DICOM Format Research Articles

Biomechanical evaluation of different posterior fixation techniques for treating thoracolumbar burst fractures of osteoporosis old patients: a finite element analysis.

Objective: To investigate the biomechanical characteristics of different posterior fixation techniques in treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures by finite element analysis. Methods: The Dicom format images of T10-L5 segments were obtained from CT scanning of a volunteer, and transferred to the Geomagic Studio software, which was used to build digital models. L1 osteoporotic burst fracture and different posterior fixation techniques were simulated by SolidWorks software. The data of ROM, the maximum displacement of fixed segment, ROM of fractured L1 vertebrae, the stress on the screws and rods as well as on fractured L1 vertebrae under different movement conditions were collected and analysed by finite element analysis. Results: Among the four groups, the largest ROM of fixed segment, the maximum displacement of fixed segment and ROM of fractured vertebrae occurred in CBT, and the corresponding data was 1.3°, 2.57mm and 1.37°, respectively. While the smallest ROM of fixed segment, the maximum displacement of fixed segment and ROM of fractured vertebrae was found in LSPS, and the corresponding data was 0.92°, 2.46mm and 0.89°, respectively. The largest stress of screws was 390.97Mpa, appeared in CBT, and the largest stress of rods was 84.68MPa, appeared in LSPS. The stress concentrated at the junction area between the root screws and rods. The maximum stress on fractured vertebrae was 93.25MPa, appeared in CBT and the minimum stress was 56.68MPa, appeared in CAPS. And the stress of fractured vertebrae concentrated in the middle and posterior column of the fixed segment, especially in the posterior edge of the superior endplate. Conclusion: In this study, long-segment posterior fixation (LSPF) provided with the greatest stability of fixed segment after fixation, while cortical bone screw fixation (CBT) provided with the smallest stability. Cement-augmented pedicle screw-rod fixation (CAPS) and combined using cortical bone screw and pedicle screw fixation (CBT-PS) provided with the moderate stability. CBT-PS exhibited superiority in resistance of rotational torsion for using multiple connecting rods. CAPS and CBT-PS maybe biomechanically superior options for the surgical treatment of burst TL fractures in osteoporotic patients.

Clinical Effect of Platelet-Rich Fibrin Combined with BIO-GENE Artificial Bone Meal in Bone Defects After Jaw Cyst Surgery.

To compare the clinical repair effects of leaving the defect empty and using Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) combined with BIO-GENE artificial bone powder in patients with bone defects 6 months after jaw cystectomy. From June 2021 to June 2022, 70 patients who were admitted to the Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, and were diagnosed with jaw cysts postoperatively were selected. All of the patients were divided into two groups according to random method, among which 35 patients who underwent cystectomy alone were recorded as group A, which served as blank control; 35 patients who underwent cystectomy and PRF combined with BIO-GENE artificial bone meal repaired bone defects during the same period were recorded as group B. 3D Slicer 5.0.3 software was used to reconstruct Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) after operation. In this study, the preoperative and postoperative CBCT data of the patients were analyzed using 3D Slicer 5.0.3 software in DICOM format to calculate the cleft volume before surgery and the newly formed bone volume after surgery. The osteogenesis rate was measured based on these calculations.The bone formation percentage in the bone defect area was recorded at 6 months, and the clinical curative effects of the two groups were compared. After 6 months of surgery, the patients showed varying degrees of restoration in the jaw cyst area.The osteogenesis rate at 6 months in group A was 76.06±13.38%, while group B had a rate of 92.87±5.72%.The CBCT values in group B were higher than those in group A at 6 months post-surgery (P<0.05), t=-6.84.Group A and Group B showed a statistically significant difference. Compared with simple cystectomy, PRF combined with BIO-GENE artificial bone powder has a better effect on the speed of bone repair after cystectomy within 6 months and provides more favorable effects for the repair of postoperative dentition defects, and provides support to repair teeth after defects such as dental implants.

