Med Phys
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Computed tomography image reconstruction using truncated or sparsely acquired projection data to reduce radiation dose, iodine volume, and patient motion artifacts has been widely investigated. To continue these efforts, we investigated the use of machine learning-based reconstruction techniques using deep convolutional generative adversarial networks (DCGANs) and evaluated its effect using standard imaging metrics. ⋯ We demonstrated the use of DCGANs for CT-image correction from sparse and truncated simulated projection data, while preserving imaging quality of the fully sampled projection data.
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Domain classification and analysis of national institutes of health-funded medical physics research.
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) previously developed a research database consisting of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants that were awarded to its members. The purpose of this report is to classify these NIH grants into various medical physics subdisciplines and analyze the scope of AAPM member research. ⋯ The percentage of AAPM member grants that included words relating to both imaging and therapy (image-guided therapy grants) increased from 13% (27/207) in 2002 to 27% (79/293) in 2019. The percentage of AAPM member grants utilizing words relating to artificial intelligence increased from 8% in 2002 to 20% in 2019. From 2002 to 2019, AAPM member grants referenced cancer more than all other diseases combined. The majority of AAPM member grants included words relating to clinical research (81% of grants in 2002 and 99% in 2019). When comparing AAPM member with non-AAPM member grants it was found that in 2019 AAPM members held a substantial fraction of all NIH grants that referenced stereotactic radiation therapies (41%), radionuclide therapies (10%), brachytherapies (35%), intensity-modulated radiation therapies (45%), and external beam particle therapies (55%). From 2002 to 2019, the percentage of AAPM membership holding NIH grants decreased for males (3.2% down to 2.3%) and increased for females (0.8% up to 1.3%) CONCLUSIONS: The majority of grants awarded to AAPM members focus on clinical research, which underlies the translational aspect of medical physics and suggests medical physicists are uniquely positioned to help translate new technologies such as artificial intelligence into the clinic. Since 2002, NIH grants awarded to AAPM members have increasingly referenced some form of image-guided therapy, suggesting opportunities for continued innovation of imaging technologies. A substantial fraction of all radiotherapy-related research grants were awarded to AAPM members, emphasizing the important role physicists have in developing radiotherapy-related treatments.