Precision Imaging: more descriptive, predictive and integrative imaging

Medical image analysis has grown into a matured field challenged by progress made across all medical imaging technologies and more recent breakthroughs in biological imaging. The cross-fertilisation between medical image analysis, biomedical imaging physics and technology, and domain knowledge from medicine and biology has spurred a truly interdisciplinary effort that stretched outside the original boundaries of the disciplines that gave birth to this field and created stimulating and enriching synergies. Consideration on how the field has evolved and the experience of the work carried out over the last 15 years in our centre, has led us to envision a future emphasis of medical imaging in Precision Imaging. Precision Imaging is not a new discipline but rather a distinct emphasis in medical imaging borne at the cross-roads between, and unifying the efforts behind mechanistic and phenomenological modelbased imaging. It captures three main directions in the effort to deal with the information deluge in imaging sciences, and thus achieve wisdom from data, information, and knowledge. Precision Imaging is finally characterised by being descriptive, predictive and integrative about the imaged object. This paper provides a brief and personal perspective on how the field has evolved, summarises and formalises our vision of Precision Imaging for Precision Medicine, and highlights some connections with past research and current trends in the field

Innovations in thoracic imaging:CT, radiomics, AI and x-ray velocimetry

In recent years, pulmonary imaging has seen enormous progress, with the introduction, validation and implementation of new hardware and software. There is a general trend from mere visual evaluation of radiological images to quantification of abnormalities and biomarkers, and assessment of 'non visual' markers that contribute to establishing diagnosis or prognosis. Important catalysts to these developments in thoracic imaging include new indications (like computed tomography [CT] lung cancer screening) and the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on developments in CT, radiomics, artificial intelligence (AI) and x-ray velocimetry for imaging of the lungs. Recent developments in CT include the potential for ultra-low-dose CT imaging for lung nodules, and the advent of a new generation of CT systems based on photon-counting detector technology. Radiomics has demonstrated potential towards predictive and prognostic tasks particularly in lung cancer, previously not achievable by visual inspection by radiologists, exploiting high dimensional patterns (mostly texture related) on medical imaging data. Deep learning technology has revolutionized the field of AI and as a result, performance of AI algorithms is approaching human performance for an increasing number of specific tasks. X-ray velocimetry integrates x-ray (fluoroscopic) imaging with unique image processing to produce quantitative four dimensional measurement of lung tissue motion, and accurate calculations of lung ventilation

Development of superconducting YBa2Cu3O(x) wires with low resistance electrical contacts

Materials exhibiting superconductivity above liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) will enable new applications of this phenomena. One of the first commercial applications of this technology will be superconducting magnets for medical imaging. However, a large number of aerospace applications of the high temperature superconducting materials have also been identified. These include magnetic suspension and balance of models in wind tunnels and resistanceless leads to anemometers. The development of superconducting wires fabricated from the ceramic materials is critical for these applications. The progress in application of a patented fiber process developed by Clemson University for the fabrication of superconducting wires is reviewed. The effect of particle size and heat treatment on the quality of materials is discussed. Recent advances made at Christopher Newport College in the development of micro-ohm resistance electrical contacts which are capable of carrying the highest reported direct current to this material is presented

Hemodynamics of Cerebral Aneurysms: Computational Analyses of Aneurysm Progress and Treatment

The progression of a cerebral aneurysm involves degenerative arterial wall remodeling. Various hemodynamic parameters are suspected to be major mechanical factors related to the genesis and progression of vascular diseases. Flow alterations caused by the insertion of coils and stents for interventional aneurysm treatment may affect the aneurysm embolization process. Therefore, knowledge of hemodynamic parameters may provide physicians with an advanced understanding of aneurysm progression and rupture, as well as the effectiveness of endovascular treatments. Progress in medical imaging and information technology has enabled the prediction of flow fields in the patient-specific blood vessels using computational analysis. In this paper, recent computational hemodynamic studies on cerebral aneurysm initiation, progress, and rupture are reviewed. State-of-the-art computational aneurysmal flow analyses after coiling and stenting are also summarized. We expect the computational analysis of hemodynamics in cerebral aneurysms to provide valuable information for planning and follow-up decisions for treatment

High-Brightness Solid-State Lasers for Compact Short-Wavelength Sources

Various types of compact short-wavelength sources are emerging in the region from EUV to hard X-ray and further to gamma ray. These high-energy photons are usually accessible in a large-scale facility such as SR or FEL, and the compactness of these new technologies provides new possibilities for broader applications in dedicated laboratories or factories. Laser-produced plasma is used for soft X-ray laser and high average power EUV sources for lithography. Laser Compton short-wavelength sources are now entering into practical applications in medical imaging. The performance of these sources critically depends on the laser driver performance. This chapter describes the recent progress of high-brightness, short-pulse solid-state laser technology in close relation to these new compact short-wavelength sources. Pulsed picosecond thin disc laser progress is reviewed with kW average power specifications. Cryogenic laser is reported for the advantage of higher beam quality in large-pulse energy operation

Speech acts and medical records: The ontological nexus

Despite the recent advances in information and communication technology that have increased our ability to store and circulate information, the task of ensuring that the right sorts of information gets to the right sorts of people remains. We argue that the many efforts underway to develop efficient means for sharing information across healthcare systems and organizations would benefit from a careful analysis of human action in healthcare organizations. This in turn requires that the management of information and knowledge within healthcare organizations be combined with models of resources and processes of patient care that are based on a general ontology of social interaction. The Health Level 7 (HL7) is one of several ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations operating in the healthcare arena. HL7 has advanced a widely used messaging standard that enables healthcare applications to exchange clinical and administrative data in digital form. HL7 focuses on the interface requirements of the entire healthcare system and not exclusively on the requirements of one area of healthcare such as pharmacy, medical devices, imaging or insurance transactions. This has inspired the development of a powerful abstract model of patient care called the Reference Information Model (RIM). The present paper begins with an overview of the core classes of the HL7 (Version 3) RIM and a brief discussion of its “actcentered” view of healthcare. Central to this account is what is called the life cycle of events. A clinical action may progress from defined, through planned and ordered, to executed. These modalities of an action are represented as the mood of the act. We then outline the basis of an ontology of organizations, starting from the theory of speech Acts, and apply this ontology to the HL7 RIM. Special attention is given to the sorts of preconditions that must be satisfied for the successful performance of a speech act and to the sorts of entities to which speech acts give rise (e.g. obligations, claims, commitments, etc.). Finally we draw conclusions for the efficient communication and management of medical information and knowledge within and between healthcare organizations, paying special attention to the role that medical documents play in such organizations

2008 Progress Report on Brain Research

Highlights new research on various disorders, nervous system injuries, neuroethics, neuroimmunology, pain, sense and body function, stem cells and neurogenesis, and thought and memory. Includes essays on arts and cognition and on deep brain stimulation

Efficiency and Quality: Controlling Cost Growth in Health Care Reform

Outlines options for slowing the growth of healthcare spending, including improving the Medicare fee schedule, payment for episodes of care, multi-provider episode payments, the tax treatment of private insurance, and comparative effectiveness research

Focal Spot, Fall 1984

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1038/thumbnail.jp

Focal Spot, Fall/Winter 1986

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1044/thumbnail.jp