Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging of the head

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwama, Toru; Andoh, Takashi; Sakai, Noboru; Yamada, Hiromu [Gifu Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Funakoshi, Takashi; Akiyama, Shigeru; Yoshida, Kakuro

1989-08-01

The results of 505 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations of the head disclosed several different types of artifact. Various artifacts observed with two-dimentional Fourier transformation are described and illustrated. All images were obtained with a 0.5 Tesla superconducting MR imager. About 70% of all images contained artifacts. Phase encoding artifacts due to motion or flow were most frequently observed. Center, 'zipper,' truncation, radiofrequency, and ferromagnetic artifacts and contrast error on inversion recovery (IR) images were noted less frequently. Phase encoding artifacts and contrast errors on IR images totally degraded the images, and 'zipper' artifacts were regional. Center artifacts resembled small infarctions, and ferromagnetic artifacts sometimes mimicked hematmas. It is important to recognize these artifacts and to devise methods to avoid their influence on the region of interest. (author).

Metal and calcification artifact reduction for digital breast tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Wicklein, Julia; Jerebko, Anna; Ritschl, Ludwig; Mertelmeier, Thomas

2017-03-01

Tomosynthesis images of the breast suffer from artifacts caused by the presence of highly absorbing materials. These can be either induced by metal objects like needles or clips inserted during biopsy devices, or larger calcifications inside the examined breast. Mainly two different kinds of artifacts appear after the filtered backprojection procedure. The first type is undershooting artifacts near edges of high-contrast objects caused by the filtering step. The second type is out-of-plane (ripple) artifacts that appear even in slices where the metal object or macrocalcifications does not exist. Due to the limited angular range of tomosynthesis systems, overlapping structures have high influence on neighboring regions. To overcome these problems, a segmentation of artifact introducing objects is performed on the projection images. Both projection versions, with and without high-contrast objects are filtered independently to avoid undershootings. During backprojection a decision is made for each reconstructed voxel, if it is artifact or high-contrast object. This is based on a mask image, gained from the segmentation of high-contrast objects. This procedure avoids undershooting artifacts and additionally reduces out-of-plane ripple. Results are demonstrated for different kinds of artifact inducing objects and calcifications.

Artifact reduction method in ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography using exogenous contrast agents

Science.gov (United States)

Ardeshirpour, Yasaman; Biswal, Nrusingh; Aguirre, Andres; Zhu, Quing

2011-04-01

In diffuse optical tomography (DOT), a typical perturbation approach requires two sets of measurements obtained at the lesion breast (lesion or target site) and a contra-lateral location of the normal breast (reference site) for image reconstruction. For patients who have a small amount of breast tissue, the chest-wall underneath the breast tissue at both sites affects the imaging results. In this group of patients, the perturbation, which is the difference between measurements obtained at the lesion and reference sites, may include the information of background mismatch which can generate artifacts or affect the reconstructed quantitative absorption coefficient of the lesion. Also, for patients who have a single breast due to prior surgery, the contra-lateral reference is not available. To improve the DOT performance or overcome its limitation, we introduced a new method based on an exogenous contrast agent and demonstrate its performance using animal models. Co-registered ultrasound was used to guide the lesion localization. The results have shown that artifacts caused by background mismatch can be reduced significantly by using this new method.

10% low density corn-oil emulsion oral contrast agent for abdominal computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sun Kyou; Chon, Dong Kwon; Han, Young Min; Kim, Chong Soo; Sohn, Myung Hee; Song, Ho Young; Choi, Ki Chul

1990-01-01

CT of the gastrointestinal tract is commonly performed after administration of a high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast material. However, because if inadequate mixing of the contrast material with the gastrointestinal contents, pseudotumor and poor mucosal visualization are frequently shown on abdominal CT. To overcome these problem, 10% corn oil emulsion (COE) is tested as an alternative oral contrast agent in 40 patients. We analyse patients tolerance, gastric mucosal visualization and discrimination of pancreas from the duodenal C-loop to 10% COE in 40 patients compared with those obtained from 35 patients, who was received high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast agent (gastrografin). The results are as follows : 1. Patients' tolerance to 10% COE is similar to that to conventional oral contrast agent. 2. Image of the gastric mucosa from patients receiving 10% COE is superior to that receiving oral contrast agent. 3. The discrimination between pancreatic head from duodenal C-loop is better in patients receiving 10% COE than in patients receiving conventional oral contrast agent. 4. In patients receiving 10% COE, differentiation of cystic masses from intestinal loops is sometimes difficult. The results of this study indicate that 10% COE may be useful oral contrast agent for optimal visualization of gastric mucosa and pancreatico-duodenal discrimination on abdominal CT

Neutral vs positive oral contrast in diagnosing acute appendicitis with contrast-enhanced CT: sensitivity, specificity, reader confidence and interpretation time

Science.gov (United States)

Naeger, D M; Chang, S D; Kolli, P; Shah, V; Huang, W; Thoeni, R F

2011-01-01

Objective The study compared the sensitivity, specificity, confidence and interpretation time of readers of differing experience in diagnosing acute appendicitis with contrast-enhanced CT using neutral vs positive oral contrast agents. Methods Contrast-enhanced CT for right lower quadrant or right flank pain was performed in 200 patients with neutral and 200 with positive oral contrast including 199 with proven acute appendicitis and 201 with other diagnoses. Test set disease prevalence was 50%. Two experienced gastrointestinal radiologists, one fellow and two first-year residents blindly assessed all studies for appendicitis (2000 readings) and assigned confidence scores (1=poor to 4=excellent). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated. Total interpretation time was recorded. Each reader's interpretation with the two agents was compared using standard statistical methods. Results Average reader sensitivity was found to be 96% (range 91–99%) with positive and 95% (89–98%) with neutral oral contrast; specificity was 96% (92–98%) and 94% (90–97%). For each reader, no statistically significant difference was found between the two agents (sensitivities p-values >0.6; specificities p-values>0.08), in the area under the ROC curve (range 0.95–0.99) or in average interpretation times. In cases without appendicitis, positive oral contrast demonstrated improved appendix identification (average 90% vs 78%) and higher confidence scores for three readers. Average interpretation times showed no statistically significant differences between the agents. Conclusion Neutral vs positive oral contrast does not affect the accuracy of contrast-enhanced CT for diagnosing acute appendicitis. Although positive oral contrast might help to identify normal appendices, we continue to use neutral oral contrast given its other potential benefits. PMID:20959365

A comparison of the palatability of flavored oral contrasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Arya, Rajiv; Hansen, Allison; Taira, Breena R; Packy, Theodore; Singer, Adam J

2009-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the taste of computed tomography (CT) oral contrast diluted with various flavored drinks. We performed a prospective, blinded, controlled trial in healthy adult volunteers. Subjects were assigned to ingest four 250-mL aliquots of oral contrast media diluted in water, Crystal Light Lemonade (Kraft Food, Northfield, Ill), Tropical Punch Kool-Aid (Kraft Food), and Tropicana orange juice (Pepsi Bottling Company, Sommers, NY) in random order; and the taste of the solution was measured with a 100-mm visual analogue scale and 5-point Likert scale from very worst to best. Between-group comparison of the taste scores was performed with repeated-measures analysis of variance and pairwise t tests. The study had 80% power to detect an effect size 0.75 SDs. There were 23 subjects; mean (SD) age was 33 (7.7) and 30% were female. The mean (SD) taste scores were water 12 (5), lemonade 37 (21), Kool-Aid 44 (20), and orange juice 40 (20) (P < .05). The proportion of subjects completely ingesting the contrast in water (65%) was significantly less than that with other 3 study solutions (100% each, P < .001). Dilution of oral contrast media with lemonade, fruit punch, or orange juice is tastier than with water. The choice of the specific juice used to dilute the oral contrast should be individualized based on patient preferences and availability.

Incidental ferumoxytol artifacts in clinical brain MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowser, Bruce A.; Campeau, Norbert G.; Carr, Carrie M.; Diehn, Felix E.; McDonald, Jennifer S.; Miller, Gary M.; Kaufmann, Timothy J. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, Rochester, MN (United States)

2016-11-15

Ferumoxytol (Feraheme) is a parenteral therapy approved for treatment of iron deficiency anemia. The product insert for ferumoxytol states that it may affect the diagnostic ability of MRI for up to 3 months. However, the expected effects may not be commonly recognized among clinical neuroradiologists. Our purpose is to describe the artifacts we have seen at our institution during routine clinical practice. We reviewed the patients at our institution that had brain MRI performed within 90 days of receiving intravenous ferumoxytol. The imaging was reviewed for specific findings, including diffusion-weighted imaging vascular susceptibility artifact, gradient-echo echo-planar T2*-weighted vascular susceptibility artifact, SWI/SWAN vascular susceptibility artifact, hypointense vascular signal on T2-weighted images, pre-gadolinium contrast vascular enhancement on magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE) imaging, and effects on post-gadolinium contrast T1 imaging. Multiple artifacts were observed in patients having a brain MRI within 3 days of receiving intravenous ferumoxytol. These included susceptibility artifact on DWI, GRE, and SWAN/SWI imaging, pre-gadolinium contrast increased vascular signal on MPRAGE imaging, and decreased expected enhancement on post-gadolinium contrast T1-weighted imaging. Ferumoxytol can create imaging artifacts which complicate clinical interpretation when brain MRI is performed within 3 days of administration. Recognition of the constellation of artifacts produced by ferumoxytol is important in order to obviate additional unnecessary examinations and mitigate errors in interpretation. (orig.)

Comparison of Oral Contrast-Enhanced Transabdominal Ultrasound Imaging With Transverse Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography in Preoperative Tumor Staging of Advanced Gastric Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xuemei; Sun, Jing; Huang, Xiaoling; Zeng, Chun; Ge, Yinggang; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Jingxian

2017-12-01

This study assessed the diagnostic performance of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) imaging for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric carcinoma by comparing it with transverse contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). This retrospective study included 42 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopy, radical surgery, or palliative surgery because of serious complications and had a body mass index of less than 25 kg/m 2 . A cereal-based oral contrast agent was used for transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US. Retrospective analyses were conducted using preoperative tumor staging data acquired by either transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US or transverse contrast-enhanced CT. Both contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT examinations were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists independently for preoperative tumor staging according to the seventh edition of the TNM classification. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated by comparing the results of contrast-enhanced US and contrast-enhanced CT with pathologic findings. The overall accuracies of the imaging modalities were compared by the McNemar test. No significant difference was noted in the overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US (86% [36 of 42]) and transverse contrast-enhanced CT (83% [35 of 42] P > .999). For stage T2 to T4 gastric cancer, the accuracies of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US were 88%, 86%, and 98%, respectively, and those of transverse contrast-enhanced CT were 93%, 83%, and 90%. The overall accuracy of transabdominal oral contrast-enhanced US was comparable with that of transverse contrast-enhanced CT for preoperative tumor staging of advanced gastric cancer. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Positive intraluminal bowel contrast on computed tomography following oral ingestion of Kayexelate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zissin, R.; Stackievicz, R.; Osadchy, A.; Gayer, G.

2008-01-01

Our study presents the computed tomography (CT) manifestations of orally ingested kayexelate (a powdered form of sodium polystyrene sulphonate) used to treat hyperkalemia. Five patients with whom kayexelate appeared as high-attenuating intraluminal enteric content, similar to oral contrast material or leakage of intravascular contrast, are reported. Radiologists should be familiar with its appearance as it may mimic oral or vascular contrast within the gastrointestinal tract, a finding that may lead to a diagnostic error or misinterpretation. (author)

Usefulness of low dose oral contrast media in FDG PET/CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Y. S.; Yun, J. G.; Lee, M. H.; Cho, C. W.; Yun, S. N [Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

Oral contrast media might help in interpreting PET/CT images, allowing better discrimination between physiologic and pathologic abdominal uptake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of low dose oral contrast on FDG PET/CT. A total of 435 cancer patients received 200mL of oral Barium with water(200mL) immediately before FDG injection. PET images were reconstructed using attenuation correction and iterative reconstruction. The FDG uptake in gastrointestinal(GI) tract were analyzed by visual and semiquantitative method in transaxial, coronal and sagittal planes. Seventy patients(16%, 113 sites) of 435 images showed high FDG uptake(pSUV>4.0) : 50(74%, 84 sites) with diffuse uptake and 20(26%, 29sites) with focal uptake. The most common distribution site of oral contrast media was small bowel (n=27, 39%) and others were small bowel with transverse colon(n=6, 8%), small bowel with ascending and sigmoid colon(n=6, 8%) and etc. In PET/CT images, FDG uptake coexisted with oral contrast was showed in 26 patients(54%) with diffuse pattern and 9(45%) with focal pattern, and by sites, those were 38(45%) and 9(31%), respectively. In small bowel regions, the most common distribution site, the proportion of coexistence reached as high as 61% (29 in the total 47 sites). Application of low dose contrast agent can be helpful in the evaluation of intestinal uptake in FDG PET/CT image.

Usefulness of low dose oral contrast media in FDG PET/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Y. S.; Yun, J. G.; Lee, M. H.; Cho, C. W.; Yun, S. N

2004-01-01

Oral contrast media might help in interpreting PET/CT images, allowing better discrimination between physiologic and pathologic abdominal uptake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of low dose oral contrast on FDG PET/CT. A total of 435 cancer patients received 200mL of oral Barium with water(200mL) immediately before FDG injection. PET images were reconstructed using attenuation correction and iterative reconstruction. The FDG uptake in gastrointestinal(GI) tract were analyzed by visual and semiquantitative method in transaxial, coronal and sagittal planes. Seventy patients(16%, 113 sites) of 435 images showed high FDG uptake(pSUV>4.0) : 50(74%, 84 sites) with diffuse uptake and 20(26%, 29sites) with focal uptake. The most common distribution site of oral contrast media was small bowel (n=27, 39%) and others were small bowel with transverse colon(n=6, 8%), small bowel with ascending and sigmoid colon(n=6, 8%) and etc. In PET/CT images, FDG uptake coexisted with oral contrast was showed in 26 patients(54%) with diffuse pattern and 9(45%) with focal pattern, and by sites, those were 38(45%) and 9(31%), respectively. In small bowel regions, the most common distribution site, the proportion of coexistence reached as high as 61% (29 in the total 47 sites). Application of low dose contrast agent can be helpful in the evaluation of intestinal uptake in FDG PET/CT image

Oral contrast medium in PET/CT: should you or shouldn't you?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groves, Ashley M.; Kayani, Irfan; Dickson, John C.; Townsend, Caroline; Croasdale, Ian; Syed, Rizwan; Nagabushan, Nagesh; Hain, Sharon F.; Ell, Peter J.; Bomanji, Jamshed B.

2005-01-01

It has been suggested that the use of computed tomography (CT) positive contrast agents has led to attenuation-induced artefacts on 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) systems. Consequently, centres may withhold the use of such agents. Whilst there is theoretical evidence to support the aforementioned claim, the clinical relevance of the induced artefacts has not been widely established. Moreover, the potential benefits of bowel enhancement on PET/CT have yet to be formally evaluated. We therefore prospectively examined PET/CT studies to assess whether the use of oral contrast medium induces clinically relevant artefacts and whether the use of these agents is diagnostically helpful. Over a 2-month period, 18 F-FDG PET/CT images were prospectively reviewed from 200 patients following Gastrografin administration 2 h prior to examination. Both a radiologist and a nuclear medicine physician reviewed the images for contrast medium-mediated clinically relevant artefacts. Artefacts were sought on the CT attenuation-corrected images and were compared with the appearance on non-attenuated-corrected images. The number of examinations in which the oral contrast aided image interpretation was also noted. There were no oral contrast medium-induced clinically significant artefacts. In 38 of the 200 patients, oral contrast aided image interpretation (owing to differentiation of mass/node from bowel, discrimination of intestinal wall from lumen or definition of the anatomy of a relevant site). In 33 of these 38 patients, the anatomical site of interest was the abdomen/pelvis. The use of oral contrast medium in 18 F-FDG PET studies should not be withheld as it improves image interpretation and does not produce clinically significant artefacts. (orig.)

Quantitative tracking of tumor cells in phase-contrast microscopy exploiting halo artifact pattern

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Mi-Sun; Song, Soo-Min; Lee, Hana; Kim, Myoung-Hee

2012-03-01

Tumor cell morphology is closely related to its invasiveness characteristics and migratory behaviors. An invasive tumor cell has a highly irregular shape, whereas a spherical cell is non-metastatic. Thus, quantitative analysis of cell features is crucial to determine tumor malignancy or to test the efficacy of anticancer treatment. We use phase-contrast microscopy to analyze single cell morphology and to monitor its change because it enables observation of long-term activity of living cells without photobleaching and phototoxicity, which is common in other fluorescence-labeled microscopy. Despite this advantage, there are image-level drawbacks to phase-contrast microscopy, such as local light effect and contrast interference ring, among others. Thus, we first applied a local filter to compensate for non-uniform illumination. Then, we used intensity distribution information to detect the cell boundary. In phase-contrast microscopy images, the cell normally appears as a dark region surrounded by a bright halo. As the halo artifact around the cell body is minimal and has an asymmetric diffusion pattern, we calculated the cross-sectional plane that intersected the center of each cell and was orthogonal to the first principal axis. Then, we extracted the dark cell region by level set. However, a dense population of cultured cells still rendered single-cell analysis difficult. Finally, we measured roundness and size to classify tumor cells into malignant and benign groups. We validated segmentation accuracy by comparing our findings with manually obtained results.

Holography microscopy as an artifact-free alternative to phase-contrast.

Science.gov (United States)

Pastorek, Lukáš; Venit, Tomáš; Hozák, Pavel

2018-02-01

Artifact-free microscopic images represent a key requirement of multi-parametric image analysis in modern biomedical research. Holography microscopy (HM) is one of the quantitative phase imaging techniques, which has been finding new applications in life science, especially in morphological screening, cell migration, and cancer research. Rather than the classical imaging of absorbing (typically stained) specimens by bright-field microscopy, the information about the light-wave's phase shifts induced by the biological sample is employed for final image reconstruction. In this comparative study, we investigated the usability and the reported advantage of the holography imaging. The claimed halo-free imaging was analyzed compared to the widely used Zernike phase-contrast microscopy. The intensity and phase cross-membrane profiles at the periphery of the cell were quantified. The intensity profile for cells in the phase-contrast images suffers from the significant increase in intensity values around the cell border. On the contrary, no distorted profile is present outside the cell membrane in holography images. The gradual increase in phase shift values is present in the internal part of the cell body projection in holography image. This increase may be related to the increase in the cell internal material according to the dry mass theory. Our experimental data proved the halo-free nature of the holography imaging, which is an important prerequisite of the correct thresholding and cell segmentation, nowadays frequently required in high-content screening and other image-based analysis. Consequently, HM is a method of choice whenever the image analysis relies on the accurate data on cell boundaries.

Bioadhesive agents in addition to oral contrast media - evaluation in an animal model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conrad, R.; Schneider, G.; Textor, J.; Schild, H.H.; Fimmers, R.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the additional effect of bioadhesives in combination with iotrolan and barium as oral contrast media in an animal model. Method: The bioadhesives Noveon, CMC, Tylose and Carbopol 934 were added to iotrolan and barium. The solutions were administered to rabbits by a feeding tube. The animals were investigated by computed tomography (CT) and radiography after 0,5, 4, 12, 24 and in part after 48 hours. Mucosal coating and contrast filling of the bowel were evaluated. Results: Addition of bioadhesives to oral contrast media effected long-term contrast in the small intestine and colon, but no improvement in continuous filling and coating of the gastrointestinal tract was detected. Mucosal coating was seen only in short regions of the caecum and small intestine. In CT the best results for coating were observed with tylose and CMC, in radiography additionally with carbopol and noveon. All contrast medium solutions were well tolerated. Conclusion: The evaluated contrast medium solutions with bioadhesives have shown long-term contrast but no improvement in coating in comparison to conventional oral contrast media. (orig.) [de

The primary applications of Gd-DTPA as an oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent for MRCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yanping; Zhang Xuelin; Cheng Guanxun; Chang Renmin; Zhang Yuzhong; Cang Peng; Xia Qiong

2003-01-01

Objective: Using oral Gd-DTPA as a negative contrast agent to null the bowel signal during MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to improve the quality of MRCP. Methods: A phantom study was performed to select the optimal concentration of Gd-DTPA to be used as an oral negative contrast agent in MRCP. 15 patients suspected of biliary tract and pancreatic disease were performed with MRCP before and after using 250 ml oral contrast agents (1:5 diluted Gd-DTPA, 1.488 g/L). All MR images were acquired using a 1.5 T whole body MR scanner (Vision Plus, Siemens). MRCP was acquired using two-dimensional single slice fast spin-echo sequence and HASTE (half-fourier acquisition single-shot fast spin echo) sequence. Results: The phantom study showed that the dilution ratio 1:5 of Gd-DTPA oral contrast agent was best in decreasing the signal intensity both in T 2 WI (59.3%) and in HASTE sequence (82.45%). All the dilution ratio of Gd-DTPA oral contrast agent decreased the signal intensity up to 90% on single slice MRCP. In all the patients the high signal intensity from the stomach and intestinal fluid was completely suppressed. The depictions of common bile duct and pancreatic duct were markedly improved by the oral contrast agent (P<0.05). Conclusion: 1:5 diluted (1.488 g/L) oral MR contrast agent Gd-DTPA can be an effective and safe negative contrast agent in eliminating signal intensity of the gastrointestinal tract, thus improving the depiction of the biliary system in MRCP

Combine TV-L1 model with guided image filtering for wide and faint ring artifacts correction of in-line x-ray phase contrast computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Dongjiang; Qu, Gangrong; Hu, Chunhong; Zhao, Yuqing; Chen, Xiaodong

2018-01-01

In practice, mis-calibrated detector pixels give rise to wide and faint ring artifacts in the reconstruction image of the In-line phase-contrast computed tomography (IL-PC-CT). Ring artifacts correction is essential in IL-PC-CT. In this study, a novel method of wide and faint ring artifacts correction was presented based on combining TV-L1 model with guided image filtering (GIF) in the reconstruction image domain. The new correction method includes two main steps namely, the GIF step and the TV-L1 step. To validate the performance of this method, simulation data and real experimental synchrotron data are provided. The results demonstrate that TV-L1 model with GIF step can effectively correct the wide and faint ring artifacts for IL-PC-CT.

Artifacts in MR angiography of the intracranial vessels using the 3D TOF and 3D PC techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Dong Woo; Lee, Seung Ro; Hahm, Chang Kok; Kim, Yong Soo; Park, Choong Ki

1997-01-01

To classify artifacts and to assess their frequency in magnetic resonance angiography of intracranial vessels using three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast techniques. One hundred and eleven patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease were imaged on a 1.5T superconducting magnetic resonance machine employing three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiographic techniques. We retrospectively reviewed the artifacts in three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography of the intracranial circulatory system, comparing them with routine spin-echo magnetic resonance images and magnetic resonance angiography source images, and partially with conventional angiography. Artifacts in magnetic resonance angiography were classified as flow-related, and flow-unrealted, by patient, hardware, magnetic resonance angiography acquisition and postprocessing techniques. Type and frequency of flow-related artifacts included saturation artifact (100%), dephasing artifact (100%), phase-encoding ghost artifact (97%), turbulence artifact (14%) and flow displacement artifact (5%) on three- dimensional time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography, and phase aliasing artifact (2%) on three-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography. Type and frequency of flow-unrelated artifacts included stair-step artifact (100%) by three- dimensional reconstruction process, magnetic susceptibility artifact by carotid canal (69%) and metal (4%), maximum intensity projection artifact (30%) by maximum intensity projection algorithm, and motion artifact by respiration (20%) and voluntary movement (8%); these were seen on both time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography. Paramagnetic substance artifact by fat and paranasal sinus mucosa (100%), hematoma (14%) and gadolinium (5%) were seen on time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography. In three- dimensional time-of-flight and

Barium sulfate suspension as a negative oral contrast agent for MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, K.C.P.; Tart, R.P.; Fitzsimmons, J.R.; Storm, B.; Mao, J.

1989-01-01

Proton spectroscopy with linewidth measurements and MR imaging were performed on various commercially available barium sulfate suspensions as well as inorganic sulfates and barium salts. Approximately 500 mL of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 70% wt/wt single-contrast oral barium sulfate suspensions were administered to four normal volunteers, and MR imaging was performed with both a 1.5-T and a 0.15-T MR imager. As much as 80% of the small bowel and the entire colon were well visualized with the 60% or 70% wt/wt single-contrast barium sulfate suspensions. The authors conclude that barium sulfate suspensions are useful as oral MR contrast agents

Colon cancer mimicking physiologic FDG uptake: with using of negative oral contrast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Young Jin; Kang, Do Young

2006-01-01

A 64-year-old female with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) was assigned to our department for whole body PET/CT scan. She ingested 1 liter of pure water as negative oral contrast just before PET/CT examination. FDG-PET/CT images showed a very intense hypermetabolic, focal lesion in the abdominal cavity around descending colon. The SUVmax of the lesion was 17.2. But there was no abnormal lesion corresponded to the area of PET scan in the combined contrast enhanced CT scan. We suggested considering a malignant lesion due to very intense glycolytic activity. Conventional abdominal CT scan and colonoscopy were accomplished within one week after PET/CT evaluation. There was no abnormality in both examinations. We executed follow-up PET/CT evaluation after 1 month and couldn't find any abnormality around the corresponding area. So we concluded the hypermetabolism was colonic physiologic uptake. A colonic physiologic uptake is a well known cause of false positive finding. Nuclear physicians should be considered the possibility of malignancy when interpret focal colonic uptake, especially incidental finding. 1-3) There are a few reports that using of negative oral contrast is able to reduce gastrointestinal physiologic uptakes. 4,5) But as we can see in this case, although we used negative oral contrast, intense physiologic uptake is detected and maxSUV is able to up to 17.2. So, it is important to keep a fact in mind. Even though there is a colonic physiologic uptake in PET/CT image, it may be able to show very intense hypermetabolism regardless of using negative oral contrast

Gadolinium-DTPA as an oral contrast medium for MR tomography of the abdomen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krahe, T.; Doelken, W.; Lackner, K.; Houselog, M.

1990-01-01

150 MR examinations of the upper abdomen were carried out after the oral administration of 5 ml/kg body weight of a gadolinium DTPA formulation (1.0 mmol/l, 15 g/l manitol), with reference to the delineation of the pancreas, the liver and intra-abdominal fat. For comparison, 100 MR examinations without oral opacification of the G.I. tract were evaluated. Contrast administration resulted in a signal-intensive demonstration of the G.I tract for all measurement sequences. The intraluminal contrast improved the distinction between normal and abnormal structures, T 1 and T 2 sequences and the demonstration of fat on T 2 -weighted series. T 1 -weighted series showed the best diagnostic results. In 25% there was meteorism and diarrhoea within 24 hours of the administration of the oral contrast. (orig.) [de

Ct enterography/ct abdomen and pelvis using neutral oral contrast. a new combination of natural products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslam, M.O.

2014-01-01

Our purpose was to assess the performance of a new combination of neutral oral contrast for CT abdomen and CT Enterography in comparison with commercially available neutral oral contrast VoLumen. Seventy three consecutive patients were given sorbitol/CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose) solution or VoLumen as oral contrast agent for abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. 23 patients were male and 37 females. Age range was between 16 and 67 years. Since the use of CT scan for abdominal pathologies, there was need to separate bowel loops to localize the pathology. Three types of oral contrast can be used in CT-Scan abdomen; Positive, Neutral and negative. The above used contrasts are Neutral contrast these refers to agents that have an attenuation value similar to that of water (0-30 H).Our results show this new combination of Cc and Sorbitol to be equally good as VoLumen, for luminal distension and mural details, in duodenum and jejunum. While better than VoLumen for Ileal distension. (author)

Identification of a unique cause of ring artifact seen in computed tomography trans-axial images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, Ashish Kumar; Purandare, Nilendu C; Shah, Sneha; Agrawal, Archi; Puranik, Ameya D; Rangarajan, Venkatesh

2013-01-01

Artifacts present in computed tomography (CT) image often degrade the image quality and ultimately, the diagnostic outcome. Ring artifact in trans-axial image is caused by either miscalibrated or defective detector element of detector row, which is often categorized as scanner based artifact. A ring artifact detected on trans-axial CT image of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), was caused by contamination of CT tube aperture by droplet of injectable contrast medium. This artifact was corrected by removal of contrast droplet from CT tube aperture. The ring artifact is a very common artifact, commonly cited in the literature. Our case puts forward an uncommon cause of this artifact and its method of correction, which also, has no mention in the existing literature

Clinical experience with a commercially available negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hausegger, K.; Reinprecht, P.; Kau, T.; Igerc, I.; Lind, P.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to evaluate a commercially available negative oral contrast material for PET/CT. Material and methods: in a prospective series of 49 patients, Mukofalk registered , which is a vegetarian-based substance, was used as a negative oral contrast medium in whole body PET/CT studies. Mukofalk was administered during a time period of 1.5 hours before the examination. Quality of small bowl distension and eventual pathological tracer uptake in the intestine were evaluated. Results: distension of the small bowel was excellent or good in 41 (85%) and poor in 8 (15%) patients. Mild tracer uptake in the small bowel was observed in 5 patients (10.2%) and moderate uptake in another 2 patients (4%). In none of these patients did the F-18 FDG uptake interfere with image interpretation. Conclusion: Mukofalk registered can be used as a negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT studies. (orig.)

Clinical experience with a commercially available negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hausegger, K.; Reinprecht, P. [Roentgendiagnostisches Zentralinstitut, LKH Klagenfurt (Austria); Kau, T. [Roentgendiagnostisches Zentral Inst., Klagenfurt (Austria); Igerc, I.; Lind, P. [Abt. fuer Nuklearmedizin und Spezielle Endokrinologie, LKH Klagenfurt (Austria)

2005-06-01

Purpose: to evaluate a commercially available negative oral contrast material for PET/CT. Material and methods: in a prospective series of 49 patients, Mukofalk {sup registered}, which is a vegetarian-based substance, was used as a negative oral contrast medium in whole body PET/CT studies. Mukofalk was administered during a time period of 1.5 hours before the examination. Quality of small bowl distension and eventual pathological tracer uptake in the intestine were evaluated. Results: distension of the small bowel was excellent or good in 41 (85%) and poor in 8 (15%) patients. Mild tracer uptake in the small bowel was observed in 5 patients (10.2%) and moderate uptake in another 2 patients (4%). In none of these patients did the F-18 FDG uptake interfere with image interpretation. Conclusion: Mukofalk {sup registered} can be used as a negative oral contrast medium in PET/CT studies. (orig.)

Oral gadopentetate dimeglumine administration as a negative gastrointestinal contrast agent to improve image quality of MR cholangiopancreatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yi; Xu Yikai; Zhao Yuhui; Wang Guisheng

2008-01-01

Objective: To choose optimal concentration and volume of Gd-DTPA solution as a oral gastrointestinal negative contrast agent for MRCP. To evaluate the role of Gd-DTPA solution in improving image quality of MRCP. Methods: In vitro experiment: Gd-DTPA solution was made with different concentrations. T 1 WI, T 2 WI, two-dimensional single slice fast spin echo sequence and three-dimensional half-fourier acquisition single-shot fast spin echo sequence were performed to measure the signal intensity of these contrast agents respectively, so Gd-DTPA solution with the optimal concentration can be decided as oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent on MRCP. Clinical study: The Gd-DTPA solution with optimal concentration and volume was regarded as an oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent of MRCP. Twenty- four' patients were performed with MRCP before and after (5-10 minutes and 10-15 minutes) administration of oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent and image quality was analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance with SPSS 10.0. Results: When the concentration of Gd-DTPA solution was ≤0.01 mol/L, the contrast agent was hyperintense on T 1 WI. On T 2 WI, when the concentration was ≥0.015 mol/L, it was as hypointense as basic ground; On 2D FSE MRCP images, controls were hyperintense and the contrast agent with concentration ranging from 0.0025 mol/L to 0.03 mol/L was hypointense. On 3D HEAST MRCP image, controls were hyperintense and when the concentration of Gd-DTPA was ≥0.01 mol, the contrast agent was hypointense. The Gd-DTPA solution with the concentration of 0.01 mol/L and the volume of 100 ml was chosen as MRCP oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent. On MRCP images after oral administration of the contrast agent, in 10-15 minutes, the average grade scores within 24 patients of the intrahepatic bile duct, the common hepatic bile duct, the gall bladder, the common bile duct and pancreatic duct (the average grade

Interactive neonatal gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging using fruit juice as an oral contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arthurs, Owen J; Graves, Martin J; Edwards, Andrea D; Joubert, Ilse; Set, Pat AK; Lomas, David J

2014-01-01

The objective was to evaluate the use of fruit juice with an interactive inversion recovery (IR) MR pulse sequence to visualise the gastrointestinal tract. We investigated the relaxation properties of 12 different natural fruit juices in vitro, to identify which could be used as oral contrast. We then describe our initial experience using an interactive MR pulse sequence to allow optimal visualisation after administering pineapple juice orally, and suppressing pre-existing bowel fluid contents, with variable TI in three adult and one child volunteer. Pineapple juice (PJ) had both the shortest T 1 (243 ms) and shortest T 2 (48 ms) of the fruit juices tested. Optimal signal differentiation between pre-existing bowel contents and oral PJ administration was obtained with TIs of between 900 and 1100 ms. The use of an inversion recovery preparation allowed long T 1 pre-existing bowel contents to be suppressed whilst the short T 1 of fruit juice acts as a positive contrast medium. Pineapple juice could be used as oral contrast agent for neonatal gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging

Computed tomography enterography: a comparison of different neutral oral contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Ippolito, Giuseppe; Braga, Fernanda Angeli; Resende, Marcelo Cardoso; Bretas, Elisa Almeida Sathler; Nunes, Thiago Franchi; Rosas, George de Queiroz; Tiferes, Dario Arie

2012-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of neutral oral contrast agents, comparing intestinal distension, distinction of intestinal wall, acceptance and side effects. Materials and Methods: Prospective, randomized, and double-blinded study involving 30 patients who underwent computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis with administration of neutral oral contrast agents, divided into three groups according the contrast agent type: milk, water, and polyethylene glycol. The images were consensually analyzed by two observers, considering the degree of bowel distension and intestinal wall distinction. The patients responded to a questionnaire regarding the taste of the ingested solution and on their side effects. Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Among 40 studied intestinal segments, appropriate bowel distension (intestinal loop diameter > 2 cm) was observed in 14 segments (35%) in the milk group, 10 segments (25%) in the water group and 23 segments (57%) in the polyethylene glycol group (p = 0.01). Preparation with polyethylene glycol resulted in the best bowel distension, but it presented the worst taste and highest incidence of diarrhea as reported by patients. Conclusion: Bowel preparation with oral polyethylene glycol results in higher degree of bowel distension than with water or milk, but presents worst acceptance related to its taste and frequency of diarrhea as a side effect. (author)

Computed tomography enterography: a comparison of different neutral oral contrast agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Ippolito, Giuseppe, E-mail: giuseppe_dr@uol.com.br [Department of Imaging Diagnosis, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Braga, Fernanda Angeli; Resende, Marcelo Cardoso; Bretas, Elisa Almeida Sathler; Nunes, Thiago Franchi; Rosas, George de Queiroz; Tiferes, Dario Arie [Abdominal Imaging Section, Department of Imaging Diagnosis - Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-05-15

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of neutral oral contrast agents, comparing intestinal distension, distinction of intestinal wall, acceptance and side effects. Materials and Methods: Prospective, randomized, and double-blinded study involving 30 patients who underwent computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis with administration of neutral oral contrast agents, divided into three groups according the contrast agent type: milk, water, and polyethylene glycol. The images were consensually analyzed by two observers, considering the degree of bowel distension and intestinal wall distinction. The patients responded to a questionnaire regarding the taste of the ingested solution and on their side effects. Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Among 40 studied intestinal segments, appropriate bowel distension (intestinal loop diameter > 2 cm) was observed in 14 segments (35%) in the milk group, 10 segments (25%) in the water group and 23 segments (57%) in the polyethylene glycol group (p = 0.01). Preparation with polyethylene glycol resulted in the best bowel distension, but it presented the worst taste and highest incidence of diarrhea as reported by patients. Conclusion: Bowel preparation with oral polyethylene glycol results in higher degree of bowel distension than with water or milk, but presents worst acceptance related to its taste and frequency of diarrhea as a side effect. (author)

The effect of palatability of oral contrast media on compliance with drinking protocols, and on bowel opacification, in abdominal CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, Bruno; Basu, Avi; Kithoray, Surjinder; Tyagi, Raman; Campbell, Shona; Liddicoat, Amanda

2009-01-01

Purpose: To assess whether palatability of oral contrast in CT has an impact on adherence to oral contrast media drinking protocols; and whether such variation has an impact on bowel opacification. Three different types of contrast media were compared; ionic and non-ionic iodinated oral contrast (Gastrografin, Diatrizoate, Schering AG), Gastromiro (Iopamidol, Bracco SpA) and the barium based contrast E-Z-Cat (E-Z-EM). Materials and methods: In the first stage of the study 101 prospective patients were randomly given 1 L of a ∼2% solution of Gastrografin or Gastromiro prior to a body CT scan. Data was recorded concerning the palatability of the oral contrast, drinking protocol compliance and bowel opacification. The second stage involved 66 prospective patients given Gastromiro or E-Z-Cat (again 1 L of ∼2% solution). Results: Gastromiro had better palatability than Gastrografin (p = 0.001) and improved protocol compliance. E-Z-Cat had similar palatability to Gastromiro . Patients who found the oral contrast more palatable had improved drinking protocol compliance (p = 0.007) and improved small bowel opacification (p = 0.03). E-Z-Cat had similar palatability and protocol compliance to Gastromiro but better overall small bowel opacification (p = 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion we suggest that the palatability of oral contrast is not only important to the patients overall experience of body CT, but that it is also linked to adherence with oral contrast drinking protocols leading to better bowel opacification.

Abdominal 64-MDCT for suspected appendicitis: the use of oral and IV contrast material versus IV contrast material only.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Stephan W; Soto, Jorge A; Lucey, Brian C; Ozonoff, Al; Jordan, Jacqueline D; Ratevosian, Jirair; Ulrich, Andrew S; Rathlev, Niels K; Mitchell, Patricia M; Rebholz, Casey; Feldman, James A; Rhea, James T

2009-11-01

The objective of our study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of IV contrast-enhanced 64-MDCT with and without the use of oral contrast material in diagnosing appendicitis in patients with abdominal pain. We conducted a randomized trial of a convenience sample of adult patients presenting to an urban academic emergency department with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain and clinical suspicion of appendicitis, diverticulitis, or small-bowel obstruction. Patients were enrolled between 8 am and 11 pm when research assistants were present. Consenting subjects were randomized into one of two groups: Group 1 subjects underwent 64-MDCT performed with oral and IV contrast media and group 2 subjects underwent 64-MDCT performed solely with IV contrast material. Three expert radiologists independently reviewed the CT examinations, evaluating for the presence of appendicitis. Each radiologist interpreted 202 examinations, ensuring that each examination was interpreted by two radiologists. Individual reader performance and a combined interpretation performance of the two readers assigned to each case were calculated. In cases of disagreement, the third reader was asked to deliver a tiebreaker interpretation to be used to calculate the combined reader performance. Final outcome was based on operative, clinical, and follow-up data. We compared radiologic diagnoses with clinical outcomes to calculate the diagnostic accuracy of CT in both groups. Of the 303 patients enrolled, 151 patients (50%) were randomized to group 1 and the remaining 152 (50%) were randomized to group 2. The combined reader performance for the diagnosis of appendicitis in group 1 was a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 76.8-100%) and specificity of 97.1% (95% CI, 92.7-99.2%). The performance in group 2 was a sensitivity of 100% (73.5-100%) and specificity of 97.1% (92.9-99.2%). Patients presenting with nontraumatic abdominal pain imaged using 64-MDCT with isotropic reformations had similar characteristics for the

Survey on the artifacts of magnetic resonance imaging in the maxillo-facial regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arita, Masahiro; Okayosi, Tetsuo; Sakamoto, Fumihiko; Furuhasi, Kaiji; Wakuta, Kazunari; Ohba, Takeshi; Morikawa, Masao; Han, Dongwei

2000-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is accepted as a valuable method for evaluating and diagnosing various diseases in medical and dental area. On the other hand, dental magnetic attachments have been applied as one of the most suitable retainers of removable prostheses. The dental magnetic attachment is an advanced procedure for the restoration, whereas the dental magnetic attachment is one of the causes of MRI artifacts and/or distortions. In this study the results obtained by a survey in general hospitals on MRI artifacts caused by dental metals, especially dental magnetic attachments, are reported. The results obtained were as follows; MRI artifacts are experienced in most hospitals. Most radiologists did not regard the effect of the magnetic alloy as the cause, although they thought dental metals in oral cavity were the main cause of MRI artifact. Although about a half of radiologist were aware of the presence of the magnetic attachments, few of them had little experience in taking pictures of the patients with magnetic attachment or magnetic keepers by using MRI. Even when dental metals and magnetic keepers in oral cavity were considered to produce the MRI artifacts, none of radiologists asked dentists to remove them. They tried to solve the trouble of MRI artifacts by themselves. Prothodontists should give much more information about the dental magnetic attachment to radiologists and medical doctors in addition to improving the magnetic attachment and investigating materials to minimize the effect on MRI. (author)

The comparative study of various oral contrast media in 3D display of gastric lesions in spiral CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Dong; Zhou Kangrong; Peng Weijun

2001-01-01

Objective: To optimize the oral contrast media in three-dimensional display of gastric lesions. Methods: 41 cases were randomly divided into 3 groups according to different oral contrast media administered: No. 1 air contrast group (n = 17), No. 2 fat emulsion group (n = 7) and No. 3 positive contrast group (n = 25). The 3D CT images were reconstructed using MPR, SSD, RaySum display and virtual endoscopic techniques, and compared with gastric endoscopy and/or conventional barium study. Results: The detectability of gastric lesions using fat emulsion and air contrast was 42.8%(3/7) and 80.0%(20/25), respectively, both were significantly lower than that using positive contrast (100%, 30/30) (x 2 = 19.22, P 2 = 6.60, P 2 = 17.04, P < 0.01). Conclusion: It is very important to choose the appropriate oral contrast media for 3D display of gastric lesions in spiral CT, the positive contrast agent is the optimal choice

Correcting for motion artifact in handheld laser speckle images

Science.gov (United States)

Lertsakdadet, Ben; Yang, Bruce Y.; Dunn, Cody E.; Ponticorvo, Adrien; Crouzet, Christian; Bernal, Nicole; Durkin, Anthony J.; Choi, Bernard

2018-03-01

Laser speckle imaging (LSI) is a wide-field optical technique that enables superficial blood flow quantification. LSI is normally performed in a mounted configuration to decrease the likelihood of motion artifact. However, mounted LSI systems are cumbersome and difficult to transport quickly in a clinical setting for which portability is essential in providing bedside patient care. To address this issue, we created a handheld LSI device using scientific grade components. To account for motion artifact of the LSI device used in a handheld setup, we incorporated a fiducial marker (FM) into our imaging protocol and determined the difference between highest and lowest speckle contrast values for the FM within each data set (Kbest and Kworst). The difference between Kbest and Kworst in mounted and handheld setups was 8% and 52%, respectively, thereby reinforcing the need for motion artifact quantification. When using a threshold FM speckle contrast value (KFM) to identify a subset of images with an acceptable level of motion artifact, mounted and handheld LSI measurements of speckle contrast of a flow region (KFLOW) in in vitro flow phantom experiments differed by 8%. Without the use of the FM, mounted and handheld KFLOW values differed by 20%. To further validate our handheld LSI device, we compared mounted and handheld data from an in vivo porcine burn model of superficial and full thickness burns. The speckle contrast within the burn region (KBURN) of the mounted and handheld LSI data differed by burns. Collectively, our results suggest the potential of handheld LSI with an FM as a suitable alternative to mounted LSI, especially in challenging clinical settings with space limitations such as the intensive care unit.

Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Jingu, Akiko; Fukuda, Junya; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Tsushima, Yoshito

2014-10-06

Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR).The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15-87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma.

Breakthrough reactions of iodinated and gadolinium contrast media after oral steroid premedication protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jingu, Akiko; Fukuda, Junya; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Tsushima, Yoshito

2014-01-01

Adverse reactions to iodinated and gadolinium contrast media are an important clinical issue. Although some guidelines have proposed oral steroid premedication protocols to prevent adverse reactions, some patients may have reactions to contrast media in spite of premedication (breakthrough reaction; BTR). The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type and severity of BTR when following an oral steroid premedication protocol. All iodinated and gadolinium contrast-enhanced radiologic examinations between August 2011 and February 2013 for which the premedication protocol was applied in our institution were assessed for BTRs. The protocol was applied to a total of 252 examinations (153 patients, ages 15–87 years; 63 males, 90 females). Of these, 152 were for prior acute adverse reactions to contrast media, 85 were for a history of bronchial asthma, and 15 were for other reasons. There were 198 contrast enhanced CTs and 54 contrast enhanced MRIs. There were nine BTR (4.5%) for iodinated contrast media, and only one BTR (1.9%) for gadolinium contrast media: eight were mild and one was moderate. No patient who had a mild index reaction (IR) had a severe BTR. Incidence of BTRs when following the premedication protocol was low. This study by no means proves the efficacy of premedication, but provides some support for following a premedication protocol to improve safety of contrast-enhanced examinations when prior adverse reactions are mild, or when there is a history of asthma

Comparison between computed tomography with oral oil-based contrast and laparotomy for gastric cancer staging; Tomografia computerizada con contraste oral graso frente a lapartomia en la estadificacion del cancer gastrico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marco, S. F.; Garcia-Vila, J. H.; Cervera, J.; Gomez, R.; Piqueras, R. M.; Perona, I.; Escrig, J.; Salvador, J. L. [Hospital General de Castello. Castellon (Spain)

2000-07-01

To compare the utility of conventional computed tomography (CT) with oral oil-based contrast with that of laparotomy in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer. We prospectively studied 41 patients diagnosed as having gastric adenocarcinoma according to the results of endoscopy and biopsy. Applying the TNM classification for gastric cancer staging, we compared the findings in CT associated with oral oil-based contrast and intraoperative staging with definitive postoperative pathological staging. Definitive pathological studies demonstrated that there were 7 stage T1-T2 lesions, 26 stage T3 and 8 stage T4. The assessment of lymph node involvement showed that 10 patients presented stage N0 and 31 stage N1-N3. Ten patients had metastases. The diagnostic reliability for tumor staging according to CT was 56% versus 80% for laparotomy. In the determination of nodal involvement CT had a diagnostic yield of 71% versus 6% for laparotomy. Metastatic disease was correctly diagnosed by CT in 83% of cases versus 88% by laparotomy. There were no statistically significant differences between CT with oral oil-based contrast and laparotomy for the staging of nodal involvement and metastases. However, the CT diagnosis was significantly more reliable than laparotomy for the determination of tumor infiltration. (Author) 21 refs.

Interindividual testing of water-soluble oral contrast media in respect of diagnostic ranking, side effects and taste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staebler, A.; Fink, U.; Siuda, S.; Neville, S.

1989-01-01

Three groups of patients (n = 55, 52 and 54) were examined with the X-ray contrast media Gastrografin, Peritrast-Oral GI, and Telebrix Gastro to assess the diagnostic ranking, side effects and taste of watersoluble oral contrast media. No significant differences were seen in respect of diagnostic ranking and side effects. Side effects were exclusively abdominal symptoms; there was no difference with regard to laxative action. Telebrix Gastroas accepted significantly better in respect of taste than Gastrografin and Peritrast-Oral GI. (orig.) [de

Synchronized multiartifact reduction with tomographic reconstruction (SMART-RECON): A statistical model based iterative image reconstruction method to eliminate limited-view artifacts and to mitigate the temporal-average artifacts in time-resolved CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guang-Hong; Li, Yinsheng

2015-08-01

In x-ray computed tomography (CT), a violation of the Tuy data sufficiency condition leads to limited-view artifacts. In some applications, it is desirable to use data corresponding to a narrow temporal window to reconstruct images with reduced temporal-average artifacts. However, the need to reduce temporal-average artifacts in practice may result in a violation of the Tuy condition and thus undesirable limited-view artifacts. In this paper, the authors present a new iterative reconstruction method, synchronized multiartifact reduction with tomographic reconstruction (SMART-RECON), to eliminate limited-view artifacts using data acquired within an ultranarrow temporal window that severely violates the Tuy condition. In time-resolved contrast enhanced CT acquisitions, image contrast dynamically changes during data acquisition. Each image reconstructed from data acquired in a given temporal window represents one time frame and can be denoted as an image vector. Conventionally, each individual time frame is reconstructed independently. In this paper, all image frames are grouped into a spatial-temporal image matrix and are reconstructed together. Rather than the spatial and/or temporal smoothing regularizers commonly used in iterative image reconstruction, the nuclear norm of the spatial-temporal image matrix is used in SMART-RECON to regularize the reconstruction of all image time frames. This regularizer exploits the low-dimensional structure of the spatial-temporal image matrix to mitigate limited-view artifacts when an ultranarrow temporal window is desired in some applications to reduce temporal-average artifacts. Both numerical simulations in two dimensional image slices with known ground truth and in vivo human subject data acquired in a contrast enhanced cone beam CT exam have been used to validate the proposed SMART-RECON algorithm and to demonstrate the initial performance of the algorithm. Reconstruction errors and temporal fidelity of the reconstructed

Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Small Bowel: Comparison of Different Oral Contrast Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asbach, P.; Breitwieser, C.; Diederichs, G.; Eisele, S.; Kivelitz, D.; Taupitz, M.; Zeitz, M.; Hamm, B.; Klessen, C.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate several substances regarding small bowel distension and contrast on balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine magnetic resonance (MR) images. Material and Methods: Luminal contrast was evaluated in 24 volunteers after oral application of two different contrast agent groups leading to either bright lumen (pineapple, blueberry juice) or dark lumen (tap water, orange juice) on T1-weighted images. Bowel distension was evaluated in 30 patients ingesting either methylcellulose or mannitol solution for limiting intestinal absorption. Fifteen patients with duodeno-jejunal intubation served as the control. Quantitative evaluation included measurement of luminal signal intensities and diameters of four bowel segments, qualitative evaluation assessed luminal contrast and distension on a five-point scale. Results: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the four contrast agents revealed no significant differences regarding luminal contrast on bSSFP images. Quantitative evaluation revealed significantly lower (P<0.05) small bowel distension for three out of four segments (qualitative evaluation: two out of four segments) for methylcellulose in comparison to the control. Mannitol was found to be equal to the control. Conclusion: Oral ingestion of tap water or orange juice in combination with mannitol is recommended for cine MR imaging of the small bowel regarding luminal contrast and small bowel distension on bSSFP sequences

Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Small Bowel: Comparison of Different Oral Contrast Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asbach, P.; Breitwieser, C.; Diederichs, G.; Eisele, S.; Kivelitz, D.; Taupitz, M.; Zeitz, M.; Hamm, B.; Klessen, C. [Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Charite Campus Mitte, Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Radiology

2006-11-15

Purpose: To evaluate several substances regarding small bowel distension and contrast on balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine magnetic resonance (MR) images. Material and Methods: Luminal contrast was evaluated in 24 volunteers after oral application of two different contrast agent groups leading to either bright lumen (pineapple, blueberry juice) or dark lumen (tap water, orange juice) on T1-weighted images. Bowel distension was evaluated in 30 patients ingesting either methylcellulose or mannitol solution for limiting intestinal absorption. Fifteen patients with duodeno-jejunal intubation served as the control. Quantitative evaluation included measurement of luminal signal intensities and diameters of four bowel segments, qualitative evaluation assessed luminal contrast and distension on a five-point scale. Results: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the four contrast agents revealed no significant differences regarding luminal contrast on bSSFP images. Quantitative evaluation revealed significantly lower (P<0.05) small bowel distension for three out of four segments (qualitative evaluation: two out of four segments) for methylcellulose in comparison to the control. Mannitol was found to be equal to the control. Conclusion: Oral ingestion of tap water or orange juice in combination with mannitol is recommended for cine MR imaging of the small bowel regarding luminal contrast and small bowel distension on bSSFP sequences.

From Artifacts to Archives: Digging into a Community's Past.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Judy

1991-01-01

Presents a two-month historical research project for use in a sixth grade social studies class. Includes student use of artifacts, photographs, news clippings, maps, and oral histories obtained by interviews. Suggests that children compile a chronological history of their community to analyze, organize, and record what they have learned. (DK)

Improved Image Quality in Head and Neck CT Using a 3D Iterative Approach to Reduce Metal Artifact.

Science.gov (United States)

Wuest, W; May, M S; Brand, M; Bayerl, N; Krauss, A; Uder, M; Lell, M

2015-10-01

Metal artifacts from dental fillings and other devices degrade image quality and may compromise the detection and evaluation of lesions in the oral cavity and oropharynx by CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of iterative metal artifact reduction on CT of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Data from 50 consecutive patients with metal artifacts from dental hardware were reconstructed with standard filtered back-projection, linear interpolation metal artifact reduction (LIMAR), and iterative metal artifact reduction. The image quality of sections that contained metal was analyzed for the severity of artifacts and diagnostic value. A total of 455 sections (mean ± standard deviation, 9.1 ± 4.1 sections per patient) contained metal and were evaluated with each reconstruction method. Sections without metal were not affected by the algorithms and demonstrated image quality identical to each other. Of these sections, 38% were considered nondiagnostic with filtered back-projection, 31% with LIMAR, and only 7% with iterative metal artifact reduction. Thirty-three percent of the sections had poor image quality with filtered back-projection, 46% with LIMAR, and 10% with iterative metal artifact reduction. Thirteen percent of the sections with filtered back-projection, 17% with LIMAR, and 22% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of moderate image quality, 16% of the sections with filtered back-projection, 5% with LIMAR, and 30% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of good image quality, and 1% of the sections with LIMAR and 31% with iterative metal artifact reduction were of excellent image quality. Iterative metal artifact reduction yields the highest image quality in comparison with filtered back-projection and linear interpolation metal artifact reduction in patients with metal hardware in the head and neck area. © 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Pineapple juice labeled with gadolinium: a convenient oral contrast for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coppens, Emmanuel; Metens, Thierry; Winant, Catherine; Matos, Celso

2005-01-01

The aim of our study was to prepare in vitro a pineapple juice (PJ) solution labeled with a minimal gadolinium concentration working as a negative contrast agent in heavily T2-weighted imaging and to assess that solution in vivo as a negative oral contrast agent for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Three PJs were compared in vitro according to their T2. Increasing concentrations of gadolinium (Gd)-DOTA in PJ were assessed in vitro for T2 reduction. Single-shot turbo spin echo T2-weighted MR cholangiopancreatograms were obtained for 35 patients with suspected biliopancreatic duct disease, before and after ingestion of the PJ/Gd-DOTA solution. Signal intensity (SI) measurements of gastroduodenal lumens, pancreatobiliary ducts, and image quality scores were obtained systematically before and after contrast ingestion. The in vitro selected Gd-DOTA concentration in the PJ was 2.76 mmol/l. Ingestion of 180 ml of PJ labeled with 1 ml of Gd-DOTA eliminated efficiently the gastroduodenal SI in MRCP, improving significantly the rates of complete visualization of the pancreatobiliary ducts (P<0.01) and the MRCP image quality scores (P<0.05). All patients easily ingested the contrast solution and found the solution palatable. PJ labeled with gadolinium constituted an efficient and convenient negative oral contrast agent for MRCP. (orig.)

Pineapple juice labeled with gadolinium: a convenient oral contrast for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coppens, Emmanuel; Metens, Thierry; Winant, Catherine; Matos, Celso [Hopital Erasme, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Radiology, Division of Magnetic Resonance, Brussels (Belgium)

2005-10-01

The aim of our study was to prepare in vitro a pineapple juice (PJ) solution labeled with a minimal gadolinium concentration working as a negative contrast agent in heavily T2-weighted imaging and to assess that solution in vivo as a negative oral contrast agent for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Three PJs were compared in vitro according to their T2. Increasing concentrations of gadolinium (Gd)-DOTA in PJ were assessed in vitro for T2 reduction. Single-shot turbo spin echo T2-weighted MR cholangiopancreatograms were obtained for 35 patients with suspected biliopancreatic duct disease, before and after ingestion of the PJ/Gd-DOTA solution. Signal intensity (SI) measurements of gastroduodenal lumens, pancreatobiliary ducts, and image quality scores were obtained systematically before and after contrast ingestion. The in vitro selected Gd-DOTA concentration in the PJ was 2.76 mmol/l. Ingestion of 180 ml of PJ labeled with 1 ml of Gd-DOTA eliminated efficiently the gastroduodenal SI in MRCP, improving significantly the rates of complete visualization of the pancreatobiliary ducts (P<0.01) and the MRCP image quality scores (P<0.05). All patients easily ingested the contrast solution and found the solution palatable. PJ labeled with gadolinium constituted an efficient and convenient negative oral contrast agent for MRCP. (orig.)

Inter-plane artifact suppression in tomosynthesis using 3D CT image data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Jae G

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite its superb lateral resolution, flat-panel-detector (FPD based tomosynthesis suffers from low contrast and inter-plane artifacts caused by incomplete cancellation of the projection components stemming from outside the focal plane. The incomplete cancellation of the projection components, mostly due to the limited scan angle in the conventional tomosynthesis scan geometry, often makes the image contrast too low to differentiate the malignant tissues from the background tissues with confidence. Methods In this paper, we propose a new method to suppress the inter-plane artifacts in FPD-based tomosynthesis. If 3D whole volume CT images are available before the tomosynthesis scan, the CT image data can be incorporated into the tomosynthesis image reconstruction to suppress the inter-plane artifacts, hence, improving the image contrast. In the proposed technique, the projection components stemming from outside the region-of-interest (ROI are subtracted from the measured tomosynthesis projection data to suppress the inter-plane artifacts. The projection components stemming from outside the ROI are calculated from the 3D whole volume CT images which usually have lower lateral resolution than the tomosynthesis images. The tomosynthesis images are reconstructed from the subtracted projection data which account for the x-ray attenuation through the ROI. After verifying the proposed method by simulation, we have performed both CT scan and tomosynthesis scan on a phantom and a sacrificed rat using a FPD-based micro-CT. Results We have measured contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR from the tomosynthesis images which is an indicator of the residual inter-plane artifacts on the focal-plane image. In both cases of the simulation and experimental imaging studies of the contrast evaluating phantom, CNRs have been significantly improved by the proposed method. In the rat imaging also, we have observed better visual contrast from the tomosynthesis

Inter-plane artifact suppression in tomosynthesis using 3D CT image data

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Despite its superb lateral resolution, flat-panel-detector (FPD) based tomosynthesis suffers from low contrast and inter-plane artifacts caused by incomplete cancellation of the projection components stemming from outside the focal plane. The incomplete cancellation of the projection components, mostly due to the limited scan angle in the conventional tomosynthesis scan geometry, often makes the image contrast too low to differentiate the malignant tissues from the background tissues with confidence. Methods In this paper, we propose a new method to suppress the inter-plane artifacts in FPD-based tomosynthesis. If 3D whole volume CT images are available before the tomosynthesis scan, the CT image data can be incorporated into the tomosynthesis image reconstruction to suppress the inter-plane artifacts, hence, improving the image contrast. In the proposed technique, the projection components stemming from outside the region-of-interest (ROI) are subtracted from the measured tomosynthesis projection data to suppress the inter-plane artifacts. The projection components stemming from outside the ROI are calculated from the 3D whole volume CT images which usually have lower lateral resolution than the tomosynthesis images. The tomosynthesis images are reconstructed from the subtracted projection data which account for the x-ray attenuation through the ROI. After verifying the proposed method by simulation, we have performed both CT scan and tomosynthesis scan on a phantom and a sacrificed rat using a FPD-based micro-CT. Results We have measured contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) from the tomosynthesis images which is an indicator of the residual inter-plane artifacts on the focal-plane image. In both cases of the simulation and experimental imaging studies of the contrast evaluating phantom, CNRs have been significantly improved by the proposed method. In the rat imaging also, we have observed better visual contrast from the tomosynthesis images reconstructed by

Local recurrence of rectal cancer: MR imaging before and after oral superparamagnetic particles vs contrast-enhanced computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomqvist, L.; Ohlsen, H.; Holm, T.