OPTIMISASI DOSIS DAN KUALITAS CITRA PADA PEMERIKSAAN PULMONARY ARTERY CATHETER (PAC) DAN PERCUTANEUS CORONARY INTERVENTION (PCI) SEBAGAI UPAYA PROTEKSI RADIASI PASIEN DI CATHLAB RSUP ADAM MALIK MEDAN

The radiation exposure a patient receives during diagnosis and treatment cannot be fully avoided. However, it is crucial to optimize the radiation dose to ensure it is only as much as needed. The purpose of this study is to minimize the patient's radiation exposure during interventions and produce optimal image quality. To accomplish this, dose optimization and image quality were evaluated during PAC and PCI procedures in the Cathlab room at Adam Malik Hospital using Philips Allura Xper FD20. The study was retrospective, using patient dose audits from January 2020 to February 2023, with 250 PACs and 139 PCI mature patients. The median dose value (Q2) was compared to the National diagnostic reference level (NDRL) third quartile (Q3) value to determine optimal patient dose levels. We used a 28 cm PMMA phantom and a 2 cm imaging quality in-house phantom to represent the patient and a solid-state detector to measure surface dose. Medical physicists, radiographers, cardiologists, and nurses worked together in optimization cycles to ensure dose levels were kept to a minimum. Image quality was assessed by calculating the signal difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR), and images were recorded in DICOM format and analyzed using Image J software. Entrance Surface Air Kerma (ESAK) values were recorded to calculate Figure of Merit (FOM) values for each change in physical parameters. The study showed that the distance between the image detector and the object significantly affects the patient's dose. A distance of 14 cm resulted in a higher dose than a distance of 2 cm. The SDNR value varied with the object image distance (OID) factor, and increasing the object's distance to the image detector did not increase the SDNR value. Setting the OID spacing to a minimum is recommended for PAC and PCI procedures to minimize the patient's radiation exposure. The FOM values were affected by both the ESAK and SDNR values. Keywords: Dose Optimization, Image Quality, objek to image distance (OID), Pulmonary Artery Catheter, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Cathlab.

Evaluation of Tongue Volume and Airway Volume in Skeletal Class I and Class II Patients using Cone Beam Computed Tomography- A Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: The volumetric relationship between the tongue and the oral cavity is an important factor in tooth alignment and occlusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in tongue and airway volume in skeletal Class I and Class II malocclusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CBCT data which comprised of 30 skeletal Class I and 30 skeletal Class II was stored in DICOM format. Tongue volume and airway volume was analyzed with the help of 3D dolphin software. Values obtained were subjected to statistical analysis with help of SPSS. RESULTS: Skeletal Class I pattern had more tongue volume with a mean of 45.32 mm3 than skeletal Class II pattern with mean value of 40.27mm3 with P value of &lt;0.001. Skeletal Class I pattern has more airway volume with a mean of 15058.6 mm3 than patients with Skeletal Class II pattern with mean value of 12458.8mm3 with a P value of 0.003. A P value of 0.001 indicated that there is a strong correlation between the tongue volume and airway volume in both skeletal Class I and skeletal Class II subjects. CONCLUSION: The volume of tongue and airway was greater in skeletal Class I malocclusion compared to skeletal Class II malocclusion. There exists a positive correlation between the tongue volume and airway volume in both the skeletal patterns.

Indirect orthodontic bonding using an original 3D method compared with conventional technique: A narrative review

As well known success in orthodontics is related to a correct diagnosis and to a carefull treatment planning. Our study aims to provide clinician with a reproducible and precise method, for orthodontic indirect bonding, thanks to CBCT images and due to a CAD-CAM process. Methods: A case of an orthodontic treatment plan, of a female patient, 37 years old, was selected. Plaster models were digitally acquired using the Extra-Oral scanner Maestro 3D and processed within the Studio Maestro 3D software. CBCT images in DICOM format were imported into the MIMICS software, in order to perform the segmentation of the dental elements, and to obtain a three-dimensional coronal-root dental arches model. The DICOM file thus processed was exported in an STL file, reworked with Meshmixer software to improve image quality, and imported into the 3D Maestro software to be superimposed on the digital model. In this way a three-dimensional real model of the dental arches was developed. After an accurate orthodontic virtual set-up, we proceeded to brackets positioning on the 3D model of the dental arches. Subsequently, a virtual transfer template was created, in order to carry out the digital printing of a thermo-printed mask necessary to perform an indirect bonding of the orthodontic appliance. Results: The original digital workflow proposed in this study allows the development of a real and non-ideal three-dimensional coronal-root model of the dental arches; this model can be used for indirect orthodontic bonding eliminating any errors in the expression of 1st, 2nd and 3rd order information of the pre-informed orthodontic appliance. Conclusions: Technological advancements in oral scanning and 3D printing will allow the achievement of an easy and reproducible ideal positioning of the orthodontic brackets.

