Fast Scanning Research Articles

Teledidactic Versus Hands-on Teaching of Abdominal, Thoracic, and Thyroid Ultrasound—The TELUS II Study

BackgroundThe worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has initiated a change in medical education and the development of new teaching concepts has become inevitable to maintain adequate training.ObjectiveThis pilot study aims to compare teledidactic teaching with traditional face-to-face teaching for abdominal, thoracic, and thyroid ultrasound.DesignConcurrently, a teledidactic and a face-to-face ultrasound course were held. The students completed seven 90-min modules using mobile ultrasound probes (Butterfly IQ). Each module consisted of a lecture, a demonstration of probe guidance, and independent training.ParticipantsA total of thirty medical students took part in the study and were randomly assigned to a teledidactic and a face-to-face group.Main MeasuresAn objective structured assessment of ultrasound skills (OSAUS) was performed as a pre-test and as the final exam and ultrasound images obtained during the exam were evaluated using the brightness mode quality ultrasound imaging examination (B-QUIET) scale.Key ResultsNo significant difference between the two cohorts on the OSAUS final exam was shown (p > 0.05 in all modules). There was a significant difference in the assessment of the images in the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) (p 0.015) and aorta (p 0.017) modules. Students in the teledidactic group performed better in both modules, scoring 33.59 (± 2.61) out of 44 in the module FAST (face-to-face group 30.95 (± 1.76)) and aortic images averaged 35.41 (± 2.61) points (face-to-face group 32.35 (± 3.08)).ConclusionsA teledidactic course for abdominal and thoracic ultrasound examinations is equally effective to traditional face-to-face teaching in this pilot study. Digital implementation with a portable ultrasound machine could be a great opportunity to promote ultrasound education worldwide and over great distances.

The One Hour Human Proteome

We describe deep analysis of the human proteome in less than 1 h. We achieve this expedited proteome characterization by leveraging state-of-the-art sample preparation, chromatographic separations, and data analysis tools, and by using the new Orbitrap Astral mass spectrometer equipped with a quadrupole mass filter, a high-field Orbitrap mass analyzer, and an asymmetric track lossless (Astral) mass analyzer. The system offers high tandem mass spectrometry acquisition speed of 200 Hz and detects hundreds of peptide sequences per second within data-independent acquisition or data-dependent acquisition modes of operation. The fast-switching capabilities of the new quadrupole complement the sensitivity and fast ion scanning of the Astral analyzer to enable narrow-bin data-independent analysis methods. Over a 30-min active chromatographic method consuming a total analysis time of 56 min, the Q-Orbitrap-Astral hybrid MS collects an average of 4319 MS1 scans and 438,062 tandem mass spectrometry scans per run, producing 235,916 peptide sequences (1% false discovery rate). On average, each 30-min analysis achieved detection of 10,411 protein groups (1% false discovery rate). We conclude, with these results and alongside other recent reports, that the 1-h human proteome is within reach.

QR Code Recognition Based on Image Processing

To solve the QR code recognition problem caused by ordinary camera collection, the recognition algorithm based on image processing is put forward in this paper. The whole process including image binarization, image tilt correction, image orientation, image geometric correction and image normalization allows images collected on different illumination conditions. Experiments show that the improved method can enhance the recognition speed of two-dimensional code and accuracy. QR i.e. “Quick Response” code is a 2D matrix code that is designed by keeping two points under consideration, i.e. it must store large amount of data as compared to 1D barcodes and it must be decoded at high speed using any handheld device like phones. QR code provides high data storage capacity, fast scanning, omnidirectional readability, and many other advantages including, error-correction (so that damaged code can also be read successfully) and different type of versions. Different varieties of QR code symbols like logo QR code, encrypted QR code, QR Code are also available so that user can choose among them according to their need. Now these days, a QR code is applied in different application streams related to marketing, security, academics etc. and gain popularity at a really high pace. Day by day more people are getting aware of this technology and use it accordingly. The popularity of QR code grows rapidly with the growth of smartphone users and thus the QR code is rapidly arriving at high levels of acceptance worldwide.

