Geometrical Calibration of X-Ray Imaging With RGB Cameras for 3D Reconstruction

(c) 2016 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.We present a methodology to recover the geometrical calibration of conventional X-ray settings with the help of an ordinary video camera and visible fiducials that are present in the scene. After calibration, equivalent points of interest can be easily identifiable with the help of the epipolar geometry. The same procedure also allows the measurement of real anatomic lengths and angles and obtains accurate 3D locations from image points. Our approach completely eliminates the need for X-ray-opaque reference marks (and necessary supporting frames) which can sometimes be invasive for the patient, occlude the radiographic picture, and end up projected outside the imaging sensor area in oblique protocols. Two possible frameworks are envisioned: a spatially shifting X-ray anode around the patient/object and a moving patient that moves/rotates while the imaging system remains fixed. As a proof of concept, experiences with a device under test (DUT), an anthropomorphic phantom and a real brachytherapy session have been carried out. The results show that it is possible to identify common points with a proper level of accuracy and retrieve three-dimensional locations, lengths and shapes with a millimetric level of precision. The presented approach is simple and compatible with both current and legacy widespread diagnostic X-ray imaging deployments and it can represent a good and inexpensive alternative to other radiological modalities like CT.This work was carried out with the support of Information Storage S.L., University of Valencia (grant #CPI-15-170), CSD2007-00042 Consolider Ingenio CPAN (grant #CPAN13-TR01) as well as with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (Grant TSI-100101-2013-019).Albiol Colomer, F.; Corbi, A.; Albiol Colomer, A. (2016). Geometrical Calibration of X-Ray Imaging With RGB Cameras for 3D Reconstruction. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. 35(8):1952-1961. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMI.2016.2540929S1952196135

A portable geometry-independent tomographic system for gamma-ray, a next generation of nuclear waste characterization

One of the main activities of the nuclear industry is the characterisation of radioactive waste based on the detection of gamma radiation. Large volumes of radioactive waste are classified according to their average activity, but often the radioactivity exceeds the maximum allowed by regulators in specific parts of the bulk. In addition, the detection of the radiation is currently based on static detection systems where the geometry of the bulk is fixed and well known. Furthermore, these systems are not portable and depend on the transport of waste to the places where the detection systems are located. However, there are situations where the geometry varies and where moving waste is complex. This is especially true in compromised situations.We present a new model for nuclear waste management based on a portable and geometry-independent tomographic system for three-dimensional image reconstruction for gamma radiation detection. The system relies on a combination of a gamma radiation camera and a visible camera that allows to visualise radioactivity using augmented reality and artificial computer vision techniques. This novel tomographic system has the potential to be a disruptive innovation in the nuclear industry for nuclear waste management

Evaluation of modern camera calibration techniques for conventional diagnostic X-ray imaging settings

