Field Of View Size Research Articles

First experience of SPECT-CT with the radiopharmaceutical Thallium-199 chloride in diagnosis and assessment of the metastatic spread of lung cancer

Introduction. The development and improvement of new tomographic technologies for highly sensitive imaging of lung cancer (LC) is crucial for the early detection of this disease, accurate staging and control of complex therapyThe purpose of the study. To study the possibility of using the radiopharmaceutical (rp) 199TlCl for SPECT-CT imaging of LC.Material and methods. 199TlCl in solution was obtained at the U-120 cyclotron (Efremov Institute of Physics and Technology, Rosatom, St. Petersburg) of the TPU Institute of Physics and Technology by the reaction of irradiation of a metal gold target with alpha particles 197Au(α,2n)199Tl, at an alpha particle energy of 28 MeV, with a 199Tl yield of over 95%, in saline solution. The injected dose of rp was 180–185 MBq in all cases, and the scan was performed in 12–20 minutes after the injection of 199TlCl. The chest SPECT was acquired as 64 planar scans per 360° rotation of the two-detector system, in a 64 × 64 matrix, with a field of view size of 40 × 40 cm, with acquisition of more than 50,000 pulses per frame, with a high-energy high-resolution collimator installed, with an energy peak of 70 keV set at a window width of 20% of the differential discriminator. The axial sections were reconstructed using the back-projection method, taking into account the depth absorption with an absorption constant of 0.12 1 / cm. The contour of the patient's body for this purpose was imported from the CT. CT of chest was carried out immediately after the SPECT, ro the 512 × 512 matrix, with a spatial resolution of 1 mm. No X-ray contrast enhancement was carried-out. All studies were performed using a combined SPECT-CT scanner Simbia T16 (Siemens Medical).We recruited 12 patients with an established diagnosis of non-small cell LC, in everybody the SPECT-CT with 199Tl-chloride was employed to stage the disease. The control group comprised 7 patients who underwent a study with 199Tl-chloride for non-oncological pathology, but the diagnosis was finally rejected.Results. Visually, in SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in patients without tumor pathology, the accumulation in the lungs was close to background, and the image of the mediastinum was due to the normal accumulation of rp to the heart muscle. Ratio “healthy lung/myocardium” was 0.23 ± 0.05 in the control group. For the primary node of LC, this index was 0.62 ± 0.14 (p < 0.02), and for metastatically involved lymph nodes, 0.59 ± 0.16 (p < 0.05). According to the results of the individual picture of SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in LC, 6 patients out of 12 had expanded radiation areas during external gamma therapy.Conclusion. 199TlCl has a high affinity to the LC tumor tissue and shows high accumulation both to the primary and to metastatic LC foci. Routine use of SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in LC makes sence, both in the primary diagnosis and for the staging of the disease. It is necessary to continue the study of 199TlCl as rp for both ptimary diafnostic imagung of LC and also for the follow-up control of therapy.

X-ray CT adaptation based on a 2D–3D deformable image registration framework using simulated in-room proton radiographies

The aim of this work is to investigate in-room proton radiographies to compensate realistic rigid and non-rigid transformations in clinical-like scenarios based on 2D–3D deformable image registration (DIR) framework towards future clinical implementation of adaptive radiation therapy (ART). Monte Carlo simulations of proton radiographies (pRads) based on clinical x-ray CT of a head and neck, and a brain tumor patients are simulated for two different detector configurations (i.e. integration-mode and list-mode detectors) including high and low proton statistics. A realistic deformation, derived from cone beam CT of the patient, is applied to the treatment planning CT. Rigid inaccuracies in patient positioning are also applied and the effect of small, medium and large fields of view (FOVs) is investigated. A stopping criterion, as desirable in realistic scenarios devoid of ground truth proton CT (pCT), is proposed and investigated. Results show that rigid and non-rigid transformations can be compensated based on a limited number of low dose pRads. The root mean square error with respect to the pCT shows that the 2D–3D DIR of the treatment planning CT based on 10 pRads from integration-mode data and 2 pRads from list-mode data is capable of achieving comparable accuracy (∼90% and >90%, respectively) to conventional 3D–3D DIR. The dice similarity coefficient over the segmented regions of interest also verifies the improvement in accuracy prior to and after 2D–3D DIR. No relevant changes in accuracy are found between high and low proton statistics except for 2 pRads from integration-mode data. The impact of FOV size is negligible. The convergence of the metric adopted for the stopping criterion indicates the optimal convergence of the 2D–3D DIR. This work represents a further step towards the potential implementation of ART in proton therapy. Further computational optimization is however required to enable extensive clinical validation.

