Advanced Biomedical Imaging Research Articles

A potential new fabric evaluation approach by capturing brain perception under fabric contact pressure

The problem of the transmission mechanism of textile perception and the barrier to express textile cognition directly are the two major issues in the field of textile evaluation. In this study, an advanced biomedical imaging technology, functional magnetic resonance imaging, which is non-invasive and has a high temporal resolution and spatial resolution, was utilized to describe the features of brain perception in the brain mask areas under increased fabric contact pressures, and thus it was attempted to provide a new approach to express fabric comfort perception. As a result, we found that when fabric contact pressure increased from 0.5 to 1.5 kPa, both maximum activation intensity T Z and activation proportion K of the peak points were transferred from the postcentral gyrus in the SI to the amygdala, and were negative activations. Therefore, we drew the conclusion that both a lower and a higher fabric contact pressure (about 1 kPa of proper comfort fabric pressure) would produce a brain signal inhibitory effect on the SI and amygdala. The difference was the fact that the inhibition role on the SI was more obvious under a lower pressure, while the inhibition role on the amygdala was more remarkable under a higher pressure, which meant that the SI, particularly the postcentral gyrus in the SI, was likely to play a significant role in surface tactile perception of fabrics, while the amygdala might be related to the fabric oppressing sensation.

Editorial Note: Development and Application of Advanced Biomedical Imaging

Editorial Note: Development and Application of Advanced Biomedical Imaging

Encapsulation of indocyanine green in poly(lactic acid) nanofibers for using as a nanoprobe in biomedical diagnostics

Some chronic illnesses do not show any symptoms at an early stage, which causes a difficult to treating the situation. Especially cardiovascular diseases, liver functions and cancer could be prevented at early stages of diseases by advanced biomedical imaging techniques. In this study, indocyanine green (ICG), which must be stabilized in aqueous media for the development of its use in biomedical applications, was stabilized by encapsulating into the biodegradable polymer of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) using a coaxial electrospinning (CES) method to produce ICG near infrared (NIR) fluorophore nanoprobe with the one-step process.

Advances in Biomedical Imaging and Image Fusion

Advances in Biomedical Imaging and Image Fusion

A Stretchable Alternating Current Electroluminescent Fiber.

Flexible, stretchable electroluminescent fibers are of significance to meet the escalating requirements of increasing complexity and multifunctionality of smart electronics. We report a stretchable alternating current electroluminescent (ACEL) fiber by a low-cost and all solution-processed scalable process. The ACEL fiber provides high stretchability, decent light-emitting performance, with excellent stability and nearly zero hysteresis. It can be stretched up to 80% strain. Our ACEL fiber device maintained a stable luminance for over 6000 stretch-release cycles at 50% strain. The mechanical stretchability and optical stability of our ACEL fiber device provides new possibilities towards next-generation stretchable displays, electronic textiles, advanced biomedical imaging and lighting, conformable visual readouts in arbitrary shapes, and novel health-monitoring devices.

Optical Coherence Tomography in the UK Biobank Study - Rapid Automated Analysis of Retinal Thickness for Large Population-Based Studies.

PurposeTo describe an approach to the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in large, population-based studies, including methods for OCT image acquisition, storage, and the remote, rapid, automated analysis of retinal thickness.MethodsIn UK Biobank, OCT images were acquired between 2009 and 2010 using a commercially available “spectral domain” OCT device (3D OCT-1000, Topcon). Images were obtained using a raster scan protocol, 6 mm x 6 mm in area, and consisting of 128 B-scans. OCT image sets were stored on UK Biobank servers in a central repository, adjacent to high performance computers. Rapid, automated analysis of retinal thickness was performed using custom image segmentation software developed by the Topcon Advanced Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (TABIL). This software employs dual-scale gradient information to allow for automated segmentation of nine intraretinal boundaries in a rapid fashion.Results67,321 participants (134,642 eyes) in UK Biobank underwent OCT imaging of both eyes as part of the ocular module. 134,611 images were successfully processed with 31 images failing segmentation analysis due to corrupted OCT files or withdrawal of subject consent for UKBB study participation. Average time taken to call up an image from the database and complete segmentation analysis was approximately 120 seconds per data set per login, and analysis of the entire dataset was completed in approximately 28 days.ConclusionsWe report an approach to the rapid, automated measurement of retinal thickness from nearly 140,000 OCT image sets from the UK Biobank. In the near future, these measurements will be publically available for utilization by researchers around the world, and thus for correlation with the wealth of other data collected in UK Biobank. The automated analysis approaches we describe may be of utility for future large population-based epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and screening programs that employ OCT imaging.