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare three imaging strategies for the diagnosis of local recurrence of rectal cancer: (a) MR imaging; (b) MR imaging after administration of enteral superparamagnetic particles (Ferristene); and (c) contrast-enhanced CT. Seventeen patients with previous surgery for rectal cancer were examined, 12 patients with local tumour recurrence in the pelvis and 5 patients with postoperative changes. Pelvic multi-coil MR imaging before and after oral administration of superparamagnetic contrast medium [Abdoscan (Ferristene USAN), Nycomed-Amersham, Lidingoe, Sweden] as well as abdominal and pelvic CT was performed in all patients. The examinations were independently evaluated by three different radiologists. The general effect of the oral MR contrast medium, the delineation of normal and pathological structures as well as confidence in the diagnosis were registered on a visual analog scale (VAS). The diagnosis according to MR before and after oral contrast medium, and CT, was compared, in 16 patients, with the final diagnosis which was verified by biopsy (n = 3), surgery (n = 6), clinical follow-up (n = 4) and by follow-up with MR or CT (n = 3). No significant improvement in MR image quality was found after enteral contrast medium. The post-contrast MR diagnosis was not changed in any of the patients. The diagnosis on MR correlated with the final diagnosis in 12 of 16 patients (sensitivity 91 %, accuracy 62 %) and the diagnosis on CT in 11 of 16 patients (sensitivity 82 %, accuracy 56 %). The radiologists' ''confidence'' in the diagnosis and the degree of accordance with the final diagnosis did not score higher on MR after than before oral contrast administration; however, the accordance with the final diagnosis scored better on MR than on CT. No advantages of orally administered superparamagnetic contrast medium were observed in the examined patient group. Magnetic resonance is preferable to CT in diagnosing local tumour recurrence. (orig.)

Analysis of aliasing artifacts in 16-slice helical CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wei; Liu Jingkang; Ou Xiaoguang; Li Wenzheng; Liao Weihua; Yan Ang

2006-01-01

Objective: To recognize the features of aliasing artifacts on CT images, and to investigate the effects of imaging parameters on the magnitude of this artifacts. Methods: An adult dry skull was placed in a plastic water-filled container and scanned with a PHILIPS 16-slice helical CT. All the acquired transaxial images by using several different acquisition or reconstruction parameters were examined for comparative assessment of the aliasing artifacts. Results: The aliasing artifacts could be seen in most instances and characterized as the spokewise patterns emanating from the edges of high contrast structure as its radius varies sharply in the longitudinal direction. The images that scanned with pitch of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9, respectively, showed aliasing artifacts, and its severities increased with pitches escalated (detector combination 16 x 1.5, reconstruction thickness 2 mm); There were more significant aliasing artifacts on the images reconstructed with 0.8 mm slice width compared with 1-mm slice width, and no aliasing artifacts were observed on the images reconstructed with 2-mm slice width (detector combination 16 x 0.75, pitch 0.6); No artifacts were perceived on the images scanned with detector combination 16 x 0.75, while presented evidently with the use of detector combination 16 x 1.5 (pitch 0.6, reconstruction thickness 2 mm); The degrees of aliasing artifacts were unaltered when reconstruction interval and tube current changed. Conclusions: Aliasing artifacts are caused by undersampling. When the operator choose the thinner sampling thickness, lower pitch and a much wider reconstruction thickness judiciously, aliasing artifacts could be effectively mitigated or suppressed. (authors)

Evaluation of date syrup as an oral negative contrast agent for MRCP.

Science.gov (United States)

Govindarajan, Arunkumar; Lakshmanan, Prakash Manikka; Sarawagi, Radha; Prabhakaran, Velu

2014-11-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the in vitro effects of date syrup with those of other contrast agents by qualitative and quantitative analysis and in vivo evaluation of the use of date syrup to improve the quality of MRCP images. Phantoms containing date syrup, ferumoxsil, pineapple juice, and water were imaged by 1.5-T MRI with T2-weighted and MRCP sequences, and signal-to-noise ratios were calculated. Biochemical analysis of date syrup was performed to find the nature of iron in it, and the iron content was quantified by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Sixty patients underwent MRCP before and 30 minutes after ingestion of 100 mL of date syrup. Unenhanced and contrast-enhanced images were scored for gastrointestinal tract signal suppression and visualization of various pancreaticobiliary structures. In vitro evaluation showed that images obtained with date syrup had a signal-to-noise ratio comparable to that of images obtained with ferumoxsil in T2-weighted and MRCP sequences. The iron concentration in date syrup was 2.6 mg/dL, and it was in ferric form. Images obtained after oral contrast administration had statistically significant improvement in gastrointestinal tract signal suppression (p Date syrup can be used as a negative oral contrast agent for gastrointestinal tract signal suppression during MRCP and for improving visualization of various pancreaticobiliary structures.

Automatic, anatomically selective, artifact-free enhancement of digital chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sezan, M.I.; Tekalp, A.M.; Schaetzing, R.

1988-01-01

The authors propose a technique for automatic, anatomically selective, artifact-free enhancement of digital chest radiographs. Anatomically selective enhancement is motivated by the different enhancement requirements of the lung field and the mediastinum. A recent peak detection algorithm is applied to the image histogram to automatically determine a gray-level threshold between the lung and mediastinum fields. The gray-level threshold facilitates anatomically selective gray-scale modification and unsharp masking. Further, in an attempt to suppress possible white-band artifacts due to unsharp masking at sharp edges, local-contrast adaptivity is incorporated into anatomically selective unsharp masking by designing an anatomy-sensitive emphasis parameter that varied asymmetrically with positive and negative values of the local image contrast

Oral biopsy: Oral pathologist′s perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K L Kumaraswamy

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Many oral lesions may need to be diagnosed by removing a sample of tissue from the oral cavity. Biopsy is widely used in the medical field, but the practice is not quite widespread in dental practice. As oral pathologists, we have found many artifacts in the tissue specimen because of poor biopsy technique or handling, which has led to diagnostic pitfalls and misery to both the patient and the clinician. This article aims at alerting the clinicians about the clinical faults arising preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively while dealing with oral biopsy that may affect the histological assessment of the tissue and, therefore, the diagnosis. It also reviews the different techniques, precautions and special considerations necessary for specific lesions.

Artifacts in digital radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Jung Whan; Kim, Jung Min; Jeong, Hoi Woun

2015-01-01

Digital Radiography is a big part of diagnostic radiology. Because uncorrected digital radiography image supported false effect of Patient’s health care. We must be manage the correct digital radiography image. Thus, the artifact images can have effect to make a wrong diagnosis. We report types of occurrence by analyzing the artifacts that occurs in digital radiography system. We had collected the artifacts occurred in digital radiography system of general hospital from 2007 to 2014. The collected data had analyzed and then had categorize as the occurred causes. The artifacts could be categorized by hardware artifacts, software artifacts, operating errors, system artifacts, and others. Hardware artifact from a Ghost artifact that is caused by lag effect occurred most frequently. The others cases are the artifacts caused by RF noise and foreign body in equipments. Software artifacts are many different types of reasons. The uncorrected processing artifacts and the image processing error artifacts occurred most frequently. Exposure data recognize (EDR) error artifacts, the processing error of commissural line, and etc., the software artifacts were caused by various reasons. Operating artifacts were caused when the user did not have the full understanding of the digital medical image system. System artifacts had appeared the error due to DICOM header information and the compression algorithm. The obvious artifacts should be re-examined, and it could result in increasing the exposure dose of the patient. The unclear artifact leads to a wrong diagnosis and added examination. The ability to correctly determine artifact are required. We have to reduce the artifact occurrences by understanding its characteristic and providing sustainable education as well as the maintenance of the equipments

Artifacts in digital radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Jung Whan [Dept. of Radiological Technology, Shin Gu University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung Min [Dept. of Radiological Technology, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hoi Woun [Dept. of Radiological Technology, Beakseok Culture University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

Digital Radiography is a big part of diagnostic radiology. Because uncorrected digital radiography image supported false effect of Patient’s health care. We must be manage the correct digital radiography image. Thus, the artifact images can have effect to make a wrong diagnosis. We report types of occurrence by analyzing the artifacts that occurs in digital radiography system. We had collected the artifacts occurred in digital radiography system of general hospital from 2007 to 2014. The collected data had analyzed and then had categorize as the occurred causes. The artifacts could be categorized by hardware artifacts, software artifacts, operating errors, system artifacts, and others. Hardware artifact from a Ghost artifact that is caused by lag effect occurred most frequently. The others cases are the artifacts caused by RF noise and foreign body in equipments. Software artifacts are many different types of reasons. The uncorrected processing artifacts and the image processing error artifacts occurred most frequently. Exposure data recognize (EDR) error artifacts, the processing error of commissural line, and etc., the software artifacts were caused by various reasons. Operating artifacts were caused when the user did not have the full understanding of the digital medical image system. System artifacts had appeared the error due to DICOM header information and the compression algorithm. The obvious artifacts should be re-examined, and it could result in increasing the exposure dose of the patient. The unclear artifact leads to a wrong diagnosis and added examination. The ability to correctly determine artifact are required. We have to reduce the artifact occurrences by understanding its characteristic and providing sustainable education as well as the maintenance of the equipments.

A level set method for cupping artifact correction in cone-beam CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Shipeng; Li, Haibo; Ge, Qi; Li, Chunming

2015-01-01

Purpose: To reduce cupping artifacts and improve the contrast-to-noise ratio in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: A level set method is proposed to reduce cupping artifacts in the reconstructed image of CBCT. The authors derive a local intensity clustering property of the CBCT image and define a local clustering criterion function of the image intensities in a neighborhood of each point. This criterion function defines an energy in terms of the level set functions, which represent a segmentation result and the cupping artifacts. The cupping artifacts are estimated as a result of minimizing this energy. Results: The cupping artifacts in CBCT are reduced by an average of 90%. The results indicate that the level set-based algorithm is practical and effective for reducing the cupping artifacts and preserving the quality of the reconstructed image. Conclusions: The proposed method focuses on the reconstructed image without requiring any additional physical equipment, is easily implemented, and provides cupping correction through a single-scan acquisition. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method successfully reduces the cupping artifacts

Dynamics in artifact ecologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

2012-01-01

We increasingly interact with multiple interactive artifacts with overlapping capabilities during our daily activities. It has previously been shown that the use of an interactive artifact cannot be understood in isolation, but artifacts must be understood as part of an artifact ecology, where...... artifacts influence the use of others. Understanding this interplay becomes more and more essential for interaction design as our artifact ecologies grow. This paper continues a recent discourse on artifact ecologies. Through interviews with iPhone users, we demonstrate that relationships between artifacts...... in artifact ecologies cannot be understood as static, instead they evolve dynamically over time. We provide activity theory-based concepts to explain these dynamics....

MR imaging with metal artifact-reducing sequences and gadolinium contrast agent in a case-control study of periprosthetic abnormalities in patients with metal-on-metal hip prostheses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Gunilla M.; Mueller, Markus F.; Ekberg, Olle [Lund University, Skaane University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Malmoe (Sweden); Maansson, Sven [Lund University, Skaane University Hospital, Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Malmoe (Sweden); Schewelov, Thord von [Lund University, Skaane University Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Malmoe (Sweden); Nittka, Mathias [Siemens AG, Healthcare Sector, Erlangen (Germany); Lundin, Bjoern [Lund University, Skaane University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Lund (Sweden)

2014-08-15

To apply and compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metal artifact reducing sequences (MARS) including subtraction imaging after contrast application in patients with metal-on-metal (MoM) hip prostheses, investigate the prevalence and characteristics of periprosthetic abnormalities, as well as their relation with pain and risk factors. Fifty-two MoM prostheses (35 cases with pain and or risk factors, and 17 controls) in 47 patients were examined in a 1.5-T MR scanner using MARS: turbo spin echo (TSE) with high readout bandwidth with and without view angle tilting (VAT), TSE with VAT and slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), short tau inversion recovery (STIR) with matched RF pulses, and post-contrast imaging. The relations of MRI findings to pain and risk factors were analyzed and in five revised hips findings from operation, histology, and MRI were compared. TSE VAT detected the highest number of osteolyses. Soft tissue mass, effusion, and capsular thickening were common, whereas osteolysis in acetabulum and femur were less frequent. Contrast enhancement occurred in bone, synovia, joint capsule, and the periphery of soft tissue mass. There was no significant relation between MRI findings and pain or risk factors. MARS and gadolinium subtraction imaging are useful for evaluation of complications to MoM prosthesis. TSE VAT had the highest sensitivity for osteolysis. Contrast enhancement might indicate activation of aseptic lymphocyte-dominated vasculitis-associated lesion (ALVAL). Pain, small head, or steep prosthesis inclination angle are not useful predictors of periprosthetic abnormalities, and wide indications for MR follow-up are warranted. (orig.)

Comparison between computed tomography with oral oil-based contrast and laparotomy for gastric cancer staging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marco, S. F.; Garcia-Vila, J. H.; Cervera, J.; Gomez, R.; Piqueras, R. M.; Perona, I.; Escrig, J.; Salvador, J. L.

2000-01-01

To compare the utility of conventional computed tomography (CT) with oral oil-based contrast with that of laparotomy in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer. We prospectively studied 41 patients diagnosed as having gastric adenocarcinoma according to the results of endoscopy and biopsy. Applying the TNM classification for gastric cancer staging, we compared the findings in CT associated with oral oil-based contrast and intraoperative staging with definitive postoperative pathological staging. Definitive pathological studies demonstrated that there were 7 stage T1-T2 lesions, 26 stage T3 and 8 stage T4. The assessment of lymph node involvement showed that 10 patients presented stage N0 and 31 stage N1-N3. Ten patients had metastases. The diagnostic reliability for tumor staging according to CT was 56% versus 80% for laparotomy. In the determination of nodal involvement CT had a diagnostic yield of 71% versus 6% for laparotomy. Metastatic disease was correctly diagnosed by CT in 83% of cases versus 88% by laparotomy. There were no statistically significant differences between CT with oral oil-based contrast and laparotomy for the staging of nodal involvement and metastases. However, the CT diagnosis was significantly more reliable than laparotomy for the determination of tumor infiltration. (Author) 21 refs

Influence of orthodontic appliance-derived artifacts on 3-T MRI movies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozawa, Erika; Honda, Ei-Ichi; Parakonthun, Kulthida Nunthayanon; Ohmori, Hiroko; Shimazaki, Kazuo; Kurabayashi, Tohru; Ono, Takashi

2018-02-19

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to study configurations of speech organs in the resting state. However, MRI is sensitive to metals, and numerous types of metallic appliances, most of which have a large magnetic susceptibility, are used in orthodontic treatment and may cause severe artifacts on MRI. We have developed techniques for obtaining MRI movies of the oral region, to evaluate articulatory changes, especially movement of the tongue, palate, and teeth, pre- and post-orthodontic/orthognathic treatment. We evaluated the influence of artifacts caused by orthodontic appliances, including fixed retainers, metal brackets, and wires, on measurements in 3-T MRI movies. Sixteen healthy young adults (nine males, seven females; average age, 27 years) with normal occlusion were recruited. Four types of customized maxillary and mandibular plates were prepared by incorporating one of the following into the plate: (a) nothing, (b) a fixed canine-to-canine retainer, (c) metal brackets for the anterior and molar teeth, or (d) clear brackets for the anterior teeth and metal brackets for molars. A 3-T MRI movie, in segmented cine mode, was generated for each plate condition while participants pronounced a vowel-consonant-vowel syllable (/asa/). The size of the artifact due to the metallic brackets was measured. The face size and orthodontically important anatomical structures, such as the velum, the hard palate, and the laryngeal ventricle, were also measured. A large artifact was observed over the entire oral region around orthodontic appliances, altering regional visibility. The velopharyngeal height was measured as significantly longer in the presence of metal brackets. The maximum artifact size due to a metallic bracket was > 8 cm. Our results show that even if it is possible to obtain the measurements of palate length, nasion to sella, and nasion to basion in individuals wearing metal brackets for molars, the measurements might be affected due to the

[Contrastive analysis of artifacts produced by metal dental crowns in 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging with six sequences].

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Gao; Yunmin, Lian; Pu, Wang; Haili, Huai

2016-06-01

This study aimed to observe and evaluate six 3.0 T sequences of metallic artifacts produced by metal dental crowns. Dental crowns fabricated with four different materials (Co-Gr, Ni-Gr, Ti alloy and pure Ti) were evaluated. A mature crossbreed dog was used as the experimental animal, and crowns were fabricated for its upper right second premolar. Each crown was examined through head MRI (3.0 T) with six sequences, namely, T₁ weighted-imaging of spin echo (T₁W/SE), T₂ weighted-imaging of inversion recovery (T₂W/IR), T₂ star gradient echo (T₂*/GRE), T2 weighted-imaging of fast spin echo (T₂W/FSE), T₁ weighted-imaging of fluid attenuate inversion recovery (T₂W/FLAIR), and T₂ weighted-imaging of propeller (T₂W/PROP). The largest area and layers of artifacts were assessed and compared. The artifact in the T₂*/GRE sequence was significantly wider than those in the other sequences (P 0.05). T₂*/GRE exhibit the strongest influence on the artifact, whereas the five other sequences contribute equally to artifact generation.

Material-Dependent Implant Artifact Reduction Using SEMAC-VAT and MAVRIC: A Prospective MRI Phantom Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Filli, Lukas; Jud, Lukas; Luechinger, Roger; Nanz, Daniel; Andreisek, Gustav; Runge, Val M; Kozerke, Sebastian; Farshad-Amacker, Nadja A

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare the degree of artifact reduction in magnetic resonance imaging achieved with slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC) in combination with view angle tilting (VAT) and multiacquisition variable resonance image combination (MAVRIC) for standard contrast weightings and different metallic materials. Four identically shaped rods made of the most commonly used prosthetic materials (stainless steel, SS; titanium, Ti; cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, CoCr; and oxidized zirconium, oxZi) were scanned at 3 T. In addition to conventional fast spin-echo sequences, metal artifact reduction sequences (SEMAC-VAT and MAVRIC) with varying degrees of artifact suppression were applied at different contrast weightings (T1w, T2w, PDw). Two independent readers measured in-plane and through-plane artifacts in a standardized manner. In addition, theoretical frequency-offset and frequency-offset-gradient maps were calculated. Interobserver agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.86-0.99). Stainless steel caused the greatest artifacts, followed by CoCr, Ti, and oxZi regardless of the imaging sequence. While for Ti and oxZi rods scanning with weak SEMAC-VAT showed some advantage, for SS and CoCr, higher modes of SEMAC-VAT or MAVRIC were necessary to achieve artifact reduction. MAVRIC achieved better artifact reduction than SEMAC-VAT at the cost of longer acquisition times. Simulations matched well with the apparent geometry of the frequency-offset maps. For Ti and oxZi implants, weak SEMAC-VAT may be preferred as it is faster and produces less artifact than conventional fast spin-echo. Medium or strong SEMAC-VAT or MAVRIC modes are necessary for significant artifact reduction for SS and CoCr implants.

Optimization-based reconstruction for reduction of CBCT artifact in IGRT

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Dan; Zhang, Zheng; Paysan, Pascal; Seghers, Dieter; Brehm, Marcus; Munro, Peter; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pelizzari, Charles; Pan, Xiaochuan

2016-04-01

Kilo-voltage cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) plays an important role in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) by providing 3D spatial information of tumor potentially useful for optimizing treatment planning. In current IGRT CBCT system, reconstructed images obtained with analytic algorithms, such as FDK algorithm and its variants, may contain artifacts. In an attempt to compensate for the artifacts, we investigate optimization-based reconstruction algorithms such as the ASD-POCS algorithm for potentially reducing arti- facts in IGRT CBCT images. In this study, using data acquired with a physical phantom and a patient subject, we demonstrate that the ASD-POCS reconstruction can significantly reduce artifacts observed in clinical re- constructions. Moreover, patient images reconstructed by use of the ASD-POCS algorithm indicate a contrast level of soft-tissue improved over that of the clinical reconstruction. We have also performed reconstructions from sparse-view data, and observe that, for current clinical imaging conditions, ASD-POCS reconstructions from data collected at one half of the current clinical projection views appear to show image quality, in terms of spatial and soft-tissue-contrast resolution, higher than that of the corresponding clinical reconstructions.

MDCT appearance of the appendix: how does the low-density barium sulfate oral contrast agent affect it?

Science.gov (United States)

Yaghmai, Vahid; Aghaei-Lasboo, Anahita; Brandwein, Warren M; Tochetto, Sandra; Mafi, John N; Miller, Frank H; Nikolaidis, Paul

2011-01-01

We compared the effect of low-density barium sulfate neutral oral contrast agent on the diameter of normal appendix and its luminal content versus that of water on multidetector-row CT. CT scans of 24 patients who had been imaged on two separate occasions for the evaluation of pancreatic pathology, once with water and subsequently with low-density barium sulfate as the neutral oral contrast agent were evaluated (total of 48 scans). Studies were randomized and reviewed in consensus on a workstation in the stack mode by two radiologists blinded to the type of oral contrast. The appendix was measured at baseline and 10 days later to obtain an average diameter. Results of the water and low-density barium sulfate groups were compared using paired t test. Contents of the appendiceal lumen were also noted (gas, fluid, mixed, and collapsed appendix). The average diameter of the appendix for scans obtained with water and low-density barium sulfate was 4.09 ± 0.87 mm (median, 4.22 mm; range, 2.50-5.65 mm) and 4.13 ± 0.93 mm (median, 4 mm, range, 2.2-5.65 mm), respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.69). There was no statistically significant difference in the appendiceal content when water or low-density barium sulfate were used as oral contrast (χ (2) = 4.25, P = 0.89). Low-density barium sulfate does not affect appendiceal content or diameter and, therefore, should not adversely affect evaluation of the appendix on multidetector row CT.

Depiction of normal gastrointestinal anatomy with MDCT: comparison of low- and high-attenuation oral contrast media.

Science.gov (United States)

Erturk, Sukru Mehmet; Mortelé, Koenraad J; Oliva, Maria-Raquel; Ichikawa, Tomoaki; Silverman, Stuart G; Cantisani, Vito; Pagliara, Elisa; Ros, Pablo R

2008-04-01

To compare low- and high-attenuation oral contrast media for depiction of normal gastrointestinal anatomy with multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). A prospective, randomized study of 90 consecutive patients without known or suspected gastrointestinal disease was conducted after the approval of our Institutional Review Board. All patients underwent IV contrast-enhanced abdominal and pelvic CT scans after oral administration of 900 ml of either low- or high-attenuation barium sulphate suspension. Using a five-point scale, two radiologists independently graded distention and wall visualization of stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The degree of distention and wall visualization was compared using Mann-Whitney U-test. Duodenal, jejunal and ileal distention (pcontrast medium were significantly higher than those with high-attenuation barium sulphate preparation, for reader 1. Duodenal and jejunal wall visualization scores with low-attenuation contrast medium (pcontrast medium, for reader 2. Interobserver agreement was fair to good for both distention (kappa-range: 0.41-0.74) and wall visualization (kappa-range: 0.48-0.71). MDCT with low-attenuation contrast medium provides distention and wall visualization of the GI tract that is equal or better than high-attenuation contrast medium.

MRI of the small bowel: can sufficient bowel distension be achieved with small volumes of oral contrast?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinner, Sonja; Kuehle, Christiane A.; Ladd, Susanne C.; Barkhausen, Joerg; Herbig, Sebastian; Haag, Sebastian; Lauenstein, Thomas C.

2008-01-01

Sufficient luminal distension is mandatory for small bowel imaging. However, patients often are unable to ingest volumes of currently applied oral contrast compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate if administration of low doses of an oral contrast agent with high-osmolarity leads to sufficient and diagnostic bowel distension. Six healthy volunteers ingested at different occasions 150, 300 and 450 ml of a commercially available oral contrast agent (Banana Smoothie Readi-Cat, E-Z-EM; 194 mOsmol/l). Two-dimensional TrueFISP data sets were acquired in 5-min intervals up to 45 min after contrast ingestion. Small bowel distension was quantified using a visual five-grade ranking (5 very good distension, 1 = collapsed bowel). Results were statistically compared using a Wilcoxon-Rank test. Ingestion of 450 ml and 300 ml resulted in a significantly better distension than 150 ml. The all-over average distension value for 450 ml amounted to 3.4 (300 ml: 3.0, 150 ml: 2.3) and diagnostic bowel distension could be found throughout the small intestine. Even 45 min after ingestion of 450 ml the jejunum and ileum could be reliably analyzed. Small bowel imaging with low doses of contrast leads to diagnostic distension values in healthy subjects when a high-osmolarity substance is applied. These findings may help to further refine small bowel MRI techniques, but need to be confirmed in patients with small bowel disorders. (orig.)

Correction of ring artifacts in X-ray tomographic images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyckegaard, Allan; Johnson, G.; Tafforeau, P.

2011-01-01

Ring artifacts are systematic intensity distortions located on concentric circles in reconstructed tomographic X-ray images. When using X-ray tomography to study for instance low-contrast grain boundaries in metals it is crucial to correct for the ring artifacts in the images as they may have...... the same intensity level as the grain boundaries and thus make it impossible to perform grain segmentation. This paper describes an implementation of a method for correcting the ring artifacts in tomographic X-ray images of simple objects such as metal samples where the object and the background...... are separable. The method is implemented in Matlab, it works with very little user interaction and may run in parallel on a cluster if applied to a whole stack of images. The strength and robustness of the method implemented will be demonstrated on three tomographic X-ray data sets: a mono-phase β...

Mesoscale hybrid calibration artifact

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Hy D.; Claudet, Andre A.; Oliver, Andrew D.

2010-09-07

A mesoscale calibration artifact, also called a hybrid artifact, suitable for hybrid dimensional measurement and the method for make the artifact. The hybrid artifact has structural characteristics that make it suitable for dimensional measurement in both vision-based systems and touch-probe-based systems. The hybrid artifact employs the intersection of bulk-micromachined planes to fabricate edges that are sharp to the nanometer level and intersecting planes with crystal-lattice-defined angles.

Ripple artifact reduction using slice overlap in slice encoding for metal artifact correction.

Science.gov (United States)

den Harder, J Chiel; van Yperen, Gert H; Blume, Ulrike A; Bos, Clemens

2015-01-01

Multispectral imaging (MSI) significantly reduces metal artifacts. Yet, especially in techniques that use gradient selection, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), a residual ripple artifact may be prominent. Here, an analysis is presented of the ripple artifact and of slice overlap as an approach to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact was analyzed theoretically to clarify its cause. Slice overlap, conceptually similar to spectral bin overlap in multi-acquisition with variable resonances image combination (MAVRIC), was achieved by reducing the selection gradient and, thus, increasing the slice profile width. Time domain simulations and phantom experiments were performed to validate the analyses and proposed solution. Discontinuities between slices are aggravated by signal displacement in the frequency encoding direction in areas with deviating B0. Specifically, it was demonstrated that ripple artifacts appear only where B0 varies both in-plane and through-plane. Simulations and phantom studies of metal implants confirmed the efficacy of slice overlap to reduce the artifact. The ripple artifact is an important limitation of gradient selection based MSI techniques, and can be understood using the presented simulations. At a scan-time penalty, slice overlap effectively addressed the artifact, thereby improving image quality near metal implants. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

From Ecological Sounding Artifacts Towards Sonic Artifact Ecologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erkut, Cumhur; Serafin, Stefania

2016-01-01

The discipline of sonic interaction design has been focused on the interaction between a single user and an artifact. This strongly limits one of the fundamental aspects of music as a social and interactive experience. In this paper we propose sonic artifact ecologies as a mean to examine interac...

Trails of meaning construction: Symbolic artifacts engage the social brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tylén, Kristian; Philipsen, Johanne Stege; Roepstorff, Andreas; Fusaroli, Riccardo

2016-07-01

Symbolic artifacts present a challenge to theories of neurocognitive processing due to their hybrid nature: they are at the same time physical objects and vehicles of intangible social meanings. While their physical properties can be read of their perceptual appearance, the meaning of symbolic artifacts depends on the perceiver's interpretative attitude and embeddedness in cultural practices. In this study, participants built models of LEGO bricks to illustrate their understanding of abstract concepts. They were then scanned with fMRI while presented to photographs of their own and others' models. When participants attended to the meaning of the models in contrast to their bare physical properties, we observed activations in mPFC and TPJ, areas often associated with social cognition, and IFG, possibly related to semantics. When contrasting own and others' models, we also found activations in precuneus, an area associated with autobiographical memory and agency, while looking at one's own collective models yielded interaction effects in rostral ACC, right IFG and left Insula. Interestingly, variability in the insula was predicted by individual differences in participants' feeling of relatedness to their fellow group members during LEGO construction activity. Our findings support a view of symbolic artifacts as neuro-cognitive trails of human social interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of artifacts generated by zirconium implants in cone-beam computed tomography images.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, Taruska Ventorini; Bechara, Boulos B; McMahan, Clyde Alex; Freitas, Deborah Queiroz; Noujeim, Marcel

2017-02-01

To evaluate zirconium implant artifact production in cone beam computed tomography images obtained with different protocols. One zirconium implant was inserted in an edentulous mandible. Twenty scans were acquired with a ProMax 3D unit (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland), with acquisition settings ranging from 70 to 90 peak kilovoltage (kVp) and voxel sizes of 0.32 and 0.16 mm. A metal artifact reduction (MAR) tool was activated in half of the scans. An axial slice through the middle region of the implant was selected for each dataset. Gray values (mean ± standard deviation) were measured in two regions of interest, one close to and the other distant from the implant (control area). The contrast-to-noise ratio was also calculated. Standard deviation decreased with greater kVp and when the MAR tool was used. The contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher when the MAR tool was turned off, except for low resolution with kVp values above 80. Selection of the MAR tool and greater kVp resulted in an overall reduction of artifacts in images acquired with low resolution. Although zirconium implants do produce image artifacts in cone-bean computed tomography scans, the setting that best controlled artifact generation by zirconium implants was 90 kVp at low resolution and with the MAR tool turned on. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human-Artifact Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

2011-01-01

Although devices of all shapes and sizes currently dominate the technological landscape, human–computer interaction (HCI) as a field is not yet theoretically equipped to match this reality. In this article we develop the human–artifact model, which has its roots in activity theoretical HCI....... By reinterpreting the activity theoretical foundation, we present a framework that helps addressing the analysis of individual interactive artifacts while embracing that they are part of a larger ecology of artifacts. We show how the human–artifact model helps structuring the understanding of an artifact's action......-possibilities in relation to the artifact ecology surrounding it. Essential to the model is that it provides four interconnected levels of analysis and addresses the possibilities and problems at these four levels. Artifacts and their use are constantly developing, and we address development in, and of, use. The framework...

Artifact free T2*-weighted imaging at high spatial resolution using segmented EPI sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiler, Patrick Michael; Schad, Lothar Rudi; Schmitter, Sebastian

2010-01-01

The aim of this work was the development of novel measurement techniques that acquire high resolution T2 * -weighted datasets in measurement times as short as possible without suffering from noticeable blurring and ghosting artifacts. Therefore, two new measurement techniques were developed that acquire a smoother k-space than generic multi shot echo planar imaging sequences. One is based on the principle of echo train shifting, the other on the reversed gradient method. Simulations and phantom measurements demonstrate that echo train shifting works properly and reduces artifacts in multi shot echo planar imaging. For maximum SNR-efficiency this technique was further improved by adding a second contrast. Both contrasts can be acquired within a prolongation in measurement time by a factor of 1.5, leading to an SNR increase by approximately √2. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the reversed gradient method remarkably reduces artifacts caused by a discontinuous k-space weighting. Assuming sequence parameters as feasible for fMRI experiments, artifact free T2 * -weighted images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 leading to an in-plane resolution in the submillimeter range can be obtained in about 2 s per slice. (orig.)

Depiction of normal gastrointestinal anatomy with MDCT: Comparison of low- and high-attenuation oral contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erturk, Sukru Mehmet; Mortele, Koenraad J.; Oliva, Maria-Raquel; Ichikawa, Tomoaki; Silverman, Stuart G.; Cantisani, Vito; Pagliara, Elisa; Ros, Pablo R.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To compare low- and high-attenuation oral contrast media for depiction of normal gastrointestinal anatomy with multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). Materials and methods: A prospective, randomized study of 90 consecutive patients without known or suspected gastrointestinal disease was conducted after the approval of our Institutional Review Board. All patients underwent IV contrast-enhanced abdominal and pelvic CT scans after oral administration of 900 ml of either low- or high-attenuation barium sulphate suspension. Using a five-point scale, two radiologists independently graded distention and wall visualization of stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The degree of distention and wall visualization was compared using Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: Duodenal, jejunal and ileal distention (p < 0.05, <0.001, <0.001, respectively) and wall visualization (p < 0.05, <0.01, <0.05, respectively) scores with low-attenuation contrast medium were significantly higher than those with high-attenuation barium sulphate preparation, for reader 1. Duodenal and jejunal wall visualization scores with low-attenuation contrast medium (p < 0.05, <0.01, respectively) were significantly higher than those with high-attenuation contrast medium, for reader 2. Interobserver agreement was fair to good for both distention (κ-range: 0.41-0.74) and wall visualization (κ-range: 0.48-0.71). Conclusion: MDCT with low-attenuation contrast medium provides distention and wall visualization of the GI tract that is equal or better than high-attenuation contrast medium

High-Resolution C-Arm CT and Metal Artifact Reduction Software: A Novel Imaging Modality for Analyzing Aneurysms Treated with Stent-Assisted Coil Embolization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuki, I; Kambayashi, Y; Ikemura, A; Abe, Y; Kan, I; Mohamed, A; Dahmani, C; Suzuki, T; Ishibashi, T; Takao, H; Urashima, M; Murayama, Y

2016-02-01

Combination of high-resolution C-arm CT and novel metal artifact reduction software may contribute to the assessment of aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coil embolization. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel Metal Artifact Reduction prototype software combined with the currently available high spatial-resolution C-arm CT prototype implementation by using an experimental aneurysm model treated with stent-assisted coil embolization. Eight experimental aneurysms were created in 6 swine. Coil embolization of each aneurysm was performed by using a stent-assisted technique. High-resolution C-arm CT with intra-arterial contrast injection was performed immediately after the treatment. The obtained images were processed with Metal Artifact Reduction. Five neurointerventional specialists reviewed the image quality before and after Metal Artifact Reduction. Observational and quantitative analyses (via image analysis software) were performed. Every aneurysm was successfully created and treated with stent-assisted coil embolization. Before Metal Artifact Reduction, coil loops protruding through the stent lumen were not visualized due to the prominent metal artifacts produced by the coils. These became visible after Metal Artifact Reduction processing. Contrast filling in the residual aneurysm was also visualized after Metal Artifact Reduction in every aneurysm. Both the observational (P software. The combination of high-resolution C-arm CT and Metal Artifact Reduction enables differentiation of the coil mass, stent, and contrast material on the same image by significantly reducing the metal artifacts produced by the platinum coils. This novel image technique may improve the assessment of aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coil embolization. © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Follow-up CT and CT angiography after intracranial aneurysm clipping and coiling - improved image quality by iterative metal artifact reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bier, Georg; Hempel, Johann-Martin; Oergel, Anja; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Ernemann, Ulrike; Hennersdorf, Florian [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Bongers, Malte Niklas [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany)

2017-07-15

This paper aims to evaluate a new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm for post-interventional evaluation of brain tissue and intracranial arteries. The data of 20 patients that underwent follow-up cranial CT and cranial CT angiography after clipping or coiling of an intracranial aneurysm was retrospectively analyzed. After the images were processed using a novel iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm, images with and without metal artifact reduction were qualitatively evaluated by two readers, using a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, artifact strength was quantitatively assessed in terms of CT attenuation and standard deviation alterations. The qualitative analysis yielded a significant increase in image quality (p = 0.0057) in iteratively processed images with substantial inter-observer agreement (k = 0.72), while the CTA image quality did not differ (p = 0.864) and even showed vessel contrast reduction in six cases (30%). The mean relative attenuation difference was 27% without metal artifact reduction vs. 11% for iterative metal artifact reduction images (p = 0.0003). The new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm enhances non-enhanced CT image quality after clipping or coiling, but in CT-angiography images, the contrast of adjacent vessels can be compromised. (orig.)

Follow-up CT and CT angiography after intracranial aneurysm clipping and coiling - improved image quality by iterative metal artifact reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bier, Georg; Hempel, Johann-Martin; Oergel, Anja; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Ernemann, Ulrike; Hennersdorf, Florian; Bongers, Malte Niklas

2017-01-01

This paper aims to evaluate a new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm for post-interventional evaluation of brain tissue and intracranial arteries. The data of 20 patients that underwent follow-up cranial CT and cranial CT angiography after clipping or coiling of an intracranial aneurysm was retrospectively analyzed. After the images were processed using a novel iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm, images with and without metal artifact reduction were qualitatively evaluated by two readers, using a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, artifact strength was quantitatively assessed in terms of CT attenuation and standard deviation alterations. The qualitative analysis yielded a significant increase in image quality (p = 0.0057) in iteratively processed images with substantial inter-observer agreement (k = 0.72), while the CTA image quality did not differ (p = 0.864) and even showed vessel contrast reduction in six cases (30%). The mean relative attenuation difference was 27% without metal artifact reduction vs. 11% for iterative metal artifact reduction images (p = 0.0003). The new iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm enhances non-enhanced CT image quality after clipping or coiling, but in CT-angiography images, the contrast of adjacent vessels can be compromised. (orig.)

In vitro evaluation of alternative oral contrast agents for MRI of the gastrointestinal tract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babos, Magor [University of Szeged, Faculty of Science (Hungary); Euromedic Diagnostics Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary)], E-mail: babosmagor@yahoo.com; Schwarcz, Attila [University of Pecs, Department of Neurosurgery, Pecs Diagnostic Institute, 7624 Pecs, Retu. 2 (Hungary)], E-mail: attila.schwarcz@aok.pte.hu; Randhawa, Manjit Singh [University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary)], E-mail: majyaal@hotmail.com; Marton, Balazs [University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary)], E-mail: balazsmarton@freemail.hu; Kardos, Lilla [Euromedic Diagnostics Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary)], E-mail: medlis@tiszanet.hu; Palko, Andras [Euromedic Diagnostics Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary); University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, 6720 Szeged, Semmelweiss u. 6 (Hungary)], E-mail: palko@radio.szote.u-szeged.hu

2008-01-15

Purpose: In vitro evaluation of different materials as potential alternative oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI. Materials and methods: The T1 and T2 relaxation times of rose hip syrup, black currant extract, cocoa, iron-deferoxamine solution and a commonly used oral contrast material (1 mM Gd-DTPA) were determined in vitro at different concentrations on a 1.0 T clinical MR scanner. T1 values were obtained with an inversion prepared spoiled gradient echo sequence. T2 values were obtained using multiple echo sequences. Finally the materials were visualized on T1-, T2- and T2*-weighted MR images. Results: The relaxation times of the undiluted rose hip syrup (T1 = 110 {+-} 5 ms, T2 = 86 {+-} 3 ms), black currant extract (T1 = 55 {+-} 3 ms, T2 = 39 {+-} 2 ms) and 5 mM iron-deferoxamine solution (T1 = 104 {+-} 4 ms, T2 = 87 {+-} 2 ms) were much shorter than for a 1 mM Gd-DTPA solution (T1 = 180 {+-} 8 ms, T2 = 168 {+-} 5 ms). Dilution of black currant extract to 30% or a 3 mM iron-deferoxamine solution conducted to T1 relaxation times which are quite comparable to a 1 mM Gd-DTPA solution. Despite its much lower metal content an aqueous cocoa suspension (100 g/L) produced T2 relaxation times (T1 = 360 {+-} 21 ms, T2 = 81 {+-} 3 ms) more or less in the same range like the 5 mM iron-deferoxamine solution. Imaging of our in vitro model using clinical sequences allowed to anticipate the T1-, T2- and T2*-depiction of all used substances. Cocoa differed from all other materials with its low to moderate signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted sequences. While all substances presented a linear 1/T1 and 1/T2 relationship towards concentration, rose hip syrup broke ranks with a disproportionately high increase of relaxation at higher concentrations. Conclusions: Rose hip syrup, black currant extract and iron-deferoxamine solution due to their positive T1 enhancement characteristics and drinkability appear to be valuable oral contrast agents for T1-weighted small bowel MRI

In vitro evaluation of alternative oral contrast agents for MRI of the gastrointestinal tract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babos, Magor; Schwarcz, Attila; Randhawa, Manjit Singh; Marton, Balazs; Kardos, Lilla; Palko, Andras

2008-01-01

Purpose: In vitro evaluation of different materials as potential alternative oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI. Materials and methods: The T1 and T2 relaxation times of rose hip syrup, black currant extract, cocoa, iron-deferoxamine solution and a commonly used oral contrast material (1 mM Gd-DTPA) were determined in vitro at different concentrations on a 1.0 T clinical MR scanner. T1 values were obtained with an inversion prepared spoiled gradient echo sequence. T2 values were obtained using multiple echo sequences. Finally the materials were visualized on T1-, T2- and T2*-weighted MR images. Results: The relaxation times of the undiluted rose hip syrup (T1 = 110 ± 5 ms, T2 = 86 ± 3 ms), black currant extract (T1 = 55 ± 3 ms, T2 = 39 ± 2 ms) and 5 mM iron-deferoxamine solution (T1 = 104 ± 4 ms, T2 = 87 ± 2 ms) were much shorter than for a 1 mM Gd-DTPA solution (T1 = 180 ± 8 ms, T2 = 168 ± 5 ms). Dilution of black currant extract to 30% or a 3 mM iron-deferoxamine solution conducted to T1 relaxation times which are quite comparable to a 1 mM Gd-DTPA solution. Despite its much lower metal content an aqueous cocoa suspension (100 g/L) produced T2 relaxation times (T1 = 360 ± 21 ms, T2 = 81 ± 3 ms) more or less in the same range like the 5 mM iron-deferoxamine solution. Imaging of our in vitro model using clinical sequences allowed to anticipate the T1-, T2- and T2*-depiction of all used substances. Cocoa differed from all other materials with its low to moderate signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted sequences. While all substances presented a linear 1/T1 and 1/T2 relationship towards concentration, rose hip syrup broke ranks with a disproportionately high increase of relaxation at higher concentrations. Conclusions: Rose hip syrup, black currant extract and iron-deferoxamine solution due to their positive T1 enhancement characteristics and drinkability appear to be valuable oral contrast agents for T1-weighted small bowel MRI. Cocoa with its

Carbon fiber intramedullary nails reduce artifact in postoperative advanced imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimel, Melissa N.; Hwang, Sinchun; Riedel, Elyn R.; Healey, John H.

2015-01-01

This study assessed whether radiolucent carbon fiber reinforced-polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) intramedullary nails decreased hardware artifact on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in vitro and in an oncologic patient population. In vitro and clinical evaluations were done. A qualitative assessment of metal artifact was performed using CFR-PEEK and titanium nail MRI phantoms. Eight patients with a femoral or tibial prophylactic CFR-PEEK nail were retrospectively identified. All patients had postoperative surveillance imaging by MRI, CT, and were followed for a median 20 months (range, 12-28 months). CFR-PEEK images were compared to images from a comparative group of patients with titanium femoral intramedullary nails who had a postoperative MRI or CT. A musculoskeletal-trained radiologist graded visualization of the cortex, corticomedullary junction, and bone-muscle interface, on T1-weighted (T1W), STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat-saturated (T1W FS) sequences of both groups with a five-point scale, performing independent reviews 4 months apart. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a weighted kappa. Substantially less MRI signal loss occurred in the CFR-PEEK phantom than in the titanium phantom simulation, particularly as the angle increased with respect to direction of the static magnetic field. CFR-PEEK nails had less MRI artifact than titanium nails on scored T1W, STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1W FS MRI sequences (p ≤ 0.03). The mean weighted kappa was 0.64, showing excellent intraobserver reliability between readings. CFR-PEEK intramedullary nail fixation is a superior alternative to minimize implant artifact on MRI or CT imaging for patients requiring long bone fixation. (orig.)

Carbon fiber intramedullary nails reduce artifact in postoperative advanced imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zimel, Melissa N. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States); Hwang, Sinchun [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Riedel, Elyn R. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States); Healey, John H. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States); Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York, NY (United States)

2015-09-15

This study assessed whether radiolucent carbon fiber reinforced-polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) intramedullary nails decreased hardware artifact on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in vitro and in an oncologic patient population. In vitro and clinical evaluations were done. A qualitative assessment of metal artifact was performed using CFR-PEEK and titanium nail MRI phantoms. Eight patients with a femoral or tibial prophylactic CFR-PEEK nail were retrospectively identified. All patients had postoperative surveillance imaging by MRI, CT, and were followed for a median 20 months (range, 12-28 months). CFR-PEEK images were compared to images from a comparative group of patients with titanium femoral intramedullary nails who had a postoperative MRI or CT. A musculoskeletal-trained radiologist graded visualization of the cortex, corticomedullary junction, and bone-muscle interface, on T1-weighted (T1W), STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fat-saturated (T1W FS) sequences of both groups with a five-point scale, performing independent reviews 4 months apart. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a weighted kappa. Substantially less MRI signal loss occurred in the CFR-PEEK phantom than in the titanium phantom simulation, particularly as the angle increased with respect to direction of the static magnetic field. CFR-PEEK nails had less MRI artifact than titanium nails on scored T1W, STIR, and contrast-enhanced T1W FS MRI sequences (p ≤ 0.03). The mean weighted kappa was 0.64, showing excellent intraobserver reliability between readings. CFR-PEEK intramedullary nail fixation is a superior alternative to minimize implant artifact on MRI or CT imaging for patients requiring long bone fixation. (orig.)

High-fidelity artifact correction for cone-beam CT imaging of the brain

Science.gov (United States)

Sisniega, A.; Zbijewski, W.; Xu, J.; Dang, H.; Stayman, J. W.; Yorkston, J.; Aygun, N.; Koliatsos, V.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2015-02-01

CT is the frontline imaging modality for diagnosis of acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), involving the detection of fresh blood in the brain (contrast of 30-50 HU, detail size down to 1 mm) in a non-contrast-enhanced exam. A dedicated point-of-care imaging system based on cone-beam CT (CBCT) could benefit early detection of TBI and improve direction to appropriate therapy. However, flat-panel detector (FPD) CBCT is challenged by artifacts that degrade contrast resolution and limit application in soft-tissue imaging. We present and evaluate a fairly comprehensive framework for artifact correction to enable soft-tissue brain imaging with FPD CBCT. The framework includes a fast Monte Carlo (MC)-based scatter estimation method complemented by corrections for detector lag, veiling glare, and beam hardening. The fast MC scatter estimation combines GPU acceleration, variance reduction, and simulation with a low number of photon histories and reduced number of projection angles (sparse MC) augmented by kernel de-noising to yield a runtime of ~4 min per scan. Scatter correction is combined with two-pass beam hardening correction. Detector lag correction is based on temporal deconvolution of the measured lag response function. The effects of detector veiling glare are reduced by deconvolution of the glare response function representing the long range tails of the detector point-spread function. The performance of the correction framework is quantified in experiments using a realistic head phantom on a testbench for FPD CBCT. Uncorrected reconstructions were non-diagnostic for soft-tissue imaging tasks in the brain. After processing with the artifact correction framework, image uniformity was substantially improved, and artifacts were reduced to a level that enabled visualization of ~3 mm simulated bleeds throughout the brain. Non-uniformity (cupping) was reduced by a factor of 5, and contrast of simulated bleeds was improved from ~7 to 49.7 HU, in good agreement

Artifact free T2{sup *}-weighted imaging at high spatial resolution using segmented EPI sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heiler, Patrick Michael; Schad, Lothar Rudi [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine; Schmitter, Sebastian [German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany). Dept. of Medical Physics in Radiology

2010-07-01

The aim of this work was the development of novel measurement techniques that acquire high resolution T2{sup *}-weighted datasets in measurement times as short as possible without suffering from noticeable blurring and ghosting artifacts. Therefore, two new measurement techniques were developed that acquire a smoother k-space than generic multi shot echo planar imaging sequences. One is based on the principle of echo train shifting, the other on the reversed gradient method. Simulations and phantom measurements demonstrate that echo train shifting works properly and reduces artifacts in multi shot echo planar imaging. For maximum SNR-efficiency this technique was further improved by adding a second contrast. Both contrasts can be acquired within a prolongation in measurement time by a factor of 1.5, leading to an SNR increase by approximately {radical}2. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the reversed gradient method remarkably reduces artifacts caused by a discontinuous k-space weighting. Assuming sequence parameters as feasible for fMRI experiments, artifact free T2{sup *}-weighted images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 leading to an in-plane resolution in the submillimeter range can be obtained in about 2 s per slice. (orig.)

Patients' oral hydration levels and incidence of immediate to short-term mild side-effects in contrast agent enhanced MRI diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonker, Leon; Fallahi, Farshid

2015-01-01

Aim: Gadolinium-based contrast agents for radiodiagnostic purposes can lead to side effects, including nephrotoxicity in patients with renal insufficiency. This study evaluated whether the occurrence of mild side effects from gadolinium-based contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates to patients' oral hydration levels. Methods: Oral fluid intake levels 24 h pre- and 24 h post-MRI, as well as incidence of mild side-effects experienced 30 min and 24 h post-MRI were recorded by using a patient self-reporting questionnaire. Results: A total of 174 patients, 29 controls, 98 administered Prohance and 47 receiving Dotarem, were enrolled. Overall, the most frequently reported side-effect was headache; nausea only occurred in patients receiving contrast agent. One or more side-effects experienced 24 h following the MRI scan were reported by 10% (controls), 24% (Prohance) and 22% (Dotarem) of patients, respectively. Multivariate ordinal regression analysis showed that only male gender (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.11–0.53) was statistically significantly associated with a decreased incidence of side-effects 30 min after MRI. At 24-h post MRI, a lack of contrast agent (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.09–1.74) and male gender (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.19–1.09) were associated with fewer side-effects. Conclusions: The level oral fluid intake before and after undergoing gadolinium-based contrast-enhanced MRI does not appear to markedly affect the incidence of common undesirable mild symptoms experienced shortly after the procedure. Confounding differences between patients in reporting side-effects may contribute to these findings. - Highlights: • We assess the incidence of patient-reported side-effects after contrast-enhanced MRI. • We examine the potential impact of oral hydration levels on side-effects. • Patient reported side-effects are high compared to those reported by clinicians. • Female gender and contrast agent itself are associated with increased side

Evaluation of potential practical oral contrast agents for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisset, G.S. III; Cincinnati Univ., OH; Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

1989-01-01

Development of a practical oral contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging is necessary to improve differentiation of bowel from adjacent structures. In order to find a readily available, inexpensive, non-toxic, palatable solution for use in the pediatric population, several formulas, milk products and a common oral sedative were evaluated in vitro. T1, T2 and signal intensity measurements were performed on a 1.5 T system. Similac with standard iron proved to be a useful high signal intensity agent on multiple pulse sequences. Early in vivo experience in four normal volunteers indicates that this agent provides excellent delineation of the stomach and duodenum from contiguous viscera. Distal small bowel visualization is less predictabel. Further clinical trials should confirm the utility of this solution, which contains a combination of iron salts and paramagnetic metallic ions. (orig.)

Off-resonance artifacts correction with convolution in k-space (ORACLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wei; Huang, Feng; Simonotto, Enrico; Duensing, George R; Reykowski, Arne

2012-06-01

Off-resonance artifacts hinder the wider applicability of echo-planar imaging and non-Cartesian MRI methods such as radial and spiral. In this work, a general and rapid method is proposed for off-resonance artifacts correction based on data convolution in k-space. The acquired k-space is divided into multiple segments based on their acquisition times. Off-resonance-induced artifact within each segment is removed by applying a convolution kernel, which is the Fourier transform of an off-resonance correcting spatial phase modulation term. The field map is determined from the inverse Fourier transform of a basis kernel, which is calibrated from data fitting in k-space. The technique was demonstrated in phantom and in vivo studies for radial, spiral and echo-planar imaging datasets. For radial acquisitions, the proposed method allows the self-calibration of the field map from the imaging data, when an alternating view-angle ordering scheme is used. An additional advantage for off-resonance artifacts correction based on data convolution in k-space is the reusability of convolution kernels to images acquired with the same sequence but different contrasts. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparative evaluation of positive contrast and double contrast gastrography in dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dileepkumar, K.M.; Rajankutty, K.; Sarada, Amma T.; Devanand, C.B.; Vijayan, N.

2012-01-01

A contrast radiography of stomach with oral barium sulphate suspension 25% (5 mL/kg b.wt positive contrast) and double contrast with oral barium sulphate 25% (3 mL/kg b.wt) followed by air (2 to 10 mL/kg b.wt, negative contrast) was done on six dogs to study the affections of stomach. Contrast radiography using barium sulphate alone was found satisfactory to identify most of the lesions of the stomach. Double contrast radiography using barium sulphate and air, required sedation to control the animals for proper administration. For the diagnosis of mucosal lesions, double contrast radiography was better than barium sulphate alone. Key words: Barium, Contrast radiography, Dog, Double contrast, Stomach

Dynamic texture perception, oral processing behaviour and bolus properties of emulsion-filled gels with and without contrasting mechanical properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Devezeaux de Lavergne, M.S.M.; Tournier, C.; Bertrand, D.; Salles, C.; Velde, van de F.; Stieger, M.A.

2016-01-01

Many highly palatable foods are composed of multiple components which can have considerably different mechanical properties leading to contrasting texture sensations. The aim of this study was to better understand the impact of contrasting mechanical properties in semi-solid gels on oral processing

A new manganese-based oral contrast agent (CMC-001) for liver MRI. Pharmacological and pharmaceutical aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joergensen, Jan Troest; Rief, Matthias; Wagner, Moritz; Brismar, Torkel B.; Albiin, Nils

2012-01-01

Manganese is one of the most abundant metals on earth and is found as a component of more than 100 different minerals. Besides being an essential trace element in relation to the metabolic processes in the body, manganese is also a paramagnetic metal that possesses similar characteristics to gadolinium with regards to T1-weighted (T1-w) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Manganese, in the form of manganese (II) chloride tetrahydrate, is the active substance in a new targeted oral contrast agent, currently known as CMC-001, indicated for hepatobiliary MRI. Under physiological circumstances manganese is poorly absorbed from the intestine after oral intake, but by the use of specific absorption promoters, L-alanine and vitamin D3, it is possible to obtain a sufficiently high concentration in the liver in order to achieve a significant signal enhancing effect. In the liver manganese is exposed to a very high first-pass effect, up to 98 %, which prevents the metal from reaching the systemic circulation, thereby reducing the number of systemic side-effects. Manganese is one of the least toxic trace elements, and due to its favorable safety profile it may be an attractive alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents for patients undergoing an MRI evaluation for liver metastases in the future. In this review the basic pharmacological and pharmaceutical aspects of this new targeted oral hepatobiliary specific contrast agent will be discussed

Spatial presaturation: Method for suppressing flow artifacts and improving depiction of vascular anatomy in clinical MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felmlee, J.P.; Ehman, R.; Julsrud, P.; Gray, J.

1987-01-01

MR images are often degraded by flow artifacts that obscure anatomic details and reduce contrast. Vascular structures are frequently depicted poorly because flow voids are obliterated by spurious intraluminal signals. This exhibit presents an analysis of the physical mechanisms of flow artifact formation and describes a presaturation technique for suppressing such artifacts. The technique incorporates additional spectrally shaped radio frequency pulses into standard imaging sequences. It has proved effective for reducing flow artifacts in experimental and clinical imaging studies. The technique is particularly helpful for high-resolution surface coil examinations of the neck, mediastinal imaging, and gated cardiac imaging, and for detecting thrombus and other intravastcular pathology

Removing Contamination-Induced Reconstruction Artifacts from Cryo-electron Tomograms

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Jose-Jesus; Laugks, Ulrike; Schaffer, Miroslava; Bäuerlein, Felix J.B.; Khoshouei, Maryam; Baumeister, Wolfgang; Lucic, Vladan

2016-01-01

Imaging of fully hydrated, vitrified biological samples by electron tomography yields structural information about cellular protein complexes in situ. Here we present a computational procedure that removes artifacts of three-dimensional reconstruction caused by contamination present in samples during imaging by electron microscopy. Applying the procedure to phantom data and electron tomograms of cellular samples significantly improved the resolution and the interpretability of tomograms. Artifacts caused by surface contamination associated with thinning by focused ion beam, as well as those arising from gold fiducial markers and from common, lower contrast contamination, could be removed. Our procedure is widely applicable and is especially suited for applications that strive to reach a higher resolution and involve the use of recently developed, state-of-the-art instrumentation. PMID:26743046

An Additive Manufacturing Test Artifact

Science.gov (United States)

Moylan, Shawn; Slotwinski, John; Cooke, April; Jurrens, Kevin; Donmez, M Alkan

2014-01-01

A test artifact, intended for standardization, is proposed for the purpose of evaluating the performance of additive manufacturing (AM) systems. A thorough analysis of previously proposed AM test artifacts as well as experience with machining test artifacts have inspired the design of the proposed test artifact. This new artifact is designed to provide a characterization of the capabilities and limitations of an AM system, as well as to allow system improvement by linking specific errors measured in the test artifact to specific sources in the AM system. The proposed test artifact has been built in multiple materials using multiple AM technologies. The results of several of the builds are discussed, demonstrating how the measurement results can be used to characterize and improve a specific AM system. PMID:26601039

Fundamental studies for CT in the oral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Shinichiro

1984-01-01

Fundamental studies were attempted regarding the clinical application of CT (TCT-60A) in the oral region. The investigation assessed the following: 1) calculation of CT-No for oral hard tissues, 2) test for linearity CT-No vs. the linear attenuation coefficient in high X-ray attenuation materials, 3) observation of artifacts caused by dental materials and 4) measurement of patient doses of CT used at the maxillary sinus. The results obtained were as follows. 1) Calculated CT-No (E=70 KeV) values for oral hard tissues were enamel 3.51 x 10 3 , dentine 2.40 x 10 3 , cementum 1.88 x 10 3 , cortical bone 1.48 x 10 3 and mandible 1.01 x 10 3 . 2) Linearity for CT-No vs. the linear attenuation coefficient gave a good relative coefficient between lucite and teflon, but linearity between lucite and aluminum was not good enough. 3) Three different artifacts from the copper rod were observed: (1) connection line artifact, (2) star-burst artifact and (3) figure-eight artifact. 4) Under shot caused by composite resin was observed, and artifact from both the radiopaque composite resin and amalgam were the same kinds as those from the copper rod. 5) Calculated CT-No (E=66 KeV) values for dental materials were copper 5.48 x 10 4 , composite resin 1.24 x 10 3 , radiopaque composite resin 4.65 x 10 3 and amalgam 2.27 x 10 5 . 6) Absorbed doses of lenses and thyroid gland using CT at the mixillary sinus region were 59 mrad (59 x 10 -2 mGy) and 17 mrad (17 x 10 -2 mGy) for a single scanning. 7) The volume dose of the head under a single CT scanning was estimated as 820 g.rad (820 x 10 -5 Kg.Gy) by the TLD method, and 900 g.rad (900 x 10 -5 Kg.Gy) by the film dosimetry method. The difference in these values was considered to be the effect arising from ununiformity of the X-ray beam. (author)

Searching for an alternative oral contrast agent for GI tract MR imaging; in vitro phase, initial report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okla, W.; Szeszkowski, W.; Cieszanowski, A.; Golebiowski, M.

2002-01-01

MR has been recently considered to be suitable method for detection GI tract pathologies. A few substances (some of a natural origin) seem to act as an efficient oral MR contrast agents. The aim of this study is to find an alternative substance, which can be administrated orally to patients in order to enhance signal intensity (SI). The ideal agent should have a biphase pattern (high SI in T1 and low in T2), and should be nontoxic and cost effective. Phantom experiments were conducted with 1.5 T MR scanner. T1W and T2W sequences were used for initial estimation. Number of different agents such as: water, Gd-DTPA, barium sulfate, green tea, blueberry juice, cranberry juice, blackcurrant juice, and some more were evaluated. Signal intensity was measured by using elliptical region of interest (ROI). MR imaging in one patient with stomach cancer was also performed. In T1W-FFE sequence cranberry juice reached satisfactorily high signal (SI=1760.14). In T2W-TSE sequence this substance reduced signal intensity (SI=23.10) almost to background level. Blueberry juice appear to be the next substance capable to generate high signal (SI=1558.31) in T1W sequence (T1-TSE). MR examination of a patient with stomach adenocarcinoma (using blueberry juice as an oral contrast agent) satisfactorily depicted and delineated tumor mass on both: T1W and T2W images. Cranberry juice and blueberry juice seemed to act effectively as oral contrast agents for gastrointestinal MR imaging. Thus they need further exploration and trials. (author)

Counter-propagating wave interaction for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Renaud, G.; Bosch, J. G.; ten Kate, G. L.; Shamdasani, V.; Entrekin, R.; de Jong, N.; van der Steen, A. F. W.