[EN] We explore three different alternatives for obtaining intrinsic and extrinsic parameters in conventional diagnostic X-ray frameworks: the direct linear transform (DLT), the Zhang method, and the Tsai approach. We analyze and describe the computational, operational, and mathematical background differences for these algorithms when they are applied to ordinary radiograph acquisition. For our study, we developed an initial 3D calibration frame with tin cross-shaped fiducials at specific locations. The three studied methods enable the derivation of projection matrices from 3D to 2D point correlations. We propose a set of metrics to compare the efficiency of each technique. One of these metrics consists of the calculation of the detector pixel density, which can be also included as part of the quality control sequence in general X-ray settings. The results show a clear superiority of the DLT approach, both in accuracy and operational suitability. We paid special attention to the Zhang calibration method. Although this technique has been extensively implemented in the field of computer vision, it has rarely been tested in depth in common radiograph production scenarios. Zhang¿s approach can operate on much simpler and more affordable 2D calibration frames, which were also tested in our research. We experimentally confirm that even three or four plane-image correspondences achieve accurate focal lengths.This work was carried out with the support of Information Storage S. L., University of Valencia (Grant #CPI-15170), CSD2007-00042 Consolider Ingenio CPAN (Grant #CPAN13TR01), Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (Grant #TSI-100101-2013-019), IFIC (Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence #SEV-2014-0398), and Dr. Bellot's medical clinic.Albiol Colomer, F.; Corbi, A.; Albiol Colomer, A. (2017). Evaluation of modern camera calibration techniques for conventional diagnostic X-ray imaging settings. Radiological Physics and Technology. 10(1):68-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-016-0369-yS6881101Selby BP, Sakas G, Groch W-D, Stilla U. Patient positioning with X-ray detector self-calibration for image guided therapy. Aust Phys Eng Sci Med. 2011;34:391–400.Markelj P, Likar B. Registration of 3D and 2D medical images. PhD Thesis, University of Ljubljana; 2010.Miller T, Quintana E. Stereo X-ray system calibration for three-dimensional measurements. Springer, 2014. pp. 201–207.Rougé A, Picard C, Ponchut C, Trousset Y. Geometrical calibration of X-ray imaging chains for three-dimensional reconstruction. Comput Med Imaging Graph. 1993; 295–300.Trucco E, Verri A. Introductory techniques for 3-D computer vision. Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs, 1998.Moura DC, Barbosa JG, Reis AM, Tavares JMRS. A flexible approach for the calibration of biplanar radiography of the spine on conventional radiological systems. Comput Model Eng Sci. 2010; 115–137.Schumann S, Thelen B, Ballestra S, Nolte L-P, Buchler P, Zheng G. X-ray image calibration and its application to clinical orthopedics. Med Eng Phys. 2014;36:968–74.Selby B, Sakas G, Walter S, Stilla U. Geometry calibration for X-ray equipment in radiation treatment devices. 2007. pp. 968–974.de Moura DC, Barbosa JMG, da Silva Tavares JMR, Reis A. Calibration of bi-planar radiography with minimal phantoms. In: Symposium on Informatics Engineering. 2008. pp. 1–10.Medioni G, Kang SB. Emerging topics in computer vision. Prentice Hall. 2004.Bushong S. Radiologic science for technologists: physics, biology, and protection. Elsevier. 2012.Rowlands JA. The physics of computed radiography. Phys Med Biol. 2002;47:123–66.Dobbins JT, Ergun DL, Rutz L, Hinshaw DA, Blume H, Clark DC. DQE(f) of four generations of computed radiography acquisition devices. Med Phys. 1995;22:1581–93.Hartley R. Self-calibration from multiple views with a rotating camera. In: European Conference on Computer Vision. 1994. pp. 471–478.Tsai R. A versatile camera calibration technique for high accuracy 3D machine vision metrology using off-the-shelf TV cameras and lenses. IEEE J Robot Autom. 1985;3(4):323–44.Hartley R, Zisserman A. Multiple view geometry in computer vision. Cambridge University Press. 2004.Zhang Z. A flexible new technique for camera calibration. IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell. 2000;22:1330–4.Remondino F, Fraser C. Digital camera calibration methods: considerations and comparisons. Symposium Image Eng Vis Metrol. 2006;36:266–72.Zollner H, Sablatnig R. Comparison of methods for geometric camera calibration using planar calibration targets. In: Digital Imaging in Media and Education. 2004. pp. 237–244

