Slice Plane Research Articles

Experimental study of hypervapotron under conditions of high heat flux

In the light of the needs to develop high-performance heat transfer component for nation-level large-scale scientific projects of China, a hypervapotron experimental platform with supply of heat flux 1–10 MW m−2 was established. With this platform, the multiphase flow and heat transfer phenomena on the surface of triangular fin when the subcooled water flowed through were observed and measured with the planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and high-speed photography techniques. The temperature contour on the slice plane of fin symmetry was measured and the heat flux contour was processed based on gradient computation. It is confirmed that: 1) PLIF with high-speed photography is very powerful technique to investigate the multiphase flow of hypervapotron quantitatively; 2) evaporation is the primary way in heat transfer mechanism of hypervapotron flow under the condition of high heat flux. The techniques and results obtained will provide useful reference in the R&D of hypervapotron technology in China.

A study on a method to reduce the effect of the cross-talk artifact in a simultaneous, multiple-slice, plane, oblique MRI scan

The aim of this study was to reduce the effect of cross-talk artifacts on the region of interest (ROI) and to improve the diagnostic value of an image by conducting an examination using the linear (series) method, rather than the interleave method, based on the time concept, which is a basic principle of MRI, with a focus on the T1-weighted image, which has a strong effect on the cross-talk artifact. A water phantom was placed in the center of a brain coil before using the interleave method and the linear method to obtain cross-sectional images. A sagittal oblique scan was conducted to ensure that the slice groups intersected one another. A reference image was also acquired at TR (time of repetition) = 500 msec. Subsequently, the TR was changed to 600 and 700 msec to conduct scans. The analysis method was to use the interleave method and the linear method to compare the effects of the cross-talk artifacts and the TR. As scanned images were suggested, the SNR (signal to noise ratio) for the ROI was measured. According to the study results, the effects of cross-talk artifacts were reduced more significantly in the image scanned using the linear method than in that using the interleave method. When the SNRs of the images scanned in the interleave method and the linear method were compared, the image scanned in the linear method showed higher SNRs for the anterior and the posterior parts at TR = 500, 600, and 700 msec. On the other hand, the image scanned in the interleave method showed an increase in the SNR for the middle part, where the cross-talk artifacts did not appear. This means that the cross-talk artifacts were reduced in the image scanned using the linear method, which resulted in an increase in the SNR. Overall, the SNRs of each image for the interleave method and the linear method were highest at TR = 700 msec. In conclusion, the linear method is selected to reduce the effects of cross-talk artifacts in a simultaneous and multiple slice plane oblique scan where the TR is extended.

Can we identify the limits of the puborectalis/pubovisceralis muscle on tomographic translabial ultrasound?

In order to determine the relative locations of puborectalis/pubovisceralis (PR/PV) and iliococcygeus (IC) muscles, we undertook an analysis of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound datasets obtained after suburethral sling placement. This was a retrospective analysis of ultrasound volume data obtained in 110 women after undergoing the Monarc suburethral sling procedure. Tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) was performed with eight slices in the axial plane, from 5 mm below to 12.5 mm above the plane of minimal hiatal dimensions. Hyperechogenic tape material was rated as absent, present or as producing an anechoic acoustic shadow overlying the muscle in each slice. Slices 7 and 8 virtually always showed evidence of the implant or its acoustic shadow on the pelvic sidewall (98% for slice 8 and 96% for slice 7), suggesting that these slices are located at the level of the obturator foramen. This implies that these slices do not generally contain PR/PV muscle, but rather IC muscle. On standardized tomographic imaging of the levator hiatus and muscle, slices located ≥ 1 cm over the plane of minimal dimensions are very likely to contain IC muscle rather than PR/PV muscle.