Global Plan Check: A Software to Register and Analyze Dose Distribution Independent from Treatment Planning Systems

Survival of cancer patients are prolonged in the last decade. Half of the cancer patients require radiotherapy (RT) and 20% of those receive a second irradiation to the primary tumor or distant metastases. Re-irradiation of a previously irradiated region has several challenges. Total radiation dose to critical structures is the dose-limiting factor for re-RT, and for those patients who already received a curative RT already there is very small room to give an adequate dose to the target volume without violating the dose-volume constraints of normal tissues. There is a need for a software which is capable of registering various RT plans independent of the TPS used to generate the given plan. We developed a TPS-independent software to register several RT plans and project the dose distributions from these RT plans for comparison and analysis. Software was written using C## programming language and using its library for developing the dose calculation sections. Due to the need for image processing for the software, learning of the program and image analysis were evaluated with RT patient DICOM images at every step. The images, RT contours and dose data in the studied files have been analyzed and processed one by one. All data has been visualized in the program in detail and faithful to the original. A large number of patients' DICOM RT data have been analyzed for the software, and program data have been presented separately from each of them using multiple planning systems such as ECLIPSE, MONACO, VOLO. To test the reliability of the software, 20 randomly selected RT plans from different TPS have been compared in terms of mean dose, volumetric doses and DVH data. The program was able to handle the dose and contour data of RT plans in DICOM format regardless of the TPS it was generated. It has presented the data of the original plan in comparison of mean dose, volumetric dose and DVH data. The dose distributions of the previous irradiation have been shown correctly in all dose levels. All the statistical comparisons were >0,05 and we could not find any statistical difference between the original program and the developed program. Although a different planning system was used, the dose images and DHV data of the evaluated RT plans could be operated by the developed program (Figure). To our current knowledge, there is no software that offers similar features to the plan evaluation using the image processing technology that we have developed. With this evaluation system, re-RT that were treated in another center or that were planned with the old version or planning system in our clinic would be evaluated with confidence and high accuracy, and calculations problems will be minimized. We think that it will find its place as an application that will be useful for clinicians in daily practice, as re-RT and device technologies increase. So, it is possible to re-RT patients more accurately with the developed program, named 'Global Plan Check'.

Open RT Structures: A Solution for TG-263 Accessibility

BackgroundConsistency of nomenclature within radiation oncology is increasingly important as big data efforts and data sharing become more feasible. Automation of radiation oncology workflows depends on standardized contour nomenclature which enables toxicity and outcomes research, while also reducing medical errors and facilitating quality improvement activities. Recommendations for standardized nomenclature have been published in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) report from Task Group 263. Transitioning to TG-263 requires creation and management of structure template libraries and retraining of staff, which can be a considerable burden on clinical resources. Our aim is to develop a program that allows users to create TG-263 compliant structure templates in English, Spanish, or French to facilitate data sharing. Methods53 pre-made structure templates were arranged by treated organ based on an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) consensus paper. Templates were further customized with common target structures, relevant OARs (e.g., Spleen for anatomically relevant sites such as gastroesophageal junction or stomach), sub-site specific templates (e.g. partial breast, whole breast, intact prostate, postoperative prostate, etc.) and brachytherapy templates. An informal consensus on OAR and target coloration was also achieved, though color selections are fully customizable within the program. ResultsThe resulting program is usable on any Windows system and generates template files in practice-specific DICOM or XML formats, extracting standardized structure nomenclature from an online database maintained by members of the TG-263U1 Task Group which ensures continuous access to up-to-date templates. ConclusionsWe have developed a tool to easily create and name DICOM-RT structures sets that are TG-263-compliant for all planning systems utilizing the DICOM standard. The program and source code are publicly available via GitHub, encouraging feedback from community users for improvement and guide further development.

