Comparative analysis between subjective and instrumental quality assessment through advanced technology: a pilot study on tennis serve

The purpose of this study in the first instance is to evaluate objectively, with data provided by latest-generation inertial sensors, the dynamic qualities of the technical-sporting gestures such as serve in tennis. Furthermore, the possible correlation between the aforementioned data and the evaluation monitoring of the specialized technical staff (Italian Tennis Federation qualified Coach) was assessed, in essence, a comparison between objective instrumental data and quality technical analysis. The study is not based on probative statistical numbers, five athletes, but the interest of the research is focused on establishing the validity, reliability and reproducibility of the information deriving from the acquisition with inertial instrumentation in the sport of tennis. The work seemed useful also by virtue of the fact that in the literature not many works have been produced on the subject at the moment, and in any case not with the latest technologies as in our case (K-Track, K-Sport Universal, Stats Perform, Montecchio PU, Italy). As mentioned, the research took into consideration the technical fundamental of the serve, an element that has taken on more and more importance in modern tennis in the achievement of the point and therefore in the result of the game. The serve is the stroke that marks the beginning of each point and that can influence the continuance of the same. Moreover, due to the speed of the surfaces of the fields and the game, the serve became in effect a substantial percentage of the final victory of the match. This is the basic motivation that led us to analyse this fundamental and its biomechanical composition, however, highlighting those elements that best qualify the gesture in a performative sense, trying to establish parameters that can be considered helpful for the technical staff and for the tennis player,in order to improve their performance. Keywords: IMU, tennis serve, comparative analysis, technical evaluation, professional evaluation, physical dat

Proton imaging apparatus for protontherapy application

Radiotherapy with protons, due to the physical properties of these particles, offers several advantages for cancer therapy as compared to the traditional radiotherapy with photons. In the clinical use of proton beams, a pCT (proton Computed Tomography) apparatus can contribute to improve the accuracy of the patient positioning and dose distribution calculation. In this paper a pCT apparatus built by the PRIMA (PRoton IMAging) Italian Collaboration will be presented and the preliminary results will be discussed

PRIMA+: A proton Computed Tomography apparatus

The proton Computed Tomography (pCT) is a medical imaging method, based on the use of proton beams with kinetic energy of the order of 250 MeV, aimed to directly measure the stopping power distribution of tissues thus improving the present accuracy of treatment planning in hadron therapy. A pCT system should be capable to measure tissue electron density with an accuracy better than 1% and a spatial resolution better than 1 mm. The blurring effect due to multiple Coulomb scattering can be mitigated by single proton tracking technique. As a first step towards pCT the PRIMA+ Collaboration built a prototype capable to carry out a single radiography and a tomographic image of a rotating object. This apparatus includes a silicon microstrip tracker to identify the proton trajectory and a YAG:Ce calorimeter to measure the particle residual energy

Charge collection and capacitance–voltage analysis in irradiated n-type magnetic Czochralski silicon detectors

Abstract The depletion depth of irradiated n-type silicon microstrip detectors can be inferred from both the reciprocal capacitance and from the amount of collected charge. Capacitance voltage ( C – V ) measurements at different frequencies and temperatures are being compared with the bias voltage dependence of the charge collection on an irradiated n-type magnetic Czochralski silicon detector. Good agreement between the reciprocal capacitance and the median collected charge is found when the frequency of the C – V measurement is selected such that it scales with the temperature dependence of the leakage current. Measuring C – V characteristics at prescribed combinations of temperature and frequency allows then a realistic estimate of the depletion characteristics of irradiated silicon strip detectors based on C – V data alone

An experimental demonstration of a new type of proton computed tomography using a novel silicon tracking detector

Radiography and tomography using proton beams promises benefit to image-guidance and treatment planning for proton therapy. A novel proton tracking detector is described and experimental demon- strations at a therapy facility reported. A new type of proton CT reconstructing relative ‘scattering-power’ rather than ‘stopping-power’ is also demonstrated. Notably, this new type of imaging does not require the measurement of the residual energies of the protons. Successful tracking of protons through a thick target (phantom) has demonstrated that the tracker discussed in this paper can provide the precise directional information needed to perform proton radiography and tomography. When synchronized with a range telescope, this could enable the reconstruction of proton CT images of stopping power. Furthermore, by measuring the deflection of many protons through a phantom it was demonstrated that it is possible to reconstruct a new kind of CT image (scattering power) based upon this tracking information alone

Development of 3D detectors at FBK-irst

We report on the development of 3D detectors at Fondazione Bruno Kessler - irst in the framework of the CERN RD-50 Collaboration. Technological and design aspects dealing with the 3D Single Type Column detectors are reviewed, and selected results from the electrical and functional characterization of prototypes are reported and discussed. A new detector concept, namely 3D Double-side Double Type Column detectors, allowing for significant performance enhancement while maintaining a reasonable process complexity, is final ly addressed