation. The accelerated scientific progression in genetics and molecular biology has finally generated what it is now called Molecular Imaging. This field of research presents additional challenges not only in the technology of radiation detector, but more and more in the ASIC electronics, fast digital readout and parallel software. In this series of three lectures I will try to present how high energy physics and medical imaging development have both benefited by t...
Dosimetric impact of image-guided 3D conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaly, B; Song, W; Bauman, G S; Battista, J J; Van Dyk, J

2005-01-01

The goal of this work is to quantify the impact of image-guided conformal radiation therapy (CRT) on the dose distribution by correcting patient setup uncertainty and inter-fraction tumour motion. This was a retrospective analysis that used five randomly selected prostate cancer patients that underwent approximately 15 computed tomography (CT) scans during their radiation treatment course. The beam arrangement from the treatment plan was imported into each repeat CT study and the dose distribution was recalculated for the new beam setups. Various setup scenarios were then compared to assess the impact of image guidance on radiation treatment precision. These included (1) daily alignment to skin markers, thus representing a conventional beam setup without image guidance (2) alignment to bony anatomy for correction of daily patient setup error, thus representing on-line portal image guidance, and (3) alignment to the 'CTV of the day' for correction of inter-fraction tumour motion, thus representing on-line CT or ultrasound image guidance. Treatment scenarios (1) and (3) were repeated with a reduced CTV to PTV margin, where the former represents a treatment using small margins without daily image guidance. Daily realignment of the treatment beams to the prostate showed an average increase in minimum tumour dose of 1.5 Gy, in all cases where tumour 'geographic miss' without image guidance was apparent. However, normal tissue sparing did not improve unless the PTV margin was reduced. Daily realignment to the tumour combined with reducing the margin size by a factor of 2 resulted in an average escalation in tumour dose of 9.0 Gy for all five static plans. However, the prescription dose could be escalated by 13.8 Gy when accounting for changes in anatomy by accumulating daily doses using nonlinear image registration techniques. These results provide quantitative information on the effectiveness of image-guided radiation treatment of prostate cancer and demonstrate that
Computer simulation for synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescent microtomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Biao; Yu Xiaohan; Xu Hongjie

2007-01-01

Synchrotron radiation based fluorescent microtomography (SR-XFMT) is a nondestructive technique for detecting elemental composition and distribution inside a specimen with high spatial resolution and sensitivity, and will be an optional experimental technique at SSRF hard X-ray micro-focusing beamline now under construction. In this paper, the principles and developments of SR-XFMT are briefly introduced. Computer simulation of SR-XFMT experiment is performed. The image of the simulated sample is reconstructed using Filtered Back Projection (FBP), Algebraic Reconstruction Techniques (ART) and modified FBP with absorption correction. The qualities of the reconstructed images are analyzed and compared. The validity of these reconstruction techniques is discussed. (authors)
WE-AB-BRB-04: Cherenkov Imaging for Radiation Therapy Dose Verification On Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pogue, B. [Dartmouth College (United States)

2016-06-15

Despite widespread IMRT treatments at modern radiation therapy clinics, precise dosimetric commissioning of an IMRT system remains a challenge. In the most recent report from the Radiological Physics Center (RPC), nearly 20% of institutions failed an end-to-end test with an anthropomorphic head and neck phantom, a test that has rather lenient dose difference and distance-to-agreement criteria of 7% and 4 mm. The RPC report provides strong evidence that IMRT implementation is prone to error and that improved quality assurance tools are required. At the heart of radiation therapy dosimetry is the multidimensional dosimeter. However, due to the limited availability of water-equivalent dosimetry materials, research and development in this important field is challenging. In this session, we will review a few dosimeter developments that are either in the laboratory phase or in the pre-commercialization phase. 1) Radiochromic plastic. Novel formulations exhibit light absorbing optical contrast with very little scatter, enabling faster, broad beam optical CT design. 2) Storage phosphor. After irradiation, the dosimetry panels will be read out using a dedicated 2D scanning apparatus in a non-invasive, electro-optic manner and immediately restored for further use. 3) Liquid scintillator. Scintillators convert the energy from x-rays and proton beams into visible light, which can be recorded with a scientific camera (CCD or CMOS) from multiple angles. The 3D shape of the dose distribution can then be reconstructed. 4) Cherenkov emission imaging. Gated intensified imaging allows video-rate passive detection of Cherenkov emission during radiation therapy with the room lights on. Learning Objectives: To understand the physics of a variety of dosimetry techniques based upon optical imaging To investigate the strategies to overcome respective challenges and limitations To explore novel ideas of dosimeter design Supported in part by NIH Grants R01CA148853, R01CA182450, R01CA109558

WE-AB-BRB-04: Cherenkov Imaging for Radiation Therapy Dose Verification On Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogue, B.

2016-01-01

Despite widespread IMRT treatments at modern radiation therapy clinics, precise dosimetric commissioning of an IMRT system remains a challenge. In the most recent report from the Radiological Physics Center (RPC), nearly 20% of institutions failed an end-to-end test with an anthropomorphic head and neck phantom, a test that has rather lenient dose difference and distance-to-agreement criteria of 7% and 4 mm. The RPC report provides strong evidence that IMRT implementation is prone to error and that improved quality assurance tools are required. At the heart of radiation therapy dosimetry is the multidimensional dosimeter. However, due to the limited availability of water-equivalent dosimetry materials, research and development in this important field is challenging. In this session, we will review a few dosimeter developments that are either in the laboratory phase or in the pre-commercialization phase. 1) Radiochromic plastic. Novel formulations exhibit light absorbing optical contrast with very little scatter, enabling faster, broad beam optical CT design. 2) Storage phosphor. After irradiation, the dosimetry panels will be read out using a dedicated 2D scanning apparatus in a non-invasive, electro-optic manner and immediately restored for further use. 3) Liquid scintillator. Scintillators convert the energy from x-rays and proton beams into visible light, which can be recorded with a scientific camera (CCD or CMOS) from multiple angles. The 3D shape of the dose distribution can then be reconstructed. 4) Cherenkov emission imaging. Gated intensified imaging allows video-rate passive detection of Cherenkov emission during radiation therapy with the room lights on. Learning Objectives: To understand the physics of a variety of dosimetry techniques based upon optical imaging To investigate the strategies to overcome respective challenges and limitations To explore novel ideas of dosimeter design Supported in part by NIH Grants R01CA148853, R01CA182450, R01CA109558
Adaptive radiotherapy based on contrast enhanced cone beam CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soevik, Aaste; Skogmo, Hege K.; Roedal, Jan; Lervaag, Christoffer; Eilertsen, Karsten; Malinen, Eirik

2010-01-01

Cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging has become an integral part of radiation therapy, with images typically used for offline or online patient setup corrections based on bony anatomy co-registration. Ideally, the co-registration should be based on tumor localization. However, soft tissue contrast in CBCT images may be limited. In the present work, contrast enhanced CBCT (CECBCT) images were used for tumor visualization and treatment adaptation. Material and methods. A spontaneous canine maxillary tumor was subjected to repeated cone beam CT imaging during fractionated radiotherapy (10 fractions in total). At five of the treatment fractions, CECBCT images, employing an iodinated contrast agent, were acquired, as well as pre-contrast CBCT images. The tumor was clearly visible in post-contrast minus pre-contrast subtraction images, and these contrast images were used to delineate gross tumor volumes. IMRT dose plans were subsequently generated. Four different strategies were explored: 1) fully adapted planning based on each CECBCT image series, 2) planning based on images acquired at the first treatment fraction and patient repositioning following bony anatomy co-registration, 3) as for 2), but with patient repositioning based on co-registering contrast images, and 4) a strategy with no patient repositioning or treatment adaptation. The equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and tumor control probability (TCP) calculations to estimate treatment outcome for each strategy. Results. Similar translation vectors were found when bony anatomy and contrast enhancement co-registration were compared. Strategy 1 gave EUDs closest to the prescription dose and the highest TCP. Strategies 2 and 3 gave EUDs and TCPs close to that of strategy 1, with strategy 3 being slightly better than strategy 2. Even greater benefits from strategies 1 and 3 are expected with increasing tumor movement or deformation during treatment. The non-adaptive strategy 4 was clearly inferior to all three adaptive strategies
Alternative radiation-free registration technique for image-guided pedicle screw placement in deformed cervico-thoracic segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kantelhardt, Sven R; Neulen, Axel; Keric, Naureen; Gutenberg, Angelika; Conrad, Jens; Giese, Alf

2017-10-01

Image-guided pedicle screw placement in the cervico-thoracic region is a commonly applied technique. In some patients with deformed cervico-thoracic segments, conventional or 3D fluoroscopy based registration of image-guidance might be difficult or impossible because of the anatomic/pathological conditions. Landmark based registration has been used as an alternative, mostly using separate registration of each vertebra. We here investigated a routine for landmark based registration of rigid spinal segments as single objects, using cranial image-guidance software. Landmark based registration of image-guidance was performed using cranial navigation software. After surgical exposure of the spinous processes, lamina and facet joints and fixation of a reference marker array, up to 26 predefined landmarks were acquired using a pointer. All pedicle screws were implanted using image guidance alone. Following image-guided screw placement all patients underwent postoperative CT scanning. Screw positions as well as intraoperative and clinical parameters were retrospectively analyzed. Thirteen patients received 73 pedicle screws at levels C6 to Th8. Registration of spinal segments, using the cranial image-guidance succeeded in all cases. Pedicle perforations were observed in 11.0%, severe perforations of >2 mm occurred in 5.4%. One patient developed a transient C8 syndrome and had to be revised for deviation of the C7 pedicle screw. No other pedicle screw-related complications were observed. In selected patients suffering from pathologies of the cervico-thoracic region, which impair intraoperative fluoroscopy or 3D C-arm imaging, landmark based registration of image-guidance using cranial software is a feasible, radiation-saving and a safe alternative.
T2-weighted endorectal magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer after external beam radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westphalen, Antonio C.; Kurhanewicz, John; Cunha, Rui M.G.; Hsu, I-Chow; Kornak, John; Zhao, Shoujun; Coakley, Fergus V.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To retrospectively determine the accuracy of T2-weighted endorectal MR imaging in the detection of prostate cancer after external beam radiation therapy and to investigate the relationship between imaging accuracy and time since therapy. Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained and the study was HIPPA compliant. We identified 59 patients who underwent 1.5 Tesla endorectal MR imaging of the prostate between 1999 and 2006 after definitive external beam radiation therapy for biopsy-proven prostate cancer. Two readers recorded the presence or absence of tumor on T2-weighted images. Logistic regression and Fisher's exact tests for 2x2 tables were used to determine the accuracy of imaging and investigate if accuracy differed between those imaged within 3 years of therapy (n = 25) and those imaged more than 3 years after therapy (n = 34). Transrectal biopsy was used as the standard of reference for the presence or absence of recurrent cancer. Results: Thirty-four of 59 patients (58%) had recurrent prostate cancer detected on biopsy. The overall accuracy of T2-weighted MR imaging in the detection cancer after external beam radiation therapy was 63% (37/59) for reader 1 and 71% for reader 2 (42/59). For both readers, logistic regression showed no difference in accuracy between those imaged within 3 years of therapy and those imaged more than 3 years after therapy (p = 0.86 for reader 1 and 0.44 for reader 2). Conclusion: T2-weighted endorectal MR imaging has low accuracy in the detection of prostate cancer after external beam radiation therapy, irrespective of the time since therapy. (author)
Analyser-based phase contrast image reconstruction using geometrical optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitchen, M J; Pavlov, K M; Siu, K K W; Menk, R H; Tromba, G; Lewis, R A

2007-07-21

Analyser-based phase contrast imaging can provide radiographs of exceptional contrast at high resolution (geometrical optics are satisfied. Analytical phase retrieval can be performed by fitting the analyser rocking curve with a symmetric Pearson type VII function. The Pearson VII function provided at least a 10% better fit to experimentally measured rocking curves than linear or Gaussian functions. A test phantom, a hollow nylon cylinder, was imaged at 20 keV using a Si(1 1 1) analyser at the ELETTRA synchrotron radiation facility. Our phase retrieval method yielded a more accurate object reconstruction than methods based on a linear fit to the rocking curve. Where reconstructions failed to map expected values, calculations of the Takagi number permitted distinction between the violation of the geometrical optics conditions and the failure of curve fitting procedures. The need for synchronized object/detector translation stages was removed by using a large, divergent beam and imaging the object in segments. Our image acquisition and reconstruction procedure enables quantitative phase retrieval for systems with a divergent source and accounts for imperfections in the analyser.
Effect of background radiation shielding on natural radioactivity distribution measurement with imaging plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, C.; Suzuki, T.; Koido, S.; Uritani, A.; Miyahara, H.; Yanagida, K.; Miyahara, J.; Takahashi, K.

1996-01-01

Distribution images of natural radioactivity contained in various natural materials such as vegetable, animal meat and pottery work can be obtained with an imaging plate which has high sensitivity for nuclear radiations. For such very low levels of radioactivity, natural background radiations must be reduced using a shielding box. The lining, on the inside of the box, with low atomic number material such as acrylic resin is very effective in reducing electrons, β-rays and low energy X- and γ-rays emitted from the inner surface of the shielding material. Some images of natural radioactivity distribution were obtained and the radioactivity, mainly 40 K, contained in natural materials was measured by using an HPGe detector and also the imaging plate itself. (orig.)
High-performance GPU-based rendering for real-time, rigid 2D/3D-image registration and motion prediction in radiation oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Spoerk, Jakob; Gendrin, Christelle; Weber, Christoph; Figl, Michael; Pawiro, Supriyanto Ardjo; Furtado, Hugo; Fabri, Daniella; Bloch, Christoph; Bergmann, Helmar; Gröller, Eduard; Birkfellner, Wolfgang

2012-02-01

A common problem in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) of lung cancer as well as other malignant diseases is the compensation of periodic and aperiodic motion during dose delivery. Modern systems for image-guided radiation oncology allow for the acquisition of cone-beam computed tomography data in the treatment room as well as the acquisition of planar radiographs during the treatment. A mid-term research goal is the compensation of tumor target volume motion by 2D/3D Registration. In 2D/3D registration, spatial information on organ location is derived by an iterative comparison of perspective volume renderings, so-called digitally rendered radiographs (DRR) from computed tomography volume data, and planar reference x-rays. Currently, this rendering process is very time consuming, and real-time registration, which should at least provide data on organ position in less than a second, has not come into existence. We present two GPU-based rendering algorithms which generate a DRR of 512×512 pixels size from a CT dataset of 53 MB size at a pace of almost 100 Hz. This rendering rate is feasible by applying a number of algorithmic simplifications which range from alternative volume-driven rendering approaches - namely so-called wobbled splatting - to sub-sampling of the DRR-image by means of specialized raycasting techniques. Furthermore, general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) programming paradigms were consequently utilized. Rendering quality and performance as well as the influence on the quality and performance of the overall registration process were measured and analyzed in detail. The results show that both methods are competitive and pave the way for fast motion compensation by rigid and possibly even non-rigid 2D/3D registration and, beyond that, adaptive filtering of motion models in IGRT. Copyright Â© 2011. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
High-performance GPU-based rendering for real-time, rigid 2D/3D-image registration and motion prediction in radiation oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spoerk, Jakob; Gendrin, Christelle; Weber, Christoph [Medical University of Vienna (Austria). Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering] [and others

2012-07-01

A common problem in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) of lung cancer as well as other malignant diseases is the compensation of periodic and aperiodic motion during dose delivery. Modern systems for image-guided radiation oncology allow for the acquisition of cone-beam computed tomography data in the treatment room as well as the acquisition of planar radiographs during the treatment. A mid-term research goal is the compensation of tumor target volume motion by 2D/3D Registration. In 2D/3D registration, spatial information on organ location is derived by an iterative comparison of perspective volume renderings, so-called digitally rendered radiographs (DRR) from computed tomography volume data, and planar reference X-rays. Currently, this rendering process is very time consuming, and real-time registration, which should at least provide data on organ position in less than a second, has not come into existence. We present two GPU-based rendering algorithms which generate a DRR of 512 x 512 pixels size from a CT dataset of 53 MB size at a pace of almost 100 Hz. This rendering rate is feasible by applying a number of algorithmic simplifications which range from alternative volume-driven rendering approaches - namely so-called wobbled splatting - to sub-sampling of the DRR-image by means of specialized raycasting techniques. Furthermore, general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) programming paradigms were consequently utilized. Rendering quality and performance as well as the influence on the quality and performance of the overall registration process were measured and analyzed in detail. The results show that both methods are competitive and pave the way for fast motion compensation by rigid and possibly even non-rigid 2D/3D registration and, beyond that, adaptive filtering of motion models in IGRT. (orig.)
Impact of imaging approach on radiation dose and associated cancer risk in children undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Kevin D; Wang, Chu; Einstein, Andrew J; Januzis, Natalie; Nguyen, Giao; Li, Jennifer S; Fleming, Gregory A; Yoshizumi, Terry K

2017-04-01

To quantify the impact of image optimization on absorbed radiation dose and associated risk in children undergoing cardiac catheterization. Various imaging and fluoroscopy system technical parameters including camera magnification, source-to-image distance, collimation, antiscatter grids, beam quality, and pulse rates, all affect radiation dose but have not been well studied in younger children. We used anthropomorphic phantoms (ages: newborn and 5 years old) to measure surface radiation exposure from various imaging approaches and estimated absorbed organ doses and effective doses (ED) using Monte Carlo simulations. Models developed in the National Academies' Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VII report were used to compare an imaging protocol optimized for dose reduction versus suboptimal imaging (+20 cm source-to-image-distance, +1 magnification setting, no collimation) on lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer. For the newborn and 5-year-old phantoms, respectively ED changes were as follows: +157% and +232% for an increase from 6-inch to 10-inch camera magnification; +61% and +59% for a 20 cm increase in source-to-image-distance; -42% and -48% with addition of 1-inch periphery collimation; -31% and -46% with removal of the antiscatter grid. Compared with an optimized protocol, suboptimal imaging increased ED by 2.75-fold (newborn) and fourfold (5 years old). Estimated cancer LAR from 30-min of posteroanterior fluoroscopy using optimized versus suboptimal imaging, respectively was 0.42% versus 1.23% (newborn female), 0.20% versus 0.53% (newborn male), 0.47% versus 1.70% (5-year-old female) and 0.16% versus 0.69% (5-year-old male). Radiation-related risks to children undergoing cardiac catheterization can be substantial but are markedly reduced with an optimized imaging approach. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1990-05-01

This is the third edition of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 (now CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 114), which is one of a series of standards issued by the Canadian Standards Association under Part II of the Canadian Electrical Code. This edition marks an important shift towards harmonization of Canadian requirements with those of the European community and the United States. Also important to this edition is the expansion of its scope to include the complete range of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment, rather than solely radiation-emitting equipment. In so doing, equipment previously addressed by CSA Standard C22.2 No. 125, Electromedical Equipment, specifically lasers for medical applications and diagnostic ultrasound units, is now dealt with in the new edition. By virtue of this expanded scope, many of the technical requirements in the electromedical equipment standard have been introduced to the new edition, thereby bringing CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 up to date. 14 tabs., 16 figs.
Diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-05-01

This is the third edition of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 (now CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 114), which is one of a series of standards issued by the Canadian Standards Association under Part II of the Canadian Electrical Code. This edition marks an important shift towards harmonization of Canadian requirements with those of the European community and the United States. Also important to this edition is the expansion of its scope to include the complete range of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment, rather than solely radiation-emitting equipment. In so doing, equipment previously addressed by CSA Standard C22.2 No. 125, Electromedical Equipment, specifically lasers for medical applications and diagnostic ultrasound units, is now dealt with in the new edition. By virtue of this expanded scope, many of the technical requirements in the electromedical equipment standard have been introduced to the new edition, thereby bringing CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 up to date. 14 tabs., 16 figs
Collimation effects on the radiation detectors in the iCT image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Diego Vergacas de Sousa; Kirita, Rodrigo; Mesquita, Carlos Henrique de; Hamada, Margarida Mizue; Ferreira, Erick Oliveira; Dantas, Carlos Costa

2013-01-01

This work studies the collimation effect in radiation detectors on the image quality of the iCT scanner, in which the path traversed by radiation beams is similar to a fan. The collimators were made of lead, 5 cm deep and 12 cm high, with rectangular holes (slits) of 2 x 5 mm, 4 x 10 mm (width x height) and circular hole of 5 mm diameter. The matrix images reconstructed from the data obtained with these collimation holes are presented. The spatial resolution of the image depends on the geometry of the collimator. One of the major advantages of narrow beam transmission tomography is the so-called hard field property. This property is capable of producing high quality images, though it decreases the count value and it takes a longer time. In contrast, a large collimation diameter produces a fuzzy image but with a faster scanning time. Moreover, the enlargement of the aperture from 2 x 5 mm to 4 x 10 mm barely affects the image quality. The aperture from 4 x 10 mm and 5 mm diameter presented similar quality image. (author)
Collimation effects on the radiation detectors in the iCT image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho, Diego Vergacas de Sousa; Kirita, Rodrigo; Mesquita, Carlos Henrique de; Hamada, Margarida Mizue, E-mail: dvcarvalho@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Ferreira, Erick Oliveira; Dantas, Carlos Costa [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Energia Nuclear

2013-07-01

This work studies the collimation effect in radiation detectors on the image quality of the iCT scanner, in which the path traversed by radiation beams is similar to a fan. The collimators were made of lead, 5 cm deep and 12 cm high, with rectangular holes (slits) of 2 x 5 mm, 4 x 10 mm (width x height) and circular hole of 5 mm diameter. The matrix images reconstructed from the data obtained with these collimation holes are presented. The spatial resolution of the image depends on the geometry of the collimator. One of the major advantages of narrow beam transmission tomography is the so-called hard field property. This property is capable of producing high quality images, though it decreases the count value and it takes a longer time. In contrast, a large collimation diameter produces a fuzzy image but with a faster scanning time. Moreover, the enlargement of the aperture from 2 x 5 mm to 4 x 10 mm barely affects the image quality. The aperture from 4 x 10 mm and 5 mm diameter presented similar quality image. (author)
Analyser-based phase contrast image reconstruction using geometrical optics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitchen, M J; Pavlov, K M; Siu, K K W; Menk, R H; Tromba, G; Lewis, R A

2007-01-01

Analyser-based phase contrast imaging can provide radiographs of exceptional contrast at high resolution (<100 μm), whilst quantitative phase and attenuation information can be extracted using just two images when the approximations of geometrical optics are satisfied. Analytical phase retrieval can be performed by fitting the analyser rocking curve with a symmetric Pearson type VII function. The Pearson VII function provided at least a 10% better fit to experimentally measured rocking curves than linear or Gaussian functions. A test phantom, a hollow nylon cylinder, was imaged at 20 keV using a Si(1 1 1) analyser at the ELETTRA synchrotron radiation facility. Our phase retrieval method yielded a more accurate object reconstruction than methods based on a linear fit to the rocking curve. Where reconstructions failed to map expected values, calculations of the Takagi number permitted distinction between the violation of the geometrical optics conditions and the failure of curve fitting procedures. The need for synchronized object/detector translation stages was removed by using a large, divergent beam and imaging the object in segments. Our image acquisition and reconstruction procedure enables quantitative phase retrieval for systems with a divergent source and accounts for imperfections in the analyser
Image-Guided Localization Accuracy of Stereoscopic Planar and Volumetric Imaging Methods for Stereotactic Radiation Surgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: A Phantom Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jinkoo; Jin, Jian-Yue; Walls, Nicole; Nurushev, Teamour; Movsas, Benjamin; Chetty, Indrin J.; Ryu, Samuel

2011-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the positioning accuracies of two image-guided localization systems, ExacTrac and On-Board Imager (OBI), in a stereotactic treatment unit. Methods and Materials: An anthropomorphic pelvis phantom with eight internal metal markers (BBs) was used. The center of one BB was set as plan isocenter. The phantom was set up on a treatment table with various initial setup errors. Then, the errors were corrected using each of the investigated systems. The residual errors were measured with respect to the radiation isocenter using orthogonal portal images with field size 3 x 3 cm 2 . The angular localization discrepancies of the two systems and the correction accuracy of the robotic couch were also studied. A pair of pre- and post-cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images was acquired for each angular correction. Then, the correction errors were estimated by using the internal BBs through fiducial marker-based registrations. Results: The isocenter localization errors (μ ±σ) in the left/right, posterior/anterior, and superior/inferior directions were, respectively, -0.2 ± 0.2 mm, -0.8 ± 0.2 mm, and -0.8 ± 0.4 mm for ExacTrac, and 0.5 ± 0.7 mm, 0.6 ± 0.5 mm, and 0.0 ± 0.5 mm for OBI CBCT. The registration angular discrepancy was 0.1 ± 0.2 o between the two systems, and the maximum angle correction error of the robotic couch was 0.2 o about all axes. Conclusion: Both the ExacTrac and the OBI CBCT systems showed approximately 1 mm isocenter localization accuracies. The angular discrepancy of two systems was minimal, and the robotic couch angle correction was accurate. These positioning uncertainties should be taken as a lower bound because the results were based on a rigid dosimetry phantom.
Comparison of radiation dosimetry for several potential myocardial imaging agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, E.E.; Stabin, M.G; Goodman, M.M.; Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Srivastava, P.C.