Topographic study of antral teeth on computed tomography in a beninese population

The topographical relationships between the root tips and the floor of the maxillary sinus favour the occurrence of odontogenic maxillary sinus pathologies. Knowledge of these relationships may help to prevent such pathologies. The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomical relationships between the maxillary sinuses and the apices of the maxillary roots in a Beninese population using computed tomography (CT) images of the maxilla.: This was a descriptive study of CT scans of facial masses performed between January 2020 and January 2023 in subjects aged at least 18 years without tumour or traumatic sinus pathology. The CT images were in Dicom format. Horos, Excel and SPSS software were used for data collection, entry and analysis.: Of the 346 CT scans collected, 255 were included in the analysis. The mean age of the subjects was 42.65±16.57 years and the sex ratio was 2. More than half of the cases involved 3rd molars within the sinus. In 99% of cases, the sinus alveolar recess was located in the root furcation zone. The mean volume of the right sinus was 13.78±4.59 ml and that of the left sinus was 13.65±4.75 ml. Anterior sinus extensions were located in the premolar region (75%) and posterior sinus extensions were located in the tuberosity region (88 to 90%). In 3 out of 4 subjects the sinus floor had an irregular shape.: These various insights into the relationships between the maxillary root apices and the sinus floor will be of considerable help to dental surgeons in the prevention of odontogenic maxillary sinus pathology.

Generating Synthetic Radiological Images with PySynthMRI: An Open-Source Cross-Platform Tool.

Synthetic MR Imaging allows for the reconstruction of different image contrasts from a single acquisition, reducing scan times. Commercial products that implement synthetic MRI are used in research. They rely on vendor-specific acquisitions and do not include the possibility of using custom multiparametric imaging techniques. We introduce PySynthMRI, an open-source tool with a user-friendly interface that uses a set of input images to generate synthetic images with diverse radiological contrasts by varying representative parameters of the desired target sequence, including the echo time, repetition time and inversion time(s). PySynthMRI is written in Python 3.6, and it can be executed under Linux, Windows, or MacOS as a python script or an executable. The tool is free and open source and is developed while taking into consideration the possibility of software customization by the end user. PySynthMRI generates synthetic images by calculating the pixelwise signal intensity as a function of a set of input images (e.g., T1 and T2 maps) and simulated scanner parameters chosen by the user via a graphical interface. The distribution provides a set of default synthetic contrasts, including T1w gradient echo, T2w spin echo, FLAIR and Double Inversion Recovery. The synthetic images can be exported in DICOM or NiFTI format. PySynthMRI allows for the fast synthetization of differently weighted MR images based on quantitative maps. Specialists can use the provided signal models to retrospectively generate contrasts and add custom ones. The modular architecture of the tool can be exploited to add new features without impacting the codebase.

Automatic view plane prescription for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging via supervision by spatial relationship between views.