Comparative Analysis of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (Fast) and Computed Tomography (Ct) for Renal Injury Detection in Trauma Patients

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in detecting renal injuries compared to computed tomography (CT) as the gold standard. METHODOLOGY This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2022 to 2023 at the Department of Radiology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. The sample size was 139. The sonographic examination and computed tomography were performed. RESULTSThe mean age was 38 years ± 13.81. 100(72%) patients were male while 39(28%) were female. FAST had a sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 57.14%, positive predictive value of 97.42%, negative predictive value of 16.66%, and diagnostic accuracy of 83.61%. CONCLUSION FAST has reasonable sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting free fluid in traumatic renal injury patients.

Applications of Deep Learning in Trauma Radiology: A Narrative Review

Diagnostic imaging is essential in modern trauma care for initial evaluation and identifying injuries requiring intervention. Deep learning (DL) has become mainstream in medical image analysis and has shown promising efficacy for classification, segmentation, and lesion detection. This narrative review provides the fundamental concepts for developing DL algorithms in trauma imaging and presents an overview of current progress in each modality. DL has been applied to detect free fluid on Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST), traumatic findings on chest and pelvic X-rays, and computed tomography (CT) scans, identify intracranial hemorrhage on head CT, detect vertebral fractures, and identify injuries to organs like the spleen, liver, and lungs on abdominal and chest CT. Future directions involve expanding dataset size and diversity through federated learning, enhancing model explainability and transparency to build clinician trust, and integrating multimodal data to provide more meaningful insights into traumatic injuries. Though some commercial artificial intelligence products are Food and Drug Administration-approved for clinical use in the trauma field, adoption remains limited, highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary teams to engineer practical, real-world solutions. Overall, DL shows immense potential to improve the efficiency and accuracy of trauma imaging, but thoughtful development and validation are critical to ensure these technologies positively impact patient care.

An Onshore Deployment of Advanced Dual-Doppler Radar for Wind Energy Applications

Two advanced X-band radars have been developed and deployed by Texas Tech University to provide continuous wind measurements serving project AWAKEN, including the construction of near real-time dual-Doppler synthesized wind fields covering a large 35 km x 35 km analysis domain. This deployment represents the first overland long duration utilization of the technology, which was configured to document a wide range of wind energy relevant flows spanning turbine inflow/wake flow to regional wind flows and wind plant interactions. The overland environment coupled with technology innovation has led to very high data availability yielding a growing archive of measurements documenting diverse atmospheric phenomena including numerous instances of wind plant interaction. Through the first few project months, data availability greater than 90%, 80% and 70% has been assessed at the ranges of 8 km, 16 km, and 25 km, respectively. Robust data availability coupled with fast radar scan speeds and high along beam measurement resolution position advanced Doppler radar technology to broadly contribute to diverse wind energy measurement applications covering domains sizes that far exceed existing industry standard measurement systems.

Acousto-optic holography for pseudo-two-dimensional dynamic light patterning.

Optical systems use acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) mostly for fast angular scanning and spectral filtering of laser beams. However, AODs may transform laser light in much broader ways. When time-locked to the pulsing of low repetition rate laser amplifiers, AODs permit the holographic reconstruction of 1D and pseudo-two-dimensional (ps2D) intensity objects of rectangular shape by controlling the amplitude and phase of the light field at high (20-200kHz) rates for microscopic light patterning. Using iterative Fourier transformations (IFTs), we searched for AOD-compatible holograms to reconstruct the given ps2D target patterns through either phase-only or complex light field modulation. We previously showed that phase-only holograms can adequately render grid-like patterns of diffraction-limited points with non-overlapping diffraction orders, while side lobes to the target pattern can be cured with an apodization mask. Dense target patterns, in contrast, are typically encumbered by apodization-resistant speckle noise. Here, we show the denoised rendering of dense ps2D objects by complex acousto-optic holograms deriving from simultaneous optimization of the amplitude and phase of the light field. Target patterns lacking ps2D symmetry, although not translatable into single holograms, were accessed by serial holography based on a segregation into ps2D-compatible components. The holograms retrieved under different regularizations were experimentally validated in an AOD random-access microscope. IFT regularizations characterized in this work extend the versatility of acousto-optic holography for fast dynamic light patterning.