1986-01-01

Although myocardial imaging is currently dominated by Tl-201, several alternative agents with improved physiologic or radionuclidic properties have been proposed. Based on human and animal studies in the literature, the metabolism of several of these compounds was studied for the purpose of generating radiation dose estimates. Dose estimates are listed for several I-123-labeled free fatty acids, an I-123-labeled phosphonium compound, Rb-82, Cu-64, F-18 FDG (all compounds which are taken up by the normal myocardium), and for Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) (which localizes in myocardial infarcts). Dose estimates could not be generated for C-11 palmitate, but his compound was included in a comparison of myocardial retention times. For the I-123-labeled compounds, I-124 was included as a contaminant in generating the dose estimates. Radiation doses were lowest for Rb-82 (gonads 0.3-0.4 Gy/MBq, kidneys 8.6 Gy/MBq). Doses for the I-123-labeled fatty acids were similar to one another, with IPPA being the lowest (gonads 15 Gy/MBq, heart wall 18 Gy/MBq). Doses for Tc-99m PYP were also low (gonads 4-7 Gy/MBq, heart wall 4 Gy/MBq, skeleton 15 Gy/MBq). The desirability of these compounds is discussed briefly, considering half-life, imaging mode and energy, and dosimetry, including a comparison of the effective whole body dose equivalents. 37 references, 11 tables
Radiation dose and image quality of X-ray volume imaging systems: cone-beam computed tomography, digital subtraction angiography and digital fluoroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Jijo; Jacobi, Volkmar; Farhang, Mohammad; Bazrafshan, Babak; Vogl, Thomas J; Mbalisike, Emmanuel C

2013-06-01

Radiation dose and image quality estimation of three X-ray volume imaging (XVI) systems. A total of 126 patients were examined using three XVI systems (groups 1-3) and their data were retrospectively analysed from 2007 to 2012. Each group consisted of 42 patients and each patient was examined using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and digital fluoroscopy (DF). Dose parameters such as dose-area product (DAP), skin entry dose (SED) and image quality parameters such as Hounsfield unit (HU), noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were estimated and compared using appropriate statistical tests. Mean DAP and SED were lower in recent XVI than its previous counterparts in CBCT, DSA and DF. HU of all measured locations was non-significant between the groups except the hepatic artery. Noise showed significant difference among groups (P < 0.05). Regarding CNR and SNR, the recent XVI showed a higher and significant difference compared to its previous versions. Qualitatively, CBCT showed significance between versions unlike the DSA and DF which showed non-significance. A reduction of radiation dose was obtained for the recent-generation XVI system in CBCT, DSA and DF. Image noise was significantly lower; SNR and CNR were higher than in previous versions. The technological advancements and the reduction in the number of frames led to a significant dose reduction and improved image quality with the recent-generation XVI system. • X-ray volume imaging (XVI) systems are increasingly used for interventional radiological procedures. • More modern XVI systems use lower radiation doses compared with earlier counterparts. • Furthermore more modern XVI systems provide higher image quality. • Technological advances reduce radiation dose and improve image quality.
Molecular photoacoustic imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frogh Jafarian Dehkordi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Hybrid imaging modalities which simultaneously benefit from capabilities of combined modalities provides an opportunity to modify quality of the images which can be obtained by each of the combined imaging systems. One of the imaging modalities, emerged in medical research area as a hybrid of ultrasound imaging and optical imaging, is photoacoustic imaging which apply ultrasound wave generated by tissue, after receiving laser pulse, to produce medical images. Materials and Methods: In this review, using keywords such as photoacoustic, optoacoustic, laser-ultrasound, thermoacoustic at databases such as PubMed and ISI, studies performed in the field of photoacoustic and related findings were evaluated. Results: Photoacoustic imaging, acquiring images with high contrast and desired resolution, provides an opportunity to perform physiologic and anatomic studies. Because this technique does not use ionizing radiation, it is not restricted by the limitation of the ionizing-based imaging systems therefore it can be used noninvasively to make images from cell, vessels, whole body imaging of the animal and distinguish tumor from normal tissue. Conclusion: Photoacoustic imaging is a new method in preclinical researches which can be used in various physiologic and anatomic studies. This method, because of application of non-ionizing radiation, may resolve limitation of radiation based method in diagnostic assessments.
MO-DE-303-03: Session on quantitative imaging for assessment of tumor response to radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowen, S.

2015-01-01

This session will focus on quantitative imaging for assessment of tumor response to radiation therapy. This is a technically challenging method to translate to practice in radiation therapy. In the new era of precision medicine, however, delivering the right treatment, to the right patient, and at the right time, can positively impact treatment choices and patient outcomes. Quantitative imaging provides the spatial sensitivity required by radiation therapy for precision medicine that is not available by other means. In this Joint ESTRO -AAPM Symposium, three leading-edge investigators will present specific motivations for quantitative imaging biomarkers in radiation therapy of esophageal, head and neck, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Experiences with the use of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, diffusion- weighted (DW) MRI, PET/CT, and SPECT/CT will be presented. Issues covered will include: response prediction, dose-painting, timing between therapy and imaging, within-therapy biomarkers, confounding effects, normal tissue sparing, dose-response modeling, and association with clinical biomarkers and outcomes. Current information will be presented from investigational studies and clinical practice. Learning Objectives: Learn motivations for the use of quantitative imaging biomarkers for assessment of response to radiation therapy Review the potential areas of application in cancer therapy Examine the challenges for translation, including imaging confounds and paucity of evidence to date Compare exemplary examples of the current state of the art in DCE-MRI, DW-MRI, PET/CT and SPECT/CT imaging for assessment of response to radiation therapy Van der Heide: Research grants from the Dutch Cancer Society and the European Union (FP7) Bowen: RSNA Scholar grant
MO-DE-303-03: Session on quantitative imaging for assessment of tumor response to radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowen, S. [University of Washington, School of Medicine: PET/CT and SPECT/CT for Lung and Liver Radiation Therapy Response Assessment of Tumor and Normal Tissue (United States)

2015-06-15

This session will focus on quantitative imaging for assessment of tumor response to radiation therapy. This is a technically challenging method to translate to practice in radiation therapy. In the new era of precision medicine, however, delivering the right treatment, to the right patient, and at the right time, can positively impact treatment choices and patient outcomes. Quantitative imaging provides the spatial sensitivity required by radiation therapy for precision medicine that is not available by other means. In this Joint ESTRO -AAPM Symposium, three leading-edge investigators will present specific motivations for quantitative imaging biomarkers in radiation therapy of esophageal, head and neck, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Experiences with the use of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI, diffusion- weighted (DW) MRI, PET/CT, and SPECT/CT will be presented. Issues covered will include: response prediction, dose-painting, timing between therapy and imaging, within-therapy biomarkers, confounding effects, normal tissue sparing, dose-response modeling, and association with clinical biomarkers and outcomes. Current information will be presented from investigational studies and clinical practice. Learning Objectives: Learn motivations for the use of quantitative imaging biomarkers for assessment of response to radiation therapy Review the potential areas of application in cancer therapy Examine the challenges for translation, including imaging confounds and paucity of evidence to date Compare exemplary examples of the current state of the art in DCE-MRI, DW-MRI, PET/CT and SPECT/CT imaging for assessment of response to radiation therapy Van der Heide: Research grants from the Dutch Cancer Society and the European Union (FP7) Bowen: RSNA Scholar grant.

From synchrotron radiation to lab source: advanced speckle-based X-ray imaging using abrasive paper

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongchang; Kashyap, Yogesh; Sawhney, Kawal

2016-02-01

X-ray phase and dark-field imaging techniques provide complementary and inaccessible information compared to conventional X-ray absorption or visible light imaging. However, such methods typically require sophisticated experimental apparatus or X-ray beams with specific properties. Recently, an X-ray speckle-based technique has shown great potential for X-ray phase and dark-field imaging using a simple experimental arrangement. However, it still suffers from either poor resolution or the time consuming process of collecting a large number of images. To overcome these limitations, in this report we demonstrate that absorption, dark-field, phase contrast, and two orthogonal differential phase contrast images can simultaneously be generated by scanning a piece of abrasive paper in only one direction. We propose a novel theoretical approach to quantitatively extract the above five images by utilising the remarkable properties of speckles. Importantly, the technique has been extended from a synchrotron light source to utilise a lab-based microfocus X-ray source and flat panel detector. Removing the need to raster the optics in two directions significantly reduces the acquisition time and absorbed dose, which can be of vital importance for many biological samples. This new imaging method could potentially provide a breakthrough for numerous practical imaging applications in biomedical research and materials science.
Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction use for radiation dose reduction in pediatric lower-extremity CT: impact on diagnostic image quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Amisha; Rees, Mitchell; Kar, Erica; Bolton, Kimberly; Lee, Vincent; Panigrahy, Ashok

2018-06-01

For the past several years, increased levels of imaging radiation and cumulative radiation to children has been a significant concern. Although several measures have been taken to reduce radiation dose during computed tomography (CT) scan, the newer dose reduction software adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) has been an effective technique in reducing radiation dose. To our knowledge, no studies are published that assess the effect of ASIR on extremity CT scans in children. To compare radiation dose, image noise, and subjective image quality in pediatric lower extremity CT scans acquired with and without ASIR. The study group consisted of 53 patients imaged on a CT scanner equipped with ASIR software. The control group consisted of 37 patients whose CT images were acquired without ASIR. Image noise, Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI) and dose length product (DLP) were measured. Two pediatric radiologists rated the studies in subjective categories: image sharpness, noise, diagnostic acceptability, and artifacts. The CTDI (p value = 0.0184) and DLP (p value ASIR compared with non-ASIR studies. However, the subjective ratings for sharpness (p ASIR images (p ASIR CT studies. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction reduces radiation dose for lower extremity CTs in children, but at the expense of diagnostic imaging quality. Further studies are warranted to determine the specific utility of ASIR for pediatric musculoskeletal CT imaging.
Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children: Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tricarico, Francesco; Hlavacek, Anthony M.; Schoepf, U.J.; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Nance, John W.; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Cho, Young Jun; Spears, J.R.; Secchi, Francesco; Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Bonomo, Lorenzo; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Apfaltrer, Paul

2013-01-01

To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose reductions. Forty neonates and children underwent low radiation CTA with or without ECG synchronisation. Data were reconstructed with FBP, IRIS and SAFIRE. For ECG-synchronised studies, half-dose image acquisitions were simulated. Signal noise was measured and IQ graded. Effective dose (ED) was estimated. Mean absolute and relative image noise with IRIS and full-dose SAFIRE was lower than with FBP (P < 0.001), while SNR and CNR were higher (P < 0.001). Image noise was also lower and SNR and CNR higher in half-dose SAFIRE studies compared with full-and half-dose FBP studies (P < 0.001). IQ scores were higher for IRIS, full-dose SAFIRE and half-dose SAFIRE than for full-dose FBP and higher for half-dose SAFIRE than for half-dose FBP (P < 0.05). Median weight-specific ED was 0.3 mSv without and 1.36 mSv with ECG synchronisation. The estimated ED of half-dose SAFIRE studies was 0.68 mSv. IR improves image noise, SNR, CNR and subjective IQ compared with FBP in low-radiation-dose paediatric CTA and allows further dose reductions without compromising diagnostic IQ. (orig.)
Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children: Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tricarico, Francesco [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, ' ' A. Gemelli' ' Hospital, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Rome (Italy); Hlavacek, Anthony M. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Children' s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Charleston, SC (United States); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Children' s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Charleston, SC (United States); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Charleston, SC (United States); Ebersberger, Ullrich [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Heart Centre Munich-Bogenhausen, Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Munich (Germany); Nance, John W. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Johns Hopkins Hospital, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University Medical Centre Groningen/University of Groningen, Centre for Medical Imaging - North East Netherlands, Department of Radiology, Groningen (Netherlands); Cho, Young Jun [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Konyang University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Spears, J.R. [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Secchi, Francesco [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University of Milan School of Medicine IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Radiology Unit, Milan (Italy); Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Bonomo, Lorenzo [Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, ' ' A. Gemelli' ' Hospital, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Rome (Italy); Schoenberg, Stefan O. [University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim - Heidelberg University, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany); Apfaltrer, Paul [Medical University of South Carolina, Ashley River Tower, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim - Heidelberg University, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany)

2013-05-15

To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose reductions. Forty neonates and children underwent low radiation CTA with or without ECG synchronisation. Data were reconstructed with FBP, IRIS and SAFIRE. For ECG-synchronised studies, half-dose image acquisitions were simulated. Signal noise was measured and IQ graded. Effective dose (ED) was estimated. Mean absolute and relative image noise with IRIS and full-dose SAFIRE was lower than with FBP (P < 0.001), while SNR and CNR were higher (P < 0.001). Image noise was also lower and SNR and CNR higher in half-dose SAFIRE studies compared with full-and half-dose FBP studies (P < 0.001). IQ scores were higher for IRIS, full-dose SAFIRE and half-dose SAFIRE than for full-dose FBP and higher for half-dose SAFIRE than for half-dose FBP (P < 0.05). Median weight-specific ED was 0.3 mSv without and 1.36 mSv with ECG synchronisation. The estimated ED of half-dose SAFIRE studies was 0.68 mSv. IR improves image noise, SNR, CNR and subjective IQ compared with FBP in low-radiation-dose paediatric CTA and allows further dose reductions without compromising diagnostic IQ. (orig.)
New image-processing and noise-reduction software reduces radiation dose during complex endovascular procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkwood, Melissa L; Guild, Jeffrey B; Arbique, Gary M; Tsai, Shirling; Modrall, J Gregory; Anderson, Jon A; Rectenwald, John; Timaran, Carlos

2016-11-01

A new proprietary image-processing system known as AlluraClarity, developed by Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) for radiation-based interventional procedures, claims to lower radiation dose while preserving image quality using noise-reduction algorithms. This study determined whether the surgeon and patient radiation dose during complex endovascular procedures (CEPs) is decreased after the implementation of this new operating system. Radiation dose to operators, procedure type, reference air kerma, kerma area product, and patient body mass index were recorded during CEPs on two Philips Allura FD 20 fluoroscopy systems with and without Clarity. Operator dose during CEPs was measured using optically stimulable, luminescent nanoDot (Landauer Inc, Glenwood, Ill) detectors placed outside the lead apron at the left upper chest position. nanoDots were read using a microStar ii (Landauer Inc) medical dosimetry system. For the CEPs in the Clarity group, the radiation dose to surgeons was also measured by the DoseAware (Philips Healthcare) personal dosimetry system. Side-by-side measurements of DoseAware and nanoDots allowed for cross-calibration between systems. Operator effective dose was determined using a modified Niklason algorithm. To control for patient size and case complexity, the average fluoroscopy dose rate and the dose per radiographic frame were adjusted for body mass index differences and then compared between the groups with and without Clarity by procedure. Additional factors, for example, physician practice patterns, that may have affected operator dose were inferred by comparing the ratio of the operator dose to procedural kerma area product with and without Clarity. A one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare groups for radiation doses, reference air kermas, and operating practices for each procedure type. The analysis included 234 CEPs; 95 performed without Clarity and 139 with Clarity. Practice patterns of operators during
Predicting standard-dose PET image from low-dose PET and multimodal MR images using mapping-based sparse representation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yan; Zhou, Jiliu; Zhang, Pei; An, Le; Ma, Guangkai; Kang, Jiayin; Shi, Feng; Shen, Dinggang; Wu, Xi; Lalush, David S; Lin, Weili

2016-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has been widely used in clinical diagnosis for diseases and disorders. To obtain high-quality PET images requires a standard-dose radionuclide (tracer) injection into the human body, which inevitably increases risk of radiation exposure. One possible solution to this problem is to predict the standard-dose PET image from its low-dose counterpart and its corresponding multimodal magnetic resonance (MR) images. Inspired by the success of patch-based sparse representation (SR) in super-resolution image reconstruction, we propose a mapping-based SR (m-SR) framework for standard-dose PET image prediction. Compared with the conventional patch-based SR, our method uses a mapping strategy to ensure that the sparse coefficients, estimated from the multimodal MR images and low-dose PET image, can be applied directly to the prediction of standard-dose PET image. As the mapping between multimodal MR images (or low-dose PET image) and standard-dose PET images can be particularly complex, one step of mapping is often insufficient. To this end, an incremental refinement framework is therefore proposed. Specifically, the predicted standard-dose PET image is further mapped to the target standard-dose PET image, and then the SR is performed again to predict a new standard-dose PET image. This procedure can be repeated for prediction refinement of the iterations. Also, a patch selection based dictionary construction method is further used to speed up the prediction process. The proposed method is validated on a human brain dataset. The experimental results show that our method can outperform benchmark methods in both qualitative and quantitative measures. (paper)
Prospective Evaluation of Dual-Energy Imaging in Patients Undergoing Image Guided Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer: Initial Clinical Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherertz, Tracy; Hoggarth, Mark; Luce, Jason; Block, Alec M.; Nagda, Suneel; Harkenrider, Matthew M.; Emami, Bahman; Roeske, John C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: A prospective feasibility study was conducted to investigate the utility of dual-energy (DE) imaging compared to conventional x-ray imaging for patients undergoing kV-based image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for lung cancer. Methods and Materials: An institutional review board-approved feasibility study enrolled patients with lung cancer undergoing IGRT and was initiated in September 2011. During daily setup, 2 sequential respiration-gated x-ray images were obtained using an on-board imager. Imaging was composed of 1 standard x-ray image at 120 kVp (1 mAs) and a second image obtained at 60 kVp (4 mAs). Weighted logarithmic subtraction of the 2 images was performed offline to create a soft tissue-selective DE image. Conventional and DE images were evaluated by measuring relative contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) and also by comparing spatial localization, using both approaches. Imaging dose was assessed using a calibrated ion chamber. Results: To date, 10 patients with stage IA to IIIA lung cancer were enrolled and 57 DE images were analyzed. DE subtraction resulted in complete suppression of overlying bone in all 57 DE images, with an average improvement in relative contrast of 4.7 ± 3.3 over that of 120 kVp x-ray images (P<.0002). The improvement in relative contrast with DE imaging was seen for both smaller (gross tumor volume [GTV] ≤5 cc) and larger tumors (GTV >5 cc), with average relative contrast improvement ratios of 3.4 ± 4.1 and 5.4 ± 3.6, respectively. Moreover, the GTV was reliably localized in 95% of the DE images versus 74% of the single energy (SE images, (P=.004). Mean skin dose per DE image set was 0.44 ± 0.03 mGy versus 0.43 ± 0.03 mGy, using conventional kV imaging parameters. Conclusions: Initial results of this feasibility study suggest that DE thoracic imaging may enhance tumor localization in lung cancer patients receiving kV-based IGRT without increasing imaging dose
Automated Image-Based Procedures for Adaptive Radiotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerre, Troels

be employed for contour propagation in adaptive radiotherapy. - MRI-radiotherapy devices have the potential to offer near real-time intrafraction imaging without any additional ionising radiation. It is detailed how the use of multiple, orthogonal slices can form the basis for reliable 3D soft tissue tracking.......-based treatment replanning and real-time intrafraction guidance techniques. The selected contributions detail a number of findings and techniques, in particular: - For ten head & neck cancer patients, changes in tumour density were well described by linear functions with patient-specific slope and intercept...
Diagnostic accuracy at several reduced radiation dose levels for CT imaging in the diagnosis of appendicitis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Di; Khatonabadi, Maryam; Kim, Hyun; Jude, Matilda; Zaragoza, Edward; Lee, Margaret; Patel, Maitraya; Poon, Cheryce; Douek, Michael; Andrews-Tang, Denise; Doepke, Laura; McNitt-Gray, Shawn; Cagnon, Chris; DeMarco, John; McNitt-Gray, Michael

2012-03-01

Purpose: While several studies have investigated the tradeoffs between radiation dose and image quality (noise) in CT imaging, the purpose of this study was to take this analysis a step further by investigating the tradeoffs between patient radiation dose (including organ dose) and diagnostic accuracy in diagnosis of appendicitis using CT. Methods: This study was IRB approved and utilized data from 20 patients who underwent clinical CT exams for indications of appendicitis. Medical record review established true diagnosis of appendicitis, with 10 positives and 10 negatives. A validated software tool used raw projection data from each scan to create simulated images at lower dose levels (70%, 50%, 30%, 20% of original). An observer study was performed with 6 radiologists reviewing each case at each dose level in random order over several sessions. Readers assessed image quality and provided confidence in their diagnosis of appendicitis, each on a 5 point scale. Liver doses at each case and each dose level were estimated using Monte Carlo simulation based methods. Results: Overall diagnostic accuracy varies across dose levels: 92%, 93%, 91%, 90% and 90% across the 100%, 70%, 50%, 30% and 20% dose levels respectively. And it is 93%, 95%, 88%, 90% and 90% across the 13.5-22mGy, 9.6-13.5mGy, 6.4-9.6mGy, 4-6.4mGy, and 2-4mGy liver dose ranges respectively. Only 4 out of 600 observations were rated "unacceptable" for image quality. Conclusion: The results from this pilot study indicate that the diagnostic accuracy does not change dramatically even at significantly reduced radiation dose.
Imaging plates for nuclear radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Ken; Takebe, Masahiro

1997-01-01

Full text. The imaging plate (IP, hereafter) is a new opto-electronic X-ray film developed by Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., formed with a large area of thin flexible plastic plate coated with photo-estimulable storage phosphor (e.g. Ba F Br: Eu 2+ ). Recently, it has been found highly sensitive to soft X-ray (SR), soft electrons, and also usual alpha, beta, gamma rays and others, e.g. cosmic rays, energy heavy ions, and moreover neutrons through suitable converters inside or outside of the IP. Many types of IP are now used in various fields, such as medical examinations, auto-radiography in vivo/ in situ/ in vitro, X-ray/neutron diffraction/ radiography, electron microscopy. RI contamination, assay of ore. The IP has other striking performances, e.e. extremely low intrinsic noises, a high position resolution, high detection efficiency (100-1000 times) as high as an X-ray film), extremely wide dynamic range of dose (more than 10 5 ). Besides the thermal fading yet left unresolved materially, the only feature lacking and that one has ben longing for is the radiation identification by itself. We found out that the IP has a full potential ability of radiation identification in itself. One evidence found is that the ratio of the twin peaks of the PSL (photo-stimulated luminescence) excitation spectra indicates simply the particle energies, studied and now established. Another is that the photo-beaching provides the fluorescent responses different enough to discriminate the radiations, yet in progress with cyclotron experiments, into the usage of double labeled bio tracers
Virtual computed tomography colonoscopy: artifacts, image quality and radiation dose load in a cadaver study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Springer, P.; Stoehr, B.; Giacomuzzi, S.M.; Bodner, G.; Jaschke, W.; Nedden, D. zur; Klingler, A.