First experience of SPECT-CT with the radiopharmaceutical Thallium-199 chloride in diagnosis and assessment of the metastatic spread of lung cancer

Introduction. The development and improvement of new tomographic technologies for highly sensitive imaging of lung cancer (LC) is crucial for the early detection of this disease, accurate staging and control of complex therapy.The purpose of the study. To study the possibility of using the radiopharmaceutical (rp) 199TlCl for SPECT-CT imaging of LC.Material and methods. 199TlCl in solution was obtained at the U-120 cyclotron (Efremov Institute of Physics and Technology, Rosatom, St. Petersburg) of the TPU Institute of Physics and Technology by the reaction of irradiation of a metal gold target with alpha particles 197Au(α,2n)199Tl, at an alpha particle energy of 28 MeV, with a 199Tl yield of over 95%, in saline solution. The injected dose of rp was 180–185 MBq in all cases, and the scan was performed in 12–20 minutes after the injection of 199TlCl. The chest SPECT was acquired as 64 planar scans per 360° rotation of the two-detector system, in a 64 × 64 matrix, with a field of view size of 40 × 40 cm, with acquisition of more than 50,000 pulses per frame, with a high-energy high-resolution collimator installed, with an energy peak of 70 keV set at a window width of 20% of the differential discriminator. The axial sections were reconstructed using the back-projection method, taking into account the depth absorption with an absorption constant of 0.12 1 / cm. The contour of the patient's body for this purpose was imported from the CT. CT of chest was carried out immediately after the SPECT, ro the 512 × 512 matrix, with a spatial resolution of 1 mm. No X-ray contrast enhancement was carried-out. All studies were performed using a combined SPECT-CT scanner Simbia T16 (Siemens Medical).We recruited 12 patients with an established diagnosis of non-small cell LC, in everybody the SPECT-CT with 199Tl-chloride was employed to stage the disease. The control group comprised 7 patients who underwent a study with 199Tl-chloride for non-oncological pathology, but the diagnosis was finally rejected.Results. Visually, in SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in patients without tumor pathology, the accumulation in the lungs was close to background, and the image of the mediastinum was due to the normal accumulation of rp to the heart muscle. Ratio “healthy lung/myocardium” was 0.23 ± 0.05 in the control group. For the primary node of LC, this index was 0.62 ± 0.14 (p < 0.02), and for metastatically involved lymph nodes, 0.59 ± 0.16 (p < 0.05). According to the results of the individual picture of SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in LC, 6 patients out of 12 had expanded radiation areas during external gamma therapy.Conclusion. 199TlCl has a high affinity to the LC tumor tissue and shows high accumulation both to the primary and to metastatic LC foci. Routine use of SPECT-CT with 199TlCl in LC makes sence, both in the primary diagnosis and for the staging of the disease. It is necessary to continue the study of 199TlCl as rp for both ptimary diafnostic imagung of LC and also for the follow-up control of therapy.