Improving Stenosis Assessment in Energy Integrating Detector CT via Learned Monoenergetic Imaging Capability.

Coronary CT angiography (cCTA) is a fast non-invasive imaging exam for coronary artery disease (CAD) but struggles with dense calcifications and stents due to blooming artifacts, potentially causing stenosis overestimation. Virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) at higher keV (e.g., 100 keV) from photon counting detector (PCD) CT have shown promise in reducing blooming artifacts and improving lumen visibility through its simultaneous high-resolution and multi-energy imaging capability. However, most cCTA exams are performed with single-energy CT (SECT) using conventional energy-integrating detectors (EID). Generating VMIs through EID-CT requires advanced multi-energy CT (MECT) scanners and potentially sacrifices temporal resolution. Given these limitations, MECT cCTA exams are not commonly performed on EID-CT and VMIs are not routinely generated. To tackle this, we aim to enhance the multi-energy imaging capability of EID-CT through the utilization of a convolutional neural network to LEarn MONoenergetic imAging from VMIs at Different Energies (LEMONADE). The neural network was trained using ten patient cCTA exams acquired on a clinical PCD-CT (NAEOTOM Alpha, Siemens Healthineers), with 70 keV VMIs as input (which is nominally equivalent to the SECT from EID-CT scanned at 120 kV) and 100 keV VMIs as the target. Subsequently, we evaluated the performance of EID-CT equipped with LEMONADE on both phantom and patient cases (n=10) for stenosis assessment. Results indicated that LEMONADE accurately quantified stenosis in three phantoms, aligning closely with ground truth and demonstrating stenosis percentage area reductions of 13%, 8%, and 9%. In patient cases, it led to a 12.9% reduction in average diameter luminal stenosis when compared to the original SECT without LEMONADE. These outcomes highlight LEMONADE's capacity to enable multi-energy CT imaging, mitigate blooming artifacts, and improve stenosis assessment for the widely available EID-CT. This has a high potential impact as most cCTA exams are performed on EID-CT.

Utility of fast MRIs in pediatric elbow injuries

BackgroundPediatric elbow trauma presents a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Radiographs may be insufficient in assessing the radiocapitellar alignment and advanced imaging or invasive procedures such as an intraoperative arthrogram may be indicated. The purpose of this study is to describe the application and utility of fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and management of traumatic elbow injuries in pediatric patients. MethodsWe reviewed pediatric patients who underwent a fast MRI of the elbow between 2014-2022. A fast MRI was defined as an MRI using rapid sequences, accelerated conventional sequences, or fewer conventional sequences than a standard exam. Imaging for chronic or non-traumatic injuries was excluded. We identified patient demographics, MRI scan times, and clinical course. ResultsTwenty-three patients (8 females and 15 males) with fast elbow MRI scans were identified. The mean age was 5 years (range 2-12 years, SD 2 years). All patients had radiographs and four had CT scans prior to MRI. The average scanning time was 14 minutes (SD 6 minutes). Only one patient required anesthesia. Twenty of the 23 patients had a fracture identified on elbow radiographs and 8 were Monteggia fracture-dislocations. Nine of these patients demonstrated subluxation of the radiocapitellar joint requiring operative management in 8 patients, and one additional patient underwent surgery for displaced radial neck fracture. Three patients sustained an elbow dislocation without fracture identified on radiographs; of these, one had persistent radiocapitellar subluxation on MRI requiring surgical management. A total of 13 patients (56.5%) did not require operative management based on fast MRI findings. Outcome data was available for 22 patients with mean follow up was 23.6 months. One patient had residual pain and 8 had some range of motion limitation at final follow-up. All patients had reduced elbow joint on follow-up radiographs. ConclusionsFast MRIs can assist with the clinical evaluation of acute elbow injury in pediatric patients with equivocal radiographic findings and particularly in those with possible radiocapitellar subluxation/dislocation. This novel imaging technique has the potential to change clinical management, decrease the need for unnecessary procedures, and prevent complications of missed injuries.