2012-11-01

Most techniques for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging require linear propagation to detect nonlinear scattering of contrast agent microbubbles. Waveform distortion due to nonlinear propagation impairs their ability to distinguish microbubbles from tissue. As a result, tissue can be misclassified as microbubbles, and contrast agent concentration can be overestimated; therefore, these artifacts can significantly impair the quality of medical diagnoses. Contrary to biological tissue, lipid-coated gas microbubbles used as a contrast agent allow the interaction of two acoustic waves propagating in opposite directions (counter-propagation). Based on that principle, we describe a strategy to detect microbubbles that is free from nonlinear propagation artifacts. In vitro images were acquired with an ultrasound scanner in a phantom of tissue-mimicking material with a cavity containing a contrast agent. Unlike the default mode of the scanner using amplitude modulation to detect microbubbles, the pulse sequence exploiting counter-propagating wave interaction creates no pseudoenhancement behind the cavity in the contrast image.

Counter-propagating wave interaction for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renaud, G; Bosch, J G; Ten Kate, G L; De Jong, N; Van der Steen, A F W; Shamdasani, V; Entrekin, R

2012-01-01

Most techniques for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging require linear propagation to detect nonlinear scattering of contrast agent microbubbles. Waveform distortion due to nonlinear propagation impairs their ability to distinguish microbubbles from tissue. As a result, tissue can be misclassified as microbubbles, and contrast agent concentration can be overestimated; therefore, these artifacts can significantly impair the quality of medical diagnoses. Contrary to biological tissue, lipid-coated gas microbubbles used as a contrast agent allow the interaction of two acoustic waves propagating in opposite directions (counter-propagation). Based on that principle, we describe a strategy to detect microbubbles that is free from nonlinear propagation artifacts. In vitro images were acquired with an ultrasound scanner in a phantom of tissue-mimicking material with a cavity containing a contrast agent. Unlike the default mode of the scanner using amplitude modulation to detect microbubbles, the pulse sequence exploiting counter-propagating wave interaction creates no pseudoenhancement behind the cavity in the contrast image. (fast track communication)

Fundamental studies of oral contrast agents for MR. Comparison of manganese agent and iron agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Osamu; Hiraishi, Kumiko; Suginobu, Yoshito; Takeuchi, Masayasu; Narabayashi, Isamu

1996-01-01

We investigated and compared signal intensity and the effect of imaging the upper abdomen with blueberry juice (B.J.), a Mn agent utilizing the properties of paramagnetic metals, and FerriSeltz (F.S.), an iron agent. Since the relaxation effect was much stronger with B.J. than with F.S., the signal intensity required of a peroral contrast agent was able to be obtained at a much lower concentration of B.J. In imaging the upper abdomen, B.J. had a positive effect on imaging in T1-weighted images, and a negative effect in T2-weighted images. F.S. had a positive imaging effect in both, and because it showed extremely high signals in T2-weighted images, motion artifact arose. (author)

Gastric stromal tumor: two-phase dynamic CT findings with water as oral contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Se Hyo; Cho, June Sik; Shin, Kyung Sook; Jeong, Ki Ho; Park, Jin Yong; Yu, Ho Jun; Kim, Young Min; Jeon, Kwang Jin

2000-01-01

To evaluate two-phase dynamic CT with water as oral contrast agents in the CT diagnosis of gastric stromal tumors. We retrospectively reviewed the CT findings in 21 patients with pathologically proven gastric stromal tumors. Six were found to be benign, twelve were malignant, and there were three cases of STUMP (stromal tumor uncertain malignant potential). Two-phase dynamic CT scans with water as oral contrast agents were obtained 60-70 secs (portal phase) and 3 mins (equilibrium phase) after the start of IV contrast administration. We determined the size, growth pattern, and enhancement pattern of the tumors and overlying mucosa, the presence or absence of ulceration and necrosis, tumor extent, and lymph nod and distant metastasis. The CT and pathologic findings were correlated. All six benign tumors and three STUMP were less than 5.5 cm in size, and during the portal phase showed round endogastric masses with highly enhanced, intact overlying mucosa. Twelve malignant tumors were 4.5-15.5 cm in size (mean, 11.5 cm); an endogastric mass was seen in three cases, an exogastric mass in one, and a mixed pattern in eight. On portal phase images the tumors were not significantly enhanced, but highly enhanced feeding vessels were noted in five larger tumors (greater than 10 cm). All 12 malignant tumors showed ulceration and necrosis, and interruption of overlying mucosa was clearly seen during the portal phase. We were readily able to evaluate tumor extent during this phase, and in ten malignant tumors there was no invasion of adjacent organs. Seven malignant tumors showed air density within their necrotic portion (p less than 0.05). On equilibrium phase images, all malignant tumors showed heterogeneous enhancement due to necrosis, and poorly enhanced overlying mucosa. Dynamic CT during the portal phase with water as oral contrast agents was useful for depicting the submucosal origin of gastric stromal tumors and for evaluating the extent of malignant stromal tumors. Our

Discrimination of common myocardial tomography artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Hongcheng; Chen Shaoliang; Yao Zhifeng; Zhu Weimin; Liu Wenguan

2002-01-01

To study the characteristics of common myocardial tomography artifacts so as to increase the diagnosis accuracy, 132 patients with myocardial perfusion were reviewed. With careful recognition of artifacts, the patients were re-diagnosed and compared with previous results. It was found that attenuation artifacts and motion artifacts were found frequently in thallium SPECT images. Artifacts caused by thoracic wall were frequent in female and showed a fixed defect in anterior or lateral wall; attenuation artifacts caused by left hemi diaphragm were always found in male and showed that the inferior wall became thinner gradually from apex to bottom in vertical long axis slices. The coexistence of defects and hot areas was the characteristics of motion artifacts. Artifacts caused by non-target organs, liver and/or gastrointestinal tracts, were frequently seen in 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT image. By recognizing the artifacts, misdiagnosis rate decreased significantly from 13.6% to 6.8%. Authors' studies show that all kinds of artifacts have their prevalence rate and imaging feature, the artifacts could be eliminated effectively by careful analysis and some correction measures

Multi-detector CT urography: effect of oral hydration and contrast medium volume on renal parenchymal enhancement and urinary tract opacification - a quantitative and qualitative analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szolar, Dieter H.; Tillich, Manfred; Preidler, Klaus W.

2010-01-01

To assess the effect of oral hydration and contrast-medium volume on renal enhancement and urinary tract opacification in multi-detector CT urography. A total of 192 patients were assigned to different protocols with varying doses of contrast agent with and without oral hydration. The attenuation was measured in the renal parenchyma in the unenhanced, nephrographic and excretory phase, and in the urinary tract in excretory phase imaging, respectively. Opacification of the urinary tract was graded on volume rendered images. Oral hydration did not significantly alter renal parenchymal enhancement in both the nephrographic and the excretory phase (p > 0.001), but significantly decreased mean attenuation of the urinary tract in the excretory phase (p ≤ 0.001), and improved continuous opacification of all ureter segments (p < 0.01). Higher volumes of contrast medium improved renal parenchymal enhancement (p ≤ 0.001) and continuous opacification of the urinary tract (p ≤ 0.01). Oral hydration leads to lower attenuation values in the urinary tract but improves the continuous opacification of the tract. Increase in contrast medium volume leads to higher renal parenchymal enhancement as well as to an increased continuous opacification of the urinary tract. Decrease in contrast medium volume cannot be compensated for by oral hydration in terms of parenchymal enhancement. (orig.)

Image-based metal artifact reduction in x-ray computed tomography utilizing local anatomical similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xue; Yang, Xiaofeng; Rosenfield, Jonathan; Elder, Eric; Dhabaan, Anees

2017-03-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is widely used in radiation therapy treatment planning in recent years. However, metal implants such as dental fillings and hip prostheses can cause severe bright and dark streaking artifacts in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. In this work, a metal artifact reduction method is proposed based on the intrinsic anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Neighboring CT slices from the same patient exhibit similar anatomical features. Exploiting this anatomical similarity, a gamma map is calculated as a weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error for each pixel in an artifact-corrupted CT image relative to a neighboring, artifactfree image. The minimum value in the gamma map for each pixel is used to identify an appropriate pixel from the artifact-free CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. With the proposed method, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 360 HU and 460 HU to 24 HU and 34 HU on head and pelvis CT images, respectively. Dose calculation accuracy also improved, as the dose difference was reduced from greater than 20% to less than 4%. Using 3%/3mm criteria, the gamma analysis failure rate was reduced from 23.25% to 0.02%. An image-based metal artifact reduction method is proposed that replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring CT slices free of metal artifacts. This method is shown to be capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, thereby improving HU and dose calculation accuracy.

Magnesium sulfate as an oral contrast medium in magnetic resonance imaging of the small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Hao; Liu, Cun; Ding, Hong Yu; Li, Chun Wei

2012-03-01

To explore the use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) as an oral contrast medium (CM) in MRI of the small intestine. By comparing MgSO4 SNRs at different concentrations, we determined that 2.5% MgSO4 is the ideal concentration for small bowel MRI. Twenty volunteers underwent MRI after drinking 2.5% MgSO4. Thirty-one patients with clinical suspicion of small intestinal pathology underwent both MRI and the air-barium contrast examination. The patient's tolerance, side effects and complications were noted. 2.5% MgSO4 can decrease the absorption of water and fully fill the enteric cavity, thereby increasing the contrast between the intestinal wall and lumen and facilitating radiographic examination of the small bowel. The mean diameter of the small intestine was 19.8±1.21 mm in the 20 volunteers consuming 2.5% MgSO4 and 12.7±0.84 mm in the 20 volunteers given water. There was a significant difference (P0.05) in side effects between MgSO4 and water groups. Small intestinal MRI was successfully performed in all 31 patients, who were also examined by the double contrast barium, which gave almost identical diagnoses to MRI in all cases except for 1 patient with small intestinal hemorrhage. MRI with 2.5% MgSO4 can demonstrate intestinal abnormalities. Therefore, 2.5% MgSO4 solution is an ideal oral CM for small bowel MRI. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupa, Katarzyna; Bekiesińska-Figatowska, Monika

2015-01-01

Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging and foreign bodies within the patient’s body may be confused with a pathology or may reduce the quality of examinations. Radiologists are frequently not informed about the medical history of patients and face postoperative/other images they are not familiar with. A gallery of such images was presented in this manuscript. A truncation artifact in the spinal cord could be misinterpreted as a syrinx. Motion artifacts caused by breathing, cardiac movement, CSF pulsation/blood flow create a ghost artifact which can be reduced by patient immobilization, or cardiac/respiratory gating. Aliasing artifacts can be eliminated by increasing the field of view. An artificially hyperintense signal on FLAIR images can result from magnetic susceptibility artifacts, CSF/vascular pulsation, motion, but can also be found in patients undergoing MRI examinations while receiving supplemental oxygen. Metallic and other foreign bodies which may be found on and in patients’ bodies are the main group of artifacts and these are the focus of this study: e.g. make-up, tattoos, hairbands, clothes, endovascular embolization, prostheses, surgical clips, intraorbital and other medical implants, etc. Knowledge of different types of artifacts and their origin, and of possible foreign bodies is necessary to eliminate them or to reduce their negative influence on MR images by adjusting acquisition parameters. It is also necessary to take them into consideration when interpreting the images. Some proposals of reducing artifacts have been mentioned. Describing in detail the procedures to avoid or limit the artifacts would go beyond the scope of this paper but technical ways to reduce them can be found in the cited literature

Reducing charging effects in scanning electron microscope images by Rayleigh contrast stretching method (RCS).

Science.gov (United States)

Wan Ismail, W Z; Sim, K S; Tso, C P; Ting, H Y

2011-01-01

To reduce undesirable charging effects in scanning electron microscope images, Rayleigh contrast stretching is developed and employed. First, re-scaling is performed on the input image histograms with Rayleigh algorithm. Then, contrast stretching or contrast adjustment is implemented to improve the images while reducing the contrast charging artifacts. This technique has been compared to some existing histogram equalization (HE) extension techniques: recursive sub-image HE, contrast stretching dynamic HE, multipeak HE and recursive mean separate HE. Other post processing methods, such as wavelet approach, spatial filtering, and exponential contrast stretching, are compared as well. Overall, the proposed method produces better image compensation in reducing charging artifacts. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Compressive Phase Contrast Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maia, Filipe; MacDowell, Alastair; Marchesini, Stefano; Padmore, Howard A.; Parkinson, Dula Y.; Pien, Jack; Schirotzek, Andre; Yang, Chao

2010-01-01

When x-rays penetrate soft matter, their phase changes more rapidly than their amplitude. Interference effects visible with high brightness sources creates higher contrast, edge enhanced images. When the object is piecewise smooth (made of big blocks of a few components), such higher contrast datasets have a sparse solution. We apply basis pursuit solvers to improve SNR, remove ring artifacts, reduce the number of views and radiation dose from phase contrast datasets collected at the Hard X-Ray Micro Tomography Beamline at the Advanced Light Source. We report a GPU code for the most computationally intensive task, the gridding and inverse gridding algorithm (non uniform sampled Fourier transform).

Flexible Method for the Automated Offline-Detection of Artifacts in Multi-Channel Electroencephalogram Recordings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waser, Markus; Garn, Heinrich; Benke, Thomas

2017-01-01

. However, these preprocessing steps do not allow for complete artifact correction. We propose a method for the automated offline-detection of remaining artifacts after preprocessing in multi-channel EEG recordings. In contrast to existing methods it requires neither adaptive parameters varying between...... recordings nor a topography template. It is suited for short EEG segments and is flexible with regard to target applications. The algorithm was developed and tested on 60 clinical EEG samples of 20 seconds each that were recorded both in resting state and during cognitive activation to gain a realistic...

Toddlers favor communicatively presented information over statistical reliability in learning about artifacts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Marno

Full Text Available Observed associations between events can be validated by statistical information of reliability or by testament of communicative sources. We tested whether toddlers learn from their own observation of efficiency, assessed by statistical information on reliability of interventions, or from communicatively presented demonstration, when these two potential types of evidence of validity of interventions on a novel artifact are contrasted with each other. Eighteen-month-old infants observed two adults, one operating the artifact by a method that was more efficient (2/3 probability of success than that of the other (1/3 probability of success. Compared to the Baseline condition, in which communicative signals were not employed, infants tended to choose the less reliable method to operate the artifact when this method was demonstrated in a communicative manner in the Experimental condition. This finding demonstrates that, in certain circumstances, communicative sanctioning of reliability may override statistical evidence for young learners. Such a bias can serve fast and efficient transmission of knowledge between generations.

MADR: metal artifact detection and reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, Sunil Prasad; Ha, Sungsoo; Mueller, Klaus

2016-04-01

Metal in CT-imaged objects drastically reduces the quality of these images due to the severe artifacts it can cause. Most metal artifacts reduction (MAR) algorithms consider the metal-affected sinogram portions as the corrupted data and replace them via sophisticated interpolation methods. While these schemes are successful in removing the metal artifacts, they fail to recover some of the edge information. To address these problems, the frequency shift metal artifact reduction algorithm (FSMAR) was recently proposed. It exploits the information hidden in the uncorrected image and combines the high frequency (edge) components of the uncorrected image with the low frequency components of the corrected image. Although this can effectively transfer the edge information of the uncorrected image, it also introduces some unwanted artifacts. The essential problem of these algorithms is that they lack the capability of detecting the artifacts and as a result cannot discriminate between desired and undesired edges. We propose a scheme that does better in these respects. Our Metal Artifact Detection and Reduction (MADR) scheme constructs a weight map which stores whether a pixel in the uncorrected image belongs to an artifact region or a non-artifact region. This weight matrix is optimal in the Linear Minimum Mean Square Sense (LMMSE). Our results demonstrate that MADR outperforms the existing algorithms and ensures that the anatomical structures close to metal implants are better preserved.

Observer Evaluation of a Metal Artifact Reduction Algorithm Applied to Head and Neck Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korpics, Mark; Surucu, Murat; Mescioglu, Ibrahim; Alite, Fiori; Block, Alec M.; Choi, Mehee; Emami, Bahman; Harkenrider, Matthew M.; Solanki, Abhishek A.; Roeske, John C., E-mail: jroeske@lumc.edu

2016-11-15

Purpose and Objectives: To quantify, through an observer study, the reduction in metal artifacts on cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images using a projection-interpolation algorithm, on images containing metal artifacts from dental fillings and implants in patients treated for head and neck (H&N) cancer. Methods and Materials: An interpolation-substitution algorithm was applied to H&N CBCT images containing metal artifacts from dental fillings and implants. Image quality with respect to metal artifacts was evaluated subjectively and objectively. First, 6 independent radiation oncologists were asked to rank randomly sorted blinded images (before and after metal artifact reduction) using a 5-point rating scale (1 = severe artifacts; 5 = no artifacts). Second, the standard deviation of different regions of interest (ROI) within each image was calculated and compared with the mean rating scores. Results: The interpolation-substitution technique successfully reduced metal artifacts in 70% of the cases. From a total of 60 images from 15 H&N cancer patients undergoing image guided radiation therapy, the mean rating score on the uncorrected images was 2.3 ± 1.1, versus 3.3 ± 1.0 for the corrected images. The mean difference in ranking score between uncorrected and corrected images was 1.0 (95% confidence interval: 0.9-1.2, P<.05). The standard deviation of each ROI significantly decreased after artifact reduction (P<.01). Moreover, a negative correlation between the mean rating score for each image and the standard deviation of the oral cavity and bilateral cheeks was observed. Conclusion: The interpolation-substitution algorithm is efficient and effective for reducing metal artifacts caused by dental fillings and implants on CBCT images, as demonstrated by the statistically significant increase in observer image quality ranking and by the decrease in ROI standard deviation between uncorrected and corrected images.

Development of a unique phantom to assess dose error of metal artifact in head and neck cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Min Young; Kang, Sang Won; Suh, Tae Suk [Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jeong Woo [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ji Yeon [Dept. of Pediatrics and Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford (United States)

2016-04-15

The artifacts not only blur the CT images and lead to inaccuracies in diagnosis, but also make the delineation of anatomical structures intractable, which is important in image-guided intervention procedures. These artifacts obscure the underlying anatomy, leading to uncertainty in the delineation of the target volumes and compromising the integrity of the density representation that is crucial for accurate dose calculation. Because head and neck cancer patients tend to be over the age of 50 years, they constitute a group likely to have dental prostheses. This kind of side effects considerably disturbs the therapeutic procedure. Radiation scatter from high atomic number (Z) materials is established to cause both soft tissue and bony complications in the oral cavity, making scattered radiation an important factor in head and neck region radiotherapy planning. In this study, we carried out theoretical analysis of the metal artifact, that is, streak artifact and dark artifact, and also critical analysis of dosimetric effect which cause by dental implants in CT images of head and neck cancer patients with the genuine teeth and implants inserted humanoid phantom. The phantom provides a unique and useful tool in head and neck dosimetry research. It can be used in the development of new imaging instrumentation, image acquisition strategies, and image processing and reconstruction methods.

Artifacts in MRI of the temporomandibular joint caused by dental alloys: a phantom study at 1.5 T

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellner, C.; Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen; Behr, M.; Fellner, F.; Held, P.; Handel, G.; Feuerbach, S.

1997-01-01

Purpose: The influence of dental alloys on MRI of the temporomandibular joint was studied using a phantom model for this joint. Methods: At 1,5 T, 15 dental alloys and 14 of their most important components were investigated acquiring sagittal (FOV: 150 mm) and transverse (FOV: 250 mm) T 1 -weighted SE additionally. The artifacts were assessed qualitatively as well as quantitatively, and the samples were subdivided into four artifact categories. Results: Ag, Cu, Ga, In, Ti, Sn, Zn, amalgan, the precious alloys, the Au-Pd and Ag-Pd alloys showed no artifacts (category I). Minimal artifacts below 10 mm on transverse images (category II) were found for Cr, Pd, Pt and for the Ni-Cr alloy. Mn and the remaining non-precious alloys induced artifacts up to 30 mm (category III). Significant artifacts - more than 30 mm - (category IV) were to be more susceptible for artifacts than T 1 -weighted SE and FLASH techniques. Conclusions: In contrast to dental alloys for fixed prosthodontics, Ni-Cr- or 18/8 wires used for orthodontic bands can influence not only the image quality, but also the diagnostic reliability of MRI of the temporomandibular joint. (orig.) [de

A systematic comparison of motion artifact correction techniques for functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Robert J; Selb, Juliette; Gagnon, Louis; Phillip, Dorte; Schytz, Henrik W; Iversen, Helle K; Ashina, Messoud; Boas, David A

2012-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is susceptible to signal artifacts caused by relative motion between NIRS optical fibers and the scalp. These artifacts can be very damaging to the utility of functional NIRS, particularly in challenging subject groups where motion can be unavoidable. A number of approaches to the removal of motion artifacts from NIRS data have been suggested. In this paper we systematically compare the utility of a variety of published NIRS motion correction techniques using a simulated functional activation signal added to 20 real NIRS datasets which contain motion artifacts. Principle component analysis, spline interpolation, wavelet analysis, and Kalman filtering approaches are compared to one another and to standard approaches using the accuracy of the recovered, simulated hemodynamic response function (HRF). Each of the four motion correction techniques we tested yields a significant reduction in the mean-squared error (MSE) and significant increase in the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the recovered HRF when compared to no correction and compared to a process of rejecting motion-contaminated trials. Spline interpolation produces the largest average reduction in MSE (55%) while wavelet analysis produces the highest average increase in CNR (39%). On the basis of this analysis, we recommend the routine application of motion correction techniques (particularly spline interpolation or wavelet analysis) to minimize the impact of motion artifacts on functional NIRS data.

Artifact Reduction of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Using a Short-Echo Phase Mask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Y.; Monma, M.; Kohno, Y.

2009-01-01

Background: Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is utilized in magnetic resonance (MR) venography and other applications, but can include artifacts caused by the phase-masking process. Purpose: To demonstrate risks of filter processes used in making phase masks for SWI, and to propose a simple method for reducing artifacts. Material and Methods: Phase linearity related to echo time (TE) was evaluated for the original phase and high-pass-filtered phase using a CuSO 4 -doped water phantom. Effect of filter size of the Hanning window and background homogeneity were also evaluated in a phantom study. Use of a phase mask generated by data with differing magnitudes of TE was attempted in a human study. Shorter TE was used for making the phase mask, and the number of multiplications was increased. As short and long TEs were necessary simultaneously for phase mask and T2* contrast, a dual-echo technique was used. Results: Linearity of TE and phase value collapsed, and an unexpected negative phase appeared in the high-pass-filtered phase. Using a short-TE phase mask, phase-aliasing artifacts were reduced and visibility of deep veins was equivalent to that under conventional methods with an increased number of multiplications. Conclusion: Use of a short-echo phase mask in SWI is useful for reducing artifacts

Reference geometry-based detection of (4D-)CT motion artifacts: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, René; Gauer, Tobias

2015-03-01

Respiration-correlated computed tomography (4D or 3D+t CT) can be considered as standard of care in radiation therapy treatment planning for lung and liver lesions. The decision about an application of motion management devices and the estimation of patient-specific motion effects on the dose distribution relies on precise motion assessment in the planning 4D CT data { which is impeded in case of CT motion artifacts. The development of image-based/post-processing approaches to reduce motion artifacts would benefit from precise detection and localization of the artifacts. Simple slice-by-slice comparison of intensity values and threshold-based analysis of related metrics suffer from- depending on the threshold- high false-positive or -negative rates. In this work, we propose exploiting prior knowledge about `ideal' (= artifact free) reference geometries to stabilize metric-based artifact detection by transferring (multi-)atlas-based concepts to this specific task. Two variants are introduced and evaluated: (S1) analysis and comparison of warped atlas data obtained by repeated non-linear atlas-to-patient registration with different levels of regularization; (S2) direct analysis of vector field properties (divergence, curl magnitude) of the atlas-to-patient transformation. Feasibility of approaches (S1) and (S2) is evaluated by motion-phantom data and intra-subject experiments (four patients) as well as - adopting a multi-atlas strategy- inter-subject investigations (twelve patients involved). It is demonstrated that especially sorting/double structure artifacts can be precisely detected and localized by (S1). In contrast, (S2) suffers from high false positive rates.

Use of cognitive artifacts in chemistry learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yengin, Ilker

In everyday life, we interact with cognitive artifacts to receive and/or manipulate information so as to alter our thinking processes. CHEM/TEAC 869Q is a distance course that includes extensive explicit instruction in the use of a cognitive artifact. This study investigates issues related to the design of that online artifact. In order to understand design implications and how cognitive artifacts contribute to students' thinking and learning, a qualitative research methodology was engaged that utilized think aloud sessions. Participants' described constrained and structured cognitive models while using the artifact. The study also was informed by interviews and researcher's field notes. A purposeful sampling method led to the selection of participants, four males and two females, who had no prior history of using a course from the 869 series but who had experienced the scientific content covered by the CHEM869Q course. Analysis of the results showed both that a cognitive artifact may lead users' minds in decision making, and that problem solving processes were affected by cognitive artifact's design. When there is no design flaw, users generally thought that the cognitive artifact was helpful by simplifying steps, overcoming other limitations, and reducing errors in a reliable, effective, and easy to use way. Moreover, results showed that successful implementation of cognitive artifacts into teaching --learning practices depended on user willingness to transfer a task to the artifact. While users may like the idea of benefiting from a cognitive artifact, nevertheless, they may tend to limit their usage. They sometimes think that delegating a task to a cognitive artifact makes them dependent, and that they may not learn how to perform the tasks by themselves. They appear more willing to use a cognitive artifact after they have done the task by themselves.

Small Artifacts - Big Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreiner, Kristian

2005-01-01

The computer IC is the heart of the information and telecommunication technology. It is a tiny artifact, but with incredible organizing powers. We use this physical artifact as the location for studying central problems of the knowledge economy. First, the paper describes the history of chip design...

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godfrey, Devon J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States); Page McAdams, H. [Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States); Dobbins, James T. III [Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physics, and Medical Physics Graduate Program, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705 (United States)

2013-02-15

Purpose: Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Methods: Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes, three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. Results: For scan angles of 20 Degree-Sign and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Devon J.; Page McAdams, H.; Dobbins, James T.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Methods: Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes, three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. Results: For scan angles of 20° and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS planes must be

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Devon J; McAdams, H Page; Dobbins, James T

2013-02-01

Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes, three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. For scan angles of 20° and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS planes must be averaged to sufficiently

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godfrey, Devon J.; Page McAdams, H.; Dobbins, James T. III

2013-01-01

Purpose: Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Methods: Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes, three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. Results: For scan angles of 20° and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS planes must be

Transient severe motion artifact related to gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI. Frequency and risk evaluation at a German institution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Well, Lennart; Rausch, Vanessa Hanna; Adam, Gerhard; Henes, Frank Oliver; Bannas, Peter [Univ. Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Dept. for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine

2017-07-15

Varying frequencies (5 - 18%) of contrast-related transient severe motion (TSM) imaging artifacts during gadoxetate disodium-enhanced arterial phase liver MRI have been reported. Since previous reports originated from the United States and Japan, we aimed to determine the frequency of TSM at a German institution and to correlate it with potential risk factors and previously published results. Two age- and sex-matched groups were retrospectively selected (gadoxetate disodium n = 89; gadobenate dimeglumine n = 89) from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI examinations in a single center. Respiratory motion-related artifacts in non-enhanced and dynamic phases were assessed independently by two readers blinded to contrast agents on a 4-point scale. Scores of ≥3 were considered as severe motion artifacts. Severe motion artifacts in arterial phases were considered as TSM if scores in all other phases were < 3. Potential risk factors for TSM were evaluated via logistic regression analysis. For gadoxetate disodium, the mean score for respiratory motion artifacts was significantly higher in the arterial phase (2.2 ± 0.9) compared to all other phases (1.6 ± 0.7) (p < 0.05). The frequency of TSM was significantly higher with gadoxetate disodium (n = 19; 21.1 %) than with gadobenate dimeglumine (n = 1; 1.1%) (p < 0.001). The frequency of TSM at our institution is similar to some, but not all previously published findings. Logistic regression analysis did not show any significant correlation between TSM and risk factors (all p>0.05). We revealed a high frequency of TSM after injection of gadoxetate disodium at a German institution, substantiating the importance of a diagnosis-limiting phenomenon that so far has only been reported from the United States and Japan. In accordance with previous studies, we did not identify associated risk factors for TSM.

An extension to artifact-free projection overlaps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Jianyu

2015-01-01

Purpose: In multipinhole single photon emission computed tomography, the overlapping of projections has been used to increase sensitivity. Avoiding artifacts in the reconstructed image associated with projection overlaps (multiplexing) is a critical issue. In our previous report, two types of artifact-free projection overlaps, i.e., projection overlaps that do not lead to artifacts in the reconstructed image, were formally defined and proved, and were validated via simulations. In this work, a new proposition is introduced to extend the previously defined type-II artifact-free projection overlaps so that a broader range of artifact-free overlaps is accommodated. One practical purpose of the new extension is to design a baffle window multipinhole system with artifact-free projection overlaps. Methods: First, the extended type-II artifact-free overlap was theoretically defined and proved. The new proposition accommodates the situation where the extended type-II artifact-free projection overlaps can be produced with incorrectly reconstructed portions in the reconstructed image. Next, to validate the theory, the extended-type-II artifact-free overlaps were employed in designing the multiplexing multipinhole spiral orbit imaging systems with a baffle window. Numerical validations were performed via simulations, where the corresponding 1-pinhole nonmultiplexing reconstruction results were used as the benchmark for artifact-free reconstructions. The mean square error (MSE) was the metric used for comparisons of noise-free reconstructed images. Noisy reconstructions were also performed as part of the validations. Results: Simulation results show that for noise-free reconstructions, the MSEs of the reconstructed images of the artifact-free multiplexing systems are very similar to those of the corresponding 1-pinhole systems. No artifacts were observed in the reconstructed images. Therefore, the testing results for artifact-free multiplexing systems designed using the

Pulmonary CT angiography: optimization of contrast enhancement technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Lianju; Tang Guangjian; Fu Jiazhen

2012-01-01

Objective: To derive and evaluate the formula of exactly calculating the contrast dosage used during pulmonary CT angiography (CTPA). Methods: Time density curves in 27 patients who underwent CTPA were collected and analyzed,the formula for calculating contrast dosage during CTPA was derived. 68 patients suspected of pulmonary embolism (PE) clinically but no PE on CTPA were divided randomly into group A, with bolus tracing technique (n=26), and group B, with small dose injection contrast test (SDCT) (n=42). The CT values of the right main pulmonary artery (RMPA), right upper pulmonary vein (RUPV), right posterior basal PA, right lower PV (RLPV) and the aorta were calculated. The total contrast dosage and the hard beam artifact in the SVC were compared between the two groups.Student's t test, Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: The ratio of the time from starting injection to enhancement peak of caudal end of SVC and the time to enhancement peak of the main pulmonary trunk was 0.65 ±0.09 (about 2/3), the formula for contrast dosage calculation was derived as (DTs/3 + STs/2) FR ml/s. The CT values of RMPA and RLPA between the two groups [(301 ±117), (329 ± 122) and (283 ±95), (277 ±98) HU respectively] were not significantly different (t=1.060, P=0.292; t=2.056, P=0.044), but the differences of CT values in the paired PA and PV between the two groups (median were 22.5, 58.0 and 170.5, 166.5 HU respectively) were significant (U=292, P=0.001 and U=325, P=0.005), contrast artifact of the SVC (grade 1-3) in group B (n=34, 7, 1 respectively) was significantly less than in group A (n=11, 10, 5 respectively, χ 2 =10.714, P=0.002), the contrast dosage injected in group A was ( 87.6 ± 7.3) ml, and in group B was (40.0 ±5.4) ml (P<0.01). Conclusion: CTPA with SDCT technique is superior to that with conventional bolus tracing technique regarding contrast dosage and contrast artifact in the SVC. (authors)

Combining monoenergetic extrapolations from dual-energy CT with iterative reconstructions. Reduction of coil and clip artifacts from intracranial aneurysm therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winklhofer, Sebastian; Baltsavias, Gerasimos; Michels, Lars; Valavanis, Antonios [University of Zurich, Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Hinzpeter, Ricarda; Stocker, Daniel; Alkadhi, Hatem [University of Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Burkhardt, Jan-Karl; Regli, Luca [University of Zurich, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland)

2018-03-15

To compare and to combine iterative metal artifact reduction (MAR) and virtual monoenergetic extrapolations (VMEs) from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for reducing metal artifacts from intracranial clips and coils. Fourteen clips and six coils were scanned in a phantom model with DECT at 100 and 150SnkVp. Four datasets were reconstructed: non-corrected images (filtered-back projection), iterative MAR, VME from DECT at 120 keV, and combined iterative MAR + VME images. Artifact severity scores and visibility of simulated, contrast-filled, adjacent vessels were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by two independent, blinded readers. Iterative MAR, VME, and combined iterative MAR + VME resulted in a significant reduction of qualitative (p < 0.001) and quantitative clip artifacts (p < 0.005) and improved the visibility of adjacent vessels (p < 0.05) compared to non-corrected images, with lowest artifact scores found in combined iterative MAR + VME images. Titanium clips demonstrated less artifacts than Phynox clips (p < 0.05), and artifact scores increased with clip size. Coil artifacts increased with coil size but were reducible when applying iterative MAR + VME compared to non-corrected images. However, no technique improved the severe artifacts from large, densely packed coils. Combining iterative MAR with VME allows for an improved metal artifact reduction from clips and smaller, loosely packed coils. Limited value was found for large and densely packed coils. (orig.)

An index of beam hardening artifact for two-dimensional cone-beam CT tomographic images: establishment and preliminary evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fusong; Lv, Peijun; Yang, Huifang; Wang, Yong; Sun, Yuchun

2015-07-01

Objectives: Based on the pixel gray value measurements, establish a beam-hardening artifacts index of the cone-beam CT tomographic image, and preliminarily evaluate its applicability. Methods: The 5mm-diameter metal ball and resin ball were fixed on the light-cured resin base plate respectively, while four vitro molars were fixed above and below the ball, on the left and right respectively, which have 10mm distance with the metal ball. Then, cone beam CT was used to scan the fixed base plate twice. The same layer tomographic images were selected from the two data and imported into the Photoshop software. The circle boundary was built through the determination of the center and radius of the circle, according to the artifact-free images section. Grayscale measurement tools were used to measure the internal boundary gray value G0, gray value G1 and G2 of 1mm and 20mm artifacts outside the circular boundary, the length L1 of the arc with artifacts in the circular boundary, the circumference L2. Hardening artifacts index was set A = (G1 / G0) * 0.5 + (G2 / G1) * 0.4 + (L2 / L1) * 0.1. Then, the A values of metal and resin materials were calculated respectively. Results: The A value of cobalt-chromium alloy material is 1, and resin material is 0. Conclusion: The A value reflects comprehensively the three factors of hardening artifacts influencing normal oral tissue image sharpness of cone beam CT. The three factors include relative gray value, the decay rate and range of artifacts.

Conceptual Model of Artifacts for Design Science Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bækgaard, Lars

2015-01-01

We present a conceptual model of design science research artifacts. The model views an artifact at three levels. At the artifact level a selected artifact is viewed as a combination of material and immaterial aspects and a set of representations hereof. At the design level the selected artifact...

Contrast-enhanced peripheral MRA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Yousef W; Thomsen, Henrik S

2012-01-01

MRI contrast agent is injected intravenously and T1-weighted images are acquired in the subsequent arterial first-pass phase. In order to achieve high quality MR angiograms without interfering venous contamination or artifacts, a number of factors need to be taken into account. This includes magnetic......-state MRA. Gadolinium(Gd)-based contrast agents are used for CE-MRA of the peripheral arteries. Extracellular Gd agents have a pharmacokinetic profile similar to iodinated contrast media. Accordingly, these agents are employed for first-pass MRA. Blood-pool Gd-based agents are characterized by prolonged...... intravascular stay, due to macromolecular structure or protein binding. These agents can be used for first-pass, as well as steady-state MRA. Some Gd-based contrast agents with low thermodynamic stability have been linked to development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal...

Metal-induced streak artifact reduction using iterative reconstruction algorithms in x-ray computed tomography image of the dentoalveolar region.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jian; Hayakawa, Yoshihiko; Kannenberg, Sven; Kober, Cornelia

2013-02-01

The objective of this study was to reduce metal-induced streak artifact on oral and maxillofacial x-ray computed tomography (CT) images by developing the fast statistical image reconstruction system using iterative reconstruction algorithms. Adjacent CT images often depict similar anatomical structures in thin slices. So, first, images were reconstructed using the same projection data of an artifact-free image. Second, images were processed by the successive iterative restoration method where projection data were generated from reconstructed image in sequence. Besides the maximum likelihood-expectation maximization algorithm, the ordered subset-expectation maximization algorithm (OS-EM) was examined. Also, small region of interest (ROI) setting and reverse processing were applied for improving performance. Both algorithms reduced artifacts instead of slightly decreasing gray levels. The OS-EM and small ROI reduced the processing duration without apparent detriments. Sequential and reverse processing did not show apparent effects. Two alternatives in iterative reconstruction methods were effective for artifact reduction. The OS-EM algorithm and small ROI setting improved the performance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-E-I-51: Use of Blade Sequences in Cervical Spine MR Imaging for Eliminating Motion, Truncation and Flow Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mavroidis, P [University of Texas Health Science Center, UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX (United States); Lavdas, E; Kostopoulos, S; Ninos, C; Strikou, A; Glotsos, D; Vlachopoulou, A; Oikonomou, G [Technological Education Institute of Athens, Athens, Athens (Greece); Economopoulos, N [General University Hospital ATTIKON, Athens, Athens (Greece); Roka, V [Health Center of Farkadona, Trikala (Greece); Sakkas, G [Center for Research and Technology of Thessaly, Trikala (Greece); Tsagkalis, A; Batsikas, G [IASO Thessalias Hospital, Larissa (Greece); Statkahis, S [Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, TX (United States); Papanikolaou, N [University of Texas HSC SA, San Antonio, TX (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the BLADE technique to eliminate motion, truncation, flow and other artifacts in Cervical Spine MRI compared to the conventional technique. To study the ability of the examined sequences to reduce the indetention and wrap artifacts, which have been reported in BLADE sagittal sequences. Methods: Forty consecutive subjects, who had been routinely scanned for cervical spine examination using four different image acquisition techniques, were analyzed. More specifically, the following pairs of sequences were compared: a) T2 TSE SAG vs. T2 TSE SAG BLADE and b) T2 TIRM SAG vs. T2 TIRM SAG BLADE. A quantitative analysis was performed using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and relative contrast (ReCon) measures. A qualitative analysis was also performed by two radiologists, who graded seven image characteristics on a 5-point scale (0:non-visualization; 1:poor; 2:average; 3:good; 4:excellent). The observers also evaluated the presence of image artifacts (motion, truncation, flow, indentation). Results: Based on the findings of the quantitative analysis, the ReCON values of the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)/SC (spinal cord) between TIRM SAG and TIRM SAG BLADE were found to present statistical significant differences (p<0.001). Regarding motion and truncation artifacts, the T2 TSE SAG BLADE was superior compared to the T2 TSE SAG and the T2 TIRM SAG BLADE was superior compared to the T2 TIRM SAG. Regarding flow artifacts, T2 TIRM SAG BLADE eliminated more artifacts compared to the T2 TIRM SAG. Conclusion: The use of BLADE sequences in cervical spine MR examinations appears to be capable of potentially eliminating motion, pulsatile flow and trancation artifacts. Furthermore, BLADE sequences are proposed to be used in the standard examination protocols based on the fact that a significantly improved image quality could be achieved.

SU-E-I-51: Use of Blade Sequences in Cervical Spine MR Imaging for Eliminating Motion, Truncation and Flow Artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mavroidis, P; Lavdas, E; Kostopoulos, S; Ninos, C; Strikou, A; Glotsos, D; Vlachopoulou, A; Oikonomou, G; Economopoulos, N; Roka, V; Sakkas, G; Tsagkalis, A; Batsikas, G; Statkahis, S; Papanikolaou, N

2014-01-01

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the BLADE technique to eliminate motion, truncation, flow and other artifacts in Cervical Spine MRI compared to the conventional technique. To study the ability of the examined sequences to reduce the indetention and wrap artifacts, which have been reported in BLADE sagittal sequences. Methods: Forty consecutive subjects, who had been routinely scanned for cervical spine examination using four different image acquisition techniques, were analyzed. More specifically, the following pairs of sequences were compared: a) T2 TSE SAG vs. T2 TSE SAG BLADE and b) T2 TIRM SAG vs. T2 TIRM SAG BLADE. A quantitative analysis was performed using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and relative contrast (ReCon) measures. A qualitative analysis was also performed by two radiologists, who graded seven image characteristics on a 5-point scale (0:non-visualization; 1:poor; 2:average; 3:good; 4:excellent). The observers also evaluated the presence of image artifacts (motion, truncation, flow, indentation). Results: Based on the findings of the quantitative analysis, the ReCON values of the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)/SC (spinal cord) between TIRM SAG and TIRM SAG BLADE were found to present statistical significant differences (p<0.001). Regarding motion and truncation artifacts, the T2 TSE SAG BLADE was superior compared to the T2 TSE SAG and the T2 TIRM SAG BLADE was superior compared to the T2 TIRM SAG. Regarding flow artifacts, T2 TIRM SAG BLADE eliminated more artifacts compared to the T2 TIRM SAG. Conclusion: The use of BLADE sequences in cervical spine MR examinations appears to be capable of potentially eliminating motion, pulsatile flow and trancation artifacts. Furthermore, BLADE sequences are proposed to be used in the standard examination protocols based on the fact that a significantly improved image quality could be achieved

Shoulder Magnetic Resonance Arthrography: A Prospective Randomized Study of Anterior and Posterior Ultrasonography-Guided Contrast Injections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koivikko, M.P.; Mustonen, A.O.T. (Dept. of Radiology, Helsinki Univ. Central Hospital, Helsinki (Finland))

2008-10-15

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography is an accurate imaging method for internal shoulder derangements and rotator cuff pathologies. Both anterior and posterior contrast injection techniques, under palpatory, fluoroscopic, or ultrasonographic guidance have been described in the literature. However, clinical comparisons of the injection techniques remain few. Purpose: To compare the performance of anterior and posterior ultrasonography (US)-guided arthrography injections of the shoulder regarding patient discomfort and influence on diagnostic MR reading, and to illustrate the typical artifacts resulting from contrast leakage in the respective techniques. Material and Methods: 43 MR arthrographies were prospectively randomized into anterior and posterior US-guided contrast injections and performed by two radiologists, with the study of artifacts from contrast leakage. Pain from the injections was assessed by a survey utilizing a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: Of the 23 anterior injections, nine caused contrast artifacts in the subscapular tendon, and in three the leakage extended further anteriorly. Of the 20 posterior injections, 12 showed injection artifacts of the rotator cuff, extending outside the cuff in seven. Two of the anterior and none of the posterior artifacts compromised diagnostic quality. In posterior injections, the leakage regularly occurred at the caudal edge of the infraspinatus muscle and was easily distinguishable from rotator cuff tears. All patients completed the pain survey. Mean VAS scores were 25.0 (median 18, SD 22) for anterior, and 25.4 (median 16, SD 25) for posterior injections. The two radiologists achieved different mean VAS scores but closely agreed as to anterior and posterior VAS scores. Conclusion: Arthrography injections were fairly simple to perform under US guidance. Patient discomfort for anterior and posterior injections was equally minor. A tailored approach utilizing anterior or posterior injections

Artifact Reduction of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Using a Short-Echo Phase Mask

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishimori, Y.; Monma, M. (Dept. of Radiological Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural Univ. of Health Sciences, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki (Japan)); Kohno, Y. (Dept. of Neurology, Ibaraki Prefectural Univ. of Health Sciences, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki (Japan))

2009-11-15

Background: Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is utilized in magnetic resonance (MR) venography and other applications, but can include artifacts caused by the phase-masking process. Purpose: To demonstrate risks of filter processes used in making phase masks for SWI, and to propose a simple method for reducing artifacts. Material and Methods: Phase linearity related to echo time (TE) was evaluated for the original phase and high-pass-filtered phase using a CuSO{sub 4}-doped water phantom. Effect of filter size of the Hanning window and background homogeneity were also evaluated in a phantom study. Use of a phase mask generated by data with differing magnitudes of TE was attempted in a human study. Shorter TE was used for making the phase mask, and the number of multiplications was increased. As short and long TEs were necessary simultaneously for phase mask and T2 contrast, a dual-echo technique was used. Results: Linearity of TE and phase value collapsed, and an unexpected negative phase appeared in the high-pass-filtered phase. Using a short-TE phase mask, phase-aliasing artifacts were reduced and visibility of deep veins was equivalent to that under conventional methods with an increased number of multiplications. Conclusion: Use of a short-echo phase mask in SWI is useful for reducing artifacts

Oral contrast for CT in patients with acute non-traumatic abdominal and pelvic pain: what should be its current role?

Science.gov (United States)

Kielar, Ania Z; Patlas, Michael N; Katz, Douglas S

2016-10-01

Positive oral contrast agents, including barium suspensions and water-soluble iodinated solutions, have traditionally been used in conjunction with the CT evaluation of patients with abdominal and pelvic pain. Due to continued advancements in CT technology, and due to increasing obesity and correspondingly a general increase in the intra-abdominal and intra-pelvic fat separating bowel loops in North American patients and in patients in other parts of the world over the past few decades, the ability of radiologists to accurately evaluate the cause of acute symptoms has substantially improved. Recent research and evolving imaging society guidelines/systematic reviews increasingly support performing CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis without the need for positive oral contrast in these types of adult patient populations, in most clinical situations. Increased patient throughput, patient preference, patient safety, and most importantly, retention of high diagnostic accuracy, are reasons for this recent change in practice to routinely omit the use of enteric contrast agents for the majority of patients presenting with acute abdominal and pelvic pain whom are undergoing emergency CT.

Investigating media artifacts with children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chimirri, Niklas Alexander

The dissertation’s aim is to explore the everyday relevance media artifacts have for young children. It discusses and further develops analytical concepts that are committed to taking the children’s perspectives on possibilities and limitations of such artifacts seriously. These conceptual...... developments are rooted in the author’s participation in a daycare practice in Berlin, Germany. The daycare’s situational approach precisely attempted to draw on the children’s everyday life experiences so as to engage in problem-oriented learning projects, on media artifacts and beyond....

SU-C-206-03: Metal Artifact Reduction in X-Ray Computed Tomography Based On Local Anatomical Similarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, X; Yang, X; Rosenfield, J; Elder, E; Dhabaan, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: Metal implants such as orthopedic hardware and dental fillings cause severe bright and dark streaking in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. Additionally, such artifacts negatively impact patient set-up in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this work, we propose a novel method for metal artifact reduction which utilizes the anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Methods: Neighboring CT slices show similar anatomy. Based on this anatomical similarity, the proposed method replaces corrupted CT pixels with pixels from adjacent, artifact-free slices. A gamma map, which is the weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error, is calculated for each pixel in the artifact-corrupted CT image. The minimum value in each pixel’s gamma map is used to identify a pixel from the adjacent CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. This replacement only occurs if the minimum value in a particular pixel’s gamma map is larger than a threshold. The proposed method was evaluated with clinical images. Results: Highly attenuating dental fillings and hip implants cause severe streaking artifacts on CT images. The proposed method eliminates the dark and bright streaking and improves the implant delineation and visibility. In particular, the image non-uniformity in the central region of interest was reduced from 1.88 and 1.01 to 0.28 and 0.35, respectively. Further, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 328 HU and 460 HU to 60 HU and 36 HU, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed metal artifact reduction method replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring slices that are free of metal artifacts. This method proved capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, improving HU accuracy and image detectability.

SU-C-206-03: Metal Artifact Reduction in X-Ray Computed Tomography Based On Local Anatomical Similarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, X; Yang, X; Rosenfield, J; Elder, E; Dhabaan, A [Emory University, Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Metal implants such as orthopedic hardware and dental fillings cause severe bright and dark streaking in reconstructed CT images. These artifacts decrease image contrast and degrade HU accuracy, leading to inaccuracies in target delineation and dose calculation. Additionally, such artifacts negatively impact patient set-up in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In this work, we propose a novel method for metal artifact reduction which utilizes the anatomical similarity between neighboring CT slices. Methods: Neighboring CT slices show similar anatomy. Based on this anatomical similarity, the proposed method replaces corrupted CT pixels with pixels from adjacent, artifact-free slices. A gamma map, which is the weighted summation of relative HU error and distance error, is calculated for each pixel in the artifact-corrupted CT image. The minimum value in each pixel’s gamma map is used to identify a pixel from the adjacent CT slice to replace the corresponding artifact-corrupted pixel. This replacement only occurs if the minimum value in a particular pixel’s gamma map is larger than a threshold. The proposed method was evaluated with clinical images. Results: Highly attenuating dental fillings and hip implants cause severe streaking artifacts on CT images. The proposed method eliminates the dark and bright streaking and improves the implant delineation and visibility. In particular, the image non-uniformity in the central region of interest was reduced from 1.88 and 1.01 to 0.28 and 0.35, respectively. Further, the mean CT HU error was reduced from 328 HU and 460 HU to 60 HU and 36 HU, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed metal artifact reduction method replaces corrupted image pixels with pixels from neighboring slices that are free of metal artifacts. This method proved capable of suppressing streaking artifacts, improving HU accuracy and image detectability.

Exploring the effects of transducer models when training convolutional neural networks to eliminate reflection artifacts in experimental photoacoustic images

Science.gov (United States)

Allman, Derek; Reiter, Austin; Bell, Muyinatu

2018-02-01

We previously proposed a method of removing reflection artifacts in photoacoustic images that uses deep learning. Our approach generally relies on using simulated photoacoustic channel data to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) that is capable of distinguishing sources from artifacts based on unique differences in their spatial impulse responses (manifested as depth-based differences in wavefront shapes). In this paper, we directly compare a CNN trained with our previous continuous transducer model to a CNN trained with an updated discrete acoustic receiver model that more closely matches an experimental ultrasound transducer. These two CNNs were trained with simulated data and tested on experimental data. The CNN trained using the continuous receiver model correctly classified 100% of sources and 70.3% of artifacts in the experimental data. In contrast, the CNN trained using the discrete receiver model correctly classified 100% of sources and 89.7% of artifacts in the experimental images. The 19.4% increase in artifact classification accuracy indicates that an acoustic receiver model that closely mimics the experimental transducer plays an important role in improving the classification of artifacts in experimental photoacoustic data. Results are promising for developing a method to display CNN-based images that remove artifacts in addition to only displaying network-identified sources as previously proposed.

What is the best contrast injection protocol for 64-row multi-detector cardiac computed tomography?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Jinguo; Lv Bin; Chen Xiongbiao; Tang Xiang; Jiang Shiliang; Dai Ruping

2010-01-01

Objective: To determine the optimal contrast injection protocol for 64-MDCT coronary angiography. Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients scheduled to undergo retrospectively electrocardiographically gated 64-MDCT. Each 30 patients were assigned to use a different contrast protocol: group 1: uniphasic protocol (contrast injection without saline flush); group 2: biphasic protocol (contrast injection with saline flush); group 3A, 3B and 3C: triphasic protocol (contrast media + different saline diluted contrast media + saline flush). Image quality scores and artifacts were compared and evaluated on both transaxial and three-dimensional coronary artery images among each contrast protocol. Results: Among the triphasic protocol groups, group 3A (30%:70% contrast media-saline mixture was used in second phase) used the least contrast media and had the least frequency of streak artifacts, but there were no significant differences in coronary artery attenuation, image quality, visualization right and left heart structures. Among the uniphasic protocol group (group 1), biphasic protocol group (group 2) and triphasic protocol subgroup (group 3A), there were no significant differences in image quality scores of coronary artery (P = 0.18); uniphasic protocol group had the highest frequency of streak artifacts (20 cases) (P < 0.05) and had the most amount contrast media (67.0 ± 5.3 ml); biphasic protocol group had the least amount of contrast media (59.9 ± 4.9 ml) (P < 0.05) and had the highest attenuation of left main coronary artery and right coronary artery (P < 0.01), but had the least amount of clear visualization right heart structure (6 cases); triphasic protocol group (group 3A) had the most amount of clear visualization right heart structures (29 cases) were the most among the three groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Biphasic protocol are superior to the traditional uniphasic protocols for using the least total contrast media, having the least

What is the best contrast injection protocol for 64-row multi-detector cardiac computed tomography?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu Jinguo [Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 167 Beilishi Road, Beijing (China); Lv Bin, E-mail: blu@vip.sina.co [Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 167 Beilishi Road, Beijing (China); Chen Xiongbiao; Tang Xiang; Jiang Shiliang; Dai Ruping [Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 167 Beilishi Road, Beijing (China)

2010-08-15

Objective: To determine the optimal contrast injection protocol for 64-MDCT coronary angiography. Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients scheduled to undergo retrospectively electrocardiographically gated 64-MDCT. Each 30 patients were assigned to use a different contrast protocol: group 1: uniphasic protocol (contrast injection without saline flush); group 2: biphasic protocol (contrast injection with saline flush); group 3A, 3B and 3C: triphasic protocol (contrast media + different saline diluted contrast media + saline flush). Image quality scores and artifacts were compared and evaluated on both transaxial and three-dimensional coronary artery images among each contrast protocol. Results: Among the triphasic protocol groups, group 3A (30%:70% contrast media-saline mixture was used in second phase) used the least contrast media and had the least frequency of streak artifacts, but there were no significant differences in coronary artery attenuation, image quality, visualization right and left heart structures. Among the uniphasic protocol group (group 1), biphasic protocol group (group 2) and triphasic protocol subgroup (group 3A), there were no significant differences in image quality scores of coronary artery (P = 0.18); uniphasic protocol group had the highest frequency of streak artifacts (20 cases) (P < 0.05) and had the most amount contrast media (67.0 {+-} 5.3 ml); biphasic protocol group had the least amount of contrast media (59.9 {+-} 4.9 ml) (P < 0.05) and had the highest attenuation of left main coronary artery and right coronary artery (P < 0.01), but had the least amount of clear visualization right heart structure (6 cases); triphasic protocol group (group 3A) had the most amount of clear visualization right heart structures (29 cases) were the most among the three groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Biphasic protocol are superior to the traditional uniphasic protocols for using the least total contrast media, having the least

Planning and clinical studies of a commercial orthopedic metal artifact reduction tool for CT simulations for head-and-neck radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kon, Hyuck Jun; Ye, Sung Joon; Kim, Jung In; Park, Jong Min; Lee, Jae Gi; Heo, Tae Min; Kim Kyung Su; Chun, Young Mi; Callahan, Zachariah

2013-01-01

In computed tomography (CT) images, the presence of high Z materials induces typical streak artifacts, called metal artifacts which can pervert CT Hounsfield numbers in the reconstructed images. These artifact-induced distortion of CT images can impact on the dose calculation based on the CT images. In the radiation therapy of Head-and-Neck cancer because of the concave-shaped target volumes, the complex anatomy, a lot of sensitive normal tissues and air cavity structures, it is important to get accurate CT images for dose calculation. But dental implant is common for H and N patients so that it is hard to get undistorted CT images. Moreover because dental implants are generally with the air cavity like oral cavity and nasal cavity in the same CT slice, they can make lots of distortion. In this study, we focused on evaluating the distortion on air cavity by the metal artifact and the effectiveness of the commercial orthopedic metal artifact reduction function (O-MAR) about the metal artifacts induced by the dental implant. The O-MAR algorithm increases the accuracy of CT Hounsfield numbers and reducing noises. Thus, it can contribute to the entire radiation treatment planning process, especially for contouring/segmentation. Although there was no significant difference in dose distributions for most cases, the O-MAR correction was shown to have an impact on high dose regions in air cavity

Planning and clinical studies of a commercial orthopedic metal artifact reduction tool for CT simulations for head-and-neck radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kon, Hyuck Jun; Ye, Sung Joon [Interdisplinary Program in Radiation Applied Life Science, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung In; Park, Jong Min; Lee, Jae Gi; Heo, Tae Min [Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim Kyung Su [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chun, Young Mi [Philips Healthcare Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Callahan, Zachariah [Program in Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Dept. of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-11-15

In computed tomography (CT) images, the presence of high Z materials induces typical streak artifacts, called metal artifacts which can pervert CT Hounsfield numbers in the reconstructed images. These artifact-induced distortion of CT images can impact on the dose calculation based on the CT images. In the radiation therapy of Head-and-Neck cancer because of the concave-shaped target volumes, the complex anatomy, a lot of sensitive normal tissues and air cavity structures, it is important to get accurate CT images for dose calculation. But dental implant is common for H and N patients so that it is hard to get undistorted CT images. Moreover because dental implants are generally with the air cavity like oral cavity and nasal cavity in the same CT slice, they can make lots of distortion. In this study, we focused on evaluating the distortion on air cavity by the metal artifact and the effectiveness of the commercial orthopedic metal artifact reduction function (O-MAR) about the metal artifacts induced by the dental implant. The O-MAR algorithm increases the accuracy of CT Hounsfield numbers and reducing noises. Thus, it can contribute to the entire radiation treatment planning process, especially for contouring/segmentation. Although there was no significant difference in dose distributions for most cases, the O-MAR correction was shown to have an impact on high dose regions in air cavity.

Transient Severe Motion Artifact Related to Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced Liver MRI: Frequency and Risk Evaluation at a German Institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Well, Lennart; Rausch, Vanessa Hanna; Adam, Gerhard; Henes, Frank Oliver; Bannas, Peter

2017-07-01

Purpose  Varying frequencies (5 - 18 %) of contrast-related transient severe motion (TSM) imaging artifacts during gadoxetate disodium-enhanced arterial phase liver MRI have been reported. Since previous reports originated from the United States and Japan, we aimed to determine the frequency of TSM at a German institution and to correlate it with potential risk factors and previously published results. Materials and Methods  Two age- and sex-matched groups were retrospectively selected (gadoxetate disodium n = 89; gadobenate dimeglumine n = 89) from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI examinations in a single center. Respiratory motion-related artifacts in non-enhanced and dynamic phases were assessed independently by two readers blinded to contrast agents on a 4-point scale. Scores of ≥ 3 were considered as severe motion artifacts. Severe motion artifacts in arterial phases were considered as TSM if scores in all other phases were risk factors for TSM were evaluated via logistic regression analysis. Results  For gadoxetate disodium, the mean score for respiratory motion artifacts was significantly higher in the arterial phase (2.2 ± 0.9) compared to all other phases (1.6 ± 0.7) (p risk factors (all p > 0.05). Conclusion  We revealed a high frequency of TSM after injection of gadoxetate disodium at a German institution, substantiating the importance of a diagnosis-limiting phenomenon that so far has only been reported from the United States and Japan. In accordance with previous studies, we did not identify associated risk factors for TSM. Key Points:   · Gadoxetate disodium causes TSM in a relevant number of patients.. · The frequency of TSM is similar between the USA, Japan and Germany.. · To date, no validated risk factors for TSM could be identified.. Citation Format · Well L, Rausch VH, Adam G et al. Transient Severe Motion Artifact Related to Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced Liver MRI: Frequency and Risk Evaluation at a

WE-AB-207A-12: HLCC Based Quantitative Evaluation Method of Image Artifact in Dental CBCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y; Wu, S; Qi, H; Xu, Y; Zhou, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: Image artifacts are usually evaluated qualitatively via visual observation of the reconstructed images, which is susceptible to subjective factors due to the lack of an objective evaluation criterion. In this work, we propose a Helgason-Ludwig consistency condition (HLCC) based evaluation method to quantify the severity level of different image artifacts in dental CBCT. Methods: Our evaluation method consists of four step: 1) Acquire Cone beam CT(CBCT) projection; 2) Convert 3D CBCT projection to fan-beam projection by extracting its central plane projection; 3) Convert fan-beam projection to parallel-beam projection utilizing sinogram-based rebinning algorithm or detail-based rebinning algorithm; 4) Obtain HLCC profile by integrating parallel-beam projection per view and calculate wave percentage and variance of the HLCC profile, which can be used to describe the severity level of image artifacts. Results: Several sets of dental CBCT projections containing only one type of artifact (i.e. geometry, scatter, beam hardening, lag and noise artifact), were simulated using gDRR, a GPU tool developed for efficient, accurate, and realistic simulation of CBCT Projections. These simulated CBCT projections were used to test our proposed method. HLCC profile wave percentage and variance induced by geometry distortion are about 3∼21 times and 16∼393 times as large as that of the artifact-free projection, respectively. The increase factor of wave percentage and variance are 6 and133 times for beam hardening, 19 and 1184 times for scatter, and 4 and16 times for lag artifacts, respectively. In contrast, for noisy projection the wave percentage, variance and inconsistency level are almost the same with those of the noise-free one. Conclusion: We have proposed a quantitative evaluation method of image artifact based on HLCC theory. According to our simulation results, the severity of different artifact types is found to be in a following order: Scatter

WE-AB-207A-12: HLCC Based Quantitative Evaluation Method of Image Artifact in Dental CBCT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y; Wu, S; Qi, H; Xu, Y; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Image artifacts are usually evaluated qualitatively via visual observation of the reconstructed images, which is susceptible to subjective factors due to the lack of an objective evaluation criterion. In this work, we propose a Helgason-Ludwig consistency condition (HLCC) based evaluation method to quantify the severity level of different image artifacts in dental CBCT. Methods: Our evaluation method consists of four step: 1) Acquire Cone beam CT(CBCT) projection; 2) Convert 3D CBCT projection to fan-beam projection by extracting its central plane projection; 3) Convert fan-beam projection to parallel-beam projection utilizing sinogram-based rebinning algorithm or detail-based rebinning algorithm; 4) Obtain HLCC profile by integrating parallel-beam projection per view and calculate wave percentage and variance of the HLCC profile, which can be used to describe the severity level of image artifacts. Results: Several sets of dental CBCT projections containing only one type of artifact (i.e. geometry, scatter, beam hardening, lag and noise artifact), were simulated using gDRR, a GPU tool developed for efficient, accurate, and realistic simulation of CBCT Projections. These simulated CBCT projections were used to test our proposed method. HLCC profile wave percentage and variance induced by geometry distortion are about 3∼21 times and 16∼393 times as large as that of the artifact-free projection, respectively. The increase factor of wave percentage and variance are 6 and133 times for beam hardening, 19 and 1184 times for scatter, and 4 and16 times for lag artifacts, respectively. In contrast, for noisy projection the wave percentage, variance and inconsistency level are almost the same with those of the noise-free one. Conclusion: We have proposed a quantitative evaluation method of image artifact based on HLCC theory. According to our simulation results, the severity of different artifact types is found to be in a following order: Scatter

Archaic artifacts resembling celestial spheres

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrakoudis, S.; Papaspyrou, P.; Petoussis, V.; Moussas, X.

