Radiology

OpenIGTLink: an open network protocol for image‐guided therapy environment

by Gregory Fischer

MRI-compatible pneumatic robot for transperineal prostate needle placement

by Gregory Fischer

Fischer GS, Iordachita I, Csoma C, Tokuda J, DiMaio SP, Tempany CM, Hata N, Fichtinger G, MRI-Compatible Pneumatic Robot for Transperineal Prostate Needle Placement, IEEE / ASME Transactions on Mechatronics – Focused section on MRI Compatible Mechatronic Systems, Vol 13, No 3, pp 295-305, June 2008.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide high-quality 3-D visualization of prostate and surrounding tissue, thus... more Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide high-quality 3-D visualization of prostate and surrounding tissue, thus granting potential to be a superior medical imaging modality for guiding and monitoring prostatic interventions. However, the benefits cannot be readily harnessed for interventional procedures due to difficulties that surround the use of high-field (1.5T or greater) MRI. The inability to use conventional mechatronics and the confined physical space makes it extremely challenging to access the patient. We have designed a robotic assistant system that overcomes these difficulties and promises safe and reliable intraprostatic needle placement inside closed high-field MRI scanners. MRI compatibility of the robot has been evaluated under 3T MRI using standard prostate imaging sequences and average SNR loss is limited to 5%. Needle alignment accuracy of the robot under servo pneumatic control is better than 0.94 mm rms per axis. The complete system workflow has been evaluated in phantom studies with accurate visualization and targeting of five out of five 1 cm targets. The paper explains the robot mechanism and controller design, the system integration, and presents results of preliminary evaluation of the system.

A.P. Moller, T.A Mousseau. 2007. Determinants of interspecific variation in population declines of birds after exposure to radiation at Chernobyl. Journal of Applied Ecology, 44: 909-919.

by Timothy Mousseau

Competências para a Tomada de Decisão na Radiologia: Uma abordagem de Avaliação de Tecnologia

by António B. Moniz

Paper provided by Universidade Nova de Lisboa, IET-Research Center on Enterprise and Work Innovation, Faculty of Science and Technology in its series IET Working Papers Series with number 02/2011.
with Maria João Maia

We are facing an era, where pressures on health costs are extremely high, and the reforms in health system are almost... more We are facing an era, where pressures on health costs are extremely high, and the reforms in health system are almost constant. But over time, one factor remains unchanged – Technology continues being the sustenance of health care. Manufacturers, clinicians, patients, diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, hospital managers, government leaders, among others, either in public or private sector, are increasingly demanding in the sustained seek for information that support its decisions. Those decisions are about different types of issues: if, or how the technology can be developed, whether a technology should or should not enter the market, whether to acquire and use certain technology, and so forth. Such demand is well implied in the growth and development of Health Technology Assessment (HTA). This specialised field is commonly understood according to the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA, 2003) as an multidisciplinary analysis and decisional field, which studies the implications of clinical, social, ethical and economic development, dissemination and use of health technologies, without neglecting its political analysis (Goodman, 2004). The political decisions made based on HTA reports should be based on scientific evidence, linking efforts between the technical, economic and political dimensions, resourcing to a participatory vision, so that we can translate the best possible decision (Novaes 2006). On the other hand, the success of these decisions depends critically on the skills of the researcher to convey wisdom and confidence in applying rules of argumentation (Grunwald, 2007). In this paper we analyse the technical and methodological aspects of HTA, seen as a tool for evaluating health procedures and techniques. And we analyse the needs for skills and qualifications development of the actors involved in this process.