Advances in Biomedical Imaging, Bioengineering, and Related Technologies for the Development of Biomarkers of Pancreatic Disease: Summary of a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Workshop.

A workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering focused on research gaps and opportunities in the development of new biomarkers of pancreatic disease. The session was held on July 22, 2015, and structured into 6 sessions: 1) Introduction and Overview; 2) Keynote Address; 3) New Approaches to the Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis; 4) Biomarkers of Pain and Inflammation; 5) New Approaches to the Detection of Pancreatic Cancer; and 6) Shed Exosomes, Shed Cells, and Shed Proteins. Recent advances in the fields of pancreatic imaging, functional markers of pancreatic disease, proteomics, molecular and cellular imaging, and detection of circulating cancer cells and exosomes were reviewed. Knowledge gaps and research needs were highlighted. The development of new methods for the noninvasive determination of pancreatic pathology; the use of cellular markers of pancreatic function, inflammation, pain, and malignancy; and the refinement of methods to identify cells and cellular constituents of pancreatic cancer were discussed. The further refinement of sophisticated technical methods and the need for clinical studies to validate these new approaches in large-scale studies of patients at risk for the development of pancreatic disease were repeatedly emphasized.

Recent Advances in Higher-Order, Multimodal, Biomedical Imaging Agents.

Advances in biomedical imaging have spurred the development of integrated multimodal scanners, usually capable of two simultaneous imaging modes. The long-term vision of higher-order multimodality is to improve diagnostics or guidance through the analysis of complementary, data-rich, co-registered images. Synergies achieved through combined modalities could enable researchers to better track diverse physiological and structural events, analyze biodistribution and treatment efficacy, and compare established and emerging modalities. Higher-order multimodal approaches stand to benefit from molecular imaging probes and, in recent years, contrast agents that have hypermodal characteristics have increasingly been reported in preclinical studies. Given the chemical requirements for contrast agents representing various modalities to be integrated into a single entity, the higher-order multimodal agents reported so far tend to be of nanoparticulate form. To date, the majority of reported nanoparticles have included components that are active for magnetic resonance. Herein, recent progress in higher-order multimodal imaging agents is reviewed, spanning a range of material and structural classes, and demonstrating utility in three (or more) imaging modalities.

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence: magnetic hyperthermia.

The Dartmouth Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence - one of nine funded by the National Cancer Institute as part of the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer - focuses on the use of magnetic nanoparticles for cancer diagnostics and hyperthermia therapy. It brings together a diverse team of engineers and biomedical researchers with expertise in nanomaterials, molecular targeting, advanced biomedical imaging and translational in vivo studies. The goal of successfully treating cancer is being approached by developing nanoparticles, conjugating them with Fabs, hyperthermia treatment, immunotherapy and sensing treatment response.