View planning for the acquisition of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging remains a demanding task in clinical practice. Existing approaches to its automation relied either on an additional volumetric image not typically acquired in clinic routine, or on laborious manual annotations of cardiac structural landmarks. This work presents a clinic-compatible, annotation-free system for automatic CMR viewplanning. The system mines the spatial relationship-more specifically, locates the intersecting lines-between the target planes and source views, and trains U-Net-based deep networks to regress heatmaps defined by distances from the intersecting lines. On the one hand, the intersection lines are the prescription lines prescribed by the technologists at the time of image acquisition using cardiac landmarks, and retrospectively identified from the spatial relationship. On the other hand, as the spatial relationship is self-contained in properly stored data, for example, in the DICOM format, the need for additional manual annotation is eliminated. In addition, the interplay of the multiple target planes predicted in a source view is utilized in a stacked hourglass architecture consisting of repeated U-Net-style building blocks to gradually improve the regression. Then, a multiview planning strategy is proposed to aggregate information from the predicted heatmaps for all the source views of a target plane, for a globally optimal prescription, mimicking the similar strategy practiced by skilled human prescribers. For performance evaluation, the retrospectively identified planes prescribed by the technologists are used as the ground truth, and the plane angle differences and localization distances between the planes prescribed by our system and the ground truth arecompared. The retrospective experiments include 181 clinical CMR exams, which are randomly split into training, validation, and test sets in the ratio of 64:16:20. Our system yields the mean angular difference and point-to-plane distance of 5.68 and 3.12 mm, respectively, on the held-out test set. It not only achieves superior accuracy to existing approaches including conventional atlas-based and newer deep-learning-based in prescribing the four standard CMR planes but also demonstrates prescription of the first cardiac-anatomy-oriented plane(s) from the body-orientedscout. The proposed system demonstrates accurate automatic CMR view plane prescription based on deep learning on properly archived data, without the need for further manual annotation. This work opens a new direction for automatic view planning of anatomy-oriented medical imaging beyondCMR.

Finite Element Parametric Design of Hallux Valgus Orthosis Based on Orthogonal Analysis.

To design appropriate orthosis for hallux valgus, a difficult foot condition that affects a quarter of the body's bones, we need to clarify the numerical biomechanical features, which have not been established in previous biomechanical studies. Therefore, we constructed a finite element model of the bunion foot to investigate the orthopaedic force compensation mechanism. A patient with moderate hallux valgus was recruited. CT imaging data in DICOM format were extracted for three-dimensional foot model reconstruction. In conjunction with the need for rapid design of bunion orthosis, a metatarsal force application sizing method based on an orthogonal test design was investigated. The orthogonal test design was used to obtain the hallux valgus angle (HVA) and the inter metatarsal angle (IMA) data for different force combinations. Based on the extreme difference analysis and analysis of variance of the test results, the influence of different force combinations on the bunion angle was quickly determined. The results showed that the stress concentration occurred mainly in the first metatarsal bone. The distribution trend was in the medial and lateral middle of the bone and gradually decreased to the dorsal base of the bone body. The greatest stress occurs in the cartilage between the phalanges and metatarsals. In 25 groups of simulation experiments, HVA was reduced from 27.7° to 13°, and IMA was reduced from 12.5° to 7.3°. Applying detailed orthopaedic force collocation to the first metatarsal column can effectively restore the mechanics and kinematics of hallux valgus, and provide a reference for the treatment of bunion valgus and the design of orthopaedic devices.

Construction and Application of Rib Fracture Diagnosis Model Based on YOLOv3 Algorithm.

The artificial intelligence-aided diagnosis model of rib fractures based on YOLOv3 algorithm was established and applied to practical case to explore the application advantages in rib fracture cases in forensic medicine. DICOM format CT images of 884 cases with rib fractures caused by thoracic trauma were collected, and 801 of them were used as training and validation sets. A rib fracture diagnosis model based on YOLOv3 algorithm and Darknet53 as the backbone network was built. After the model was established, 83 cases were taken as the test set, and the precision rate, recall rate, F1-score and radiology interpretation time were calculated. The model was used to diagnose a practical case and compared with manual diagnosis. The established model was used to test 83 cases, the fracture precision rate of this model was 90.5%, the recall rate was 75.4%, F1-score was 0.82, the radiology interpretation time was 4.4 images per second and the identification time of each patient's data was 21 s, much faster than manual diagnosis. The recognition results of the model was consistent with that of the manual diagnosis. The rib fracture diagnosis model in practical case based on YOLOv3 algorithm can quickly and accurately identify fractures, and the model is easy to operate. It can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic technique in forensic clinical identification.

Radiological examination of the skull of Siirt-coloured mohair goat, Romanov and Hamdani sheep.