Whole-Body Single-Bed Time-of-Flight RPC-PET: Simulation of Axial and Planar Sensitivities With NEMA and Anthropomorphic Phantoms

A single-bed, whole-body positron emission tomograph based on resistive plate chambers has been proposed (RPC-PET). An RPC-PET system with an axial field-of-view (AFOV) of 2.4 m has been shown in simulation to have higher system sensitivity using the NEMA NU2-1994 protocol than commercial PET scanners. However, that protocol does not correlate directly with lesion detectability. The latter is better correlated with the planar (slice) sensitivity, obtained with a NEMA NU2-2001 line-source phantom. After validation with published data for the GE Advance, Siemens TruePoint and TrueV, we study by simulation their axial sensitivity profiles, comparing results with RPC-PET. Planar sensitivities indicate that RPC-PET is expected to outperform 16-cm (22-cm) AFOV scanners by a factor 5.8 (3.0) for 70-cm-long scans. For 1.5-m scans (head to mid-legs), the sensitivity gain increases to 11.7 (6.7). Yet, PET systems with large AFOV provide larger coverage but also larger attenuation in the object. We studied these competing effects with both spherical- and line-sources immersed in a 27-cm-diameter water cylinder. For 1.5-m-long scans, the planar sensitivity drops one order of magnitude in all scanners, with RPC-PET outperforming 16-cm (22-cm) AFOV scanners by a factor 9.2 (5.3) without considering the TOF benefit. A gain in the effective sensitivity is expected with TOF iterative reconstruction. Finally, object scatter in an anthropomorphic phantom is similar for RPC-PET and modern, scintillator-based scanners, although RPC-PET benefits further if its TOF information is utilized to exclude scatter events occurring outside the anthropomorphic phantom.

WE-E-BRB-11: Riview a Web-Based Viewer for Radiotherapy.

Collaborations involving radiotherapy data collection, such as the recently proposed international radiogenomics consortium, require robust, web-based tools to facilitate reviewing treatment planning information. We present the architecture and prototype characteristics for a web-based radiotherapy viewer. The web-based environment developed in this work consists of the following components: 1) Import of DICOM/RTOG data: CERR was leveraged to import DICOM/RTOG data and to convert to database friendly RT objects. 2) Extraction and Storage of RT objects: The scan and dose distributions were stored as .png files per slice and view plane. The file locations were written to the MySQL database. Structure contours and DVH curves were written to the database as numeric data. 3) Web interfaces to query, retrieve and visualize the RT objects: The Web application was developed using HTML 5 and Ruby on Rails (RoR) technology following the MVC philosophy. The open source ImageMagick library was utilized to overlay scan, dose and structures. The application allows users to (i) QA the treatment plans associated with a study, (ii) Query and Retrieve patients matching anonymized ID and study, (iii) Review up to 4 plans simultaneously in 4 window panes (iv) Plot DVH curves for the selected structures and dose distributions. A subset of data for lung cancer patients was used to prototype the system. Five user accounts were created to have access to this study. The scans, doses, structures and DVHs for 10 patients were made available via the web application. A web-based system to facilitate QA, and support Query, Retrieve and the Visualization of RT data was prototyped. The RIVIEW system was developed using open source and free technology like MySQL and RoR. We plan to extend the RIVIEW system further to be useful in clinical trial data collection, outcomes research, cohort plan review and evaluation.

Crdbrd: Shape Fabrication by Sliding Planar Slices

AbstractWe introduce an algorithm and representation for fabricating 3D shape abstractions using mutually intersecting planar cut‐outs. The planes have prefabricated slits at their intersections and are assembled by sliding them together. Often such abstractions are used as a sculptural art form or in architecture and are colloquially called ‘cardboard sculptures’. Based on an analysis of construction rules, we propose an extended binary space partitioning tree as an efficient representation of such cardboard models which allows us to quickly evaluate the feasibility of newly added planar elements. The complexity of insertion order quickly increases with the number of planar elements and manual analysis becomes intractable. We provide tools for generating cardboard sculptures with guaranteed constructibility. In combination with a simple optimization and sampling strategy for new elements, planar shape abstraction models can be designed by iteratively adding elements. As an output, we obtain a fabrication plan that can be printed or sent to a laser cutter. We demonstrate the complete process by designing and fabricating cardboard models of various well‐known 3D shapes.