TU‐EF‐204‐06: Waveform Measurements On a Fast‐KV Switching CT System

Purpose:To evaluate the timing and shape of the kilovoltage (kV) waveform for a fast‐kV switching dual‐energy CT system using a non‐invasive method.Methods:A kV divider with mobile filter pack was connected to a digital oscilloscope and scanned using a fast‐kV switching dual‐energy CT system in service mode. The tube was stationary, so exposure time was equivalent to rotation time. In this system, the generator switches quickly between two nominal voltages of 80kV and 140kV. The predicted waveform period was calculated given 1968 projections per exposure/rotation. Two Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) service settings, GSI‐2 and GSI‐3, with exposure times of 0.8sec and 0.5sec, respectively, were analyzed. The data were binned into high (>110kV) and low (<110kV) projection regions. Waveform periods were calculated using the intersections of the waveform with 110kV. The waveform was analyzed for period accuracy, minimum and maximum kV, and average kV of the high and low kV projection regions. The effective spectral separation was the difference between the average kVs of the low and high projection regions.Results:The shape of the waveform was neither square nor sinusoidal. The minimum and maximum kVs were 81.6kV and 139.6kV for GSI‐2 (0.8sec) and 84.8kV and 131.6kV for GSI‐3 (0.5sec), which were within 6% of the nominal kVs. GSI‐2 and GSI‐3 had average waveform periods of 0.8134msec and 0.5064msec, respectively, within 0.5% of the calculated periods. The average kV for the high and low projections yielded effective spectral separations of 38.3kV (89.2kV to 127.5kV) for GSI‐2 (0.8sec) and 27.2kV (93.7kV to 121.4kV) for GSI‐3 (0.5sec).Conclusion:A method for analyzing the kV waveform of a fast‐kV switching x‐ray tube was demonstrated. The pseudo‐sinusoidal shape of the kV waveform lowers spectral separation compared to that of an ideal square wave, which may impact the quality of dual‐energy CT material decomposition.This research was conducted at the MD Anderson Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging in‐part with equipment support from General Electric Healthcare

MO‐AB‐BRA‐04: Correct Identification of Low‐Attenuation Intracranial Hemorrhage and Calcification Using Dual‐Energy Computed Tomography in a Phantom System

Purpose:Intracranial hemorrhage and calcification with Single‐Energy CT (SECT) attenuation below 100HU cannot be reliably identified using currently clinically available means. Calcification is typically benign but hemorrhage can carry a risk of intracranial bleeding and contraindicate use of anticoagulant therapies. A biologically‐relevant phantom was used to investigate identification of unknown intracranial lesions using dual‐energy CT (DECT) as a verification of prior lesion differentiation results.Methods:Prior phantom work investigating calcification and hemorrhage differentiation resulted in 3D‐DECT raw data (water density, calcium density, 68keV) for a range of DECT protocol variations: image thicknesses (1.25, 2.5, 3.75, 5mm), CTDIvol (36.7 to 132.6mGy) and reconstruction algorithms (Soft, Standard, Detail). Acquisition‐specific raw data were used to create a plane of optimal differentiation based on the geometric bisector of 3D‐linear regression of the two lesion distributions. Verification hemorrhage and calcification lesions, ranging in size from 0.5 to 1.5cm, were created at varying attenuation from 50 to 100HU. Lesions were inserted into a biologically‐relevant brain phantom and scanned using SECT (3.75mm images, Standard, 67mGy) and a range of DECT protocols (3.75mm images, Standard, [67, 105.6, 132.6mGy]). 3D‐DECT data were collected and blinded for analysis. The 3D‐DECT distribution of the lesion was then compared to the acquisition‐matched geometric bisector plane and the mean lesion value's position relative to the plane, indicating lesion identity, and the percentage of voxels on the identified side of the plane, indicating identification confidence, were derived.Results:98% of the 120 lesions investigated were identified correctly as hemorrhage or calcification. 74% were identified with greater than 80% confidence. Increases in CTDIvol and lesion diameter were associated with increased identification confidence.Conclusion:Intracranial lesions of unknown etiology were identified with 80% confidence for 74% of lesions investigated. These phantom data suggest that the identification of intracranial lesions below 100HU is clinically feasible using DECT.This research was conducted at the MD Anderson Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging in‐part with equipment support from General Electric Healthcare

MO‐FG‐BRA‐09: Quantification of Nanoparticle Heating and Concentration for MR‐Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy

Purpose:Nanoparticle Mediated Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (npLITT) is a technique that utilizes tumor localized optically activated nanoparticles to increase the conformality of laser ablation procedures. Temperatures in these procedures are dependent on the particle concentration which generally cannot be measured noninvasively prior to therapy. In this work we attempt to quantify particle concentration in vivo by estimating the increase in R2* relaxation induced by bifunctional magnetic resonance (MR)‐visible gold‐based nanoparticles (SPIO@Au) and relate it to the temperature increase observed during real time MR temperature imaging (MRTI) of laser ablation.Methods:SPIO@Au nanoparticles (90nm) were synthesized containing a silica‐iron core (for MR visibility via R2*) and gold shell (for near‐infrared absorption). High resolution R2* maps were acquired before and after injecting four different particle concentrations (saline,1e10, 5e10, and 10e10 particles/mL) into HN5 flank xenografts. Tumors were monitored using MRTI during treatment with an interstitial fiber. (1 watt, 808 nm, 3 minutes)Results:The maximum temperature within the tumors increased linearly with concentration of injected particles, reaching 34.0, 37.6, 45.8, and 55.4 ⁰C for saline, 1e10, 5e10 and 10e10 particles/mL injections, respectively (R2=.994). The highest temperatures occur at the injection site rather than the fiber, confirming that SPIO@Au nanoparticles are the primary absorber. The differences between the median R2* measured at the injection site and the rest of the tumor were −6, 134, 111, 156 s‐1 for the saline,1e10,5e10 and 10e10 particles/mL injections, respectively. This R2* change is consistent with the measured relaxivity for the 1e10 particles/mL injection but does not maintain linearity at higher concentrations.Conclusion:Bifunctional SPIO@Au nanoparticles are a promising technology for providing noninvasive estimates of particle concentration via MRI and temperature increase in npLITT procedures. Future experiments will focus on lower, physiologically relevant particle concentrations and spin echo R2 mapping to better quantify the particle concentration.This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute under Award Numbers TL1TR000369 and P30CA016672 and was conducted at the MD Anderson Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging in‐part with equipment support from General Electric Healthcare.

Random Forest Classification of Depression Status Based On Subcortical Brain Morphometry Following Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Disorders of the central nervous system are often accompanied by brain abnormalities detectable with MRI. Advances in biomedical imaging and pattern detection algorithms have led to classification methods that may help diagnose and track the progression of a brain disorder and/or predict successful response to treatment. These classification systems often use high-dimensional signals or images, and must handle the computational challenges of high dimensionality as well as complex data types such as shape descriptors. Here, we used shape information from subcortical structures to test a recently developed feature-selection method based on regularized random forests to 1) classify depressed subjects versus controls, and 2) patients before and after treatment with electroconvulsive therapy. We subsequently compared the classification performance of high-dimensional shape features with traditional volumetric measures. Shape-based models outperformed simple volumetric predictors in several cases, highlighting their utility as potential automated alternatives for establishing diagnosis and predicting treatment response.

Ellipsoidal microcavities: electromagnetic properties, fabrication, and use as multispectral MRI agents.

Micro- and nanoscale structuring of electromagnetically susceptible materials underpins many recent advances in biomedical imaging, sensing, and treatment.[1,2] From plasmonic nanoparticles[3] and surface plasmon enhanced detectors,[4] to microengineered multispectral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents,[5–7] tailored material geometries enable new functionalities through locally modified fields and amplified signals. This communication introduces a new class of such field-shaping microstructure: the ellipsoidal microcavity. Ellipsoidal particles are already of considerable interest in mathematical packing and granular media studies,[8] and have been shown to self-assemble into anisotropic materials with unique mechanical and optical properties.[9–11] Here we emphasize that there are additional electromagnetic advantages to their use that stem from their unique ability to generate truly uniform local electromagnetic fields. This communication discusses these ellipsoidal field properties and introduces a new microfabrication protocol that produces almost mathematically exact ellipsoids and ellipsoidal cavities. In addition to providing a new route to colloids with well-defined eccentricities that may enable novel self-assembled structure geoemtries, when hollowed out, the remaining ellipsoidal cavities’ uniform fields makes them ideal candidates for a new class of tunable, multispectral MRI agents.