Increasing Activity of Trimetallic Oxygen Reduction PtNiMo/C Catalysts Through Initial Conditioning

AbstractThis study investigates the importance of preconditioning in Pt‐alloy catalysts for oxygen–reduction reactions. Previous research indicated that slower scanning rates during preconditioning initially boost activity, but this is followed by a rapid decline. The study reveals the required number of cycles to achieve the first constant steady state activity in PtNiMo/C catalysts when using slower scanning rates during preconditioning. It also highlights the resulting activity differences. Remarkably, a catalyst preconditioned with 150 slow cycles showed an activity of approximately 1.25 mA cm−2 at 0.90 VRHE, significantly higher than one preconditioned at a fast rate (0.82 mA cm−2). Both ex–situ and in–situ analyses revealed that Pt, along with Ni, was leached during pretreatment. At slower scan rates of 20 mV s−1, the dissolved Pt redeposited as highly active, small‐sized clusters or single atoms. Fast scan rates of of 500 mV s−1, in contrast, resulted in fewer such clusters. Accelerated stress tests up to 1.10 VRHE confirmed the high stability of these clusters, demonstrating a substantial activity increase even after 24,000 cycles.

Influence of Crystallization Kinetics and Flow Behavior on Structural Inhomogeneities in 3D-Printed Parts Made from Semi-Crystalline Polymers.

We report the results of a study focusing on the influence of crystallization kinetics and flow behavior on structural inhomogeneities in 3D-printed parts made from polyamide 12 (PA12) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Temperature-dependent WAXD measurements on the neat PLA filament reveal that PLA forms a single orthorhombic α phase during slow cooling and subsequent 2nd heating. The PA12 filament shows a well pronounced polymorphism with a reversible solid-solid phase transition between the (pseudo)hexagonal γ phase near room temperature and the monoclinic α' phase above the Brill transition temperature TB = 140 °C. The influence of the print bed temperature Tb on structure formation, polymorphic state, and degree of crystallinity χc of the 3D-printed parts is investigated by height and depth-dependent WAXD scans and compared with that of 3D-printed single layers, used as a reference. It is found that the heat transferred from successive layers has a strong influence on the polymorphic state of PA12 since a superimposed mixture of γ and α phases is present in the 3D-printed parts. In the case of PLA, a single α phase is formed. The print bed temperature has, in comparison to PA12, a major influence on the degree of crystallinity χc and thus the homogeneity of the 3D-printed parts, especially close to the print bed. By comparing the obtained results from WAXD, DMA, DSC, and FSC measurements with relevant printing times, guidelines for 3D-printed parts with a homogeneous structure are derived.

Co-targeting the kappa opioid receptor and dopamine transporter reduces motivation to self-administer cocaine and partially reverses dopamine system dysregulation

Cocaine disrupts dopamine (DA) and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system activity, with long-term exposure reducing inhibiton of DA uptake by cocaine and increasing KOR system function. Single treatment therapies have not been successful for cocaine use disorder; therefore, this study focuses on a combination therapy targeting the dopamine transporter (DAT) and KOR. Sprague Dawley rats self-administered 5 days of cocaine (1.5 mg/kg/inf, max 40 inf/day, FR1), followed by 14 days on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule (0.19 mg/kg/infusion). Behavioral effects of individual and combined administration of phenmetrazine and nBNI were then examined using PR. Additionally, ex vivo fast scan cyclic voltammetry was then used to assess alterations in DA and KOR system activity in the nucleus accumbens before and after treatments. Chronic administration of phenmetrazine as well as the combination of phenmetrazine and nBNI—but not nBNI alone—significantly reduced PR breakpoints. In addition, the combination of phenmetrazine and nBNI partially reversed cocaine-induced neurodysregulations of the KOR and DA systems, indicating therapeutic benefits of targeting the DA and KOR systems in tandem. These data highlight the potential benefits of the DAT and KOR as dual-cellular targets to reduce motivation to administer cocaine and reverse cocaine-induced alterations of the DA system.