Interactive Curvilinear Reformatting in Native Space

Curvilinear reformatting of 3D magnetic resonance imaging data has been recognized by the medical community as a helpful noninvasive tool for displaying the cerebral anatomy. It consists of automatically creating, with respect to a reference surface, a series of equidistant curvilinear slices at progressively deeper cuts. In comparison with planar slices, it allows more precise localization of lesions and identification of subtle structural abnormalities. However, current curvilinear reformatting tools either rely on the time-consuming manual delineation of guiding curves on 2D slices, or require costly automatic brain segmentation procedures. In addition, they extract the skin and skull, impeding a precise topographic correlation between the location of the brain lesion and skin surface. This impairs planning of craniotomy for neurosurgery, and of the appropriate implantation of electrodes for intracranial electroencephalography in presurgical evaluation. In this work, we present a novel approach based on direct manipulation of the visualized volume data. By using a 3D painting metaphor, the reference surface can be defined incrementally, according to the principle that the user interacts with what she/he sees. As a response, an animation of the reformatting process is displayed. The focus of this paper is a new volume tagging algorithm behind user interactions. It works at an interactive frame rate on current graphics hardware.

Slices

Minimalist object representations or shape-proxies that spark and inspire human perception of shape remain an incompletely understood, yet powerful aspect of visual communication. We explore the use of planar sections, i.e., the contours of intersection of planes with a 3D object, for creating shape abstractions, motivated by their popularity in art and engineering. We first perform a user study to show that humans do define consistent and similar planar section proxies for common objects. Interestingly, we observe a strong correlation between user-defined planes and geometric features of objects. Further we show that the problem of finding the minimum set of planes that capture a set of 3D geometric shape features is both NP-hard and not always the proxy a user would pick. Guided by the principles inferred from our user study, we present an algorithm that progressively selects planes to maximize feature coverage, which in turn influence the selection of subsequent planes. The algorithmic framework easily incorporates various shape features, while their relative importance values are computed and validated from the user study data. We use our algorithm to compute planar slices for various objects, validate their utility towards object abstraction using a second user study, and conclude showing the potential applications of the extracted planar slice shape proxies.

Trigeminal neuralgia related to arteriovenous malformation of the posterior fossa: Three case reports and a review of the literature

To describe the rare association of trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) with a brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) of the posterior fossa. This is a report of three patients presenting with TGN due to vascular compression by a bAVM of the posterior fossa, with emphasis on clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, management and follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with sequences in thin slices in the same section plane using a 3D time of flight (TOF) and axial T2-weighted driven equilibrium (DRIVE) of the posterior fossa. No bleeding episodes were documented in the three patients. MRI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed a posterior fossa bAVM with a nidus surrounding the trigeminal nerve, fed by arteries from the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems. Within a few days, medical treatment effectively alleviated the symptoms, with no more pain during follow-ups at 6, 10 and 18months. No invasive treatment was performed because the bAVMs were considered to have a low risk of bleeding. TGN related to a bAVM can mimic classical TGN. MRI and DSA are the imaging methods of choice. Medical treatment remains the first line of therapy, but if that fails, multimodal invasive treatment may be an alternative for pain relief.

Manufacturing optimization of laminated tooling with conformal cooling channels

PurposeThis paper proposes sheet thickness determination in manufacturing of laminated dies as an optimization problem. The aim of this optimization procedure is finding the best set of thicknesses which minimizes the volume deviation between actual computer‐aided design (CAD) model and assembled slices.Design/methodology/approachThis works uses a modified version of genetic algorithms for the optimization purpose. Each set of thicknesses that can cover the whole CAD model surface is considered as a chromosome. Genetic operators such as crossover and mutation have to be modified to be used in this application.FindingsA new method for finding the total volume deviation between assembled slices and the actual CAD model was developed in this research. On the other hand, the results show how the program can automate the slice plane locations search process.Research limitations/implicationsPremature convergence does not allow the algorithm to search the entire solution space before getting trapped in a local optimum. Even the mutation operator cannot postpone this untimely convergence.Practical implicationsThe proposed method is a good substitute for the manual methods that are currently used in industry. These experience‐based methods are mostly based on the decision made by a well‐trained technician on picking up the thicknesses for a specific CAD model.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt at optimizing the slicing method in laminated tooling. Other methods are mostly based on rapid prototyping (RP) and they are not applicable in the laminated tooling process since, despite RP, here not all optimization outputs can be used in practical procedure.