The impact of the field of view (FOV) on image quality in MDCT angiography of the lower extremities

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of the reconstructed field-of-view (FOV) on image quality in computed-tomography angiography (CTA) of the lower extremities.MethodsA total of 100 CTA examinations of the lower extremities were acquired on a 2 × 192-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) scanner. Three different datasets were reconstructed covering both legs (standard FOV size) as well as each leg separately (reduced FOV size). The subjective image quality was evaluated for the different vessel segments (femoral, popliteal, crural, pedal) by three readers using a semi-quantitative Likert scale. Additionally, objective image quality was assessed using an automated image quality metric on a per-slice basis.ResultsThe subjective assessment of the image quality showed an almost perfect interrater agreement. The image quality of the small FOV datasets was rated significantly higher as compared to the large datasets for all patients and vessel segments (p < 0.05) with a tendency towards a higher effect in smaller vessels. The difference of the mean scores between the group with the large FOV and small FOV was 0.68 for the femoral level, 0.83 for the popliteal level, 1.12 for the crural level, and 1.08 for the pedal level. The objective image quality metric also demonstrated a significant improvement of image quality in the small FOV datasets.ConclusionsSide-separated reconstruction of each leg in CTA of the lower extremities using a small reconstruction FOV significantly improves image quality as compared to a standard reconstruction with a large FOV covering both legs.Key Points• In CT angiography of the lower legs, the side-separated reconstruction of each leg using a small field-of-views improves image quality as compared to a standard reconstruction covering both legs.• The side-separated reconstruction can be readily implemented at every commercially available CT scanner.• There is no need for additional hardware or software and no additional burden to the patient.

Soft Array Surface-Changing Compound Eye.

The field-of-view (FOV) of compound eyes is an important index for performance evaluation. Most artificial compound eyes are optical, fabricated by imitating insect compound eyes with a fixed FOV that is difficult to adjust over a wide range. The compound eye is of great significance in the field of tracking high-speed moving objects. However, the tracking ability of a compound eye is often limited by its own FOV size and the reaction speed of the rudder unit matched with the compound eye, so that the compound eye cannot better adapt to tracking high-speed moving objects. Inspired by the eyes of many organisms, we propose a soft-array, surface-changing compound eye (SASCE). Taking soft aerodynamic models (SAM) as the carrier and an infrared sensor as the load, the basic model of the variable structure infrared compound eye (VSICE) is established using an array of infrared sensors on the carrier. The VSICE model is driven by air pressure to change the array surface of the infrared sensor. Then, the spatial position of each sensor and its viewing area are changed and, finally, the FOV of the compound eye is changed. Simultaneously, to validate the theory, we measured the air pressure, spatial sensor position, and the FOV of the compound eye. When compared with the current compound eye, the proposed one has a wider adjustable FOV.

Minimum size and positioning of imaging field for CBCT-scans of impacted lower third molars: a retrospective study

BackgroundCone-beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is widely used for preoperative 3D imaging of lower third molars. Hence, for this imaging indication, the present study aimed to define the minimum field-of-view (FOV) size and its optimum placement, to decrease radiation exposure, and highlight the need of computer-assisted FOV centering technique for dental CBCT devices. To facilitate proper placement of image field, lower second molar was chosen as reference.MethodsThe retrospective study included 50 CBCT-scans of 46 patients with mean age of 34 years. Based on the lower second molar, a three-dimensional coordinate was formed and the location of mandibular canal (MC) and the dimensions and locations of the lower third molars, and possible associated pathological findings were assessed. Accordingly, the FOV size and position for third-molar imaging were optimized, while ensuring encompassment of all relevant structures.ResultsThe minimum cylindrical volume, covering lower third molars and MC, was 32.1 (diameter) × 31.6 (height) mm, placed in relation to the second molar crown, top 2.2 mm above cusp tips, anterior edge 6.7 mm in the front of the most distal point of the crown, and lingual edge 7.9 mm on the medial side of the lingual wall.ConclusionsThe optimized FOV for lower third molars was smaller than common standard small FOVs. We recommend using FOV volume 3.5∅ × 3.5 cm for third molars without associated pathology. Accurate FOV protocols are essential for development of new CBCT-devices with computer-assisted and indication-specific FOV placement.

Does overlay field of view in head-mounted displays affect spatial memorization?