The skull is a vitally important complex structure formed by the combination of many bones. Craniometric studies are performed with various imaging methods to determine morphometric characteristics in animals. One of these methods is radiography. In our study, skulls of 14 Hamdani sheep, 20 Siirt-coloured mohair goats and 20 Romanov sheep breeds were used. Skull sections were taken with a computed tomography device and saved in DICOM format. Nine separate measurements and six index calculations were made from the images. In the study, firstly, the gender difference was ignored and the similarities and differences between the species were recorded. In addition, gender differences were determined statistically, without making any distinction between species. Correlation analysis was performed to compare measurement parameters between animal species. As a result of the study, the highest skull length (SL) and cranial length (CL) values were determined in the Siirt-coloured mohair goat. It was determined that the difference between Romanov sheep and Siirt-coloured mohair goat in CL parameter was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In addition, a statistically significant difference was observed between the Romanov sheep breed and the Hamdani sheep breed (p < 0.01). The external length of the cranium (ELC) measurement parameter was found to have a statistically significant difference in three animals (p < 0.01). According to the results of the correlation analysis, the highest correlation value was determined between cranial width (CW) and CL parameters (r = 0.920). When the species difference was ignored, and the statistical difference of the internal height of the cranium (IHC) parameter was found to be significant between female and male animals (p < 0.05). In addition, it was determined that SL, CW and internal cranium index (ICI) parameters had a significant difference depending on sex (p < 0.01). It is foreseen that the obtained data can be used in sciences such as zoo archaeology, anatomy, surgery and forensic medicine.

THE LINEAR LENGTH OF MODERN POPULATION'S YOUNG PEOPLE HANDS PHALANGES ACCORDING TO X-RAY OSTEOMETRY AND THEIR CORRELATIONS

More than a sufficient number of works are devoted to X-ray studies of the bones of the hand, its phalanges, and only a few works are devoted to the issues of the relationship of their parameters in the context of the general patterns of organization of the structural elements of the autopodia. The data of these studies do not create a unified idea of the correlation patterns of the metric parameters of the bones that form the human hand skeleton, while the study of this issue is of great theoretical and practical importance. The purpose of the study is the establish of the variability of X-ray steometric indicators of the length of the phalanxes of boys aged 17-21 and girls aged 16-20. The material of the study was 146 radiographs of the right and left hands of boys and girls obtained for diagnostic purposes when applying for trauma care. X-rays of both hands of patients with scanning also of the wrist joints were performed under conventional radiation protection conditions on a mobile X-ray unit MobileDaRt (Shimadzu, Japan). The distance from the X-ray source to the object of study corresponded to the generally accepted recommendations in X-ray osteometry. The images were automatically saved in the computer memory in the standard DICOM format. It was established that the average values of the radiographic linear lengths of the phalanges of the fingers and the overall average in boys were statistically significantly higher than those in girls. Finger-wise comparison of indicators between two sex-different populations also showed their highly significant differences in all phalanges without exception. Among the studied osteometric parameters, according to the results obtained, the smallest variability is inherent in the length of the proximal phalanges in girls. The general image established using the method of indirect X-ray osteometry of the I–V fingers phalanges length correlation values, showed their differences with the few data of other authors. It was concluded that the analysis of the limits of anatomical variability, due not only to various external and internal factors, but also methodological approaches and their comparison are of no less scientific importance than the analysis of the influence of only the different conditions and biological characteristics of the analyzed populations.

Measurement of the normal mandible in neonates in east China.