We present several bronze artifacts from the Archaic Age in Greece (750-480 BC) that resemble celestial spheres or forms of other astronomical significance. They are studied in the context of the Dark Age transition from Mycenaean Age astronomical themes to the philosophical and practical revival of astronomy in the Classical Age with its plethora of astronomical devices. These artifacts, mostly votive in nature are spherical in shape and appear in a variety of forms their most striking characteristic being the depiction of meridians and/or an equator. Most of those artifacts come from Thessaly, and more specifically from the temple of Itonia Athena at Philia, a religious center of pan-Hellenic significance. Celestial spheres, similar in form to the small artifacts presented in this study, could be used to measure latitudes, or estimate the time at a known place, and were thus very useful in navigation.

Artifacts as Authoritative Actors in Educational Reform

Science.gov (United States)

März, Virginie; Kelchtermans, Geert; Vermeir, Karen

2017-01-01

Educational reforms are often translated in and implemented through artifacts. Although research has frequently treated artifacts as merely functional, more recent work acknowledges the complex relationship between material artifacts and human/organizational behavior. This article aims at disentangling this relationship in order to deepen our…

Pan-cancer analysis reveals technical artifacts in TCGA germline variant calls.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Alexandra R; Standish, Kristopher A; Bhutani, Kunal; Ideker, Trey; Lasken, Roger S; Carter, Hannah; Harismendy, Olivier; Schork, Nicholas J

2017-06-12

Cancer research to date has largely focused on somatically acquired genetic aberrations. In contrast, the degree to which germline, or inherited, variation contributes to tumorigenesis remains unclear, possibly due to a lack of accessible germline variant data. Here we called germline variants on 9618 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database representing 31 cancer types. We identified batch effects affecting loss of function (LOF) variant calls that can be traced back to differences in the way the sequence data were generated both within and across cancer types. Overall, LOF indel calls were more sensitive to technical artifacts than LOF Single Nucleotide Variant (SNV) calls. In particular, whole genome amplification of DNA prior to sequencing led to an artificially increased burden of LOF indel calls, which confounded association analyses relating germline variants to tumor type despite stringent indel filtering strategies. The samples affected by these technical artifacts include all acute myeloid leukemia and practically all ovarian cancer samples. We demonstrate how technical artifacts induced by whole genome amplification of DNA can lead to false positive germline-tumor type associations and suggest TCGA whole genome amplified samples be used with caution. This study draws attention to the need to be sensitive to problems associated with a lack of uniformity in data generation in TCGA data.

MSVAT-SPACE-STIR and SEMAC-STIR for Reduction of Metallic Artifacts in 3T Head and Neck MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilgenfeld, T; Prager, M; Schwindling, F S; Nittka, M; Rammelsberg, P; Bendszus, M; Heiland, S; Juerchott, A

2018-05-24

The incidence of metallic dental restorations and implants is increasing, and head and neck MR imaging is becoming challenging regarding artifacts. Our aim was to evaluate whether multiple-slab acquisition with view angle tilting gradient based on a sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts by using different flip angle evolution (MSVAT-SPACE)-STIR and slice-encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC)-STIR are beneficial regarding artifact suppression compared with the SPACE-STIR and TSE-STIR in vitro and in vivo. At 3T, 3D artifacts of 2 dental implants, supporting different single crowns, were evaluated. Image quality was evaluated quantitatively (normalized signal-to-noise ratio) and qualitatively (2 reads by 2 blinded radiologists). Feasibility was tested in vivo in 5 volunteers and 5 patients, respectively. Maximum achievable resolution and the normalized signal-to-noise ratio of MSVAT-SPACE-STIR were higher compared with SEMAC-STIR. Performance in terms of artifact correction was dependent on the material composition. For highly paramagnetic materials, SEMAC-STIR was superior to MSVAT-SPACE-STIR (27.8% smaller artifact volume) and TSE-STIR (93.2% less slice distortion). However, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR reduced the artifact size compared with SPACE-STIR by 71.5%. For low-paramagnetic materials, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR performed as well as SEMAC-STIR. Furthermore, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR decreased artifact volume by 69.5% compared with SPACE-STIR. The image quality of all sequences did not differ systematically. In vivo results were comparable with in vitro results. Regarding susceptibility artifacts and acquisition time, MSVAT-SPACE-STIR might be advantageous over SPACE-STIR for high-resolution and isotropic head and neck imaging. Only for materials with high-susceptibility differences to soft tissue, the use of SEMAC-STIR might be beneficial. Within limited acquisition times, SEMAC-STIR cannot exploit its full advantage over TSE-STIR regarding artifact

On Lifecycle Constraints of Artifact-Centric Workflows

Science.gov (United States)

Kucukoguz, Esra; Su, Jianwen

Data plays a fundamental role in modeling and management of business processes and workflows. Among the recent "data-aware" workflow models, artifact-centric models are particularly interesting. (Business) artifacts are the key data entities that are used in workflows and can reflect both the business logic and the execution states of a running workflow. The notion of artifacts succinctly captures the fluidity aspect of data during workflow executions. However, much of the technical dimension concerning artifacts in workflows is not well understood. In this paper, we study a key concept of an artifact "lifecycle". In particular, we allow declarative specifications/constraints of artifact lifecycle in the spirit of DecSerFlow, and formulate the notion of lifecycle as the set of all possible paths an artifact can navigate through. We investigate two technical problems: (Compliance) does a given workflow (schema) contain only lifecycle allowed by a constraint? And (automated construction) from a given lifecycle specification (constraint), is it possible to construct a "compliant" workflow? The study is based on a new formal variant of artifact-centric workflow model called "ArtiNets" and two classes of lifecycle constraints named "regular" and "counting" constraints. We present a range of technical results concerning compliance and automated construction, including: (1) compliance is decidable when workflow is atomic or constraints are regular, (2) for each constraint, we can always construct a workflow that satisfies the constraint, and (3) sufficient conditions where atomic workflows can be constructed.

Metallic artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Eiji; Okuyama, Koichiro; Ishikawa, Noriyuki; Hongo, Michio; Sato, Kozo; Sashi, Ryuji; Ishikawa, Eijiro.

1995-01-01

Seven metallic implants with different content of magnetic materials were compared in terms of the degree of MRI artifact. The degree of artifact well correlated with the total content of iron and cobalt than the total content of ferromagnets (iron, cobalt, nickel). No significant difference was observed regarding artifact among 4 titanium alloys containing very small amount of ferromagnet (0.058%-2.5%). Pedicle screws were made from different alloys in the same shape. Those screws were inserted into the swine vertebrae and artifact was evaluated by MRI. The degree of artifact was SUS316 (stainless steel)>MP-35N (cobalt alloy)>Ti-6AI-4V (titanium alloy), 1.5 Tesla>0.5 Tesla as for magnetic intensity, and T2 (gradient echo)>T2 (long SE)>proton density>T1 as for exposure condition. The condition of the site screw was inserted in the vertebral canal was detectable by T1-weighted images of titanium alloy and cobalt alloy in 0.5 Tesla and T1-weighted images of titanium alloy in 1.5 Tesla. (S.Y)

Comparison of cardiac gating and refocusing pulses for correction of cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifacts in MR images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modic, M.T.; Haacke, E.M.; Lenz, G.W.; Masaryk, T.; Kaufman, B.; Ross, J.S.

1986-01-01

This study compared cardiac gating and additional refocusing gradient pulses in combination or alone for correction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsation artifacts in both normal volunteers and in patients with suspected spinal pathology. Refocusing pulses or cardiac gating when used alone produced a decrease in ghosting artifacts on sagittal images and reduced the nonuniformity of the CSF signal on axial images. There is improved thin-section T2 imaging of the cord with long TEs and as few as one excitation. The refocusing pulses reduced ghosting artifacts also from respiratory motion and enhanced the CSF signal with shorter TRs leading to increased CSF contrast. When used together, the results were significantly better than either alone. Refocusing schemes can be used with any TR, do not require gating, and are now routinely employed at the authors' institution

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using new negative per-oral contrast agent based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for extrahepatic biliary duct visualization in liver cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Polakova, Katerina; Mocikova, Ingrid; Purova, Dana; Tucek, Pavel; Novak, Pavel; Novotna, Katerina; Izak, Niko; Bielik, Radoslav; Zboril, Radek; Miroslav, Herman

2016-12-01

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is often used for imaging of the biliary tree and is required by surgeons before liver transplantation. Advanced liver cirrhosis and ascites in patients however present diagnostic problems for MRCP. The aim of this study was to find out if the use of our negative per-oral contrast agent containing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) in MRCP is helpful for imaging of hepatobiliary tree in patients with liver cirrhosis. Forty patients with liver cirrhosis were examined on a 1.5 T MR unit using standard MRCP protocol. Twenty patients (group A) underwent MRCP after administration of per-oral SPIO contrast agent 30 min before examination. In group B, twenty patients were examined without per-oral bowel preparation. Ascites was present in eleven patients from group A and in thirteen patients in group B. Four radiologists analyzed MR images for visibility and delineation of the biliary tree. χ 2 tests were used for comparison of the visibility of intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with and without ascites. Better extrahepatic biliary duct visualization and visibility of extraluminal pathologies in patients with ascites was proved after administration of SPIO contrast agent. No statistically significant difference between group A and B was found for visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients without ascites. Delineation of intrahepatic biliary ducts was independent on bowel preparation. Application of our negative per-oral SPIO contrast agent before MRCP improves the visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with ascites which is helpful during the liver surgery, mainly in liver transplantation.

Capillary Electrophoresis Artifact Due to Eosin

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kathleen M.; Berg, Karin D.; Geiger, Tanya; Hafez, Michael; Flickinger, Katie A.; Cooper, Lisa; Pearson, Patrick; Eshleman, James R.

2005-01-01

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a commonly used tool in the analysis of fluorescently labeled PCR amplification products. We have identified a CE artifact caused by the tissue stain eosin that can complicate the interpretation of CE data. The artifact was detected during routine analysis of a DNA sample isolated from a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sample considered histologically suspicious for a B-cell neoplasm. A standard clinical PCR and CE assay for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangement revealed a weak polyclonal population of rearranged IGH genes and a 71 base peak suspicious for IGH clonality. The spectral properties of the 71 base peak were unusual in that although the dominant fluorescence of the peak was blue, it also fluoresced in green and yellow (blue>green>yellow), raising the suspicion that the peak might represent an artifact. CE analysis of the genomic DNA sample without PCR amplification demonstrated the presence of the 71 base peak, suggesting that the artifact was caused by a contaminant within the DNA sample itself. We demonstrate that eosin, which was used to stain the formalin-fixed tissue during processing, yields a discrete 71 base peak of similar morphology to the contaminant peak on CE analysis. The data suggest that eosin in the fixed tissue was not completely eliminated during nucleic acid extraction, resulting in the artifact peak. We discuss the implications of this potentially common contaminant on the interpretation of CE data and demonstrate that artifacts caused by eosin can be avoided by using more stringent DNA purification steps. Histological dyes may fluoresce, and artifacts from them should be considered when primary peaks contain additional underlying peaks of other colors. PMID:15681487

Prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heußer, Thorsten; Brehm, Marcus; Ritschl, Ludwig; Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2014-01-01

Purpose: Image quality in computed tomography (CT) often suffers from artifacts which may reduce the diagnostic value of the image. In many cases, these artifacts result from missing or corrupt regions in the projection data, e.g., in the case of metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts. The authors propose a generalized correction method for different kinds of artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data by making use of available prior knowledge to perform data completion. Methods: The proposed prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) method requires prior knowledge in form of a planning CT of the same patient or in form of a CT scan of a different patient showing the same body region. In both cases, the prior image is registered to the patient image using a deformable transformation. The registered prior is forward projected and data completion of the patient projections is performed using smooth sinogram inpainting. The obtained projection data are used to reconstruct the corrected image. Results: The authors investigate metal and truncation artifacts in patient data sets acquired with a clinical CT and limited angle artifacts in an anthropomorphic head phantom data set acquired with a gantry-based flat detector CT device. In all cases, the corrected images obtained by PBAC are nearly artifact-free. Compared to conventional correction methods, PBAC achieves better artifact suppression while preserving the patient-specific anatomy at the same time. Further, the authors show that prominent anatomical details in the prior image seem to have only minor impact on the correction result. Conclusions: The results show that PBAC has the potential to effectively correct for metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts if adequate prior data are available. Since the proposed method makes use of a generalized algorithm, PBAC may also be applicable to other artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data

Holography microscopy as an artifact-free alternative to phase-contrast

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pastorek, Lukáš; Venit, Tomáš; Hozák, Pavel

2018-01-01

Roč. 149, č. 2 (2018), s. 179-186 ISSN 0948-6143 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015062 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Holography microscopy * Phase-contrast * Halo effect Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 2.553, year: 2016

Statistical reconstruction for cone-beam CT with a post-artifact-correction noise model: application to high-quality head imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, H; Stayman, J W; Sisniega, A; Xu, J; Zbijewski, W; Siewerdsen, J H; Wang, X; Foos, D H; Aygun, N; Koliatsos, V E

2015-01-01

Non-contrast CT reliably detects fresh blood in the brain and is the current front-line imaging modality for intracranial hemorrhage such as that occurring in acute traumatic brain injury (contrast ∼40–80 HU, size  >  1 mm). We are developing flat-panel detector (FPD) cone-beam CT (CBCT) to facilitate such diagnosis in a low-cost, mobile platform suitable for point-of-care deployment. Such a system may offer benefits in the ICU, urgent care/concussion clinic, ambulance, and sports and military theatres. However, current FPD-CBCT systems face significant challenges that confound low-contrast, soft-tissue imaging. Artifact correction can overcome major sources of bias in FPD-CBCT but imparts noise amplification in filtered backprojection (FBP). Model-based reconstruction improves soft-tissue image quality compared to FBP by leveraging a high-fidelity forward model and image regularization. In this work, we develop a novel penalized weighted least-squares (PWLS) image reconstruction method with a noise model that includes accurate modeling of the noise characteristics associated with the two dominant artifact corrections (scatter and beam-hardening) in CBCT and utilizes modified weights to compensate for noise amplification imparted by each correction. Experiments included real data acquired on a FPD-CBCT test-bench and an anthropomorphic head phantom emulating intra-parenchymal hemorrhage. The proposed PWLS method demonstrated superior noise-resolution tradeoffs in comparison to FBP and PWLS with conventional weights (viz. at matched 0.50 mm spatial resolution, CNR = 11.9 compared to CNR = 5.6 and CNR = 9.9, respectively) and substantially reduced image noise especially in challenging regions such as skull base. The results support the hypothesis that with high-fidelity artifact correction and statistical reconstruction using an accurate post-artifact-correction noise model, FPD-CBCT can achieve image quality allowing reliable detection of

Diagnostic accuracy of state-of-the-art MDCT scanners without gantry tilt in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bannas, Peter; Habermann, Christian R.; Jung, Caroline; Bley, Thorsten A.; Ittrich, Harald; Adam, Gerhard; Koops, Andreas

2012-01-01

Purpose: Current CT-protocols for staging oral and oropharyngeal cancer include primary transversal slices and secondary tilted slices to avoid artifact-producing regions of dental metalwork. Some of the latest MDCT scanners do not allow gantry tilt. Hence, we assessed the relevance of secondary tilted slices in tumor staging. Materials and methods: Scans of a tiltable 64-row MDCT-scanner of 82 patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer were retrospectively and independently evaluated twice by three readers: once using the primary transversal scans only, and once taking the transversal and secondary tilted scans into account. Tumor diameters and TN-stage were determined with both methods. Artifacts on transversal scans were analyzed using a 3-point-ranking-scale. Results: Image quality was impaired by severe artifacts in 24% of transversal slices of the oral cavity and in 12% of the oropharynx. The three readers detected an average of 57.7 ± 2.1 of 82 tumors (70%) on transversal CT slices. An average of 6.3 ± 0.6 more tumors (8%) were detected when transversal studies were evaluated in conjunction with secondary tilted slices, leading to a significantly (p = 0.0156–0.0313) increased average detection rate of 64.0 ± 2.0 tumors (78%). Moreover, secondary tilted slices led to a correction of underestimated tumor stages in up to six patients (7.3%). Conclusion: Tilted slices that avoid artifact-producing regions of dental metalwork significantly improve the reader's sensitivity and are of incremental value for staging of oral and oropharyngeal cancers.

Voting strategy for artifact reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Tao; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.

2006-01-01

Artifacts are observed in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstructions due to the small number of projections and the narrow angular range that are typically employed in tomosynthesis imaging. In this work, we investigate the reconstruction artifacts that are caused by high-attenuation features in breast and develop several artifact reduction methods based on a 'voting strategy'. The voting strategy identifies the projection(s) that would introduce artifacts to a voxel and rejects the projection(s) when reconstructing the voxel. Four approaches to the voting strategy were compared, including projection segmentation, maximum contribution deduction, one-step classification, and iterative classification. The projection segmentation method, based on segmentation of high-attenuation features from the projections, effectively reduces artifacts caused by metal and large calcifications that can be reliably detected and segmented from projections. The other three methods are based on the observation that contributions from artifact-inducing projections have higher value than those from normal projections. These methods attempt to identify the projection(s) that would cause artifacts by comparing contributions from different projections. Among the three methods, the iterative classification method provides the best artifact reduction; however, it can generate many false positive classifications that degrade the image quality. The maximum contribution deduction method and one-step classification method both reduce artifacts well from small calcifications, although the performance of artifact reduction is slightly better with the one-step classification. The combination of one-step classification and projection segmentation removes artifacts from both large and small calcifications

Single-layer and dual-layer contrast-enhanced mammography using amorphous selenium flat panel detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allec, N; Abbaszadeh, S; Karim, K S, E-mail: nallec@uwaterloo.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2011-09-21

The accumulation of injected contrast agents allows the image enhancement of lesions through the use of contrast-enhanced mammography. In this technique, the combination of two acquired images is used to create an enhanced image. There exist several methods to acquire the images to be combined, which include dual energy subtraction using a single detection layer that suffers from motion artifacts due to patient motion between image acquisition. To mitigate motion artifacts, a detector composed of two layers may be used to simultaneously acquire the low and high energy images. In this work, we evaluate both of these methods using amorphous selenium as the detection material to find the system parameters (tube voltage, filtration, photoconductor thickness and relative intensity ratio) leading to the optimal performance. We then compare the performance of the two detectors under the variation of contrast agent concentration, tumor size and dose. The detectability was found to be most comparable at the lower end of the evaluated factors. The single-layer detector not only led to better contrast, due to its greater spectral separation capabilities, but also had lower quantum noise. The single-layer detector was found to have a greater detectability by a factor of 2.4 for a 2.5 mm radius tumor having a contrast agent concentration of 1.5 mg ml{sup -1} in a 4.5 cm thick 50% glandular breast. The inclusion of motion artifacts in the comparison is part of ongoing research efforts.

Single-layer and dual-layer contrast-enhanced mammography using amorphous selenium flat panel detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Allec, N.; Abbaszadeh, S.; Karim, K. S.

2011-09-01

The accumulation of injected contrast agents allows the image enhancement of lesions through the use of contrast-enhanced mammography. In this technique, the combination of two acquired images is used to create an enhanced image. There exist several methods to acquire the images to be combined, which include dual energy subtraction using a single detection layer that suffers from motion artifacts due to patient motion between image acquisition. To mitigate motion artifacts, a detector composed of two layers may be used to simultaneously acquire the low and high energy images. In this work, we evaluate both of these methods using amorphous selenium as the detection material to find the system parameters (tube voltage, filtration, photoconductor thickness and relative intensity ratio) leading to the optimal performance. We then compare the performance of the two detectors under the variation of contrast agent concentration, tumor size and dose. The detectability was found to be most comparable at the lower end of the evaluated factors. The single-layer detector not only led to better contrast, due to its greater spectral separation capabilities, but also had lower quantum noise. The single-layer detector was found to have a greater detectability by a factor of 2.4 for a 2.5 mm radius tumor having a contrast agent concentration of 1.5 mg ml-1 in a 4.5 cm thick 50% glandular breast. The inclusion of motion artifacts in the comparison is part of ongoing research efforts.

Transient severe respiratory motion artifacts after application of gadoxetate disodium. What we currently know

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Well, Lennart; Weinrich, Julius Matthias; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter

2018-01-01

Gadoxetate disodium is an intracellular contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver. Recent publications revealed that injection of gadoxetate disodium can lead to imaging artifacts due to transient severe motion (TSM) in the arterial phase of contrast-enhanced liver MRI. In this review we present and discuss published frequencies of TSM, contrast injection and image acquisition protocols, potential risk factors, and proposed strategies to avoid or minimize the effects of TSM. Two reviewers independently searched the PubMed search engine for ''transient severe motion artifact'' and related terms. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also searched. The two reviewers selected in consensus nine studies that reported both frequencies of TSM and potential risk factors. Study data were extracted by both reviewers, and disagreement was resolved by consensus. TSM is caused by impaired breath-hold ability after gadoxetate disodium injection and occurs in 5 -22% of patients. The dose of applied contrast agent, repeated exposure to gadoxetate disodium, high BMI and pulmonary disease have been described as potential risk factors for TSM. However, there are only few concordant results on this topic and the pathophysiology of TSM has not been identified. Proposed strategies for the prevention of TSM are slow injection rates and low doses of diluted gadoxetate disodium. Accelerated and free-breathing MRI sequence protocols and breath-hold training may minimize the effects of TSM. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these strategies and to identify the underlying mechanism of TSM.

Transient severe respiratory motion artifacts after application of gadoxetate disodium. What we currently know

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Well, Lennart; Weinrich, Julius Matthias; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter [Univ. Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicince

2018-01-15

Gadoxetate disodium is an intracellular contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver. Recent publications revealed that injection of gadoxetate disodium can lead to imaging artifacts due to transient severe motion (TSM) in the arterial phase of contrast-enhanced liver MRI. In this review we present and discuss published frequencies of TSM, contrast injection and image acquisition protocols, potential risk factors, and proposed strategies to avoid or minimize the effects of TSM. Two reviewers independently searched the PubMed search engine for ''transient severe motion artifact'' and related terms. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also searched. The two reviewers selected in consensus nine studies that reported both frequencies of TSM and potential risk factors. Study data were extracted by both reviewers, and disagreement was resolved by consensus. TSM is caused by impaired breath-hold ability after gadoxetate disodium injection and occurs in 5 -22% of patients. The dose of applied contrast agent, repeated exposure to gadoxetate disodium, high BMI and pulmonary disease have been described as potential risk factors for TSM. However, there are only few concordant results on this topic and the pathophysiology of TSM has not been identified. Proposed strategies for the prevention of TSM are slow injection rates and low doses of diluted gadoxetate disodium. Accelerated and free-breathing MRI sequence protocols and breath-hold training may minimize the effects of TSM. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these strategies and to identify the underlying mechanism of TSM.

The reduction of motion artifacts in digital subtraction angiography by geometrical image transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitzpatrick, J.M.; Pickens, D.R.; Mandava, V.R.; Grefenstette, J.J.

1988-01-01

In the diagnosis of arteriosclerosis, radio-opaque dye is injected into the interior of the arteries to make them visible. Because of its increased contrast sensitivity, digital subtraction angiography has the potential for providing diagnostic images of arteries with reduced dye volumes. In the conventional technique, a mask image, acquired before the introduction of the dye, is subtracted from the contrast image, acquired after the dye is introduced, to produce a difference image in which only the dye in the arteries is visible. The usefulness of this technique has been severely limited by the image degradation caused by patient motion during image acquisition. This motion produces artifacts in the difference image that obscure the arteries. One technique for dealing with the problem is to reduce the degradation by means of image registration. The registration is carried out by means of a geometrical transformation of the mask image before subtraction so that it is in registration with the contrast image. This paper describes a technique for determining an optimal transformation. The authors employ a one-to-one elastic mapping and the Jacobian of that mapping to produce a geometrical image transformation. They choose a parameterized class of such mappings and use a heuristic search algorithm to optimize the parameters to minimize the severity of the motion artifacts. To increase the speed of the optimization process they use a statistical image comparison technique that provides a quick approximate evaluation of each image transformation. They present the experimental results of the application of their registration system to mask-contrast pairs, for images acquired from a specially designed phantom, and for clinical images

Guided interaction exploration in artifact-centric process models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eck, M.L.; Sidorova, N.; van der Aalst, W.M.P.

2017-01-01

Artifact-centric process models aim to describe complex processes as a collection of interacting artifacts. Recent development in process mining allow for the discovery of such models. However, the focus is often on the representation of the individual artifacts rather than their interactions. Based

Preliminary Study on the Provenance Interpretation of Obsidian Artifacts using Neutron Activation Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Mi Eun; Jwa, Yong Joo [Gyeongsang National University, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); Sun, Gwang Min; Baek, Ha Ni; Moon, Jong Hwa; Chung, Yong Sam [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In the case that the obsidian artifacts are treated as a prehistoric cultural property, we cannot analyze them using destructive analytical methods. In this study, we compared geochemical data obtained by NAA with that by the other method, and examined the applicability of the NAA method to interpret the provenance of the obsidian artifacts. Both the NAA and the LA-ICP-MS data show a general similarity in elemental variation. In particular, it is possible to distinguish Baekdusan obsidians from Kyushu obsidians. This kind of contrast between the Baekdusan and the Kyushu obsidians would reflect the different magma composition at the different tectonic and geologic settings. In general the geochemical composition of obsidian is closely related to the accompanied volcanic rocks. For more detailed estimation of obsidian provenance, we should use the geochemical compositions of obsidians as well as volcanic rocks.

The Many Faces of Computational Artifacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Lars Rune; Harper, Richard

2016-01-01

Building on data from fieldwork at a medical department, this paper focuses on the varied nature of computational artifacts in practice. It shows that medical practice relies on multiple heterogeneous computational artifacts that form complex constellations. In the hospital studied the computatio...

Reducing artifacts from varying projection truncations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob Sauer; Frikel, Jürgen

We study samples with full and partial occlusion causing streak artifacts, and propose two modifications of filtered backprojection for artifact removal. Data is obtained by the SPring-8 synchrotron using a monochromatic parallel-beam scan [1]. Thresholding in the sinogram segments the metal...

Artifacts Quantification of Metal Implants in MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Vrachnis, I. N.; Vlachopoulos, G. F.; Maris, T. G.; Costaridou, L. I.

2017-11-01

The presence of materials with different magnetic properties, such as metal implants, causes distortion of the magnetic field locally, resulting in signal voids and pile ups, i.e. susceptibility artifacts in MRI. Quantitative and unbiased measurement of the artifact is prerequisite for optimization of acquisition parameters. In this study an image gradient based segmentation method is proposed for susceptibility artifact quantification. The method captures abrupt signal alterations by calculation of the image gradient. Then the artifact is quantified in terms of its extent by an automated cross entropy thresholding method as image area percentage. The proposed method for artifact quantification was tested in phantoms containing two orthopedic implants with significantly different magnetic permeabilities. The method was compared against a method proposed in the literature, considered as a reference, demonstrating moderate to good correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.62 and 0.802 in case of titanium and stainless steel implants). The automated character of the proposed quantification method seems promising towards MRI acquisition parameter optimization.

Contrast-enhanced peripheral MRA. Technique and contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, Yousef W.; Thomsen, Henrik S.

2012-01-01

In the last decade contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) has gained wide acceptance as a valuable tool in the diagnostic work-up of patients with peripheral arterial disease. This review presents current concepts in peripheral CE-MRA with emphasis on MRI technique and contrast agents. Peripheral CE-MRA is defined as an MR angiogram of the arteries from the aortic bifurcation to the feet. Advantages of CE-MRA include minimal invasiveness and lack of ionizing radiation. The basic technique employed for peripheral CE-MRA is the bolus-chase method. With this method a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent is injected intravenously and T1-weighted images are acquired in the subsequent arterial first-pass phase. In order to achieve high quality MR angiograms without interfering venous contamination or artifacts, a number of factors need to be taken into account. This includes magnetic field strength of the MRI system, receiver coil configuration, use of parallel imaging, contrast bolus timing technique, and k-space filling strategies. Furthermore, it is possible to optimize peripheral CE-MRA using venous compression techniques, hybrid scan protocols, time-resolved imaging, and steady-state MRA. Gadolinium(Gd)-based contrast agents are used for CE-MRA of the peripheral arteries. Extracellular Gd agents have a pharmacokinetic profile similar to iodinated contrast media. Accordingly, these agents are employed for first-pass MRA. Blood-pool Gd-based agents are characterized by prolonged intravascular stay, due to macromolecular structure or protein binding. These agents can be used for first-pass, as well as steady-state MRA. Some Gd-based contrast agents with low thermodynamic stability have been linked to development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal insufficiency. Using optimized technique and a stable MRI contrast agent, peripheral CE-MRA is a safe procedure with diagnostic accuracy close to that of conventional catheter X

Acceptability of oral iodinated contrast media: a head-to-head comparison of four media

Science.gov (United States)

Ngan-Soo, E; McCoubrie, P

2013-01-01

Objective: To assess the palatability of iodinated oral contrast media commonly used in abdominopelvic CT and CT colonography (CTC). Methods: 80 volunteers assessed the palatability of a 20-ml sample of a standard 30 mg ml−1 dilution of Omnipaque® (iohexol; GE Healthcare, Cork, Ireland), Telebrix® (meglumine ioxithalamate; Guerbet, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France), Gastromiro® (iopamidol; Bracco, High Wycombe, UK) and Gastrografin® (sodium diatrizoate and meglumine diatrizoate; Bayer, Newbury, UK) in a computer-generated random order. Results: Gastrografin is rated significantly less palatable than the remaining media (pcontrast media than both Gastromiro and Gastrografin, which has potential implications in compliance with both abdominopelvic CT and CTC. PMID:23564884

Metallic artifact in MRI after removal of orthopedic implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagheri, Mohammad Hadi; Hosseini, Mehrdad Mohammad; Emami, Mohammad Jafar; Foroughi, Amin Aiboulhassani

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metallic artifacts in MRI of the orthopedic patients after removal of metallic implants. Subjects and methods: From March to August 2009, 40 orthopedic patients operated for removal of orthopedic metallic implants were studied by post-operative MRI from the site of removal of implants. A grading scale of 0–3 was assigned for artifact in MR images whereby 0 was considered no artifact; and I–III were considered mild, moderate, and severe metallic artifacts, respectively. These grading records were correlated with other variables including the type, size, number, and composition of metallic devices; and the site and duration of orthopedic devices stay in the body. Results: Metallic susceptibly artifacts were detected in MRI of 18 of 40 cases (45%). Screws and pins in removed hardware were the most important factors for causing artifacts in MRI. The artifacts were found more frequently in the patients who had more screws and pins in the removed implants. Gender, age, site of implantation of the device, length of the hardware, composition of the metallic implants (stainless steel versus titanium), and duration of implantation of the hardware exerted no effect in producing metallic artifacts after removal of implants. Short TE sequences of MRI (such as T1 weighted) showed fewer artifacts. Conclusion: Susceptibility of metallic artifacts is a frequent phenomenon in MRI of patients upon removal of metallic orthopedic implants.

Metallic artifact in MRI after removal of orthopedic implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagheri, Mohammad Hadi; Hosseini, Mehrdad Mohammad; Emami, Mohammad Jafar; Foroughi, Amin Aiboulhassani

2012-03-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metallic artifacts in MRI of the orthopedic patients after removal of metallic implants. From March to August 2009, 40 orthopedic patients operated for removal of orthopedic metallic implants were studied by post-operative MRI from the site of removal of implants. A grading scale of 0-3 was assigned for artifact in MR images whereby 0 was considered no artifact; and I-III were considered mild, moderate, and severe metallic artifacts, respectively. These grading records were correlated with other variables including the type, size, number, and composition of metallic devices; and the site and duration of orthopedic devices stay in the body. Metallic susceptibly artifacts were detected in MRI of 18 of 40 cases (45%). Screws and pins in removed hardware were the most important factors for causing artifacts in MRI. The artifacts were found more frequently in the patients who had more screws and pins in the removed implants. Gender, age, site of implantation of the device, length of the hardware, composition of the metallic implants (stainless steel versus titanium), and duration of implantation of the hardware exerted no effect in producing metallic artifacts after removal of implants. Short TE sequences of MRI (such as T1 weighted) showed fewer artifacts. Susceptibility of metallic artifacts is a frequent phenomenon in MRI of patients upon removal of metallic orthopedic implants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching and Learning the Nature of Technical Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Frederik, Ineke; Sonneveld, Wim; de Vries, Marc J.

2011-01-01

Artifacts are probably our most obvious everyday encounter with technology. Therefore, a good understanding of the nature of technical artifacts is a relevant part of technological literacy. In this article we draw from the philosophy of technology to develop a conceptualization of technical artifacts that can be used for educational purposes.…

Cumulative phase delay imaging for contrast-enhanced ultrasound tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demi, Libertario; Van Sloun, Ruud J G; Wijkstra, Hessel; Mischi, Massimo

2015-01-01

Standard dynamic-contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) imaging detects and estimates ultrasound-contrast-agent (UCA) concentration based on the amplitude of the nonlinear (harmonic) components generated during ultrasound (US) propagation through UCAs. However, harmonic components generation is not specific to UCAs, as it also occurs for US propagating through tissue. Moreover, nonlinear artifacts affect standard DCE-US imaging, causing contrast to tissue ratio reduction, and resulting in possible misclassification of tissue and misinterpretation of UCA concentration. Furthermore, no contrast-specific modality exists for DCE-US tomography; in particular speed-of-sound changes due to UCAs are well within those caused by different tissue types. Recently, a new marker for UCAs has been introduced. A cumulative phase delay (CPD) between the second harmonic and fundamental component is in fact observable for US propagating through UCAs, and is absent in tissue. In this paper, tomographic US images based on CPD are for the first time presented and compared to speed-of-sound US tomography. Results show the applicability of this marker for contrast specific US imaging, with cumulative phase delay imaging (CPDI) showing superior capabilities in detecting and localizing UCA, as compared to speed-of-sound US tomography. Cavities (filled with UCA) which were down to 1 mm in diameter were clearly detectable. Moreover, CPDI is free of the above mentioned nonlinear artifacts. These results open important possibilities to DCE-US tomography, with potential applications to breast imaging for cancer localization. (fast track communication)

Evaluation of tumor invasion in gastric carcinoma with CT using water as an oral contrast agent in prone position

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Jin Il; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Lee, Byung Hee; Bae, Jong Yup

1994-01-01

To evaluate the accuracy of CT using water as an oral contrast material in a prone position in determining the depth of tumor invasion in gastric cancer patients. Thirty three patients(19 male, 14 female) with surgically confirmed gastric cancer were studied. We performed CT in a prone position after ingestion of 1 liter of pure water. CT findings were classified into 4 groups by the morphologic appearance of infiltrates in the perigastric fat plane: normal perigastric fat(S0), fine mottled densities(S1), irregular aggregated or liner densities(S2) and direct extension and invasion of tumor into contiguous structures(S3). Also we prospectively compared the CT staging with pathologic T staging according to the TNM systems. The overall accuracy of CT staging in determining the pathologic T factor was 69.6%. As we regarded T1 and T2 lesions as one group on CT, the accuracy of CT staging was increased to 80.2% because of a limitation of CT for distinguishing T1 from T2 lesions. Prone position CT using water as an oral contrast agent is quite accurate in determining the T staging of gastric carcinoma

Iterative image-domain ring artifact removal in cone-beam CT

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xiaokun; Zhang, Zhicheng; Niu, Tianye; Yu, Shaode; Wu, Shibin; Li, Zhicheng; Zhang, Huailing; Xie, Yaoqin

2017-07-01

Ring artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are caused by pixel gain variations using flat-panel detectors, and may lead to structured non-uniformities and deterioration of image quality. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of general ring artifact removal in CBCT images. This method is based on the polar coordinate system, where the ring artifacts manifest as stripe artifacts. Using relative total variation, the CBCT images are first smoothed to generate template images with fewer image details and ring artifacts. By subtracting the template images from the CBCT images, residual images with image details and ring artifacts are generated. As the ring artifact manifests as a stripe artifact in a polar coordinate system, the artifact image can be extracted by mean value from the residual image; the image details are generated by subtracting the artifact image from the residual image. Finally, the image details are compensated to the template image to generate the corrected images. The proposed framework is iterated until the differences in the extracted ring artifacts are minimized. We use a 3D Shepp-Logan phantom, Catphan©504 phantom, uniform acrylic cylinder, and images from a head patient to evaluate the proposed method. In the experiments using simulated data, the spatial uniformity is increased by 1.68 times and the structural similarity index is increased from 87.12% to 95.50% using the proposed method. In the experiment using clinical data, our method shows high efficiency in ring artifact removal while preserving the image structure and detail. The iterative approach we propose for ring artifact removal in cone-beam CT is practical and attractive for CBCT guided radiation therapy.

Physiological artifacts in scalp EEG and ear-EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Kappel, Simon L; Looney, David; Mandic, Danilo P; Kidmose, Preben

2017-08-11

A problem inherent to recording EEG is the interference arising from noise and artifacts. While in a laboratory environment, artifacts and interference can, to a large extent, be avoided or controlled, in real-life scenarios this is a challenge. Ear-EEG is a concept where EEG is acquired from electrodes in the ear. We present a characterization of physiological artifacts generated in a controlled environment for nine subjects. The influence of the artifacts was quantified in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deterioration of the auditory steady-state response. Alpha band modulation was also studied in an open/closed eyes paradigm. Artifacts related to jaw muscle contractions were present all over the scalp and in the ear, with the highest SNR deteriorations in the gamma band. The SNR deterioration for jaw artifacts were in general higher in the ear compared to the scalp. Whereas eye-blinking did not influence the SNR in the ear, it was significant for all groups of scalps electrodes in the delta and theta bands. Eye movements resulted in statistical significant SNR deterioration in both frontal, temporal and ear electrodes. Recordings of alpha band modulation showed increased power and coherence of the EEG for ear and scalp electrodes in the closed-eyes periods. Ear-EEG is a method developed for unobtrusive and discreet recording over long periods of time and in real-life environments. This study investigated the influence of the most important types of physiological artifacts, and demonstrated that spontaneous activity, in terms of alpha band oscillations, could be recorded from the ear-EEG platform. In its present form ear-EEG was more prone to jaw related artifacts and less prone to eye-blinking artifacts compared to state-of-the-art scalp based systems.

Pitfalls and artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulkarni, M.V.; Patton, J.A.

1986-01-01

As a new imaging technique, MRI is subject to new and unfamiliar artifacts. Because of the wide range of pulse sequences used in MRI, the technique is prone to some artifacts, such as even echo rephasing, which are not found in other imaging systems. With newer and stronger magnetic fields, artifacts such as those caused by chemical shift will be more pronounced. For the maintenance of high quality images, new techniques controlling quality are essential. These techniques include the development of new phantoms and new procedures. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine is currently developing guidelines for quality assurance programs. As with other imaging modalities, these quality assurance guidelines could be unique to MRI. The daily or weekly evaluation of signal-to-noise ratio, image uniformity, signal linearity, spatial linearity, spatial resolution, frequencies, etc. is essential. Some guidelines are described in the current literature. With further modifications and improvements in MRI techniques, new artifacts may be discovered. Identification of these artifacts will improve the interpretation of the image and patient management

Phantom studies on the artifacts of barium on 18F-FDG DHC/CT images induced by X-ray attenuation correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wei; Zhu Jiarui; Wang Xinqiang; Zhao Wenrui; Chuan Ling; Xu Genxiang; Gao Chunhua; Fang Tingzheng

2007-01-01

Objective: Attenuation correction (AC) based on X-ray transmission map may result in false positive readings or artifacts on PET images, some of them due to the internal residue of high density contrast media used in diagnostic X-ray imaging. The aim of this study was to experimentally estimate the impacts of different concentrations and volumes of barium contrast on X-CT AC (CTAC) for dual-head coincidence (DHC/CT) images. Methods: A cylindrical phantom containing 18 F solution (3.7 kBq/ml), in which plastic fingertips enclosed with different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 kg/L)and volumes(0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 ml) of BaSO 4 contrast media were inserted, was used to modulate routine 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging study on a DHC/CT scanner (GE Discovery VH). Sequential 18 F emission and X-CT transmission acquisitions followed by data processing and reconstruction were carried out in clinical settings. For comparison, both visual and quantitative analyses were performed on CTAC and non-AC (NAC) images of the phantom. Results: In NAC images, the radioactivity distribution within the whole phantom was non-uniform with lower counts in the center; the plastic fingertips were all seen as 'cold spots' with much lower counts in the contrast region than in their surrounding areas. On the contrary, in CTAC images, the radioactivity distribution within the whole phantom was almost uniform; while most plastic fingertips with media concentration ≥0.1 kg/L and volume >0.5 ml were all depicted as 'hot spots' with higher counts than in surrounding areas. Conclusions: Barium contrast with relative high concentration or large volume can induce artifacts on CTAC DHC/CT images. In clinical setting, proper interpretation of CTAC DHC/CT images should refer to NAC DHC/CT images to exclude any artifacts related to the contrast media residues. (authors)

CT-Guided Biopsy of Small Liver Lesions: Visibility, Artifacts, and Corresponding Diagnostic Accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stattaus, Joerg; Kuehl, Hilmar; Ladd, Susanne; Schroeder, Tobias; Antoch, Gerald; Baba, Hideo A.; Barkhausen, Joerg; Forsting, Michael

2007-01-01

Purpose. Our study aimed to determine the visibility of small liver lesions during CT-guided biopsy and to assess the influence of lesion visibility on biopsy results. Material and Methods. Fifty patients underwent CT-guided core biopsy of small focal liver lesions (maximum diameter, 3 cm); 38 biopsies were performed using noncontrast CT, and the remaining 12 were contrast-enhanced. Visibility of all lesions was graded on a 4-point-scale (0 = not visible, 1 = poorly visible, 2 = sufficiently visible, 3 = excellently visible) before and during biopsy (with the needle placed adjacent to and within the target lesion). Results. Forty-three biopsies (86%) yielded diagnostic results, and seven biopsies were false-negative. In noncontrast biopsies, the rate of insufficiently visualized lesions (grades 0-1) increased significantly during the procedure, from 10.5% to 44.7%, due to needle artifacts. This resulted in more (17.6%) false-negative biopsy results compared to lesions with good visualization (4.8%), although this difference lacks statistical significance. Visualization impairment appeared more often with an intercostal or subcostal vs. an epigastric access and with a subcapsular vs. a central lesion location, respectively. With contrast-enhanced biopsy the visibility of hepatic lesions was only temporarily improved, with a risk of complete obscuration in the late phase. Conclusion. In conclusion, visibility of small liver lesions diminished significantly during CT-guided biopsy due to needle artifacts, with a fourfold increased rate of insufficiently visualized lesions and of false-negative histological results. Contrast enhancement did not reveal better results

TH-C-BRD-06: A Novel MRI Based CT Artifact Correction Method for Improving Proton Range Calculation in the Presence of Severe CT Artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, P; Schreibmann, E; Fox, T; Roper, J; Elder, E; Tejani, M; Crocker, I; Curran, W; Dhabaan, A

2014-01-01

Purpose: Severe CT artifacts can impair our ability to accurately calculate proton range thereby resulting in a clinically unacceptable treatment plan. In this work, we investigated a novel CT artifact correction method based on a coregistered MRI and investigated its ability to estimate CT HU and proton range in the presence of severe CT artifacts. Methods: The proposed method corrects corrupted CT data using a coregistered MRI to guide the mapping of CT values from a nearby artifact-free region. First patient MRI and CT images were registered using 3D deformable image registration software based on B-spline and mutual information. The CT slice with severe artifacts was selected as well as a nearby slice free of artifacts (e.g. 1cm away from the artifact). The two sets of paired MRI and CT images at different slice locations were further registered by applying 2D deformable image registration. Based on the artifact free paired MRI and CT images, a comprehensive geospatial analysis was performed to predict the correct CT HU of the CT image with severe artifact. For a proof of concept, a known artifact was introduced that changed the ground truth CT HU value up to 30% and up to 5cm error in proton range. The ability of the proposed method to recover the ground truth was quantified using a selected head and neck case. Results: A significant improvement in image quality was observed visually. Our proof of concept study showed that 90% of area that had 30% errors in CT HU was corrected to 3% of its ground truth value. Furthermore, the maximum proton range error up to 5cm was reduced to 4mm error. Conclusion: MRI based CT artifact correction method can improve CT image quality and proton range calculation for patients with severe CT artifacts

Comparison of contrast media for visualization of the colon of healthy dogs during computed tomography and ultrasonography.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheon, Byunggyu; Moon, Sohyeon; Park, Seungjo; Lee, Sang-Kwon; Hong, Sunghwa; Cho, Hyun; Choi, Jihye

2016-11-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate contrast agents for their ability to improve visualization of the colon wall and lumen during CT and ultrasonography. ANIMALS 10 healthy adult Beagles. PROCEDURES Food was withheld from dogs for 36 hours, after which dogs consumed 250 mL of polyethylene glycol solution. Dogs were then anesthetized, a contrast agent (tap water, diluted barium, or air; order randomly assigned) was administered rectally, iodine contrast medium (880 mg of I/kg) was administered IV, and CT and ultrasonography of the colon were performed. After a 1-week washout period, this process was repeated with a different contrast agent until all agents had been evaluated. Two investigators reviewed the CT and ultrasonographic images for colon wall thickness, conspicuity, artifacts, wall layering, and degree of lumen dilation at 4 sites. RESULTS Thickness of the colon wall was greatest in CT and ultrasonographic images with water used as contrast agent, followed by barium and then air. The CT images obtained after water administration had a smooth appearance that outlined the colonic mucosa and had the highest score of the 3 contrast agents for wall conspicuity. Although no substantial artifacts related to any of the contrast agents were identified on CT images, barium- and gas-induced shadowing and reverberation artifacts hindered wall evaluation during ultrasonography. For ultrasonography, the degree of conspicuity was highest with barium in the near-field wall and with water in the far-field wall. In contrast to CT, ultrasonography could be used to distinguish wall layering, and the mucosal and muscular layers were distinct with all contrast agents. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Use of water as a contrast agent for both CT and ultrasonography of the colon in dogs compensated for each imaging modality's disadvantages and could be beneficial in the diagnosis of colon disease.

Detection of artifacts from high energy bursts in neonatal EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sourya; Biswas, Arunava; Mukherjee, Jayanta; Majumdar, Arun Kumar; Majumdar, Bandana; Mukherjee, Suchandra; Singh, Arun Kumar

2013-11-01

Detection of non-cerebral activities or artifacts, intermixed within the background EEG, is essential to discard them from subsequent pattern analysis. The problem is much harder in neonatal EEG, where the background EEG contains spikes, waves, and rapid fluctuations in amplitude and frequency. Existing artifact detection methods are mostly limited to detect only a subset of artifacts such as ocular, muscle or power line artifacts. Few methods integrate different modules, each for detection of one specific category of artifact. Furthermore, most of the reference approaches are implemented and tested on adult EEG recordings. Direct application of those methods on neonatal EEG causes performance deterioration, due to greater pattern variation and inherent complexity. A method for detection of a wide range of artifact categories in neonatal EEG is thus required. At the same time, the method should be specific enough to preserve the background EEG information. The current study describes a feature based classification approach to detect both repetitive (generated from ECG, EMG, pulse, respiration, etc.) and transient (generated from eye blinking, eye movement, patient movement, etc.) artifacts. It focuses on artifact detection within high energy burst patterns, instead of detecting artifacts within the complete background EEG with wide pattern variation. The objective is to find true burst patterns, which can later be used to identify the Burst-Suppression (BS) pattern, which is commonly observed during newborn seizure. Such selective artifact detection is proven to be more sensitive to artifacts and specific to bursts, compared to the existing artifact detection approaches applied on the complete background EEG. Several time domain, frequency domain, statistical features, and features generated by wavelet decomposition are analyzed to model the proposed bi-classification between burst and artifact segments. A feature selection method is also applied to select the

Ring artifact correction for high-resolution micro CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriakou, Yiannis; Prell, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A

2009-01-01

In high-resolution micro CT using flat detectors (FD), imperfect or defect detector elements may cause concentric-ring artifacts due to their continuous over- or underestimation of attenuation values, which often disturb image quality. We here present a dedicated image-based ring artifact correction method for high-resolution micro CT, based on median filtering of the reconstructed image and working on a transformed version of the reconstructed images in polar coordinates. This post-processing method reduced ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and improved image quality for phantom and in in vivo scans. Noise and artifacts were reduced both in transversal and in multi-planar reformations along the longitudinal axis. (note)

Effect of pulse sequence parameter selection on signal strength in positive-contrast MRI markers for MRI-based prostate postimplant assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Tze Yee [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 and The University of Texas at Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Kudchadker, Rajat J., E-mail: rkudchad@mdanderson.org; Wang, Jihong; Ibbott, Geoffrey S. [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Stafford, R. Jason [Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); MacLellan, Christopher [Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 and The University of Texas at Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Rao, Arvind [Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Frank, Steven J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)

2016-07-15

Purpose: For postimplant dosimetric assessment, computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to identify prostate brachytherapy seeds, at the expense of accurate anatomical contouring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to CT for anatomical delineation, but identification of the negative-contrast seeds is challenging. Positive-contrast MRI markers were proposed to replace spacers to assist seed localization on MRI images. Visualization of these markers under varying scan parameters was investigated. Methods: To simulate a clinical scenario, a prostate phantom was implanted with 66 markers and 86 seeds, and imaged on a 3.0T MRI scanner using a 3D fast radiofrequency-spoiled gradient recalled echo acquisition with various combinations of scan parameters. Scan parameters, including flip angle, number of excitations, bandwidth, field-of-view, slice thickness, and encoding steps were systematically varied to study their effects on signal, noise, scan time, image resolution, and artifacts. Results: The effects of pulse sequence parameter selection on the marker signal strength and image noise were characterized. The authors also examined the tradeoff between signal-to-noise ratio, scan time, and image artifacts, such as the wraparound artifact, susceptibility artifact, chemical shift artifact, and partial volume averaging artifact. Given reasonable scan time and managable artifacts, the authors recommended scan parameter combinations that can provide robust visualization of the MRI markers. Conclusions: The recommended MRI pulse sequence protocol allows for consistent visualization of the markers to assist seed localization, potentially enabling MRI-only prostate postimplant dosimetry.

A Comparison of the Use of Contrast Media with Different Iodine Concentrations for Multidetector CT of the Kidney

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Seung Chai; Kim, Seung Hyup; Cho, Jeong Yeon [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-11-15

To determine the optimal iodine concentration of contrast media for kidney multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) by comparing the degree of renal parenchymal enhancement and the severity of the renal streak artifact with contrast media of different iodine concentrations. A 16-row MDCT was performed in 15 sedated rabbits by injection of 2 mL contrast media/kg body weight at a rate of 0.3 mL/sec. Monomeric nonionic contrast media of 250, 300, and 370 mg iodine/mL were injected at 1-week intervals. Mean attenuation values were measured in each renal structure with attenuation differences among the structures. The artifact was evaluated by CT window width/level and three grading methods. The values were compared with iodine concentrations. The 370 mg iodine/mL concentration showed significantly higher cortical enhancement than 250 mg iodine/mL in all phases (p < 0.05). There was however no significant difference in the degree of enhancement between the 300 mg iodine/mL and 370 mg iodine/mL concentrations in all phases. There is a significant difference in attenuation for the cortex-outer medulla between 250 mg iodine/mL and 300 mg iodine/mL (p < 0.05). The artifact was more severe with a medium of 370 mg iodine/mL than with 250 mg iodine/mL by all grading methods (p < 0.05). The 300 mg iodine/mL is considered to be the most appropriate iodine concentration in an aspect of the enhancement and artifact on a kidney MDCT scan.

Contrasting effects of cord injury on intravenous and oral pharmacokinetics of diclofenac: a drug with intermediate hepatic extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz-Antonio, L; Arauz, J; Franco-Bourland, R E; Guízar-Sahagún, G; Castañeda-Hernández, G

2012-08-01

Laboratory investigation in rats submitted to experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). To determine the effect of acute SCI on the pharmacokinetics of diclofenac, a marker drug of intermediate hepatic extraction, administered by the intravenous and the oral routes. Female Wistar rats were submitted to complete section of the spinal cord at the T8 level. SCI and sham-injured rats received 3.2 mg kg(-1) of diclofenac sodium either intravenously or orally, diclofenac concentration was measured in whole blood samples and pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated. Diclofenac was not selected as test drug because of its therapeutic properties, but because to its biopharmaceutical properties, that is, intermediate hepatic extraction. Diclofenac bioavailability after intravenous administration was increased in injured rats compared with controls due to a reduced clearance. In contrast, oral diclofenac bioavailability was diminished in SCI animals due to a reduction in drug absorption, which overrides the effect on clearance. Acute SCI induces significant pharmacokinetic changes for diclofenac, a marker drug with intermediate hepatic extraction. SCI-induced pharmacokinetic changes are not only determined by injury characteristics, but also by the route of administration and the biopharmaceutical properties of the studied drug.

Evaluation of bowel distension and bowel wall visualization according to patient positions during administration of oral contrast media for CT enterography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seul Bi; Kim, Seung Ho; Son, Jung Hee; Baik, Ji Yeon

2017-12-01

To compare small bowel distension and bowel wall visualization among three different patients' positions (supine, sitting and right decubitus) during administration of oral contrast media in preparation for CT enterography (CTE). A total of 150 consecutive patients (104 males and 46 females; mean age 34.6 years, range 15-78 years) who were scheduled to undergo CTE were recruited. Patients were randomly allocated into the three position groups during oral contrast media administration, and there were 50 patients in each group. Two blinded radiologists independently scored the luminal distension and visualization of the bowel wall using a continuous 5-point scale (1: worst and 5: best) at the jejunum and ileum. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate differences between any two groups among the three positions for bowel distension and wall visualization. For ileal distension, the supine and sitting positions performed better than the right decubitus position [for reader 1, mean: 3.4/3.2/2.9 (hereafter, supine/sitting/right decubitus in order), p = 0.002/0.033; for reader 2, 3.3/3.0/2.6, p 0.05, respectively). For bowel wall visualization, the supine and sitting positions were superior to the right decubitus position for the ileum when scored by one reader (4.0/3.8/3.4, p = 0.001/0.015). Supine and sitting positions during the administration of oral contrast media provided better ileal distension than the right decubitus position in obtaining CTE. Advances in knowledge: The performance of CTE largely depends on adequate luminal distension and wall visualization. As the terminal ileum is the predominant site of small bowel pathology for inflammatory bowel disease, the supine or sitting position would be preferable for patients who are suspected of having small bowel pathology.

Experimental considerations on the removal of alimentary tract signal in T2 multi shot inversion recovery echo planar imaging using ferric ammonium citrate as contrast agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Joji; Saito, Haruyoshi; Tomisato, Kenichi; Maruyama, Tomoyuki; Watanabe, Tsuneo; Kawamura, Yoshihiko

1997-01-01

We investigated the removal of alimentary tract signal in T 2 echo planar imaging using an oral positive contrast agent for the alimentary tract mainly consisting of ferric ammonium citrate (FerriSeltz: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.). It has been reported that the FerriSeltz preparation is useful as negative contrast agent because of its enhancing effect of reducing T 2 at high concentrations. However, it was shown to enhance susceptibility artifact in echo planar imaging (EPI). Thus, it is considered difficult to use FerriSeltz at high concentrations in EPI. In contrast, in IR EPI (TI 150 and 200 ms) high concentrations of FerriSeltz are not required, and it is possible to achieve excellent signal suppression at an ordinary concentration of 5.97 mmol/l. This might be due to the fact that the bounce point of FerriSeltz aqueous solution reached about 150 to 200 ms. At present, no effective negative contrast agent for alimentary tract MRI is available. Therefore, it is thought that IR EPI combined with FerriSeltz is a useful technique, since it can eliminate the signal of the alimentary tract at an ordinary concentration. (author)

Intravenous contrast-enhanced cone beam computed tomography (IVCBCT of intrahepatic tumors and vessels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia L. Eccles, BSc

2016-01-01

Conclusions: Intravenous-CBCT may enhance the visibility of hepatic vessels and tumor in CBCT scans obtained during breath hold. Optimization of IV contrast timing and reduction of artifacts to improve tumor visualization warrant further investigation.

Human cerebral blood volume measurements using dynamic contrast enhancement in comparison to dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artzi, Moran [Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Functional Brain Center, The Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv (Israel); Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv (Israel); Liberman, Gilad; Vitinshtein, Faina; Aizenstein, Orna [Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Functional Brain Center, The Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv (Israel); Nadav, Guy [Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Functional Brain Center, The Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv (Israel); Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv (Israel); Blumenthal, Deborah T.; Bokstein, Felix [Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Neuro-Oncology Service, Tel Aviv (Israel); Bashat, Dafna Ben [Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Functional Brain Center, The Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv (Israel); Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv (Israel)

2015-07-15

Cerebral blood volume (CBV) is an important parameter for the assessment of brain tumors, usually obtained using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI. However, this method often suffers from low spatial resolution and high sensitivity to susceptibility artifacts and usually does not take into account the effect of tissue permeability. The plasma volume (v{sub p}) can also be extracted from dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) MRI. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DCE can be used for the measurement of cerebral blood volume in place of DSC for the assessment of patients with brain tumors. Twenty-eight subjects (17 healthy subjects and 11 patients with glioblastoma) were scanned using DCE and DSC. v{sub p} and CBV values were measured and compared in different brain components in healthy subjects and in the tumor area in patients. Significant high correlations were detected between v{sub p} and CBV in healthy subjects in the different brain components; white matter, gray matter, and arteries, correlating with the known increased tissue vascularity, and within the tumor area in patients. This work proposes the use of DCE as an alternative method to DSC for the assessment of blood volume, given the advantages of its higher spatial resolution, its lower sensitivity to susceptibility artifacts, and its ability to provide additional information regarding tissue permeability. (orig.)

Constant flow ventilation as a novel approach to elimination of respiratory artifact in MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shtern, F.; Kersh, R.; Lee, A.; Venegas, J.; Brady, T.J.