2000-01-01

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the interdependency of spatial resolution, image reconstruction artifacts, and radiation doses in virtual CT colonoscopy by comparing various CT scanning protocols. A pig's colon with several artificial polypoid lesions was imaged after air insufflation with helical CT scanning using 1-, 3-, and 5-mm collimation, and pitch values varying from 1.0 to 3.0. Virtual endoscopic images and ''fly through'' sequences were calculated on a Sun Sparc 20 workstation (Navigator Software, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis.). Several reconstruction artifacts as well as overall image quality were evaluated by three independent reviewers. In addition, radiation doses for the different CT protocols were measured as multiple-scan average dose using a 10-cm ion chamber and a standard Plexiglass body phantom. Generally, image quality and reconstruction artifacts were less affected by pitch values than by beam collimation. Thus, narrow beam collimation at higher pitch values (e. g. 3 mm/2.0) seems to be a reasonable compromise between quality of virtual endoscopic images and radiation dose load. (orig.)
Top 100 Cited articles on Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnin, Jason; Hanna, Tarek N; Jutras, Marc; Hasan, Babar; Bhatia, Rick; Khosa, Faisal

2018-03-20

Bibliometric analyses by highest number of citations can help researchers and funding agencies in determining the most influential articles in a field. The main objective of this analysis was to identify the top 100 cited articles addressing radiation exposure from medical imaging and assess their characteristics. Relevant articles were extracted from the Scopus database after a systematic search by researchers using an iteratively defined Boolean search string. Subsequently, exclusion criteria were applied. A list of top 100 articles was prepared, and articles were ranked according to the citations they had received. No time restriction was applied. Descriptive statistics of the data were compiled. The top-cited articles were published from 1970-2013, with the most articles published in 2009 and 2010 (12 articles in each year). The citations ranged from 107-1888 with a median of 272. Manuscripts from our top-cited list originated from 20 different countries, with contributions made by 158 authors and 160 organizations. Eighty-eight percent of studies evaluated patient-related radiation exposure, 7% health care workers, and 5% both or were not specified. Thirty-two percent of studies examined adult populations, 14% pediatric, and 54% included both populations or did not specify. Seventy-two percent of studies were dedicated to Computed Tomography, 8% to radiography/fluoroscopy, 9% to interventional procedures, 4% to nuclear medicine, and 7% to a combination of 2 or more modalities. The top 100 cited articles in medical imaging related to radiation exposure are diverse, originating from many countries with numerous contributing authors. The most common topics covered involve CT and adult patients. The recent peak in the most-highly cited articles (2010) suggests that increased attention has been devoted to this field in recent years. Based on these results, it would appear that research on radiation exposure in medical imaging is poised to continue expanding
The role of Cobalt-60 in modern radiation therapy: Dose delivery and image guidance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schreiner L

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The advances in modern radiation therapy with techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guid-ed radiation therapy (IMRT and IGRT have been limited almost exclusively to linear accel-erators. Investigations of modern Cobalt-60 (Co-60 radiation delivery in the context of IMRT and IGRT have been very sparse, and have been limited mainly to computer-modeling and treatment-planning exercises. In this paper, we report on the results of experiments using a tomotherapy benchtop apparatus attached to a conventional Co-60 unit. We show that conformal dose delivery is possible and also that Co-60 can be used as the radiation source in megavoltage computed tomography imaging. These results complement our modeling studies of Co-60 tomotherapy and provide a strong motivation for continuing development of modern Cobalt-60 treatment devices.
TH-C-17A-05: Cherenkov Excited Phosphorescence Oxygen (CEPhOx) Imaging During Multi-Beam Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, R; Pogue, B [Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States); Holt, R [Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH - New Hampshire (United States); Esipova, T; Vinogradov, S [University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Gladstone, D [Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, City of Lebanon (Lebanon)

2014-06-15

Purpose: Cherenkov radiation is created during external beam radiation therapy that can excite phosphorescence in tissue from oxygen-sensitive, bio-compatible probes. Utilizing the known spatial information of the treatment plan with directed multiple beam angles, Cherenkov Excited Phosphorescence Oxygen (CEPhOx) imaging was realized from the reconstructions of Cherenkov excited phosphorescence lifetime. Methods: Platinum(II)-G4 (PtG4) was used as the oxygen-sensitive phosphorescent probe and added to a oxygenated cylindrical liquid phantom with a oxygenated/deoxygenated cylindrical anomaly. Cherenkov excited phosphorescence was imaged using a time-gated ICCD camera temporallysynchronized to the LINAC pulse output. Lifetime reconstruction was carried out in NIRFAST software. Multiple angles of the incident radiation beam was combined with the location of the prescribed treatment volume (PTV) to improve the tomographic recovery as a function of location. The tissue partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in the background and PTV was calculated based on the recovered lifetime distribution and Stern-Volmer equation. Additionally a simulation study was performed to examine the accuracy of this technique in the setting of a human brain tumor. Results: Region-based pO2 values in the oxygenated background and oxygenated/deoxygenated PTV were correctly recovered, with the deoxygenated anomaly (15.4 mmHg) easily distinguished from the oxygenated background (143 mmHg). The data acquisition time could be achieved within the normal irradiation time for a human fractionated plan. The simulations indicated that CEPhOx would be a sufficient to sample tumor pO2 sensing from tumors which are larger than 2cm in diameter or within 23mm depth from the surface. Conclusion: CEPhOx could be a novel imaging tool for pO2 assessment during external radiation beam therapy. It is minimally invasive and should work within the established treatment plan of radiation therapy with multiple beams in
Patient-centered image and data management in radiation oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steil, Volker; Schneider, Frank; Kuepper, Beate; Wenz, Frederik; Lohr, Frank; Weisser, Gerald

2009-01-01

Background: recent changes in the radiotherapy (RT) workflow through the introduction of complex treatment paradigms such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and, recently, image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with their increase in data traffic for different data classes have mandated efforts to further integrate electronic data management for RT departments in a patient- and treatment-course-centered fashion. Methods: workflow in an RT department is multidimensional and multidirectional and consists of at least five different data classes (RT/machine data, patient-related documents such as reports and letters, progress notes, DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) image data, and non-DICOM image data). Data has to be handled in the framework of adaptive feedback loops with increasing frequency. This is in contrast to a radiology department where mainly DICOM image data and reports have to be widely accessible but are dealt with in a mainly unidirectional manner. When compared to a diagnostic Radiology Information System (RIS)/Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), additional legal requirements have to be conformed to when an integrated electronic RT data management system is installed. Among these are extended storage periods, documentation of treatment plan approval by physicians and physicist, documentation of informed consent, etc. Conclusion: since the transition to a paper- and filmless environment in medicine and especially m radiation ''neology is unavoidable this review discusses these issues and suggests a possible hardware and organizational architecture of an RT department information system under control of a Hospital Information System (HIS), based on combined features of genuine RT Record and Verify (R and V) Systems, PACS, and Electronic Medical Records (EMR). (orig.)
Synchronous atmospheric radiation correction of GF-2 satellite multispectral image

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Fuqiang; Fan, Dongdong; Zhang, Yan; Wang, Dandan

2018-02-01

GF-2 remote sensing products have been widely used in many fields for its high-quality information, which provides technical support for the the macroeconomic decisions. Atmospheric correction is the necessary part in the data preprocessing of the quantitative high resolution remote sensing, which can eliminate the signal interference in the radiation path caused by atmospheric scattering and absorption, and reducting apparent reflectance into real reflectance of the surface targets. Aiming at the problem that current research lack of atmospheric date which are synchronization and region matching of the surface observation image, this research utilize the MODIS Level 1B synchronous data to simulate synchronized atmospheric condition, and write programs to implementation process of aerosol retrieval and atmospheric correction, then generate a lookup table of the remote sensing image based on the radioactive transfer model of 6S (second simulation of a satellite signal in the solar spectrum) to correct the atmospheric effect of multispectral image from GF-2 satellite PMS-1 payload. According to the correction results, this paper analyzes the pixel histogram of the reflectance spectrum of the 4 spectral bands of PMS-1, and evaluates the correction results of different spectral bands. Then conducted a comparison experiment on the same GF-2 image based on the QUAC. According to the different targets respectively statistics the average value of NDVI, implement a comparative study of NDVI from two different results. The degree of influence was discussed by whether to adopt synchronous atmospheric date. The study shows that the result of the synchronous atmospheric parameters have significantly improved the quantitative application of the GF-2 remote sensing data.
Development of Fast and Highly Efficient Gas Ionization Chamber For Patient Imaging and Dosimetry in Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Hinderler; H. Keller; T.R. Mackie; M.L. Corradini

2003-09-08

In radiation therapy of cancer, more accurate delivery techniques spur the need for improved patient imaging during treatment. To this purpose, the megavoltage radiation protocol that is used for treatment is also used for imaging.
Radiation-induced changes in normal-appearing gray matter in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lv, Xiao-Fei; Zheng, Xiao-Li; Zhang, Wei-Dong; Liu, Li-Zhi; Zhang, You-Ming [State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou (China); Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Guangzhou (China); Chen, Ming-Yuan [Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Guangzhou (China); Li, Li [Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Guangzhou (China)

2014-05-15

Evidence is accumulating that temporal lobe radiation necrosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy (RT) could involve gray matter (GM). The purpose of the study was to assess the radiation-induced GM volume differences between NPC patients who had and had not received RT and the effect of time after RT on GM volume differences in those patients who had received RT. We used magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to assess differences in GM volume between 30 NPC patients with normal-appearing whole-brain GM after RT and 15 control patients with newly diagnosed but not yet medically treated NPC. Correlation analyses were used to investigate the relationship between GM volume changes and time after RT. Patients who had received RT had GM volume decreases in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and right inferior parietal lobule (p < 0.001, uncorrected, cluster size >100 voxels). Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that regional GM volume loss in the left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and right fusiform gyrus were negatively related to the mean dose to the ipsilateral temporal lobe, respectively. These results indicate that GM volume deficits in bilateral temporal lobes in patients who had received RT might be radiation-induced. Our findings might provide new insight into the pathogenesis of radiation-induced structural damage in normal-appearing brain tissue. Yet this is an exploratory study, whose findings should therefore be taken with caution. (orig.)
Reduction of radiation exposure and image quality using dose reduction tool on computed tomography fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakabe, Daisuke; Tochihara, Syuichi; Ono, Michiaki; Tokuda, Masaki; Kai, Noriyuki; Nakato, Kengo; Hashida, Masahiro; Funama, Yoshinori; Murazaki, Hiroo

2012-01-01

The purpose of our study was to measure the reduction rate of radiation dose and variability of image noise using the angular beam modulation (ABM) on computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy. The Alderson-Rando phantom and the homemade phantom were used in our study. These phantoms were scanned at on-center and off-center positions at -12 cm along y-axis with and without ABM technique. Regarding the technique, the x-ray tube is turned off in a 100-degree angle sector at the center of 12 o'clock, 10 o'clock, and 2 o'clock positions during CT fluoroscopy. CT fluoroscopic images were obtained with tube voltages, 120 kV; tube current-time product per reconstructed image, 30 mAs; rotation time, 0.5 s/rot; slice thickness, 4.8 mm; and reconstruction kernel B30s in each scanning. After CT scanning, radiation exposure and image noise were measured and the image artifacts were evaluated with and without the technique. The reduction rate for radiation exposure was 75-80% with and without the technique at on-center position regardless of each angle position. In the case of the off-center position at -12 cm, the reduction rate was 50% with and without the technique. In contrast, image noise remained constant with and without the technique. Visual inspection for image artifacts almost have the same scores with and without the technique and no statistical significance was found in both techniques (p>0.05). ABM is an appropriate tool for reducing radiation exposure and maintaining image-noise and artifacts during CT fluoroscopy. (author)
Impact of iterative reconstruction on image quality and radiation dose in multidetector CT of large body size adults

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desai, Gaurav S.; Uppot, Raul N.; Kambadakone, Avinash R. [Harvard Medical School, Department of Abdominal Imaging and Intervention, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Yu, Elaine W. [Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Sahani, Dushyant V. [Harvard Medical School, Department of Abdominal Imaging and Intervention, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Division of Abdominal Imaging and Intervention, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2012-08-15

To compare image quality and radiation dose using Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASiR) and Filtered Back Projection (FBP) in patients weighing {>=}91 kg. In this Institution Review Board-approved retrospective study, single-phase contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT examinations of 100 adults weighing {>=}91 kg (mean body weight: 107.6 {+-} 17.4 kg range: 91-181.9 kg) with (1) ASiR and (2) FBP were reviewed by two readers in a blinded fashion for subjective measures of image quality (using a subjective standardized numerical scale and objective noise) and for radiation exposure. Imaging parameters and radiation dose results of the two techniques were compared within weight and BMI sub-categories. All examinations were found to be of adequate quality. Both subjective (mean = 1.4 {+-} 0.5 vs. 1.6 {+-} 0.6, P < 0.05) and objective noise (13.0 {+-} 3.2 vs.19.5 {+-} 5.7, P < 0.0001) were lower with ASiR. Average radiation dose reduction of 31.5 % was achieved using ASiR (mean CTDIvol. ASiR: 13.5 {+-} 7.3 mGy; FBP: 19.7 {+-} 9.0 mGy, P < 0.0001). Other measures of image quality were comparable between the two techniques. Trends for all parameters were similar in patients across weight and BMI sub-categories. In obese individuals, abdominal CT images reconstructed using ASiR provide diagnostic images with reduced image noise at lower radiation dose. circle CT images in obese adults are noisy, even with high radiation dose. (orig.)

Laser radiography forming bremsstrahlung radiation to image an object

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Michael D.; Sefcik, Joseph A.

2004-01-13

A method of imaging an object by generating laser pulses with a short-pulse, high-power laser. When the laser pulse strikes a conductive target, bremsstrahlung radiation is generated such that hard ballistic high-energy electrons are formed to penetrate an object. A detector on the opposite side of the object detects these electrons. Since laser pulses are used to form the hard x-rays, multiple pulses can be used to image an object in motion, such as an exploding or compressing object, by using time gated detectors. Furthermore, the laser pulses can be directed down different tubes using mirrors and filters so that each laser pulse will image a different portion of the object.
Imaging performance of a dedicated radiation transparent RF coil on a 1.0 Tesla inline MRI-linac.

Science.gov (United States)

Liney, Gary P; Dong, Bin; Weber, Ewald; Rai, Robba; Destruel, Aurelien; Garcia-Alvarez, Roberto; Manton, David; Jelen, Urszula; Zhang, Kevin; Barton, Michael; Keall, Paul J; Crozier, Stuart

2018-05-25

This work describes the first imaging studies on a 1.0 Tesla inline MRI-Linac using a dedicated transmit/receive RF body coil that has been designed to be completely radio transparent and provide optimum imaging performance over a large patient opening. Methods: A series of experiments was performed on the MRI-Linac to investigate the performance and imaging characteristics of a new dedicated volumetric RF coil: (1) numerical electromagnetic simulations were used to measure transmit efficiency in two patient positions; (2) image quality metrics of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), ghosting and uniformity were assessed in a large diameter phantom with no radiation beam; (3) radiation induced effects were investigated in both the raw data (k-space) and image sequences acquired with simultaneous irradiation; (4) radiation dose was measured with and without image acquisition; (5) RF heating was studied using an MR-compatible fluoroptic thermometer and; (6) the in vivo image quality and versatility of the coil was demonstrated in normal healthy subjects for both supine and standing positions. Results: Daily phantom measurements demonstrated excellent imaging performance with stable SNR over a period of 3 months (42.6 ± 0.9). Simultaneous irradiation produced no statistical change in image quality (p>0.74) and no interference in raw data for a 20  20 cm radiation field. The coil was found to be efficient over large volumes and negligible RF heating was observed. Volunteer scans acquired in both supine and standing positions provided artefact free images with good anatomical visualisation. Conclusions: The first completely radio transparent RF coil for use on a 1.0 Tesla MRI-Linac has been described. There is no impact on either the imaging or dosimetry performance with a simultaneous radiation beam. The open design enables imaging and radiotherapy guidance in a variety of positons. . © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.
SU-E-QI-12: Morphometry Based Measurements of the Structural Response to Whole Brain Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, D; Castillo, R; Castillo, E; Guerrero, T

2014-01-01

Purpose: Although state of the art radiation therapy techniques for treating intracranial malignancies have eliminated acute brain injury, cognitive impairment occurs in 50–90% of patients who survive >6mo post irradiation. Quantitative characterization of therapy response is needed to facilitate therapeutic strategies to minimize radiation induced cognitive impairment [1]. Deformation based morphometry techniques [2, 3] are presented as a quantitative imaging biomarker of therapy response in patients receiving whole brain radiation for treating medulloblastoma. Methods: Post-irradiation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets were retrospectively analyzed in N=15 patients, >60 MR image datasets. As seen in Fig 1(a), volume changes at multiple time points post-irradiation were quantitatively measured in the cerebrum and ventricles with respect to pre-irradiation MRI. A high resolution image Template, was registered to the pre-irradiation MRI of each patient to create a brain atlas for the cerebrum, cerebellum, and ventricles. Skull stripped images for each patient were registered to the initial pre-treatment scan. Average volume changes in the labeled regions were measured using the determinant of the displacement field Jacobian. Results: Longitudinal measurements, Fig 1(b-c), show a negative correlation p=.06, of the cerebral volume change with the time interval from irradiation. A corresponding positive correlation, p=.01, between ventricular volume change and time interval from irradiation is seen. One sample t-test for correlations were computed using a Spearman method. An average decrease in cerebral volume, p=.08, and increase in ventricular volume, p<.001, was observed. The radiation dose was seen directly proportional to the induced volume changes in the cerebrum, r=−.44, p<.001, Fig 1(d). Conclusion: Results indicate that morphometric monitoring of brain tissue volume changes may potentially be used to quantitatively assess toxicity and response to
SU-E-QI-12: Morphometry Based Measurements of the Structural Response to Whole Brain Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuentes, D; Castillo, R; Castillo, E; Guerrero, T [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: Although state of the art radiation therapy techniques for treating intracranial malignancies have eliminated acute brain injury, cognitive impairment occurs in 50–90% of patients who survive >6mo post irradiation. Quantitative characterization of therapy response is needed to facilitate therapeutic strategies to minimize radiation induced cognitive impairment [1]. Deformation based morphometry techniques [2, 3] are presented as a quantitative imaging biomarker of therapy response in patients receiving whole brain radiation for treating medulloblastoma. Methods: Post-irradiation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets were retrospectively analyzed in N=15 patients, >60 MR image datasets. As seen in Fig 1(a), volume changes at multiple time points post-irradiation were quantitatively measured in the cerebrum and ventricles with respect to pre-irradiation MRI. A high resolution image Template, was registered to the pre-irradiation MRI of each patient to create a brain atlas for the cerebrum, cerebellum, and ventricles. Skull stripped images for each patient were registered to the initial pre-treatment scan. Average volume changes in the labeled regions were measured using the determinant of the displacement field Jacobian. Results: Longitudinal measurements, Fig 1(b-c), show a negative correlation p=.06, of the cerebral volume change with the time interval from irradiation. A corresponding positive correlation, p=.01, between ventricular volume change and time interval from irradiation is seen. One sample t-test for correlations were computed using a Spearman method. An average decrease in cerebral volume, p=.08, and increase in ventricular volume, p<.001, was observed. The radiation dose was seen directly proportional to the induced volume changes in the cerebrum, r=−.44, p<.001, Fig 1(d). Conclusion: Results indicate that morphometric monitoring of brain tissue volume changes may potentially be used to quantitatively assess toxicity and response to
Implementation of Remote 3-Dimensional Image Guided Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance for Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Clinical Trials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui Yunfeng [Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Galvin, James M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, American College of Radiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Parker, William [Department of Medical Physics, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC (Canada); Breen, Stephen [Department of Radiation Physics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, ON (Canada); Yin Fangfang; Cai Jing [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Papiez, Lech S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Li, X. Allen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States); Bednarz, Greg [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Chen Wenzhou [Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Xiao Ying, E-mail: ying.xiao@jefferson.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, American College of Radiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States)

2013-01-01

Purpose: To report the process and initial experience of remote credentialing of three-dimensional (3D) image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) as part of the quality assurance (QA) of submitted data for Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) clinical trials; and to identify major issues resulting from this process and analyze the review results on patient positioning shifts. Methods and Materials: Image guided radiation therapy datasets including in-room positioning CT scans and daily shifts applied were submitted through the Image Guided Therapy QA Center from institutions for the IGRT credentialing process, as required by various RTOG trials. A centralized virtual environment is established at the RTOG Core Laboratory, containing analysis tools and database infrastructure for remote review by the Physics Principal Investigators of each protocol. The appropriateness of IGRT technique and volumetric image registration accuracy were evaluated. Registration accuracy was verified by repeat registration with a third-party registration software system. With the accumulated review results, registration differences between those obtained by the Physics Principal Investigators and from the institutions were analyzed for different imaging sites, shift directions, and imaging modalities. Results: The remote review process was successfully carried out for 87 3D cases (out of 137 total cases, including 2-dimensional and 3D) during 2010. Frequent errors in submitted IGRT data and challenges in the review of image registration for some special cases were identified. Workarounds for these issues were developed. The average differences of registration results between reviewers and institutions ranged between 2 mm and 3 mm. Large discrepancies in the superior-inferior direction were found for megavoltage CT cases, owing to low spatial resolution in this direction for most megavoltage CT cases. Conclusion: This first experience indicated that remote review for 3D IGRT as part of QA
TH-C-17A-02: New Radioluminescence Strategies Based On CRET (Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer) for Imaging and Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volotskova, O; Sun, C; Pratx, G; Xing, L [Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: Cerenkov photons are produced when charged particles, emitted from radionuclides, travel through a media with a speed greater than that of the light in the media. Cerenkov radiation is mostly in the UV/Blue region and, thus, readily absorbed by biological tissue. Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET) is a wavelength-shifting phenomenon from blue Cerenkov light to more penetrating red wavelengths. We demonstrate the feasibility of in-depth imaging of CRET light originating from radionuclides realized by down conversion of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs, a novel particle composed of few atoms of gold coated with serum proteins) in vivo. Methods: Bovine Serum Albumin, Human Serum Albumin and Transferrin conjugated gold nanoclusters were synthesized, characterized and examined for CRET. Three different clinically used radiotracers: 18F-FDG, 90Y and 99mTc were used. Optical spectrum (440–750 nm) was recorded by sensitive bioluminescence imaging system at physiological temperature. Dose dependence (activity range from 0.5 up to 800uCi) and concentration dependence (0.01 to 1uM) studies were carried out. The compound was also imaged in a xenograft mouse model. Results: Only β+ and β--emitting radionuclides (18F-FDG, 90Y) are capable of CRET; no signal was found in 99mTc (γ-emitter). The emission peak of CRET by AuNCs was found to be ∼700 nm and was ∼3 fold times of background. In vitro studies showed a linear dependency between luminescence intensity and dose and concentration. CRET by gold nanoclusters was observed in xenografted mice injected with 100uCi of 18F-FDG. Conclusion: The unique optical, transport and chemical properties of AuNCs (gold nanoclusters) make them ideal candidates for in-vivo imaging applications. Development of new molecular imaging probes will allow us to achieve substantially improved spatiotemporal resolution, sensitivity and specificity for tumor imaging and detection.
Multimodal hypoxia imaging and intensity modulated radiation therapy for unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer: the HIL trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Askoxylakis Vasileios

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Radiotherapy, preferably combined with chemotherapy, is the treatment standard for locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. The tumor response to different therapy protocols is variable, with hypoxia known to be a major factor that negatively influences treatment effectiveness. Visualisation of tumor hypoxia prior to the use of modern radiation therapy strategies, such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT, might allow optimized dose applications to the target volume, leading to improvement of therapy outcome. 18 F-fluoromisonidazole dynamic positron emission tomography and computed tomography (18 F-FMISO dPET-CT and functional magnetic resonance imaging (functional MRI are attractive options for imaging tumor hypoxia. Methods/design The HIL trial is a single centre study combining multimodal hypoxia imaging with 18 F-FMISO dPET-CT and functional MRI, with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT in patients with inoperable stage III NSCLC. 15 patients will be recruited in the study. All patients undergo initial FDG PET-CT and serial 18 F-FMISO dPET-CT and functional MRI before treatment, at week 5 of radiotherapy and 6 weeks post treatment. Radiation therapy is performed as inversely planned IMRT based on 4D-CT. Discussion Primary objectives of the trial are to characterize the correlation of 18 F-FMISO dPET-CT and functional MRI for tumor hypoxia imaging in NSCLC and evaluate possible effects of radiation therapy on tumor re-oxygenation. Further objectives include the generation of data regarding the prognostic value of 18 F-FMISO dPET-CT and functional MRI for locoregional control, progression free survival and overall survival of NSCLC treated with IMRT, which will form the basis for larger clinical trials focusing on possible interactions between tumor oxygenation and radiotherapy outcome. Trial registration The ClinicalTrials.gov protocol ID is NCT01617980
Potential of luminescence based molecular animal imaging in research areas pertaining to cancer biology and therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Hansa D.; Shetake, Neena G.; Balla Murali, M.S.; Kumar, Amit; Pandey, B.N.