We aimed to measure the related indicators of the neonatal mandible in East China. This provides basic data for the study of the mandible position and morphology of normal newborns and can also provide data support for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of the Pierre Robin sequence. First, we collected the CT data of normal neonates at the Nanjing Children's Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University between January 2013 and January 2019. The data included the maxilla and mandible, and neonates had no craniomaxillofacial-related malformation. We exported the data in DICOM format. In the second step, we imported the data into MIMICS 21.0 to reconstruct the data into a 3D model, and then we used the model to measure the different measurement items. Specific measurement items were as follows: ① Measurement of the angle α: We imported the CT data of the neonate into the software and reconstructed a 3D model. We observed the 3D model to find the left and right gonions (LGo and RGo) and the Menton (Me) and used the angle measurement tool of the software to appoint Me as the apex, and we connected the points LGo, Me, and RGo as angle α. ② Measurement of the distance between the left and right gonions: The distance measurement tool of the software was used to measure the distance between the bilateral gonions as a. ③ Measurement of the distance from the Me to the line between LGo and RGo: The LGo and RGo were connected as a line on the 3D model, then the distance between Me and the line was measured as b. ④ Measurement of the distance between the upper and lower jaw: The median sagittal view was found and the distance c between the foremost point of the upper jaw and the foremost point of the lower jaw was measured. We imported the measurement results into the SPSS software for statistical analysis. Specific measurement results: ① Angle α: 86.34 ± 8.58°. ② Distance a: 63.63 ± 6.83 mm. ③ Distance b: 31.99 ± 3.70 mm. ④ Distance c: 2.28 ± 1.04 mm. Among all the above indicators, there was no statistical difference between gender. In this study, 132 neonates were initially screened, of which 117 met the inclusion criteria and were finally included. There were 69 male and 48 female neonates. The indicators α, a, b, and c showed no statistical differences between male and female neonates; therefore, we combined the results to obtain the normal reference value: angle α: 86.34 ± 8.58°; distance a: 63.63 ± 6.83 mm; distance b: 31.99 ± 3.70 mm; distance c: 2.28 ± 1.04 mm.

Using DICONDE for NDT Data Exchange

The processing of multiple data sets from different NDT vendors and systems can be challenging. Accessing the data requires dealing with different and often proprietary data formats. In addition to that the correct spatial alignment requires knowledge and information about the acquisition system and must consider different approaches for markers and reference coordinate systems. The key features of NDE 4.0 and digital twin concepts are storage and interoperability with standard data formats. In this example data from thermography, manual ultrasonic testing and immersion ultrasonic testing are considered. For established devices multiple tools exist for the conversion of data into image-based formats. However, besides the lack of spatial alignment there is a need to access the raw data for further processing. In medical and CT-like applications the DICOM format has become a widely used exchange format. Its derivative DICONDE transfers this into the field of NDT. This study demonstrates the use of this format for data processing from multiple NDT methods and addresses issues related to interoperability and the integration of less structured data from inspections.

The Validity and Reliability of Automatic Tooth Segmentation Generated Using Artificial Intelligence.

This study aimed at evaluating the precision of the segmented tooth model (STM) that was produced by the artificial intelligence (AI) program (CephX®) with an intraoral scan (IOS) and insignia outcomes. Methods. 10 patients with Cl I malocclusion (mild-to-moderate crowding) who underwent nonextraction orthodontic therapy with the Insignia™ system had IOS and CBCT scans taken before treatment. AI was used to produce a total of 280 STMs; each tooth will be measured from three aspects (apexo-occlusal, mesiodistal, and labiolingual) for DICOM and STL formats. Also, root volume measurements for each tooth generated by using the CephX® software and Insignia™ system were compared. The software used for these measurements was the OnDemand3D program used for the multiplanar reconstruction for DICOM format and Geomagic® Control X™ used for STL format. Statistics. An intraclass correlation (ICC) analysis was used to check the agreement between the volume measurement of the segmented teeth generated by using the CephX® and Insignia™ system. Also, it was used to check the agreement between the STL (IOS), STL (CephX®), and DICOM tooth models. In addition, it was used to determine the intraexaminer repeatability by remeasuring five randomly selected individuals two weeks after the initial measurement. After confirmation of the data normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test, the right and left tooth models and the differences between the DICOM, CephX® (STL), and IOS (STL) tooth models were compared using a paired t-test. The STL (IOS), STL (CephX®), and DICOM tooth models were compared utilizing the ANOVA test. p < 0.05 was set as the statistical significance level. Result. Overall data showed good agreement with ICC. The measurements of the various tooth types on the right and left sides did not differ significantly. Also, there was no significant difference between the three groups. Conclusions. The automatic AI approach (CephX®) may be advised in the clinical practice for patients with mild crowding and no teeth restorations due to its speed and effectiveness.