1988-01-01

This pilot study was performed to evaluate constant flow ventilation (CFV) as a method of respiratory artifact suppression in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In contrast to currently used methods of respiratory artifact suppression, CFV is able to provide adequate ventilation in the absence of any chest wall motion and thus obviates the need for respiratory gating. High-velocity jets of fresh gas delivered through two narrow (2-mm) intrabronchial cannulas promote gas exchange through airway turbulence and enhanced molecular diffusion. One mongrel dog (8.5 kg) was anesthetized with pentobarbital (35 mg/kg). For CFV, endobronchial cannulas were inserted with the aid of bronchoscopy and connected to a flow meter (flow rate, 500 mL/sec). Intrathoracic pressure was monitored via a pressure transducer connected to an air-filled intraesophageal balloon. Conventional ventilation (CV), with a tidal volume of 85 mL and ten breaths per minute, was provided through a cuffed endotracheal tube. After establishment of adequate ventilation (carbon dioxide pressure, 39), muscle paralysis was induced by succinylcholine at 0.1 mg/kg. T2-weighted [1,500/50 (repetition time msec/echo time msec), two excitations] gradient-echo and spin-echo images were obtained at 0.6T with both CV and CFV. MR images with CFV were free of respiratory motion artifact, which was present on all MR images with CV. This pilot study indicates that implementation of CFV results in elimination of respiratory motion artifact

Artifact in Pediatric Oculomotor Findings during Videonystagmography: A Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doettl, Steven M; Plyler, Patrick N; McCaslin, Devin L

2017-04-01

Accurate measurement of oculomotor function using videonystagmography (VNG) is imperative for diagnosis and management of patients with reported dizziness. The oculomotor evaluation during VNG utilizes video-oculography providing valuable information regarding the central structures and pathways that control eye movements. Artifact may have an effect on the overall validity and reliability of VNG oculomotor tracings and can result from patient and/or recording errors. It is postulated that artifact could occur more frequently in the pediatric population due to both patient and equipment factors. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the occurrence and impact of artifact on saccades, smooth pursuit, and optokinetic (OPK) testing in normal pediatric and adult subjects using commercially available clinical VNG equipment and standard clinical protocols for oculomotor testing. The present study utilized a retrospective analysis of a repeated measures design. Oculomotor results from a total of 62 participants were analyzed. Portions of these data have been presented in a previous research study. Group 1 consisted of twenty-nine 4- to 6-yr-olds with an average age of 4.86 (SD = 0.88) yr. Group 2 consisted of thirty-three 22- to 44-yr-olds with an average age of 25.2 (SD = 5.34) yr. Raw oculomotor recordings were analyzed "offline" by a single masked, trained investigator. Each tracing was evaluated for instances of artifact including eye blinks, eye closure, eyes moving in opposite direction of the target, eye tracking software problems, and overall poor morphology. The number of instances of artifact were noted and recorded for each participant in both groups. Individual eye movements not affected by artifact were included for final analysis. Artifact rejection techniques were also compared. The results indicated increased artifact for the pediatric group for saccade and smooth pursuit testing. Additionally, a significant decrease in instances of

Artifacts in magnetic spirals retrieved by transport of intensity equation (TIE)

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, J.; Yao, Y.; Shen, X.; Wang, Y. G.; Yu, R. C.

2018-05-01

The artifacts in the magnetic structures reconstructed from Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) images with TIE method have been analyzed in detail. The processing for the simulated images of Bloch and Neel spirals indicated that the improper parameters in TIE may overestimate the high frequency information and induce some false features in the retrieved images. The specimen tilting will further complicate the analysis of the images because the LTEM image contrast is not the result of the magnetization distribution within the specimen but the integral projection pattern of the magnetic induction filling the entire space including the specimen.

Cultural Artifact Detection in Long Wave Infrared Imagery.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Dylan Zachary [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Craven, Julia M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ramon, Eric [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-01-01

Detection of cultural artifacts from airborne remotely sensed data is an important task in the context of on-site inspections. Airborne artifact detection can reduce the size of the search area the ground based inspection team must visit, thereby improving the efficiency of the inspection process. This report details two algorithms for detection of cultural artifacts in aerial long wave infrared imagery. The first algorithm creates an explicit model for cultural artifacts, and finds data that fits the model. The second algorithm creates a model of the background and finds data that does not fit the model. Both algorithms are applied to orthomosaic imagery generated as part of the MSFE13 data collection campaign under the spectral technology evaluation project.

Artifact detection in electrodermal activity using sparse recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Kelsey, Malia; Palumbo, Richard Vincent; Urbaneja, Alberto; Akcakaya, Murat; Huang, Jeannie; Kleckner, Ian R.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Quigley, Karen S.; Sejdic, Ervin; Goodwin, Matthew S.

2017-05-01

Electrodermal Activity (EDA) - a peripheral index of sympathetic nervous system activity - is a primary measure used in psychophysiology. EDA is widely accepted as an indicator of physiological arousal, and it has been shown to reveal when psychologically novel events occur. Traditionally, EDA data is collected in controlled laboratory experiments. However, recent developments in wireless biosensing have led to an increase in out-of-lab studies. This transition to ambulatory data collection has introduced challenges. In particular, artifacts such as wearer motion, changes in temperature, and electrical interference can be misidentified as true EDA responses. The inability to distinguish artifact from signal hinders analyses of ambulatory EDA data. Though manual procedures for identifying and removing EDA artifacts exist, they are time consuming - which is problematic for the types of longitudinal data sets represented in modern ambulatory studies. This manuscript presents a novel technique to automatically identify and remove artifacts in EDA data using curve fitting and sparse recovery methods. Our method was evaluated using labeled data to determine the accuracy of artifact identification. Procedures, results, conclusions, and future directions are presented.

Ensemble Artifact Design For Context Sensitive Decision Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah J Miah

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Although an improvement of design knowledge is an essential goal of design research, current design research predominantly focuses on knowledge concerning the IT artifact (tool design process, rather than a more holistic understanding encompassing the dynamic usage contexts of a technological artifact. Conceptualising a design in context as an “ensemble artifact” (Sein et al., 2011 provides the basis for a more rigorous treatment. This paper describes an IS artifact design framework that has been generated from the development of several practitioner-oriented decision support systems (DSS in which contextual aspects relevant to practitioners’ decision making are considered as integral design themes. We describe five key dimensions of an ensemble artifact design and show their value in designing practitioner-oriented DSS. The features are user centredness, knowledge sharing, situation-specific customisation, reduced model orientation, and practice based secondary design abilities. It is argued that this understanding can contribute to design research knowledge more effectively both to develop dynamic DSS, and by its extensibility to other artifact designs.

Automatic removal of eye-movement and blink artifacts from EEG signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jun Feng; Yang, Yong; Lin, Pan; Wang, Pei; Zheng, Chong Xun

2010-03-01

Frequent occurrence of electrooculography (EOG) artifacts leads to serious problems in interpreting and analyzing the electroencephalogram (EEG). In this paper, a robust method is presented to automatically eliminate eye-movement and eye-blink artifacts from EEG signals. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is used to decompose EEG signals into independent components. Moreover, the features of topographies and power spectral densities of those components are extracted to identify eye-movement artifact components, and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier is adopted because it has higher performance than several other classifiers. The classification results show that feature-extraction methods are unsuitable for identifying eye-blink artifact components, and then a novel peak detection algorithm of independent component (PDAIC) is proposed to identify eye-blink artifact components. Finally, the artifact removal method proposed here is evaluated by the comparisons of EEG data before and after artifact removal. The results indicate that the method proposed could remove EOG artifacts effectively from EEG signals with little distortion of the underlying brain signals.

Correction of Bowtie-Filter Normalization and Crescent Artifacts for a Clinical CBCT System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic; Huang, Ke; Jin, Jian-Yue

2017-02-01

To present our experiences in understanding and minimizing bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts in a clinical cone beam computed tomography system. Bowtie-filter position and profile variations during gantry rotation were studied. Two previously proposed strategies (A and B) were applied to the clinical cone beam computed tomography system to correct bowtie-filter crescent artifacts. Physical calibration and analytical approaches were used to minimize the norm phantom misalignment and to correct for bowtie-filter normalization artifacts. A combined procedure to reduce bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts was proposed and tested on a norm phantom, CatPhan, and a patient and evaluated using standard deviation of Hounsfield unit along a sampling line. The bowtie-filter exhibited not only a translational shift but also an amplitude variation in its projection profile during gantry rotation. Strategy B was better than strategy A slightly in minimizing bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, possibly because it corrected the amplitude variation, suggesting that the amplitude variation plays a role in bowtie-filter crescent artifacts. The physical calibration largely reduced the misalignment-induced bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, and the analytical approach further reduced bowtie-filter normalization artifacts. The combined procedure minimized both bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, with Hounsfield unit standard deviation being 63.2, 45.0, 35.0, and 18.8 Hounsfield unit for the best correction approaches of none, bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, bowtie-filter normalization artifacts, and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts + bowtie-filter crescent artifacts, respectively. The combined procedure also demonstrated reduction of bowtie-filter crescent artifacts and bowtie-filter normalization artifacts in a CatPhan and a patient. We have developed a step

An evaluation of the use of oral contrast media in abdominopelvic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buttigieg, Erica Lauren; Cortis, Kelvin; Galea Soler, Sandro [Mater Dei Hospital, Medical Imaging Department, Msida (Malta); Borg Grima, Karen; Zarb, Francis [Mater Dei Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, Msida (Malta)

2014-11-15

To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of different oral contrast media (OCM) for abdominopelvic CT examinations performed for follow-up general oncological indications. The objectives were to establish anatomical image quality criteria for abdominopelvic CT; use these criteria to evaluate and compare image quality using positive OCM, neutral OCM and no OCM; and evaluate possible benefits for the medical imaging department. Forty-six adult patients attending a follow-up abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications and who had a previous abdominopelvic CT with positive OCM (n = 46) were recruited and prospectively placed into either the water (n = 25) or no OCM (n = 21) group. Three radiologists performed absolute visual grading analysis (VGA) to assess image quality by grading the fulfilment of 24 anatomical image quality criteria. Visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis of the data showed comparable image quality with regards to reproduction of abdominal structures, bowel discrimination, presence of artefacts, and visualization of the amount of intra-abdominal fat for the three OCM protocols. All three OCM protocols provided similar image quality for follow-up abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications. (orig.)

An evaluation of the use of oral contrast media in abdominopelvic CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buttigieg, Erica Lauren; Cortis, Kelvin; Galea Soler, Sandro; Borg Grima, Karen; Zarb, Francis

2014-01-01

To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of different oral contrast media (OCM) for abdominopelvic CT examinations performed for follow-up general oncological indications. The objectives were to establish anatomical image quality criteria for abdominopelvic CT; use these criteria to evaluate and compare image quality using positive OCM, neutral OCM and no OCM; and evaluate possible benefits for the medical imaging department. Forty-six adult patients attending a follow-up abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications and who had a previous abdominopelvic CT with positive OCM (n = 46) were recruited and prospectively placed into either the water (n = 25) or no OCM (n = 21) group. Three radiologists performed absolute visual grading analysis (VGA) to assess image quality by grading the fulfilment of 24 anatomical image quality criteria. Visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis of the data showed comparable image quality with regards to reproduction of abdominal structures, bowel discrimination, presence of artefacts, and visualization of the amount of intra-abdominal fat for the three OCM protocols. All three OCM protocols provided similar image quality for follow-up abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications. (orig.)

MR-imaging of the breast at 0.5 Tesla: menstrual-cycle dependency of parenchymal contrast enhancement in healthy volunteers with oral contraceptive use?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzen, J.; Welger, J.; Krupski, G.; Adam, G.; Lisboa, B.W.

2003-01-01

Introduction: To evaluate changes of contrast medium enhancement of the breast parenchyma due to menstrual cycle in healthy volunteers with oral contraceptive use in MR-imaging of the breast. Material and Methods: 15 healthy volunteers (age: 22 - 36, mean 28,2) without breast disease were examined two times during one menstrual cycle (days 7 - 14 and days 21 - 2). Two volunteers were examined only in the second part of the cycle (days 21 - 2). All volunteers used oral contraceptives for more than 6 month continuously. Examinations were performed with a 0,5 T magnet (dynamic 3D-gradient echo protocol with subtraction postprocessing). We evaluated the number of enhancing foci and the parenchymal contrast medium enhancement during the different phases of the cycle by region of interest. Results: Only a total of two enhancing foci were found in 2 of 17 volunteers. Time/signal intensity diagrams in these both cases were not suspicious ( [de

A Comparison of the Use of Contrast Media with Different Iodine Concentrations for Multidetector CT of the Kidney

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Seung Chai; Cho, Jeong Yeon

2011-01-01

Objective To determine the optimal iodine concentration of contrast media for kidney multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) by comparing the degree of renal parenchymal enhancement and the severity of the renal streak artifact with contrast media of different iodine concentrations. Materials and Methods A 16-row MDCT was performed in 15 sedated rabbits by injection of 2 mL contrast media/kg body weight at a rate of 0.3 mL/sec. Monomeric nonionic contrast media of 250, 300, and 370 mg iodine/mL were injected at 1-week intervals. Mean attenuation values were measured in each renal structure with attenuation differences among the structures. The artifact was evaluated by CT window width/level and three grading methods. The values were compared with iodine concentrations. Results The 370 mg iodine/mL concentration showed significantly higher cortical enhancement than 250 mg iodine/mL in all phases (p < 0.05). There was however no significant difference in the degree of enhancement between the 300 mg iodine/mL and 370 mg iodine/mL concentrations in all phases. There is a significant difference in attenuation for the cortex-outer medulla between 250 mg iodine/mL and 300 mg iodine/mL (p < 0.05). The artifact was more severe with a medium of 370 mg iodine/mL than with 250 mg iodine/mL by all grading methods (p < 0.05). Conclusion The 300 mg iodine/mL is considered to be the most appropriate iodine concentration in an aspect of the enhancement and artifact on a kidney MDCT scan. PMID:22043154

SU-F-P-29: Impact of Oral Contrast Agent for Assisting in Outlining Small Intestine On Pelvic IMAT Dose in Patients with Cervical Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, R; Bai, W; Fan, X [The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: As the advanced intensity modulated arc therapy(IMAT) delivery systems becoming a main role of treatment ways, which places even greater demands on delivering accuracy. The impact of oral contrast agent (meglumine diatrizoate) for assisting in outlining the small intestine on pelvic IMAT dose in patients with cervical cancer was investigated. Methods: Ten cervical cancer patients for postoperative radiotherapy underwent CT scans, and the planning target volumes (PTV) and organs at risk (including the small intestine, rectum, bladder, colon and the left and right femoral head) were contoured. The IMAT plans were generated on Oncentra v4.1 planning system for each case, PTV was prescribed to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. Then another plan was generated by re-calculating the radiation dose after changing the electron density of the small bowel. The first plan (plan A) was the conventional IMAT plan (with oral contrast agent), and the second one (plan B) specified the electron density of the small bowel (without oral contrast agent). Paired t-test was used to compare the dose distribution between the two plans. Results: The PTV’s D2, D50, D95, V110, conformity index, and homogeneity index of plans A and B were 5610.5 vs. 5611.4 cGy (P=0.175), 5348.5 vs. 5348.0 cGy (P=0.869), 5039 vs. 5042.3 (P=0.518), 6.0% vs. 6.1 %( P=0.886), 0.1269 vs. 0.1271 (P=0.34) and 0.8421 vs. 0.8416 (P=0.598), respectively. The volumes of the small bowel receiving at least 30 Gy (V30) and the minimum dose of 2% volume accepted (D2) for plans A and B were 31.6% vs. 31.9% (P=0.371) and 5067.8 vs. 5085.4 cGy (P=0.377), while rectum V50 of the two plans was 12.4% vs. 12.1% (P=0.489). Conclusion: The oral contrast agent (meglumine diatrizoate) filling the small intestine does not lead to a significant increase in the pelvic IMAT dose in patients with cervical cancer.

Reflection-artifact-free photoacoustic imaging using PAFUSion (photoacoustic-guided focused ultrasound)

Science.gov (United States)

Kuniyil Ajith Singh, Mithun; Jaeger, Michael; Frenz, Martin; Steenbergen, Wiendelt

2016-03-01

Reflection artifacts caused by acoustic inhomogeneities are a main challenge to deep-tissue photoacoustic imaging. Photoacoustic transients generated by the skin surface and superficial vasculature will propagate into the tissue and reflect back from echogenic structures to generate reflection artifacts. These artifacts can cause problems in image interpretation and limit imaging depth. In its basic version, PAFUSion mimics the inward travelling wave-field from blood vessel-like PA sources by applying focused ultrasound pulses, and thus provides a way to identify reflection artifacts. In this work, we demonstrate reflection artifact correction in addition to identification, towards obtaining an artifact-free photoacoustic image. In view of clinical applications, we implemented an improved version of PAFUSion in which photoacoustic data is backpropagated to imitate the inward travelling wave-field and thus the reflection artifacts of a more arbitrary distribution of PA sources that also includes the skin melanin layer. The backpropagation is performed in a synthetic way based on the pulse-echo acquisitions after transmission on each single element of the transducer array. We present a phantom experiment and initial in vivo measurements on human volunteers where we demonstrate significant reflection artifact reduction using our technique. The results provide a direct confirmation that reflection artifacts are prominent in clinical epi-photoacoustic imaging, and that PAFUSion can reduce these artifacts significantly to improve the deep-tissue photoacoustic imaging.

A study of metal artifacts on MR imaging. Evaluation of scanning parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashiro, Mitsuaki

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate scanning parameters on MR imaging for reducing metal artifacts using phantom study. Metal artifacts on sagittal images, perpendicular to static magnetic direction showed round shape in the relationship between shape of metal artifacts on MR images and scanning direction. Metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images, parallel to static magnetic direction showed oval shape in the direction of X-axis. In spin echo sequences, the largest dimension of metal artifacts was coronal image, followed by axial image and then sagittal image. In gradient echo sequences, the largest dimension of metal artifacts was axial image, followed by coronal image and then sagittal image. The best scanning plane for reducing metal artifacts was perpendicular to static magnetic direction. In scanning sequences, the largest dimensions of metal artifacts were gradient echo sequences, followed by T2-weighted spin echo sequence and then proton density-weighted and T1-weighted spin echo sequences. Large flip angle increased much metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images in gradient echo sequences. Small flip angle was useful for reducing metal artifacts on both axial and coronal images. The influence of flip angle on metal artifacts in sagittal images perpendicular static magnetic direction was less than for images in coronal and axial planes on gradient echo sequences. These results suggested that a study of metal artifacts on MR imaging about evaluation of scanning parameters was useful to reduce metal artifacts on MR images. (K.H.)

Picking Up Artifacts: Storyboarding as a Gateway to Reuse

Science.gov (United States)

Wahid, Shahtab; Branham, Stacy M.; Cairco, Lauren; McCrickard, D. Scott; Harrison, Steve

Storyboarding offers designers the opportunity to illustrate a visual narrative of use. Because designers often refer to past ideas, we argue storyboards can be constructed by reusing shared artifacts. We present a study in which we explore how designers reuse artifacts consisting of images and rationale during storyboard construction. We find images can aid in accessing rationale and that connections among features aid in deciding what to reuse, creating new artifacts, and constructing. Based on requirements derived from our findings, we present a storyboarding tool, PIC-UP, to facilitate artifact sharing and reuse and evaluate its use in an exploratory study. We conclude with remarks on facilitating reuse and future work.

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

Science.gov (United States)

Garcés Correa, A.; Laciar, E.; Patiño, H. D.; Valentinuzzi, M. E.

2007-11-01

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records.

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garces Correa, A; Laciar, E; Patino, H D; Valentinuzzi, M E

2007-01-01

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records

Artifact removal from EEG signals using adaptive filters in cascade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garces Correa, A [Gabinete de TecnologIa Medica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Laciar, E [Gabinete de TecnologIa Medica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Patino, H D [Instituto de Automatica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina); Valentinuzzi, M E [Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biologicas (INSIBIO), UNT-CONICET, Tucuman (Argentina)

2007-11-15

Artifacts in EEG (electroencephalogram) records are caused by various factors, like line interference, EOG (electro-oculogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram). These noise sources increase the difficulty in analyzing the EEG and to obtaining clinical information. For this reason, it is necessary to design specific filters to decrease such artifacts in EEG records. In this paper, a cascade of three adaptive filters based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is proposed. The first one eliminates line interference, the second adaptive filter removes the ECG artifacts and the last one cancels EOG spikes. Each stage uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which adjusts its coefficients to produce an output similar to the artifacts present in the EEG. The proposed cascade adaptive filter was tested in five real EEG records acquired in polysomnographic studies. In all cases, line-frequency, ECG and EOG artifacts were attenuated. It is concluded that the proposed filter reduces the common artifacts present in EEG signals without removing significant information embedded in these records.

Self-gated CINE MRI for combined contrast-enhanced imaging and wall-stiffness measurements of murine aortic atherosclerotic lesions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Adel, Brigit; van der Graaf, Linda M.; Strijkers, Gustav J.; Lamb, Hildo J.; Poelmann, Robert E.; van der Weerd, Louise

2013-01-01

High-resolution contrast-enhanced imaging of the murine atherosclerotic vessel wall is difficult due to unpredictable flow artifacts, motion of the thin artery wall and problems with flow suppression in the presence of a circulating contrast agent. We applied a 2D-FLASH retrospective-gated CINE MRI

How Do Artifact Models Help Direct SPI Projects?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuhrmann, Marco; Richardson, Ita

2015-01-01

To overcome shortcomings associated with software process improvement (SPI), we previously recommended that process engineers focus on the artifacts to be developed in SPI projects. These artifacts should define desired outcomes, rather than specific methods. During this prior research, we develo...

CT of the pancreas with a fat-density oral contrast medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raptopoulos, V.; Davidoff, A.; Davis, M.A.; Coolbaugh, B.L.; Smith, E.H.

1987-01-01

Visualization of the head of the pancreas on CT was evaluated in three groups, each consisting of 100 patients without pancreatic pathology who received a fat-density oral preparation. The corn oil emulsion was tolerated well by the patients and allowed consistently superior discrimination of the head of the pancreas from the duodenal C-loop as compared to the other two control groups. A score was developed for the CT discrimination of duodenum from pancreas. The average score for corn oil emulsion was .94, as opposed to .74 for the high-density agents and .76 for patients who did not receive any oral preparation. Until further experience is acquired, the authors do not recommend the use of corn oil in patients thought to have pancreatic pseudocysts or abscesses. In addition, the use of fat-containing oral agents may be contraindicated in patients with acute pancreatitis. For routine CT evaluation of the pancreas and upper abdomen, the authors consider corn oil emulsion superior to the other oral regimens

Distributed Cognition and Distributed Morality: Agency, Artifacts and Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Heersmink, Richard

2017-04-01

There are various philosophical approaches and theories describing the intimate relation people have to artifacts. In this paper, I explore the relation between two such theories, namely distributed cognition and distributed morality theory. I point out a number of similarities and differences in these views regarding the ontological status they attribute to artifacts and the larger systems they are part of. Having evaluated and compared these views, I continue by focussing on the way cognitive artifacts are used in moral practice. I specifically conceptualise how such artifacts (a) scaffold and extend moral reasoning and decision-making processes, (b) have a certain moral status which is contingent on their cognitive status, and (c) whether responsibility can be attributed to distributed systems. This paper is primarily written for those interested in the intersection of cognitive and moral theory as it relates to artifacts, but also for those independently interested in philosophical debates in extended and distributed cognition and ethics of (cognitive) technology.

Automatic detection and classification of artifacts in single-channel EEG

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olund, Thomas; Duun-Henriksen, Jonas; Kjaer, Troels W.

2014-01-01

Ambulatory EEG monitoring can provide medical doctors important diagnostic information, without hospitalizing the patient. These recordings are however more exposed to noise and artifacts compared to clinically recorded EEG. An automatic artifact detection and classification algorithm for single......-channel EEG is proposed to help identifying these artifacts. Features are extracted from the EEG signal and wavelet subbands. Subsequently a selection algorithm is applied in order to identify the best discriminating features. A non-linear support vector machine is used to discriminate among different...... artifact classes using the selected features. Single-channel (Fp1-F7) EEG recordings are obtained from experiments with 12 healthy subjects performing artifact inducing movements. The dataset was used to construct and validate the model. Both subject-specific and generic implementation, are investigated...

Cone-beam CT image contrast and attenuation-map linearity improvement (CALI) for brain stereotactic radiosurgery procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, Sayed Masoud; Lee, Young; Eriksson, Markus; Nordström, Hâkan; Mainprize, James; Grouza, Vladimir; Huynh, Christopher; Sahgal, Arjun; Song, William Y.; Ruschin, Mark

2017-03-01

A Contrast and Attenuation-map (CT-number) Linearity Improvement (CALI) framework is proposed for cone-beam CT (CBCT) images used for brain stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The proposed framework is used together with our high spatial resolution iterative reconstruction algorithm and is tailored for the Leksell Gamma Knife ICON (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden). The incorporated CBCT system in ICON facilitates frameless SRS planning and treatment delivery. The ICON employs a half-cone geometry to accommodate the existing treatment couch. This geometry increases the amount of artifacts and together with other physical imperfections causes image inhomogeneity and contrast reduction. Our proposed framework includes a preprocessing step, involving a shading and beam-hardening artifact correction, and a post-processing step to correct the dome/capping artifact caused by the spatial variations in x-ray energy generated by bowtie-filter. Our shading correction algorithm relies solely on the acquired projection images (i.e. no prior information required) and utilizes filtered-back-projection (FBP) reconstructed images to generate a segmented bone and soft-tissue map. Ideal projections are estimated from the segmented images and a smoothed version of the difference between the ideal and measured projections is used in correction. The proposed beam-hardening and dome artifact corrections are segmentation free. The CALI was tested on CatPhan, as well as patient images acquired on the ICON system. The resulting clinical brain images show substantial improvements in soft contrast visibility, revealing structures such as ventricles and lesions which were otherwise un-detectable in FBP-reconstructed images. The linearity of the reconstructed attenuation-map was also improved, resulting in more accurate CT#.

Motion artifacts in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.K.

1979-01-01

In the year 1972, the first Computed Tomography Scanner (or CT) was introduced and caused a revolution in the field of Diagnostic Radiology. A tomogram is a cross-sectional image of a three-dimensional object obtained through non-invasive measurements. The image that is presented is very similar to what would be seen if a thin cross-sectional slice of the patient was examined. In Computed Tomography, x-rays are passed through the body of a patient in many different directions and their attenuation is detected. By using some mathematical theorems, the attenuation information can be converted into the density of the patient along the x-ray path. Combined with modern sophisticated computer signal processing technology, a cross-sectional image can be generated and displayed on a TV monitor. Usually a good CT image relies on the patient not moving during the x-ray scanning. However, for some unconscious or severely ill patients, this is very difficult to achieve. Thus, the motion during the scan causes the so-called motion artifacts which distort the displayed image and sometimes these motion artifacts make diagnosis impossible. Today, to remove or avoid motion artifacts is one of the major efforts in developing new scanner systems. In this thesis, a better understanding of the motion artifacts problem in CT scaning is gained through computer simulations, real scanner experiments and theoretical analyses. The methods by which the distorted image can be improved are simulated also. In particular, it is assumed that perfect knowledge of the patient motion is known since this represents the theoretical limit on how well the distorted image can be improved

Renal contrast-enhanced MR angiography: timing errors and accurate depiction of renal artery origins.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Maria A; Morgan, Robert

2008-10-01

To investigate bolus timing artifacts that impair depiction of renal arteries at contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and to determine the effect of contrast agent infusion rates on artifact generation. Renal contrast-enhanced MR angiography was simulated for a variety of infusion schemes, assuming both correct and incorrect timing between data acquisition and contrast agent injection. In addition, the ethics committee approved the retrospective evaluation of clinical breath-hold renal contrast-enhanced MR angiographic studies obtained with automated detection of contrast agent arrival. Twenty-two studies were evaluated for their ability to depict the origin of renal arteries in patent vessels and for any signs of timing errors. Simulations showed that a completely artifactual stenosis or an artifactual overestimation of an existing stenosis at the renal artery origin can be caused by timing errors of the order of 5 seconds in examinations performed with contrast agent infusion rates compatible with or higher than those of hand injections. Lower infusion rates make the studies more likely to accurately depict the origin of the renal arteries. In approximately one-third of all clinical examinations, different contrast agent uptake rates were detected on the left and right sides of the body, and thus allowed us to confirm that it is often impossible to optimize depiction of both renal arteries. In three renal arteries, a signal void was found at the origin in a patent vessel, and delayed contrast agent arrival was confirmed. Computer simulations and clinical examinations showed that timing errors impair the accurate depiction of renal artery origins. (c) RSNA, 2008.

Artifacts by dental materials on magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Hyun Sook; Choi, Deuk Lin; Kim, Ki Jung; Suh, Won Hyuck

1992-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proved to be a valuable method for evaluation of the head and neck. Unfortunately, metallic devices associated with certain dental fillings and appliances often cause variable artifacts that can obscure normal or pathologic conditions on MR and computed tomography. In this work, we assessed the MR appearance of dental prosthetic materials in vitro and in vivo including precious alloys, nonprecions alloys, resin, amalgam and titanium alloy. For in vivo studies, these materials were placed in healthy volunteer's mouths and then images were assessed. Analysis of the appearance of shape and extent of artifact, and observed influence of these artifacts on the image interpretation at 0.2 Tesla permanent type MR scanner were valuated. Material used as temporary or permanent filling of crowns such as amalgam, precious alloy and, microfilled resin did not cause artifact on the image. The size of the artifact produced by the nonprecious alloys was influenced by the ferromagnetism of the object and the volume prosthesis, and was related to the scanning sequence. Nonprecious alloys produced minimal local signal distortion, where precious alloys, and dental resin had no effect on the MR images in vivo. These results were mainly from a low field strength MR scanner used in this study

Minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity: Diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Hara, Marina; Katase, Naoki; Asaumi, Jun-ichi; Hisatomi, Miki; Unetsubo, Teruhisa; Konouchi, Hironobu; Takenobu, Toshihiko; Nagatsuka, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity. Materials and methods: Thirty-two patients with minor salivary gland tumors were examined preoperatively using DCE-MRI. Their maximum contrast index (CImax), time of CImax (Tmax), Tpeak; i.e., the time that corresponded to the CImax × 0.90, and washout ratios (WR300 and WR600) were determined from contrast index (CI) curves. We compared these parameters between benign and malignant tumors and among the different histopathological types of minor salivary gland tumors. Then, we categorized the patients’ CI curves into four patterns (gradual increase, rapid increase with high washout ratio, rapid increase with low washout, and flat). Results: Statistically significant differences in Tmax (P = 0.004) and Tpeak (P = 0.002) were observed between the benign and malignant tumors. Regarding each histopathological tumor type, significant differences in Tmax (P < 0.001), Tpeak (P < 0.001), and WR600 (P = 0.026) were observed between the pleomorphic adenomas and mucoepidermoid carcinomas. It was difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant tumors using our CI curve classification because that two-thirds of the cases were classified into the same type (gradual increase). Conclusion: The DCE-MRI parameters of minor salivary gland tumors contributed little to their differential diagnosis compared with those for major salivary gland tumors. During the diagnosis of minor salivary gland tumors, Tmax is useful for distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors

Optimizing contrast agents with respect to reducing beam hardening in nonmedical X-ray computed tomography experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, Yoshito; Nakano, Tsukasa

2014-01-01

Iodine is commonly used as a contrast agent in nonmedical science and engineering, for example, to visualize Darcy flow in porous geological media using X-ray computed tomography (CT). Undesirable beam hardening artifacts occur when a polychromatic X-ray source is used, which makes the quantitative analysis of CT images difficult. To optimize the chemistry of a contrast agent in terms of the beam hardening reduction, we performed computer simulations and generated synthetic CT images of a homogeneous cylindrical sand-pack (diameter, 28 or 56 mm; porosity, 39 vol.% saturated with aqueous suspensions of heavy elements assuming the use of a polychromatic medical CT scanner. The degree of cupping derived from the beam hardening was assessed using the reconstructed CT images to find the chemistry of the suspension that induced the least cupping. The results showed that (i) the degree of cupping depended on the position of the K absorption edge of the heavy element relative to peak of the polychromatic incident X-ray spectrum, (ii) (53)I was not an ideal contrast agent because it causes marked cupping, and (iii) a single element much heavier than (53)I ((64)Gd to (79)Au) reduced the cupping artifact significantly, and a four-heavy-element mixture of elements from (64)Gd to (79)Au reduced the artifact most significantly.

Correction of CT artifacts and its influence on Monte Carlo dose calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazalova, Magdalena; Beaulieu, Luc; Palefsky, Steven; Verhaegen, Frank

2007-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) images of patients having metallic implants or dental fillings exhibit severe streaking artifacts. These artifacts may disallow tumor and organ delineation and compromise dose calculation outcomes in radiotherapy. We used a sinogram interpolation metal streaking artifact correction algorithm on several phantoms of exact-known compositions and on a prostate patient with two hip prostheses. We compared original CT images and artifact-corrected images of both. To evaluate the effect of the artifact correction on dose calculations, we performed Monte Carlo dose calculation in the EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc code. For the phantoms, we performed calculations in the exact geometry, in the original CT geometry and in the artifact-corrected geometry for photon and electron beams. The maximum errors in 6 MV photon beam dose calculation were found to exceed 25% in original CT images when the standard DOSXYZnrc/CTCREATE calibration is used but less than 2% in artifact-corrected images when an extended calibration is used. The extended calibration includes an extra calibration point for a metal. The patient dose volume histograms of a hypothetical target irradiated by five 18 MV photon beams in a hypothetical treatment differ significantly in the original CT geometry and in the artifact-corrected geometry. This was found to be mostly due to miss-assignment of tissue voxels to air due to metal artifacts. We also developed a simple Monte Carlo model for a CT scanner and we simulated the contribution of scatter and beam hardening to metal streaking artifacts. We found that whereas beam hardening has a minor effect on metal artifacts, scatter is an important cause of these artifacts

Edge artifact correction for industrial computed tomography images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Yufang; Li Dan; Wang Jue

2013-01-01

To eliminate the edge artifacts of industrial CT images, and improve the identification ability of the image and the precision of the dimension measurement, a coefficient adjusting method for reducing crosstalk noise is proposed. It is concluded from theoretical analysis that crosstalk generated from adjacent detectors by Compton scattering is the major reason for the edge artifacts. According to the mathematic model of the detector crosstalk, we design a special detector system configuration and stair-step phantom for estimating the quantity of crosstalk noise. The relationship between crosstalk ratio and intensity of the incident X-ray is acquired by regressing experimental data with least square method. The experimental result shows that the first-order crosstalk ratio between detectors is about 9.0%, and the second-order crosstalk ratio is about 1.2%. Thus the first-order crosstalk is the main factor causing edge artifacts. The proposed method can reduce the edge artifacts significantly, and meanwhile maintain the detail and edge of CT images. (authors)

Reduced aliasing artifacts using shaking projection k-space sampling trajectory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yan-Chun; Du, Jiang; Yang, Wen-Chao; Duan, Chai-Jie; Wang, Hao-Yu; Gao, Song; Bao, Shang-Lian

2014-03-01

Radial imaging techniques, such as projection-reconstruction (PR), are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for dynamic imaging, angiography, and short-T2 imaging. They are less sensitive to flow and motion artifacts, and support fast imaging with short echo times. However, aliasing and streaking artifacts are two main sources which degrade radial imaging quality. For a given fixed number of k-space projections, data distributions along radial and angular directions will influence the level of aliasing and streaking artifacts. Conventional radial k-space sampling trajectory introduces an aliasing artifact at the first principal ring of point spread function (PSF). In this paper, a shaking projection (SP) k-space sampling trajectory was proposed to reduce aliasing artifacts in MR images. SP sampling trajectory shifts the projection alternately along the k-space center, which separates k-space data in the azimuthal direction. Simulations based on conventional and SP sampling trajectories were compared with the same number projections. A significant reduction of aliasing artifacts was observed using the SP sampling trajectory. These two trajectories were also compared with different sampling frequencies. A SP trajectory has the same aliasing character when using half sampling frequency (or half data) for reconstruction. SNR comparisons with different white noise levels show that these two trajectories have the same SNR character. In conclusion, the SP trajectory can reduce the aliasing artifact without decreasing SNR and also provide a way for undersampling reconstruction. Furthermore, this method can be applied to three-dimensional (3D) hybrid or spherical radial k-space sampling for a more efficient reduction of aliasing artifacts.

Reduced aliasing artifacts using shaking projection k-space sampling trajectory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yan-Chun; Yang Wen-Chao; Wang Hao-Yu; Gao Song; Bao Shang-Lian; Du Jiang; Duan Chai-Jie

2014-01-01

Radial imaging techniques, such as projection-reconstruction (PR), are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for dynamic imaging, angiography, and short-T2 imaging. They are less sensitive to flow and motion artifacts, and support fast imaging with short echo times. However, aliasing and streaking artifacts are two main sources which degrade radial imaging quality. For a given fixed number of k-space projections, data distributions along radial and angular directions will influence the level of aliasing and streaking artifacts. Conventional radial k-space sampling trajectory introduces an aliasing artifact at the first principal ring of point spread function (PSF). In this paper, a shaking projection (SP) k-space sampling trajectory was proposed to reduce aliasing artifacts in MR images. SP sampling trajectory shifts the projection alternately along the k-space center, which separates k-space data in the azimuthal direction. Simulations based on conventional and SP sampling trajectories were compared with the same number projections. A significant reduction of aliasing artifacts was observed using the SP sampling trajectory. These two trajectories were also compared with different sampling frequencies. A SP trajectory has the same aliasing character when using half sampling frequency (or half data) for reconstruction. SNR comparisons with different white noise levels show that these two trajectories have the same SNR character. In conclusion, the SP trajectory can reduce the aliasing artifact without decreasing SNR and also provide a way for undersampling reconstruction. Furthermore, this method can be applied to three-dimensional (3D) hybrid or spherical radial k-space sampling for a more efficient reduction of aliasing artifacts

Reduction of metal artifacts: beam hardening and photon starvation effects

Science.gov (United States)

Yadava, Girijesh K.; Pal, Debashish; Hsieh, Jiang

2014-03-01

The presence of metal-artifacts in CT imaging can obscure relevant anatomy and interfere with disease diagnosis. The cause and occurrence of metal-artifacts are primarily due to beam hardening, scatter, partial volume and photon starvation; however, the contribution to the artifacts from each of them depends on the type of hardware. A comparison of CT images obtained with different metallic hardware in various applications, along with acquisition and reconstruction parameters, helps understand methods for reducing or overcoming such artifacts. In this work, a metal beam hardening correction (BHC) and a projection-completion based metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithms were developed, and applied on phantom and clinical CT scans with various metallic implants. Stainless-steel and Titanium were used to model and correct for metal beam hardening effect. In the MAR algorithm, the corrupted projection samples are replaced by the combination of original projections and in-painted data obtained by forward projecting a prior image. The data included spine fixation screws, hip-implants, dental-filling, and body extremity fixations, covering range of clinically used metal implants. Comparison of BHC and MAR on different metallic implants was used to characterize dominant source of the artifacts, and conceivable methods to overcome those. Results of the study indicate that beam hardening could be a dominant source of artifact in many spine and extremity fixations, whereas dental and hip implants could be dominant source of photon starvation. The BHC algorithm could significantly improve image quality in CT scans with metallic screws, whereas MAR algorithm could alleviate artifacts in hip-implants and dentalfillings.

Routine Use of Contrast Swallow After Total Gastrectomy and Esophagectomy: Is it Justified?

Science.gov (United States)

El-Sourani, Nader; Bruns, Helge; Troja, Achim; Raab, Hans-Rudolf; Antolovic, Dalibor

2017-01-01

After gastrectomy or esophagectomy, esophagogastrostomy and esophagojejunostomy are commonly used for reconstruction. Water-soluble contrast swallow is often used as a routine screening to exclude anastomotic leakage during the first postoperative week. In this retrospective study, the sensitivity and specificity of oral water-soluble contrast swallow for the detection of anastomotic leakage and its clinical symptoms were analysed. Records of 104 consecutive total gastrectomies and distal esophagectomies were analysed. In all cases, upper gastrointestinal contrast swallow with the use of a water-soluble contrast agent was performed on the 5 th postoperative day. Extravasation of the contrast agent was defined as anastomotic leakage. When anastomotic insufficiency was suspected but no extravasation was present, a computed tomography (CT) scan and upper endoscopy were performed. Oral contrast swallow detected 7 anastomotic leaks. Based on CT-scans and upper endoscopy, the true number of anastomotic leakage was 15. The findings of the oral contrast swallow were falsely positive in 4 and falsely negative in 12 patients, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the oral contrast swallow was 20% and 96%, respectively. Routine radiological contrast swallow following total gastrectomy or distal esophagectomy cannot be recommended. When symptoms of anastomotic leakage are present, a CT-scan and endoscopy are currently the methods of choice.

Evaluation of a low-dose CT protocol with oral contrast for assessment of acute appendicitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platon, Alexandra; Jlassi, Helmi; Becker, Christoph D.; Poletti, Pierre-Alexandre [University Hospital of Geneva, Department of Radiology, Geneva 14 (Switzerland); Rutschmann, Olivier T. [University Hospital of Geneva, Emergency Center, Geneva (Switzerland); Verdun, Francis R. [University Institute for Radiation Physics, Lausanne (Switzerland); Gervaz, Pascal [University Hospital of Geneva, Clinic of Digestive Surgery, Geneva (Switzerland)

2009-02-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate a low-dose CT with oral contrast medium (LDCT) for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and compare its performance with standard-dose i.v. contrast-enhanced CT (standard CT) according to patients' BMIs. Eighty-six consecutive patients admitted with suspicion of acute appendicitis underwent LDCT (30 mAs), followed by standard CT (180 mAs). Both examinations were reviewed by two experienced radiologists for direct and indirect signs of appendicitis. Clinical and surgical follow-up was considered as the reference standard. Appendicitis was confirmed by surgery in 37 (43%) of the 86 patients. Twenty-nine (34%) patients eventually had an alternative discharge diagnosis to explain their abdominal pain. Clinical and biological follow-up was uneventful in 20 (23%) patients. LDCT and standard CT had the same sensitivity (100%, 33/33) and specificity (98%, 45/46) to diagnose appendicitis in patients with a body mass index (BMI) {>=} 18.5. In slim patients (BMI < 18.5), sensitivity to diagnose appendicitis was 50% (2/4) for LDCT and 100% (4/4) for standard CT, while specificity was identical for both techniques (67%, 2/3). LDCT may play a role in the diagnostic workup of patients with a BMI {>=} 18.5. (orig.)

Evaluation of a low-dose CT protocol with oral contrast for assessment of acute appendicitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platon, Alexandra; Jlassi, Helmi; Becker, Christoph D.; Poletti, Pierre-Alexandre; Rutschmann, Olivier T.; Verdun, Francis R.; Gervaz, Pascal

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a low-dose CT with oral contrast medium (LDCT) for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and compare its performance with standard-dose i.v. contrast-enhanced CT (standard CT) according to patients' BMIs. Eighty-six consecutive patients admitted with suspicion of acute appendicitis underwent LDCT (30 mAs), followed by standard CT (180 mAs). Both examinations were reviewed by two experienced radiologists for direct and indirect signs of appendicitis. Clinical and surgical follow-up was considered as the reference standard. Appendicitis was confirmed by surgery in 37 (43%) of the 86 patients. Twenty-nine (34%) patients eventually had an alternative discharge diagnosis to explain their abdominal pain. Clinical and biological follow-up was uneventful in 20 (23%) patients. LDCT and standard CT had the same sensitivity (100%, 33/33) and specificity (98%, 45/46) to diagnose appendicitis in patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 18.5. In slim patients (BMI < 18.5), sensitivity to diagnose appendicitis was 50% (2/4) for LDCT and 100% (4/4) for standard CT, while specificity was identical for both techniques (67%, 2/3). LDCT may play a role in the diagnostic workup of patients with a BMI ≥ 18.5. (orig.)

Motion Artifact in the MR imaging of temporomandibular disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamamura, Kiyoharu; Miyajima, Hisashi; Nihei, Yoshinobu; Nemoto, Ryuichi; Ohno, Tomoya

1997-01-01

Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is indispensable for the diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Motion Artifacts of MRI occur more frequently than in other conventional methods, because it takes a long time to obtain the images. This paper reported on Motion Artifacts on MRI. MRI studies of 232 temporomandibular joints were performed in 116 patients with TMD by using a 0.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner, with spin echo sequence: protondensity-weighted. And we took MRI slices at opening phase and closing phase. So 232 slices were gathered and we evaluated clinically the incidence of Motion Artifacts, that is to say, double and multiple images and other factors. The 103 slices in 56 patients showed Motion Artifacts. There is no significant difference between sexes. By age group, those in their teens were most frequent, followed by those in their fifties, forties, thirties and twenties. Also the same results were obtained for double image and multiple image. Incidence of Motion Artifact was most frequent at the opening phase. There is no significant difference between double and multiple image. (author)

Adiabatic Low-Pass J Filters for Artifact Suppression in Heteronuclear NMR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meier, Sebastian; Benie, Andrew J; Duus, Jens Øllgaard

2009-01-01

NMR artifact purging: Modern NMR experiments depend on efficient coherence transfer pathways for their sensitivity and on suppression of undesired pathways leading to artifacts for their spectral clarity. A novel robust adiabatic element suppresses hard-to-get-at artifacts....

Ring artifacts removal from synchrotron CT image slices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Zhouping; Chapman, Dean; Wiebe, Sheldon

2013-01-01

Ring artifacts can occur in reconstructed images from x-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) as full or partial concentric rings superimposed on the scanned structures. Due to the data corruption by those ring artifacts in CT images, qualitative and quantitative analysis of these images are compromised. In this paper, we propose to correct the ring artifacts on the reconstructed synchrotron radiation (SR) CT image slices. The proposed correction procedure includes the following steps: (1). transform the reconstructed CT images into polar coordinates; (2) apply discrete two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transform to the polar image to decompose it into four image components: low pass band image component, as well as the components from horizontal, vertical and diagonal details bands; (3). apply 2D Fourier transform to the vertical details band image component only, since the ring artifacts become vertical lines in the polar coordinates; (4). apply Gaussian filtering in Fourier domain along the abscissa direction to suppress the vertical lines, since the information of the vertical lines in Fourier domain is completely condensed to that direction; (5). perform inverse Fourier transform to get the corrected vertical details band image component; (6). perform inverse wavelet transform to get the corrected polar image; (7). transform the corrected polar image back to Cartesian coordinates to get the CT image slice with reduced ring artifacts. This approach has been successfully used on CT data acquired from the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamline in Canadian Light Source (CLS), and the results show that the ring artifacts in original SR CT images have been effectively suppressed with all the structure information in the image preserved.

Identification of ghost artifact using texture analysis in pediatric spinal cord diffusion tensor images.

Science.gov (United States)

Alizadeh, Mahdi; Conklin, Chris J; Middleton, Devon M; Shah, Pallav; Saksena, Sona; Krisa, Laura; Finsterbusch, Jürgen; Faro, Scott H; Mulcahey, M J; Mohamed, Feroze B

2018-04-01

Ghost artifacts are a major contributor to degradation of spinal cord diffusion tensor images. A multi-stage post-processing pipeline was designed, implemented and validated to automatically remove ghost artifacts arising from reduced field of view diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the pediatric spinal cord. A total of 12 pediatric subjects including 7 healthy subjects (mean age=11.34years) with no evidence of spinal cord injury or pathology and 5 patients (mean age=10.96years) with cervical spinal cord injury were studied. Ghost/true cords, labeled as region of interests (ROIs), in non-diffusion weighted b0 images were segmented automatically using mathematical morphological processing. Initially, 21 texture features were extracted from each segmented ROI including 5 first-order features based on the histogram of the image (mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis and entropy) and 16s-order feature vector elements, incorporating four statistical measures (contrast, correlation, homogeneity and energy) calculated from co-occurrence matrices in directions of 0°, 45°, 90° and 135°. Next, ten features with a high value of mutual information (MI) relative to the pre-defined target class and within the features were selected as final features which were input to a trained classifier (adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system) to separate the true cord from the ghost cord. The implemented pipeline was successfully able to separate the ghost artifacts from true cord structures. The results obtained from the classifier showed a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 79%, and accuracy of 84% in separating the true cord from ghost artifacts. The results show that the proposed method is promising for the automatic detection of ghost cords present in DTI images of the spinal cord. This step is crucial towards development of accurate, automatic DTI spinal cord post processing pipelines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of three sampling instruments, Cytobrush, Curette and OralCDx, for liquid-based cytology of the oral mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Reboiras-López, M D; Pérez-Sayáns, M; Somoza-Martín, J M; Antúnez-López, J R; Gándara-Vila, P; Gayoso-Diz, P; Gándara-Rey, J M; García-García, A

2012-01-01

Exfoliative cytology of the oral cavity is a simple and noninvasive technique that permits the study of epithelial cells. Liquid-based cytology is an auxiliary diagnostic tool for improving the specificity and sensitivity of conventional cytology. The objective of our study was to compare the quality of normal oral mucosa cytology samples obtained using three different instruments, Cytobrush®, dermatological curette and Oral CDx® for liquid-based cytology. One hundred four cytological samples of oral cavity were analyzed. Samples were obtained from healthy volunteer subjects using all three instruments. The clinical and demographic variables were age, sex and smoking habits. We analyzed cellularity, quality of the preparation and types of cells in the samples. All preparations showed appropriate preparation quality. In all smears analyzed, cells were distributed uniformly and showed no mucus, bleeding, inflammatory exudate or artifacts. We found no correlation between the average number of cells and the type of instrument. The samples generally consisted of two types of cells: superficial and intermediate. No differences were found among the cytological preparations of these three instruments. We did not observe basal cells in any of the samples analyzed.

Grain-boundary, glassy-phase identification and possible artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, Y.K.; Carter, C.B.; Sklad, P.; Bentley, J.

1985-01-01

Specimen artifacts such as grain boundary grooving, surface damage of the specimen, and Si contamination are shown experimentally to arise from the ion milling used in the preparation of transmission electron microscopy specimens. These artifacts in polycrystalline, ceramic specimens can cause clean grain boundaries to appear to contain a glassy phase when the dark-field diffuse scattering technique, the Fresnel fringe technique, and analytical electron microscopy (energy dispersive spectroscopy) are used to identify glassy phases at a grain boundary. The ambiguity in interpreting each of these techniques due to the ion milling artifacts will be discussed from a theoretical view point and compared to experimental results obtained for alumina

A convolutional neural network to filter artifacts in spectroscopic MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurbani, Saumya S; Schreibmann, Eduard; Maudsley, Andrew A; Cordova, James Scott; Soher, Brian J; Poptani, Harish; Verma, Gaurav; Barker, Peter B; Shim, Hyunsuk; Cooper, Lee A D

2018-03-09

Proton MRSI is a noninvasive modality capable of generating volumetric maps of in vivo tissue metabolism without the need for ionizing radiation or injected contrast agent. Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging has been shown to be a viable imaging modality for studying several neuropathologies. However, a key hurdle in the routine clinical adoption of MRSI is the presence of spectral artifacts that can arise from a number of sources, possibly leading to false information. A deep learning model was developed that was capable of identifying and filtering out poor quality spectra. The core of the model used a tiled convolutional neural network that analyzed frequency-domain spectra to detect artifacts. When compared with a panel of MRS experts, our convolutional neural network achieved high sensitivity and specificity with an area under the curve of 0.95. A visualization scheme was implemented to better understand how the convolutional neural network made its judgement on single-voxel or multivoxel MRSI, and the convolutional neural network was embedded into a pipeline capable of producing whole-brain spectroscopic MRI volumes in real time. The fully automated method for assessment of spectral quality provides a valuable tool to support clinical MRSI or spectroscopic MRI studies for use in fields such as adaptive radiation therapy planning. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Historical Artifact Collection at the East Tennessee Technology Park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodpasture, S.T.; Wood, S.K.

2009-01-01

The East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) was originally built during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. Known as the K-25 Site, its primary mission was to enrich uranium for use in atomic weapons. During the Cold War, the site's mission was changed to include the enrichment of uranium for nuclear reactor fuel elements and to recycle spent fuel. In the 1980's, a reduction in the demand for nuclear fuel resulted in the shutdown of the enrichment process and production ceased. The emphasis of the mission for the ETTP was then changed to environmental management and restoration operation. Beginning in the 1990's, re-industrialization (conversion of under-utilized government facilities for use by the private sector) became a major mission at the ETTP. These activities involve cleaning and demolishing facilities. Decommission and demolition (D and D) of facilities at the ETTP or Manhattan Project K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) presented significant challenges complying with the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that was negotiated with the stakeholders. Development of a process to identify, record and preserve the artifacts and the cooperation of several agencies and contractors were critical to completing the collection of the artifacts without impacting the D and D project schedule. Additional challenges included contaminated and classified artifacts, entry to facilities with hazardous conditions, schedule pressures and funding for collection and permanent storage. A process was developed to achieve compliance with the requirements of the NHPA. The NHPA requirements and implementing instruments at the ETTP as well as the process developed to preserve significant Manhattan Project era artifacts at the ETTP will be discussed. Implementation of the artifact collection process is also summarized. The challenge of complying with the

Image statistics and nonlinear artifacts in composed transmission x-ray tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duerinckx, A.J.G.

1979-01-01

Knowledge of the image quality and image statistics in Computed Tomography (CT) images obtained with transmission x-ray CT scanners can increase the amount of clinically useful information that can be retrieved. Artifacts caused by nonlinear shadows are strongly object-dependent and are visible over larger areas of the image. No simple technique exists for their complete elimination. One source of artifacts in the first order statistics is the nonlinearities in the measured shadow or projection data used to reconstruct the image. One of the leading causes is the polychromaticity of the x-ray beam used in transmission CT scanners. Ways to improve the resulting image quality and techniques to extract additional information using dual energy scanning are discussed. A unique formalism consisting of a vector representation of the material dependence of the photon-tissue interactions is generalized to allow an in depth analysis. Poly-correction algorithms are compared using this analytic approach. Both quantum and detector electronic noise decrease the quality or information content of first order statistics. Preliminary results are presented using an heuristic adaptive nonlinear noise filter system for projection data. This filter system can be improved and/or modified to remove artifacts in both first and second order image statistics. Artifacts in the second order image statistics arise from the contribution of quantum noise. This can be described with a nonlinear detection equivalent model, similar to the model used to study artifacts in first order statistics. When analyzing these artifacts in second order statistics, one can divide them into linear artifacts, which do not present any problem of interpretation, and nonlinear artifacts, referred to as noise artifacts. A study of noise artifacts is presented together with a discussion of their relative importance in diagnostic radiology

An oral modified-release nifedipine tablet (Adalat LA) and its appearance on double contrast barium enema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleehen, Robert E.

2000-01-01

Adalat LA 30 mg and 60 mg tablets are widely prescribed oral modified release nifedipine preparations with a porous, non-digestible plastic tablet coating which is required in order to effect the osmotically driven slow release mechanism. These tablets may therefore be seen anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract and are passed apparently whole in the faeces. An example of the appearance within the rectum of Adalat LA 30 (Bayer) on double contrast barium enema is shown and the main features described. A review of the literature is given. Recognition of the appearances during the barium enema examination will prompt those performing the procedure to question the drug history where relevant and will reduce the incidence of false-positive reporting. Bleehen, R.E. (2000)

A generic EEG artifact removal algorithm based on the multi-channel Wiener filter

Science.gov (United States)

Somers, Ben; Francart, Tom; Bertrand, Alexander

2018-06-01

Objective. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is an essential neuro-monitoring tool for both clinical and research purposes, but is susceptible to a wide variety of undesired artifacts. Removal of these artifacts is often done using blind source separation techniques, relying on a purely data-driven transformation, which may sometimes fail to sufficiently isolate artifacts in only one or a few components. Furthermore, some algorithms perform well for specific artifacts, but not for others. In this paper, we aim to develop a generic EEG artifact removal algorithm, which allows the user to annotate a few artifact segments in the EEG recordings to inform the algorithm. Approach. We propose an algorithm based on the multi-channel Wiener filter (MWF), in which the artifact covariance matrix is replaced by a low-rank approximation based on the generalized eigenvalue decomposition. The algorithm is validated using both hybrid and real EEG data, and is compared to other algorithms frequently used for artifact removal. Main results. The MWF-based algorithm successfully removes a wide variety of artifacts with better performance than current state-of-the-art methods. Significance. Current EEG artifact removal techniques often have limited applicability due to their specificity to one kind of artifact, their complexity, or simply because they are too ‘blind’. This paper demonstrates a fast, robust and generic algorithm for removal of EEG artifacts of various types, i.e. those that were annotated as unwanted by the user.

Artifact Elimination Technique in Tomogram of X-ray Computed Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasif Mohd Zain

2015-01-01

Artifacts of tomogram are main commonly problems occurred in x-ray computed tomography. The artifacts will be appearing in tomogram due to noise, beam hardening, and scattered radiation. The study has been carried out using CdTe time pix detector. The new technique has been developed to eliminate the artifact occurred in hardware and software. The hardware setup involved the careful alignment all of the components of the system and the introduction of a collimator beam. Meanwhile, in software development deal with the flat field correction, noise filter and data projection algorithm. The results show the technique developed produce good quality images and eliminate the artifacts. (author)

New MR contrast agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossman, C.D.; Subramanian, G.; Schneider, R.; Szeverenyi, N.E.; Rosenbaum, A.M.; Gagne, G.; Tillapaugh-Fay, G.; Berlin, R.; Ritter-Hrncirik, C.; Yu, S.

1990-01-01

This paper evaluates an MR contrast agent-meglumine tris-(2,6-dicarboxypyridine) gadolinium (III) or gadolinium dipicolinate (Gd-DPC)-produced in-house. Rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital. For renal imaging, bowel motion artifact was minimized with glucagon (0.014 mg/kg, intravenous (IV)). Enhanced images were generated on a 2-T chemical shift imaging system with a 31-cm horizontal bore magnet after IV injection of Gd-DPC (100 μM/kg). Coronal sections of the kidneys and sagittal sections of the brain, 2 mm thick, were made. Six to eight excitations and 128 or 356 phase-encoding steps were used for each image. Control animals were injected with equivalent doses of gadopentetate dimeglumine

Three-dimensional gradient echo versus spin echo sequence in contrast-enhanced imaging of the pituitary gland at 3 T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kakite, Suguru, E-mail: sugkaki@med.tottori-u.ac.jp [Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago 683-8503 (Japan); Fujii, Shinya [Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago 683-8503 (Japan); Kurosaki, Masamichi [Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago 683-8503 (Japan); Kanasaki, Yoshiko; Matsusue, Eiji; Kaminou, Toshio; Ogawa, Toshihide [Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1, Nishicho, Yonago 683-8503 (Japan)

2011-07-15

Introduction: To clarify whether a three-dimensional-gradient echo (3D-GRE) or spin echo (SE) sequence is more useful for evaluating sellar lesions on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging at 3.0 Tesla (T). Methods: We retrospectively assessed contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images using 3D-GRE and SE sequences at 3.0 T obtained from 33 consecutive patients with clinically suspected sellar lesions. Two experienced neuroradiologists evaluated the images qualitatively in terms of the following criteria: boundary edge of the cavernous sinus and pituitary gland, border of sellar lesions, delineation of the optic nerve and cranial nerves within the cavernous sinus, susceptibility and flow artifacts, and overall image quality. Results: At 3.0 T, 3D-GRE provided significantly better images than the SE sequence in terms of the border of sellar lesions, delineation of cranial nerves, and overall image quality; there was no significant difference regarding the boundary edge of the cavernous sinus and pituitary gland. In addition, the 3D-GRE sequence showed fewer pulsation artifacts but more susceptibility artifacts. Conclusion: Our results indicate that 3D-GRE is the more suitable sequence for evaluating sellar lesions on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging at 3.0 T.

The Information Systems Artifact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatterjee, Surtirtha; Xiao, Xiao; Elbanna, Amany

2017-01-01

Passionate debates regarding the defining characteristic of the “IT artifact” continue. Such debates, and also the lack of explicit consideration of the “information” element in the IT artifact, motivate us to propose a revised conception, drawing upon concepts from General Systems Theory (GST). ...

A dialectical take on artifact ecologies and the physical - digital divide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Susanne; Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted

In this position paper, we will present and discuss our understanding of artifact ecologies as we have developed it, rooted in activity theoretical HCI and dialectical thinking . Our basis is in the Human-Artifact Model, as well as well as cases where we have worked with artifact ecologies...

Towards a concept of community artifact ecology in HCI?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saad-Sulonen, Joanna; Korsgaard, Henrik

or workplaces do. This has implications on understanding how to research and design HCI for communities but also on refining the ecological perspective in HCI. We look in particular at examples from preliminary research on a local self-organised urban community and discuss what existing concepts in the ecology......In this paper we introduce the concept of community artifact ecology. We argue that taking a community perspective on the concept of artifact ecologies is relevant in HCI because communities are also dealing with multitudes of artifacts, in ways di↵erent that individuals, organizations...

Thermoluminescent determination of prehistoric heat treatment of chert artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melcher, C.L.; Zimmerman, D.W.

1977-01-01

In recent years archeologists have become interested in the extent to which prehistoric peoples heat-treated chert prior to shaping it into tools. Thermoluminescent determination of the radiation dose accumulated by an artifact since it was formed or last heated provides a simple, reliable test for such heat treatment. This test can be applied to single artifacts without the need for raw source material for comparison. Results on 25 artifacts from four sites indicate that, for many chert sources, color and luster are not useful indicators of heat treatment by prehistoric peoples

Panning artifacts in digital pathology images

Science.gov (United States)

Avanaki, Ali R. N.; Lanciault, Christian; Espig, Kathryn S.; Xthona, Albert; Kimpe, Tom R. L.