2017-01-01

Animal imaging is getting tremendous importance in biomedical research areas including drug delivery, radiobiology and cancer research. Even though, imaging techniques like CT, PET, SPECT, MRI are available for experimental animals, luminescence-based molecular imaging is still considered as crucial and common tool for biomedical laboratories due to easy handling/maintenance, cost effectiveness and various strategies available to manipulate the molecules/cells employed for imaging purposes. The Molecular Animal Imaging System available in our laboratory is being utilized for various cancer research activities including measurement of tumor growth kinetics, angiogenesis, therapeutic efficacy evaluation and metastasis studies. Moreover, the imaging system is also been used for radio-luminescence imaging based on Cherenkov radiation of radio-pharmaceuticals. (author)
Development of FPGA-based digital signal processing system for radiation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Pil Soo; Lee, Chun Sik; Lee, Ju Hahn

2013-01-01

We have developed an FPGA-based digital signal processing system that performs both online digital signal filtering and pulse-shape analysis for both particle and gamma-ray spectroscopy. Such functionalities were made possible by a state-of-the-art programmable logic device and system architectures employed. The system performance as measured, for example, in the system dead time and accuracy for pulse-height and rise-time determination, was evaluated with standard alpha- and gamma-ray sources using a CsI(Tl) scintillation detector. It is resulted that the present system has shown its potential application to various radiation-related fields such as particle identification, radiography, and radiation imaging. - Highlights: ► An FPGA-based digital processing system was developed for radiation spectroscopy. ► Our digital system has a 14-bit resolution and a 100-MHz sampling rate. ► The FPGA implements the online digital filtering and pulse-shape analysis. ► The pileup rejection is implemented in trigger logic before digital filtering process. ► Our digital system was verified in alpha-gamma measurements using a CsI detector
ℓ0 Gradient Minimization Based Image Reconstruction for Limited-Angle Computed Tomography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Yu

Full Text Available In medical and industrial applications of computed tomography (CT imaging, limited by the scanning environment and the risk of excessive X-ray radiation exposure imposed to the patients, reconstructing high quality CT images from limited projection data has become a hot topic. X-ray imaging in limited scanning angular range is an effective imaging modality to reduce the radiation dose to the patients. As the projection data available in this modality are incomplete, limited-angle CT image reconstruction is actually an ill-posed inverse problem. To solve the problem, image reconstructed by conventional filtered back projection (FBP algorithm frequently results in conspicuous streak artifacts and gradual changed artifacts nearby edges. Image reconstruction based on total variation minimization (TVM can significantly reduce streak artifacts in few-view CT, but it suffers from the gradual changed artifacts nearby edges in limited-angle CT. To suppress this kind of artifacts, we develop an image reconstruction algorithm based on ℓ0 gradient minimization for limited-angle CT in this paper. The ℓ0-norm of the image gradient is taken as the regularization function in the framework of developed reconstruction model. We transformed the optimization problem into a few optimization sub-problems and then, solved these sub-problems in the manner of alternating iteration. Numerical experiments are performed to validate the efficiency and the feasibility of the developed algorithm. From the statistical analysis results of the performance evaluations peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR and normalized root mean square distance (NRMSD, it shows that there are significant statistical differences between different algorithms from different scanning angular ranges (p<0.0001. From the experimental results, it also indicates that the developed algorithm outperforms classical reconstruction algorithms in suppressing the streak artifacts and the gradual changed
Novel image registration quality evaluator (RQE) with an implementation for automated patient positioning in cranial radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jian; Samant, Sanjiv S.

2007-01-01

In external beam radiation therapy, digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) and portal images are used to verify patient setup based either on a visual comparison or, less frequently, with automated registration algorithms. A registration algorithm can be trapped in local optima due to irregularity of patient anatomy, image noise and artifacts, and/ or out-of-plane shifts, resulting in an incorrect solution. Thus, human observation, which is subjective, is still required to check the registration result. We propose to use a novel image registration quality evaluator (RQE) to automatically identify misregistrations as part of an algorithm-based decision-making process for verification of patient positioning. A RQE, based on an adaptive pattern classifier, is generated from a pair of reference and target images to determine the acceptability of a registration solution given an optimization process. Here we applied our RQE to patient positioning for cranial radiation therapy. We constructed two RQEs--one for the evaluation of intramodal registrations (i.e., portal-portal); the other for intermodal registrations (i.e., portal-DRR). Mutual information, because of its high discriminatory ability compared with other measures (i.e., correlation coefficient and partitioned intensity uniformity), was chosen as the test function for both RQEs. We adopted 1 mm translation and 1 deg. rotation as the maximal acceptable registration errors, reflecting desirable clinical setup tolerances for cranial radiation therapy. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the RQE, including computations of sensitivity and specificity. The RQEs showed very good performance for both intramodal and intermodal registrations using simulated and phantom data. The sensitivity and the specificity were 0.973 and 0.936, respectively, for the intramodal RQE using phantom data. Whereas the sensitivity and the specificity were 0.961 and 0.758, respectively, for
Radiation therapy for prostate cancer and erectile (dys)function: The role of imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Incrocci, Luca [Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam (Netherlands). Dept. of Radiation Oncology

2005-10-01

Incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) after radiotherapy reported in the literature varies from 7 to 72% after external-beam radiotherapy to 5-51% after brachytherapy. Most of these studies are retrospective, the definition of ED is variable and sexual functioning is frequently assessed by asking only one question. Already in the 1980's it was suggested that post-radiation ED was attributable to vascular damage. The most reliable method to assess vasculogenic ED is the use of the Doppler ultrasound. More recently, many studies have assessed the relationship between radiation dose and volume of the penile bulb and post-radiation ED, though the outcome is controversial. The penile structures and the neurovascular bundles are best seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore the use of a computer tomography scan/MRI image fusion can result in reducing the planning target volume and consequently the radiation dose to the penile bulb and bodies. If radiation induces vascular damage that causes ED, any means of reducing the dose to the pelvic vascular structures would likely decrease ED, therefore new radiation techniques such as the intensity modulated radiation therapy or the implant of fiducial markers can help decrease the margins and therefore ED.
Analysis of nodal coverage utilizing image guided radiation therapy for primary gynecologic tumor volumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Faisal [University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Loma Linda University Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Loma Linda, CA (United States); Sarkar, Vikren; Gaffney, David K.; Salter, Bill [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Poppe, Matthew M., E-mail: matthew.poppe@hci.utah.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

2016-10-01

Purpose: To evaluate radiation dose delivered to pelvic lymph nodes, if daily Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) was implemented with treatment shifts based on the primary site (primary clinical target volume [CTV]). Our secondary goal was to compare dosimetric coverage with patient outcomes. Materials and methods: A total of 10 female patients with gynecologic malignancies were evaluated retrospectively after completion of definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to their pelvic lymph nodes and primary tumor site. IGRT consisted of daily kilovoltage computed tomography (CT)-on-rails imaging fused with initial planning scans for position verification. The initial plan was created using Varian's Eclipse treatment planning software. Patients were treated with a median radiation dose of 45 Gy (range: 37.5 to 50 Gy) to the primary volume and 45 Gy (range: 45 to 64.8 Gy) to nodal structures. One IGRT scan per week was randomly selected from each patient's treatment course and re-planned on the Eclipse treatment planning station. CTVs were recreated by fusion on the IGRT image series, and the patient's treatment plan was applied to the new image set to calculate delivered dose. We evaluated the minimum, maximum, and 95% dose coverage for primary and nodal structures. Reconstructed primary tumor volumes were recreated within 4.7% of initial planning volume (0.9% to 8.6%), and reconstructed nodal volumes were recreated to within 2.9% of initial planning volume (0.01% to 5.5%). Results: Dosimetric parameters averaged less than 10% (range: 1% to 9%) of the original planned dose (45 Gy) for primary and nodal volumes on all patients (n = 10). For all patients, ≥99.3% of the primary tumor volume received ≥ 95% the prescribed dose (V95%) and the average minimum dose was 96.1% of the prescribed dose. In evaluating nodal CTV coverage, ≥ 99.8% of the volume received ≥ 95% the prescribed dose and the average minimum dose was 93%. In
Hybrid statistics-simulations based method for atom-counting from ADF STEM images.

Science.gov (United States)

De Wael, Annelies; De Backer, Annick; Jones, Lewys; Nellist, Peter D; Van Aert, Sandra

2017-06-01

A hybrid statistics-simulations based method for atom-counting from annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF STEM) images of monotype crystalline nanostructures is presented. Different atom-counting methods already exist for model-like systems. However, the increasing relevance of radiation damage in the study of nanostructures demands a method that allows atom-counting from low dose images with a low signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, the hybrid method directly includes prior knowledge from image simulations into the existing statistics-based method for atom-counting, and accounts in this manner for possible discrepancies between actual and simulated experimental conditions. It is shown by means of simulations and experiments that this hybrid method outperforms the statistics-based method, especially for low electron doses and small nanoparticles. The analysis of a simulated low dose image of a small nanoparticle suggests that this method allows for far more reliable quantitative analysis of beam-sensitive materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ultrasound appearance of radiation-induced hepatic injury. Correlation with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garra, B.S.; Shawker, T.H.; Chang, R.; Kaplan, K.; White, R.D.

1988-01-01

The ultrasound findings in three cases of radiation-induced hepatic injury are described and compared with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Fatty infiltration of the liver was present in two of the cases in which concurrent chemotherapy was being administered. On ultrasound B-scans, the regions of radiation injury were hypoechoic relative to the remainder of the liver. This finding was more obvious in the patients with fatty livers. CT scans on the patients with fatty infiltrated livers showed higher attenuation in the irradiated region than in unexposed liver. In the patient where no fatty infiltration was present, the radiated section of liver had lower attenuation consistent with previous reports. Magnetic resonance imaging showed decreased signal in the exposed areas on T1 weighted images
Radiative budget and cloud radiative effect over the Atlantic from ship-based observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kalisch

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine cloud-type resolved cloud radiative budgets and cloud radiative effects from surface measurements of broadband radiative fluxes over the Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, based on simultaneous observations of the state of the cloudy atmosphere, a radiative closure study has been performed by means of the ECHAM5 single column model in order to identify the model's ability to realistically reproduce the effects of clouds on the climate system.

An extensive database of radiative and atmospheric measurements has been established along five meridional cruises of the German research icebreaker Polarstern. Besides pyranometer and pyrgeometer for downward broadband solar and thermal radiative fluxes, a sky imager and a microwave radiometer have been utilized to determine cloud fraction and cloud type on the one hand and temperature and humidity profiles as well as liquid water path for warm non-precipitating clouds on the other hand.

Averaged over all cruise tracks, we obtain a total net (solar + thermal radiative flux of 144 W m⁻² that is dominated by the solar component. In general, the solar contribution is large for cirrus clouds and small for stratus clouds. No significant meridional dependencies were found for the surface radiation budgets and cloud effects. The strongest surface longwave cloud effects were shown in the presence of low level clouds. Clouds with a high optical density induce strong negative solar radiative effects under high solar altitudes. The mean surface net cloud radiative effect is −33 W m⁻².

For the purpose of quickly estimating the mean surface longwave, shortwave and net cloud effects in moderate, subtropical and tropical climate regimes, a new parameterisation was created, considering the total cloud amount and the solar zenith angle.

The ECHAM5 single column model provides a surface net cloud effect that is more
Radiation dose management for pediatric cardiac computed tomography: a report from the Image Gently 'Have-A-Heart' campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigsby, Cynthia K; McKenney, Sarah E; Hill, Kevin D; Chelliah, Anjali; Einstein, Andrew J; Han, B Kelly; Robinson, Joshua D; Sammet, Christina L; Slesnick, Timothy C; Frush, Donald P

2018-01-01

Children with congenital or acquired heart disease can be exposed to relatively high lifetime cumulative doses of ionizing radiation from necessary medical imaging procedures including radiography, fluoroscopic procedures including diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations, electrophysiology examinations, cardiac computed tomography (CT) studies, and nuclear cardiology examinations. Despite the clinical necessity of these imaging studies, the related ionizing radiation exposure could pose an increased lifetime attributable cancer risk. The Image Gently "Have-A-Heart" campaign is promoting the appropriate use of medical imaging studies in children with congenital or acquired heart disease while minimizing radiation exposure. The focus of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of radiation dose management and CT performance in children with congenital or acquired heart disease.
Behaviors study of image registration algorithms in image guided radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Lian; Hou Qing

2008-01-01

Objective: Study the behaviors of image registration algorithms, and analyze the elements which influence the performance of image registrations. Methods: Pre-known corresponding coordinates were appointed for reference image and moving image, and then the influence of region of interest (ROI) selection, transformation function initial parameters and coupled parameter spaces on registration results were studied with a software platform developed in home. Results: Region of interest selection had a manifest influence on registration performance. An improperly chosen ROI resulted in a bad registration. Transformation function initial parameters selection based on pre-known information could improve the accuracy of image registration. Coupled parameter spaces would enhance the dependence of image registration algorithm on ROI selection. Conclusions: It is necessary for clinic IGRT to obtain a ROI selection strategy (depending on specific commercial software) correlated to tumor sites. Three suggestions for image registration technique developers are automatic selection of the initial parameters of transformation function based on pre-known information, developing specific image registration algorithm for specific image feature, and assembling real-time image registration algorithms according to tumor sites selected by software user. (authors)
Development and application of the analyzer-based imaging technique with hard synchrotron radiation; Developpement et application d'une technique d'imagerie par rayonnement synchrotron basee sur l'utilisation d'un cristal analyseur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coan, P

2006-07-15

The objective of this thesis is twofold: from one side the application of the analyser-based X-ray phase contrast imaging to study cartilage, bone and bone implants using ESRF synchrotron radiation sources and on the other to contribute to the development of the phase contrast techniques from the theoretical and experimental point of view. Several human samples have been studied in vitro using the analyser based imaging (ABI) technique. Examination included projection and computed tomography imaging and 3-dimensional volume rendering of hip, big toe and ankle articular joints. X-ray ABI images have been critically compared with those obtained with conventional techniques, including radiography, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and histology, the latter taken as gold standard. Results show that only ABI imaging was able to either visualize or correctly estimate the early pathological status of the cartilage. The status of the bone ingrowth in sheep implants have also been examined in vitro: ABI images permitted to correctly distinguish between good and incomplete bone healing. Pioneering in-vivo ABI on guinea pigs were also successfully performed, confirming the possible use of the technique to follow up the progression of joint diseases, the bone/metal ingrowth and the efficacy of drugs treatments. As part of the development of the phase contrast techniques, two objectives have been reached. First, it has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time that the ABI and the propagation based imaging (PBI) can be combined to create images with original features (hybrid imaging, HI). Secondly, it has been proposed and experimentally tested a new simplified set-up capable to produce images with properties similar to those obtained with the ABI technique or HI. Finally, both the ABI and the HI have been theoretically studied with an innovative, wave-based simulation program, which was able to correctly reproduce experimental results. (author)
Cardiovascular CT angiography in neonates and children : Image quality and potential for radiation dose reduction with iterative image reconstruction techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tricarico, Francesco; Hlavacek, Anthony M.; Schoepf, U. Joseph; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Nance, John W.; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Cho, Young Jun; Spears, J. Reid; Secchi, Francesco; Savino, Giancarlo; Marano, Riccardo; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Bonomo, Lorenzo; Apfaltrer, Paul

To evaluate image quality (IQ) of low-radiation-dose paediatric cardiovascular CT angiography (CTA), comparing iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) with filtered back-projection (FBP) and estimate the potential for further dose

The Use of Acoustic Radiation Force Decorrelation-Weighted Pulse Inversion for Enhanced Ultrasound Contrast Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbst, Elizabeth B; Unnikrishnan, Sunil; Wang, Shiying; Klibanov, Alexander L; Hossack, John A; Mauldin, Frank William

2017-02-01

The use of ultrasound imaging for cancer diagnosis and screening can be enhanced with the use of molecularly targeted microbubbles. Nonlinear imaging strategies such as pulse inversion (PI) and "contrast pulse sequences" (CPS) can be used to differentiate microbubble signal, but often fail to suppress highly echogenic tissue interfaces. This failure results in false-positive detection and potential misdiagnosis. In this study, a novel acoustic radiation force (ARF)-based approach was developed for superior microbubble signal detection. The feasibility of this technique, termed ARF decorrelation-weighted PI (ADW-PI), was demonstrated in vivo using a subcutaneous mouse tumor model. Tumors were implanted in the hindlimb of C57BL/6 mice by subcutaneous injection of MC38 cells. Lipid-shelled microbubbles were conjugated to anti-VEGFR2 antibody and administered via bolus injection. An image sequence using ARF pulses to generate microbubble motion was combined with PI imaging on a Verasonics Vantage programmable scanner. ADW-PI images were generated by combining PI images with interframe signal decorrelation data. For comparison, CPS images of the same mouse tumor were acquired using a Siemens Sequoia clinical scanner. Microbubble-bound regions in the tumor interior exhibited significantly higher signal decorrelation than static tissue (n = 9, P < 0.001). The application of ARF significantly increased microbubble signal decorrelation (n = 9, P < 0.01). Using these decorrelation measurements, ADW-PI imaging demonstrated significantly improved microbubble contrast-to-tissue ratio when compared with corresponding CPS or PI images (n = 9, P < 0.001). Contrast-to-tissue ratio improved with ADW-PI by approximately 3 dB compared with PI images and 2 dB compared with CPS images. Acoustic radiation force can be used to generate adherent microbubble signal decorrelation without microbubble bursting. When combined with PI, measurements of the resulting microbubble signal
Impact of iterative reconstruction on image quality and radiation dose in multidetector CT of large body size adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desai, Gaurav S.; Uppot, Raul N.; Kambadakone, Avinash R.; Yu, Elaine W.; Sahani, Dushyant V.

2012-01-01

To compare image quality and radiation dose using Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASiR) and Filtered Back Projection (FBP) in patients weighing ≥91 kg. In this Institution Review Board-approved retrospective study, single-phase contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT examinations of 100 adults weighing ≥91 kg (mean body weight: 107.6 ± 17.4 kg range: 91-181.9 kg) with (1) ASiR and (2) FBP were reviewed by two readers in a blinded fashion for subjective measures of image quality (using a subjective standardized numerical scale and objective noise) and for radiation exposure. Imaging parameters and radiation dose results of the two techniques were compared within weight and BMI sub-categories. All examinations were found to be of adequate quality. Both subjective (mean = 1.4 ± 0.5 vs. 1.6 ± 0.6, P < 0.05) and objective noise (13.0 ± 3.2 vs.19.5 ± 5.7, P < 0.0001) were lower with ASiR. Average radiation dose reduction of 31.5 % was achieved using ASiR (mean CTDIvol. ASiR: 13.5 ± 7.3 mGy; FBP: 19.7 ± 9.0 mGy, P < 0.0001). Other measures of image quality were comparable between the two techniques. Trends for all parameters were similar in patients across weight and BMI sub-categories. In obese individuals, abdominal CT images reconstructed using ASiR provide diagnostic images with reduced image noise at lower radiation dose. circle CT images in obese adults are noisy, even with high radiation dose. (orig.)
Characterizing the behavior of scattered radiation in multi-energy x-ray imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sossin, Artur, E-mail: artur.sossin@gmail.com [CEA-LETI MINATEC Grenoble, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Rebuffel, V.; Tabary, J. [CEA-LETI MINATEC Grenoble, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Létang, J.M.; Freud, N. [Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Centre Léon Bérard, CREATIS UMR 5220 U1206, F-69373 Lyon (France); Verger, L. [CEA-LETI MINATEC Grenoble, F-38054 Grenoble (France)

2017-04-01

Scattered radiation results in various undesirable effects in medical diagnostics, non-destructive testing (NDT) and security x-ray imaging. Despite numerous studies characterizing this phenomenon and its effects, the knowledge of its behavior in the energy domain remains limited. The present study aims at summarizing some key insights on scattered radiation originating from the inspected object. In addition, various simulations and experiments with limited collimation on both simplified and realistic phantoms were conducted in order to study scatter behavior in multi-energy x-ray imaging. Results showed that the spectrum shape of the scatter component can be considered preserved in the first approximation across the image plane for various acquisition geometries and phantoms. The variations exhibited by the scatter spectrum were below 10% for most examined cases. Furthermore, the corresponding spectrum shape proved to be also relatively invariant for different experimental angular projections of one of the examined phantoms. The observed property of scattered radiation can potentially lead to the decoupling of spatial and energy scatter components, which can in turn enable speed ups in scatter simulations and reduce the complexity of scatter correction.
Device for imaging an object by means of masks of spatially modulable electromagnetic radiation or corpuscular radiation of high energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, H.H.

1979-01-01

The radiogram of the thyroid is produced by means of a detector device operating similar to a scintillation camera. Between thyroid and detector device there is placed a mask having modulating areas, permeable and impermeable to radiation succeeding each other with decreasing extension. The scanning signal has got the shape of a radar signal with chirp modulation. The filtering unit used for it is a pulse compression filter. The image of the radiation energy distribution on the recording surface of the detector device is thus decoded and compressed to a number of image points giving the picture of the thyroid. (RW) [de
Radiation protection in newer imaging technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehani, M. M.

2010-01-01

Not even a week passes without a paper getting published in peer reviewed journals on radiation protection in newer imaging technologies that either did not exist 10 y ago or were not established for routine use. Computed tomography (CT) happens to be a common element in most of these technologies. Radiation protection is high on the agenda of manufacturers and researchers and that is becoming a driving force for users and international organisations. The media and thus the public have their own share in increasing the momentum. The slice war seems to be shifting to dose war. Manufacturers are now chasing the target of sub-mSv CT. The era of two digit mSv effective dose for a CT procedure is far from losing ground, although cardiac CT within 5 mSv seems possible. A few years ago the change in technology was faster than adoption of dose management but currently even the development of dose reduction techniques is faster than its adoption. There is dearth of large scale surveys of practice and lack of surveys with change in technology. (authors)
The quantitative imaging network: the role of quantitative imaging in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tandon, Pushpa; Nordstrom, Robert J.; Clark, Laurence

2014-01-01

The potential value of modern medical imaging methods has created a need for mechanisms to develop, translate and disseminate emerging imaging technologies and, ideally, to quantitatively correlate those with other related laboratory methods, such as the genomics and proteomics analyses required to support clinical decisions. One strategy to meet these needs efficiently and cost effectively is to develop an international network to share and reach consensus on best practices, imaging protocols, common databases, and open science strategies, and to collaboratively seek opportunities to leverage resources wherever possible. One such network is the Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) started by the National Cancer Institute, USA. The mission of the QIN is to improve the role of quantitative imaging for clinical decision making in oncology by the development and validation of data acquisition, analysis methods, and other quantitative imaging tools to predict or monitor the response to drug or radiation therapy. The network currently has 24 teams (two from Canada and 22 from the USA) and several associate members, including one from Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India. Each QIN team collects data from ongoing clinical trials and develops software tools for quantitation and validation to create standards for imaging research, and for use in developing models for therapy response prediction and measurement and tools for clinical decision making. The members of QIN are addressing a wide variety of cancer problems (Head and Neck cancer, Prostrate, Breast, Brain, Lung, Liver, Colon) using multiple imaging modalities (PET, CT, MRI, FMISO PET, DW-MRI, PET-CT). (author)
Task-based optimization of image reconstruction in breast CT

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Adrian A.; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pan, Xiaochuan

2014-03-01

We demonstrate a task-based assessment of image quality in dedicated breast CT in order to optimize the number of projection views acquired. The methodology we employ is based on the Hotelling Observer (HO) and its associated metrics. We consider two tasks: the Rayleigh task of discerning between two resolvable objects and a single larger object, and the signal detection task of classifying an image as belonging to either a signalpresent or signal-absent hypothesis. HO SNR values are computed for 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 projection view images, with the total imaging radiation dose held constant. We use the conventional fan-beam FBP algorithm and investigate the effect of varying the width of a Hanning window used in the reconstruction, since this affects both the noise properties of the image and the under-sampling artifacts which can arise in the case of sparse-view acquisitions. Our results demonstrate that fewer projection views should be used in order to increase HO performance, which in this case constitutes an upper-bound on human observer performance. However, the impact on HO SNR of using fewer projection views, each with a higher dose, is not as significant as the impact of employing regularization in the FBP reconstruction through a Hanning filter.
Design of airborne imaging spectrometer based on curved prism

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Yunfeng; Xiangli, Bin; Zhou, Jinsong; Wei, Xiaoxiao

2011-11-01

A novel moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer spreading from visible wavelength to near infrared wavelength range with a spectral resolution of 10 nm, which combines curved prisms with the Offner configuration, is introduced. Compared to conventional imaging spectrometers based on dispersive prism or diffractive grating, this design possesses characteristics of small size, compact structure, low mass as well as little spectral line curve (smile) and spectral band curve (keystone or frown). Besides, the usage of compound curved prisms with two or more different materials can greatly reduce the nonlinearity inevitably brought by prismatic dispersion. The utilization ratio of light radiation is much higher than imaging spectrometer of the same type based on combination of diffractive grating and concentric optics. In this paper, the Seidel aberration theory of curved prism and the optical principles of Offner configuration are illuminated firstly. Then the optical design layout of the spectrometer is presented, and the performance evaluation of this design, including spot diagram and MTF, is analyzed. To step further, several types of telescope matching this system are provided. This work provides an innovational perspective upon optical system design of airborne spectral imagers; therefore, it can offer theoretic guide for imaging spectrometer of the same kind.
Topogram-based tube current modulation of head computed tomography for optimizing image quality while protecting the eye lens with shielding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ming-Fang; Chen, Chia-Yuen; Lee, Yuan-Hao; Li, Chia-Wei; Gerweck, Leo E; Wang, Hao; Chan, Wing P

2018-01-01

Background Multiple rounds of head computed tomography (CT) scans increase the risk of radiation-induced lens opacification. Purpose To investigate the effects of CT eye shielding and topogram-based tube current modulation (TCM) on the radiation dose received by the lens and the image quality of nasal and periorbital imaging. Material and Methods An anthropomorphic phantom was CT-scanned using either automatic tube current modulation or a fixed tube current. The lens radiation dose was estimated using cropped Gafchromic films irradiated with or without a shield over the orbit. Image quality, assessed using regions of interest drawn on the bilateral extraorbital areas and the nasal bone with a water-based marker, was evaluated using both a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-noise ratio (CNR). Two CT specialists independently assessed image artifacts using a three-point Likert scale. Results The estimated radiation dose received by the lens was significantly lower when barium sulfate or bismuth-antimony shields were used in conjunction with a fixed tube current (22.0% and 35.6% reduction, respectively). Topogram-based TCM mitigated the beam hardening-associated artifacts of bismuth-antimony and barium sulfate shields. This increased the SNR by 21.6% in the extraorbital region and the CNR by 7.2% between the nasal bones and extraorbital regions. The combination of topogram-based TCM and barium sulfate or bismuth-antimony shields reduced lens doses by 12.2% and 27.2%, respectively. Conclusion Image artifacts induced by the bismuth-antimony shield at a fixed tube current for lenticular radioprotection were significantly reduced by topogram-based TCM, which increased the SNR of the anthropomorphic nasal bones and periorbital tissues.
Predictive value of MR imaging-dependent and non-MR imaging-dependent parameters for recurrence of laryngeal cancer after radiation therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castelijns, J. A.; van den Brekel, M. W.; Smit, E. M.; Tobi, H.; van Wagtendonk, F. W.; Golding, R. P.; Venema, H. W.; van Schaik, C.; Snow, G. B.