A Spline-Driven Image Slicer

In this article, a spline driven image slicer algorithm is presented. It is concretized through a vtkAlgorithm-inherited class that takes two inputs and gives two outputs. The first input is the volume from which the slice should reconstructed while the second one is the spline which tangent vector is used as slicing plane normal. The first output is a 2D image resliced from the volume. The second output gives the geometric information of the slice plane location in the volume space. An example of use is given through a simulation of a dental panoramic view from a MDCT volume.

Surface Reconstruction by Alpha Geometric Shape Based on Triangulation

Surface reconstruction by alpha geometric shape based on triangulation is a new idea and method in computer graphics and reverse engineering. In the process of Topology reconstruction, the points are reduced and projected to a middle slice plane. The adjacency among slices is established by section line subdivision, and triangle mesh is stored and called by the form of STL. The simplexes are classified and computed in order to obtain α interval by the external-ball radius and center of every simplex, and the data structure is designed to save them. Through the man-machine interactive selection modes, α-shape can be reconstructed by different α parameters. The surface reconstruction is completed.

Volume visualization using a spatially aware mobile display device

Volume visualization is a difficult three-dimensional task and a significant amount of research is devoted to the development of a suitable computer input device for it. Most of the proposed models use fixed displays, thus rendering extracted slices in orientations unrelated to their real locations within the volume. We present a new device which takes a different approach, as it leaves the volume in a fixed location and demands the user to change his or her posture to explore it from different angles. To implement this, we built a prototype based on a mobile display equipped with sensors that allows it to track its position, which is related to the location of the slice plane within the volume. Therefore, the user can manipulate this plane by displacing and rotating the display, which is a very intuitive method with minimum learning time. Furthermore, the postural changes required to use the device add a new channel of feedback, which effectively helps to reduce the cognitive load imposed on the user. We built a prototype device and tested it with two groups of volunteers who were asked to use it in a medical imaging application. Statistical analysis of the results shows that explorations made with the proposed device were considerably faster with no penalty in precision. We believe that, with further work, the proposed device can be developed into an useful tool for radiology and neurosurgery.

WE‐C‐BRB‐02: Independent Two‐Dimensional Dose Validation for TomoTherapy

Purpose: To develop a two‐dimensional (2D) dose calculation software for helical tomotherapy with absolute dose validation capability. Methods: This in‐house software takes advantage of archived patient treatment planning documents, initial coordinates of red and green lasers, central coronal plane slice numbers of the Cheese phantom, and clinical dosimetric functions. A tomotherapy DQA plan has to be generated and archived first. The software performs an independent absolute dose check to the tomotherapy plan. The software calculates the 2D dose map of the central coronal plane of the Cheese phantom, and the 2D map is narrowed into a 3.2cm×3.1cm rectangular on the plane to save calculation duration. Doses of points on the plane are calculated with 1 mm resolution, so that a total of 992 points are calculated for each patient case. The center of the 2D square is the cross point of red lasers, which is the center of the Cheese phantom by default. The 2D dose map calculated is thereafter compared with the planned one, which is a 3D dose matrix from the DQA plan. Gamma index is then calculated with 3mm and 5% criteria. Results: The newly developed software has been tested on ten tomotherapy patients (cases of 1 pancreas, 2 brain, 1 stomach, 1 lung, 1 head & neck, 3 prostate, and 1 esophagus). The gamma distributions are all passed with a minimum ratio of 95%. Conclusions: An in‐house independent dose calculation software for helical tomotherapy has been developed to independently validates 2D doses with gamma index. Gamma in this software is calculated by comparing the 2D calculation to 3D doses, which makes the introduced method more superior than normal IMRT or tomotherapy QA. Validation of the software on more cases and more tomotherapy units is necessary.