2017-03-01

In making a pathologic diagnosis, a pathologist uses cognitive processes: perception, attention, memory, and search (Pena and Andrade-Filho, 2009). Typically, this involves focus while panning from one region of a slide to another, using either a microscope in a traditional workflow or software program and display in a digital pathology workflow (DICOM Standard Committee, 2010). We theorize that during panning operation, the pathologist receives information important to diagnosis efficiency and/or correctness. As compared to an optical microscope, panning in a digital pathology image involves some visual artifacts due to the following: (i) the frame rate is finite; (ii) time varying visual signals are reconstructed using imperfect zero-order hold. Specifically, after pixel's digital drive is changed, it takes time for a pixel to emit the expected amount of light. Previous work suggests that 49% of navigation is conducted in low-power/overview with digital pathology (Molin et al., 2015), but the influence of display factors has not been measured. We conducted a reader study to establish a relationship between display frame rate, panel response time, and threshold panning speed (above which the artifacts become noticeable). Our results suggest visual tasks that involve tissue structure are more impacted by the simulated panning artifacts than those that only involve color (e.g., staining intensity estimation), and that the panning artifacts versus normalized panning speed has a peak behavior which is surprising and may change for a diagnostic task. This is work in progress and our final findings should be considered in designing future digital pathology systems.

Spectral CT metal artifact reduction with an optimization-based reconstruction algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Gilat Schmidt, Taly; Barber, Rina F.; Sidky, Emil Y.

2017-03-01

Metal objects cause artifacts in computed tomography (CT) images. This work investigated the feasibility of a spectral CT method to reduce metal artifacts. Spectral CT acquisition combined with optimization-based reconstruction is proposed to reduce artifacts by modeling the physical effects that cause metal artifacts and by providing the flexibility to selectively remove corrupted spectral measurements in the spectral-sinogram space. The proposed Constrained `One-Step' Spectral CT Image Reconstruction (cOSSCIR) algorithm directly estimates the basis material maps while enforcing convex constraints. The incorporation of constraints on the reconstructed basis material maps is expected to mitigate undersampling effects that occur when corrupted data is excluded from reconstruction. The feasibility of the cOSSCIR algorithm to reduce metal artifacts was investigated through simulations of a pelvis phantom. The cOSSCIR algorithm was investigated with and without the use of a third basis material representing metal. The effects of excluding data corrupted by metal were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the proposed cOSSCIR algorithm reduced metal artifacts and improved CT number accuracy. For example, CT number error in a bright shading artifact region was reduced from 403 HU in the reference filtered backprojection reconstruction to 33 HU using the proposed algorithm in simulation. In the dark shading regions, the error was reduced from 1141 HU to 25 HU. Of the investigated approaches, decomposing the data into three basis material maps and excluding the corrupted data demonstrated the greatest reduction in metal artifacts.

Effect of the dose and route of administration of butylscopolamine on the reduction of the artifacts associated with intestinal peristalsis in abdominal magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dosda, R.; Marti-Bonmati, L.; Ronchera-Oms, C.

1999-01-01

were observed in only 4 patients, 2 in the i. v. butylscopolamine group (mild abdominal pain and dry mouth), 1 in the oral 40 mg group (bad taste in mouth) and 1 in the control group (nausea). The combination of a drug to inhibit peristalsis and a negative oral contrast agent significantly reduces the intensity of artifacts in abdominal MR imaging. In view of its efficacy, route of administration and adverse reaction profile, the oral administration of 80 mg of butylscopolamine can be considered a safe and effective option. (Author) 12 refs

Clinical application of multislice CT enterography with hypertonic mannitol saline as oral contrast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Guixin; Wang Haitao; Chen Wenjing; Liu Wenya

2011-01-01

Objective: To assess the feasibility and value of multislice CT enterography (MSCTE) with large dose economy and convenience orally administered hypertonic mannitol salt water (2.5% mannitol and 1.5% NaCl salt water) as negative contrast in demonstrating normal and abnormal small bowel. Methods: 81 patients suffered from digestive disease and suspected of various kinds of small intestinal diseases were examined (male/female=47/34, 26-81 years old, average 57.8 years). About 1500 ml∼3000 ml hypertonic mannitol saline was oral administered within 90 minutes and 20 mg of raceanisodamine hydrochloride injection was injected intramuscularly. CT scanning was performed 20 minutes later. Imaging data were post processed with coronal, sagittal and oblique reconstruction, multiplanar reformation (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), and volumer rendering technique (VRT). The filling degree of stomach, intestine and colon was classified as satisfactory, better and unsatisfactory. The length and superposition of small intestine was classified as dense-type, uniformity-type and straggling-type. The maximum outer diameters of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were measured respectively in different segments. The degree of bowel wall enhancement in arterial phase and venous phase was classified as obvious enhancement (>90 HU), medium enhancement (60-90 HU) and mild enhancement (<60 HU). CT features of various kinds of small bowel diseases were analyzed. Results: The hypertonic mannitol saline was acceptable by patients, except 5 patients with diarrhea. The filling degree of stomach, intestine and and colon was classified as satisfactory in 46 cases, better in 23 cases and unsatisfactory in 12 cases. The maximum outer diameters of small bowel in different segments were 24 mm ± 4.5 mm at duodenum, 24 mm ±3.9 mm at jejunum and 23 mm ±3.3 mm at ileum respectively. The length and superposition of small intestine were classified as dense-type in 7 cases, uniformity-type in 58

Image artifacts and technical limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, W.M.

1987-01-01

The swift temporal progression of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from experimental prototype design to sophisticated instrument production can be sharply contrasted to the more protracted time course that characterized the development of X-ray computed tomography (CT). Most notably, the current generation of CT scanners represents the product of more than a decade of design innovation and technologic improvement, punctuated by the introduction of a whole new ''generation'' of CT scanners at periodic intervals. The more rapid evolutionary changes unique to MRI have been permitted by the greater abundance of sophisticated technologic expertise and necessitated by economic considerations, especially the desire to avoid premature obsolescence. Quite clearly, ''state-of-the-art'' MRI units available today are intended to remain state of the art for many years into the future. In clinical trials, MRI has proved particularly effacacious for evaluation of suspected neurologic disease, prompting neuroradiologists to welcome this new non-invasive diagnostic tool with unprecedented enthusiasm. In early reports, the lack of ionizing radiation, apparent absence of significant biological hazards, and ''elimination'' of artifacts were all acclaimed as major technical advantages. Now, as this diagnostic modality is undergoing widespread dissemination and a large body of clinical experience begins to accumulate, increasing attention is being focused on the limitations of MRI

A method for the investigation of cholegraphic contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, H.

1982-01-01

Isolated perfused rat livers were used for investigating possible interactions between two simultaneously injected contrast media, and which technique, using parenteral application of cholegraphic media, is optimal. The results show that excretion of a parenteral contrast medium is reduced by giving an oral contrast medium at the same time. Simultaneous administration of two different contrast media therefore does not result in improved diagnostic information. The effect depends on the dose, and a sufficiently long interval should be observed between giving an oral and a parenteral contrast medium. A comparison of excretion values following injection of a bolus and prolonged infusion shows higher biliary contrast concentration and increased excretion after a single injection. Comparing only the period after the infusion, no difference was found between these two methods of administration. The single injection offers pharmacokinetic advantages, but an infusion is better tolerated and has fewer side effects. A rapid infusion of 10 to 15 minutes is therefore recommended as the optimal means of administration. (orig.) [de

WE-D-18C-01: Art of Imaging: Diagnostic Ultrasound Image Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zagzebski, J [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Lu, Z [University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States)

2014-06-15

Assumptions followed during construction of B-mode and color flow images are that the pulse-echo transit time can be converted to reflector depth through uniform tissue models, echoes originate only from locations along the transmit-receive axes of pulse propagation, and first order correction schemes adequately account for acoustic wave attenuation and absorption. The latter allows the display brightness to encode tissue echogenicity. This course will challenge participants to identify imaging artifacts whose origins stem from the more complex and realistic propagating and scattering conditions common in clinical ultrasound. Speckle, a very common artifact but a clinically employed feature, originates from simultaneous echoes from diffuse scatterers and is a result of coherent detection of signals. One of the most bothersome artifacts are those due to reverberations especially that originating from superficial tissue interfaces. Methods to overcome these will be discussed. This presentation also will describe and illustrate speed of sound, refraction, enhancement, shadowing, mirroring, beam width, beam-forming, and slice thickness artifacts. All are useful examples of limitations introduced by acoustic waves propagating through complex tissue paths. New formats for physician board certification exams are demanding the inclusion of image-based examples of ultrasound physics. Instructors' knowledge of, and access to examples of ultrasound artifacts are important in this effort. The presentation will incorporate an audience response system to challenge participants in correct identification of some of these artifacts. Learning Objectives: Review basic mechanisms for producing ultrasound images. Identify the etiology of speckle, reverberation noise, beam width and slice thickness artifacts, and artifacts associated with pulse propagation. Discuss methods that reduce the impact of artifacts OR employ artifacts effectively to facilitate clinical diagnosis.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography--imaging protocols, artifacts, and pitfalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Bockisch, Andreas; Beyer, Thomas; Antoch, Gerald; Freudenberg, Lutz S; Kühl, Hilmar; Debatin, Jörg F; Müller, Stefan P

2004-01-01

There has been a longstanding interest in fused images of anatomical information, such as that provided by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, with biological information obtainable by positron emission tomography (PET). The near-simultaneous data acquisition in a fixed combination of a PET and a CT scanner in a combined PET/CT imaging system minimizes spatial and temporal mismatches between the modalities by eliminating the need to move the patient in between exams. In addition, using the fast CT scan for PET attenuation correction, the duration of the examination is significantly reduced compared to standalone PET imaging with standard rod-transmission sources. The main source of artifacts arises from the use of the CT-data for scatter and attenuation correction of the PET images. Today, CT reconstruction algorithms cannot account for the presence of metal implants, such as dental fillings or prostheses, properly, thus resulting in streak artifacts, which are propagated into the PET image by the attenuation correction. The transformation of attenuation coefficients at X-ray energies to those at 511 keV works well for soft tissues, bone, and air, but again is insufficient for dense CT contrast agents, such as iodine or barium. Finally, mismatches, for example, due to uncoordinated respiration result in incorrect attenuation-corrected PET images. These artifacts, however, can be minimized or avoided prospectively by careful acquisition protocol considerations. In doubt, the uncorrected images almost always allow discrimination between true and artificial finding. PET/CT has to be integrated into the diagnostic workflow for harvesting the full potential of the new modality. In particular, the diagnostic power of both, the CT and the PET within the combination must not be underestimated. By combining multiple diagnostic studies within a single examination, significant logistic advantages can be expected if the combined PET

Making Digital Artifacts on the Web Verifiable and Reliable

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuhn, T.; Dumontier, M.

2015-01-01

The current Web has no general mechanisms to make digital artifacts - such as datasets, code, texts, and images - verifiable and permanent. For digital artifacts that are supposed to be immutable, there is moreover no commonly accepted method to enforce this immutability. These shortcomings have a

Technical aspects of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leopoldino, Denise de Deus; Gracio, Tatiana Schiller; D'Ippolito, Giuseppe; Bezerra, Alexandre Sergio de Araujo; Gracio, Tatiana Schiller

2005-01-01

With the advances in surface coil technology and the development of new imaging protocols in addition to the increase of the use of contrast agents, contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a promising modality for detection, diagnosis and staging of breast cancer. Despite these advances, there are some unresolved issues, including no defined standard technique for contrast-enhanced breast MRI and no standard criteria of interpretation for the evaluation of such studies. In this article, we review the literature and discuss the general requirements and recommendations for contrast agent-enhanced breast MRI, including image interpretation criteria, MR equipment, dedicated radiofrequency coils, use of paramagnetic contrast agents, fat-suppression techniques, planes of acquisition, pulse sequence specifications and artifact sources. (author)

An evaluation of three commercially available metal artifact reduction methods for CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jessie Y; Kerns, James R; Balter, Peter A; Followill, David S; Mirkovic, Dragan; Howell, Rebecca M; Kry, Stephen F; Nute, Jessica L; Liu, Xinming; Stingo, Francesco C

2015-01-01

Three commercial metal artifact reduction methods were evaluated for use in computed tomography (CT) imaging in the presence of clinically realistic metal implants: Philips O-MAR, GE’s monochromatic gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) using dual-energy CT, and GSI monochromatic imaging with metal artifact reduction software applied (MARs). Each method was evaluated according to CT number accuracy, metal size accuracy, and streak artifact severity reduction by using several phantoms, including three anthropomorphic phantoms containing metal implants (hip prosthesis, dental fillings and spinal fixation rods). All three methods showed varying degrees of success for the hip prosthesis and spinal fixation rod cases, while none were particularly beneficial for dental artifacts. Limitations of the methods were also observed. MARs underestimated the size of metal implants and introduced new artifacts in imaging planes beyond the metal implant when applied to dental artifacts, and both the O-MAR and MARs algorithms induced artifacts for spinal fixation rods in a thoracic phantom. Our findings suggest that all three artifact mitigation methods may benefit patients with metal implants, though they should be used with caution in certain scenarios. (paper)

Artifacts

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Samantha

2009-01-01

NASA Headquarters sent a list of items to KSC that were deemed potential artifacts. These items played arole in the Shuttle Program's development and maintenance. Because these items are national assets, many are of interest to museums, schools, other government entities, etc. upon the Space Shuttle's retirement. The list contains over 500 items. All of these items need to be located, photographed, and catalogued with accompanying specific data that needs to be gathered. Initial research suggests that this is a time, labor, and cost intensive project. The purpose of my project was to focus on 20-60 of these 500 items, gather the necessary data, and compile them in a way that can be added to by other users when/if the project goes into full effect.

Spectral CT with monochromatic imaging and metal artifacts reduction software for artifacts reduction of ¹²⁵I radioactive seeds in liver brachytherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiuxia; Peng, Sheng; Wu, Jing; Ban, Xiaohua; He, Mingyan; Xie, Chuanmiao; Zhang, Rong

2015-11-01

To investigate the optimal monochromatic energy for artifacts reduction from (125)I seeds as well as image improvement in the vicinity of seeds on monochromatic images with and without metal artifacts reduction software (MARS) and to compare this with traditional 120-kVp images, so as to evaluate the application value of gemstone spectral imaging for reducing artifacts from (125)I seeds in liver brachytherapy. A total of 45 tumors from 25 patients treated with (125)I seed brachytherapy in the liver were enrolled in this study. Multiphasic spectral computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed for each patient. After a delay time of 15 s of portal vein phase, a traditional 120-kVp scan was performed, focusing on several planes of (125)I seeds only. The artifact index (AI) in the vicinity of seeds and the standard deviation (SD) of the CT density of region of interest in the outside liver parenchyma were calculated. Artifact appearance was evaluated and classified on reconstructed monochromatic S and 120-kVp images. Image quality in the vicinity of seeds of three data sets were evaluated using a 1-5 scale scoring method. The Friedman rank-sum test was used to estimate the scoring results of image quality. The greatest noise in monochromatic images was found at 40 keV (SD = 27.38, AI = 206.40). The optimal monochromatic energy was found at 75 keV, which provided almost the least image noise (SD = 10.01) and good performance in artifact reduction (AI = 102.73). Image noise and AI reduction at 75 keV was decreased by 63.44 and 50.23%, compared with at 40 keV. Near-field thick artifacts were obvious in all 45 lesions, in 120-kVp images, and 75-keV images, but basically reduced in 75 keV MARS images and artifacts completely invisible in 7 lesions. The number of diagnosable images (score ≥3) was significantly more in the 75-keV MARS group (28/45), and the 75-keV group (22/45) than in the 120-kVp group (11/45) (p improve image quality, even to a state of being

Deep learning methods for CT image-domain metal artifact reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Gjesteby, Lars; Yang, Qingsong; Xi, Yan; Shan, Hongming; Claus, Bernhard; Jin, Yannan; De Man, Bruno; Wang, Ge

2017-09-01

Artifacts resulting from metal objects have been a persistent problem in CT images over the last four decades. A common approach to overcome their effects is to replace corrupt projection data with values synthesized from an interpolation scheme or by reprojection of a prior image. State-of-the-art correction methods, such as the interpolation- and normalization-based algorithm NMAR, often do not produce clinically satisfactory results. Residual image artifacts remain in challenging cases and even new artifacts can be introduced by the interpolation scheme. Metal artifacts continue to be a major impediment, particularly in radiation and proton therapy planning as well as orthopedic imaging. A new solution to the long-standing metal artifact reduction (MAR) problem is deep learning, which has been successfully applied to medical image processing and analysis tasks. In this study, we combine a convolutional neural network (CNN) with the state-of-the-art NMAR algorithm to reduce metal streaks in critical image regions. Training data was synthesized from CT simulation scans of a phantom derived from real patient images. The CNN is able to map metal-corrupted images to artifact-free monoenergetic images to achieve additional correction on top of NMAR for improved image quality. Our results indicate that deep learning is a novel tool to address CT reconstruction challenges, and may enable more accurate tumor volume estimation for radiation therapy planning.

Hybrid PET/MR imaging: an algorithm to reduce metal artifacts from dental implants in Dixon-based attenuation map generation using a multiacquisition variable-resonance image combination sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Irene A; Wurnig, Moritz C; Becker, Anton S; Kenkel, David; Delso, Gaspar; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Boss, Andreas

2015-01-01

It was the aim of this study to implement an algorithm modifying Dixon-based MR imaging datasets for attenuation correction in hybrid PET/MR imaging with a multiacquisition variable resonance image combination (MAVRIC) sequence to reduce metal artifacts. After ethics approval, in 8 oncologic patients with dental implants data were acquired in a trimodality setup with PET/CT and MR imaging. The protocol included a whole-body 3-dimensional dual gradient-echo sequence (Dixon) used for MR imaging-based PET attenuation correction and a high-resolution MAVRIC sequence, applied in the oral area compromised by dental implants. An algorithm was implemented correcting the Dixon-based μ maps using the MAVRIC in areas of Dixon signal voids. The artifact size of the corrected μ maps was compared with the uncorrected MR imaging μ maps. The algorithm was robust in all patients. There was a significant reduction in mean artifact size of 70.5% between uncorrected and corrected μ maps from 697 ± 589 mm(2) to 202 ± 119 mm(2) (P = 0.016). The proposed algorithm could improve MR imaging-based attenuation correction in critical areas, when standard attenuation correction is hampered by metal artifacts, using a MAVRIC. © 2015 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

SU-F-J-74: High Z Geometric Integrity and Beam Hardening Artifact Assessment Using a Retrospective Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) Reconstruction Algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woods, K; DiCostanzo, D; Gupta, N [Ohio State University Columbus, OH (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To test the efficacy of a retrospective metal artifact reduction (MAR) reconstruction algorithm for a commercial computed tomography (CT) scanner for radiation therapy purposes. Methods: High Z geometric integrity and artifact reduction analysis was performed with three phantoms using General Electric’s (GE) Discovery CT. The three phantoms included: a Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) electron density phantom (Model 062) with a 6.5 mm diameter titanium rod insert, a custom spine phantom using Synthes Spine hardware submerged in water, and a dental phantom with various high Z fillings submerged in water. Each phantom was reconstructed using MAR and compared against the original scan. Furthermore, each scenario was tested using standard and extended Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges. High Z geometric integrity was performed using the CIRS phantom, while the artifact reduction was performed using all three phantoms. Results: Geometric integrity of the 6.5 mm diameter rod was slightly overestimated for non-MAR scans for both standard and extended HU. With MAR reconstruction, the rod was underestimated for both standard and extended HU. For artifact reduction, the mean and standard deviation was compared in a volume of interest (VOI) in the surrounding material (water and water equivalent material, ∼0HU). Overall, the mean value of the VOI was closer to 0 HU for the MAR reconstruction compared to the non-MAR scan for most phantoms. Additionally, the standard deviations for all phantoms were greatly reduced using MAR reconstruction. Conclusion: GE’s MAR reconstruction algorithm improves image quality with the presence of high Z material with minimal degradation of its geometric integrity. High Z delineation can be carried out with proper contouring techniques. The effects of beam hardening artifacts are greatly reduced with MAR reconstruction. Tissue corrections due to these artifacts can be eliminated for simple high Z geometries and greatly

SU-F-J-74: High Z Geometric Integrity and Beam Hardening Artifact Assessment Using a Retrospective Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) Reconstruction Algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, K; DiCostanzo, D; Gupta, N

2016-01-01

Purpose: To test the efficacy of a retrospective metal artifact reduction (MAR) reconstruction algorithm for a commercial computed tomography (CT) scanner for radiation therapy purposes. Methods: High Z geometric integrity and artifact reduction analysis was performed with three phantoms using General Electric’s (GE) Discovery CT. The three phantoms included: a Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) electron density phantom (Model 062) with a 6.5 mm diameter titanium rod insert, a custom spine phantom using Synthes Spine hardware submerged in water, and a dental phantom with various high Z fillings submerged in water. Each phantom was reconstructed using MAR and compared against the original scan. Furthermore, each scenario was tested using standard and extended Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges. High Z geometric integrity was performed using the CIRS phantom, while the artifact reduction was performed using all three phantoms. Results: Geometric integrity of the 6.5 mm diameter rod was slightly overestimated for non-MAR scans for both standard and extended HU. With MAR reconstruction, the rod was underestimated for both standard and extended HU. For artifact reduction, the mean and standard deviation was compared in a volume of interest (VOI) in the surrounding material (water and water equivalent material, ∼0HU). Overall, the mean value of the VOI was closer to 0 HU for the MAR reconstruction compared to the non-MAR scan for most phantoms. Additionally, the standard deviations for all phantoms were greatly reduced using MAR reconstruction. Conclusion: GE’s MAR reconstruction algorithm improves image quality with the presence of high Z material with minimal degradation of its geometric integrity. High Z delineation can be carried out with proper contouring techniques. The effects of beam hardening artifacts are greatly reduced with MAR reconstruction. Tissue corrections due to these artifacts can be eliminated for simple high Z geometries and greatly

Automated Classification and Removal of EEG Artifacts With SVM and Wavelet-ICA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sai, Chong Yeh; Mokhtar, Norrima; Arof, Hamzah; Cumming, Paul; Iwahashi, Masahiro

2018-05-01

Brain electrical activity recordings by electroencephalography (EEG) are often contaminated with signal artifacts. Procedures for automated removal of EEG artifacts are frequently sought for clinical diagnostics and brain-computer interface applications. In recent years, a combination of independent component analysis (ICA) and discrete wavelet transform has been introduced as standard technique for EEG artifact removal. However, in performing the wavelet-ICA procedure, visual inspection or arbitrary thresholding may be required for identifying artifactual components in the EEG signal. We now propose a novel approach for identifying artifactual components separated by wavelet-ICA using a pretrained support vector machine (SVM). Our method presents a robust and extendable system that enables fully automated identification and removal of artifacts from EEG signals, without applying any arbitrary thresholding. Using test data contaminated by eye blink artifacts, we show that our method performed better in identifying artifactual components than did existing thresholding methods. Furthermore, wavelet-ICA in conjunction with SVM successfully removed target artifacts, while largely retaining the EEG source signals of interest. We propose a set of features including kurtosis, variance, Shannon's entropy, and range of amplitude as training and test data of SVM to identify eye blink artifacts in EEG signals. This combinatorial method is also extendable to accommodate multiple types of artifacts present in multichannel EEG. We envision future research to explore other descriptive features corresponding to other types of artifactual components.

Simulation-based artifact correction (SBAC) for metrological computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Joscha; Leinweber, Carsten; Sawall, Stefan; Stoschus, Henning; Ballach, Frederic; Müller, Tobias; Hammer, Michael; Christoph, Ralf; Kachelrieß, Marc

2017-06-01

Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for the metrolocical assessment of industrial components. However, the application of CT to the investigation of highly attenuating objects or multi-material components is often restricted by the presence of CT artifacts caused by beam hardening, x-ray scatter, off-focal radiation, partial volume effects or the cone-beam reconstruction itself. In order to overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an approach to calculate a correction term that compensates for the contribution of artifacts and thus enables an appropriate assessment of these components using CT. Therefore, we make use of computer simulations of the CT measurement process. Based on an appropriate model of the object, e.g. an initial reconstruction or a CAD model, two simulations are carried out. One simulation considers all physical effects that cause artifacts using dedicated analytic methods as well as Monte Carlo-based models. The other one represents an ideal CT measurement i.e. a measurement in parallel beam geometry with a monochromatic, point-like x-ray source and no x-ray scattering. Thus, the difference between these simulations is an estimate for the present artifacts and can be used to correct the acquired projection data or the corresponding CT reconstruction, respectively. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using simulated as well as measured data of single and multi-material components. Our approach yields CT reconstructions that are nearly free of artifacts and thereby clearly outperforms commonly used artifact reduction algorithms in terms of image quality. A comparison against tactile reference measurements demonstrates the ability of the proposed approach to increase the accuracy of the metrological assessment significantly.

Adaptive noise canceling of electrocardiogram artifacts in single channel electroencephalogram.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sung Pil; Song, Mi Hye; Park, Young Cheol; Choi, Ho Seon; Lee, Kyoung Joung

2007-01-01

A new method for estimating and eliminating electrocardiogram (ECG) artifacts from single channel scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) is proposed. The proposed method consists of emphasis of QRS complex from EEG using least squares acceleration (LSA) filter, generation of synchronized pulse with R-peak and ECG artifacts estimation and elimination using adaptive filter. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using simulated and real EEG recordings, we found that the ECG artifacts were successfully estimated and eliminated in comparison with the conventional multi-channel techniques, which are independent component analysis (ICA) and ensemble average (EA) method. From this we can conclude that the proposed method is useful for the detecting and eliminating the ECG artifacts from single channel EEG and simple to use for ambulatory/portable EEG monitoring system.

Medical image of the week: DBS polysomnogram artifact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shetty S,

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A 79-year-old man with known Parkinson’s disease and status post deep brain stimulator (DBS implantation underwent an overnight polysomnogram for clinical suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. Artifact was seen on the polysomnogram recording (Figures 1 & 2. Patient-related electrical artifacts may be seen from devices such as pacemakers, deep brain stimulators and vagal nerve simulators. Abrupt discontinuation of DBS is associated with a high likelihood of worsening of symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (1. Patients with DBS are most commonly programmed in monopolar mode. Bipolar configuration, forms a short electrical dipole that affects a relatively smaller volume of tissue and generates far less artifact, suggesting that this may be an effective option in a Parkinsonian patient with indications for polysomnography (2.

Metal artifact reduction algorithm based on model images and spatial information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Jay [Institute of Radiological Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Shih, Cheng-Ting [Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Shu-Jun [Health Physics Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China); Huang, Tzung-Chi [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Sun, Jing-Yi [Institute of Radiological Science, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Wu, Tung-Hsin, E-mail: tung@ym.edu.tw [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China)

2011-10-01

Computed tomography (CT) has become one of the most favorable choices for diagnosis of trauma. However, high-density metal implants can induce metal artifacts in CT images, compromising image quality. In this study, we proposed a model-based metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm. First, we built a model image using the k-means clustering technique with spatial information and calculated the difference between the original image and the model image. Then, the projection data of these two images were combined using an exponential weighting function. At last, the corrected image was reconstructed using the filter back-projection algorithm. Two metal-artifact contaminated images were studied. For the cylindrical water phantom image, the metal artifact was effectively removed. The mean CT number of water was improved from -28.95{+-}97.97 to -4.76{+-}4.28. For the clinical pelvic CT image, the dark band and the metal line were removed, and the continuity and uniformity of the soft tissue were recovered as well. These results indicate that the proposed MAR algorithm is useful for reducing metal artifact and could improve the diagnostic value of metal-artifact contaminated CT images.

Liver imaging with MDCT and high concentration contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spielmann, Audrey L.

2003-01-01

Liver imaging has advanced greatly over the last 10 years with helical CT capability and more recently the addition of multidetector-row CT (MDCT). Multidetector CT technology facilitates imaging at faster speeds with improved image quality and less breathing artifact [Abdom. Imaging 25 (2000) 643]. Exquisite three-dimensional data sets can be obtained with thin collimation providing improved lesion detection, multiplanar imaging, and the ability to perform CT angiography of the liver and mesenteric vessels. New challenges arise with this advance in technology including safety considerations. The radiation dose to the patient has increased with MDCT and this is compounded by the ability to perform multi-phase liver imaging. Furthermore, issues of contrast media administration require reconsideration including optimal timing and rate of administration, the total volume of contrast needed and the ideal iodine concentration of the contrast media. Recently, the use of high concentration contrast media (HCCM) has been explored and study results to date will be reviewed

Metallic artifacts caused by dental metal prostheses on PET images. A PET/CT phantom study using different PET/CT scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimamoto, Hiroaki; Kakimoto, Naoya; Murakami, Shumei; Furukawa, Souhei; Fujino, Kouichi; Hamada, Seiki; Shimosegawa, Eku; Hatazawa, Jun

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of computed tomography (CT) artifacts caused by dental metal prostheses on positron emission tomography (PET) images. A dental arch cast was fixed in a cylindrical water-bath phantom. A spherical phantom positioned in the vicinity of the dental arch cast was used to simulate a tumor. To simulate the tumor imaging, the ratio of the 18 F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose radioactivity concentration of the spherical phantom to that of the water-bath phantom was set at 2.5. A dental bridge composed of a gold-silver-palladium alloy on the right mandibular side was prepared. A spherical phantom was set in the white artifact area on the CT images (site A), in a slightly remote area from the white artifact (site B), and in a black artifact area (site C). A PET/CT scan was performed with and without the metal bridge at each simulated tumor site, and the artifactual influence was evaluated on the axial attenuation-corrected (AC) PET images, in which the simulated tumor produced the strongest accumulation. Measurements were performed using three types of PET/CT scanners (scanners 1 and 2 with CT-based attenuation correction, and 3 with Cesium-137 ( 137 Cs)-based attenuation correction). The influence of the metal bridge was evaluated using the change rate of the SUVmean with and without the metal bridge. At site A, an overestimation was shown (scanner 1: +5.0% and scanner 2: +2.5%), while scanner 3 showed an underestimation of -31.8%. At site B, an overestimation was shown (scanner 1: +2.1% and scanner 2: +2.0%), while scanner 3 showed an underestimation of -2.6%. However, at site C, an underestimation was shown (scanner 1: -25.0%, scanner 2: -32.4%, and scanner 3: -8.4%). When CT is used for attenuation correction in patients with dental metal prostheses, an underestimation of radioactivity of accumulated tracer is anticipated in the dark streak artifact area on the CT images. In this study, the dark streak artifacts of the CT

A simple system for detection of EEG artifacts in polysomnographic recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Durka, P J; Klekowicz, H; Blinowska, K J; Szelenberger, W; Niemcewicz, Sz

2003-04-01

We present an efficient parametric system for automatic detection of electroencephalogram (EEG) artifacts in polysomnographic recordings. For each of the selected types of artifacts, a relevant parameter was calculated for a given epoch. If any of these parameters exceeded a threshold, the epoch was marked as an artifact. Performance of the system, evaluated on 18 overnight polysomnographic recordings, revealed concordance with decisions of human experts close to the interexpert agreement and the repeatability of expert's decisions, assessed via a double-blind test. Complete software (Matlab source code) for the presented system is freely available from the Internet at http://brain.fuw.edu.pl/artifacts.

Contributions of an adiabatic initial inversion pulse and K-space Re-ordered by inversion-time at each slice position (KRISP) to control of CSF artifacts and visualization of the brain in FLAIR magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curati, Walter L.; Oatridge, Angela; Herlihy, Amy H.; Hajnal, Joseph V.; Puri, Basant K.; Bydder, Graeme M.

2001-01-01

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) pulse sequences for control of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood flow artifacts in imaging of the brain. The first of these sequences had an initial sinc inversion pulse which was followed by conventional k-space mapping. The second had an initial sinc inversion pulse followed by k-space re-ordered by inversion time at each slice position (KRISP) and the third had an adiabatic initial inversion pulse followed by KRISP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with established disease were studied with all three pulse sequences. Seven were also studied with the adiabatic KRISP sequence after contrast enhancement. Their images were evaluated for patient motion artifact, CSF and blood flow artifact as well as conspicuity of the cortex, meninges, ventricular system, brainstem and cerebellum. The conspicuity of lesions and the degree of enhancement were also evaluated. RESULTS: Both the sinc and adiabatic KRISP FLAIR sequences showed better control of CSF and blood flow artifacts than the conventional FLAIR sequence. In addition the adiabatic KRISP FLAIR sequence showed better control of CSF artifact at the inferior aspect of the posterior fossa. The lesion conspicuity was similar for each of the FLAIR sequences as was the degree of contrast enhancement to that shown with a T 1 weighted spin echo sequence. CONCLUSION: The KRISP FLAIR sequence controls high signal artifacts from CSF flow and blood flow and the adiabatic pulse controls high signal artifacts due to inadequate inversion of the CSF magnetization at the periphery of the head transmitter coil. The KRISP FLAIR sequence also improves cortical and meningeal definition as a result of an edge enhancement effect. The effects are synergistic and can be usefully combined in a single pulse sequence. Curati, W.L. et al. (2001)

Artifacts Affecting Musculoskeletal Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Their Origins and Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Eira; Hoff, Michael; Richardson, Michael L; Ha, Alice S; Porrino, Jack

2016-01-01

Among articles within the radiology literature, few present the manifestations of magnetic resonance imaging artifacts in a clinically oriented manner. Recognizing such artifacts is imperative given the increasing clinical use of magnetic resonance imaging and the emphasis by the American Board of Radiology on practical physics applications. The purpose of this article is to present magnetic resonance physics principles visually and conceptually in the context of common musculoskeletal radiology artifacts and their solutions, described using nonmathematical explanations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metal artifact reduction method using metal streaks image subtraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pua, Rizza D.; Cho, Seung Ryong

2014-01-01

Many studies have been dedicated for metal artifact reduction (MAR); however, the methods are successful to varying degrees depending on situations. Sinogram in-painting, filtering, iterative method are some of the major categories of MAR. Each has its own merits and weaknesses. A combination of these methods or hybrid methods have also been developed to make use of the different benefits of two techniques and minimize the unfavorable results. Our method focuses on the in-paitning approach and a hybrid MAR described by Xia et al. Although in-painting scheme is an effective technique in reducing the primary metal artifacts, a major drawback is the reintroduction of new artifacts that can be caused by an inaccurate interpolation process. Furthermore, combining the segmented metal image to the corrected nonmetal image in the final step of a conventional inpainting approach causes an issue of incorrect metal pixel values. Our proposed method begins with a sinogram in-painting approach and ends with an image-based metal artifact reduction scheme. This work provides a simple, yet effective solution for reducing metal artifacts and acquiring the original metal pixel information. The proposed method demonstrated its effectiveness in a simulation setting. The proposed method showed image quality that is comparable to the standard MAR; however, quantitatively more accurate than the standard MAR

Methods for artifact detection and removal from scalp EEG: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Md Kafiul; Rastegarnia, Amir; Yang, Zhi

2016-11-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most popular brain activity recording technique used in wide range of applications. One of the commonly faced problems in EEG recordings is the presence of artifacts that come from sources other than brain and contaminate the acquired signals significantly. Therefore, much research over the past 15 years has focused on identifying ways for handling such artifacts in the preprocessing stage. However, this is still an active area of research as no single existing artifact detection/removal method is complete or universal. This article presents an extensive review of the existing state-of-the-art artifact detection and removal methods from scalp EEG for all potential EEG-based applications and analyses the pros and cons of each method. First, a general overview of the different artifact types that are found in scalp EEG and their effect on particular applications are presented. In addition, the methods are compared based on their ability to remove certain types of artifacts and their suitability in relevant applications (only functional comparison is provided not performance evaluation of methods). Finally, the future direction and expected challenges of current research is discussed. Therefore, this review is expected to be helpful for interested researchers who will develop and/or apply artifact handling algorithm/technique in future for their applications as well as for those willing to improve the existing algorithms or propose a new solution in this particular area of research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Filtration of human EEG recordings from physiological artifacts with empirical mode method

Science.gov (United States)

Grubov, Vadim V.; Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Khramova, Marina V.

2017-03-01

In the paper we propose the new method for dealing with noise and physiological artifacts in experimental human EEG recordings. The method is based on analysis of EEG signals with empirical mode decomposition (Hilbert-Huang transform). We consider noises and physiological artifacts on EEG as specific oscillatory patterns that cause problems during EEG analysis and can be detected with additional signals recorded simultaneously with EEG (ECG, EMG, EOG, etc.) We introduce the algorithm of the method with following steps: empirical mode decomposition of EEG signal, choosing of empirical modes with artifacts, removing empirical modes with artifacts, reconstruction of the initial EEG signal. We test the method on filtration of experimental human EEG signals from eye-moving artifacts and show high efficiency of the method.

Intra-oral pressure-based voicing control of electrolaryngeal speech with intra-oral vibrator.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Hirokazu; Nakao, Masayuki; Kikuchi, Yataro; Kaga, Kimitaka

2008-07-01

In normal speech, coordinated activities of intrinsic laryngeal muscles suspend a glottal sound at utterance of voiceless consonants, automatically realizing a voicing control. In electrolaryngeal speech, however, the lack of voicing control is one of the causes of unclear voice, voiceless consonants tending to be misheard as the corresponding voiced consonants. In the present work, we developed an intra-oral vibrator with an intra-oral pressure sensor that detected utterance of voiceless phonemes during the intra-oral electrolaryngeal speech, and demonstrated that an intra-oral pressure-based voicing control could improve the intelligibility of the speech. The test voices were obtained from one electrolaryngeal speaker and one normal speaker. We first investigated on the speech analysis software how a voice onset time (VOT) and first formant (F1) transition of the test consonant-vowel syllables contributed to voiceless/voiced contrasts, and developed an adequate voicing control strategy. We then compared the intelligibility of consonant-vowel syllables among the intra-oral electrolaryngeal speech with and without online voicing control. The increase of intra-oral pressure, typically with a peak ranging from 10 to 50 gf/cm2, could reliably identify utterance of voiceless consonants. The speech analysis and intelligibility test then demonstrated that a short VOT caused the misidentification of the voiced consonants due to a clear F1 transition. Finally, taking these results together, the online voicing control, which suspended the prosthetic tone while the intra-oral pressure exceeded 2.5 gf/cm2 and during the 35 milliseconds that followed, proved efficient to improve the voiceless/voiced contrast.

Study of optimal flip angle for inversion-recovery gradient echo method in delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Masashi; Matsumura, Yoshio; Tsuchihashi, Toshio

2013-01-01

Delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable tool for detecting myocardial infarction and assessing myocardial viability. The standard viability MRI technique is the inversion-recovery gradient echo (IR-GRE) method. Several previous studies have demonstrated that this imaging technique provides superior image quality at high magnetic field strengths, e.g., 3.0 T. However, there are numerous possible flip angles. We investigated the optimal flip angle of IR-GRE in delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI. Phantoms were made that modeled infarcted myocardium and normal myocardium after administration of contrast agent. To determine optimal flip angle, we compared the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) among these phantoms and evaluated the degree of artifacts induced by increased flip angle. The flip angle that showed the highest CNR for 2D IR-GRE and 3D IR-GRE was 30deg/15deg at 1.5 T and 25deg/15deg at 3.0 T. The flip angle that showed the highest CNR was independent of R-R interval. Streak artifacts induced by increased flip angle tended to occur more readily at 3.0 T than 1.5 T. The optimal flip angle for 2D IR-GRE and 3D IR-GRE at 1.5 T was 30deg and 15deg, respectively. At 3.0 T, taking into account the results for both CNR and streak artifacts, we concluded the optimal flip angle of 2D IR-GRE to be 15-20deg. (author)

Preliminary experimental insights into differential heat impact among lithic artifacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Bustos-Pérez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The presence of thermally altered and broken flint artifacts is common at archaeological sites. Most studies focus their attention on the effects of heat treatment on flint to improve knapping qualities, disregarding the effects of fire over flint under uncontrolled conditions. This paper aims to show how under uncontrolled heating processes flint artifacts develop different heat alterations (such as levels of breakage, presence of scales, etc. as a result of vertical distribution, volume or raw material and to establish a gradient of rock changes and behavior. Artifacts where macroscopically analyzed and a series of uncontrolled heating experiments through the distribution of flint blanks under two hearths were carried out, allowing a comparison of the before and after of the blanks. Preliminary results show how levels of breakage, surface alteration or development of heat alteration features can be differentiated according to artifact volume, vertical distribution and level of surface alteration. Results also show how two different raw materials react differently to similar thermal impact, and how surface alteration reacts at different rhythm in the case of recycled artifacts. We conclude that levels of thermal alteration can be differentiated through macroscopic analysis of flint surface.

MR of the small bowel with a biphasic oral contrast agent (polyethylene glycol): technical aspects and findings in patients affected by Crohn's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Laghi, Andrea; Paolantonio, Pasquale; Iafrate, Franco; Borrelli, Osvaldo; Dito, Lucia; Tomei, Ernesto; Cucchiara, Salvatore; Passariello, Roberto

2003-01-01

To report our experience using MR of the small bowel with polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution as an oral contrast agent in a population of adults and children with known Crohn's disease. 40 patients (29 males; 11 females), 15 adults (age range 24-52 years) and 25 children (age range 5-17 years), with known Crohn's disease, underwent MR of the small bowel using a supeconductive 1.5 T magnet, and polyethylene glycol solution as an oral contrast agent. The fixed amount of contrast agent was 750-1000 ml for adults and 10 ml/kg of body weight for children. The Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was available in all patients. Our study protocol included the acquisition of T2-weighted half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences and true fast imaging in the steady-state precession (true-FISP) sequences, followed by the acquisition of "spoiled" 2D gradient echo T1-weighted sequences with fat suppression (FLASH, fast low-angle shot) or alternatively "spoiled" 3D (VIBE, volume interpolated breath-hold examination), acquired 70 seconds after intravenous administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) (0,1 mmol/kg). A specific MR score was created and calculated for each patient and was compared by means of the Spearman rank with CDAI. In all patients no significant side effects were observed and the MR examination was well tolerated even by paediatric patients. In all cases MR showed a small bowel wall thickening (> 4 mm) in the terminal ileum, with lumen stenosis in 26 patients. In 3 cases pathological segments proximal to the terminal ileum were observed and in another 3 cases caecal involvement was visible. The MR examination was able to show abnormalities of perivisceral fat tissue in 15 patients, mesenteric lymphadenopathy in 1 patient and abdominal abscess in 1 case. The Spearman rank showed a statistically significant correlation between CDAI and the MR score (r = 0.91, P = 0,0001). MR using PEG as an oral contrast agent could be considered a test

Quantification of Rain Induced Artifacts on Digital Satellite Television ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The presence of artifacts on the high definition television (TV) content and the eventual loss of the digital TV signals to rain is still a major concern to satellite operators, digital satellite television (DSTV) and terrestrial television content providers. In this paper, the artifacts present in a typical DSTV signal is examined on a ...

Reduction of artifacts caused by orthopedic hardware in the spine in spectral detector CT examinations using virtual monoenergetic image reconstructions and metal-artifact-reduction algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grosse Hokamp, Nils; Neuhaus, V.; Abdullayev, N.; Laukamp, K.; Lennartz, S.; Mpotsaris, A.; Borggrefe, J. [University Hospital Cologne, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Cologne (Germany)

2018-02-15

Aim of this study was to assess the artifact reduction in patients with orthopedic hardware in the spine as provided by (1) metal-artifact-reduction algorithms (O-MAR) and (2) virtual monoenergetic images (MonoE) as provided by spectral detector CT (SDCT) compared to conventional iterative reconstruction (CI). In all, 28 consecutive patients with orthopedic hardware in the spine who underwent SDCT-examinations were included. CI, O-MAR and MonoE (40-200 keV) images were reconstructed. Attenuation (HU) and noise (SD) were measured in order to calculate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of paravertebral muscle and spinal canal. Subjective image quality was assessed by two radiologists in terms of image quality and extent of artifact reduction. O-MAR and high-keV MonoE showed significant decrease of hypodense artifacts in terms of higher attenuation as compared to CI (CI vs O-MAR, 200 keV MonoE: -396.5HU vs. -115.2HU, -48.1HU; both p ≤ 0.001). Further, artifacts as depicted by noise were reduced in O-MAR and high-keV MonoE as compared to CI in (1) paravertebral muscle and (2) spinal canal - CI vs. O-MAR/200 keV: (1) 34.7 ± 19.0 HU vs. 26.4 ± 14.4 HU, p ≤ 0.05/27.4 ± 16.1, n.s.; (2) 103.4 ± 61.3 HU vs. 72.6 ± 62.6 HU/60.9 ± 40.1 HU, both p ≤ 0.001. Subjectively both O-MAR and high-keV images yielded an artifact reduction in up to 24/28 patients. Both, O-MAR and high-keV MonoE reconstructions as provided by SDCT lead to objective and subjective artifact reduction, thus the combination of O-MAR and MonoE seems promising for further reduction. (orig.)

Visual Contrast Enhancement Algorithm Based on Histogram Equalization

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, Chih-Chung; Wu, Bing-Fei; Chung, Meng-Liang; Chiu, Chung-Cheng; Wu, Ya-Ching

2015-01-01

Image enhancement techniques primarily improve the contrast of an image to lend it a better appearance. One of the popular enhancement methods is histogram equalization (HE) because of its simplicity and effectiveness. However, it is rarely applied to consumer electronics products because it can cause excessive contrast enhancement and feature loss problems. These problems make the images processed by HE look unnatural and introduce unwanted artifacts in them. In this study, a visual contrast enhancement algorithm (VCEA) based on HE is proposed. VCEA considers the requirements of the human visual perception in order to address the drawbacks of HE. It effectively solves the excessive contrast enhancement problem by adjusting the spaces between two adjacent gray values of the HE histogram. In addition, VCEA reduces the effects of the feature loss problem by using the obtained spaces. Furthermore, VCEA enhances the detailed textures of an image to generate an enhanced image with better visual quality. Experimental results show that images obtained by applying VCEA have higher contrast and are more suited to human visual perception than those processed by HE and other HE-based methods. PMID:26184219

Visual Contrast Enhancement Algorithm Based on Histogram Equalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Chung Ting

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Image enhancement techniques primarily improve the contrast of an image to lend it a better appearance. One of the popular enhancement methods is histogram equalization (HE because of its simplicity and effectiveness. However, it is rarely applied to consumer electronics products because it can cause excessive contrast enhancement and feature loss problems. These problems make the images processed by HE look unnatural and introduce unwanted artifacts in them. In this study, a visual contrast enhancement algorithm (VCEA based on HE is proposed. VCEA considers the requirements of the human visual perception in order to address the drawbacks of HE. It effectively solves the excessive contrast enhancement problem by adjusting the spaces between two adjacent gray values of the HE histogram. In addition, VCEA reduces the effects of the feature loss problem by using the obtained spaces. Furthermore, VCEA enhances the detailed textures of an image to generate an enhanced image with better visual quality. Experimental results show that images obtained by applying VCEA have higher contrast and are more suited to human visual perception than those processed by HE and other HE-based methods.

MARSAME Radiological Release Report for Archaeological Artifacts Excavated from Area L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruedig, Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Whicker, Jeffrey Jay [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gillis, Jessica Mcdonnel [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-06-03

In 1991 Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) cultural resources team excavated archaeological site LA 4618 located at Technical Area 54, within Material Disposal Area L (MDA L). MDA L received non-radioactive chemical waste from the early 1960s until 1985. Further development of the MDA required excavation of several cultural sites under National Historic Preservation Act requirements; artifacts from these sites have been subsequently stored at LANL. The LANL cultural resources group would now like to release these artifacts to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe for curation. The history of disposal at Area L suggests that the artifact pool is unlikely to be chemically contaminated and LANL staff washed each artifact at least once following excavation. Thus, it is unlikely that the artifacts present a chemical hazard. LANL’s Environmental Stewardship group (EPC-ES) has evaluated the radiological survey results for the Area L artifact pool and found that the items described in this report meet the criteria for unrestricted radiological release under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 458.1 Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment and are candidates for release without restriction from LANL control. This conclusion is based on the known history of MDA L and on radiation survey data.

Gamma irradiation of cultural artifacts for disinfection using Monte Carlo simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong-il; Yoon, Minchul; Kim, Dongho

2012-01-01

In this study, it has been investigated the disinfection of Korean cultural artifacts by gamma irradiation, simulating the absorbed dose distribution on the object with the Monte Carlo methodology. Fungal contamination was identified on two traditional Korean agricultural tools, Hongdukkae and Holtae, which had been stored in a museum. Nine primary species were identified from these items: Bjerkandera adusta, Dothideomycetes sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium tenuissimum, Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium sp., Entrophospora sp., Aspergillus sydowii, and Corynascus sepedonium. However, these fungi were completely inactivated by gamma irradiation at an absorbed dose of 20 kGy on the front side. Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code was used to simulate the doses applied to these cultural artifacts, and the measured dose distributions were well predicted by the simulations. These results show that irradiation is effective for the disinfection of cultural artifacts and that dose distribution can be predicted with Monte Carlo simulations, allowing the optimization of the radiation treatment. - Highlights: ► Radiation was applied for the disinfection of Korean cultural artifacts. ► Fungi on the artifacts were completely inactivated by the irradiation. ► Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code was used to predict the dose distribution. ► This study is applicable for the preservation of cultural artifacts by irradiation.

Individuality evaluation for paper based artifact-metrics using transmitted light image

Science.gov (United States)

Yamakoshi, Manabu; Tanaka, Junichi; Furuie, Makoto; Hirabayashi, Masashi; Matsumoto, Tsutomu

2008-02-01

Artifact-metrics is an automated method of authenticating artifacts based on a measurable intrinsic characteristic. Intrinsic characters, such as microscopic random-patterns made during the manufacturing process, are very difficult to copy. A transmitted light image of the distribution can be used for artifact-metrics, since the fiber distribution of paper is random. Little is known about the individuality of the transmitted light image although it is an important requirement for intrinsic characteristic artifact-metrics. Measuring individuality requires that the intrinsic characteristic of each artifact significantly differs, so having sufficient individuality can make an artifact-metric system highly resistant to brute force attack. Here we investigate the influence of paper category, matching size of sample, and image-resolution on the individuality of a transmitted light image of paper through a matching test using those images. More concretely, we evaluate FMR/FNMR curves by calculating similarity scores with matches using correlation coefficients between pairs of scanner input images, and the individuality of paper by way of estimated EER with probabilistic measure through a matching method based on line segments, which can localize the influence of rotation gaps of a sample in the case of large matching size. As a result, we found that the transmitted light image of paper has a sufficient individuality.

Awe and Artifacts: Religious and Scientific Endeavor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionut Untea

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article takes as its point of departure the reflections of Henry Adams and Jacques Ellul on the possible gradual replacement of objects used in religious worship with objects used in technological worship, and advances the hypothesis that such a substitution is unlikely. Using information from psychology, history of religions, and history of science, the perspective proposed is that of a parallel historical analogous development of both religious and scientific attitudes of awe by the use of artifacts carrying two functions: firstly, to coagulate social participation around questions dealing with humanity’s destiny and interpersonal relationships across communities, and secondly to offer cultural coherence through a communal sense of social stability, comfort, and security. I argue that, though animated by attitudes of awe (“awefull”, both leading scientists and religious founders have encountered the difficulty in representing and introducing this awe to the large public via “awesome” artifacts. The failure to represent coherently the initial awe via artifacts may give rise to “anomalous awefullness”: intolerance, persecutions, global conflicts.

Metal artifact reduction in CT using tissue-class modeling and adaptive prefiltering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bal, Matthieu; Spies, Lothar

2006-01-01

High-density objects such as metal prostheses, surgical clips, or dental fillings generate streak-like artifacts in computed tomography images. We present a novel method for metal artifact reduction by in-painting missing information into the corrupted sinogram. The information is provided by a tissue-class model extracted from the distorted image. To this end the image is first adaptively filtered to reduce the noise content and to smooth out streak artifacts. Consecutively, the image is segmented into different material classes using a clustering algorithm. The corrupted and missing information in the original sinogram is completed using the forward projected information from the tissue-class model. The performance of the correction method is assessed on phantom images. Clinical images featuring a broad spectrum of metal artifacts are studied. Phantom and clinical studies show that metal artifacts, such as streaks, are significantly reduced and shadows in the image are eliminated. Furthermore, the novel approach improves detectability of organ contours. This can be of great relevance, for instance, in radiation therapy planning, where images affected by metal artifacts may lead to suboptimal treatment plans

Implications of CT noise and artifacts for quantitative 99mTc SPECT/CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulme, K. W.; Kappadath, S. C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This paper evaluates the effects of computed tomography (CT) image noise and artifacts on quantitative single-photon emission computed-tomography (SPECT) imaging, with the aim of establishing an appropriate range of CT acquisition parameters for low-dose protocols with respect to accurate SPECT attenuation correction (AC). Methods: SPECT images of two geometric and one anthropomorphic phantom were reconstructed iteratively using CT scans acquired at a range of dose levels (CTDI vol = 0.4 to 46 mGy). Resultant SPECT image quality was evaluated by comparing mean signal, background noise, and artifacts to SPECT images reconstructed using the highest dose CT for AC. Noise injection was performed on linear-attenuation (μ) maps to determine the CT noise threshold for accurate AC. Results: High levels of CT noise (σ ∼ 200–400 HU) resulted in low μ-maps noise (σ ∼ 1%–3%). Noise levels greater than ∼10% in 140 keV μ-maps were required to produce visibly perceptible increases of ∼15% in 99m Tc SPECT images. These noise levels would be achieved at low CT dose levels (CTDI vol = 4 μGy) that are over 2 orders of magnitude lower than the minimum dose for diagnostic CT scanners. CT noise could also lower (bias) the expected μ values. The relative error in reconstructed SPECT signal trended linearly with the relative shift in μ. SPECT signal was, on average, underestimated in regions corresponding with beam-hardening artifacts in CT images. Any process that has the potential to change the CT number of a region by ∼100 HU (e.g., misregistration between CT images and SPECT images due to motion, the presence of contrast in CT images) could introduce errors in μ 140 keV on the order of 10%, that in turn, could introduce errors on the order of ∼10% into the reconstructed 99m Tc SPECT image. Conclusions: The impact of CT noise on SPECT noise was demonstrated to be negligible for clinically achievable CT parameters. Because CT dose levels that affect

WE-G-209-00: Identifying Image Artifacts, Their Causes, and How to Fix Them

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR are complicated imaging modalities which are composed of many hardware and software components. These components work together in a highly coordinated chain of events with the intent to produce high quality images. Acquisition, processing and reconstruction of data must occur in a precise way for optimum image quality to be achieved. Any error or unexpected event in the entire process can produce unwanted pixel intensities in the final images which may contribute to visible image artifacts. The diagnostic imaging physicist is uniquely qualified to investigate and contribute to resolution of image artifacts. This course will teach the participant to identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR, to determine the causes of artifacts, and to make recommendations for how to resolve artifacts. Learning Objectives: Identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Determine causes of various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Describe how to resolve various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR.

WE-G-209-00: Identifying Image Artifacts, Their Causes, and How to Fix Them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR are complicated imaging modalities which are composed of many hardware and software components. These components work together in a highly coordinated chain of events with the intent to produce high quality images. Acquisition, processing and reconstruction of data must occur in a precise way for optimum image quality to be achieved. Any error or unexpected event in the entire process can produce unwanted pixel intensities in the final images which may contribute to visible image artifacts. The diagnostic imaging physicist is uniquely qualified to investigate and contribute to resolution of image artifacts. This course will teach the participant to identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET, and MR, to determine the causes of artifacts, and to make recommendations for how to resolve artifacts. Learning Objectives: Identify common artifacts found clinically in digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Determine causes of various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR. Describe how to resolve various clinical artifacts from digital radiography, CT, PET and MR.

Adaptive cancellation of motion artifact in wearable biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefi, Rasoul; Nourani, Mehrdad; Panahi, Issa

2012-01-01

The performance of wearable biosensors is highly influenced by motion artifact. In this paper, a model is proposed for analysis of motion artifact in wearable photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors. Using this model, we proposed a robust real-time technique to estimate fundamental frequency and generate a noise reference signal. A Least Mean Square (LMS) adaptive noise canceler is then designed and validated using our synthetic noise generator. The analysis and results on proposed technique for noise cancellation shows promising performance.

Wound biofilms: lessons learned from oral biofilms

OpenAIRE

Mancl, Kimberly A.; Kirsner, Robert S.; Ajdic, Dragana

2013-01-01

Biofilms play an important role in the development and pathogenesis of many chronic infections. Oral biofilms, more commonly known as dental plaque,are a primary cause of oral diseases including caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. Oral biofilms are commonly studied as model biofilm systems as they are easily accessible, thus biofilm research in oral diseases is advanced with details of biofilm formation and bacterial interactions being well-elucidated. In contrast, wound research has relati...

Metal Artifact Suppression in Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images Using Image Processing Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Johari, Masoumeh; Abdollahzadeh, Milad; Esmaeili, Farzad; Sakhamanesh, Vahideh

2018-01-01

Dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images suffer from severe metal artifacts. These artifacts degrade the quality of acquired image and in some cases make it unsuitable to use. Streaking artifacts and cavities around teeth are the main reason of degradation. In this article, we have proposed a new artifact reduction algorithm which has three parallel components. The first component extracts teeth based on the modeling of image histogram with a Gaussian mixture model. Striking artifact reduction component reduces artifacts using converting image into the polar domain and applying morphological filtering. The third component fills cavities through a simple but effective morphological filtering operation. Finally, results of these three components are combined into a fusion step to create a visually good image which is more compatible to human visual system. Results show that the proposed algorithm reduces artifacts of dental CBCT images and produces clean images.

[E-MTAB-587] PCR_artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muino Acuna, J.M.

2011-01-01

WARNING: This library was yield low amount of material and it was over-amplified by PCR. This libraries are used study the robustness of several statitical methods against PCR artifacts. ChIP experiments were performed on Arabidopsis wildtype inflorescences using an antibody raised against a

Checking behavioral conformance of artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fahland, D.; Leoni, de M.; Dongen, van B.F.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.

2011-01-01

The usefulness of process models (e.g., for analysis, improvement, or execution) strongly depends on their ability to describe reality. Conformance checking is a technique to validate how good a given process model describes recorded executions of the actual process. Recently, artifacts have been

Does MRI with oral contrast medium allow single-study depiction of inflammatory bowel disease enteritis and colitis?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronin, Carmel G.; Lohan, Derek G.; Browne, Ann Michelle; Roche, Clare; Murphy, Joseph M.

2010-01-01

To assess the feasibility and utility of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the bowel in concurrent small- and large-bowel evaluation for the presence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Over a 5-year period, 62 MR examinations performed on 53 patients demonstrated evidence of IBD. Sixteen of these 53 (30.1%) patients had imaging findings of colonic disease and underwent 19 formal MR small bowel examinations. These were further evaluated for bowel distention and image quality. The sensitivity and specificity of the technique compared with colonoscopy as the 'gold standard' was evaluated. Simultaneous imaging of the colon is feasible at MR small bowel follow-through with moderate-to-excellent colonic visibility and colon distention obtained when the contrast medium is present in the colon at the time of image acquisition. MR imaging had a sensitivity of 80% (0.56-0.93), specificity of 100% (0.77-1.00), positive predictive value (PPV) of 1 and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.8 for the identification of colitis (based on available concurrent correlation of 38/62 examinations with colonoscopy). Small and large bowel MR imaging with orally consumed contrast medium represents a promising, feasible, non-invasive, non-radiating single mode of assessment of the entire gastrointestinal tract, performed at a single sitting. (orig.)

Development and image quality assessment of a contrast-enhancement algorithm for display of digital chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehm, K.