3D measurements in conventional X-ray imaging with RGB-D sensors

[EN] A method for deriving 3D internal information in conventional X-ray settings is presented. It is based on the combination of a pair of radiographs from a patient and it avoids the use of X-ray-opaque fiducials and external reference structures. To achieve this goal, we augment an ordinary X-ray device with a consumer RGB-D camera. The patient' s rotation around the craniocaudal axis is tracked relative to this camera thanks to the depth information provided and the application of a modern surface-mapping algorithm. The measured spatial information is then translated to the reference frame of the X-ray imaging system. By using the intrinsic parameters of the diagnostic equipment, epipolar geometry, and X-ray images of the patient at different angles, 3D internal positions can be obtained. Both the RGB-D and Xray instruments are first geometrically calibrated to find their joint spatial transformation. The proposed method is applied to three rotating phantoms. The first two consist of an anthropomorphic head and a torso, which are filled with spherical lead bearings at precise locations. The third one is made of simple foam and has metal needles of several known lengths embedded in it. The results show that it is possible to resolve anatomical positions and lengths with a millimetric level of precision. With the proposed approach, internal 3D reconstructed coordinates and distances can be provided to the physician. It also contributes to reducing the invasiveness of ordinary X-ray environments and can replace other types of clinical explorations that are mainly aimed at measuring or geometrically relating elements that are present inside the patient's body.(C) 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank the Radiation Oncology Department of the Physics Section at La Fe Hospital for the anthropomorphic phantom used in this work and Jose Manuel Monserrate (Instituto de Física Corpuscular) for his contribution in the development of the calibration frame shown in Fig. 3. This research has the support of Information Storage S.L., University of Valencia (grant CPI-15-170), CSD-2007-00042 Con solider Ingenio CPAN (grant CPAN-13TR01), IFIC (Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence SEV20140398) as well as the support of the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Tourism (grant TSI1001012013019).Albiol Colomer, F.; Corbi, A.; Albiol Colomer, A. (2017). 3D measurements in conventional X-ray imaging with RGB-D sensors. Medical Engineering & Physics. 42:73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2017.01.024S73794

Statistics of the slope-method estimator

The slope method has customarily been used and is still used for inversion of atmospheric optical parameters, extinction, and backscatter in homogeneous atmospheres from lidar returns. Our aim is to study the underlying statistics of the old slope method and ultimately to compare its inversion performance with that of the present-day nonlinear least-squares solution (the so-called exponential-curve fitting). The contents are twofold: First, an analytical study is conducted to characterize the bias and the mean-square-estimation error of the regression operator, which permits estimation of the optical parameters from the logarithm of the range-compensated lidar return. Second, universal plots for most short- and far-range tropospheric backscatter lidars are presented as a rule of thumb for obtaining the optimum regression interval length that yields unbiased estimates. As a result, the simple graphic basis of the slope method is still maintained, and its inversion performance improves up to that of the present-day computer-oriented exponential-curve fitting, which ends the controversy between these two algorithms.Peer Reviewe

Work-based learning system to up-skilling construction workers in wood construction methods for energy efficient buildings

[EN] Nowadays, the use of wood is becoming increasingly relevant in the field of construction and design, and as a result, this material is becoming essential in construction materials market. However, the current skills of workers and apprentices are not up to the new demands of the market, and this is because the knowledge and skills obtained through the WBL do not meet the needs in the workplace for timber constructions and workings. In addition, strict renovation requirements and political measures that seek to stimulate the transformation of existing buildings make this lack of skills even more noticeable. Thus, in this article we will see how this UP-WOOD project proposes to pay attention to the need of improving skills and abilities in this sector, through a work-based learning system VET (Vocational Education and Training), so current  and future demand of efficient energetic solutions can be solved.This work has been conducted within the framework of the UPWOOD project " Up-skilling construction workers in wood construction methods for energy efficient buildings " funded by the European Commission within the Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, reference number 2019-1-AT01-KA202-051488.Cárcel Carrasco, FJ.; Peñalvo López, E.; Albiol Ibáñez, JR.; Langa Sanchis, J. (2022). Work-based learning system to up-skilling construction workers in wood construction methods for energy efficient buildings. En Proceedings INNODOCT/21. International Conference on Innovation, Documentation and Education. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 139-146. https://doi.org/10.4995/INN2021.2021.1342213914

El Móvil hace su aparición en las aulas universitarias

En este artículo se expone la experiencia de innovación docente que se ha llevado a cabo en el primer cuatrimestre del curso 15/16 en la asignatura de Matemáticas II, del grado de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, en la Facultad de Economía y Empresa, de la Universidad de Barcelona. Esta experiencia ha consistido en la utilización, a través del teléfono móvil, de la aplicación Socrative para realizar las pruebas de evaluación continuada de los estudiantes. La evaluación continuada de esta asignatura consiste en la realización de un mínimo de dos pruebas a lo largo del cuatrimestre. Gracias a Socrative, se ha aumentado el número de pruebas hasta ocho, ya que esta aplicación permite de forma inmediata la recogida de respuestas, corrección, calificación y facilita esta información en una hoja de cálculo. El profesor no participa en el proceso de corrección aunque sí supone una mayor dedicación para preparar las diferentes pruebas. Este mecanismo ha aumentado considerablemente la motivación de los estudiantes y este hecho se ha reflejado en el éxito académico

