Med Phys
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The role of imaging and image guidance is increasing in surgery and therapy, including treatment planning and follow-up. Fluoroscopy is used for two-dimensional (2D) guidance or localization; however, many procedures would benefit from three-dimensional (3D) guidance or localization. Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) using a C-arm mounted x-ray image intensifier (XRII) can provide high-quality 3D images; however, patient dose and the required acquisition time restrict the number of 3D images that can be obtained. ⋯ The tracking precision was +/- 0.65 mm for the out-of-plane translations, +/- 0.05 mm for in-plane translations, and +/- 0.05 degrees for the rotations. The root mean square (RMS) difference between the true and projection-Procrustes calculated location was 1.07 mm. It is believed these results show the potential of this technique for dynamic evaluations or real-time image guidance using a single x-ray source and XRII detector.
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The laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) technique provides the monitoring of microvascular blood flow perfusion. However, LDF monitors based on fiber-optic transducers have the serious drawback of generating TRAnsient Signal High-values (TRASH) in signals. These TRASH correspond to artifacts for clinicians as they prevent interpretations of the signal when they are numerous. ⋯ The results show effective and potential usefulness of this algorithm for an automatic localization of TRASH. Moreover, the method proposed has the advantage of being insensitive to the rapid increases of blood flow induced by post-occlusive hyperemia, which is of interest for clinicians. Because it is both local and fully data adaptive, EMD appears as an appealing processing technique for overcoming some of the limitations of the LDF.
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Accurate and automated lung field (LF) segmentation in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is highly challenged by the presence of pathologies affecting lung borders, also affecting the performance of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) schemes. In this work, a two-dimensional LF segmentation algorithm adapted to interstitial pneumonia (IP) patterns is presented. The algorithm employs k-means clustering followed by a filling operation to obtain an initial LF order estimate. ⋯ The performance of the three segmentation methods, although decreased as IP pattern severity level (mild, moderate, and severe) was increased, did not demonstrate statistically significant difference (two-tailed student's t test for unpaired data, p>0.0167 for all metrics considered). Finally, the accuracy of the proposed method, based on gray level and wavelet coefficient statistics ranges within interobserver variability. The proposed segmentation method could be used as an initial stage of a CAD scheme for IP patterns.
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Commercially available high-resolution three-dimensional optical imaging modalities-including confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography-have fundamentally impacted biomedicine. Unfortunately, such tools cannot penetrate biological tissue deeper than the optical transport mean free path (approximately 1 mm in the skin). ⋯ In parallel, radio frequency-or microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography is being actively developed to combine radio frequency or microwave contrast with ultrasonic resolution. In this Vision 20/20 article, the prospects of photoacoustic tomography are envisaged in the following aspects: (1) photoacoustic microscopy of optical absorption emerging as a mainstream technology, (2) melanoma detection using photoacoustic microscopy, (3) photoacoustic endoscopy, (4) simultaneous functional and molecular photoacoustic tomography, (5) photoacoustic tomography of gene expression, (6) Doppler photoacoustic tomography for flow measurement, (7) photoacoustic tomography of metabolic rate of oxygen, (8) photoacoustic mapping of sentinel lymph nodes, (9) multiscale photoacoustic imaging in vivo with common signal origins, (10) simultaneous photoacoustic and thermoacoustic tomography of the breast, (11) photoacoustic and thermoacoustic tomography of the brain, and (12) low-background thermoacoustic molecular imaging.
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Physicists have and continue to play a major role in the creation and introduction of novel technology into medical care. This review covers some of the highlights of contributions of medical physicists to the field of radiation oncology during the history of the AAPM. While not comprehensive, the broad scope of developments and their impact hints at the importance of the medical physicist in advancing the field in the past, present, and future.