Comparative Analysis of Image Processing Techniques for Enhanced MRI Image Quality: 3D Reconstruction and Segmentation Using 3D U-Net Architecture.

Osteosarcoma is a common type of bone tumor, particularly prevalent in children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 25 who are experiencing growth spurts during puberty. Manual delineation of tumor regions in MRI images can be laborious and time-consuming, and results may be subjective and difficult to replicate. Therefore, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to automatically segment osteosarcoma cancerous cells in three types of MRI images. The study consisted of five main stages. First, 3692 DICOM format MRI images were acquired from 46 patients, including T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and T1-weighted with injection of Gadolinium (T1W + Gd) images. Contrast stretching and median filter were applied to enhance image intensity and remove noise, and the pre-processed images were reconstructed into NIfTI format files for deep learning. The MRI images were then transformed to fit the CNN's requirements. A 3D U-Net architecture was proposed with optimized parameters to build an automatic segmentation model capable of segmenting osteosarcoma from the MRI images. The 3D U-Net segmentation model achieved excellent results, with mean dice similarity coefficients (DSC) of 83.75%, 85.45%, and 87.62% for T1W, T2W, and T1W + Gd images, respectively. However, the study found that the proposed method had some limitations, including poorly defined borders, missing lesion portions, and other confounding factors. In summary, an automatic segmentation method based on a CNN has been developed to address the challenge of manually segmenting osteosarcoma cancerous cells in MRI images. While the proposed method showed promise, the study revealed limitations that need to be addressed to improve its efficacy.

Comparison of Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Measurements of Different Populations

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare three-dimensional cephalometric measurements of the skeleton and dentoalveolar region between Turkish individuals and individuals from other populations. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective study using cone beam computed tomography images (CBCT). Individuals have no missing teeth, are between the ages of 18 and 30, have a balanced profile, and have an Angle Class I relationship. The CBCT images were obtained in DICOM format and analyzed in DOLPHIN 11.8 software. 61 parameters were measured on the CBCT images, and 14 parameters were contrasted with individuals from other populations. Results: Mandibular values were more protrusive in Korean and Chinese populations than in Turkish and Cypriot individuals. Similarly, upper facial height (N- ANS distance) was found to be much higher. It was found that the length of the mandibular corpus was shorter and the angle of convexity was higher in Turks and Cypriots than in Koreans and Chinese populations. Conclusion: Ethnic facial and skeletal characteristics play a fundamental role in the outcome and course of orthodontic treatment. Gender differences also play an important role when facial sizes and proportions are compared in different societies.

Virtual Three-Dimensional Model Analysis in the Assessment of the Maxillary and Mandibular Donor Sites on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images.

Using the Mimics software to assess the maxillary and mandibular donor sites on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 CBCT scans. Data in DICOM format were transferred to the Mimics software version 21, and a maxillary and a mandibular mask according to cortical and cancellous bones were virtually created for each patient based on Hounsfield units (HUs). Three-dimensional models were reconstructed, and boundaries of donor sites, including mandibular symphysis, ramus, coronoid process, zygomatic buttress, and maxillary tuberosity, were defined. Virtual osteotomy was conducted on the 3D models to harvest bone. The volume, thickness, width, and length of harvestable bone from each site were quantified by the software. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's test (alpha = 0.05). The greatest harvestable bone volume and length differences were observed between ramus and tuberosity (P < 0.001). The maximum and minimum harvestable bone volumes were found in symphysis (1753.54 mm3) and tuberosity (84.99 mm3). The greatest difference in width and thickness was noted between the coronoid process and tuberosity (P < 0.001) and symphysis and buttress (P < 0.001), respectively. Harvestable bone volume from tuberosity, length, width, volume from symphysis, and volume and thickness from the coronoid process was significantly greater in males (P < 0.05). The harvestable bone volume was the highest in symphysis, followed by ramus, coronoid, buttress, and tuberosity. The harvestable bone length and width were the highest in the symphysis and coronoid process, respectively. Maximum harvestable bone thickness was found in symphysis.