Continuous Cultivation as a Tool Toward the Rational Bioprocess Development With Pichia Pastoris Cell Factory

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) is currently considered one of the most promising hosts for recombinant protein production (RPP) and metabolites due to the availability of several tools to efficiently regulate the recombinant expression, its ability to perform eukaryotic post-translational modifications and to secrete the product in the extracellular media. The challenge of improving the bioprocess efficiency can be faced from two main approaches: the strain engineering, which includes enhancements in the recombinant expression regulation as well as overcoming potential cell capacity bottlenecks; and the bioprocess engineering, focused on the development of rational-based efficient operational strategies. Understanding the effect of strain and operational improvements in bioprocess efficiency requires to attain a robust knowledge about the metabolic and physiological changes triggered into the cells. For this purpose, a number of studies have revealed chemostat cultures to provide a robust tool for accurate, reliable, and reproducible bioprocess characterization. It should involve the determination of key specific rates, productivities, and yields for different C and N sources, as well as optimizing media formulation and operating conditions. Furthermore, studies along the different levels of systems biology are usually performed also in chemostat cultures. Transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic flux analysis, using different techniques like differential target gene expression, protein description and 13 C-based metabolic flux analysis, are widely described as valued examples in the literature. In this scenario, the main advantage of a continuous operation relies on the quality of the homogeneous samples obtained under steady-state conditions, where both the metabolic and physiological status of the cells remain unaltered in an all-encompassing picture of the cell environment. This contribution aims to provide the state of the art of the different approaches that allow the design of rational strain and bioprocess engineering improvements in Pichia pastoris toward optimizing bioprocesses based on the results obtained in chemostat cultures. Interestingly, continuous cultivation is also currently emerging as an alternative operational mode in industrial biotechnology for implementing continuous process operations

Rational development of bioprocess engineering strategies for recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) using the methanol-free GAP promoter. Where do we stand?

The increasing demand for recombinant proteins for a wide range of applications, from biopharmaceutical protein complexes to industrial enzymes, is leading to important growth in this market. Among the different efficient host organism alternatives commonly used for protein production, the yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) is currently considered to be one of the most effective and versatile expression platforms. The promising features of this cell factory are giving rise to interesting studies covering the different aspects that contribute to improving the bioprocess efficiency, from strain engineering to bioprocess engineering. The numerous drawbacks of using methanol in industrial processes are driving interest towards methanol-free alternatives, among which the GAP promoter-based systems stand out. The aim of this work is to present the most promising innovative developments in operational strategies based on rational approaches through bioprocess engineering tools. This rational design should be based on physiological characterization of the producing strains under bioprocess conditions and its interrelation with specific rates. This review focuses on understanding the key factors that can enhance recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris; they are the basis for a further discussion on future industrial applications with the aim of developing scalable alternative strategies that maximize yields and productivity

Análisis de la integración del uso de aplicaciones de apoyo a la docencia universitaria en Internet

La implantación de las nuevas tecnologías de la información en el mundo universitario, aparte de tener unas evidentes ventajas, trae consigo una serie de problemas asociados que es necesario solventar. El presente documento analiza dicha problemática, y propone una serie de alternativas para la puesta en marcha de un sistema de información en el ámbito docente, trasladando las características de calidad tradicionales al nuevo entorno. Una de las alternativas, consiste en el uso de herramientas expertas (Dreamweaver, Funnel Web) como apoyo al desarrollo del sistema de información por parte del personal docente. La otra posibilidad consiste en la adquisición e implantación de sistemas propietarios integrales (WebCT, Blackboard). Finalmente se estudia cada una de las posibilidades, en base a la experiencia adquirida por nuestro grupo, al estar inmersos actualmente en la puesta en marcha del anillo digital docente de la Universidad de Zaragoza