Patient experiences of MR colonography and colonoscopy: a qualitative study

by Samuel Smith

Hafeez, R., von Wagner, C., Smith, S., Boulos, P., Halligan, S., Bloom, S., Taylor, S. (in press) British Journal of Radiology

Objectives: The aim of this study was to apply qualitative techniques to assimilate data on patient experience and... more Objectives: The aim of this study was to apply qualitative techniques to assimilate data on patient experience and attitudes during MR colonography (MRC) and colonoscopy (CC). Methods: 18 patients (11 male, 7 female, median age 40.5 years), 10 of which had known colonic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 7 who were under investigation for suspected colonic neoplasia (non-IBD), underwent MRC and conventional CC. Semi-structured interviews were performed to assimilate test experiences and preferences, and themes were extracted using thematic analysis. Results: Thematic analysis identified three main themes: (i) physical experience, (ii) information provision and (iii) overall preference. Patients expressed mixed views about the physical experience of MRC but specifically identified water filling, breath holding and lying still as problematic. Anxiety was expressed regarding potential incontinence. Scanner noise interfered with the understanding of instructions, particularly amongst non-IBD patients. Non-IBD patients expressed greater anxiety over the delay in receiving the MRC report than IBD patients. In general MRI was considered as the more informative and safer investigation. Patients reported more physical discomfort during CC (notably IBD patients) related to air insufflation and colonoscopic manipulation but were more satisfied with the feedback they received. 10 patients (56%) stated an overall preference for MRC and 5 (28%) preferred CC. Reasons for preferences stated by the patients included discomfort, speed of the test, safely, perceived diagnostic ability and the ability to take biopsies. Conclusion: Experiences of MRC and CC are complex and influenced by clinical indication. Individuals place different weightings on the relative importance of test attributes including discomfort, noise, immobility, feedback, safety and fear of incontinence and this defines overall preference.

The Radiopacity Of Dental Prostheses (Fixed And Removable) On Plain Radiographs-An Experimental Study

by Noor Hayaty Abu Kasim

The impaction of dental prostheses in either the airway or esophagus is an under-recognized problem which may result... more The impaction of dental prostheses in either the airway or esophagus is an under-recognized problem which may result in severe morbidity or even mortality. The radio-opacity and the size of fixed and removable dental prostheses in an animal carcass was investigated. Prostheses were placed one at a time in the oro-laryngopharynx or in tho trachea and the esophagus. Lateral radiographs were taken for each prosthesis in site. The radio-opacity and size of the prostheses on the radiograph was graded. Most of the prostheses investigated were radio-opaque though the removable prostheses were more likely to be radiolucent and differ in size. In a symptomatic patient with a missing dental prosthesis, a negative chest or abdominal radiograph does not exclude impaction, inhalation or ingestion. Further evaluation with endoscopy or even computed tomography may be essential to reduce the possibility of severe morbidity or even mortality.

Radiology information system: a workflow-based approach

by Hongchao Nie

Rediscovering Radiology: New Technologies and Remedial Action at the Worksite

by Jonas Ivarsson

Rystedt, H., Ivarsson, J., Asplund, S., Johnsson, Å. A., & Båth, M. (2011). Social studies of science, 41(6), 101-125.

This study contributes to social studies of imaging and visualization practices within scientific and medical... more This study contributes to social studies of imaging and visualization practices within scientific and medical settings. The focus is on practices in radiology, which are bound up with visual records known as radiographs. The study addresses work following the introduction of a new imaging technology, tomosynthesis. Since it was a novel technology, there was limited knowledge of how to correctly analyse tomosynthesis images. To address this problem, a collective review session was arranged. The purpose of the present study was to uncover the practical work that took place during that session and to show how, and on what basis, new methods, interpretations and understandings were being generated. The analysis displays how the diagnostic work on patients’ bodies was grounded in two sets of technologically produced renderings. This shows how expertise is not simply a matter of providing correct explanations, but also involves discovery work in which visual renderings are made transparent. Furthermore, the results point to how the disciplinary knowledge is intertwined with timely actions, which in turn, partly rely on established practices of manipulating and comparing images. The embodied and situated reasoning that enabled radiologists to discern objects in the images thus display expertise as inherently practical and domain-specific.