One of the main targets of criticism of head-mounted displays (HMDs) is the field of view (FOV) size, whether in virtual or augmented reality. This limitation is prominent with optical see-through head-mounted displays (OST-HMD), as those with narrow overlay FOV (OFOV) sizes only provide a small window to view virtual objects. We investigated if restricting this OFOV negatively affects a user’s ability to memorize spatial locations in a simulation of a work environment, and consequently, long-term memory transfer to an equivalent scenario in the real world two days later. To find empirical evidence, we conducted a within-subjects experiment with 18 participants performing in three phases with an OST-HMD, simulated on an immersive HMD. For each phase, they viewed the training scenario with a different OFOV size of the augmentable area (30°, 70°, 110° diagonal). Results from recall tests showed that smaller OFOV size did not significantly affect user’s performance on both short-term and transfer tests, but HMD data revealed that users rotated their heads less with a 110° OFOV. We also found that proximity of objects to memorize had an interaction effect with smaller OFOV sizes. Our findings could have implications on the design and HMD choices of augmented training.

CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SIALOGRAPHY: EFFECTIVE RADIATION DOSE REDUCTIONS WITH NOVEL IMAGING PROTOCOLS

<h3>BACKGROUND</h3> Many diseases and conditions can disrupt the normal function of the salivary glands, and imaging can be an important tool in the formulation of a diagnosis. With sialography being the imaging modality of choice for obstructive conditions of the major salivary glands, our group has previously demonstrated that cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) sialography offers enhanced visualization of inflammatory changes and obstructions, such as sialoliths and strictures, over plain film sialography.¹ However, because ionizing radiation is a concern, optimizing imaging protocols is crucial in order to minimize the radiation dose to the patient while still producing images of high diagnostic quality. <h3>OBJECTIVE(S)</h3> As a first step in the optimization of a new imaging protocol for CBCT sialography, this study aimed to determine effective dose (E) for a range of exposure parameters using 2 field of view (FOV) sizes for submandibular and parotid gland CBCT sialography. <h3>STUDY DESIGN</h3> Using a RANDO male phantom, we determined site-specific radiation doses to 25 sites in the head and neck and calculated E across a range of operating kilovoltage peak and milliamperage settings of the J. Morita Veraview X800 (J. Morita Mfg. Corp., Kyoto, Japan). <h3>RESULTS</h3> The E for the submandibular gland study using an 8 cm (diameter) × 5 cm (height) FOV size ranged from 22.7 to 171.1 µSv, when varied across the unit's allowable kilovoltage peak and milliamperage range. For the parotid gland study using an 8 cm (diameter) × 8 cm (height) FOV size, the E ranged from 21.5 to 160.4 µSv. <h3>DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS</h3> The use of variable FOV sizes for the submandibular and parotid glands may allow reductions in E compared with our earlier work² and allow us to further optimize sialography imaging protocols for future patients.

The Potential of Satellite Sounding Observations for Deriving Atmospheric Wind in All-Weather Conditions

Atmospheric wind is an essential parameter in the global observing system. In this study, the water vapor field in Typhoon Lekima and its surrounding areas simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is utilized to track the atmospheric motion wind through the Farneback Optical Flow (OF) algorithm. A series of experiments are conducted to investigate the influence of temporal and spatial resolutions on the errors of tracked winds. It is shown that the wind accuracy from tracking the specific humidity is higher than that from tracking the relative humidity. For fast-evolving weather systems such as typhoons, the shorter time step allows for more accurate wind retrievals, whereas for slow to moderate evolving weather conditions, the longer time step is needed for smaller retrieval errors. Compared to the traditional atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) algorithm, the Farneback OF wind algorithm achieves a pixel-wise feature tracking and obtains a higher spatial resolution of wind field. It also works well under some special circumstances such as very low water vapor content or the region where the wind direction is parallel to the moisture gradient direction. This study has some significant implications for the configuration of satellite microwave sounding missions through their derived water vapor fields. The required temporal and spatial resolutions in the OF algorithm critically determine the satellite revisiting time and the field of view size. The brightness temperature (BT) simulated through Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) is also used to track winds. It is shown that the error of tracking BT is generally larger than that of tracking water vapor. This increased error may result from the uncertainty in simulations of brightness temperatures at 183 GHz.

