Accurate and efficient pulmonary CT imaging workflow for COVID-19 patients by the combination of intelligent guided robot and automatic positioning technology

AbstractBackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health problem. We aim to investigate the changes in the results of viral nucleic acid tests on pharyngeal swabs and feces of patients with COVID-19 and CT imaging of lungs as the disease progresses.MethodsSeven patients with COVID-19 in the third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University Yuedong Hospital were retrospectively enrolled with clinical features, including imaging staging, and performance characteristics of viral nucleic acid test results of pharyngeal swabs and feces. The dynamic changes of these features were observed during hospitalization, and therapeutic effect and prognosis of patients were evaluated.ResultsThe results of seven cases with COVID-19 were positive for viral nucleic acid tests on pharyngeal swabs early after the onset of symptoms, and then turned negative; while the results of viral nucleic acid tests on feces were persistently positive in the mid-term clinical treatment and recovery period. And the viral nucleic acid test results were capricious in three cases. Pulmonary CT imaging showed characteristic changes in early, advanced and recovery phases.ConclusionThe application of viral nucleic acid detection and pulmonary CT imaging can be used for screening of suspected cases. Fecal nucleic acid test should be recommended as the reference of discharge standard, in order to minimize the risk of transmission from digestive tract.

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A comparison between manual and artificial intelligence-based automatic positioning in CT imaging for COVID-19 patients

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57162/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yadong Gang ◽

Xiongfeng Chen ◽

Huan Li ◽

Hanlun Wang ◽

Jianying Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Radiation Dose ◽

Ct Imaging ◽

Image Noise ◽

Erector Spinae ◽

Ct Scanner ◽

Clinical Value ◽

Automatic Positioning ◽

Positioning Time ◽

Center Distance

Abstract Objective: To analyze and compare the imaging workflow, radiation dose and image quality for COVID-19 patients examined using either the conventional manual positioning (MP) method or an AI-based automatic positioning (AP) method. Materials and Methods: 127 adult COVID-19 patients underwent chest CT scans on a CT scanner using the same scan protocol except with the manual positioning (MP group) for the initial scan and an AI-based automatic positioning method (AP group) for the follow-up scan. Radiation dose, patient positioning time and off-center distance, of the two groups were recorded and compared. Image noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were assessed by three experienced radiologists and were compared between the two groups.Results: The AP operation was successful for all patients in the AP group and reduced the total positioning time by 28% compared with the MP group. Compared with the MP group, the AP group had significantly less patient off-center distance (AP:1.56cm±0.83 vs. MP: 4.05cm±2.40, p<0.001) and higher proportion of positioning accuracy (AP: 99% vs. MP: 92%), resulted in 16% radiation dose reduction (AP: 6.1mSv±1.3 vs. MP: 7.3mSv±1.2, p<0.001) and 9% image noise reduction in erector spinae and lower noise and higher SNR for lesions in the pulmonary peripheral areas.Conclusion: The AI-based automatic positioning and centering in CT imaging is a promising new technique for reducing radiation dose, optimizing imaging workflow and image quality in imaging the chest. This technique has important added clinical value in imaging COVID-19 patients to reduce the cross-infection risks.

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CT Imaging Features of Patients Infected with 2019 Novel Coronavirus

BIO Integration ◽

10.15212/bioi-2020-0038 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tianhong Yao ◽

Huirong Lin ◽

Jingsong Mao ◽

Shuaidong Huo ◽

Gang Liu

Keyword(s):

Ct Imaging ◽

Chest Ct ◽

Imaging Features ◽

Ct Diagnosis ◽

Clinical Value ◽

Computed Tomographic ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Reference Document ◽

Pulmonary Ct

Novel coronavirus pneumonia is an acute, infectious pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus infection. Computed tomographic (CT) imaging is one of the main methods to screen and diagnose patients with this disease. Here, the importance and clinical value of chest CT examination in the diagnosis of COVID-19 is expounded, and the pulmonary CT findings of COVID-19 patients in different stages are briefly summarized, thus providing a reference document for the CT diagnosis of COVID-19 patients.

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Radiological changes of serial CT examinations in patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-23952/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qian Xu ◽

Lin Shi ◽

Mengshuang Li ◽

Lina Dong ◽

Lulu Cai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Stage ◽

Ground Glass Opacity ◽

Ct Imaging ◽

Imaging Characteristics ◽

Third Stage ◽

Three Stages ◽

Common Sign ◽

Different Characteristics ◽

Progressive Stage ◽

Pulmonary Ct

Abstract Purpose: To find the pulmonary CT imaging characteristics in patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Method: Twenty patients with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled. We analyzed the changes of four pulmonary CT imaging manifestations (ground glass opacity, consolidation, crazy paving sign and cord/band sign) in patients during hospitalization. The disease course was divided into four stages: early stage (0-4 days), progressive stage (5-8 days), peak stage (9-13 days) and absorption stage (≥14 days).Results: There were 12 male and 8 female with an average age of 45±16 years. In the first three stages, GGO was the most common sign on CT imaging. Then, the proportion of GGO decreased in the absorption stage compared with the first three stages (P<0.05). The proportion of crazy paving sign peaked in the progressive stage and then declined, with statistical difference between the progressive stage and the absorption stage (P<0.05). Cord/band sign was increasing from the early stage to the absorption stage, and statistical differences were found between the early stage and the peak stage (P<0.05), as well as the absorption stage and the first three stages (P<0.05). No statistical differences of consolidation proportion were found among the four stages.Conclusions: CT imaging showed different characteristics during the four stages. The proportion of cord/band sign significantly increased in the third stage, which might be an indicator of COVID-19 improvement.

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