CT and MR evaluation of pericardial constriction: a new diagnostic and therapeutic concept

by Mahmut Gurgan

Does initial staging or tumor histology better identify asymptomatic brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer?

by Landon Kuester

MAMMOGRAPHIC IMAGE ENHANCEMENT USING WAVELET-BASED PROCESSING AND HISTOGRAM EQUALIZATION

by Harris Georgiou

Shape-based tumor retrieval in mammograms using relevance-feedback techniques

by Harris Georgiou

A fully automated scheme for mammographic segmentation and classification based on breast density and asymmetry

by Harris Georgiou

A FULLY AUTOMATED SCHEME FOR BREAST DENSITY ESTIMATION AND ASYMMETRY DETECTION OF MAMMOGRAMS

by Harris Georgiou

Algorithms for Image Analysis and Combination of Pattern Classifiers With Application to Medical Diagnosis

by Harris Georgiou

Significance Analysis of Qualitative Mammographic Features, Using Linear Classifiers, Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines

by Harris Georgiou

Breast Imaging: Radiohistological Correlation: Significance Analysis of Qualitative Mammographic Features, Using Linear Classifiers, Neural Networks and Support Vector …

by Harris Georgiou

An Operations Management approach in Radiology Services

by Diego Falsini

Co-authored with A. Perugia and M.M. Schiraldi. Published on the Proceedings of the international conference “Sustainable Development: Industrial Practice, Education & Research”, Monopoli, Bari (Italy), September 14-18, 2010, ISBN: 978-88-904625-1-1.

This paper focus on the application of Operations Management techniques in the context of radiological and diagnostic... more This paper focus on the application of Operations Management techniques in the context of radiological and diagnostic imaging services provision. More specifically, the outpatient appointment scheduling problem for MRI diagnostic imaging services in a radiology clinics is approached and solved taking into account set-up time minimization. This is pursued trough the design of an innovative system for the on-line assignment of appointments for specific diagnostic imaging scans. An appointment rule, a patient classification and an heuristic procedure for the booking process are defined in order to better manage uncertainty and improve system performance. The proposed approach was validated on the case of a diagnostic centre of Alliance Medical, a primary multinational company in the field of diagnostic imaging services.

Integrated Digital X-Ray System for the WHIS-RAD

by Mike Hoaglin

Patient acceptability of CT colonography compared with double contract barium enema: Results from a multicentre randomised controlled trial of symptomatic patients

by Samuel Smith

von Wagner, C., Smith, S., Halligan, S., Ghanouni, A., Power, E., Lilford, R. J., Morton, D., Dadswell, E., Atkin, W., Wardle, J. (in press)
European Journal of Radiology

Objectives
To determine patient acceptability of barium enema (BE) or CT colonography (CTC).

Methods... more Objectives
To determine patient acceptability of barium enema (BE) or CT colonography (CTC).

Methods
After ethical approval, 921 consenting patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer who had been randomly assigned and completed either BE (N = 606) or CTC (N = 315) received a questionnaire to assess experience of the clinical episode including bowel preparation, procedure and complications. Satisfaction, worry and physical discomfort were assessed using an adapted version of a validated acceptability scale. Non-parametric methods assessed differences between the randomised tests and the effect of patient characteristics.

Results
Patients undergoing BE were significantly less satisfied (median 61, interquartile range [IQR] 54–67 vs. median 64, IQR 56–69; p = 0.003) and experienced more physical discomfort (median 40, IQR 29–52 vs. median 35.5, IQR 25–47; p < 0.001) than those undergoing CTC. Post-test, BE patients were significantly more likely to experience ‘abdominal pain/cramps’ (68% vs. 57%; p = 0.007), ‘soreness’ (57% vs. 37%; p < 0.001), ‘nausea/vomiting’ (16% vs. 8%; p = 0.009), ‘soiling’ (31% vs. 23%; p = 0.034) and ‘wind’ (92% vs. 84%; p = 0.001) and in the case of ‘wind’ to also rate it as severe (27% vs. 15%; p < 0.001).

Conclusion
CTC is associated with significant improvements in patient experience. These data support the case for CTC to replace BE.