CBCT image artefacts generated by implants located inside the field of view or in the exomass.

To compare artefacts in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) arising from implants of different materials located either inside the field of view (FOV) or in the exomass, and to test different image-acquisition parameters to reduce them. CBCT scans of a human mandible prepared with either a titanium, titanium-zirconium, or zirconia implant were acquired with the Planmeca ProMax utilizing FOV sizes of 8 × 5 cm and 4 × 5 cm, which placed the implant inside the FOV (8 × 5 cm) or in the exomass (4 × 5 cm). The scanning parameters considered three conditions of metal artefact reduction (MAR), disabled, low, and high, and 2 kVp levels (80 and 90). The standard deviation (SD) of grey values of regions of interest was obtained. The effects of implant material, implant position, MAR condition, kVp level, and their interactions were evaluated by Analysis of Variance (α = 5%). The zirconia implant produced the highest SD values (more heterogeneous grey values, corresponding to greater artefact expression), followed by titanium-zirconium, and titanium. In general, implants in the exomass produced images with higher SD values than implants inside the FOV. MAR was effective in decreasing SD values, especially from the zirconia implant, only when the implant was inside the FOV. Images with 80 kVp had higher SD values than those with 90 kVp, regardless of the other factors (p < 0.05). Implants in the exomass lead to greater artefact expression than when they are inside the FOV. Special attention should be paid to scanning parameters that reduce metal-related artefacts, such as MAR activation and increasing kVp. This is especially important with a zirconia implant inside the FOV.

Assessment of the Metal Artifact Reduction Tool for the Detection of Root Isthmus in Mandibular Molars with Intraradicular Posts in Cone-beam Computed Tomographic Scans

IntroductionThis study evaluated the performance of the metal artifact reduction (MAR) tool in cone-beam computed tomographic scans using different fields of view (FOVs) in the detection of a root isthmus in mandibular molars with intraradicular posts. MethodsTwenty-eight teeth were scanned by micro–computed tomographic imaging (gold standard images). Thereafter, specimens were allocated into the following groups: gutta-percha (teeth without posts, n = 10), a prefabricated metal post (n = 9), and a fiberglass post (n = 9). Cone-beam computed tomographic scans were taken using 8 acquisition protocols, varying the size of the FOV (10 × 5.5 cm and 5 × 5.5 cm) and the MAR tool (disabled, low, normal, and high modes). A root isthmus was evaluated considering a 5-point scale. Data were analyzed considering a 5% significance level. ResultsIntra- and interexaminer agreement varied from moderate to substantial. The frequency of correct diagnosis varied significantly in all groups regardless of the image acquisition protocol selected (P < .05). In the gutta-percha group, there was no difference in the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values between the tested protocols. In the metal and fiberglass post groups, the accuracy values were higher with the “disabled” and “low” modes of the MAR tool regardless of the FOV size. This was also observed for the sensitivity values in the metal post group (P < .05). ConclusionsThe size of the FOV did not affect the performance of the MAR tool in the diagnosis of a root isthmus in molars with intraradicular posts. Our findings suggest that the use of the tool in the “normal” and “high” modes is contraindicated for this purpose.

Effective dose estimation in cone-beam computed tomography for dental use by Monte-Carlo simulation optimizing calculation numbers using a step-and-shoot method.