A Hardware Encoder-Based Synchronization Method for a Fast Terahertz TDS Imaging System Based on the ECOPS Scheme.

In this paper, we report our use of a hardware encoder-based synchronization method for a fast terahertz time-domain spectroscopy raster scanner built with the commercially available TeraFlash Smart platform. We describe the principles of our method, including our incorporation of synchronization signals from various devices included in the scanner. We also describe its implementation in a microcontroller with a dedicated counter. By such means, a fast scanning mode was obtained, which was 35 times faster than a traditional step-by-step approach. To validate the proposed synchronization method, we carried out measurements using the USAF 1951 resolution test and a fiberglass plate with a set of intentionally introduced defects. Our results confirmed that the TDS scanner with the developed synchronization method was able to capture high-quality images with resolutions as high as those obtained using traditional step-by-step scanning, but with significantly reduced scanning times.

Dual DAT and sigma receptor inhibitors attenuate cocaine effects on nucleus accumbens dopamine dynamics in rats.

Psychostimulant use disorders (PSUD) are prevalent; however, no FDA-approved medications have been made available for treatment. Previous studies have shown that dual inhibitors of the dopamine transporter (DAT) and sigma receptors significantly reduce the behavioral/reinforcing effects of cocaine, which have been associated with stimulation of extracellular dopamine (DA) levels resulting from DAT inhibition. Here, we employ microdialysis and fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) procedures to investigate the effects of dual inhibitors of DAT and sigma receptors in combination with cocaine on nucleus accumbens shell (NAS) DA dynamics in naïve male Sprague Dawley rats. In microdialysis studies, administration of rimcazole (3, 10mg/kg; i.p.) or its structural analog SH 3-24 (1, 3mg/kg; i.p.), compounds that are dual inhibitors of DAT and sigma receptors, significantly reduced NAS DA efflux stimulated by increasing doses of cocaine (0.1, 0.3, 1.0mg/kg; i.v.). Using the same experimental conditions, in FSCV tests, we show that rimcazole pretreatments attenuated cocaine-induced stimulation of evoked NAS DA release but produced no additional effect on DA clearance rate. Under the same conditions, JJC8-091, a modafinil analog and dual inhibitor of DAT and sigma receptors, similarly attenuated cocaine-induced stimulation of evoked NAS DA release but produced no additional effect on DA clearance rate. Our results provide the neurochemical groundwork towards understanding actions of dual inhibitors of DAT and sigma receptors on DA dynamics that likely mediate the behavioral effects of psychostimulants like cocaine.

Directional TV algorithm for fast EPR imaging

Precise radiation guided by oxygen images has demonstrated superiority over the traditional radiation methods. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging has proven to be the most advanced oxygen imaging modality. However, the main drawback of EPR imaging is the long scan time. For each projection, we usually need to collect the projection many times and then average them to achieve high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). One approach to fast scan is to reduce the repeating time for each projection. While the projections would be noisy and thus the traditional commonly-use filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm would not be capable of accurately reconstructing images. Optimization-based iterative algorithms may accurately reconstruct images from noisy projections for they may incorporate prior information into optimization models. Based on the total variation (TV) algorithms for EPR imaging, in this work, we propose a directional TV (DTV) algorithm to further improve the reconstruction accuracy. We construct the DTV constrained, data divergence minimization (DTVcDM) model, derive its Chambolle–Pock (CP) solving algorithm, validate the correctness of the whole algorithm, and perform evaluations via simulated and real data. The experimental results show that the DTV algorithm outperforms the existing TV and FBP algorithms in fast EPR imaging. Compared to the standard FBP algorithm, the proposed algorithm may achieve 10 times of acceleration.