1995-01-01

To determine the predictive value of several clinical and radiologic parameters for recurrence of laryngeal cancer. Eighty previously untreated patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before radiation therapy with curative intent. Tumor volume was calculated from T1-weighted MR images.
Radiation levels and image quality in patients undergoing chest X-ray examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos de Oliveira, Paulo Márcio; Carmo Santana, Priscila do; Sousa Lacerda, Marco Aurélio de; Silva, Teógenes Augusto da

2017-01-01

Patient dose monitoring for different radiographic procedures has been used as a parameter to evaluate the performance of radiology services; skin entrance absorbed dose values for each type of examination were internationally established and recommended aiming patient protection. In this work, a methodology for dose evaluation was applied to three diagnostic services: one with a conventional film and two with digital computerized radiography processing techniques. The x-ray beam parameters were selected and “doses” (specifically the entrance surface and incident air kerma) were evaluated based on images approved in European criteria during postero-anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) incidences. Data were collected from 200 patients related to 200 PA and 100 LAT incidences. Results showed that doses distributions in the three diagnostic services were very different; the best relation between dose and image quality was found in the institution with the chemical film processing. This work contributed for disseminating the radiation protection culture by emphasizing the need of a continuous dose reduction without losing the quality of the diagnostic image. - Highlights: • A methodology for dose evaluation was applied to three diagnostic services. • The doses in patients were evaluated when the images were adequate. • Data were collected from 200 patients. • Is possible doses optimization with digital system without an image quality reduction. • The best dose and image quality was found in chemical film processing.
Clinical evaluation of image quality and radiation dose reduction in upper abdominal computed tomography using model-based iterative reconstruction; comparison with filtered back projection and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamoto, Atsushi; Kim, Tonsok; Hori, Masatoshi; Onishi, Hiromitsu; Tsuboyama, Takahiro; Sakane, Makoto; Tatsumi, Mitsuaki; Tomiyama, Noriyuki

2015-01-01

Highlights: • MBIR significantly improves objective image quality. • MBIR reduces the radiation dose by 87.5% without increasing objective image noise. • A half dose will be needed to maintain the subjective image quality. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the image quality of upper abdominal CT images reconstructed with model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in comparison with filtered back projection (FBP) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) on scans acquired with various radiation exposure dose protocols. Materials and methods: This prospective study was approved by our institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all 90 patients who underwent both control-dose (CD) and reduced-dose (RD) CT of the upper abdomen (unenhanced: n = 45, contrast-enhanced: n = 45). The RD scan protocol was randomly selected from three protocols; Protocol A: 12.5% dose, Protocol B: 25% dose, Protocol C: 50% dose. Objective image noise, signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio for the liver parenchyma, visual image score and lesion conspicuity were compared among CD images of FBP and RD images of FBP, ASIR and MBIR. Results: RD images of MBIR yielded significantly lower objective image noise and higher SNR compared with RD images of FBP and ASIR for all protocols (P < .01) and CD images of FBP for Protocol C (P < .05). Although the subjective image quality of RD images of MBIR was almost acceptable for Protocol C, it was inferior to that of CD images of FBP for Protocols A and B (P < .0083). The conspicuity of the small lesions in RD images of MBIR tended to be superior to that in RD images of FBP and ASIR and inferior to that in CD images for Protocols A and B, although the differences were not significant (P > .0083). Conclusion: Although 12.5%-dose MBIR images (mean size-specific dose estimates [SSDE] of 1.13 mGy) yielded objective image noise and SNR comparable to CD-FBP images, at least a 50% dose (mean SSDE of 4.63 mGy) would be needed to
Clinical evaluation of image quality and radiation dose reduction in upper abdominal computed tomography using model-based iterative reconstruction; comparison with filtered back projection and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamoto, Atsushi, E-mail: a-nakamoto@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Kim, Tonsok, E-mail: kim@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Hori, Masatoshi, E-mail: mhori@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Onishi, Hiromitsu, E-mail: h-onishi@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Tsuboyama, Takahiro, E-mail: t-tsuboyama@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Sakane, Makoto, E-mail: m-sakane@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Tatsumi, Mitsuaki, E-mail: m-tatsumi@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Tomiyama, Noriyuki, E-mail: tomiyama@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

2015-09-15

Highlights: • MBIR significantly improves objective image quality. • MBIR reduces the radiation dose by 87.5% without increasing objective image noise. • A half dose will be needed to maintain the subjective image quality. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the image quality of upper abdominal CT images reconstructed with model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in comparison with filtered back projection (FBP) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) on scans acquired with various radiation exposure dose protocols. Materials and methods: This prospective study was approved by our institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all 90 patients who underwent both control-dose (CD) and reduced-dose (RD) CT of the upper abdomen (unenhanced: n = 45, contrast-enhanced: n = 45). The RD scan protocol was randomly selected from three protocols; Protocol A: 12.5% dose, Protocol B: 25% dose, Protocol C: 50% dose. Objective image noise, signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio for the liver parenchyma, visual image score and lesion conspicuity were compared among CD images of FBP and RD images of FBP, ASIR and MBIR. Results: RD images of MBIR yielded significantly lower objective image noise and higher SNR compared with RD images of FBP and ASIR for all protocols (P < .01) and CD images of FBP for Protocol C (P < .05). Although the subjective image quality of RD images of MBIR was almost acceptable for Protocol C, it was inferior to that of CD images of FBP for Protocols A and B (P < .0083). The conspicuity of the small lesions in RD images of MBIR tended to be superior to that in RD images of FBP and ASIR and inferior to that in CD images for Protocols A and B, although the differences were not significant (P > .0083). Conclusion: Although 12.5%-dose MBIR images (mean size-specific dose estimates [SSDE] of 1.13 mGy) yielded objective image noise and SNR comparable to CD-FBP images, at least a 50% dose (mean SSDE of 4.63 mGy) would be needed to
IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS FOR SKETCH BASED IMAGE RETRIEVAL

OpenAIRE

SAAVEDRA RONDO, JOSE MANUEL; SAAVEDRA RONDO, JOSE MANUEL

2008-01-01

Due to the massive use of Internet together with the proliferation of media devices, content based image retrieval has become an active discipline in computer science. A common content based image retrieval approach requires that the user gives a regular image (e.g, a photo) as a query. However, having a regular image as query may be a serious problem. Indeed, people commonly use an image retrieval system because they do not count on the desired image. An easy alternative way t...
Methodological challenges of optical tweezers-based X-ray fluorescence imaging of biological model organisms at synchrotron facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergucht, Eva; Brans, Toon; Beunis, Filip; Garrevoet, Jan; Bauters, Stephen; De Rijcke, Maarten; Deruytter, David; Janssen, Colin; Riekel, Christian; Burghammer, Manfred; Vincze, Laszlo

2015-07-01

Recently, a radically new synchrotron radiation-based elemental imaging approach for the analysis of biological model organisms and single cells in their natural in vivo state was introduced. The methodology combines optical tweezers (OT) technology for non-contact laser-based sample manipulation with synchrotron radiation confocal X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microimaging for the first time at ESRF-ID13. The optical manipulation possibilities and limitations of biological model organisms, the OT setup developments for XRF imaging and the confocal XRF-related challenges are reported. In general, the applicability of the OT-based setup is extended with the aim of introducing the OT XRF methodology in all research fields where highly sensitive in vivo multi-elemental analysis is of relevance at the (sub)micrometre spatial resolution level.
Comparison of radiation-induced colouration images, thermoluminescence, and after-glow colour images with aluminium impurity distribution in Japanese twin quartzes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Tetsuo; Ojima, Tetsu; Takahashi, Eishi; Konishi, Masayoshi; Kanemaki, Motoko.

1995-01-01

After-glow colour images (AGCI) and thermoluminescence (TL) from Japanese twin quartz slices have been successfully photographed by means of a commercially available negative colour film after the irradiation of X-rays. After-glow colour images (AGCI) offered very interesting distinction of colour images; the core part showed the colour changed from sky blue with zonal orange to blue with increasing absorbed doses, whereas the outer parts maintained orange AG colour giving clear boundary. On the other hand, the radiation-induced colour (blackish or brownish) center image (CCI) appeared at the core portion, while thermoluminescence colour images (TLCI) also consisted of two portions distinguishable into stripe and zonal bluish core and faint TL emission part in outer ones. These luminescence colour images, probably reflecting the formation mechanism of Japanese twin quartzes, are evidently correlated with the concentration patterns of aluminium impurity obtained by an EPMA (electron probe microanalyzer) method. From these radiation-induced images, it was assumed that the conditions of crystal formation should be greatly different between the core and the outer parts; the outer parts were secondarily started to grow from hydrothermal solution with higher Al-concentration after the initial formation of single core. (author)
Device for generation of transversal tomographic images of a body by penetrating radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hounsfield, G.N.

1980-01-01

An improvement of equipment for the examination of patients using penetrating radiation (e.g. gamma or X-ray radiation) is proposed, in particular of equipment as under US patent 3778614, which avoids undesirable patterns on the reconstructed image. The invention is explained by several models. (orig./PW)
Limiting CT radiation dose in children with craniosynostosis: phantom study using model-based iterative reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaasalainen, Touko; Lampinen, Anniina [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, POB 340, Helsinki (Finland); University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, Helsinki (Finland); Palmu, Kirsi [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, POB 340, Helsinki (Finland); School of Science, Aalto University, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, Helsinki (Finland); Reijonen, Vappu; Kortesniemi, Mika [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, POB 340, Helsinki (Finland); Leikola, Junnu [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki (Finland); Kivisaari, Riku [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Helsinki (Finland)

2015-09-15

Medical professionals need to exercise particular caution when developing CT scanning protocols for children who require multiple CT studies, such as those with craniosynostosis. To evaluate the utility of ultra-low-dose CT protocols with model-based iterative reconstruction techniques for craniosynostosis imaging. We scanned two pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms with a 64-slice CT scanner using different low-dose protocols for craniosynostosis. We measured organ doses in the head region with metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters. Numerical simulations served to estimate organ and effective doses. We objectively and subjectively evaluated the quality of images produced by adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) 30%, ASiR 50% and Veo (all by GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI). Image noise and contrast were determined for different tissues. Mean organ dose with the newborn phantom was decreased up to 83% compared to the routine protocol when using ultra-low-dose scanning settings. Similarly, for the 5-year phantom the greatest radiation dose reduction was 88%. The numerical simulations supported the findings with MOSFET measurements. The image quality remained adequate with Veo reconstruction, even at the lowest dose level. Craniosynostosis CT with model-based iterative reconstruction could be performed with a 20-μSv effective dose, corresponding to the radiation exposure of plain skull radiography, without compromising required image quality. (orig.)
Millimeter-wave radiation from a Teflon dielectric probe and its imaging application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Eiji; Sakai, Shigeki

2008-01-01

The beam profile of a millimeter wave radiated from the tip of a Teflon dielectric probe was characterized experimentally by using a three-dimensional scanning dielectric probe and numerically by using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The measured intensity distribution and polarization of the millimeter wave radiated from the tip of the probe was in good agreement with those of the FDTD simulation. A reflection type of a millimeter- wave imaging system using this dielectric probe was constructed. The resolution of the imaging system was as small as 1 mm, which was slightly smaller than a half wavelength, 1.6 mm, of the radiation wave. Translucent measurement of a commercially manufactured IC card which consists of an IC chip and a leaf-shaped antenna coil was demonstrated. Not only the internal two-dimensional structures but also the vertical information of the card could be provided
A radiation-tolerant electronic readout system for portal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Östling, J.; Brahme, A.; Danielsson, M.; Iacobaeus, C.; Peskov, V.

2004-06-01

A new electronic portal imaging device, EPID, is under development at the Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology. Due to considerable demands on radiation tolerance in the radiotherapy environment, a dedicated electronic readout system has been designed. The most interesting aspect of the readout system is that it allows to read out ˜1000 pixels in parallel, with all electronics placed outside the radiation beam—making the detector more radiation resistant. In this work we are presenting the function of a small prototype (6×100 pixels) of the electronic readout board that has been tested. Tests were made with continuous X-rays (10-60 keV) and with α particles. The results show that, without using an optimised gas mixture and with an early prototype only, the electronic readout system still works very well.

Validation of diffusion tensor MRI measurements of cardiac microstructure with structure tensor synchrotron radiation imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Irvin; McClymont, Darryl; Zdora, Marie-Christine; Whittington, Hannah J; Davidoiu, Valentina; Lee, Jack; Lygate, Craig A; Rau, Christoph; Zanette, Irene; Schneider, Jürgen E

2017-03-10

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is widely used to assess tissue microstructure non-invasively. Cardiac DTI enables inference of cell and sheetlet orientations, which are altered under pathological conditions. However, DTI is affected by many factors, therefore robust validation is critical. Existing histological validation is intrinsically flawed, since it requires further tissue processing leading to sample distortion, is routinely limited in field-of-view and requires reconstruction of three-dimensional volumes from two-dimensional images. In contrast, synchrotron radiation imaging (SRI) data enables imaging of the heart in 3D without further preparation following DTI. The objective of the study was to validate DTI measurements based on structure tensor analysis of SRI data. One isolated, fixed rat heart was imaged ex vivo with DTI and X-ray phase contrast SRI, and reconstructed at 100 μm and 3.6 μm isotropic resolution respectively. Structure tensors were determined from the SRI data and registered to the DTI data. Excellent agreement in helix angles (HA) and transverse angles (TA) was observed between the DTI and structure tensor synchrotron radiation imaging (STSRI) data, where HA DTI-STSRI = -1.4° ± 23.2° and TA DTI-STSRI = -1.4° ± 35.0° (mean ± 1.96 standard deviation across all voxels in the left ventricle). STSRI confirmed that the primary eigenvector of the diffusion tensor corresponds with the cardiomyocyte long-axis across the whole myocardium. We have used STSRI as a novel and high-resolution gold standard for the validation of DTI, allowing like-with-like comparison of three-dimensional tissue structures in the same intact heart free of distortion. This represents a critical step forward in independently verifying the structural basis and informing the interpretation of cardiac DTI data, thereby supporting the further development and adoption of DTI in structure-based electro-mechanical modelling and routine clinical
Molecular image-guided radiation treatment planing using biological target volume (BTV)for advanced esophageal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamamura, Hiroyasu; Sasaki, Makoto; Bou, Sayuri; Satou, Yoshitaka; Minami, Hiroki; Saga, Yusuke; Aoyama, Masashi; Yamamoto, Kazutaka; Kawamura, Mariko

2016-01-01

As the biological mechanisms of cancer cell proliferation become clear at molecular level, 'precision therapy' is attracting a great attention, in which the irradiation dose and area are determined in consideration of these molecular mechanism. For this sophisticated radiotherapy, it is essential to evaluate the tumor morphology and proliferation/activation of cancer cells before radiation treatment planning. Generally, cancer cells start to proliferate when their activity levels increase, and subsequently primary tumor or metastatic tumor that can De recognized by CT scan or MRI start to develop. Thus, when proliferation of cancer cells occurs and tumor start to develop, a vast amount of energy is required for proliferation and cancer cells obtain a part of this energy from glucose in the body. Therefore, we can get the information on the status of metabolism and density of cancer cells by PET using F-18-FDG, which is structurally similar to glucose. It is a general belief that, when conducting evaluation using F18-FDG-PET, evaluation of proliferation of cancer cells before tumor formation might be possible at the cell level by evaluating and visualizing glucose metabolism in cancer cells that proliferate in a manner that they cannot be visualized morphologically by using CT scan or MRI. Therefore, when performing sophisticated precision radiotherapy, it is important to implement radiation treatment plan including information obtained from FDG-PET imaging. Many studies have reported usefulness of FDG-PET imaging for esophagus cancer so far, indicating the efficacy of using FDG-PET imaging for radiation treatment plan of esophagus cancer as well. However, few studies have described how to use FDG-PET imaging for radiation treatment plan for esophagus cancer. In this review, therefore, we will outline the usefulness of molecular image-guided radiation treatment plan, in which biological target volume (BTV) and the actual radiation treatment plan using FDG
Online Image-based Monitoring of Soft-tissue Displacements for Radiation Therapy of the Prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlosser, Jeffrey; Salisbury, Kenneth; Hristov, Dimitre

2012-01-01

Purpose: Emerging prolonged, hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens rely on high-dose conformality to minimize toxicity and thus can benefit from image guidance systems that continuously monitor target position during beam delivery. To address this need we previously developed, as a potential add-on device for existing linear accelerators, a novel telerobotic ultrasound system capable of real-time, soft-tissue imaging. Expanding on this capability, the aim of this work was to develop and characterize an image-based technique for real-time detection of prostate displacements. Methods and Materials: Image processing techniques were implemented on spatially localized ultrasound images to generate two parameters representing prostate displacements in real time. In a phantom and five volunteers, soft-tissue targets were continuously imaged with a customized robotic manipulator while recording the two tissue displacement parameters (TDPs). Variations of the TDPs in the absence of tissue displacements were evaluated, as was the sensitivity of the TDPs to prostate translations and rotations. Robustness of the approach to probe force was also investigated. Results: With 95% confidence, the proposed method detected in vivo prostate displacements before they exceeded 2.3, 2.5, and 2.8 mm in anteroposterior, superoinferior, and mediolateral directions. Prostate pitch was detected before exceeding 4.7° at 95% confidence. Total system time lag averaged 173 ms, mostly limited by ultrasound acquisition rate. False positives (FPs) (FP) in the absence of displacements did not exceed 1.5 FP events per 10 min of continuous in vivo imaging time. Conclusions: The feasibility of using telerobotic ultrasound for real-time, soft-tissue–based monitoring of target displacements was confirmed in vivo. Such monitoring has the potential to detect small clinically relevant intrafractional variations of the prostate position during beam delivery.
Radiation levels and image quality in patients undergoing chest X-ray examinations

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Paulo Márcio Campos; do Carmo Santana, Priscila; de Sousa Lacerda, Marco Aurélio; da Silva, Teógenes Augusto

2017-11-01

Patient dose monitoring for different radiographic procedures has been used as a parameter to evaluate the performance of radiology services; skin entrance absorbed dose values for each type of examination were internationally established and recommended aiming patient protection. In this work, a methodology for dose evaluation was applied to three diagnostic services: one with a conventional film and two with digital computerized radiography processing techniques. The x-ray beam parameters were selected and "doses" (specifically the entrance surface and incident air kerma) were evaluated based on images approved in European criteria during postero-anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) incidences. Data were collected from 200 patients related to 200 PA and 100 LAT incidences. Results showed that doses distributions in the three diagnostic services were very different; the best relation between dose and image quality was found in the institution with the chemical film processing. This work contributed for disseminating the radiation protection culture by emphasizing the need of a continuous dose reduction without losing the quality of the diagnostic image.
Infrared Radiography: Modeling X-ray Imaging without Harmful Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Zietz, Otto; Mylott, Elliot; Widenhorn, Ralf

2015-01-01

Planar x-ray imaging is a ubiquitous diagnostic tool and is routinely performed to diagnose conditions as varied as bone fractures and pneumonia. The underlying principle is that the varying attenuation coefficients of air, water, tissue, bone, or metal implants within the body result in non-uniform transmission of x-ray radiation. Through the…
Online virtual isocenter based radiation field targeting for high performance small animal microirradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, James M. P.; Ansell, Steve; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2015-12-01

Advances in precision microirradiators for small animal radiation oncology studies have provided the framework for novel translational radiobiological studies. Such systems target radiation fields at the scale required for small animal investigations, typically through a combination of on-board computed tomography image guidance and fixed, interchangeable collimators. Robust targeting accuracy of these radiation fields remains challenging, particularly at the millimetre scale field sizes achievable by the majority of microirradiators. Consistent and reproducible targeting accuracy is further hindered as collimators are removed and inserted during a typical experimental workflow. This investigation quantified this targeting uncertainty and developed an online method based on a virtual treatment isocenter to actively ensure high performance targeting accuracy for all radiation field sizes. The results indicated that the two-dimensional field placement uncertainty was as high as 1.16 mm at isocenter, with simulations suggesting this error could be reduced to 0.20 mm using the online correction method. End-to-end targeting analysis of a ball bearing target on radiochromic film sections showed an improved targeting accuracy with the three-dimensional vector targeting error across six different collimators reduced from 0.56+/- 0.05 mm (mean ± SD) to 0.05+/- 0.05 mm for an isotropic imaging voxel size of 0.1 mm.
Contribution of modern medical imaging technology to radiation health effects in exposed populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrikant, J.I.

1980-11-01

The introduction of technically-advanced imaging systems in medicine carries with it potential health hazards, particularly from ionizing and nonionizing radiation exposure of human populations. This paper will discuss what we know and what we do not know about the health effects of low-level radiation, how the risks of radiation-induced health effects may be estimated, the sources of the scientific data, the dose-response models used, the uncertainties which limit precision of estimation of excess health risks from low-level radiation, and what the implications might be for radiation protection in medicine and public health policy
Influence of X-ray scatter radiation on image quality in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, M.J.; Di Maria, S.; Baptista, M.; Belchior, A.; Afonso, J.; Venâncio, J.; Vaz, P.