The objective of this study was to perform effective dose estimation in cone-beam CT for dental use (CBCT) using a Monte-Carlo simulation employing a step-and-shoot method as well as to determine the optimal number of steps. We simulated 3DX Accuitomo FPD8 as a CBCT model and estimated the effective doses of a large and a small field of view (FOV) examination against the virtual Rando phantom using a particle and heavy ion transport code system. We confirmed the results compared to those from a thermo-luminescence dosemeter (TLD) system in a real phantom and investigated how the reduced angle calculations could be accepted. The effective doses of both FOVs estimated with each one degree were almost the same as those estimated from the TLD measurements. Considering the effective doses and the itemized organ doses, simulation with 5° and 10° is acceptable for the large and small FOV, respectively. We tried to compare an effective dose with a large FOV as well as with multiple small FOVs covering the corresponding area and found that the effective dose from six small FOVs was approximately 1.2 times higher than that of the large FOVs. We successfully performed a Monte-Carlo simulation using a step-and-shoot method and estimated the effective dose in CBCT. Our findings indicate that simulation with 5° or 10° is acceptable based on the FOV size, while a small multiple FOV scan is recommended from a radiation protection viewpoint.

Scatter-to-primary ratio in dentomaxillofacial cone-beam CT: effect of field of view and beam energy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of field of view (FOV) and beam energy on the scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) in dental cone-beam CT (CBCT). An anthropomorphic phantom representing an adult male (ATOM Max 711-HN, Norfolk, VA, USA) was scanned using the 3D Accuitomo 170 CBCT (J. Morita, Kyoto, Japan) using 11 FOVs. During each scan, half of the X-ray beam was blocked. Each scan was performed at three exposure settings with varying beam energy and equal radiation dose: 90 kV 5 mA, 77 kV 7.5 mA and 69 kV 10 mA. The SPR was estimated by measuring the grey values in the blocked and non-blocked regions of the RAW data. The effect of FOV on SPR was evaluated using Dunn's multiple comparison test, and the effect of the exposure settings was compared using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Larger FOVs showed increased scatter. FOVs with a shorter isocenter-detector distance showed a particularly high SPR. Most intercomparisons between FOVs were statistically significant. The largest difference was found between 17 × 12 cm and 6 × 6 cm (lower jaw), with the former showing a 4.9-fold higher SPR. The effect of beam energy was relatively small and varied between FOV sizes and positions. While the choice of FOV size and position is determined by the diagnostic region of interest, the image quality deterioration for large FOVs due to scatter provides another incentive to limit the FOV size as much as possible.

Low-dose Multidetector Computed Tomographic and Cone-beam Computed Tomographic Protocols for Volumetric Measurement of Simulated Periapical Lesions

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of low-dose multidetector computed tomographic (LD-MDCT) imaging for the volumetric measurement of simulated periapical lesions. MethodsEighteen monoradicular teeth were introduced in bone blocks, and periapical lesions were simulated at the periapical region of each tooth. All teeth were imaged using 4 acquisition protocols: large (dentoalveolar) field of view (FOV) cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging (120 kV, 5 mA, and 0.2-mm voxel), small (dental) FOV CBCT imaging (90 kV, 10 mA, and 0.2-mm voxel), standard multidetector computed tomographic imaging (120 kV, 50 mA, and 0.62-mm voxel), and LD-MDCT imaging (120 kV, 10 mA, and 0.62-mm voxel). Tomographic images were evaluated by a single trained and calibrated examiner (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.991) using ITK-SNAP segmentation software (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA). The gold standard was obtained by the impressions of the lesions with regular fluid addition silicone and individual weighing using a precision analytical scale. Data were evaluated by the repeated measures analysis of variance test; the significance level was defined as P < .05. ResultsNo statistical differences (P > .05) were found among the groups regardless of the device, milliamperage, FOV, or voxel size. ConclusionsLD-MDCT shows performance comparable with other standard reference methods for measuring the volume of periapical lesions and can be a useful and safe protocol in clinical situations in which CBCT imaging is not available, such as in cases of patients admitted to hospitals.