1992-01-01

This dissertation presents a contrast-enhancement algorithm Artifact-Suppressed Adaptive Histogram Equalization (ASAHE). This algorithm was developed as part of a larger effort to replace the film radiographs currently used in radiology departments with digital images. Among the expected benefits of digital radiology are improved image management and greater diagnostic accuracy. Film radiographs record X-ray transmission data at high spatial resolution, and a wide dynamic range of signal. Current digital radiography systems record an image at reduced spatial resolution and with coarse sampling of the available dynamic range. These reductions have a negative impact on diagnostic accuracy. The contrast-enhancement algorithm presented in this dissertation is designed to boost diagnostic accuracy of radiologists using digital images. The ASAHE algorithm is an extension of an earlier technique called Adaptive Histogram Equalization (AHE). The AHE algorithm is unsuitable for chest radiographs because it over-enhances noise, and introduces boundary artifacts. The modifications incorporated in ASAHE suppress the artifacts and allow processing of chest radiographs. This dissertation describes the psychophysical methods used to evaluate the effects of processing algorithms on human observer performance. An experiment conducted with anthropomorphic phantoms and simulated nodules showed the ASAHE algorithm to be superior for human detection of nodules when compared to a computed radiography system's algorithm that is in current use. An experiment conducted using clinical images demonstrating pneumothoraces (partial lung collapse) indicated no difference in human observer accuracy when ASAHE images were compared to computed radiography images, but greater ease of diagnosis when ASAHE images were used. These results provide evidence to suggest that Artifact-Suppressed Adaptive Histogram Equalization can be effective in increasing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency

Simultaneous ocular and muscle artifact removal from EEG data by exploiting diverse statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xun; Liu, Aiping; Chen, Qiang; Liu, Yu; Zou, Liang; McKeown, Martin J

2017-09-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings are frequently contaminated by both ocular and muscle artifacts. These are normally dealt with separately, by employing blind source separation (BSS) techniques relying on either second-order or higher-order statistics (SOS & HOS respectively). When HOS-based methods are used, it is usually in the setting of assuming artifacts are statistically independent to the EEG. When SOS-based methods are used, it is assumed that artifacts have autocorrelation characteristics distinct from the EEG. In reality, ocular and muscle artifacts do not completely follow the assumptions of strict temporal independence to the EEG nor completely unique autocorrelation characteristics, suggesting that exploiting HOS or SOS alone may be insufficient to remove these artifacts. Here we employ a novel BSS technique, independent vector analysis (IVA), to jointly employ HOS and SOS simultaneously to remove ocular and muscle artifacts. Numerical simulations and application to real EEG recordings were used to explore the utility of the IVA approach. IVA was superior in isolating both ocular and muscle artifacts, especially for raw EEG data with low signal-to-noise ratio, and also integrated usually separate SOS and HOS steps into a single unified step. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normal wall thickness and tumorous changes in the gastrointestinal tract demonstrated by CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwaan, M.; Gmelin, E.; Borgis, K.J.; Neubauer, B.

1991-01-01

55 patients with tumours of the gastroinstinal tract were ecamined by CT, using a paraffin emulsion as a negative oral contrast medium. These were compared with 119 normal patients. The appearance of normal and tumour bearing portions of the gut wall against the contrast medium was studied. Under hypotonic conditions the gut wall could regularly be distinguished from surrounding organs and gut content. Mural thickness of the oesophagus > 7 mm and of the stomach and colon > 8 mm must be regarded as abnormal. Benign diseases cannot be distinguished from malignant conditions on the basis of wall thickness. Artifacts, such as are caused by positive oral contrast, were of less significance when using paraffin emulsion. (orig.) [de

Artifact reduction of different metallic implants in flat detector C-arm CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, S-C; Wu, C-C; Lin, C-J; Guo, W-Y; Luo, C-B; Chang, F-C; Chang, C-Y

2014-07-01

Flat detector CT has been increasingly used as a follow-up examination after endovascular intervention. Metal artifact reduction has been successfully demonstrated in coil mass cases, but only in a small series. We attempted to objectively and subjectively evaluate the feasibility of metal artifact reduction with various metallic objects and coil lengths. We retrospectively reprocessed the flat detector CT data of 28 patients (15 men, 13 women; mean age, 55.6 years) after they underwent endovascular treatment (20 coiling ± stent placement, 6 liquid embolizers) or shunt drainage (n = 2) between January 2009 and November 2011 by using a metal artifact reduction correction algorithm. We measured CT value ranges and noise by using region-of-interest methods, and 2 experienced neuroradiologists rated the degrees of improved imaging quality and artifact reduction by comparing uncorrected and corrected images. After we applied the metal artifact reduction algorithm, the CT value ranges and the noise were substantially reduced (1815.3 ± 793.7 versus 231.7 ± 95.9 and 319.9 ± 136.6 versus 45.9 ± 14.0; both P metallic objects and various sizes of coil masses. The rater study achieved an overall improvement of imaging quality and artifact reduction (85.7% and 78.6% of cases by 2 raters, respectively), with the greatest improvement in the coiling group, moderate improvement in the liquid embolizers, and the smallest improvement in ventricular shunting (overall agreement, 0.857). The metal artifact reduction algorithm substantially reduced artifacts and improved the objective image quality in every studied case. It also allowed improved diagnostic confidence in most cases. © 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Prediction and monitoring of the response to chemoradiotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinomas using a pharmacokinetic analysis based on the dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chikui, Toru; Kawazu, Toshiyuki; Yoshiura, Kazunori [Kyushu University, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka (Japan); Kawano, Shintaro [Kyushu University, Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka (Japan); Hatakenaka, Masamitsu [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Kyushu University, Radiology Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan); Koga, Syouzou; Ohga, Masahiro [Kyushu University, Radiology Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan); Matsuo, Yoshio; Sunami, Syunya [Kyushu University, Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Sugiura, Tsuyoshi [Kyushu University, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan); Shioyama, Yoshiyuki [Kyushu University, Department of Heavy Particle Therapy and Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Obara, Makoto [Philips Electronics Japan, Ltd 2-13-37, Konan Minato-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

2011-08-15

To evaluate whether a pharmacokinetic analysis is useful for both predicting and monitoring the response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in oral cancer. Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with preoperative CRT and surgery were enrolled. They underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI before (n = 23), and after CRT (n = 20). We estimated four parameters: arrival time of contrast medium (TA), exchange rate constant from the extracellular extravascular space (EES) to plasma (k{sub ep}), elimination of contrast medium from the central compartment (k{sub el}) and an amplitude scaling constant (AH) using the Brix model. The histological evaluation of the effects of CRT was performed according to Ohboshi and Shimosato's classification. We analysed the correlation between the parameters and the histological evaluation. The pre-CRT AH between the responders and non-responders was significantly different (P = 0.046), however, the three parameters (TA, K{sub ep}, K{sub el}) were not significantly different among the groups (P = 0.76, P = 0.60, P = 0.09). As AH decreased, the tumour response improved. The change in the AH between the pre- and post-CRT of responders was significantly higher than that of non-responders (P = 0.043). The AH, which is affected by the ratio of the EES, was an important parameter for predicting and monitoring the tumour response to CRT. (orig.)

Acute Adverse Reactions to Nonionic Iodinated Contrast Media for CT: Prospective Randomized Evaluation of the Effects of Dehydration, Oral Rehydration, and Patient Risk Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Motosugi, Utaroh; Ichikawa, Tomoaki; Sano, Katsuhiro; Onishi, Hiroshi

2016-11-01

The objective of our study was to determine the effects of dehydration and oral rehydration on the incidence of acute adverse reactions to iodinated contrast media administered during abdominal and pelvic CT in outpatients. For our prospective randomized study performed at a single institution, adult outpatients undergoing contrast-enhanced abdominal CT were randomly divided into a rehydration group (n = 2244 patients [1379 men and 865 women]; mean age, 65.2 years; age range, 18-90 years) and a control group (n = 3715 [2112 male patients and 1603 female patients]; mean age, 65.8 years; age range, 17-96 years), which included an age- and sex-matched subgroup (adjusted control group, n = 2244). The rehydration group received an oral rehydration solution (500 mL of liquid in which osmotic pressure is adjusted to enhance gastrointestinal absorption) before abdominal and pelvic CT. Patients were also divided into subclinically dehydrated (n = 997) and hydrated (n = 4962) groups according to their answers to a questionnaire that they completed before the CT examination. The patients were interviewed about contrast-induced adverse reactions before they left the CT room, and the reactions were categorized as allergiclike or physiologic. The incidence of reactions was compared between the rehydration and control groups and between the subclinical dehydration and hydrated groups. The rehydration and control groups were compared with an unpaired t test or a chi-square or Fisher test. The overall incidence of an acute adverse reaction was 4.3% (254/5959); the acute adverse reactions included 136 allergiclike and 118 physiologic reactions. Fourteen allergiclike and nine physiologic reactions were moderate grade, and none was severe. There was no significant difference between the rehydration group and adjusted control group in the overall incidence of adverse reactions (99/2244 [4.4%] vs 100/2244 [4.5%], respectively; p = 0.9422) or between the subclinically dehydrated group

Assessment of metal artifact reduction methods in pelvic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdoli, Mehrsima [Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, Amsterdam 1066 CX (Netherlands); Mehranian, Abolfazl [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Ailianou, Angeliki; Becker, Minerva [Division of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205 (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2016-04-15

Purpose: Metal artifact reduction (MAR) produces images with improved quality potentially leading to confident and reliable clinical diagnosis and therapy planning. In this work, the authors evaluate the performance of five MAR techniques for the assessment of computed tomography images of patients with hip prostheses. Methods: Five MAR algorithms were evaluated using simulation and clinical studies. The algorithms included one-dimensional linear interpolation (LI) of the corrupted projection bins in the sinogram, two-dimensional interpolation (2D), a normalized metal artifact reduction (NMAR) technique, a metal deletion technique, and a maximum a posteriori completion (MAPC) approach. The algorithms were applied to ten simulated datasets as well as 30 clinical studies of patients with metallic hip implants. Qualitative evaluations were performed by two blinded experienced radiologists who ranked overall artifact severity and pelvic organ recognition for each algorithm by assigning scores from zero to five (zero indicating totally obscured organs with no structures identifiable and five indicating recognition with high confidence). Results: Simulation studies revealed that 2D, NMAR, and MAPC techniques performed almost equally well in all regions. LI falls behind the other approaches in terms of reducing dark streaking artifacts as well as preserving unaffected regions (p < 0.05). Visual assessment of clinical datasets revealed the superiority of NMAR and MAPC in the evaluated pelvic organs and in terms of overall image quality. Conclusions: Overall, all methods, except LI, performed equally well in artifact-free regions. Considering both clinical and simulation studies, 2D, NMAR, and MAPC seem to outperform the other techniques.

Influence of geometric and material properties on artifacts generated by interventional MRI devices: Relevance to PRF-shift thermometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatebe, Ken, E-mail: Ken.Tatebe@gmail.com [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Ramsay, Elizabeth; Kazem, Mohammad; Peikari, Hamed [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5 (Canada); Mougenot, Charles [Philips Healthcare, 281 Hillmount Road, Markham, Ontario L6C 2S3 (Canada); Bronskill, Michael [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5, Canada and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G2M9 (Canada); Chopra, Rajiv [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G2M9 (Canada)

2016-01-15

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of providing valuable real-time feedback during medical procedures, partly due to the excellent soft-tissue contrast available. Several technical hurdles still exist to seamless integration of medical devices with MRI due to incompatibility of most conventional devices with this imaging modality. In this study, the effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the magnetization of medical devices was examined using finite element analysis modeling. As an example, the influence of the geometric and material characteristics of a transurethral high-intensity ultrasound applicator on temperature measurements using proton resonance frequency (PRF)-shift thermometry was investigated. Methods: The effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field, caused by the magnetization of medical device components, was examined using finite element analysis modeling. The thermometry artifact generated by a transurethral ultrasound applicator was simulated, and these results were validated against analytic models and scans of an applicator in a phantom. Several parameters were then varied to identify which most strongly impacted the level of simulated thermometry artifact, which varies as the applicator moves over the course of an ablative high-intensity ultrasound treatment. Results: Key design parameters identified as having a strong influence on the magnitude of thermometry artifact included the susceptibility of materials and their volume. The location of components was also important, particularly when positioned to maximize symmetry of the device. Finally, the location of component edges and the inclination of the device relative to the magnetic field were also found to be important factors. Conclusions: Previous design strategies to minimize thermometry artifact were validated, and novel design strategies were identified that substantially reduce PRF-shift thermometry artifacts for a variety of device

Influence of geometric and material properties on artifacts generated by interventional MRI devices: Relevance to PRF-shift thermometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatebe, Ken; Ramsay, Elizabeth; Kazem, Mohammad; Peikari, Hamed; Mougenot, Charles; Bronskill, Michael; Chopra, Rajiv

2016-01-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of providing valuable real-time feedback during medical procedures, partly due to the excellent soft-tissue contrast available. Several technical hurdles still exist to seamless integration of medical devices with MRI due to incompatibility of most conventional devices with this imaging modality. In this study, the effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the magnetization of medical devices was examined using finite element analysis modeling. As an example, the influence of the geometric and material characteristics of a transurethral high-intensity ultrasound applicator on temperature measurements using proton resonance frequency (PRF)-shift thermometry was investigated. Methods: The effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field, caused by the magnetization of medical device components, was examined using finite element analysis modeling. The thermometry artifact generated by a transurethral ultrasound applicator was simulated, and these results were validated against analytic models and scans of an applicator in a phantom. Several parameters were then varied to identify which most strongly impacted the level of simulated thermometry artifact, which varies as the applicator moves over the course of an ablative high-intensity ultrasound treatment. Results: Key design parameters identified as having a strong influence on the magnitude of thermometry artifact included the susceptibility of materials and their volume. The location of components was also important, particularly when positioned to maximize symmetry of the device. Finally, the location of component edges and the inclination of the device relative to the magnetic field were also found to be important factors. Conclusions: Previous design strategies to minimize thermometry artifact were validated, and novel design strategies were identified that substantially reduce PRF-shift thermometry artifacts for a variety of device

Cyber Event Artifact Investigation Training in a Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

information was desired in the logs as well as best practices provided by Microsoft: 1. Every Success or Failure for: Account Logon Events, Account ...use this artifact in conjunction with information discovered through investigation of other artifacts, such as logs and accounts . For instance, the...when coupled with logs, accounts , and process data, this information may provide enough evidence for transition into the reporting and Preliminary

Double contrast with technique of Insufflated Barium Meal in the radiological study of the esophagus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallina, F.; Piga, V.; Gallina, M.S.

1985-01-01

The results are reported of the esophagus double contrast examination with Insufflated Barium Meal technique as first part of the routine upper digestive system radiological examination. This technique gives good double contrast without those artifacts using effervescent powders and without modifying the normal radiological alimentary tract examination established way. The double contrast is administered by a special container with a built-in mouthpiece which allows the simultaneous ingestion of barium suspension and air. The esophageal mucosa can be examined as far as the distal tract where frequently the barium contrast stops using different techniques. Good results in 90% of patients have been obtained. The early detection of inflammatory and tumoral lesions has taken particular advantage in patients sometimes asymptomatic

Double contrast with technique of Insufflated Barium Meal in the radiological study of the esophagus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallina, F; Piga, V; Gallina, M.S. and others

1985-01-01

The results are reported of the esophagus double contrast examination with Insufflated Barium Meal technique as first part of the routine upper digestive system radiological examination. This technique gives good double contrast without those artifacts using effervescent powders and without modifying the normal radiological alimentary tract examination established way. The double contrast is administered by a special container with a built-in mouthpiece which allows the simultaneous ingestion of barium suspension and air. The esophageal mucosa can be examined as far as the distal tract where frequently the barium contrast stops using different techniques. Good results in 90% of patients have been obtained. The early detection of inflammatory and tumoral lesions has taken particular advantage in patients sometimes asymptomatic.

Brain-in-Brain Artifact (BIBA) in a Patient with Hydranencepaly: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Sang Young; Kim, You Me; Lee, Seung Ha; Lee, Young Seok [College of Medicine Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

2011-03-15

Hydranencephaly is a condition that is characterized by an absent brain mantle along with the subadjacent white matter, with replacement of the cerebral hemispheres by a thin-walled membranous sac containing CSF. During brain sonograpy in a neonate with hydranencephaly, we have found a brain-in-brain appearance as an unusual sonographic artifact. We report here on this interesting sonographic artifact in a neonate with hydranencephaly, and this artifact was due to multipath reflection artifact of the ultrasound beam/wave, and we explain the underlying physics

Water as a contrast medium: a re-evaluation using the multidetector-row computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Makarawo, Tafadzwa P; Negussie, Edsa; Malde, Sachit; Tilak, Jacqueline; Gayagoy, Jennifer; Watson, Jenna; Francis, Faiz; Lincoln, Denis; Jacobs, Michael J

2013-07-01

Water as an intraluminal negative contrast medium produces improved image quality with reduced artefact. However, rapid absorption of oral water in the bowel relative to speed and timing of image capturing has limited its clinical application. These findings predate advances in multidetector-row computed tomography (CT). To re-evaluate differences in image quality, we studied image clarity and luminal distention between the same group of patients who received both a pancreas protocol CT (PPCT) that uses oral water and a conventional positive oral contrast scan. We reviewed 66 patients who had previously undergone both a PPCT and an oral contrast abdominal CT. CT images were independently reviewed by two board-certified radiologists who scored degree of hollow viscus distention and visualization of mural detail using a Likert 5-point scale. Results were evaluated by using the Wilcoxon-signed rank test. Student's t test was applied to evaluate the differences in radiation dosage and Spearman's correlational test was used to evaluate interrater correlation between the radiologists. In comparing the mean radiation dosage, there was no statistical difference between the two protocols, and there was good interrater association with ratios of 0.595 and 0.51 achieved for the PPCT and conventional oral scan, respectively. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed statistical differences in the stomach (P contrast medium causing better or equal distention in the bowel and better or equal clarity than routine barium contrast. This calls for a need to reconsider the use of water as a contrast medium in clinical practice.

Metal artifact reduction for flat panel detector intravenous CT angiography in patients with intracranial metallic implants after endovascular and surgical treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pjontek, Rastislav; Önenköprülü, Belgin; Scholz, Bernhard; Kyriakou, Yiannis; Schubert, Gerrit A; Nikoubashman, Omid; Othman, Ahmed; Wiesmann, Martin; Brockmann, Marc A

2016-08-01

Flat panel detector CT angiography with intravenous contrast agent injection (IV CTA) allows high-resolution imaging of cerebrovascular structures. Artifacts caused by metallic implants like platinum coils or clips lead to degradation of image quality and are a significant problem. To evaluate the influence of a prototype metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm on image quality in patients with intracranial metallic implants. Flat panel detector CT after intravenous application of 80 mL contrast agent was performed with an angiography system (Artis zee; Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) using a 20 s rotation protocol (200° rotation angle, 20 s acquisition time, 496 projections). The data before and after MAR of 26 patients with a total of 34 implants (coils, clips, stents) were independently evaluated by two blinded neuroradiologists. MAR improved the assessability of the brain parenchyma and small vessels (diameter metallic implants and at a distance of 6 cm (p<0.001 each, Wilcoxon test). Furthermore, MAR significantly improved the assessability of parent vessel patency and potential aneurysm remnants (p<0.005 each, McNemar test). MAR, however, did not improve assessability of stented vessels. When an intravenous contrast protocol is used, MAR significantly ameliorates the assessability of brain parenchyma, vessels, and treated aneurysms in patients with intracranial coils or clips. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

View-Angle Tilting and Slice-Encoding Metal Artifact Correction for Artifact Reduction in MRI: Experimental Sequence Optimization for Orthopaedic Tumor Endoprostheses and Clinical Application.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pia M Jungmann

Full Text Available MRI plays a major role in follow-up of patients with malignant bone tumors. However, after limb salvage surgery, orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses might cause significant metal-induced susceptibility artifacts.To evaluate the benefit of view-angle tilting (VAT and slice-encoding metal artifact correction (SEMAC for MRI of large-sized orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses in an experimental model and to demonstrate clinical benefits for assessment of periprosthetic soft tissue abnormalities.In an experimental setting, tumor endoprostheses (n=4 were scanned at 1.5T with three versions of optimized high-bandwidth turbo-spin-echo pulse sequences: (i standard, (ii VAT and (iii combined VAT and SEMAC (VAT&SEMAC. Pulse sequences included coronal short-tau-inversion-recovery (STIR, coronal T1-weighted (w, transverse T1-w and T2-w TSE sequences. For clinical evaluation, VAT&SEMAC was compared to conventional metal artifact-reducing MR sequences (conventional MR in n=25 patients with metal implants and clinical suspicion of tumor recurrence or infection. Diameters of artifacts were measured quantitatively. Qualitative parameters were assessed on a five-point scale (1=best, 5=worst: "image distortion", "artificial signal changes at the edges" and "diagnostic confidence". Imaging findings were correlated with pathology. T-tests and Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were used for statistical analyses.The true size of the prostheses was overestimated on MRI (P<0.05. A significant reduction of artifacts was achieved by VAT (P<0.001 and VAT&SEMAC (P=0.003 compared to the standard group. Quantitative scores improved in the VAT and VAT&SEMAC group (P<0.05. On clinical MR images, artifact diameters were significantly reduced in the VAT&SEMAC-group as compared with the conventional-group (P<0.001. Distortion and artificial signal changes were reduced and diagnostic confidence improved (P<0.05. In two cases, tumor-recurrence, in ten cases infection and in thirteen cases other

["Long-branch Attraction" artifact in phylogenetic reconstruction].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi-Wei; Yu, Li; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2007-06-01

Phylogenetic reconstruction among various organisms not only helps understand their evolutionary history but also reveal several fundamental evolutionary questions. Understanding of the evolutionary relationships among organisms establishes the foundation for the investigations of other biological disciplines. However, almost all the widely used phylogenetic methods have limitations which fail to eliminate systematic errors effectively, preventing the reconstruction of true organismal relationships. "Long-branch Attraction" (LBA) artifact is one of the most disturbing factors in phylogenetic reconstruction. In this review, the conception and analytic method as well as the avoidance strategy of LBA were summarized. In addition, several typical examples were provided. The approach to avoid and resolve LBA artifact has been discussed.

A Language of Objects and Artifacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svabo, Connie

This is a conceptual inquiry about materiality. It gives an introductory overview to the vocabulary of materiality in a chosen selection of theories. The paper shows a language of artifacts and objects as it is used within practice-based approaches to organizational knowing. The examined...... intellectual traditions are interpretive-cultural approaches; activity theory; and sociology of translation. Similarities and differences are presented in the way these three distinct intellectual traditions conceptualize the array of material objects and artifacts which are central in the tales of practice...... concepts do the theories attempt to grasp tools and design objects – furniture, graphics, flutes-in-making and built space? The paper shows which concepts are used and it demonstrates how the interaction between social and material realities are viewed. Furthermore it highlights some of the ontological...

Dynamic iterative beam hardening correction (DIBHC) in myocardial perfusion imaging using contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Philip; Schmidt, Bernhard; Allmendinger, Thomas; Flohr, Thomas; Kachelrie, Marc

2010-06-01

In cardiac perfusion examinations with computed tomography (CT) large concentrations of iodine in the ventricle and in the descending aorta cause beam hardening artifacts that can lead to incorrect perfusion parameters. The aim of this study is to reduce these artifacts by performing an iterative correction and by accounting for the 3 materials soft tissue, bone, and iodine. Beam hardening corrections are either implemented as simple precorrections which cannot account for higher order beam hardening effects, or as iterative approaches that are based on segmenting the original image into material distribution images. Conventional segmentation algorithms fail to clearly distinguish between iodine and bone. Our new algorithm, DIBHC, calculates the time-dependent iodine distribution by analyzing the voxel changes of a cardiac perfusion examination (typically N approximately 15 electrocardiogram-correlated scans distributed over a total scan time up to T approximately 30 s). These voxel dynamics are due to changes in contrast agent. This prior information allows to precisely distinguish between bone and iodine and is key to DIBHC where each iteration consists of a multimaterial (soft tissue, bone, iodine) polychromatic forward projection, a raw data comparison and a filtered backprojection. Simulations with a semi-anthropomorphic dynamic phantom and clinical scans using a dual source CT scanner with 2 x 128 slices, a tube voltage of 100 kV, a tube current of 180 mAs, and a rotation time of 0.28 seconds have been carried out. The uncorrected images suffer from beam hardening artifacts that appear as dark bands connecting large concentrations of iodine in the ventricle, aorta, and bony structures. The CT-values of the affected tissue are usually underestimated by roughly 20 HU although deviations of up to 61 HU have been observed. For a quantitative evaluation circular regions of interest have been analyzed. After application of DIBHC the mean values obtained deviate by

Tissue artifact removal from respiratory signals based on empirical mode decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shaopeng; Gao, Robert X; John, Dinesh; Staudenmayer, John; Freedson, Patty

2013-05-01

On-line measurement of respiration plays an important role in monitoring human physical activities. Such measurement commonly employs sensing belts secured around the rib cage and abdomen of the test object. Affected by the movement of body tissues, respiratory signals typically have a low signal-to-noise ratio. Removing tissue artifacts therefore is critical to ensuring effective respiration analysis. This paper presents a signal decomposition technique for tissue artifact removal from respiratory signals, based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD). An algorithm based on the mutual information and power criteria was devised to automatically select appropriate intrinsic mode functions for tissue artifact removal and respiratory signal reconstruction. Performance of the EMD-algorithm was evaluated through simulations and real-life experiments (N = 105). Comparison with low-pass filtering that has been conventionally applied confirmed the effectiveness of the technique in tissue artifacts removal.

Impact of metal artifact reduction software on image quality of gemstone spectral imaging dual-energy cerebral CT angiography after intracranial aneurysm clipping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunet, Vincent; Bernasconi, Martine; Hajdu, Steven David; Meuli, Reto Antoine; Zerlauth, Jean-Baptiste [Lausanne University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne (Switzerland); Daniel, Roy Thomas [Lausanne University Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2017-09-15

We aimed to assess the impact of metal artifact reduction software (MARs) on image quality of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) dual-energy (DE) cerebral CT angiography (CTA) after intracranial aneurysm clipping. This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, which waived patient written consent. From January 2013 to September 2016, single source DE cerebral CTA were performed in 45 patients (mean age: 60 ± 9 years, male 9) after intracranial aneurysm clipping and reconstructed with and without MARs. Signal-to-noise (SNR), contrast-to-noise (CNR), and relative CNR (rCNR) ratios were calculated from attenuation values measured in the internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA). Volume of clip and artifacts and relative clip blurring reduction (rCBR) ratios were also measured at each energy level with/without MARs. Variables were compared between GSI and GSI-MARs using the paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. MARs significantly reduced metal artifacts at all energy levels but 130 and 140 keV, regardless of clips' location and number. The optimal rCBR was obtained at 110 and 80 keV, respectively, on GSI and GSI-MARs images, with up to 96% rCNR increase on GSI-MARs images. The best compromise between metal artifact reduction and rCNR was obtained at 70-75 and 65-70 keV for GSI and GSI-MARs images, respectively, with up to 15% rCBR and rCNR increase on GSI-MARs images. MARs significantly reduces metal artifacts on DE cerebral CTA after intracranial aneurysm clipping regardless of clips' location and number. It may be used to reduce radiation dose while increasing CNR. (orig.)

SU-F-I-08: CT Image Ring Artifact Reduction Based On Prior Image

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, C; Qi, H; Chen, Z; Wu, S; Xu, Y; Zhou, L [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: In computed tomography (CT) system, CT images with ring artifacts will be reconstructed when some adjacent bins of detector don’t work. The ring artifacts severely degrade CT image quality. We present a useful CT ring artifacts reduction based on projection data correction, aiming at estimating the missing data of projection data accurately, thus removing the ring artifacts of CT images. Methods: The method consists of ten steps: 1) Identification of abnormal pixel line in projection sinogram; 2) Linear interpolation within the pixel line of projection sinogram; 3) FBP reconstruction using interpolated projection data; 4) Filtering FBP image using mean filter; 5) Forwarding projection of filtered FBP image; 6) Subtraction forwarded projection from original projection; 7) Linear interpolation of abnormal pixel line area in the subtraction projection; 8) Adding the interpolated subtraction projection on the forwarded projection; 9) FBP reconstruction using corrected projection data; 10) Return to step 4 until the pre-set iteration number is reached. The method is validated on simulated and real data to restore missing projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free CT images. Results: We have studied impact of amount of dead bins of CT detector on the accuracy of missing data estimation in projection sinogram. For the simulated case with a resolution of 256 by 256 Shepp-Logan phantom, three iterations are sufficient to restore projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free images when the dead bins rating is under 30%. The dead-bin-induced artifacts are substantially reduced. More iteration number is needed to reconstruct satisfactory images while the rating of dead bins increases. Similar results were found for a real head phantom case. Conclusion: A practical CT image ring artifact correction scheme based on projection data is developed. This method can produce ring artifact-free CT images feasibly and effectively.

SU-F-I-08: CT Image Ring Artifact Reduction Based On Prior Image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, C; Qi, H; Chen, Z; Wu, S; Xu, Y; Zhou, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: In computed tomography (CT) system, CT images with ring artifacts will be reconstructed when some adjacent bins of detector don’t work. The ring artifacts severely degrade CT image quality. We present a useful CT ring artifacts reduction based on projection data correction, aiming at estimating the missing data of projection data accurately, thus removing the ring artifacts of CT images. Methods: The method consists of ten steps: 1) Identification of abnormal pixel line in projection sinogram; 2) Linear interpolation within the pixel line of projection sinogram; 3) FBP reconstruction using interpolated projection data; 4) Filtering FBP image using mean filter; 5) Forwarding projection of filtered FBP image; 6) Subtraction forwarded projection from original projection; 7) Linear interpolation of abnormal pixel line area in the subtraction projection; 8) Adding the interpolated subtraction projection on the forwarded projection; 9) FBP reconstruction using corrected projection data; 10) Return to step 4 until the pre-set iteration number is reached. The method is validated on simulated and real data to restore missing projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free CT images. Results: We have studied impact of amount of dead bins of CT detector on the accuracy of missing data estimation in projection sinogram. For the simulated case with a resolution of 256 by 256 Shepp-Logan phantom, three iterations are sufficient to restore projection data and reconstruct ring artifact-free images when the dead bins rating is under 30%. The dead-bin-induced artifacts are substantially reduced. More iteration number is needed to reconstruct satisfactory images while the rating of dead bins increases. Similar results were found for a real head phantom case. Conclusion: A practical CT image ring artifact correction scheme based on projection data is developed. This method can produce ring artifact-free CT images feasibly and effectively.

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Chris

2015-01-01

Niche construction theory is a relatively new approach in evolutionary biology that seeks to integrate an ecological dimension into the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. It is regarded by many evolutionary biologists as providing a significant revision of the Neo-Darwinian modern synthesis that unified Darwin's theory of natural and sexual selection with 20th century population genetics. Niche construction theory has been invoked as a processual mediator of social cognitive evolution and of the emergence and evolution of language. I argue that language itself can be considered as a biocultural niche and evolutionary artifact. I provide both a general analysis of the cognitive and semiotic status of artifacts, and a formal analysis of language as a social and semiotic institution, based upon a distinction between the fundamental semiotic relations of "counting as" and "standing for." I explore the consequences for theories of language and language learning of viewing language as a biocultural niche. I suggest that not only do niches mediate organism-organism interactions, but also that organisms mediate niche-niche interactions in ways that affect evolutionary processes, with the evolution of human infancy and childhood as a key example. I argue that language as a social and semiotic system is not only grounded in embodied engagements with the material and social-interactional world, but also grounds a sub-class of artifacts of particular significance in the cultural history of human cognition. Symbolic cognitive artifacts materially and semiotically mediate human cognition, and are not merely informational repositories, but co-agentively constitutive of culturally and historically emergent cognitive domains. I provide examples of the constitutive cognitive role of symbolic cognitive artifacts drawn from my research with my colleagues on cultural and linguistic conceptualizations of time, and their cultural variability. I conclude by reflecting on

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris eSinha

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Niche construction theory is a relatively new approach in evolutionary biology that seeks to integrate an ecological dimension into the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. It is regarded by many evolutionary biologists as providing a significant revision of the Neo-Darwinian modern synthesis that unified Darwin’s theory of natural and sexual selection with 20th century population genetics. Niche construction theory has been invoked as a processual mediator of social cognitive evolution and of the emergence and evolution of language. I argue that language itself can be considered as a biocultural niche and evolutionary artifact. I provide both a general analysis of the cognitive and semiotic status of artifacts, and a formal analysis of language as a social and semiotic institution, based upon a distinction between the fundamental semiotic relations of counting as and standing for. I explore the consequences for theories of language and language learning of viewing language as a biocultural niche. I suggest that not only do niches mediate organism-organism interactions, but also that organisms mediate niche-niche interactions in ways that affect evolutionary processes, with the evolution of human infancy and childhood as a key example. I argue that language as a social and semiotic system is not only grounded in embodied engagements with the material and social-interactional world, but also grounds a sub-class of artifacts of particular significance in the cultural history of human cognition. Symbolic cognitive artifacts materially and semiotically mediate human cognition, and are not merely informational repositories, but co-agentively constitutive of culturally and historically emergent cognitive domains. I provide examples of the constitutive cognitive role of symbolic cognitive artifacts drawn from my research with my colleagues on cultural and linguistic conceptualizations of time, and their cultural variability. I conclude

Contrast-enhanced MRI of the lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Kreitner, Karl-Friedrich

2000-01-01

The lung has long been neglected by MR imaging. This is due to unique intrinsic difficulties: (1) signal loss due to cardiac pulsation and respiration; (2) susceptibility artifacts caused by multiple air-tissue interfaces; (3) low proton density. There are many MR strategies to overcome these problems. They consist of breath-hold imaging, respiratory and cardiac gating procedures, use of short repetition and echo times, increase of the relaxivity of existing spins by administration of intravenous contrast agents, and enrichment of spin density by hyperpolarized noble gases or oxygen. Improvements in scanner performance and frequent use of contrast media have increased the interest in MR imaging and MR angiography of the lung. They can be used on a routine basis for the following indications: characterization of pulmonary nodules, staging of bronchogenic carcinoma, in particular assessment of chest wall invasion; evaluation of inflammatory activity in interstitial lung disease; acute pulmonary embolism, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, vascular involvement in malignant disease; vascular abnormalities. Future perspectives include perfusion imaging using extracellular or intravascular (blood pool) contrast agents and ventilation imaging using inhalation of hyperpolarized noble gases, of paramagnetic oxygen or of aerosolized contrast agents. These techniques represent new approaches to functional lung imaging. The combination of visualization of morphology and functional assessment of ventilation and perfusion is unequalled by any other technique

Signal processing methods for reducing artifacts in microelectrode brain recordings caused by functional electrical stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Young, D.; Willett, F.; Memberg, W. D.; Murphy, B.; Walter, B.; Sweet, J.; Miller, J.; Hochberg, L. R.; Kirsch, R. F.; Ajiboye, A. B.

2018-04-01

Objective. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising technology for restoring movement to paralyzed limbs. Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) have enabled intuitive control over virtual and robotic movements, and more recently over upper extremity FES neuroprostheses. However, electrical stimulation of muscles creates artifacts in intracortical microelectrode recordings that could degrade iBCI performance. Here, we investigate methods for reducing the cortically recorded artifacts that result from peripheral electrical stimulation. Approach. One participant in the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial had two intracortical microelectrode arrays placed in the motor cortex, and thirty-six stimulating intramuscular electrodes placed in the muscles of the contralateral limb. We characterized intracortically recorded electrical artifacts during both intramuscular and surface stimulation. We compared the performance of three artifact reduction methods: blanking, common average reference (CAR) and linear regression reference (LRR), which creates channel-specific reference signals, composed of weighted sums of other channels. Main results. Electrical artifacts resulting from surface stimulation were 175  ×  larger than baseline neural recordings (which were 110 µV peak-to-peak), while intramuscular stimulation artifacts were only 4  ×  larger. The artifact waveforms were highly consistent across electrodes within each array. Application of LRR reduced artifact magnitudes to less than 10 µV and largely preserved the original neural feature values used for decoding. Unmitigated stimulation artifacts decreased iBCI decoding performance, but performance was almost completely recovered using LRR, which outperformed CAR and blanking and extracted useful neural information during stimulation artifact periods. Significance. The LRR method was effective at reducing electrical artifacts resulting from both intramuscular and surface FES, and

Inter-deriving Semantic Artifacts for Object-Oriented Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Johannsen, Jacob

2008-01-01

We present a new abstract machine for Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects. What is special about this semantic artifact (i.e., man-made construct) is that is mechanically corresponds to both the reduction semantics (i.e., small-step operational semantics) and the natural semantics (i...... actual substitutions, we then represent object methods as closures and in the same inter-derivational spirit, we present three new semantic artifacts: a reduction semantics for a version of Abadi and Cardelli's untyped calculus of objects with explicit substitutions, an environment-based abstract machine...

EEG Artifact Removal Using a Wavelet Neural Network

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hoang-Anh T.; Musson, John; Li, Jiang; McKenzie, Frederick; Zhang, Guangfan; Xu, Roger; Richey, Carl; Schnell, Tom

2011-01-01

!n this paper we developed a wavelet neural network. (WNN) algorithm for Electroencephalogram (EEG) artifact removal without electrooculographic (EOG) recordings. The algorithm combines the universal approximation characteristics of neural network and the time/frequency property of wavelet. We. compared the WNN algorithm with .the ICA technique ,and a wavelet thresholding method, which was realized by using the Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE) with an adaptive gradient-based optimal threshold. Experimental results on a driving test data set show that WNN can remove EEG artifacts effectively without diminishing useful EEG information even for very noisy data.

Suppression of intensity transition artifacts in statistical x-ray computer tomography reconstruction through Radon inversion initialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zbijewski, Wojciech; Beekman, Freek J.

2004-01-01

Statistical reconstruction (SR) methods provide a general and flexible framework for obtaining tomographic images from projections. For several applications SR has been shown to outperform analytical algorithms in terms of resolution-noise trade-off achieved in the reconstructions. A disadvantage of SR is the long computational time required to obtain the reconstructions, in particular when large data sets characteristic for x-ray computer tomography (CT) are involved. As was shown recently, by combining statistical methods with block iterative acceleration schemes [e.g., like in the ordered subsets convex (OSC) algorithm], the reconstruction time for x-ray CT applications can be reduced by about two orders of magnitude. There are, however, some factors lengthening the reconstruction process that hamper both accelerated and standard statistical algorithms to similar degree. In this simulation study based on monoenergetic and scatter-free projection data, we demonstrate that one of these factors is the extremely high number of iterations needed to remove artifacts that can appear around high-contrast structures. We also show (using the OSC method) that these artifacts can be adequately suppressed if statistical reconstruction is initialized with images generated by means of Radon inversion algorithms like filtered back projection (FBP). This allows the reconstruction time to be shortened by even as much as one order of magnitude. Although the initialization of the statistical algorithm with FBP image introduces some additional noise into the first iteration of OSC reconstruction, the resolution-noise trade-off and the contrast-to-noise ratio of final images are not markedly compromised

Iterative Covariance-Based Removal of Time-Synchronous Artifacts: Application to Gastrointestinal Electrical Recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Jonathan C; Putney, Joy; Hilbert, Douglas; Paskaranandavadivel, Niranchan; Cheng, Leo K; O'Grady, Greg; Angeli, Timothy R

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to develop, validate, and apply a fully automated method for reducing large temporally synchronous artifacts present in electrical recordings made from the gastrointestinal (GI) serosa, which are problematic for properly assessing slow wave dynamics. Such artifacts routinely arise in experimental and clinical settings from motion, switching behavior of medical instruments, or electrode array manipulation. A novel iterative Covariance-Based Reduction of Artifacts (COBRA) algorithm sequentially reduced artifact waveforms using an updating across-channel median as a noise template, scaled and subtracted from each channel based on their covariance. Application of COBRA substantially increased the signal-to-artifact ratio (12.8 ± 2.5 dB), while minimally attenuating the energy of the underlying source signal by 7.9% on average ( -11.1 ± 3.9 dB). COBRA was shown to be highly effective for aiding recovery and accurate marking of slow wave events (sensitivity = 0.90 ± 0.04; positive-predictive value = 0.74 ± 0.08) from large segments of in vivo porcine GI electrical mapping data that would otherwise be lost due to a broad range of contaminating artifact waveforms. Strongly reducing artifacts with COBRA ultimately allowed for rapid production of accurate isochronal activation maps detailing the dynamics of slow wave propagation in the porcine intestine. Such mapping studies can help characterize differences between normal and dysrhythmic events, which have been associated with GI abnormalities, such as intestinal ischemia and gastroparesis. The COBRA method may be generally applicable for removing temporally synchronous artifacts in other biosignal processing domains.

Ring artifact reduction in synchrotron X-ray tomography through helical acquisition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.M. Pelt (Daniël); D.Y. Parkinson (Dilworth)

2017-01-01

textabstractIn synchrotron X-ray tomography, systematic defects in certain detector elements can result in arc-shaped artifacts in the final reconstructed image of the scanned sample. These ring artifacts are commonly found in many applications of synchrotron tomography, and can make

Analysis of artifact and infrequent physiological uptake in 18F-FDG PET/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Tianran; Zhao Chunlei; Qian Gennian; Chen Ziqian; Wang Kaitang; You Xueyu; Zheng Chunyu

2006-01-01

Objective: To explore the artifact and infrequent physiological uptake in PET/CT with its imaging and formation features. Methods: The data of PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed and classified based on their cause. Besides, the infrequent physiological uptakes were also analyzed. Results: Artifacts could be classified into natural and technological causes. In natural causes, respiratory movement and high-density matters artifacts were frequently found, whereas in technological cause, the truncation, radioactive leakage and pollution commonly appeared. Infrequent physiological uptakes included uterine endometrium, breast and fat uptakes. Conclusions: The imaging features of artifact in PET can be divided into 'hot' or 'cold' area while infrequent physiological uptakes mainly are 'hot' area. Among the cause of artifact formation, CT-based attenuation corrected physical factor is the commonest. The infrequent physiological uptake somewhat relates to technological error. (authors)

Multi-detector row CT of the head and neck: comparison of different volumes of contrast material with and without a saline chaser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Dae Young; You, Su Yeon; Choi, Chul Soon; Chang, Suk Ki; Yun, Eun Joo; Seo, Young Lan; Park, Sang Joon; Lee, Yu-Jin; Moon, Jeung Hee; Rho, Young-Soo; Kim, Jin-Hwan

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different volumes of contrast material with and without a saline chaser on tissue enhancement in multidetector row CT (MDCT) of the head and neck. In a blind prospective fashion, 120 patients were randomized into the following four groups: group 1, 80 ml contrast material administered at a flow rate of 2.0 ml/s; group 2, 80 ml followed by 40 ml saline at 2.0 ml/s; group 3, 60 ml at 1.5 ml/s; and group 4, 60 ml followed by 30 ml saline at 1.5 ml/s. The attenuation values of the carotid artery, internal jugular vein, and muscle were measured at an interval of 1.5 s in each patient. The degree of perivenous artifacts was subjectively assessed. Mean attenuation values in the carotid artery and internal jugular vein were significantly higher in groups 1 and 2 than in groups 3 and 4. The width of the diagnostic window (both carotid and jugular enhancement >150 HU) were significantly longer in groups 1 and 2 than in groups 3 and 4. The addition of a saline chaser did not result in improved vascular enhancement or a wider diagnostic window, but reduced perivenous artifacts, compared with using contrast material alone. Reduction of contrast material from 80 to 60 ml results in insufficient enhancement of neck vessels. In addition, the benefit of a saline chaser technique is not obvious except for its ability to reduce perivenous artifacts. (orig.)

Effect of high-pitch dual-source CT to compensate motion artifacts: a phantom study.

Science.gov (United States)

Farshad-Amacker, Nadja A; Alkadhi, Hatem; Leschka, Sebastian; Frauenfelder, Thomas

2013-10-01

To evaluate the potential of high-pitch, dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) for compensation of motion artifacts. Motion artifacts were created using a moving chest/cardiac phantom with integrated stents at different velocities (from 0 to 4-6 cm/s) parallel (z direction), transverse (x direction), and diagonal (x and z direction combined) to the scanning direction using standard-pitch (SP) (pitch = 1) and high-pitch (HP) (pitch = 3.2) 128-detector DSCT (Siemens, Healthcare, Forchheim, Germany). The scanning parameters were (SP/HP): tube voltage, 120 kV/120 kV; effective tube current time product, 300 mAs/500 mAs; and a pitch of 1/3.2. Motion artifacts were analyzed in terms of subjective image quality and object distortion. Image quality was rated by two blinded, independent observers using a 4-point scoring system (1, excellent; 2, good with minor object distortion or blurring; 3, diagnostically partially not acceptable; and 4, diagnostically not acceptable image quality). Object distortion was assessed by the measured changes of the object's outer diameter (x) and length (z) and a corresponding calculated distortion vector (d) (d = √(x(2) + z(2))). The interobserver agreement was excellent (k = 0.91). Image quality using SP was diagnostically not acceptable with any motion in x direction (scores 3 and 4), in contrast to HP DSCT where it remained diagnostic up to 2 cm/s (scores 1 and 2). For motion in the z direction only, image quality remained diagnostic for SP and HP DSCT (scores 1 and 2). Changes of the object's diameter (x), length (z), and distortion vectors (d) were significantly greater with SP (overall: x = 1.9 cm ± 1.7 cm, z = 0.6 cm ± 0.8 cm, and d = 1.4 cm ± 1.5 cm) compared to HP DSCT (overall: x = 0.1 cm ± 0.1 cm, z = 0.0 cm ± 0.1 cm, and d = 0.1 cm ± 0.1 cm; each P pitch DSCT significantly decreases motion artifacts in various directions and improves image quality. Copyright © 2013 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relation between respiratory motion artifact correction and lung standardized uptake value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Lijie; Liu Xiaojian; Liu Jie; Xu Rui; Yan Jue

2014-01-01

PET/CT is playing an important role in disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. But the respiratory motion artifact may bring trouble in diagnosis and therapy. There are many methods to correct the respiratory motion artifact. Respiratory gated PET/CT is applied most extensively of them. Using respiratory gated PET/CT to correct respiratory motion artifact can increase the maximum standardized uptake value of lung lesion obviously, thereby improving the quality of image and accuracy of diagnosis. (authors)

Histologic processing artifacts and inter-pathologist variation in measurement of inked margins of canine mast cell tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiser, Patti K; Löhr, Christiane V; Meritet, Danielle; Spagnoli, Sean T; Milovancev, Milan; Russell, Duncan S

2018-05-01

Although quantitative assessment of margins is recommended for describing excision of cutaneous malignancies, there is poor understanding of limitations associated with this technique. We described and quantified histologic artifacts in inked margins and determined the association between artifacts and variance in histologic tumor-free margin (HTFM) measurements based on a novel grading scheme applied to 50 sections of normal canine skin and 56 radial margins taken from 15 different canine mast cell tumors (MCTs). Three broad categories of artifact were 1) tissue deformation at inked edges, 2) ink-associated artifacts, and 3) sectioning-associated artifacts. The most common artifacts in MCT margins were ink-associated artifacts, specifically ink absent from an edge (mean prevalence: 50%) and inappropriate ink coloring (mean: 45%). The prevalence of other artifacts in MCT skin was 4-50%. In MCT margins, frequency-adjusted kappa statistics found fair or better inter-rater reliability for 9 of 10 artifacts; intra-rater reliability was moderate or better in 9 of 10 artifacts. Digital HTFM measurements by 5 blinded pathologists had a median standard deviation (SD) of 1.9 mm (interquartile range: 0.8-3.6 mm; range: 0-6.2 mm). Intraclass correlation coefficients demonstrated good inter-pathologist reliability in HTFM measurement (κ = 0.81). Spearman rank correlation coefficients found negligible correlation between artifacts and HTFM SDs ( r ≤ 0.3). These data confirm that although histologic artifacts commonly occur in inked margin specimens, artifacts are not meaningfully associated with variation in HTFM measurements. Investigators can use the grading scheme presented herein to identify artifacts associated with tissue processing.

Image contrast enhancement based on a local standard deviation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Dah-Chung; Wu, Wen-Rong

1996-01-01

The adaptive contrast enhancement (ACE) algorithm is a widely used image enhancement method, which needs a contrast gain to adjust high frequency components of an image. In the literature, the gain is usually inversely proportional to the local standard deviation (LSD) or is a constant. But these cause two problems in practical applications, i.e., noise overenhancement and ringing artifact. In this paper a new gain is developed based on Hunt's Gaussian image model to prevent the two defects. The new gain is a nonlinear function of LSD and has the desired characteristic emphasizing the LSD regions in which details are concentrated. We have applied the new ACE algorithm to chest x-ray images and the simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm

Clinical evaluation of TOF versus non-TOF on PET artifacts in simultaneous PET/MR: a dual centre experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voert, Edwin E.G.W. ter [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Veit-Haibach, Patrick [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Ahn, Sangtae [GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Wiesinger, Florian [GE Global Research, Muenchen (Germany); Khalighi, M.M.; Delso, Gaspar [GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI (United States); Levin, Craig S. [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford, CA (United States); Iagaru, Andrei H. [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Stanford, CA (United States); Zaharchuk, Greg [Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology, Stanford, CA (United States); Huellner, Martin [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); University Hospital Zurich, Department of Neuroradiology, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-07-15

Our objective was to determine clinically the value of time-of-flight (TOF) information in reducing PET artifacts and improving PET image quality and accuracy in simultaneous TOF PET/MR scanning. A total 65 patients who underwent a comparative scan in a simultaneous TOF PET/MR scanner were included. TOF and non-TOF PET images were reconstructed, clinically examined, compared and scored. PET imaging artifacts were categorized as large or small implant-related artifacts, as dental implant-related artifacts, and as implant-unrelated artifacts. Differences in image quality, especially those related to (implant) artifacts, were assessed using a scale ranging from 0 (no artifact) to 4 (severe artifact). A total of 87 image artifacts were found and evaluated. Four patients had large and eight patients small implant-related artifacts, 27 patients had dental implants/fillings, and 48 patients had implant-unrelated artifacts. The average score was 1.14 ± 0.82 for non-TOF PET images and 0.53 ± 0.66 for TOF images (p < 0.01) indicating that artifacts were less noticeable when TOF information was included. Our study indicates that PET image artifacts are significantly mitigated with integration of TOF information in simultaneous PET/MR. The impact is predominantly seen in patients with significant artifacts due to metal implants. (orig.)

Presenting Cultural Artifacts in the Art Museum: A University-Museum Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Sheng Kuan

2009-01-01

With increasing emphasis on multicultural art education and integrative pedagogy, educators have incorporated community resources, such as cultural artifacts exhibited in art museums, to enrich their programs. Cultural artifacts are human-made objects which generally reveal historic information about cultural values, beliefs, and traditions.…

A preliminary study of muscular artifact cancellation in single-channel EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xun; Liu, Aiping; Peng, Hu; Ward, Rabab K

2014-10-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings are often contaminated with muscular artifacts that strongly obscure the EEG signals and complicates their analysis. For the conventional case, where the EEG recordings are obtained simultaneously over many EEG channels, there exists a considerable range of methods for removing muscular artifacts. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to use EEG information in ambulatory healthcare and related physiological signal monitoring systems. For practical reasons, a single EEG channel system must be used in these situations. Unfortunately, there exist few studies for muscular artifact cancellation in single-channel EEG recordings. To address this issue, in this preliminary study, we propose a simple, yet effective, method to achieve the muscular artifact cancellation for the single-channel EEG case. This method is a combination of the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the joint blind source separation (JBSS) techniques. We also conduct a study that compares and investigates all possible single-channel solutions and demonstrate the performance of these methods using numerical simulations and real-life applications. The proposed method is shown to significantly outperform all other methods. It can successfully remove muscular artifacts without altering the underlying EEG activity. It is thus a promising tool for use in ambulatory healthcare systems.

Metal artifact reduction using a patch-based reconstruction for digital breast tomosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Lucas R.; Bakic, Predrag R.; Maidment, Andrew D. A.; Vieira, Marcelo A. C.

2017-03-01

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is rapidly emerging as the main clinical tool for breast cancer screening. Although several reconstruction methods for DBT are described by the literature, one common issue is the interplane artifacts caused by out-of-focus features. For breasts containing highly attenuating features, such as surgical clips and large calcifications, the artifacts are even more apparent and can limit the detection and characterization of lesions by the radiologist. In this work, we propose a novel method of combining backprojected data into tomographic slices using a patch-based approach, commonly used in denoising. Preliminary tests were performed on a geometry phantom and on an anthropomorphic phantom containing metal inserts. The reconstructed images were compared to a commercial reconstruction solution. Qualitative assessment of the reconstructed images provides evidence that the proposed method reduces artifacts while maintaining low noise levels. Objective assessment supports the visual findings. The artifact spread function shows that the proposed method is capable of suppressing artifacts generated by highly attenuating features. The signal difference to noise ratio shows that the noise levels of the proposed and commercial methods are comparable, even though the commercial method applies post-processing filtering steps, which were not implemented on the proposed method. Thus, the proposed method can produce tomosynthesis reconstructions with reduced artifacts and low noise levels.

Mitigation of artifacts in rtm with migration kernel decomposition

KAUST Repository

Zhan, Ge

2012-01-01

The migration kernel for reverse-time migration (RTM) can be decomposed into four component kernels using Born scattering and migration theory. Each component kernel has a unique physical interpretation and can be interpreted differently. In this paper, we present a generalized diffraction-stack migration approach for reducing RTM artifacts via decomposition of migration kernel. The decomposition leads to an improved understanding of migration artifacts and, therefore, presents us with opportunities for improving the quality of RTM images.

Magnetic resonance imaging metallic artifact of commonly encountered surgical implants and foreign material.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland-Smith, James; Tilley, Brenda

2012-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) artifacts secondary to metallic implants and foreign bodies are well described. Herein, we provide quantitative data from veterinary implants including total hip arthroplasty implants, cranial cruciate repair implants, surgical screws, a skin staple, ligation clips, an identification microchip, ameroid constrictor, and potential foreign bodies including air gun and BB projectiles and a sewing needle. The objects were scanned in a gelatin phantom with plastic grid using standardized T2-weighted turbo-spin echo (TSE), T1-weighted spin echo, and T2*-weighted gradient recalled echo (GRE) image acquisitions at 1.5 T. Maximum linear dimensions and areas of signal voiding and grid distortion were calculated using a DICOM workstation for each sequence and object. Artifact severity was similar between the T2-weighted TSE and T1-weighted images, while the T2*-weighted images were most susceptible to artifact. Metal type influenced artifact size with the largest artifacts arising from steel objects followed by surgical stainless steel, titanium, and lead. For animals with metallic surgical implants or foreign bodies, the quantification of the artifact size will help guide clinicians on the viability of MRI. © 2012 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

Quantitative analysis of titanium-induced artifacts and correlated factors during micro-CT scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun Yuan; Pow, Edmond Ho Nang; Zheng, Li Wu; Ma, Li; Kwong, Dora Lai Wan; Cheung, Lim Kwong

2014-04-01

To investigate the impact of cover screw, resin embedment, and implant angulation on artifact of microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) scanning for implant. A total of twelve implants were randomly divided into 4 groups: (i) implant only; (ii) implant with cover screw; (iii) implant with resin embedment; and (iv) implants with cover screw and resin embedment. Implants angulation at 0°, 45°, and 90° were scanned by micro-CT. Images were assessed, and the ratio of artifact volume to total volume (AV/TV) was calculated. A multiple regression analysis in stepwise model was used to determine the significance of different factors. One-way ANOVA was performed to identify which combination of factors could minimize the artifact. In the regression analysis, implant angulation was identified as the best predictor for artifact among the factors (P  0.05). Non-embedded implants with the axis parallel to X-ray source of micro-CT produced minimal artifact. Implant angulation and resin embedment affected the artifact volume of micro-CT scanning for implant, while cover screw did not. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dealing with noise and physiological artifacts in human EEG recordings: empirical mode methods

Science.gov (United States)

Runnova, Anastasiya E.; Grubov, Vadim V.; Khramova, Marina V.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2017-04-01

In the paper we propose the new method for removing noise and physiological artifacts in human EEG recordings based on empirical mode decomposition (Hilbert-Huang transform). As physiological artifacts we consider specific oscillatory patterns that cause problems during EEG analysis and can be detected with additional signals recorded simultaneously with EEG (ECG, EMG, EOG, etc.) We introduce the algorithm of the proposed method with steps including empirical mode decomposition of EEG signal, choosing of empirical modes with artifacts, removing these empirical modes and reconstructing of initial EEG signal. We show the efficiency of the method on the example of filtration of human EEG signal from eye-moving artifacts.

Artifacts, intentions, and contraceptives: the problem with having a plan B for plan B.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Philip A

2013-12-01

It is commonly proposed that artifacts cannot be understood without reference to human intentions. This fact, I contend, has relevance to the use of artifacts in intentional action. I argue that because artifacts have intentions embedded into them antecedently, when we use artifacts we are sometimes compelled to intend descriptions of our actions that we might, for various reasons, be inclined to believe that we do not intend. I focus this argument to a specific set of artifacts, namely, medical devices, before considering an extended application to emergency contraceptive devices. Although there is some debate about whether emergency contraception has an abortifacient effect, I argue that if there is an abortifacient effect, then the effect cannot normally be a side effect of one's action.

Toddlers View Artifact Function Normatively

Science.gov (United States)

Casler, Krista; Terziyan, Treysi; Greene, Kimberly

2009-01-01

When children use objects like adults, are they simply tracking regularities in others' object use, or are they demonstrating a normatively defined awareness that there are right and wrong ways to act? This study provides the first evidence for the latter possibility. Young 2- and 3-year-olds (n = 32) learned functions of 6 artifacts, both…

Mitigation of Selected Hanford Site Manhattan Project and Cold War Era Artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prendergast-Kennedy, Ellen L.; Harvey, David W.

2006-01-01

This document is the first time that Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts from the Hanford Site have been assembled within a publication. The publication presents photographic and written documentation of a number of Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts that were identified and tagged during assessment walk throughs of historic buildings on the Hanford Site but which could not be curated within the Hanford collection because they were too large for long-term storage and/or exhibit purposes or were radiologically contaminated. The significance of the artifacts in this publication and a proposed future appendix is based not on the individual significance of any single artifact but on their collective contribution to the science and engineering of creating plutonium and advancing nuclear technology in nuclear fuel and power.

Mitigation of Selected Hanford Site Manhattan Project and Cold War Era Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, Ellen P.; Harvey, David W.

2006-09-08

This document is the first time that Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts from the Hanford Site have been assembled within a publication. The publication presents photographic and written documentation of a number of Manhattan Project and Cold War era artifacts that were identified and tagged during assessment walk throughs of historic buildings on the Hanford Site but which could not be curated within the Hanford collection because they were too large for long-term storage and/or exhibit purposes or were radiologically contaminated. The significance of the artifacts in this publication and a proposed future appendix is based not on the individual significance of any single artifact but on their collective contribution to the science and engineering of creating plutonium and advancing nuclear technology in nuclear fuel and power.

A robust post-processing workflow for datasets with motion artifacts in diffusion kurtosis imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xianjun; Yang, Jian; Gao, Jie; Luo, Xue; Zhou, Zhenyu; Hu, Yajie; Wu, Ed X; Wan, Mingxi

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a robust post-processing workflow for motion-corrupted datasets in diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The proposed workflow consisted of brain extraction, rigid registration, distortion correction, artifacts rejection, spatial smoothing and tensor estimation. Rigid registration was utilized to correct misalignments. Motion artifacts were rejected by using local Pearson correlation coefficient (LPCC). The performance of LPCC in characterizing relative differences between artifacts and artifact-free images was compared with that of the conventional correlation coefficient in 10 randomly selected DKI datasets. The influence of rejected artifacts with information of gradient directions and b values for the parameter estimation was investigated by using mean square error (MSE). The variance of noise was used as the criterion for MSEs. The clinical practicality of the proposed workflow was evaluated by the image quality and measurements in regions of interest on 36 DKI datasets, including 18 artifact-free (18 pediatric subjects) and 18 motion-corrupted datasets (15 pediatric subjects and 3 essential tremor patients). The relative difference between artifacts and artifact-free images calculated by LPCC was larger than that of the conventional correlation coefficient (pworkflow improved the image quality and reduced the measurement biases significantly on motion-corrupted datasets (pworkflow was reliable to improve the image quality and the measurement precision of the derived parameters on motion-corrupted DKI datasets. The workflow provided an effective post-processing method for clinical applications of DKI in subjects with involuntary movements.

TU-F-CAMPUS-J-04: Evaluation of Metal Artifact Reduction Technique for the Radiation Therapy Planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, K; Kuo, H; Ritter, J; Shen, J; Basavatia, A; Yaparpalvi, R; Kalnicki, S; Tome, W

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a metal artifact reduction technique in depleting metal artifact and its application in improving dose calculation in External Radiation Therapy Planning. Methods: CIRS electron density phantom was scanned with and without steel drill bits placed in some plug holes. Meta artifact reduction software with Metal Deletion Technique (MDT) was used to remove metal artifacts for scanned image with metal. Hounsfield units of electron density plugs from artifact free reference image and MDT processed images were compared. To test the dose calculation improvement after the MDT processed images, clinically approved head and neck plan with manual dental artifact correction was tested. Patient images were exported and processed with MDT and plan was recalculated with new MDT image without manual correction. Dose profiles near the metal artifacts were compared. Results: The MDT used in this study effectively reduced the metal artifact caused by beam hardening and scatter. The windmill around the metal drill was greatly improved with smooth rounded view. Difference of the mean HU in each density plug between reference and MDT images were less than 10 HU in most of the plugs. Dose difference between original plan and MDT images were minimal. Conclusion: Most metal artifact reduction methods were developed for diagnostic improvement purpose. Hence Hounsfield unit accuracy was not rigorously tested before. In our test, MDT effectively eliminated metal artifacts with good HU reproduciblity. However, it can introduce new mild artifacts so the MDT images should be checked with original images

Automatic Removal of Physiological Artifacts in EEG: The Optimized Fingerprint Method for Sports Science Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, David B; Tamburro, Gabriella; Fiedler, Patrique; Haueisen, Jens; Comani, Silvia

2018-01-01

Data contamination due to physiological artifacts such as those generated by eyeblinks, eye movements, and muscle activity continues to be a central concern in the acquisition and analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) data. This issue is further compounded in EEG sports science applications where the presence of artifacts is notoriously difficult to control because behaviors that generate these interferences are often the behaviors under investigation. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective and efficient methods to identify physiological artifacts in EEG recordings during sports applications so that they can be isolated from cerebral activity related to the activities of interest. We have developed an EEG artifact detection model, the Fingerprint Method, which identifies different spatial, temporal, spectral, and statistical features indicative of physiological artifacts and uses these features to automatically classify artifactual independent components in EEG based on a machine leaning approach. Here, we optimized our method using artifact-rich training data and a procedure to determine which features were best suited to identify eyeblinks, eye movements, and muscle artifacts. We then applied our model to an experimental dataset collected during endurance cycling. Results reveal that unique sets of features are suitable for the detection of distinct types of artifacts and that the Optimized Fingerprint Method was able to correctly identify over 90% of the artifactual components with physiological origin present in the experimental data. These results represent a significant advancement in the search for effective means to address artifact contamination in EEG sports science applications.