2017-01-01

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a quasi-three-dimensional imaging technique that was developed to solve the principal limitation of mammography, namely the overlapping tissue effect. This issue in standard mammography (SM) leads to two main problems: low sensitivity (difficulty to detect lesions) and low specificity (non-negligible percentage of false positives). Although DBT is now being introduced in clinical practice the features of this technique have not yet been fully and accurately assessed. Consequently, optimization studies in terms of choosing the most suitable parameters which maximize image quality according to the known limits of breast dosimetry are currently performing. In DBT, scatter radiation can lead to a loss of contrast and to an increase of image noise by reducing the signal-to-difference-noise ratio (SDNR) of a lesion. Moreover the use of an anti-scatter grid is a concern due to the low exposure of the photon flux available per projection. For this reason the main aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the scatter radiation on image quality and the dose delivered to the breast. In particular a detailed analysis of the scatter radiation on the optimal energy that maximizes the SDNR was performed for different monochromatic energies and voltages. To reach this objective the PenEasy Monte Carlo (MC) simulation tool imbedded in the general-purpose main program PENELOPE, was used. After a successful validation of the MC model with measurements, 2D projection images of primary, coherent and incoherent photons were obtained. For that, a homogeneous breast phantom (2, 4, 6, 8 cm) with 25%, 50% and 75% glandular compositions was used, including a 5 mm thick tumor. The images were generated for each monochromatic X-ray energies in the range from 16 keV to 32 keV. For each angular projection considered (25 angular projections covering an arc of 50°) the scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR), the mean glandular dose (MGD) and the signal
"Radio-oncomics" : The potential of radiomics in radiation oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Peeken, Jan Caspar; Nüsslin, Fridtjof; Combs, Stephanie E

2017-10-01

Radiomics, a recently introduced concept, describes quantitative computerized algorithm-based feature extraction from imaging data including computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRT), or positron-emission tomography (PET) images. For radiation oncology it offers the potential to significantly influence clinical decision-making and thus therapy planning and follow-up workflow. After image acquisition, image preprocessing, and defining regions of interest by structure segmentation, algorithms are applied to calculate shape, intensity, texture, and multiscale filter features. By combining multiple features and correlating them with clinical outcome, prognostic models can be created. Retrospective studies have proposed radiomics classifiers predicting, e. g., overall survival, radiation treatment response, distant metastases, or radiation-related toxicity. Besides, radiomics features can be correlated with genomic information ("radiogenomics") and could be used for tumor characterization. Distinct patterns based on data-based as well as genomics-based features will influence radiation oncology in the future. Individualized treatments in terms of dose level adaption and target volume definition, as well as other outcome-related parameters will depend on radiomics and radiogenomics. By integration of various datasets, the prognostic power can be increased making radiomics a valuable part of future precision medicine approaches. This perspective demonstrates the evidence for the radiomics concept in radiation oncology. The necessity of further studies to integrate radiomics classifiers into clinical decision-making and the radiation therapy workflow is emphasized.
Methods and apparatuses for detection of radiation with semiconductor image sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Cogliati, Joshua Joseph

2018-04-10

A semiconductor image sensor is repeatedly exposed to high-energy photons while a visible light obstructer is in place to block visible light from impinging on the sensor to generate a set of images from the exposures. A composite image is generated from the set of images with common noise substantially removed so the composite image includes image information corresponding to radiated pixels that absorbed at least some energy from the high-energy photons. The composite image is processed to determine a set of bright points in the composite image, each bright point being above a first threshold. The set of bright points is processed to identify lines with two or more bright points that include pixels therebetween that are above a second threshold and identify a presence of the high-energy particles responsive to a number of lines.
Ultrafast coherent diffractive imaging of nanoparticles using X-ray free-electron laser radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassemeyer, Stephan

2014-01-01

Coherent diffractive imaging with X-ray free-electron lasers (X-FEL) promises high-resolution structure determination of single microscopic particles without the need for crystallization. The diffraction signal of small samples can be very weak, a difficulty that can not be countered by merely increasing the number of photons because the sample would be damaged by a high absorbed radiation dose. Traditional X-ray crystallography avoids this problem by bringing many sample particles into a periodic arrangement, which amplifies the individual signals while distributing the absorbed dose. Depending on the sample, however, crystallization can be very difficult or even impossible. This thesis presents algorithms for a new imaging approach using X-FEL radiation that works with single, non-crystalline sample particles. X-FELs can deliver X-rays with a peak brilliance many orders of magnitude higher than conventional X-ray sources, compensating for their weak interaction cross sections. At the same time, FELs can produce ultra-short pulses down to a few femtoseconds. In this way it is possible to perform ultra-fast imaging, essentially ''freezing'' the atomic positions in time and terminating the imaging process before the sample is destroyed by the absorbed radiation. This thesis primarily focuses on the three-dimensional reconstruction of single (and not necessarily crystalline) particles using coherent diffractive imaging at X-FELs: in order to extract three-dimensional information from scattering data, two-dimensional diffraction patterns from many different viewing angles must be combined. Therefore, the diffraction signal of many identical sample copies in random orientations is measured. The main result of this work is a globally optimal algorithm that can recover the sample orientations solely based on the diffraction signal, enabling three-dimensional imaging for arbitrary samples. The problem of finding three-dimensional orientations is
Development of a Fast and Highly Efficient Gas Ionization Chamber For Patient Imaging and Dosimetry in Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinderler, R.; Keller, H.; Mackie, T.R.; Corradini, M.L.

2003-01-01

In radiation therapy of cancer, more accurate delivery techniques spur the need for improved patient imaging during treatment. To this purpose, the megavoltage radiation protocol that is used for treatment is also used for imaging
Feasibility of low-dose CT with model-based iterative image reconstruction in follow-up of patients with testicular cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, Kevin P.; Crush, Lee; O’Neill, Siobhan B.; Foody, James; Breen, Micheál; Brady, Adrian; Kelly, Paul J.; Power, Derek G.; Sweeney, Paul; Bye, Jackie; O’Connor, Owen J.; Maher, Michael M.; O’Regan, Kevin N.

2016-01-01

•Radiologists should endeavour to minimise radiation exposure to patients with testicular cancer.•Iterative reconstruction algorithms permit CT imaging at lower radiation doses.•Image quality for reduced-dose CT–MBIR is at least comparable to conventional dose.•No loss of diagnostic accuracy apparent with reduced-dose CT–MBIR. Radiologists should endeavour to minimise radiation exposure to patients with testicular cancer. Iterative reconstruction algorithms permit CT imaging at lower radiation doses. Image quality for reduced-dose CT–MBIR is at least comparable to conventional dose. No loss of diagnostic accuracy apparent with reduced-dose CT–MBIR. We examine the performance of pure model-based iterative reconstruction with reduced-dose CT in follow-up of patients with early-stage testicular cancer. Sixteen patients (mean age 35.6 ± 7.4 years) with stage I or II testicular cancer underwent conventional dose (CD) and low-dose (LD) CT acquisition during CT surveillance. LD data was reconstructed with model-based iterative reconstruction (LD–MBIR). Datasets were objectively and subjectively analysed at 8 anatomical levels. Two blinded clinical reads were compared to gold-standard assessment for diagnostic accuracy. Mean radiation dose reduction of 67.1% was recorded. Mean dose measurements for LD–MBIR were: thorax – 66 ± 11 mGy cm (DLP), 1.0 ± 0.2 mSv (ED), 2.0 ± 0.4 mGy (SSDE); abdominopelvic – 128 ± 38 mGy cm (DLP), 1.9 ± 0.6 mSv (ED), 3.0 ± 0.6 mGy (SSDE). Objective noise and signal-to-noise ratio values were comparable between the CD and LD–MBIR images. LD–MBIR images were superior (p < 0.001) with regard to subjective noise, streak artefact, 2-plane contrast resolution, 2-plane spatial resolution and diagnostic acceptability. All patients were correctly categorised as positive, indeterminate or negative for metastatic disease by 2 readers on LD–MBIR and CD datasets. MBIR facilitated a 67% reduction in radiation dose whilst
Identification of radiation induced dark current sources in pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goiffon, V.; Virmontois, C.; Magnan, P.; Cervantes, P.; Place, S.; Estribeau, M.; Martin-Gonthier, P.; Gaillardin, M.; Girard, S.; Paillet, P.

2012-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of Total Ionizing Dose (TID) induced dark current sources in Pinned Photodiodes (PPD) CMOS Image Sensors based on pixel design variations. The influence of several layout parameters is studied. Only one parameter is changed at a time enabling the direct evaluation of its contribution to the observed device degradation. By this approach, the origin of radiation induced dark current in PPD is localized on the pixel layout. The PPD peripheral shallow trench isolation does not seem to play a role in the degradation. The PPD area and a transfer gate contribution independent of the pixel dimensions appear to be the main sources of the TID induced dark current increase. This study also demonstrates that applying a negative voltage on the transfer gate during integration strongly reduces the radiation induced dark current. (authors)
Determining an Imaging Literacy Curriculum for Radiation Oncologists: An International Delphi Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giuliani, Meredith E., E-mail: Meredith.Giuliani@rmp.uhn.on.ca [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Gillan, Caitlin [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Milne, Robin A. [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Uchino, Minako; Millar, Barbara-Ann; Catton, Pamela [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2014-03-15

Purpose: Rapid evolution of imaging technologies and their integration into radiation therapy practice demands that radiation oncology (RO) training curricula be updated. The purpose of this study was to develop an entry-to-practice image literacy competency profile. Methods and Materials: A list of 263 potential imaging competency items were assembled from international objectives of training. Expert panel eliminated redundant or irrelevant items to create a list of 97 unique potential competency items. An international 2-round Delphi process was conducted with experts in RO. In round 1, all experts scored, on a 9-point Likert scale, the degree to which they agreed an item should be included in the competency profile. Items with a mean score ≥7 were included, those 4 to 6 were reviewed in round 2, and items scored <4 were excluded. In round 2, items were discussed and subsequently ranked for inclusion or exclusion in the competency profile. Items with >75% voting for inclusion were included in the final competency profile. Results: Forty-nine radiation oncologists were invited to participate in round 1, and 32 (65%) did so. Participants represented 24 centers in 6 countries. Of the 97 items ranked in round 1, 80 had a mean score ≥7, 1 item had a score <4, and 16 items with a mean score of 4 to 6 were reviewed and rescored in round 2. In round 2, 4 items had >75% of participants voting for inclusion and were included; the remaining 12 were excluded. The final list of 84 items formed the final competency profile. The 84 enabling competency items were aggregated into the following 4 thematic groups of key competencies: (1) imaging fundamentals (42 items); (2) clinical application (27 items); (3) clinical management (5 items); and (4) professional practice (10 items). Conclusions: We present an imaging literacy competency profile which could constitute the minimum training standards in radiation oncology residency programs.
Determining an Imaging Literacy Curriculum for Radiation Oncologists: An International Delphi Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giuliani, Meredith E.; Gillan, Caitlin; Milne, Robin A.; Uchino, Minako; Millar, Barbara-Ann; Catton, Pamela

2014-01-01

Purpose: Rapid evolution of imaging technologies and their integration into radiation therapy practice demands that radiation oncology (RO) training curricula be updated. The purpose of this study was to develop an entry-to-practice image literacy competency profile. Methods and Materials: A list of 263 potential imaging competency items were assembled from international objectives of training. Expert panel eliminated redundant or irrelevant items to create a list of 97 unique potential competency items. An international 2-round Delphi process was conducted with experts in RO. In round 1, all experts scored, on a 9-point Likert scale, the degree to which they agreed an item should be included in the competency profile. Items with a mean score ≥7 were included, those 4 to 6 were reviewed in round 2, and items scored <4 were excluded. In round 2, items were discussed and subsequently ranked for inclusion or exclusion in the competency profile. Items with >75% voting for inclusion were included in the final competency profile. Results: Forty-nine radiation oncologists were invited to participate in round 1, and 32 (65%) did so. Participants represented 24 centers in 6 countries. Of the 97 items ranked in round 1, 80 had a mean score ≥7, 1 item had a score <4, and 16 items with a mean score of 4 to 6 were reviewed and rescored in round 2. In round 2, 4 items had >75% of participants voting for inclusion and were included; the remaining 12 were excluded. The final list of 84 items formed the final competency profile. The 84 enabling competency items were aggregated into the following 4 thematic groups of key competencies: (1) imaging fundamentals (42 items); (2) clinical application (27 items); (3) clinical management (5 items); and (4) professional practice (10 items). Conclusions: We present an imaging literacy competency profile which could constitute the minimum training standards in radiation oncology residency programs
WE-G-303-01: Physical Bases for Gold Nanoparticle Applications in Radiation Oncology and X-Ray Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, S. [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (United States)

2015-06-15

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in applying nanotechnology to cancer detection, treatment, and treatment monitoring. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of nanoparticles from various materials with different shapes and sizes. Nanoparticles can be accumulated preferentially within tumors by either “passive targeting” through a phenomenon typically known as “enhanced permeability and retention” or “active targeting” in which nanoparticles are conjugated with antibodies or peptides directed against tumor and/or stromal markers. The tumor specificity of nanoparticles in conjunction with their unique physicochemical properties offers many novel strategies for cancer treatment and detection. For example, notable approaches in the radiation oncology setting include the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation response modulation of tumor or normal tissue and thermal ablation or hyperthermia treatment of tumors. Some of these approaches are currently being tested either on humans or on animals and, very likely, will become the clinical reality in the near future. Various computational and experimental techniques have also been applied to address unique research issues associated with nanoparticles and may become the standard tools for future investigations and clinical translations. Therefore, both clinicians and researchers may need to be properly educated about the basic principles as well as the promise of nanoparticle-based applications with regard to the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. This symposium will familiarize the audience with the potential applications of nanoparticles in oncologic imaging and therapy using specific illustrative examples. The audience will be properly oriented by these illustrative examples to the multiple avenues for collaborative research amongst interdisciplinary teams of physicists, clinicians, engineers, chemists, and biologists in industry and academia. Learning
WE-G-303-01: Physical Bases for Gold Nanoparticle Applications in Radiation Oncology and X-Ray Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, S.

2015-01-01

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in applying nanotechnology to cancer detection, treatment, and treatment monitoring. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of nanoparticles from various materials with different shapes and sizes. Nanoparticles can be accumulated preferentially within tumors by either “passive targeting” through a phenomenon typically known as “enhanced permeability and retention” or “active targeting” in which nanoparticles are conjugated with antibodies or peptides directed against tumor and/or stromal markers. The tumor specificity of nanoparticles in conjunction with their unique physicochemical properties offers many novel strategies for cancer treatment and detection. For example, notable approaches in the radiation oncology setting include the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation response modulation of tumor or normal tissue and thermal ablation or hyperthermia treatment of tumors. Some of these approaches are currently being tested either on humans or on animals and, very likely, will become the clinical reality in the near future. Various computational and experimental techniques have also been applied to address unique research issues associated with nanoparticles and may become the standard tools for future investigations and clinical translations. Therefore, both clinicians and researchers may need to be properly educated about the basic principles as well as the promise of nanoparticle-based applications with regard to the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. This symposium will familiarize the audience with the potential applications of nanoparticles in oncologic imaging and therapy using specific illustrative examples. The audience will be properly oriented by these illustrative examples to the multiple avenues for collaborative research amongst interdisciplinary teams of physicists, clinicians, engineers, chemists, and biologists in industry and academia. Learning
Radiation detectors based by polymer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherestes, Margareta; Cherestes, Codrut; Constantinescu, Livia

2004-01-01

Scintillation counters make use of the property of certain chemical compounds to emit short light pulses after excitation produced by the passage of charged particles or photons of high energy. These flashes of light are detected by a photomultiplier tube that converts the photons into a voltage pulse. The light emitted from the detector also can be collected, focussed and dispersed by a CCD detector. The study of the evolution of the light emission and of the radiation damage under irradiation is a primary topic in the development of radiation hard polymer based scintillator. Polymer scintillator thin films are used in monitoring radiation beam intensities and simultaneous counting of different radiations. Radiation detectors have characteristics which depend on: the type of radiation, the energy of radiation, and the material of the detector. Three types of polymer thin films were studied: a polyvinyltoluene based scintillator, fluorinated polyimide and PMMA. (authors)
Molecular Imaging Biomarkers of Resistance to Radiation Therapy for Spontaneous Nasal Tumors in Canines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradshaw, Tyler J.; Bowen, Stephen R.; Deveau, Michael A.; Kubicek, Lyndsay; White, Pamela; Bentzen, Søren M.; Chappell, Richard J.; Forrest, Lisa J.; Jeraj, Robert

2015-01-01

Purpose: Imaging biomarkers of resistance to radiation therapy can inform and guide treatment management. Most studies have so far focused on assessing a single imaging biomarker. The goal of this study was to explore a number of different molecular imaging biomarkers as surrogates of resistance to radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two canine patients with spontaneous sinonasal tumors were treated with accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy, receiving either 10 fractions of 4.2 Gy each or 10 fractions of 5.0 Gy each to the gross tumor volume. Patients underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-, fluorothymidine (FLT)-, and Cu(II)-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ATSM)-labeled positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging before therapy and FLT and Cu-ATSM PET/CT imaging during therapy. In addition to conventional maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV max ; SUV mean ) measurements, imaging metrics providing response and spatiotemporal information were extracted for each patient. Progression-free survival was assessed according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumor. The prognostic value of each imaging biomarker was evaluated using univariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Multivariable analysis was also performed but was restricted to 2 predictor variables due to the limited number of patients. The best bivariable model was selected according to pseudo-R 2 . Results: The following variables were significantly associated with poor clinical outcome following radiation therapy according to univariable analysis: tumor volume (P=.011), midtreatment FLT SUV mean (P=.018), and midtreatment FLT SUV max (P=.006). Large decreases in FLT SUV mean from pretreatment to midtreatment were associated with worse clinical outcome (P=.013). In the bivariable model, the best 2-variable combination for predicting poor outcome was high midtreatment FLT SUV max (P=.022) in combination with large FLT response from

Molecular Imaging Biomarkers of Resistance to Radiation Therapy for Spontaneous Nasal Tumors in Canines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradshaw, Tyler J. [Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Bowen, Stephen R. [Departments of Radiation Oncology and Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (United States); Deveau, Michael A. [Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A& M University, College Station, Texas (United States); Kubicek, Lyndsay [Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); White, Pamela [Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Bentzen, Søren M. [Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Chappell, Richard J. [Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Forrest, Lisa J. [Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Jeraj, Robert, E-mail: rjeraj@wisc.edu [Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Department of Human Oncology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin (United States)

2015-03-15

Purpose: Imaging biomarkers of resistance to radiation therapy can inform and guide treatment management. Most studies have so far focused on assessing a single imaging biomarker. The goal of this study was to explore a number of different molecular imaging biomarkers as surrogates of resistance to radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two canine patients with spontaneous sinonasal tumors were treated with accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy, receiving either 10 fractions of 4.2 Gy each or 10 fractions of 5.0 Gy each to the gross tumor volume. Patients underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-, fluorothymidine (FLT)-, and Cu(II)-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ATSM)-labeled positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging before therapy and FLT and Cu-ATSM PET/CT imaging during therapy. In addition to conventional maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV{sub max}; SUV{sub mean}) measurements, imaging metrics providing response and spatiotemporal information were extracted for each patient. Progression-free survival was assessed according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumor. The prognostic value of each imaging biomarker was evaluated using univariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Multivariable analysis was also performed but was restricted to 2 predictor variables due to the limited number of patients. The best bivariable model was selected according to pseudo-R{sup 2}. Results: The following variables were significantly associated with poor clinical outcome following radiation therapy according to univariable analysis: tumor volume (P=.011), midtreatment FLT SUV{sub mean} (P=.018), and midtreatment FLT SUV{sub max} (P=.006). Large decreases in FLT SUV{sub mean} from pretreatment to midtreatment were associated with worse clinical outcome (P=.013). In the bivariable model, the best 2-variable combination for predicting poor outcome was high midtreatment FLT SUV{sub max} (P=.022) in
Dynamic Chest Image Analysis: Model-Based Perfusion Analysis in Dynamic Pulmonary Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiuru Aaro

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The "Dynamic Chest Image Analysis" project aims to develop model-based computer analysis and visualization methods for showing focal and general abnormalities of lung ventilation and perfusion based on a sequence of digital chest fluoroscopy frames collected with the dynamic pulmonary imaging technique. We have proposed and evaluated a multiresolutional method with an explicit ventilation model for ventilation analysis. This paper presents a new model-based method for pulmonary perfusion analysis. According to perfusion properties, we first devise a novel mathematical function to form a perfusion model. A simple yet accurate approach is further introduced to extract cardiac systolic and diastolic phases from the heart, so that this cardiac information may be utilized to accelerate the perfusion analysis and improve its sensitivity in detecting pulmonary perfusion abnormalities. This makes perfusion analysis not only fast but also robust in computation; consequently, perfusion analysis becomes computationally feasible without using contrast media. Our clinical case studies with 52 patients show that this technique is effective for pulmonary embolism even without using contrast media, demonstrating consistent correlations with computed tomography (CT and nuclear medicine (NM studies. This fluoroscopical examination takes only about 2 seconds for perfusion study with only low radiation dose to patient, involving no preparation, no radioactive isotopes, and no contrast media.
MO-DE-210-03: Ultrasound imaging is an attractive method for image guided radiation treatment (IGRT), by itself or to complement other imaging modalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, K.

2015-01-01

Ultrasound imaging is an attractive method for image guided radiation treatment (IGRT), by itself or to complement other imaging modalities. It is inexpensive, portable and provides good soft tissue contrast. For challenging soft tissue targets such as pancreatic cancer, ultrasound imaging can be used in combination with pre-treatment MRI and/or CT to transfer important anatomical features for target localization at time of treatment. The non-invasive and non-ionizing nature of ultrasound imaging is particularly powerful for intra-fraction localization and monitoring. Recognizing these advantages, efforts are being made to incorporate novel robotic approaches to position and manipulate the ultrasound probe during irradiation. These recent enabling developments hold potential to bring ultrasound imaging to a new level of IGRT applications. However, many challenges, not limited to image registration, robotic deployment, probe interference and image acquisition rate, need to be addressed to realize the full potential of IGRT with ultrasound imaging. Learning Objectives: Understand the benefits and limitations in using ultrasound to augment MRI and/or CT for motion monitoring during radiation therapy delivery. Understanding passive and active robotic approaches to implement ultrasound imaging for intra-fraction monitoring. Understand issues of probe interference with radiotherapy treatment. Understand the critical clinical workflow for effective and reproducible IGRT using ultrasound guidance. The work of X.L. is supported in part by Elekta; J.W. and K.D. is supported in part by a NIH grant R01 CA161613 and by Elekta; D.H. is support in part by a NIH grant R41 CA174089
MO-DE-210-03: Ultrasound imaging is an attractive method for image guided radiation treatment (IGRT), by itself or to complement other imaging modalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, K. [Johns Hopkins University: Development of Intra-Fraction Soft Tissue Monitoring with Ultrasound Imaging (United States)

2015-06-15

Ultrasound imaging is an attractive method for image guided radiation treatment (IGRT), by itself or to complement other imaging modalities. It is inexpensive, portable and provides good soft tissue contrast. For challenging soft tissue targets such as pancreatic cancer, ultrasound imaging can be used in combination with pre-treatment MRI and/or CT to transfer important anatomical features for target localization at time of treatment. The non-invasive and non-ionizing nature of ultrasound imaging is particularly powerful for intra-fraction localization and monitoring. Recognizing these advantages, efforts are being made to incorporate novel robotic approaches to position and manipulate the ultrasound probe during irradiation. These recent enabling developments hold potential to bring ultrasound imaging to a new level of IGRT applications. However, many challenges, not limited to image registration, robotic deployment, probe interference and image acquisition rate, need to be addressed to realize the full potential of IGRT with ultrasound imaging. Learning Objectives: Understand the benefits and limitations in using ultrasound to augment MRI and/or CT for motion monitoring during radiation therapy delivery. Understanding passive and active robotic approaches to implement ultrasound imaging for intra-fraction monitoring. Understand issues of probe interference with radiotherapy treatment. Understand the critical clinical workflow for effective and reproducible IGRT using ultrasound guidance. The work of X.L. is supported in part by Elekta; J.W. and K.D. is supported in part by a NIH grant R01 CA161613 and by Elekta; D.H. is support in part by a NIH grant R41 CA174089.
kCCA Transformation-Based Radiometric Normalization of Multi-Temporal Satellite Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Bai

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Radiation normalization is an essential pre-processing step for generating high-quality satellite sequence images. However, most radiometric normalization methods are linear, and they cannot eliminate the regular nonlinear spectral differences. Here we introduce the well-established kernel canonical correlation analysis (kCCA into radiometric normalization for the first time to overcome this problem, which leads to a new kernel method. It can maximally reduce the image differences among multi-temporal images regardless of the imaging conditions and the reflectivity difference. It also perfectly eliminates the impact of nonlinear changes caused by seasonal variation of natural objects. Comparisons with the multivariate alteration detection (CCA-based normalization and the histogram matching, on Gaofen-1 (GF-1 data, indicate that the kCCA-based normalization can preserve more similarity and better correlation between an image-pair and effectively avoid the color error propagation. The proposed method not only builds the common scale or reference to make the radiometric consistency among GF-1 image sequences, but also highlights the interesting spectral changes while eliminates less interesting spectral changes. Our method enables the application of GF-1 data for change detection, land-use, land-cover change detection etc.
Evaluation of accuracy of B-spline transformation-based deformable image registration with different parameter settings for thoracic images.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanai, Takayuki; Kadoya, Noriyuki; Ito, Kengo; Onozato, Yusuke; Cho, Sang Yong; Kishi, Kazuma; Dobashi, Suguru; Umezawa, Rei; Matsushita, Haruo; Takeda, Ken; Jingu, Keiichi

2014-11-01

Deformable image registration (DIR) is fundamental technique for adaptive radiotherapy and image-guided radiotherapy. However, further improvement of DIR is still needed. We evaluated the accuracy of B-spline transformation-based DIR implemented in elastix. This registration package is largely based on the Insight Segmentation and Registration Toolkit (ITK), and several new functions were implemented to achieve high DIR accuracy. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether new functions implemented in elastix are useful for improving DIR accuracy. Thoracic 4D computed tomography images of ten patients with esophageal or lung cancer were studied. Datasets for these patients were provided by DIR-lab (dir-lab.com) and included a coordinate list of anatomical landmarks that had been manually identified. DIR between peak-inhale and peak-exhale images was performed with four types of parameter settings. The first one represents original ITK (Parameter 1). The second employs the new function of elastix (Parameter 2), and the third was created to verify whether new functions improve DIR accuracy while keeping computational time (Parameter 3). The last one partially employs a new function (Parameter 4). Registration errors for these parameter settings were calculated using the manually determined landmark pairs. 3D registration errors with standard deviation over all cases were 1.78 (1.57), 1.28 (1.10), 1.44 (1.09) and 1.36 (1.35) mm for Parameter 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, indicating that the new functions are useful for improving DIR accuracy, even while maintaining the computational time, and this B-spline-based DIR could be used clinically to achieve high-accuracy adaptive radiotherapy. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.
Evaluation of Online/Offline Image Guidance/Adaptation Approaches for Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, An; Sun, Ying; Liang, Jian; Yan, Di

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate online/offline image-guided/adaptive treatment techniques for prostate cancer radiation therapy with daily cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging. Methods and Materials: Three treatment techniques were evaluated retrospectively using daily pre- and posttreatment CBCT images on 22 prostate cancer patients. Prostate, seminal vesicles (SV), rectal wall, and bladder were delineated on all CBCT images. For each patient, a pretreatment intensity modulated radiation therapy plan with clinical target volume (CTV) = prostate + SV and planning target volume (PTV) = CTV + 3 mm was created. The 3 treatment techniques were as follows: (1) Daily Correction: The pretreatment intensity modulated radiation therapy plan was delivered after online CBCT imaging, and position correction; (2) Online Planning: Daily online inverse plans with 3-mm CTV-to-PTV margin were created using online CBCT images, and delivered; and (3) Hybrid Adaption: Daily Correction plus an offline adaptive inverse planning performed after the first week of treatment. The adaptive plan was delivered for all remaining 15 fractions. Treatment dose for each technique was constructed using the daily posttreatment CBCT images via deformable image registration. Evaluation was performed using treatment dose distribution in target and critical organs. Results: Treatment equivalent uniform dose (EUD) for the CTV was within [85.6%, 100.8%] of the pretreatment planned target EUD for Daily Correction; [98.7%, 103.0%] for Online Planning; and [99.2%, 103.4%] for Hybrid Adaptation. Eighteen percent of the 22 patients in Daily Correction had a target dose deficiency >5%. For rectal wall, the mean ± SD of the normalized EUD was 102.6% ± 2.7% for Daily Correction, 99.9% ± 2.5% for Online Planning, and 100.6% ± 2.1% for Hybrid Adaptation. The mean ± SD of the normalized bladder EUD was 108.7% ± 8.2% for Daily Correction, 92.7% ± 8.6% for Online Planning, and 89.4% ± 10.8% for Hybrid
Characteristics of a New X-Ray Imaging System for Interventional Procedures: Improved Image Quality and Reduced Radiation Dose.