Application of an auto-edge counting method for quantification of metal artifacts in CBCT images: a multivariate analysis of object position, field of view size, tube voltage, and metal artifact reduction algorithm

The objective was to assess the effects of object position, field of view (FOV) size, peak kilovoltage (kVp), and a metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm on metal artifacts in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) as measured with an auto-edge counting method. A titanium implant and a stainless steel intracanal post in a root were inserted in bovine rib blocks. CBCT scans were acquired with changes in object position (incisor, canine, and premolar-molar areas), FOV, kVp, and MAR (on or off) mode. Images were quantitatively analyzed in MATLAB by using the Canny edge detection algorithm. Four-way analysis of variance and Tukey tests were applied for data analysis. The implant produced no significant differences in number of artifacts among the object positions through changing the kVp and MAR mode for all FOV sizes (P > .05). The intracanal post scanned with the medium-sized FOV, high kVp, and MAR off mode generated significant differences among object positions (P=.033). Among the variables assessed, FOV size and MAR mode had a significant influence on the number of artifacts (P ≤ .039). Reduction of FOV size and application of the MAR tool significantly decreased the number of streak artifacts. The Canny edge detection algorithm could be an efficient method of metal artifact quantification.

Influence of size of field of view (FOV), position within the FOV, and scanning mode on the detection of root fracture and observer's perception of artifacts in CBCT images.

To assess the influence of field of view (FOV) size, scanning position within the FOV and scanning mode on the detection of root fracture and artifact perception. Forty single-rooted premolars restored with NiCr and AgPd posts were divided into two groups: fractured and sound. All teeth were scanned using four CBCT scanning protocols varying FOV sizes (80 × 80 mm and 50 × 55 mm) and scanning modes (Standard and High Definition). The sample was positioned within the FOV in two pre-set positions (central and lateral) and in four positions established by the operator (quadrants). Detection of root fracture and artifact perception were assessed by two observers using 5-point and 4-point scales. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC values were calculated and compared by ANOVA two-way and Tukey's test. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to assess artifact perception. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. The central position within the FOV presented higher sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC values and differed from the lateral position within the FOV for the studied metal posts (p<0.05). Quadrant 2 presented the best sensitivity, accuracy, and AUC values (p<0.05). The lateral position within the FOV, AgPd posts, quadrants 1 and 3 and protocols 1 (SM, 80 × 80) and 2 (HD, 80× 80) presented higher frequency of artifacts classified as "severe". Positioning the object in the center or closer to the anterior periphery of the FOV while using a small FOV improved the detection of root fracture and decreased artifact perception.

Influence of Reconstruction FOV and Matrix Size on the Quantitative Accuracy of FDG-PET: Comparison between OSEM and Bayesian Penalized Likelihood

Field of view (FOV) and matrix size determine the pixel size of positron emission tomography (PET) images; however, the effect of any variation in these parameters on the quantitative accuracy is unclear. The FOV and matrix size of PET images are adjusted as per each clinical objective. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the quantitative accuracy of PET images under different FOV and matrix sizes. A National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) body phantom set was filled with 18F-FDG solution, and imaging data were acquired for 30 min. Images were reconstructed using ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and Bayesian penalized likelihood (BPL), both of which were combined with point spread function (PSF) and time of flight (TOF). In each reconstruction method, the image parameters were set to the following: FOV, 20-70 cm; matrix size, 128×128 to 384×384; and pixel size, 1-3 mm. The images were evaluated by physical assessment of the recovery coefficient (RC) and maximum standardized uptake value ratio (SUVmax ratio). The RC of OSEM images was not affected by changes in FOV, whereas the RC of BPL images decreased in small spheres, when FOV was 20 and 30 cm. The SUVmax ratio of the OSEM images was not affected by the difference in pixel size. However, the SUVmax ratio of BPL images degraded in the 1-mm pixel size; this influence was observed only when the FOV was changed.Conclusion: BPL images reconstructed using a small FOV might degrade the quantitative accuracy of small spheres.

Deformable mirror-based axial scanning for two-photon mammalian brain imaging.