CT image reconstruction via industrial CT fast scanning

In automated manufacturing and safety inspection, there is a high demand for fast computed tomography (CT) scanning and image reconstruction. Currently, faster scanning can be achieved by reducing the X-ray exposure time within sparse view CT. The faster scanning strategy introduces significant streak artefacts and noise during the sampling process. Consequently, streak artefacts and noise need to be simultaneously suppressed, which is poses a challenge for existing reconstruction methods. This paper presents a fast iterative reconstruction algorithm that can simultaneously suppress both streak artefacts and noise. This method can not only reconstruct high-fidelity images from rapidly acquired projection data, but also has a faster reconstruction speed than the existing iterative reconstruction algorithms. First, we present a high-order multi-directional total variation (HOM-TV) method that specifically focuses on preserving edge details of the image. Then, we present a fast iterative reconstruction model by incorporating HOM-TV and non-local means into the objective function. Finally, the effectiveness of the presented reconstruction model is validated by simulation and real experiments. The faster scanning method can complete the scan in only 5 seconds, and the structural similarity index (SSIM) of the CT image reconstructed by our method is 0.9755, which is higher than 0.0175 of the Fast Null Space Reconstruction (FNSR) algorithm. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) index is 1.656, which is higher than that of the contrast algorithm. In terms of reconstruction time, our algorithm can achieve reconstruction in as little as 36 seconds, outperforming the baseline algorithms.

Unique laparoscopic emergency management of traumatic obstructed abdominal wall hernia: A case report and review of literature

Abstract Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a rare clinical occurrence, with only limited cases published since 1906. This type of hernia is primarily caused by low- or high-energy blunt force trauma, resulting in damage to abdominal wall musculature while the skin is intact. The diagnosis and management of TAWH poses a lot of challenges and complexities. Herein, we present a case of a 32-year-old male Saudi patient who sustained significant abdominal trauma as a driver involved in a front collision while wearing a seat belt. Upon arrival at the trauma center, the patient was hemodynamically stable and exhibited clinical signs of left flank bulge, seat belt sign, and abdominal bruising. First, a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) was performed, which revealed minimal free fluid in the abdomen. Subsequent contrast-enhanced IV computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed a 3.6-cm left lateral abdominal wall defect with herniation of short segments of the large and small bowel loops and adjacent subcutaneous fluid. Following initial observation, the patient developed signs of bowel obstruction. A repeat CT scan showed interval progression of the hernia, partial small bowel obstruction, and other concerning findings. An emergency laparoscopic exploration revealed a large defect at the left lumber region containing omentum and long segments of the small bowel with mild distension. The bowel and omentum were reduced. The surgical repair included herniorrhaphy and mesh placement. The patient recovered well and was discharged on the third postoperative day. This case underscores the importance of thorough evaluation and timely intervention in TAWHs. Rapid surgical management, aided by advanced imaging techniques, can lead to favorable outcomes even in complex cases involving bowel herniation and associated complications.

Emerging Trends in Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting for Quantitative Biomedical Imaging Applications: A Review.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stands as a vital medical imaging technique, renowned for its ability to offer high-resolution images of the human body with remarkable soft-tissue contrast. This enables healthcare professionals to gain valuable insights into various aspects of the human body, including morphology, structural integrity, and physiological processes. Quantitative imaging provides compositional measurements of the human body, but, currently, either it takes a long scan time or is limited to low spatial resolutions. Undersampled k-space data acquisitions have significantly helped to reduce MRI scan time, while compressed sensing (CS) and deep learning (DL) reconstructions have mitigated the associated undersampling artifacts. Alternatively, magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) provides an efficient and versatile framework to acquire and quantify multiple tissue properties simultaneously from a single fast MRI scan. The MRF framework involves four key aspects: (1) pulse sequence design; (2) rapid (undersampled) data acquisition; (3) encoding of tissue properties in MR signal evolutions or fingerprints; and (4) simultaneous recovery of multiple quantitative spatial maps. This paper provides an extensive literature review of the MRF framework, addressing the trends associated with these four key aspects. There are specific challenges in MRF for all ranges of magnetic field strengths and all body parts, which can present opportunities for further investigation. We aim to review the best practices in each key aspect of MRF, as well as for different applications, such as cardiac, brain, and musculoskeletal imaging, among others. A comprehensive review of these applications will enable us to assess future trends and their implications for the translation of MRF into these biomedical imaging applications.