Radiofrequency ablation of liver cancer: early evaluation of therapeutic response with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Dong Gil; Lim, Hyo K.; Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Seung Hoon; Kim, Min Ju; Kim, Seung Kwon; Jang, Kyung Mi; Lee, Ji Yeon; Lim, Jae Hoon

2004-01-01

The early assessment of the therapeutic response after percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation is important, in order to correctly decide whether further treatment is necessary. The residual unablated tumor is usually depicted on contrast-enhanced multiphase helical computed tomography (CT) as a focal enhancing structure during the arterial and portal venous phases. Contrast-enhanced color Doppler and power Doppler ultrasonography (US) have also been used to detect residual tumors. Contrast-enhanced gray-scale US, using a harmonic technology which has recently been introduced, allows for the detection of residual tumors after ablation, without any of the blooming or motion artifacts usually seen on contrast-enhanced color or power Doppler US. Based on our experience and reports in the literature, we consider that contrast-enhanced gray-scale harmonic US constitutes a reliable alternative to contrast-enhanced multiphase CT for the early evaluation of the therapeutic response to RF ablation for liver cancer. This technique was also useful in targeting any residual unablated tumors encountered during additional ablation

Language and other artifacts: socio-cultural dynamics of niche construction

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Chris

2015-01-01

Niche construction theory is a relatively new approach in evolutionary biology that seeks to integrate an ecological dimension into the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. It is regarded by many evolutionary biologists as providing a significant revision of the Neo-Darwinian modern synthesis that unified Darwin’s theory of natural and sexual selection with 20th century population genetics. Niche construction theory has been invoked as a processual mediator of social cognitive evolution and of the emergence and evolution of language. I argue that language itself can be considered as a biocultural niche and evolutionary artifact. I provide both a general analysis of the cognitive and semiotic status of artifacts, and a formal analysis of language as a social and semiotic institution, based upon a distinction between the fundamental semiotic relations of “counting as” and “standing for.” I explore the consequences for theories of language and language learning of viewing language as a biocultural niche. I suggest that not only do niches mediate organism-organism interactions, but also that organisms mediate niche-niche interactions in ways that affect evolutionary processes, with the evolution of human infancy and childhood as a key example. I argue that language as a social and semiotic system is not only grounded in embodied engagements with the material and social-interactional world, but also grounds a sub-class of artifacts of particular significance in the cultural history of human cognition. Symbolic cognitive artifacts materially and semiotically mediate human cognition, and are not merely informational repositories, but co-agentively constitutive of culturally and historically emergent cognitive domains. I provide examples of the constitutive cognitive role of symbolic cognitive artifacts drawn from my research with my colleagues on cultural and linguistic conceptualizations of time, and their cultural variability. I conclude by

Abdominal and pelvic CT: is positive enteric contrast still necessary? Results of a retrospective observational study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kammerer, S.; Hoeink, A.J.; Wessling, J.; Schuelke, C.; Heindel, W.; Buerke, B. [University Hospital Muenster, Department of Clinical Radiology, Muenster (Germany); Heinzow, H. [University Hospital Muenster, Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Muenster (Germany); Koch, R. [University Muenster, Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, Muenster (Germany)

2014-10-15

Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of abdominal CT depending on the type of enteric contrast agent. Multislice CTs of 2,008 patients with different types of oral preparation (positive with barium, n = 576; neutral with water, n = 716; and no enteric contrast, n = 716) were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists including delineation of intestinal segments and influence on diagnosis and diagnostic reliability exerted by the enteric contrast, using a three-point scale. Furthermore, diagnostic reliability of the delineation of selected enteric pathologies was noted. CT data were assigned into groups: oncology, inflammation, vascular, pathology, trauma and gastrointestinal pathology. Delineation of the bowel was clearly practicable across all segments irrespective of the type of enteric contrast, though a slight impairment was observed without enteric contrast. Although delineation of intestinal pathologies was mostly classified ''clearly delimitable'' more difficulties occurred without oral contrast (neutral/positive/no contrast, 0.8 %/3.8 %/6.5 %). Compared to examinations without enteric contrast, there was a significant improvement in diagnosis that was even increased regarding the reader's diagnostic reliability. Positive opacification impaired detection of mucosal enhancement or intestinal bleeding. Water can replace positive enteric contrast agents in abdominal CTs. However, selected clinical questions require individual enteric contrast preparations. Pathology detection is noticeably impaired without any enteric contrast. circle Neutral oral contrast ensures an equivalent delineation of the bowel. (orig.)

Penalized maximum likelihood reconstruction for x-ray differential phase-contrast tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brendel, Bernhard; Teuffenbach, Maximilian von; Noël, Peter B.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Koehler, Thomas

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to propose a cost function with regularization to iteratively reconstruct attenuation, phase, and scatter images simultaneously from differential phase contrast (DPC) acquisitions, without the need of phase retrieval, and examine its properties. Furthermore this reconstruction method is applied to an acquisition pattern that is suitable for a DPC tomographic system with continuously rotating gantry (sliding window acquisition), overcoming the severe smearing in noniterative reconstruction. Methods: We derive a penalized maximum likelihood reconstruction algorithm to directly reconstruct attenuation, phase, and scatter image from the measured detector values of a DPC acquisition. The proposed penalty comprises, for each of the three images, an independent smoothing prior. Image quality of the proposed reconstruction is compared to images generated with FBP and iterative reconstruction after phase retrieval. Furthermore, the influence between the priors is analyzed. Finally, the proposed reconstruction algorithm is applied to experimental sliding window data acquired at a synchrotron and results are compared to reconstructions based on phase retrieval. Results: The results show that the proposed algorithm significantly increases image quality in comparison to reconstructions based on phase retrieval. No significant mutual influence between the proposed independent priors could be observed. Further it could be illustrated that the iterative reconstruction of a sliding window acquisition results in images with substantially reduced smearing artifacts. Conclusions: Although the proposed cost function is inherently nonconvex, it can be used to reconstruct images with less aliasing artifacts and less streak artifacts than reconstruction methods based on phase retrieval. Furthermore, the proposed method can be used to reconstruct images of sliding window acquisitions with negligible smearing artifacts

Distinction of Fly Artifacts from Human Blood using Immunodetection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, David B; Acca, Gillian; Fink, Marc; Brogan, Rebecca; Chen, Dorothy; Schoeffield, Andrew

2018-02-21

Insect stains produced by necrophagous flies are indistinguishable morphologically from human bloodstains. At present, no diagnostic tests exist to overcome this deficiency. As the first step toward developing a chemical test to recognize fly artifacts, polyclonal antisera were generated in rats against three distinct antigenic sequences of fly cathepsin D-like proteinase, an enzyme that is structurally distinct in cyclorrhaphous Diptera from other animals. The resulting rat antisera bound to artifacts produced by Protophormia terraenovae and synthetic peptides used to generate the polyclonal antisera, but not with any type of mammalian blood tested in immunoassays. Among the three antisera, anti-md3 serum displayed the highest reactivity for fly stains, demonstrated cross-reactivity for all synthetic peptides representing antigenic sequences of the mature fly enzyme, and bound artifacts originating from the fly digestive tract. Further work is needed to determine whether the antisera are suitable for non-laboratory conditions. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Beam Hardening Artifacts: Comparison between Two Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scanners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzad Esmaeili

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. At present, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT has become a substitute for computed tomography (CT in dental procedures. The metallic materials used in dentistry can produce artifacts due to the beam hardening phenomenon. These artifacts decrease the quality of images. In the present study, the number of artifacts as a result of beam hardening in the images of dental implants was compared between two NewTom VG and Planmeca Promax 3D Max CBCT machines. Materials and methods. An implant drilling model was used in the present study. The implants (Dentis were placed in the canine, premolar and molar areas. Scanning procedures were carried out by two CBCT machines. The corresponding sections (coronal and axial of the implants were evaluated by two radiologists. The number of artifacts in each image was determined using the scale provided. Mann-Whitney U test was used for two-by-two comparisons at a significance level of P<0.05. Results. There were statistically significant differences in beam hardening artifacts in axial and coronal sections between the two x-ray machines (P<0.001, with a higher quality in the images produced by the NewTom VG. Conclusion. Given the higher quality of the images produced by the NewTom VG x-ray machine, it is recommended for imaging of patients with extensive restorations, multiple prostheses or previous implant treatments.

Artifact removal algorithms for stroke detection using a multistatic MIST beamforming algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricci, E; Di Domenico, S; Cianca, E; Rossi, T

2015-01-01

Microwave imaging (MWI) has been recently proved as a promising imaging modality for low-complexity, low-cost and fast brain imaging tools, which could play a fundamental role to efficiently manage emergencies related to stroke and hemorrhages. This paper focuses on the UWB radar imaging approach and in particular on the processing algorithms of the backscattered signals. Assuming the use of the multistatic version of the MIST (Microwave Imaging Space-Time) beamforming algorithm, developed by Hagness et al. for the early detection of breast cancer, the paper proposes and compares two artifact removal algorithms. Artifacts removal is an essential step of any UWB radar imaging system and currently considered artifact removal algorithms have been shown not to be effective in the specific scenario of brain imaging. First of all, the paper proposes modifications of a known artifact removal algorithm. These modifications are shown to be effective to achieve good localization accuracy and lower false positives. However, the main contribution is the proposal of an artifact removal algorithm based on statistical methods, which allows to achieve even better performance but with much lower computational complexity.

TARGETED PRINCIPLE COMPONENT ANALYSIS: A NEW MOTION ARTIFACT CORRECTION APPROACH FOR NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Science.gov (United States)

YÜCEL, MERYEM A.; SELB, JULIETTE; COOPER, ROBERT J.; BOAS, DAVID A.

2014-01-01

As near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) broadens its application area to different age and disease groups, motion artifacts in the NIRS signal due to subject movement is becoming an important challenge. Motion artifacts generally produce signal fluctuations that are larger than physiological NIRS signals, thus it is crucial to correct for them before obtaining an estimate of stimulus evoked hemodynamic responses. There are various methods for correction such as principle component analysis (PCA), wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation. Here, we introduce a new approach to motion artifact correction, targeted principle component analysis (tPCA), which incorporates a PCA filter only on the segments of data identified as motion artifacts. It is expected that this will overcome the issues of filtering desired signals that plagues standard PCA filtering of entire data sets. We compared the new approach with the most effective motion artifact correction algorithms on a set of data acquired simultaneously with a collodion-fixed probe (low motion artifact content) and a standard Velcro probe (high motion artifact content). Our results show that tPCA gives statistically better results in recovering hemodynamic response function (HRF) as compared to wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation for the Velcro probe. It results in a significant reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and significant enhancement in Pearson’s correlation coefficient to the true HRF. The collodion-fixed fiber probe with no motion correction performed better than the Velcro probe corrected for motion artifacts in terms of MSE and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Thus, if the experimental study permits, the use of a collodion-fixed fiber probe may be desirable. If the use of a collodion-fixed probe is not feasible, then we suggest the use of tPCA in the processing of motion artifact contaminated data. PMID:25360181

TARGETED PRINCIPLE COMPONENT ANALYSIS: A NEW MOTION ARTIFACT CORRECTION APPROACH FOR NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY.

Science.gov (United States)

Yücel, Meryem A; Selb, Juliette; Cooper, Robert J; Boas, David A

2014-03-01

As near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) broadens its application area to different age and disease groups, motion artifacts in the NIRS signal due to subject movement is becoming an important challenge. Motion artifacts generally produce signal fluctuations that are larger than physiological NIRS signals, thus it is crucial to correct for them before obtaining an estimate of stimulus evoked hemodynamic responses. There are various methods for correction such as principle component analysis (PCA), wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation. Here, we introduce a new approach to motion artifact correction, targeted principle component analysis (tPCA), which incorporates a PCA filter only on the segments of data identified as motion artifacts. It is expected that this will overcome the issues of filtering desired signals that plagues standard PCA filtering of entire data sets. We compared the new approach with the most effective motion artifact correction algorithms on a set of data acquired simultaneously with a collodion-fixed probe (low motion artifact content) and a standard Velcro probe (high motion artifact content). Our results show that tPCA gives statistically better results in recovering hemodynamic response function (HRF) as compared to wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation for the Velcro probe. It results in a significant reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and significant enhancement in Pearson's correlation coefficient to the true HRF. The collodion-fixed fiber probe with no motion correction performed better than the Velcro probe corrected for motion artifacts in terms of MSE and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Thus, if the experimental study permits, the use of a collodion-fixed fiber probe may be desirable. If the use of a collodion-fixed probe is not feasible, then we suggest the use of tPCA in the processing of motion artifact contaminated data.

Contrasting Nephropathic Responses to Oral Administration of Extract of Cultured Penicillium polonicum in Rat and Primate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John E. Fincham

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Liquid- or solid substrate-cultured Penicillium polonicum administered in feed to rats over several days evokes a histopathological response in kidney involving apoptosis and abnormal mitosis in proximal tubules. The amphoteric toxin is yet only partly characterized, but can be isolated from cultured sporulating biomass in a fraction that is soluble in water and ethanol, and exchangeable on either anion- or cation-exchange resins. After several weeks of treatment renal proximal tubule distortion became striking on account of karyocytomegaly, but even treatment for nearly two years remained asymptomatic. Extract from a batch of solid substrate fermentation of P. polonicum on shredded wheat was incorporated into feed for rats during four consecutive days, and also given as an aqueous solution by oral gavage to a vervet monkey daily for 10 days. Treatment was asymptomatic for both types of animal. Rat response was evident as the typical renal apoptosis and karyomegaly. In contrast there was no such response in the primate; and neither creatinine clearance nor any haematological characteristic or serum component concentration deviated from a control or from historical data for this primate. The contrast is discussed concerning other negative findings for P. polonicum in pigs and hamsters. Renal karyomegaly, as a common rat response to persistent exposure to ochratoxin A, is not known in humans suspected as being exposed to more than the usual trace amounts of dietary ochratoxin A. Therefore the present findings question assumptions that human response to ochratoxin A conforms to that in the rat.

FlexiView: A Magnet-Based Approach for Visualizing Requirements Artifacts

OpenAIRE

Ghazi, Parisa; Seyff, Norbert; Glinz, Martin

2015-01-01

Requirements engineers create large numbers of artifacts when eliciting and documenting requirements. They need to navigate through these artifacts and display information details at points of interest for reviewing or editing information. [Question/problem] Traditional visualization mechanisms such as scrolling and opening multiple windows lose context when navigating and can be cumbersome to use, hence. On the other hand, focus+context approaches can display details in context, but they dis...

Triphasic contrast injection improves evaluation of dual energy lung perfusion in pulmonary CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerl, J. Matthias; Bauer, Ralf W.; Renker, Matthias; Weber, Eva; Weisser, Philipp; Korkusuz, Huedayi; Schell, Boris; Larson, Maya Christina; Kromen, Wolfgang; Jacobi, Volkmar

2011-01-01

Purpose: Lung perfusion analysis at dual energy CT (DECT) is sensitive to beam hardening artifacts from dense contrast material (CM). We compared two scan and four CM injection protocols in terms of severity of artifacts and attenuation levels in the thoracic vessels. Methods and materials: Data of 120 patients who had undergone dual source dual energy CT pulmonary angiography for suspected acute pulmonary embolism were evaluated. Group 1 (n = 30) was scanned in craniocaudal direction using 64 × 0.6 mm collimation; groups 2–4 (n = 30 each) were scanned in caudocranial direction using 14 × 1.2 mm collimation. In groups 1–3 biphasic injection protocols with different amounts of CM and NaCl were investigated. In group 4 a split-bolus protocol with an initial CM bolus of 50 ml followed by 30 ml of a 70%:30% NaCl/CM mixture and a 50 ml NaCl chaser bolus was used. CT density values in the subclavian vein (SV), superior vena cava (SVC), pulmonary artery tree (PA), and the descending aorta (DA) were measured. Artifacts arising from the SV and SVC on DE pulmonary iodine distribution map were rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = fully diagnostic; 5 = non-diagnostic) by two blinded readers. Results: In protocol 4 mean attenuation in the SV (645 ± 158 HU) and SVC (389 ± 114 HU) were significantly lower compared to groups 1–3 (p < 0.002). Artifacts in group 4 (1.1 ± 0.4 and 1.5 ± 0.7 for the SV and SVC, respectively) were rated significantly less severe compared to group 1 (3.2 ± 1.0 and 3.0 ± 1.1), 2 (2.6 ± 1.1 and 2.3 ± 1.0) and 3 (1.9 ± 0.9 and 1.9 ± 0.7) (p < 0.01 for all), whereas no significant difference was found between groups 1 and 2 for the subclavian vein (p = 0.07). Attenuation in the PA was also significantly lower in group 4 (282 ± 116 HU) compared to group 1 (397 ± 137 HU), group 2 (376 ± 115 HU) and group 3 (311 ± 104 HU), but still on a diagnostic level. Conclusion: Split-bolus injection provides sufficient attenuation for pulmonary DECT

Not all that glitters is gold-Electron microscopy study on uptake of gold nanoparticles in Daphnia magna and related artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Louise Helene Søgaard; Skjolding, Lars Michael; Thit, Amalie; Sørensen, Sara Nørgaard; Købler, Carsten; Mølhave, Kristian; Baun, Anders

2017-06-01

Increasing use of engineered nanoparticles has led to extensive research into their potential hazards to the environment and human health. Cellular uptake from the gut is sparsely investigated, and microscopy techniques applied for uptake studies can result in misinterpretations. Various microscopy techniques were used to investigate internalization of 10-nm gold nanoparticles in Daphnia magna gut lumen and gut epithelial cells following 24-h exposure and outline potential artifacts (i.e., high-contrast precipitates from sample preparation related to these techniques). Light sheet microscopy confirmed accumulation of gold nanoparticles in the gut lumen. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and elemental analysis revealed gold nanoparticles attached to the microvilli of gut cells. Interestingly, the peritrophic membrane appeared to act as a semipermeable barrier between the lumen and the gut epithelium, permitting only single particles through. Structures resembling nanoparticles were also observed inside gut cells. Elemental analysis could not verify these to be gold, and they were likely artifacts from the preparation, such as osmium and iron. Importantly, gold nanoparticles were found inside holocrine cells with disrupted membranes. Thus, false-positive observations of nanoparticle internalization may result from either preparation artifacts or mistaking disrupted cells for intact cells. These findings emphasize the importance of cell integrity and combining elemental analysis with the localization of internalized nanoparticles using transmission electron microscopy. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1503-1509. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Motion-induced dose artifacts in helical tomotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bryan; Chen, Jeff; Battista, Jerry [London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON (Canada); Kron, Tomas [Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Melbourne (Australia)], E-mail: bryan.kim@lhsc.on.ca

2009-10-07

Tumor motion is a particular concern for a complex treatment modality such as helical tomotherapy, where couch position, gantry rotation and MLC leaf opening all change with time. In the present study, we have investigated the impact of tumor motion for helical tomotherapy, which could result in three distinct motion-induced dose artifacts, namely (1) dose rounding, (2) dose rippling and (3) IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect. Dose rounding and dose rippling effects have been previously described, while the IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect is a newly discovered motion-induced dose artifact. Dose rounding is the penumbral widening of a delivered dose distribution near the edges of a target volume along the direction of tumor motion. Dose rippling is a series of periodic dose peaks and valleys observed within the target region along the direction of couch motion, due to an asynchronous interplay between the couch motion and the longitudinal component of tumor motion. The IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect is caused by an asynchronous interplay between the temporal patterns of leaf openings and tumor motion. The characteristics of each dose artifact were investigated individually as functions of target motion amplitude and period for both non-IMRT and IMRT helical tomotherapy cases, through computer simulation modeling and experimental verification. The longitudinal dose profiles generated by the simulation program agreed with the experimental data within {+-}0.5% and {+-}1.5% inside the PTV region for the non-IMRT and IMRT cases, respectively. The dose rounding effect produced a penumbral increase up to 20.5 mm for peak-to-peak target motion amplitudes ranging from 1.0 cm to 5.0 cm. Maximum dose rippling magnitude of 25% was calculated, when the target motion period approached an unusually high value of 10 s. The IMRT leaf opening asynchronization effect produced dose differences ranging from -29% to 7% inside the PTV region. This information

Inspection about the corrosion of metallic archaeological artifacts in ground. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Shingo [Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ibaraki (Japan)

2002-02-01

The corrosion of iron-base archaeological artifacts, which were dug out in Iyomai-7 (Chitose-shi, Hokkaido) and Izumo-Ooyashiro-Keidai (Taisha-machi, Shimane-ken) sites, was investigated by using X-ray CT, XRD, atomic absorption spectroscopy and EDX techniques. While the artifacts such as swords in Iyomai-7 site had been buried in the ground for 400-500 years, metallic iron remained in the swords and the corrosion amounts were estimated to be 2-5 mm. Several artifacts were investigated among a lot of iron rings and nails buried beside huge pillars of the ancient shrine. Those artifacts had been in ground for 730-750 years. The corrosion amounts were estimated to be 3-5 mm. As the both soil environments are supposed to be oxidizing, the outer oxide layers of all species are composed of goethite and soil. Further, it was clarified that perfectly corroded ones had hollow structures. In this study, the sampling method of species, the corrosion environmental factors, and the corrosion kinetic models were also evaluated. (author)

A New Approach to Eliminate High Amplitude Artifacts in EEG Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Rita Teixeira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available High amplitude artifacts represent a problem during EEG recordings in neuroscience research. Taking this into account, this paper proposes a method to identify high amplitude artifacts with no requirement for visual inspection, electrooscillogram (EOG reference channel or user assigned parameters. A potential solution to the high amplitude artifacts (HAA elimination is presented based on blind source separation methods. The assumption underlying the selection of components is that HAA are independent of the EEG signal and different HAA can be generated during the EEG recordings. Therefore, the number of components related to HAA is variable and depends on the processed signal, which means that the method is adaptable to the input signal. The results show, when removing the HAA artifacts, the delta band is distorted but all the other frequency bands are preserved. A case study with EEG signals recorded while participants performed on the Halstead Category Test (HCT is presented. After HAA removal, data analysis revealed, as expected, an error-related frontal ERP wave: the feedback-related negativity (FRN in response to feedback stimuli.

Generation of hybrid sinograms for the recovery of kV-CT images with metal artifacts for helical tomotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Hosang; Park, Dahl; Kim, Wontaek; Ki, Yongkan; Kim, Yong Ho; Lee, Ju Hye; Kim, Dongwon; Youn, Hanbean; Nam, Jiho; Lee, Jayoung; Kim, Ho Kyung

2015-01-01

Purpose: The overall goal of this study is to restore kilovoltage computed tomography (kV-CT) images which are disfigured by patients’ metal prostheses. By generating a hybrid sinogram that is a combination of kV and megavoltage (MV) projection data, the authors suggest a novel metal artifact-reduction (MAR) method that retains the image quality to match that of kV-CT and simultaneously restores the information of metal prostheses lost due to photon starvation. Methods: CT projection data contain information about attenuation coefficients and the total length of the attenuation. By normalizing raw kV projections with their own total lengths of attenuation, mean attenuation projections were obtained. In the same manner, mean density projections of MV-CT were obtained by the normalization of MV projections resulting from the forward projection of density-calibrated MV-CT images with the geometric parameters of the kV-CT device. To generate the hybrid sinogram, metal-affected signals of the kV sinogram were identified and replaced by the corresponding signals of the MV sinogram following a density calibration step with kV data. Filtered backprojection was implemented to reconstruct the hybrid CT image. To validate the authors’ approach, they simulated four different scenarios for three heads and one pelvis using metallic rod inserts within a cylindrical phantom. Five inserts describing human body elements were also included in the phantom. The authors compared the image qualities among the kV, MV, and hybrid CT images by measuring the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the densities of all inserts, and the spatial resolution. In addition, the MAR performance was compared among three existing MAR methods and the authors’ hybrid method. Finally, for clinical trials, the authors produced hybrid images of three patients having dental metal prostheses to compare their MAR performances with those of the kV, MV, and three existing MAR

Oral contrast agents for small bowel distension in MRI: influence of the osmolarity for small bowel distention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajaj, Waleed; Kuehle, Christiane; Nuefer, Michael; Goehde, Susanne C.; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Goyen, Mathias; Schneemann, Hubert; Ruehm, Stefan G.

2005-01-01

To assess the effect of the osmolarity for small bowel distension in MRI, ten volunteers ingested at two separate occasions negative oral contrast agents with different quantity and osmolarity: (1) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 0.2% locus bean gum (LBG) with a quantity of 1500 ml and an osmolarity of 148 mOsmol/l, (2) a water solution combined with 2.0% sorbitol and 2.0% barium sulphate with a quantity of 1000 ml and an osmolarity of 194 mOsmol/l. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D-TrueFISP images by measuring the small bowel diameters. There were no statistically significant differences in mean small bowel diameter between both contrast agents. The mean small bowel distension was 19.2 mm after ingestion of 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution and 19.0 mm after ingestion of 1000-ml sorbitol-barium sulphate solution. Furthermore, all volunteers found the ingestion of 1000-ml solution more pleasant than the 1500-ml solution. The ingestion of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution led to a sufficient small bowel distension compared to 1500 ml of sorbitol-LBG solution. The side effect rate of both solutions was low. Based on these data, we recommend a quantity of 1000 ml of sorbitol-barium sulphate solution as an alternative for 1500-ml sorbitol-LBG solution for optimal bowel distension. (orig.)

Twinkling artifact on color Doppler ultrasound: an advantage or a pitfall?

Science.gov (United States)

Ozan, Ebru; Atac, Gokce Kaan; Gundogdu, Sadi

2016-07-01

The twinkling artifact (TA) or color comet-tail artifact is characterized by a rapidly changing mixture of red and blue color Doppler signals. Even though many diseases and clinical conditions have been shown to produce this artifact, its source is not clearly understood yet. The TA may provide additional information to gray-scale ultrasound findings in several clinical situations. However, there may be pitfalls to keep in mind. We must first be aware of the TA to benefit from the advantages and avoid the pitfalls. In this review, we aim to give practicing radiologists an overview of the mechanisms and clinical applications of the TA by illustrating sample cases we have encountered.

Physical and chemical stability of proflavine contrast agent solutions for early detection of oral cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawedia, Jitesh D; Zhang, Yan-Ping; Myers, Alan L; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca R; Kramer, Mark A; Gillenwater, Ann M; Culotta, Kirk S

2016-02-01

Proflavine hemisulfate solution is a fluorescence contrast agent to visualize cell nuclei using high-resolution optical imaging devices such as the high-resolution microendoscope. These devices provide real-time imaging to distinguish between normal versus neoplastic tissue. These images could be helpful for early screening of oral cancer and its precursors and to determine accurate margins of malignant tissue for ablative surgery. Extemporaneous preparation of proflavine solution for these diagnostic procedures requires preparation in batches and long-term storage to improve compounding efficiency in the pharmacy. However, there is a paucity of long-term stability data for proflavine contrast solutions. The physical and chemical stability of 0.01% (10 mg/100 ml) proflavine hemisulfate solutions prepared in sterile water was determined following storage at refrigeration (4-8℃) and room temperature (23℃). Concentrations of proflavine were measured at predetermined time points up to 12 months using a validated stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method. Proflavine solutions stored under refrigeration were physically and chemically stable for at least 12 months with concentrations ranging from 95% to 105% compared to initial concentration. However, in solutions stored at room temperature increased turbidity and particulates were observed in some of the tested vials at 9 months and 12 months with peak particle count reaching 17-fold increase compared to baseline. Solutions stored at room temperature were chemically stable up to six months (94-105%). Proflavine solutions at concentration of 0.01% were chemically and physically stable for at least 12 months under refrigeration. The solution was chemically stable for six months when stored at room temperature. We recommend long-term storage of proflavine solutions under refrigeration prior to diagnostic procedure. © The Author(s) 2014.

GPU-Based Simulation of Ultrasound Imaging Artifacts for Cryosurgery Training

Science.gov (United States)

Keelan, Robert; Shimada, Kenji

2016-01-01

This study presents an efficient computational technique for the simulation of ultrasound imaging artifacts associated with cryosurgery based on nonlinear ray tracing. This study is part of an ongoing effort to develop computerized training tools for cryosurgery, with prostate cryosurgery as a development model. The capability of performing virtual cryosurgical procedures on a variety of test cases is essential for effective surgical training. Simulated ultrasound imaging artifacts include reverberation and reflection of the cryoprobes in the unfrozen tissue, reflections caused by the freezing front, shadowing caused by the frozen region, and tissue property changes in repeated freeze–thaw cycles procedures. The simulated artifacts appear to preserve the key features observed in a clinical setting. This study displays an example of how training may benefit from toggling between the undisturbed ultrasound image, the simulated temperature field, the simulated imaging artifacts, and an augmented hybrid presentation of the temperature field superimposed on the ultrasound image. The proposed method is demonstrated on a graphic processing unit at 100 frames per second, on a mid-range personal workstation, at two orders of magnitude faster than a typical cryoprocedure. This performance is based on computation with C++ accelerated massive parallelism and its interoperability with the DirectX-rendering application programming interface. PMID:26818026

Independent component analysis for cochlear implant artifacts attenuation from electrically evoked auditory steady-state response measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Deprez, Hanne; Gransier, Robin; Hofmann, Michael; van Wieringen, Astrid; Wouters, Jan; Moonen, Marc

2018-02-01

Objective. Electrically evoked auditory steady-state responses (EASSRs) are potentially useful for objective cochlear implant (CI) fitting and follow-up of the auditory maturation in infants and children with a CI. EASSRs are recorded in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) in response to electrical stimulation with continuous pulse trains, and are distorted by significant CI artifacts related to this electrical stimulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate a CI artifacts attenuation method based on independent component analysis (ICA) for three EASSR datasets. Approach. ICA has often been used to remove CI artifacts from the EEG to record transient auditory responses, such as cortical evoked auditory potentials. Independent components (ICs) corresponding to CI artifacts are then often manually identified. In this study, an ICA based CI artifacts attenuation method was developed and evaluated for EASSR measurements with varying CI artifacts and EASSR characteristics. Artifactual ICs were automatically identified based on their spectrum. Main results. For 40 Hz amplitude modulation (AM) stimulation at comfort level, in high SNR recordings, ICA succeeded in removing CI artifacts from all recording channels, without distorting the EASSR. For lower SNR recordings, with 40 Hz AM stimulation at lower levels, or 90 Hz AM stimulation, ICA either distorted the EASSR or could not remove all CI artifacts in most subjects, except for two of the seven subjects tested with low level 40 Hz AM stimulation. Noise levels were reduced after ICA was applied, and up to 29 ICs were rejected, suggesting poor ICA separation quality. Significance. We hypothesize that ICA is capable of separating CI artifacts and EASSR in case the contralateral hemisphere is EASSR dominated. For small EASSRs or large CI artifact amplitudes, ICA separation quality is insufficient to ensure complete CI artifacts attenuation without EASSR distortion.

Evaluation of Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging for the Assessment of Oral Mucosal Blood Flow following Periodontal Plastic Surgery: An Exploratory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Molnár, Eszter; Molnár, Bálint; Lohinai, Zsolt; Tóth, Zsuzsanna; Benyó, Zoltán; Hricisák, Laszló; Windisch, Péter; Vág, János

2017-01-01

The laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is proved to be a reliable tool in flap monitoring in general surgery; however, it has not been evaluated in oral surgery yet. We applied the LSCI to compare the effect of a xenogeneic collagen matrix (Geistlich Mucograft®) to connective tissue grafts (CTG) on the microcirculation of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique (MCAT) for gingival recession coverage. Gingival microcirculation and wound fluid were measured before and after surgery for six months at twenty-seven treated teeth. In males, the flap microcirculation was restored within 3 days for both grafts followed by a hyperemic response. During the first 8 days the blood flow was higher at xenogeneic graft comparing to the CTG. In females, the ischemic period lasted for 7-12 days depending on the graft and no hyperemic response was observed. Females had more intense and prolonged wound fluid production. The LSCI method is suitable to capture the microcirculatory effect of the surgical intervention in human oral mucosa. The application of xenogeneic collagen matrices as a CTG substitute does not seem to restrain the recovery of graft bed circulation. Gender may have an effect on postoperative circulation and inflammation.

ERAASR: an algorithm for removing electrical stimulation artifacts from multielectrode array recordings

Science.gov (United States)

O'Shea, Daniel J.; Shenoy, Krishna V.

2018-04-01

Objective. Electrical stimulation is a widely used and effective tool in systems neuroscience, neural prosthetics, and clinical neurostimulation. However, electrical artifacts evoked by stimulation prevent the detection of spiking activity on nearby recording electrodes, which obscures the neural population response evoked by stimulation. We sought to develop a method to clean artifact-corrupted electrode signals recorded on multielectrode arrays in order to recover the underlying neural spiking activity. Approach. We created an algorithm, which performs estimation and removal of array artifacts via sequential principal components regression (ERAASR). This approach leverages the similar structure of artifact transients, but not spiking activity, across simultaneously recorded channels on the array, across pulses within a train, and across trials. The ERAASR algorithm requires no special hardware, imposes no requirements on the shape of the artifact or the multielectrode array geometry, and comprises sequential application of straightforward linear methods with intuitive parameters. The approach should be readily applicable to most datasets where stimulation does not saturate the recording amplifier. Main results. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated in macaque dorsal premotor cortex using acute linear multielectrode array recordings and single electrode stimulation. Large electrical artifacts appeared on all channels during stimulation. After application of ERAASR, the cleaned signals were quiescent on channels with no spontaneous spiking activity, whereas spontaneously active channels exhibited evoked spikes which closely resembled spontaneously occurring spiking waveforms. Significance. We hope that enabling simultaneous electrical stimulation and multielectrode array recording will help elucidate the causal links between neural activity and cognition and facilitate naturalistic sensory protheses.

"Diabetes and literacy: negotiating control through artifacts of medicalization".

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, David S

2009-06-01

My experience with the California Department of Motor Vehicles offers a case to explore how bureaucratic institutions monitor, classify, and control individuals. By examining artifacts created for and used by the DMV through the lens of literacy studies, I discuss the variety of rhetorical strategies used in each document and the effects and implications of those strategies, for example on subjectivity or identity, and move beyond the language of the artifacts themselves to attend to how they are invested with power in the management and control of populations.

A contrastive study of the phonology of Igbo and Yoruba | Eme ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Igbo is made up of twentyeight consonants and eight oral vowels, while Yoruba has eighteen consonants, and twelve vowels comprising seven oral vowels and five nasal vowels. The contrastive analysis carried out evinced that there are some sounds in Igbo which are not present in Yoruba; also some sounds in Yoruba ...

In vivo imaging of human oral hard and soft tissues by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Walther, Julia; Golde, Jonas; Kirsten, Lars; Tetschke, Florian; Hempel, Franz; Rosenauer, Tobias; Hannig, Christian; Koch, Edmund

2017-12-01

Since optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides three-dimensional high-resolution images of biological tissue, the benefit of polarization contrast in the field of dentistry is highlighted in this study. Polarization-sensitive OCT (PS OCT) with phase-sensitive recording is used for imaging dental and mucosal tissues in the human oral cavity in vivo. An enhanced polarization contrast of oral structures is reached by analyzing the signals of the co- and crosspolarized channels of the swept source PS OCT system quantitatively with respect to reflectivity, retardation, optic axis orientation, and depolarization. The calculation of these polarization parameters enables a high tissue-specific contrast imaging for the detailed physical interpretation of human oral hard and soft tissues. For the proof-of-principle, imaging of composite restorations and mineralization defects at premolars as well as gingival, lingual, and labial oral mucosa was performed in vivo within the anterior oral cavity. The achieved contrast-enhanced results of the investigated human oral tissues by means of polarization-sensitive imaging are evaluated by the comparison with conventional intensity-based OCT.

Quantitative assessment of image artifacts from root filling materials on CBCT scans made using several exposure parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabelo, Katharina Alves; Cavalcanti, Yuri Wanderley; De Oliveira Pinto, Martina Gerlane; De Melo, Daniela Pita; Melo, Saulo Leonardo Sousa; Campos, Paulo Sergio Flores; De Andrade Freitas Oliveira, Luciana Soares

2017-01-01

To quantify artifacts from different root filling materials in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images acquired using different exposure parameters. Fifteen single-rooted teeth were scanned using 8 different exposure protocols with 3 different filling materials and once without filling material as a control group. Artifact quantification was performed by a trained observer who made measurements in the central axial slice of all acquired images in a fixed region of interest using ImageJ. Hyperdense artifacts, hypodense artifacts, and the remaining tooth area were identified, and the percentages of hyperdense and hypodense artifacts, remaining tooth area, and tooth area affected by the artifacts were calculated. Artifacts were analyzed qualitatively by 2 observers using the following scores: absence (0), moderate presence (1), and high presence (2) for hypodense halos, hypodense lines, and hyperdense lines. Two-way ANOVA and the post-hoc Tukey test were used for quantitative and qualitative artifact analysis. The Dunnet test was also used for qualitative analysis. The significance level was set at P .05). Different exposure parameters did not affect the objective or subjective observations of artifacts in CBCT images; however, the filling materials used in endodontic restorations did affect both types of assessments

Reduction of metal artifacts from hip prostheses on CT images of the pelvis: value of iterative reconstructions.

Science.gov (United States)

Morsbach, Fabian; Bickelhaupt, Sebastian; Wanner, Guido A; Krauss, Andreas; Schmidt, Bernhard; Alkadhi, Hatem

2013-07-01

To assess the value of iterative frequency split-normalized (IFS) metal artifact reduction (MAR) for computed tomography (CT) of hip prostheses. This study had institutional review board and local ethics committee approval. First, a hip phantom with steel and titanium prostheses that had inlays of water, fat, and contrast media in the pelvis was used to optimize the IFS algorithm. Second, 41 consecutive patients with hip prostheses who were undergoing CT were included. Data sets were reconstructed with filtered back projection, the IFS algorithm, and a linear interpolation MAR algorithm. Two blinded, independent readers evaluated axial, coronal, and sagittal CT reformations for overall image quality, image quality of pelvic organs, and assessment of pelvic abnormalities. CT attenuation and image noise were measured. Statistical analysis included the Friedman test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Levene test. Ex vivo experiments demonstrated an optimized IFS algorithm by using a threshold of 2200 HU with four iterations for both steel and titanium prostheses. Measurements of CT attenuation of the inlays were significantly (P algorithm for CT image reconstruction significantly reduces metal artifacts from hip prostheses, improves the reliability of CT number measurements, and improves the confidence for depicting pelvic abnormalities.

Preliminary experimental insights into differential heat impact among lithic artifacts

OpenAIRE

Guillermo Bustos-Pérez; Javier Baena Preysler

2016-01-01

The presence of thermally altered and broken flint artifacts is common at archaeological sites. Most studies focus their attention on the effects of heat treatment on flint to improve knapping qualities, disregarding the effects of fire over flint under uncontrolled conditions. This paper aims to show how under uncontrolled heating processes flint artifacts develop different heat alterations (such as levels of breakage, presence of scales, etc.) as a result of vertical distribution, volume or...

How to bring a technical artifact into use: A micro-developmental perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overdijk, Maarten; Van Diggelen, Wouter; Andriessen, Jerry; Kirschner, Paul A.

2018-01-01

In order to understand how technical artifacts are attuned to, interacted with, and shaped in various and varied classrooms, it is necessary to construct detailed accounts of the use of particular artifacts in particular classrooms. This paper presents a descriptive account of how a shared

A formal ontological perspective on the behaviors and functions of technical artifacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgo, S.; Carrara, M.; Garbacz, P.; Vermaas, P.E.

2008-01-01

In this paper we present a formal characterization of the engineering concepts of behavior and function of technical artifacts. We capture the meanings that engineers attach to these concepts by formalizing, within the formal ontology DOLCE, the five meanings of artifact behavior and the two

MRI-Based Computed Tomography Metal Artifact Correction Method for Improving Proton Range Calculation Accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Peter C.; Schreibmann, Eduard; Roper, Justin; Elder, Eric; Crocker, Ian; Fox, Tim; Zhu, X. Ronald; Dong, Lei; Dhabaan, Anees

2015-01-01

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) artifacts can severely degrade dose calculation accuracy in proton therapy. Prompted by the recently increased popularity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the radiation therapy clinic, we developed an MRI-based CT artifact correction method for improving the accuracy of proton range calculations. Methods and Materials: The proposed method replaces corrupted CT data by mapping CT Hounsfield units (HU number) from a nearby artifact-free slice, using a coregistered MRI. MRI and CT volumetric images were registered with use of 3-dimensional (3D) deformable image registration (DIR). The registration was fine-tuned on a slice-by-slice basis by using 2D DIR. Based on the intensity of paired MRI pixel values and HU from an artifact-free slice, we performed a comprehensive analysis to predict the correct HU for the corrupted region. For a proof-of-concept validation, metal artifacts were simulated on a reference data set. Proton range was calculated using reference, artifactual, and corrected images to quantify the reduction in proton range error. The correction method was applied to 4 unique clinical cases. Results: The correction method resulted in substantial artifact reduction, both quantitatively and qualitatively. On respective simulated brain and head and neck CT images, the mean error was reduced from 495 and 370 HU to 108 and 92 HU after correction. Correspondingly, the absolute mean proton range errors of 2.4 cm and 1.7 cm were reduced to less than 2 mm in both cases. Conclusions: Our MRI-based CT artifact correction method can improve CT image quality and proton range calculation accuracy for patients with severe CT artifacts

Reduction of variable-truncation artifacts from beam occlusion during in situ x-ray tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Borg, Leise; Jørgensen, Jakob S.; Frikel, Jürgen; Sporring, Jon

2017-12-01

Many in situ x-ray tomography studies require experimental rigs which may partially occlude the beam and cause parts of the projection data to be missing. In a study of fluid flow in porous chalk using a percolation cell with four metal bars drastic streak artifacts arise in the filtered backprojection (FBP) reconstruction at certain orientations. Projections with non-trivial variable truncation caused by the metal bars are the source of these variable-truncation artifacts. To understand the artifacts a mathematical model of variable-truncation data as a function of metal bar radius and distance to sample is derived and verified numerically and with experimental data. The model accurately describes the arising variable-truncation artifacts across simulated variations of the experimental setup. Three variable-truncation artifact-reduction methods are proposed, all aimed at addressing sinogram discontinuities that are shown to be the source of the streaks. The ‘reduction to limited angle’ (RLA) method simply keeps only non-truncated projections; the ‘detector-directed smoothing’ (DDS) method smooths the discontinuities; while the ‘reflexive boundary condition’ (RBC) method enforces a zero derivative at the discontinuities. Experimental results using both simulated and real data show that the proposed methods effectively reduce variable-truncation artifacts. The RBC method is found to provide the best artifact reduction and preservation of image features using both visual and quantitative assessment. The analysis and artifact-reduction methods are designed in context of FBP reconstruction motivated by computational efficiency practical for large, real synchrotron data. While a specific variable-truncation case is considered, the proposed methods can be applied to general data cut-offs arising in different in situ x-ray tomography experiments.

A systematic comparison of motion artifact correction techniques for functional near-infrared spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooper, Robert J; Selb, Juliette; Gagnon, Louis

2012-01-01

a significant reduction in the mean-squared error (MSE) and significant increase in the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the recovered HRF when compared to no correction and compared to a process of rejecting motion-contaminated trials. Spline interpolation produces the largest average reduction in MSE (55....... Principle component analysis, spline interpolation, wavelet analysis, and Kalman filtering approaches are compared to one another and to standard approaches using the accuracy of the recovered, simulated hemodynamic response function (HRF). Each of the four motion correction techniques we tested yields......%) while wavelet analysis produces the highest average increase in CNR (39%). On the basis of this analysis, we recommend the routine application of motion correction techniques (particularly spline interpolation or wavelet analysis) to minimize the impact of motion artifacts on functional NIRS data....

Preoperative differential diagnosis of adnexal lesions: Double contrast-MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, M.; Steffens, J.C.; Schueppler, U.; Muhle, C.; Brinkmann, G.; Kohl, G.; Weisner, D.; Luettges, J.; Spielmann, R.P.; Heller, M.

1996-01-01

46 patients with benign (n=42) and malignant (n=4) cystic adnexal tumours underwent MRI of the pelvis. Transaxial and coronal images were acquired using conventional T 1 - and T 2 -weighted SE-sequences after oral administration of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (Ferristene). Additional T 1 -weighted SE-images were obtained immediately following gadoliamide (Gd DTPA-BMA) injection. MRI correctly classified the four malignant lesions, whereas nine histologically benign lesions were misdiagnosed as malignant. Intravenous contrast yielded a superior delineation of intratumoural architecture. Due to exclusion of solid structures, MRI with oral and i.v. contrast enables to dismiss suspected malignity in cystic adnexal lesions. Because of the non-specificity of the macroscopic criteria of dignity, the MR diagnosis 'malignity' is of limited value. (orig./MG) [de

Statistical feature extraction for artifact removal from concurrent fMRI-EEG recordings.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhongming; de Zwart, Jacco A; van Gelderen, Peter; Kuo, Li-Wei; Duyn, Jeff H

2012-02-01

We propose a set of algorithms for sequentially removing artifacts related to MRI gradient switching and cardiac pulsations from electroencephalography (EEG) data recorded during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Special emphasis is directed upon the use of statistical metrics and methods for the extraction and selection of features that characterize gradient and pulse artifacts. To remove gradient artifacts, we use channel-wise filtering based on singular value decomposition (SVD). To remove pulse artifacts, we first decompose data into temporally independent components and then select a compact cluster of components that possess sustained high mutual information with the electrocardiogram (ECG). After the removal of these components, the time courses of remaining components are filtered by SVD to remove the temporal patterns phase-locked to the cardiac timing markers derived from the ECG. The filtered component time courses are then inversely transformed into multi-channel EEG time series free of pulse artifacts. Evaluation based on a large set of simultaneous EEG-fMRI data obtained during a variety of behavioral tasks, sensory stimulations and resting conditions showed excellent data quality and robust performance attainable with the proposed methods. These algorithms have been implemented as a Matlab-based toolbox made freely available for public access and research use. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Removing ECG Artifact from the Surface EMG Signal Using Adaptive Subtraction Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Abbaspour, S; Fallah, A

2014-01-01

Background: The electrocardiogram artifact is a major contamination in the electromyogram signals when electromyogram signal is recorded from upper trunk muscles and because of that the contaminated electromyogram is not useful. Objective: Removing electrocardiogram contamination from electromyogram signals. Methods: In this paper, the clean electromyogram signal, electrocardiogram artifact and electrocardiogram signal were recorded from leg muscles, the pectoralis major muscle of the left side and V4, respectively. After the pre-processing, contaminated electromyogram signal is simulated with a combination of clean electromyogram and electrocardiogram artifact. Then, contaminated electromyogram is cleaned using adaptive subtraction method. This method contains some steps; (1) QRS detection, (2) formation of electrocardiogram template by averaging the electrocardiogram complexes, (3) using low pass filter to remove undesirable artifacts, (4) subtraction. Results: Performance of our method is evaluated using qualitative criteria, power spectrum density and coherence and quantitative criteria signal to noise ratio, relative error and cross correlation. The result of signal to noise ratio, relative error and cross correlation is equal to 10.493, 0.04 and %97 respectively. Finally, there is a comparison between proposed method and some existing methods. Conclusion: The result indicates that adaptive subtraction method is somewhat effective to remove electrocardiogram artifact from contaminated electromyogram signal and has an acceptable result. PMID:25505766

The Smoothing Artifact of Spatially Constrained Canonical Correlation Analysis in Functional MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dietmar Cordes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A wide range of studies show the capacity of multivariate statistical methods for fMRI to improve mapping of brain activations in a noisy environment. An advanced method uses local canonical correlation analysis (CCA to encompass a group of neighboring voxels instead of looking at the single voxel time course. The value of a suitable test statistic is used as a measure of activation. It is customary to assign the value to the center voxel; however, this is a choice of convenience and without constraints introduces artifacts, especially in regions of strong localized activation. To compensate for these deficiencies, different spatial constraints in CCA have been introduced to enforce dominance of the center voxel. However, even if the dominance condition for the center voxel is satisfied, constrained CCA can still lead to a smoothing artifact, often called the “bleeding artifact of CCA”, in fMRI activation patterns. In this paper a new method is introduced to measure and correct for the smoothing artifact for constrained CCA methods. It is shown that constrained CCA methods corrected for the smoothing artifact lead to more plausible activation patterns in fMRI as shown using data from a motor task and a memory task.

MR-imaging of the breast at 0.5 Tesla: menstrual-cycle dependency of parenchymal contrast enhancement in healthy volunteers with oral contraceptive use?; MR-Mammographie bei 0,5 Tesla: Menstruationszyklusabhaengigkeit der Kontrastmittelanreicherung unter hormoneller Kontrazeption?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenzen, J.; Welger, J.; Krupski, G.; Adam, G. [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany); Lisboa, B.W. [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany)

2003-04-01

Introduction: To evaluate changes of contrast medium enhancement of the breast parenchyma due to menstrual cycle in healthy volunteers with oral contraceptive use in MR-imaging of the breast. Material and Methods: 15 healthy volunteers (age: 22 - 36, mean 28,2) without breast disease were examined two times during one menstrual cycle (days 7 - 14 and days 21 - 2). Two volunteers were examined only in the second part of the cycle (days 21 - 2). All volunteers used oral contraceptives for more than 6 month continuously. Examinations were performed with a 0,5 T magnet (dynamic 3D-gradient echo protocol with subtraction postprocessing). We evaluated the number of enhancing foci and the parenchymal contrast medium enhancement during the different phases of the cycle by region of interest. Results: Only a total of two enhancing foci were found in 2 of 17 volunteers. Time/signal intensity diagrams in these both cases were not suspicious (< 80% initial signal increase after of contrast medium injection, no wash-out phenomenon) and sonography of the breast in these two cases was inconspicuous. Contrast medium enhancement of breast parenchyma in cycle days 7 - 14 (mean enhancement: 0.12 - 0.26, minutes 1 - 9 p.i.) was not significantly different (p = 0.2209; Wilcoxon signed rank test) from cycle days 21 - 2 (mean: 0.13 - 0.32). Conclusion: Menstrual cycle dependency of parenchymal contrast medium enhancement seems to be of minor relevance for premenopausal women with use of oral contraceptives. (orig.) [German] Fragestellung: Untersuchung der Kontrastmittelaufnahme des Brustparenchyms in Abhaengigkeit vom Menstruationszyklus bei gesunden Probandinnen unter oraler Kontrazeption. Material und Methode: Bei 15 gesunden Probandinnen ohne Brusterkrankung in der Anamnese wurde eine MR-Mammographie zweimal waehrend eines Menstruationszyklus durchgefuehrt (Zyklustag: 7 - 14 und 21 - 2). Bei zwei weiteren Probandinnen erfolgte die MR-Mammographie nur in der zweiten Zyklushaelfte

A standardized evaluation of artifacts from metallic compounds during fast MR imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murakami, Shumei; Verdonschot, Rinus G; Kataoka, Miyoshi

2016-01-01

according to the ASTM-F2119 standard and artifact volumes were assessed using OsiriX MD software Results: Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests were used for statistical comparisons. For most materials, scanning sequences eliciting artifact volumes in the following (ascending) order FSE-T1/FSE-T2

Björk-Shiley convexoconcave valves: susceptibility artifacts at brain MR imaging and mechanical valve fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

van Gorp, Maarten J; van der Graaf, Yolanda; de Mol, Bas A J M; Bakker, Chris J G; Witkamp, Theo D; Ramos, Lino M P; Mali, Willem P T M

2004-03-01

To assess the relationship between heart valve history and susceptibility artifacts at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain in patients with Björk-Shiley convexoconcave (BSCC) valves. MR images of the brain were obtained in 58 patients with prosthetic heart valves: 20 patients had BSCC valve replacements, and 38 had other types of heart valves. Two experienced neuroradiologists determined the presence or absence of susceptibility artifacts in a consensus reading. Artifacts were defined as characteristic black spots that were visible on T2*-weighted gradient-echo MR images. The statuses of the 20 explanted BSCC valves-specifically, whether they were intact or had an outlet strut fracture (OSF) or a single-leg fracture (SLF)-had been determined earlier. Number of artifacts seen at brain MR imaging was correlated with explanted valve status, and differences were analyzed with nonparametric statistical tests. Significantly more patients with BSCC valves (17 [85%] of 20 patients) than patients with other types of prosthetic valves (18 [47%] of 38 patients) had susceptibility artifacts at MR imaging (P =.005). BSCC valve OSFs were associated with a significantly higher number of artifacts than were intact BSCC valves (P =.01). No significant relationship between SLF and number of artifacts was observed. Susceptibility artifacts at brain MR imaging are not restricted to patients with BSCC valves. These artifacts can be seen on images obtained in patients with various other types of fractured and intact prosthetic heart valves. Copyright RSNA, 2004

Reducing Interpolation Artifacts for Mutual Information Based Image Registration

Science.gov (United States)

Soleimani, H.; Khosravifard, M.A.

2011-01-01

Medical image registration methods which use mutual information as similarity measure have been improved in recent decades. Mutual Information is a basic concept of Information theory which indicates the dependency of two random variables (or two images). In order to evaluate the mutual information of two images their joint probability distribution is required. Several interpolation methods, such as Partial Volume (PV) and bilinear, are used to estimate joint probability distribution. Both of these two methods yield some artifacts on mutual information function. Partial Volume-Hanning window (PVH) and Generalized Partial Volume (GPV) methods are introduced to remove such artifacts. In this paper we show that the acceptable performance of these methods is not due to their kernel function. It's because of the number of pixels which incorporate in interpolation. Since using more pixels requires more complex and time consuming interpolation process, we propose a new interpolation method which uses only four pixels (the same as PV and bilinear interpolations) and removes most of the artifacts. Experimental results of the registration of Computed Tomography (CT) images show superiority of the proposed scheme. PMID:22606673

Beam hardening artifacts by dental implants: Comparison of cone-beam and 64-slice computed tomography scanners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzad Esmaeili

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT is an alternative to a computed tomography (CT scan, which is appropriate for a wide range of craniomaxillofacial indications. The long-term use of metallic materials in dentistry means that artifacts caused by metallic restorations in the oral cavity should be taken into account when utilizing CBCT and CT scanners. The aim of this study was to quantitatively compare the beam hardening artifacts produced by dental implants between CBCT and a 64-Slice CT scanner. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study , an implant drilling model similar to the human mandible was used in the present study. The implants (Dentis were placed in the canine, premolar and molar areas. Three series of scans were provided from the implant areas using Somatom Sensation 64-slice and NewTom VGi (CBCT CT scanners. Identical images were evaluated by three radiologists. The artifacts in each image were determined based on pre-determined criteria. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare mean values; Mann-Whitney U test was used for two-by-two comparisons when there was a statistical significance ( P < 0.05. Results: The images of the two scanners had similar resolutions in axial sections ( P = 0.299. In coronal sections, there were significant differences in the resolutions of the images produced by the two scanners ( P < 0.001, with a higher resolution in the images produced by NewTom VGi scanner. On the whole, there were significant differences between the resolutions of the images produced by the two CT scanners ( P < 0.001, with higher resolution in the images produced by NewTom VGi scanner in comparison to those of Somatom Sensation. Conclusion: Given the high quality of the images produced by NewTom VGi and the lower costs in comparison to CT, the use of the images of this scanner in dental procedures is recommended, especially in patients with extensive restorations, multiple prostheses and previous implants.

Contrast-enhanced CMR in patients after percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage: A pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petersen Steffen E

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the feasibility and value of first-pass contrast-enhanced dynamic and post-contrast 3D CMR in patients after transcatheter occlusion of left atrial appendage (LAA to identify incorrect placement and persistent leaks. Methods 7 patients with different occluder systems (n = 4 PLAATO; n = 2 Watchman; n = 1 ACP underwent 2 contrast-enhanced (Gd-DOTA CMR sequences (2D TrueFISP first-pass perfusion and 3D-TurboFLASH to assess localization, artifact size and potential leaks of the devices. Perfusion CMR was analyzed visually and semi-quantitatively to identify potential leaks. Results All occluders were positioned within the LAA. The ACP occluder presented the most extensive artifact size. Visual assessment revealed a residual perfusion of the LAA apex in 4 cases using first-pass perfusion and 3D-TurboFLASH indicating a suboptimal LAA occlusion. By assessing signal-to-time-curves the cases with a visually detected leak showed a 9-fold higher signal-peak in the LAA apex (567 ± 120% increase from baseline signal than those without a leak (61 ± 22%; p Conclusion This CMR pilot study provides valuable non-invasive information in patients after transcatheter occlusion of the LAA to identify correct placement and potential leaks. We recommend incorporating CMR in future clinical studies to evaluate new device types.

ADJUST: An automatic EEG artifact detector based on the joint use of spatial and temporal features.

Science.gov (United States)

Mognon, Andrea; Jovicich, Jorge; Bruzzone, Lorenzo; Buiatti, Marco

2011-02-01

A successful method for removing artifacts from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is Independent Component Analysis (ICA), but its implementation remains largely user-dependent. Here, we propose a completely automatic algorithm (ADJUST) that identifies artifacted independent components by combining stereotyped artifact-specific spatial and temporal features. Features were optimized to capture blinks, eye movements, and generic discontinuities on a feature selection dataset. Validation on a totally different EEG dataset shows that (1) ADJUST's classification of independent components largely matches a manual one by experts (agreement on 95.2% of the data variance), and (2) Removal of the artifacted components detected by ADJUST leads to neat reconstruction of visual and auditory event-related potentials from heavily artifacted data. These results demonstrate that ADJUST provides a fast, efficient, and automatic way to use ICA for artifact removal. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Metabolic Interactions between Bacteria and Fungi in Commensal Oral Biofilms

OpenAIRE

Lof, Marloes; Janus, Marleen M.; Krom, Bastiaan P.

2017-01-01

Oral health is more than just the absence of disease. The key to oral health is a diverse microbiome in an ecological balance. The oral microbiota is one of the most complex and diverse microbial communities in the human body. To maintain oral health, balance between the human host and the intrinsic microorganisms is essential. The healthy oral cavity is represented by a great microbial diversity, including both bacteria and fungi. The bacterial microbiome is very well studied. In contrast, f...

Use of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography for intramammary cancer staging: preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, Katrin S; Rubbert, Christian; Mathys, Britta; Antoch, Gerald; Mohrmann, Svjetlana; Obenauer, Silvia

2014-11-01

To prospectively evaluate and compare the accuracy of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) and ultrasound (US) in size measurement of breast cancer with histologic tumor sizes as gold standard. Twenty women aged between 40-73 years (mean age, 57 ± 10 years) with histologically proven invasive ductal/lobular carcinomas were included in the study. Agreement between imaging tumor size (CESM and US) and histopathologic tumor size was evaluated with Bland-Altman analysis. Stereotactically guided vacuum biopsy was performed in four patients after CESM. Two independent reviewers described artifacts of CESM. Motion artifacts did not occur in the study. CESM-specific artifacts caused by scattered radiation mostly occurred in oblique view of CESM. Background enhancement of breast tissue was seen in four patients. Mean difference of tumor sizes was 0.3 mm (6.34%) between CESM and histology and -2.2 mm (-7.59%) between US and histology. Limits of agreement ranged from -18.9 to 19.48 mm for CESM and from -17.1 to 12.7 mm with US. Especially smaller tumors with a size <23 mm were measured more precisely with CESM. Enhancement of breast tissue around microcalcifications correlated with abnormalities. CESM is accurate in size measurements of small breast tumors. On average CESM leads to a slight overestimation of tumor size, whereas US tends to underestimate tumor size. Assessment of the breast tissue can be limited by the scattered radiation artifact and background enhancement of breast tissue. CESM seems to be helpful in the characterization of breast tissue around microcalcifications. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.