Science.gov (United States)

Schernthaner, Ruediger E; Haroun, Reham R; Nguyen, Sonny; Duran, Rafael; Sohn, Jae Ho; Sahu, Sonia; Chapiro, Julius; Zhao, Yan; Radaelli, Alessandro; van der Bom, Imramsjah M; Mauti, Maria; Hong, Kelvin; Geschwind, Jean-François H; Lin, MingDe

2018-03-01

To compare image quality and radiation exposure between a new angiographic imaging system and the preceding generation system during uterine artery embolization (UAE). In this retrospective, IRB-approved two-arm study, 54 patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids were treated with UAE on two different angiographic imaging systems. The new system includes optimized acquisition parameters and real-time image processing algorithms. Air kerma (AK), dose area product (DAP) and acquisition time for digital fluoroscopy (DF) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were recorded. Body mass index was noted as well. DF image quality was assessed objectively by image noise measurements. DSA image quality was rated by two blinded, independent readers on a four-rank scale. Statistical differences were assessed with unpaired t tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. There was no significant difference between the patients treated on the new (n = 36) and the old system (n = 18) regarding age (p = 0.10), BMI (p = 0.18), DF time (p = 0.35) and DSA time (p = 0.17). The new system significantly reduced the cumulative AK and DAP by 64 and 72%, respectively (median 0.58 Gy and 145.9 Gy*cm 2 vs. 1.62 Gy and 526.8 Gy*cm 2 , p < 0.01 for both). Specifically, DAP for DF and DSA decreased by 59% (75.3 vs. 181.9 Gy*cm 2 , p < 0.01) and 78% (67.6 vs. 312.2 Gy*cm 2 , p < 0.01), respectively. The new system achieved a significant decrease in DF image noise (p < 0.01) and a significantly better DSA image quality (p < 0.01). The new angiographic imaging system significantly improved image quality and reduced radiation exposure during UAE procedures.
Developing Quality Assurance Processes for Image-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Di

2008-01-01

Quality assurance has long been implemented in radiation treatment as systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that the radiation oncology service will satisfy the given requirements for quality care. The existing reports from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Groups 40 and 53 have provided highly detailed QA guidelines for conventional radiotherapy and treatment planning. However, advanced treatment processes recently developed with emerging high technology have introduced new QA requirements that have not been addressed previously in the conventional QA program. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the existing QA guidelines to also include new considerations. Image-guided adaptive radiation therapy (IGART) is a closed-loop treatment process that is designed to include the individual treatment information, such as patient-specific anatomic variation and delivered dose assessed during the therapy course in treatment evaluation and planning optimization. Clinical implementation of IGART requires high levels of automation in image acquisition, registration, segmentation, treatment dose construction, and adaptive planning optimization, which brings new challenges to the conventional QA program. In this article, clinical QA procedures for IGART are outlined. The discussion focuses on the dynamic or four-dimensional aspects of the IGART process, avoiding overlap with conventional QA guidelines
Optical imaging of oral pathological tissue using optical coherence tomography and synchrotron radiation computed microtomography

Science.gov (United States)

Cânjǎu, Silvana; Todea, Carmen; Sinescu, Cosmin; Negrutiu, Meda L.; Duma, Virgil; Mǎnescu, Adrian; Topalǎ, Florin I.; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh.

2013-06-01

The efforts aimed at early diagnosis of oral cancer should be prioritized towards developing a new screening instrument, based on optical coherence tomography (OCT), to be used directly intraorally, able to perform a fast, real time, 3D and non-invasive diagnosis of oral malignancies. The first step in this direction would be to optimize the OCT image interpretation of oral tissues. Therefore we propose plastination as a tissue preparation method that better preserves three-dimensional structure for study by new optical imaging techniques. The OCT and the synchrotron radiation computed microtomography (micro-CT) were employed for tissue sample analyze. For validating the OCT results we used the gold standard diagnostic procedure for any suspicious lesion - histopathology. This is a preliminary study of comparing features provided by OCT and Micro-CT. In the conditions of the present study, OCT proves to be a highly promising imaging modality. The use of x-ray based topographic imaging of small biological samples has been limited by the low intrinsic x-ray absorption of non-mineralized tissue and the lack of established contrast agents. Plastination can be used to enhance optical imagies of oral soft tissue samples.
MRI-Only Based Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for the Rat Brain on a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shandra Gutierrez

Full Text Available Computed tomography (CT is the standard imaging modality in radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP. However, magnetic resonance (MR imaging provides superior soft tissue contrast, increasing the precision of target volume selection. We present MR-only based RTP for a rat brain on a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP using probabilistic voxel classification with multiple MR sequences. Six rat heads were imaged, each with one CT and five MR sequences. The MR sequences were: T1-weighted, T2-weighted, zero-echo time (ZTE, and two ultra-short echo time sequences with 20 μs (UTE1 and 2 ms (UTE2 echo times. CT data were manually segmented into air, soft tissue, and bone to obtain the RTP reference. Bias field corrected MR images were automatically segmented into the same tissue classes using a fuzzy c-means segmentation algorithm with multiple images as input. Similarities between segmented CT and automatic segmented MR (ASMR images were evaluated using Dice coefficient. Three ASMR images with high similarity index were used for further RTP. Three beam arrangements were investigated. Dose distributions were compared by analysing dose volume histograms. The highest Dice coefficients were obtained for the ZTE-UTE2 combination and for the T1-UTE1-T2 combination when ZTE was unavailable. Both combinations, along with UTE1-UTE2, often used to generate ASMR images, were used for further RTP. Using 1 beam, MR based RTP underestimated the dose to be delivered to the target (range: 1.4%-7.6%. When more complex beam configurations were used, the calculated dose using the ZTE-UTE2 combination was the most accurate, with 0.7% deviation from CT, compared to 0.8% for T1-UTE1-T2 and 1.7% for UTE1-UTE2. The presented MR-only based workflow for RTP on a SARRP enables both accurate organ delineation and dose calculations using multiple MR sequences. This method can be useful in longitudinal studies where CT's cumulative radiation dose might contribute
MRI-Only Based Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for the Rat Brain on a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP).

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Shandra; Descamps, Benedicte; Vanhove, Christian

2015-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is the standard imaging modality in radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP). However, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides superior soft tissue contrast, increasing the precision of target volume selection. We present MR-only based RTP for a rat brain on a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) using probabilistic voxel classification with multiple MR sequences. Six rat heads were imaged, each with one CT and five MR sequences. The MR sequences were: T1-weighted, T2-weighted, zero-echo time (ZTE), and two ultra-short echo time sequences with 20 μs (UTE1) and 2 ms (UTE2) echo times. CT data were manually segmented into air, soft tissue, and bone to obtain the RTP reference. Bias field corrected MR images were automatically segmented into the same tissue classes using a fuzzy c-means segmentation algorithm with multiple images as input. Similarities between segmented CT and automatic segmented MR (ASMR) images were evaluated using Dice coefficient. Three ASMR images with high similarity index were used for further RTP. Three beam arrangements were investigated. Dose distributions were compared by analysing dose volume histograms. The highest Dice coefficients were obtained for the ZTE-UTE2 combination and for the T1-UTE1-T2 combination when ZTE was unavailable. Both combinations, along with UTE1-UTE2, often used to generate ASMR images, were used for further RTP. Using 1 beam, MR based RTP underestimated the dose to be delivered to the target (range: 1.4%-7.6%). When more complex beam configurations were used, the calculated dose using the ZTE-UTE2 combination was the most accurate, with 0.7% deviation from CT, compared to 0.8% for T1-UTE1-T2 and 1.7% for UTE1-UTE2. The presented MR-only based workflow for RTP on a SARRP enables both accurate organ delineation and dose calculations using multiple MR sequences. This method can be useful in longitudinal studies where CT's cumulative radiation dose might contribute to the total
Brain tumors and synchrotron radiation: Methodological developments in quantitative brain perfusion imaging and radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, Jean-Francois

2005-01-01

High-grade gliomas are the most frequent type of primary brain tumors in adults. Unfortunately, the management of glioblastomas is still mainly palliative and remains a difficult challenge, despite advances in brain tumor molecular biology and in some emerging therapies. Synchrotron radiation opens fields for medical imaging and radiation therapy by using monochromatic intense x-ray beams. It is now well known that angiogenesis plays a critical role in the tumor growth process and that brain perfusion is representative of the tumor mitotic activity. Synchrotron radiation quantitative computed tomography (SRCT) is one of the most accurate techniques for measuring in vivo contrast agent concentration and thus computing precise and accurate absolute values of the brain perfusion key parameters. The methodological developments of SRCT absolute brain perfusion measurements as well as their preclinical validation are detailed in this thesis. In particular, absolute cerebral volume and blood brain barrier permeability high-resolution (pixel size 2 ) parametric maps were reported. In conventional radiotherapy, the treatment of these tumors remains a delicate challenge, because the damages to the surrounding normal brain tissue limit the amount of radiation that can be delivered. One strategy to overcome this limitation is to infuse an iodinated contrast agent to the patient during the irradiation. The contrast agent accumulates in the tumor, through the broken blood brain barrier, and the irradiation is performed with kilovoltage x rays, in tomography mode, the tumor being located at the center of rotation and the beam size adjusted to the tumor dimensions. The dose enhancement results from the photoelectric effect on the heavy element and from the irradiation geometry. Synchrotron beams, providing high intensity, tunable monochromatic x rays, are ideal for this treatment. The beam properties allow the selection of monochromatic irradiation, at the optimal energy, for a
Analyzer-based imaging of spinal fusion in an animal model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, M E; Beavis, R C; Allen, L A; Fiorella, David; Schueltke, E; Juurlink, B H; Chapman, L D; Zhong, Z

2008-01-01

Analyzer-based imaging (ABI) utilizes synchrotron radiation sources to create collimated monochromatic x-rays. In addition to x-ray absorption, this technique uses refraction and scatter rejection to create images. ABI provides dramatically improved contrast over standard imaging techniques. Twenty-one adult male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups to undergo the following interventions: (1) non-injured control, (2) decortication alone, (3) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and (4) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and interspinous wiring. Surgical procedures were performed at the L5-6 level. Animals were killed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention and the spine muscle blocks were excised. Specimens were assessed for the presence of fusion by (1) manual testing, (2) conventional absorption radiography and (3) ABI. ABI showed no evidence of bone fusion in groups 1 and 2 and showed solid or possibly solid fusion in subjects from groups 3 and 4 at 6 weeks. Metal artifacts were not present in any of the ABI images. Conventional absorption radiographs did not provide diagnostic quality imaging of either the graft material or fusion masses in any of the specimens in any of the groups. Synchrotron-based ABI represents a novel imaging technique which can be used to assess spinal fusion in a small animal model. ABI produces superior image quality when compared to conventional radiographs
Analyzer-based imaging of spinal fusion in an animal model

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, M. E.; Beavis, R. C.; Fiorella, David; Schültke, E.; Allen, L. A.; Juurlink, B. H.; Zhong, Z.; Chapman, L. D.

2008-05-01

Analyzer-based imaging (ABI) utilizes synchrotron radiation sources to create collimated monochromatic x-rays. In addition to x-ray absorption, this technique uses refraction and scatter rejection to create images. ABI provides dramatically improved contrast over standard imaging techniques. Twenty-one adult male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups to undergo the following interventions: (1) non-injured control, (2) decortication alone, (3) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and (4) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and interspinous wiring. Surgical procedures were performed at the L5-6 level. Animals were killed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention and the spine muscle blocks were excised. Specimens were assessed for the presence of fusion by (1) manual testing, (2) conventional absorption radiography and (3) ABI. ABI showed no evidence of bone fusion in groups 1 and 2 and showed solid or possibly solid fusion in subjects from groups 3 and 4 at 6 weeks. Metal artifacts were not present in any of the ABI images. Conventional absorption radiographs did not provide diagnostic quality imaging of either the graft material or fusion masses in any of the specimens in any of the groups. Synchrotron-based ABI represents a novel imaging technique which can be used to assess spinal fusion in a small animal model. ABI produces superior image quality when compared to conventional radiographs.
Comparative study of image quality and radiation dose between prospective and retrospective ECG gating technique in coronary artery imaging with 64-slice spiral CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jianxin; Liu Jian; Dou Yanbin; Wang Jichen; Sun Hongyue

2009-01-01

Objective: To compare the image quality and radiation dose between prospective ECG-trigering and retrospective ECG gating technique in coronary artery imaging. Methods: 33 patients suspected coronary artery disease were included in this study and divided into experimental group (prospective ECG-triggering coronary artery imaging, heart rate 0.05). The mean DLP of experimental group (234.4 mGy · cm) was DLP of control group (974.4 mGy · cm) 24.1%. The mean effective dose of prospective ECG gating coronary artery imaging was 3.2 mSv. Effective dose reduced 76.47 %. Conclusions: Prospective ECG gating coronary artery imaging can obtain the similar image quality compared with prospective ECG gating coronary artery imaging but the effective dose reduced 76.47 %. Prospective ECG gating coronary artery imaging has clinical value to peoples who are able to not accept high radiation dose and with low heart rate. (authors)
Development of an omnidirectional gamma-ray imaging Compton camera for low-radiation-level environmental monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Takara; Enomoto, Ryoji; Muraishi, Hiroshi; Katagiri, Hideaki; Kagaya, Mika; Fukushi, Masahiro; Kano, Daisuke; Satoh, Wataru; Takeda, Tohoru; Tanaka, Manobu M.; Tanaka, Souichi; Uchida, Tomohisa; Wada, Kiyoto; Wakamatsu, Ryo

2018-02-01

We have developed an omnidirectional gamma-ray imaging Compton camera for environmental monitoring at low levels of radiation. The camera consisted of only six CsI(Tl) scintillator cubes of 3.5 cm, each of which was readout by super-bialkali photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs). Our camera enables the visualization of the position of gamma-ray sources in all directions (∼4π sr) over a wide energy range between 300 and 1400 keV. The angular resolution (σ) was found to be ∼11°, which was realized using an image-sharpening technique. A high detection efficiency of 18 cps/(µSv/h) for 511 keV (1.6 cps/MBq at 1 m) was achieved, indicating the capability of this camera to visualize hotspots in areas with low-radiation-level contamination from the order of µSv/h to natural background levels. Our proposed technique can be easily used as a low-radiation-level imaging monitor in radiation control areas, such as medical and accelerator facilities.
Patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Conference proceedings; Radioprotection des patients en imagerie medicale. Recueil des presentations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-12-15

This document brings together the available presentations given at the conference organised by the French society of radiation protection about patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Twelve presentations (slides) are compiled in this document and deal with: 1 - Medical exposure of the French population: methodology and results (Bernard Aubert, IRSN); 2 - What indicators for the medical exposure? (Cecile Etard, IRSN); 3 - Guidebook of correct usage of medical imaging examination (Philippe Grenier, Pitie-Salpetriere hospital); 4 - Radiation protection optimization in pediatric imaging (Hubert Ducou-Le-Pointe, Aurelien Bouette (Armand-Trousseau children hospital); 5 - Children's exposure to image scanners: epidemiological survey (Marie-Odile Bernier, IRSN); 6 - Management of patient's irradiation: from image quality to good practice (Thierry Solaire, General Electric); 7 - Dose optimization in radiology (Cecile Salvat (Lariboisiere hospital); 8 - Cancer detection in the breast cancer planned screening program - 2004-2009 era (Agnes Rogel, InVS); 9 - Mammographic exposures - radiobiological effects - radio-induced DNA damages (Catherine Colin, Lyon Sud hospital); 10 - Breast cancer screening program - importance of non-irradiating techniques (Anne Tardivon, Institut Curie); 11 - Radiation protection justification for the medical imaging of patients over the age of 50 (Michel Bourguignon, ASN); 12 - Search for a molecular imprint for the discrimination between radio-induced and sporadic tumors (Sylvie Chevillard, CEA)
Image Quality and Radiation Dose Assessment of a Digital Mammography System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isa, N. M.; Hassan, W. M. S. W.; Abdullah, W. A. K. W.; Othman, F.; Ramli, A. A. M.

2010-01-01

Image quality and radiation dose of a direct amorphous selenium digital mammography system were considered in terms of contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and average glandular dose (AGD). They were measured for various qualities and breast phantom thicknesses with different types of breast tissue composition to determine optimal radiation quality and dose. Three sets of breast tissue equivalent slabs (30%:70%, 50%:50% and 70%:30% glandular-adipose) with thickness of 2 cm to 7 cm and 0.2 mm aluminum foil were used to provide certain CNR. Two different combinations of anode/ilter material and a wide range of tube voltages were employed for each phantom thickness. Phantom images with grid were acquired using automatic exposure control (AEC) mode for each thickness. Phantom images without grid were also obtained in manual exposure mode by selecting the same anode/filter combination and kVp as the image obtained with grid at the same thickness, but varying mAs of 10 to 200 mAs. Optimization indicated that relatively high energy beam qualities should be used with a greater dose to compensate for lower energy x-rays. The results also indicate that current AEC setting for a fixed detector is not optimal.
SU-E-J-47: Development of a High-Precision, Image-Guided Radiotherapy, Multi- Purpose Radiation Isocenter Quality-Assurance Calibration and Checking System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C; Yan, G; Helmig, R; Lebron, S; Kahler, D

2014-01-01

Purpose: To develop a system that can define the radiation isocenter and correlate this information with couch coordinates, laser alignment, optical distance indicator (ODI) settings, optical tracking system (OTS) calibrations, and mechanical isocenter walkout. Methods: Our team developed a multi-adapter, multi-purpose quality assurance (QA) and calibration device that uses an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and in-house image-processing software to define the radiation isocenter, thereby allowing linear accelerator (Linac) components to be verified and calibrated. Motivated by the concept that each Linac component related to patient setup for image-guided radiotherapy based on cone-beam CT should be calibrated with respect to the radiation isocenter, we designed multiple concentric adapters of various materials and shapes to meet the needs of MV and KV radiation isocenter definition, laser alignment, and OTS calibration. The phantom's ability to accurately define the radiation isocenter was validated on 4 Elekta Linacs using a commercial ball bearing (BB) phantom as a reference. Radiation isocenter walkout and the accuracy of couch coordinates, ODI, and OTS were then quantified with the device. Results: The device was able to define the radiation isocenter within 0.3 mm. Radiation isocenter walkout was within ±1 mm at 4 cardinal angles. By switching adapters, we identified that the accuracy of the couch position digital readout, ODI, OTS, and mechanical isocenter walkout was within sub-mm. Conclusion: This multi-adapter, multi-purpose isocenter phantom can be used to accurately define the radiation isocenter and represents a potential paradigm shift in Linac QA. Moreover, multiple concentric adapters allowed for sub-mm accuracy for the other relevant components. This intuitive and user-friendly design is currently patent pending

Computer-based and web-based radiation safety training

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owen, C., LLNL

1998-03-01

The traditional approach to delivering radiation safety training has been to provide a stand-up lecture of the topic, with the possible aid of video, and to repeat the same material periodically. New approaches to meeting training requirements are needed to address the advent of flexible work hours and telecommuting, and to better accommodate individuals learning at their own pace. Computer- based and web-based radiation safety training can provide this alternative. Computer-based and web- based training is an interactive form of learning that the student controls, resulting in enhanced and focused learning at a time most often chosen by the student.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Target Volume Delineation in Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning for Brain Tumors Using Localized Region-Based Active Contour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslian, Hossein; Sadeghi, Mahdi; Mahdavi, Seied Rabie; Babapour Mofrad, Farshid; Astarakee, Mahdi; Khaledi, Navid; Fadavi, Pedram

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical application of a robust semiautomatic image segmentation method to determine the brain target volumes in radiation therapy treatment planning. Methods and Materials: A local robust region-based algorithm was used on MRI brain images to study the clinical target volume (CTV) of several patients. First, 3 oncologists delineated CTVs of 10 patients manually, and the process time for each patient was calculated. The averages of the oncologists’ contours were evaluated and considered as reference contours. Then, to determine the CTV through the semiautomatic method, a fourth oncologist who was blind to all manual contours selected 4-8 points around the edema and defined the initial contour. The time to obtain the final contour was calculated again for each patient. Manual and semiautomatic segmentation were compared using 3 different metric criteria: Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and mean absolute distance. A comparison also was performed between volumes obtained from semiautomatic and manual methods. Results: Manual delineation processing time of tumors for each patient was dependent on its size and complexity and had a mean (±SD) of 12.33 ± 2.47 minutes, whereas it was 3.254 ± 1.7507 minutes for the semiautomatic method. Means of Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and mean absolute distance between manual contours were 0.84 ± 0.02, 2.05 ± 0.66 cm, and 0.78 ± 0.15 cm, and they were 0.82 ± 0.03, 1.91 ± 0.65 cm, and 0.7 ± 0.22 cm between manual and semiautomatic contours, respectively. Moreover, the mean volume ratio (=semiautomatic/manual) calculated for all samples was 0.87. Conclusions: Given the deformability of this method, the results showed reasonable accuracy and similarity to the results of manual contouring by the oncologists. This study shows that the localized region-based algorithms can have great ability in determining the CTV and can be appropriate alternatives for manual approaches in brain cancer
Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Target Volume Delineation in Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning for Brain Tumors Using Localized Region-Based Active Contour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aslian, Hossein [Department of Medical Radiation, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sadeghi, Mahdi [Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahdavi, Seied Rabie [Department of Medical Physics, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Babapour Mofrad, Farshid [Department of Medical Radiation, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Astarakee, Mahdi, E-mail: M-Astarakee@Engineer.com [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khaledi, Navid [Department of Medical Radiation, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Fadavi, Pedram [Department of Radiation Oncology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-09-01

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical application of a robust semiautomatic image segmentation method to determine the brain target volumes in radiation therapy treatment planning. Methods and Materials: A local robust region-based algorithm was used on MRI brain images to study the clinical target volume (CTV) of several patients. First, 3 oncologists delineated CTVs of 10 patients manually, and the process time for each patient was calculated. The averages of the oncologists’ contours were evaluated and considered as reference contours. Then, to determine the CTV through the semiautomatic method, a fourth oncologist who was blind to all manual contours selected 4-8 points around the edema and defined the initial contour. The time to obtain the final contour was calculated again for each patient. Manual and semiautomatic segmentation were compared using 3 different metric criteria: Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and mean absolute distance. A comparison also was performed between volumes obtained from semiautomatic and manual methods. Results: Manual delineation processing time of tumors for each patient was dependent on its size and complexity and had a mean (±SD) of 12.33 ± 2.47 minutes, whereas it was 3.254 ± 1.7507 minutes for the semiautomatic method. Means of Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and mean absolute distance between manual contours were 0.84 ± 0.02, 2.05 ± 0.66 cm, and 0.78 ± 0.15 cm, and they were 0.82 ± 0.03, 1.91 ± 0.65 cm, and 0.7 ± 0.22 cm between manual and semiautomatic contours, respectively. Moreover, the mean volume ratio (=semiautomatic/manual) calculated for all samples was 0.87. Conclusions: Given the deformability of this method, the results showed reasonable accuracy and similarity to the results of manual contouring by the oncologists. This study shows that the localized region-based algorithms can have great ability in determining the CTV and can be appropriate alternatives for manual approaches in brain cancer.
Prospective observer and software-based assessment of magnetic resonance imaging quality in head and neck cancer: Should standard positioning and immobilization be required for radiation therapy applications?