.Significance: To expand our understanding of the roles of astrocytes in neural circuits, there is a need to develop optical tools tailored specifically to capture their complex spatiotemporal dynamics. This interest is not limited to 2D, but to multiple depths.Aim: The focus of our work was to design and evaluate the optical performance of an enhanced version of a two-photon (2P) microscope with the addition of a deformable mirror (DM)-based axial scanning system for live mammalian brain imaging.Approach: We used a DM to manipulate the beam wavefront by applying different defocus terms to cause a controlled axial shift of the image plane. The optical design and performance were evaluated by an analysis of the optical model, followed by an experimental characterization of the implemented instrument.Results: Key questions related to this instrument were addressed, including impact of the DM curvature change on vignetting, field of view size, image plane flatness, wavefront error, and point spread function. The instrument was used for imaging several neurobiological samples at different depths, including fixed brain slices and in vivo mouse cerebral cortex.Conclusions: Our implemented instrument was capable of recording -stacks of in depth with a fine step size, parameters that make it useful for astrocyte biology research. Future work includes adaptive optics and intensity normalization.

Computed tomography simulator conversion curve dependence on scan parameters and phantom dimension

Introduction: Using computed tomography (CT) and treatment planning systems (TPS) in radiotherapy, due to the difference in photon beam energy on CT and linear accelerator, it is necessary to convert Hounsfield units (HU) to relative electron density (RED) values. The aim of this dosimetric study was to determine whether there is a significant effect of potential in the CT tube, field of view size (FOV), and phantom dimensions on the CT conversion curve CT-RED. The second aim is whether there are significant differences between the CT-RED obtained by the Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) Thorax 002LFC phantom and the “reference” curve in the TPS, obtained by the CIRS 062M pelvis phantom, at the same CT conditions.Methods: Heterogeneous CIRS 062M and CIRS Thorax 002LFC phantoms were used, which anatomically and dimensionally represent the human pelvis, head, and thorax, with a set of known RED inserts. They were scanned on a CT LightSpeed GE simulator and obtained CT-RED.Results: The high voltage in the CT tube had a significant effect on the HU (t = 10.72, p &lt; 0.001) for RED values &gt;1.1, while FOV as a parameter did not show statistical significance for the 062M pelvis phantom. Comparing the slopes (062M pelvis and head) of the CT-RED for RED ≥ 1.1, the obtained value is t = 1.404 (p = 0.163). In the case of a 062M pelvis and a 002LFC phantom, we have seen a difference in RED values (for the same HU value) of 5 % in the RED region ≥ 1.1 (bone).Conclusion: Patients should be imaged on a CT simulator only at the potential of the CT tube on which the conversion curve was recorded. The influence of the FOV and scanned phantom dimensions is not statistically significant on the appearance of the calibration curve (RED ≥ 1.1).

A review of dental cone-beam CT dose conversion coefficients.

The purpose of this study was to review the literature to examine the usage and magnitude of effective dose conversion factors (DCE) for dental cone beam CT (CBCT) scanners. A PubMed literature search for publications relating to radiation dosimetry in dental radiography was performed. Papers were included if they reported DCE, or reported ICRP 103 effective dose and dose-area product. 71 papers relating to dental CBCT dosimetry were found, of which eight reported effective dose conversion factors or provided enough information to calculate dose conversion factors. Scanner model, effective dose, dose-area product, tube voltage, field of view size and DCE were extracted from the papers for analysis. DCE values ranged from 0.035 to 0.31 µSv/mGy-cm2 with a mean of 0.129 µSv/mGy-cm2 (SD = 0.056). When categorized into small (<100 cm2), medium (100-225 cm2) and large (>225 cm2) fields of view (FOV), linear fits to the effective dose and dose-area product yielded slopes of 0.129, 0.111 and 0.074 µSv/mGy-cm2 for small, medium and large FOVs respectively. The range of reported DCE values and spread with respect to field of view category suggests that DCE values that depend on FOV would provide more accurate effective dose estimates. Tube voltage was found to be a smaller factor in determining DCE. Reasonable values for DCE taking into account FOV size were obtained. There is considerable room for more work to be done to examine the behaviour of DCE with changes to patient age and dental CBCT imaging parameters.