Diagnostic value of 3D fast spin-echo sequence scanning combined with multislice spiral CT in knee cruciate ligament injury

To explore the potential value of three-dimensional fast spin echo（3D-SPACE） combined with multilayer spiral CT （MSCT） in the diagnosis of knee cruciate ligament injury, to provide a new direction for the optimization of subsequent clinical diagnosis. A total of 120 patients with knee cruciate ligament injury were treated from April 2020 to April 2021, aged from 21 to 68 with an average of（41.52±4.13） years old. For all patients, separate MSCT scanner scans, 3D-SPACE sequence scans alone and 3D-SPACE sequence combined with MSCT scans were used. The injury and classification of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament of the knee were compared, the length of the anterior-medial bundle and posterolateral bundle and its angle of the knee with the horizontal plane were observed, the diagnostic value of 3 diagnostic methods in knee cruciate ligament injury were determined. There was no significant difference between the 3D-SPACE sequence scan alone and the MSCT test alone on the total diagnostic rate and grading total diagnostic rate（P>0.05）. The total diagnostic rate and grading total diagnostic rate of 3D-SPACE scan combined with MSCT were significantly higher than those of 3D-SPACE scan or MSCT alone（P<0.05）. The 3D-SPACE sequence scan alone and the MSCT detection alone had no significant difference in the measurement values related to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of the knee joint（P>0.05）. 3D-SPACE sequence scanning combined with MSCT detection on the knee joint anterior and posterior cruciate ligament related measurements were significantly higher than the 3D-SPACE sequence scan or MSCT detection alone（P<0.05）. The area under the ROC curve estimated by 3D-SPACE sequence scanning combined with MSCT was 0.960, which was significantly higher than that of 3D-SPACE sequence scanning and MSCT alone evaluating the area under the ROC curve line of 0.756 and 0.795. The combined 3D-SPACE sequence scanning and 3D-SPACE sequence scanning MSCT analysis and prediction models were statistically different（Z=2.236, P<0.05）, and MSCT alone and 3D-SPACE sequence scanning combined with MSCT analysis and prediction models were statistically different（Z=2.653, P<0.05）. The application of 3D-SPACE sequence combined with MSCT scanning for knee cruciate ligament injury can improve the diagnosis rate of patients with knee cruciate ligament injury.It can be used as a diagnostic tool for patients with knee cruciate ligament injury and is worthy of clinical application.

Optimisation of the bone single photon emission computed tomography in oncology patients

Introduction: The introduction of hybrid imaging systems such as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) has completely changed the scanning procedure of conventional diagnostic nuclear medicine protocols. Modern bone scintigraphy protocols include SUV quanitification and Whole Body (WB) SPECT/CT scanning modality. The major limitation of these new technologies is relatively long scanning time. New detector systems with modern reconstruction softwares have been developed for fast scanning SPECT protocolos. These new technologies can produce images of reduced acquisition with same quality as full scanning acquisition. As a result new studies suggest that planar WB scintigraphy should be replaced with WB SPECT/CT. Methods: One hundred oncology patients performed SPECT/CT as a part as their clinical follow-up. Three different scanning and three reconstruction protocols have been evaluated. Two nuclear medicine physicians evaluated with Likert scale image sharpness, lesion visibility, and lesion background detectability. The overall image quality was determined as the sum of these three parameters. Results: In terms of scan duration reduction on image quality, Volumetrix Evolution for Bone performed during ultra-fast SPECT acquisition achieved the highest score, which is superior compared to the standard SPECT acquisition protocol. The overall image quality was the best with the Volumetrix MI Evolution for Bone protocol for ultra-fast acquisition Conclusion: The Evolution for Bone protocol for ultra-fast acquisition showed best results compared to other protocols. The adoption of new acquisition SPECT protocol may offer more comfortable exams, resulting in higher patient satisfaction. The implementation of this new protocol can lead to an improvement in SPECT sensitivity, primarily due to the reduction of SPECT motion artifacts.