A method to provide statistical measures of large-scale instantaneous particle clusters from planar images

Particle clusters are preferential accumulations of a solid, secondary phase that can be caused by turbulence. It is well known that particle clusters can influence the performance of systems employing suspension flows, such as pulverised fuel combustion systems. However, statistical analysis of clusters is limited by available methods to quantify them. In the current study, a method to identify planar slices of large-scale particle clusters from planar images of instantaneous particle distributions is presented. The method employs smoothing of instantaneous particle scatter images by a length scale, LS, to produce pseudo-scalar fields of particle distributions. The scalar fields are compared with mean (not smoothed) images to produce cluster masks that are then multiplied by the original instantaneous image to produce a map of the locations of cluster slices. The sensitivity to the smoothing length scale is assessed parametrically for its influence on the statistical measures of the following parameters characterising slices of large-scale clusters in four representative flows: the physical locations of the cluster slice centroids; the area of the cluster slice; and the number of cluster slices per image. While the results are influenced by the selected value of smoothing length scale, LS, the sensitivity is low in a physically reasonable range and the method performs well in this range for the four different flow cases. The method could be extended to provide volumetric measurements with suitable volumetric imaging systems.

Quantification of aortic regurgitation and stroke volume by CMR - variation due to slice plane position. It matters where you measure!

Purpose Aortic regurgitation by CMR has been assessed in various locations, including sinus of valsalva (SOV), sinotubular junction (STJ), and ascending aorta (ASC). Variability in obtained measurements and interchangeability of these locations and methods in patients with varying valvular disease severity is unknown. We sought to determine the most appropriate aortic level for accurate phase contrast quantitative (Q) flow measurement of forward and backward flow and calculation of Qp:Qs in patients with valvular heart disease.

POD10 Demonstration of optic tract atrophy in hemianopia by magnetic resonance imaging: confirmation of retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration in the human visual pathway

Degeneration of retinal ganglion cells in acquired hemianopia (HH) has been shown using optical coherence tomography. We hypothesise that change in the ipsilesional optic tract (OT) should be found using...

The morphological study on masseter muscle following mandibular angle osteotomy

To evaluate the morphological change of masseter after the mandibular angle osteotomy. Computerized tomography (CT) examination was performed on 120 patients treated by mandibular angle osteotomy before operation and at 3, 6, 12 months after operation, respectively. The pre- and postoperative masseter muscle thickness and cross-sectional area were evaluated using 3D CT images observed from 3 selected slice planes, which were paralleled with Frankfurt horizontal plane. These CT images were stored and three-dimensional reconstruction were made for calculation of masseter muscle volume through software. After operation, the reduction of the masseter muscle volume and cross-sectional area was seen. The volume of the masseter at 3, 6, 12 months postoperatively decreased to 82.02%, 77.00% and 80.43% (P < 0.05). The cross-sectional area at 3, 6,12 months postoperatively decreased to 85.81%, 78.86% and 81.56% at A plane, 80.94%, 75.03% and 77.04% at B plane, and reached to 13.46%, 11.48% and 13.89% at C plane (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The masseter thickness after operation was significantly different from that before operation during the follow-up period, but not at 12 months after operation at A plane. The masseter atrophy happens spontaneously after mandibular angle osteotomy, especially at the region of mandibular angle. It should be considered during surgical design.

The disembodied eye: Consequences of displacing perception from action

In our research, people use actions to expose hidden targets as planar images displayed either in situ or ex situ (displaced remotely). We show that because ex situ viewing impedes relating actions to their perceptual consequences, it impairs localizing targets, including compensating for surface deformation, and directing movement toward them. Using a 3D analogue of anorthoscopic perception, we demonstrate that spatio-temporal integration of contiguous planar slices is possible when action and perception are co-located, but not when they are separated. Ex situ viewing precludes the formation of a spatial frame of reference that supports complex visualization from action.

A Morphometric Analysis of Neuroanatomic Abnormalities in Traumatic Brain Injury

Cognitive and structural brain abnormalities are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The authors compared cognition and brain structure in 14 TBI survivors and 28 matched healthy comparison subjects. TBI survivors showed reduced cerebral volume, due mainly to white matter changes, and poorer attention, psychomotor speed, and memory. Severity of white matter abnormality correlated with worse performance on several cognitive measures that distinguished between groups. Using voxel-based morphometry, regions of reduced white matter concentration were found throughout the cerebrum along with more localized gray matter reductions. Findings suggest that diffuse rather than focal aspects of TBI contribute most to cognitive outcome.