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yao; Mohamed, Abdallah S R; Yang, Jinzhong; Colen, Rivka R; Frank, Steven J; Wang, Jihong; Wassal, Eslam Y; Wang, Wenjie; Kantor, Michael E; Balter, Peter A; Rosenthal, David I; Lai, Stephen Y; Hazle, John D; Fuller, Clifton D

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a head and neck magnetic resonance simulation and immobilization protocol on reducing motion-induced artifacts and improving positional variance for radiation therapy applications. Two groups (group 1, 17 patients; group 2, 14 patients) of patients with head and neck cancer were included under a prospective, institutional review board-approved protocol and signed informed consent. A 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner was used for anatomic and dynamic contrast-enhanced acquisitions with standard diagnostic MRI setup for group 1 and radiation therapy immobilization devices for group 2 patients. The impact of magnetic resonance simulation/immobilization was evaluated qualitatively by 2 observers in terms of motion artifacts and positional reproducibility and quantitatively using 3-dimensional deformable registration to track intrascan maximum motion displacement of voxels inside 7 manually segmented regions of interest. The image quality of group 2 (29 examinations) was significantly better than that of group 1 (50 examinations) as rated by both observers in terms of motion minimization and imaging reproducibility (P quality of head and neck MRI in terms of motion-related artifacts and positional reproducibility was greatly improved by use of radiation therapy immobilization devices. Consequently, immobilization with external and intraoral fixation in MRI examinations is required for radiation therapy application. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Development of patient-controlled respiratory gating system based on visual guidance for magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung-In; Lee, Hanyoung; Wu, Hong-Gyun; Chie, Eui Kyu; Kang, Hyun-Cheol; Park, Jong Min

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop a visual guidance patient-controlled (VG-PC) respiratory gating system for respiratory-gated magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) and to evaluate the performance of the developed system. The near-real-time cine planar MR image of a patient acquired during treatment was transmitted to a beam projector in the treatment room through an optical fiber cable. The beam projector projected the cine MR images inside the bore of the ViewRay system in order to be visible to a patient during treatment. With this visual information, patients voluntarily controlled their respiration to put the target volume into the gating boundary (gating window). The effect of the presence of the beam projector in the treatment room on the image quality of the MRI was investigated by evaluating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity, low-contrast detectability, high-contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity with the VG-PC gating system. To evaluate the performance of the developed system, we applied the VG-PC gating system to a total of seven patients; six patients received stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and one patient received conventional fractionated radiation therapy. The projected cine MR images were visible even when the room light was on. No image data loss or additional time delay during delivery of image data were observed. Every indicator representing MRI quality, including SNR, uniformity, low-contrast detectability, high-contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity exhibited values higher than the tolerance levels of the manufacturer with the VG-PC gating system; therefore, the presence of the VG-PC gating system in the treatment room did not degrade the MR image quality. The average beam-off times due to respiratory gating with and without the VG-PC gating system were 830.3 ± 278.2 s and 1264.2 ± 302.1 s respectively (P = 0.005). Consequently, the total treatment times excluding
Influence of different exposure modes on image quality and radiation dose in digital mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jie; Wang Xia; Li Xiaokang; Liu Peifang

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different exposure modes on radiation dose and image quality in digital mammography, and to explore how to reduce patient's radiation injury by choosing proper exposure mode and exposure conditions without sacrifice image quality. Methods: A breast phantom was exposed by using automatic exposure mode (60 mAs, 28 k/V) and manual exposure modes (37.5 to 70 mAs range, 24 to 32 kV range) respectively. Same oppression thickness and pressure were set for all modes. The average glandular dose (AGD), entrance surface dose (ESD), and image quality score according to American College of Radiology (ACR) criteria were recorded for each image. Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare the image quality scores between automatic and manual modes. All statistic analyses were performed by using SPSS17.0. Results: Compared to automatic exposure mode (60 mAs, 28 k/V), the overall score of image quality of manual modes (45 to 70 mAs range, 26 to 32 kV range) had no significant difference. Both ESD and ACD decreased 26.1% and increased 15.4% when the tube loading was changed from 60 mAs to 45 mAs and 70 mAs respectively. The ESD and ACD decreased 22.6%, 28.2% and increased 47.0%, 62.7% when the tube voltage was changed from 28 kV to 26 kV and 32 kV respectively. Conclusion: When the image quality reaches to a certain level, it will not be raised by a higher photographic condition. Without sacrifice image quality, the tube loading and tube voltage can be manually decreased to reduce radiation dose. (authors)
TU-G-204-04: A Unified Strategy for Bi-Factorial Optimization of Radiation Dose and Contrast Dose in CT Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahbaee, P; Zhang, Y; Solomon, J; Becchetti, M; Segars, P; Samei, E [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To substantiate the interdependency of contrast dose, radiation dose, and image quality in CT towards the patient- specific optimization of the imaging protocols Methods: The study deployed two phantom platforms. A variable sized (12, 18, 23, 30, 37 cm) phantom (Mercury-3.0) containing an iodinated insert (8.5 mgI/ml) was imaged on a representative CT scanner at multiple CTDI values (0.7–22.6 mGy). The contrast and noise were measured from the reconstructed images for each phantom diameter. Linearly related to iodine-concentration, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), were calculated for 16 iodine-concentration levels (0–8.5 mgI/ml). The analysis was extended to a recently developed suit of 58 virtual human models (5D XCAT) with added contrast dynamics. Emulating a contrast-enhanced abdominal image procedure and targeting a peak-enhancement in aorta, each XCAT phantom was “imaged” using a simulation platform (CatSim, GE). 3D surfaces for each patient/size established the relationship between iodine-concentration, dose, and CNR. The ratios of change in iodine-concentration versus dose (IDR) to yield a constant change in CNR were calculated for each patient size. Results: Mercury phantom results show the image-quality size- dependence on CTDI and IC levels. For desired image-quality values, the iso-contour-lines reflect the trade off between contrast-material and radiation doses. For a fixed iodine-concentration (4 mgI/mL), the IDR values for low (1.4 mGy) and high (11.5 mGy) dose levels were 1.02, 1.07, 1.19, 1.65, 1.54, and 3.14, 3.12, 3.52, 3.76, 4.06, respectively across five sizes. The simulation data from XCAT models confirmed the empirical results from Mercury phantom. Conclusion: The iodine-concentration, image quality, and radiation dose are interdependent. The understanding of the relationships between iodine-concentration, image quality, and radiation dose will allow for a more comprehensive optimization of CT imaging devices and techniques
Segmentation of Synchrotron Radiation micro-Computed Tomography Images using Energy Minimization via Graph Cuts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meneses, Anderson A.M.; Giusti, Alessandro; Almeida, André P. de; Nogueira, Liebert; Braz, Delson; Almeida, Carlos E. de; Barroso, Regina C.

2012-01-01

The research on applications of segmentation algorithms to Synchrotron Radiation X-Ray micro-Computed Tomography (SR-μCT) is an open problem, due to the interesting and well-known characteristics of SR images, such as the phase contrast effect. The Energy Minimization via Graph Cuts (EMvGC) algorithm represents state-of-art segmentation algorithm, presenting an enormous potential of application in SR-μCT imaging. We describe the application of the algorithm EMvGC with swap move for the segmentation of bone images acquired at the ELETTRA Laboratory (Trieste, Italy). - Highlights: ► Microstructures of Wistar rats' ribs are investigated with Synchrotron Radiation μCT imaging. ► The present work is part of a research on the effects of radiotherapy on the thoracic region. ► Application of the Energy Minimization via Graph Cuts algorithm for segmentation is described.
Radiation safety and quality in diagnostic x-ray imaging 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Servomaa, A.; Parviainen, T.

2001-05-01

The obligations of the medical exposure directive (97/43/Euratom) for hospitals dominate the current activities in radiation protection in medical radiology. The directive gives special emphasis to radiation exposure of children, to examinations with high radiation doses and to radiation exposure in health screening programmes. The most important examinations with high doses are radiological interventions, where even acute skin effects are possible, and the computed tomography where the number of CT examinations makes only about 5% from the total number of x-ray examinations but the collective effective dose about 40% from the combined collective effective dose of all x-ray examinations. In the research projects financed by the European Commission, radiation exposures to paediatric patients have been measured in radiography, fluoroscopy and CT, and various dose assessment methods have been compared to develop a method for national follow-up of patients' radiation dose. The newest research project is focused on dosimetry and quality assurance in interventional radiology and digital imaging. Other actual topics are the development of radiation protection regulations and quality systems, education and training programmes, and clinical audits. This report deals with new radiation protection guides and recommendations and the education and training of radiological staff in radiation protection. One important topic is the development of national follow-up method of radiation exposure to patients and comparison of various dose assessment methods. Quality assurance in health care and in paediatric radiology, and the acceptance test and quality assurance measurements of radiological equipment are also described. (orig.)
Student and intern awareness of ionising radiation exposure from common diagnostic imaging procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, G. Z.; Wong, D. D.; Nguyen, L. K.; Mendelson, R. M.

2010-01-01

Full text: This study aims to evaluate medical student and intern awareness of ionising radiation exposure from common diagnostic imaging procedures and to suggest how education could be improved. Fourth to sixth year medical students enrolled at a Western Australian university and interns from three teaching hospitals in Perth were recruited. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions on their background, knowledge of ionising radiation doses and learning preferences for future teaching on this subject. A total of 331 completed questionnaires were received (95.9%). Of the 17 questions assessing knowledge of ionising radiation, a mean score of 6.0 was obtained by respondents (95% CI 5.8-6.2). Up to 54.8% of respondents underestimated the radiation dose from commonly requested radiological procedures. Respondents (11.3 and 25.5%) incorrectly believed that ultrasound and MRI emit ionising radiation, respectively. Of the four subgroups of respondents, the intern doctor subgroup performed significantly better (mean score 6.9, P< 0.0001, 95% CI 6.5-7.3) than each of the three medical student subgroups. When asked for the preferred method of teaching for future radiation awareness, a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops was preferred. This study has clearly shown that awareness of ionising radiation from diagnostic imaging is lacking among senior medical students and interns. The results highlight the need for improved education to minimise unnecessary exposure of patients and the community to radiation. Further studies are required to determine the most effective form of education.
High resolution monochromatic X-ray imaging system based on spherically bent crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aglitskiy, Y.; Lehecka, T.; Obenschain, S.; Bodner, S.; Pawley, C.; Gerber, K.; Sethian, J.; Brown, C. M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.; Holland, G.

1997-01-01

We have developed a new X-ray imaging system based on spherically curved crystals. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser. The imaging system is used for plasma diagnostics of the main target and for characterization of potential backlighters. A spherically curved quartz crystal (2d=6.687 A, R=200 mm) is used to produce monochromatic backlit images with the He-like Si resonance line (1865 eV) as the source of radiation. The spatial resolution of the X-ray optical system is 3-4 μm. Time resolved backlit monochromatic images of CH planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with 6-7 μm spatial resolution
Reduced radiation exposure to the mammary glands in thoracic computed tomography using organ-based tube-current modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munechika, Jiro; Ohgiya, Yoshimitsu; Gokan, Takehiko; Hashimoto, Toshi; Iwai, Tsugunori

2013-01-01

Organ-based tube-current modulation has been used to reduce radiation exposure to specific organs. However, there are no reports yet published on reducing radiation exposure in clinical cases. In this study, we assessed the reduction in radiation exposure to the mammary glands during thoracic computed tomography (CT) using X-CARE. In a phantom experiment, the use of X-CARE reduced radiation exposure at the midline of the precordial region by a maximum of 45.1%. In our corresponding clinical study, CT was performed using X-CARE in 15 patients, and without X-CARE in another 15. Compared to the non-X-CARE group, radiation exposure was reduced in the X-CARE group at the midline of the precordial region by 22.3% (P 0.05). X-CARE thus reduced radiation exposure at the midline of the precordial region and allowed us to obtain consistent CT values without increasing noise. However, this study revealed increases in radiation exposure at the lateral sides of the breasts. It is conceivable that patients' breasts were laterally displaced by gravity under the standard thoracic imaging conditions. Further studies that consider factors such as body size and adjustment of imaging conditions may be needed in the future. (author)
Computed tomography of the chest with model-based iterative reconstruction using a radiation exposure similar to chest X-ray examination: preliminary observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neroladaki, Angeliki; Botsikas, Diomidis; Boudabbous, Sana; Becker, Christoph D.; Montet, Xavier [Geneva University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Geneva 4 (Switzerland)

2013-02-15

The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic image quality of ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography (ULD-CT) obtained with a radiation dose comparable to chest radiography and reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in comparison with standard dose diagnostic CT (SDD-CT) or low-dose diagnostic CT (LDD-CT) reconstructed with FBP alone. Unenhanced chest CT images of 42 patients acquired with ULD-CT were compared with images obtained with SDD-CT or LDD-CT in the same examination. Noise measurements and image quality, based on conspicuity of chest lesions on all CT data sets were assessed on a five-point scale. The radiation dose of ULD-CT was 0.16 {+-} 0.006 mSv compared with 11.2 {+-} 2.7 mSv for SDD-CT (P < 0.0001) and 2.7 {+-} 0.9 mSv for LDD-CT. Image quality of ULD-CT increased significantly when using MBIR compared with FBP or ASIR (P < 0.001). ULD-CT reconstructed with MBIR enabled to detect as many non-calcified pulmonary nodules as seen on SDD-CT or LDD-CT. However, image quality of ULD-CT was clearly inferior for characterisation of ground glass opacities or emphysema. Model-based iterative reconstruction allows detection of pulmonary nodules with ULD-CT with radiation exposure in the range of a posterior to anterior (PA) and lateral chest X-ray. (orig.)
Evaluation of the performance of deformable image registration between planning CT and CBCT images for the pelvic region: comparison between hybrid and intensity-based DIR.

Science.gov (United States)

Takayama, Yoshiki; Kadoya, Noriyuki; Yamamoto, Takaya; Ito, Kengo; Chiba, Mizuki; Fujiwara, Kousei; Miyasaka, Yuya; Dobashi, Suguru; Sato, Kiyokazu; Takeda, Ken; Jingu, Keiichi

2017-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the hybrid deformable image registration (DIR) method in comparison with intensity-based DIR for pelvic cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, using intensity and anatomical information. Ten prostate cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were studied. Nine or ten CBCT scans were performed for each patient. First, rigid registration was performed between the planning CT and all CBCT images using gold fiducial markers, and then DIR was performed. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and center of mass (COM) displacement were used to evaluate the quantitative DIR accuracy. The average DSCs for intensity-based DIR for the prostate, rectum, bladder, and seminal vesicles were 0.84 ± 0.05, 0.75 ± 0.05, 0.69 ± 0.07 and 0.65 ± 0.11, respectively, whereas those values for hybrid DIR were 0.98 ± 0.00, 0.97 ± 0.01, 0.98 ± 0.00 and 0.94 ± 0.03, respectively (P DSC for hybrid DIR had a higher DSC value and smaller COM displacement for all structures and all patients, compared with intensity-based DIR. Thus, the accumulative dose based on hybrid DIR might be trusted as a high-precision dose estimation method that takes into account organ movement during treatment radiotherapy. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.
Proposal of secure camera-based radiation warning system for nuclear detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchiya, Ken'ichi; Kurosawa, Kenji; Akiba, Norimitsu; Kakuda, Hidetoshi; Imoto, Daisuke; Hirabayashi, Manato; Kuroki, Kenro

2016-01-01

Counter-terrorisms against radiological and nuclear threat are significant issues toward Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In terms of cost benefit, it is not easy to build a warning system for nuclear detection to prevent a Dirty Bomb attack (dispersion of radioactive materials using a conventional explosive) or a Silent Source attack (hidden radioactive materials) from occurring. We propose a nuclear detection system using the installed secure cameras. We describe a method to estimate radiation dose from noise pattern in CCD images caused by radiation. Some dosimeters under neutron and gamma-ray irradiations (0.1mSv-100mSv) were taken in CCD video camera. We confirmed amount of noise in CCD images increased in radiation exposure. The radiation detection using CMOS in secure cameras or cell phones has been implemented. However, in this presentation, we propose a warning system including neutron detection to search shielded nuclear materials or radiation exposure devices using criticality. (author)
A sparsity-based iterative algorithm for reconstruction of micro-CT images from highly undersampled projection datasets obtained with a synchrotron X-ray source

Science.gov (United States)

Melli, S. Ali; Wahid, Khan A.; Babyn, Paul; Cooper, David M. L.; Gopi, Varun P.

2016-12-01

Synchrotron X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) is an imaging technique which is increasingly used for non-invasive in vivo preclinical imaging. However, it often requires a large number of projections from many different angles to reconstruct high-quality images leading to significantly high radiation doses and long scan times. To utilize this imaging technique further for in vivo imaging, we need to design reconstruction algorithms that reduce the radiation dose and scan time without reduction of reconstructed image quality. This research is focused on using a combination of gradient-based Douglas-Rachford splitting and discrete wavelet packet shrinkage image denoising methods to design an algorithm for reconstruction of large-scale reduced-view synchrotron Micro-CT images with acceptable quality metrics. These quality metrics are computed by comparing the reconstructed images with a high-dose reference image reconstructed from 1800 equally spaced projections spanning 180°. Visual and quantitative-based performance assessment of a synthetic head phantom and a femoral cortical bone sample imaged in the biomedical imaging and therapy bending magnet beamline at the Canadian Light Source demonstrates that the proposed algorithm is superior to the existing reconstruction algorithms. Using the proposed reconstruction algorithm to reduce the number of projections in synchrotron Micro-CT is an effective way to reduce the overall radiation dose and scan time which improves in vivo imaging protocols.
Synchrotron-radiation phase-contrast imaging of human stomach and gastric cancer: in vitro studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lei; Li, Gang; Sun, Ying-Shi; Li, Jie; Zhang, Xiao-Peng

2012-05-01

The electron density resolution of synchrotron-radiation phase-contrast imaging (SR-PCI) is 1000 times higher than that of conventional X-ray absorption imaging in light elements, through which high-resolution X-ray imaging of biological soft tissue can be achieved. For biological soft tissue, SR-PCI can give better imaging contrast than conventional X-ray absorption imaging. In this study, human resected stomach and gastric cancer were investigated using in-line holography and diffraction enhanced imaging at beamline 4W1A of the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility. It was possible to depict gastric pits, measuring 50-70 µm, gastric grooves and tiny blood vessels in the submucosa layer by SR-PCI. The fine structure of a cancerous ulcer was displayed clearly on imaging the mucosa. The delamination of the gastric wall and infiltration of cancer in the submucosa layer were also demonstrated on cross-sectional imaging. In conclusion, SR-PCI can demonstrate the subtle structures of stomach and gastric cancer that cannot be detected by conventional X-ray absorption imaging, which prompt the X-ray diagnosis of gastric disease to the level of the gastric pit, and has the potential to provide new methods for the imageology of gastric cancer.
Content-Based Image Retrial Based on Hadoop

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DongSheng Yin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Generally, time complexity of algorithms for content-based image retrial is extremely high. In order to retrieve images on large-scale databases efficiently, a new way for retrieving based on Hadoop distributed framework is proposed. Firstly, a database of images features is built by using Speeded Up Robust Features algorithm and Locality-Sensitive Hashing and then perform the search on Hadoop platform in a parallel way specially designed. Considerable experimental results show that it is able to retrieve images based on content on large-scale cluster and image sets effectively.
Evaluation of non-radiologist physicians' knowledge on aspects related to ionizing radiation in imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madrigano, Renata Rodrigues; Abrao, Karen Cristine; Regacini, Rodrigo; Puchnick, Andrea

2014-01-01

Objective: to assess the non-radiologist physicians' knowledge on the use of ionizing radiation in imaging. Materials and Methods: cross-sectional study utilizing an anonymous questionnaire responded by physicians in clinical and surgical specialties, divided into two parts as follows: one including questions about the physicians' characteristics, frequency of imaging studies requests and participation in professional updating events, and another part including multiple choice questions approaching general knowledge about radiation, optimization principles and radioprotection. Results: from a total of 309 questionnaires, 120 (38.8%) were responded, 50% by physicians in surgical specialties and 50% in clinical specialties; respectively 45% and 2.5% of physicians responded that magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography use ionizing radiation. Overall, the average grade was higher for surgical specialists with no significant difference, except for the question about exposure in pregnant women (p = 0.047). Physicians who are professionally updated, particularly those attending clinical meetings (p = 0.050) and participating in teaching activities (p = 0.047), showed statistically superior knowledge about ionizing radiation as compared with others. Conclusion: the non-radiologist physicians' is heterogeneous and in some points needs to be improved. Multidisciplinary clinical meetings and teaching activities are important ways to disseminate information on the subject. (author)
Imaging Primary Mouse Sarcomas After Radiation Therapy Using Cathepsin-Activatable Fluorescent Imaging Agents

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Cuneo, Kyle C. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Mito, Jeffrey K.; Javid, Melodi P. [Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Ferrer, Jorge M. [Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Kim, Yongbaek [Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W. David [The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Bawendi, Moungi G. [Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Brigman, Brian E. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Kirsch, David G., E-mail: david.kirsch@duke.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (United States)

2013-05-01

Purpose: Cathepsin-activated fluorescent probes can detect tumors in mice and in canine patients. We previously showed that these probes can detect microscopic residual sarcoma in the tumor bed of mice during gross total resection. Many patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and other tumors undergo radiation therapy (RT) before surgery. This study assesses the effect of RT on the ability of cathepsin-activated probes to differentiate between normal and cancerous tissue. Methods and Materials: A genetically engineered mouse model of STS was used to generate primary hind limb sarcomas that were treated with hypofractionated RT. Mice were injected intravenously with cathepsin-activated fluorescent probes, and various tissues, including the tumor, were imaged using a hand-held imaging device. Resected tumor and normal muscle samples were harvested to assess cathepsin expression by Western blot. Uptake of activated probe was analyzed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Parallel in vitro studies using mouse sarcoma cells were performed. Results: RT of primary STS in mice and mouse sarcoma cell lines caused no change in probe activation or cathepsin protease expression. Increasing radiation dose resulted in an upward trend in probe activation. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence showed that a substantial proportion of probe-labeled cells were CD11b-positive tumor-associated immune cells. Conclusions: In this primary murine model of STS, RT did not affect the ability of cathepsin-activated probes to differentiate between tumor and normal muscle. Cathepsin-activated probes labeled tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages. Our results suggest that it would be feasible to include patients who have received preoperative RT in clinical studies evaluating cathepsin-activated imaging probes.

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