Special Section Guest Editorial: Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Sensing

Biomedical imaging and sensing, a major part of biophotonics, are now a research focus not just in academics, but also in industry. This research aims to develop novel technologies for interrogating molecular events in living objects, to understand molecular phenomena in diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurology diseases, and to accelerate much-needed new discoveries in biology and medicine. With a strong industry in electronics and photonics, development of the advanced biomedical imaging and sensing technology will strengthen future industry development toward health care and biomedical technologies.

Thoracic Imaging

Institute of Advanced Biomedical Imaging National Jewish Health Denver, CO Dr Chung receives grant support from Siemens AG.

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering and DFT calculations studies of 3,3′‐diethylthiatri‐ carbocyanine iodide

AbstractAs an infrared Raman probe, the molecule 3,3′‐diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide (DTTC) has received much attention in the past decades due to its potential applications in Raman imaging, single‐cell detection, cancer diagnosis, and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this work, ordinary Raman, SERS, and theoretical Raman spectra were investigated to estimate the DTTC suspension. More specifically, the original gold nanospheres (60 nm diameter) and gold nanorods were encoded with DTTC and stabilized with a layer of thiol–polyethylene glycol as Raman reporter; SERS data were also obtained from the samples. Hartree–Fock theory and density functional theory (DFT) calculation were applied to calculate the optimized Raman spectra of DTTC in water on the B3LYP/6‐31G level. Subsequently, the obtained experimental spectra from DTTC were carefully compared with the theoretically calculated spectra, and good agreement was obtained between the theoretical and experimental results.The bands between 500 and 3100 cm−1 in the ordinary Raman and SERS spectra were assigned as well. This work will facilitate the development of ultrasensitive SERS probes for advanced biomedical imaging applications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Optical coherence tomography

Despite advances in biomedical imaging, neurologists and ophthalmologists doggedly insist on examining patients. This is because, in spite of state-of-the-art imaging techniques, our examinations are informative and guide our clinical workup and management. We rightly question radiologic reports when they do not conform to our examination findings, because we trust our art after years dedicated to cultivating our skills. Still, evidence-based medicine argues for demonstration of a clinical test's utility before adopting it widely. We may forget that this standard ought to extend to our clinical examinations. Beyond the intangible (and valuable) human interaction that occurs as part of the examination, clinical examinations are a conglomeration of diagnostic tests. Yet we rarely subject the elements of our bedside examination to the same scrutiny that we reserve for new technologies. In this issue of Neurology ®, Cettomai and colleagues1 compare some of the most cherished clinical signs from neuroophthalmology with the new-kid-on-the-block technology, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) optical coherence tomography (OCT). They find that in the hands of nonexperts our standard tests have relatively poor sensitivity for detecting abnormal RNFL thickness (pallor) or asymmetric RNFL thinning (relative …

Advanced neuroimaging in obesity

The Obesity Society, founded in 1982, conducts the most comprehensive annual scientific meeting on obesity in North America. Annually, the meeting brings together over 2000 scientists and healthcare professionals of various specialties to allow a multidisciplinary forum on this burdensome disease. Numerous basic science presentations addressed the importance of the brain’s role in obesity. Investigating the role of the human brain in obesity has been limited until more recent advances in biomedical imaging. This review details the symposium that was held at this year’s annual meeting of The Obesity Society on ‘Neuroimaging in obesity’, bringing together current leader’s in this emerging field.

Micro-MRI phenotyping of a novel double-knockout mouse model of congenital heart disease

Address: 1Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Departments of Medicine and Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, London, UK, 2Molecular Medicine Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK, 3Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Medicine and UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK and 4Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, London, UK * Corresponding author