scholarly journals X-Rays through the Looking Glass: Mobile Imaging Dosimetry and Image Quality of Suspected COVID-19 Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 120-126
Author(s):  
Alexandra Schelleman ◽  
Chris Boyd

Background: This paper aims to evaluate the clinical utility and radiation dosimetry, for the mobile X-ray imaging of patients with known or suspected infectious diseases, through the window of an isolation room. The suitability of this technique for imaging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is of particular focus here, although it is expected to have equal relevance to many infectious respiratory disease outbreaks.Materials and Methods: Two exposure levels were examined, a “typical” mobile exposure of 100 kVp/1.6 mAs and a “high” exposure of 120 kVp/5 mAs. Exposures of an anthropomorphic phantom were made, with and without a glass window present in the beam. The resultant phantom images were provided to experienced radiographers for image quality evaluation, using a Likert scale to rate the anatomical structure visibility.Results and Discussion: The incident air kerma doubled using the high exposure technique, from 29.47 μGy to 67.82 μGy and scattered radiation inside and outside the room increased. Despite an increase in beam energy, high exposure technique images received higher image quality scores than images acquired using lower exposure settings.Conclusion: Increased scattered radiation was very low and can be further mitigated by ensuring surrounding staff are appropriately distanced from both the patient and X-ray tube. Although an increase in incident air kerma was observed, practical advantages in infection control and personal protective equipment conservation were identified. Sites are encouraged to consider the use of this technique where appropriate, following the completion of standard justification practices.

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiko Ariji ◽  
Jin-ichi Takahashi ◽  
Osamu Matsui ◽  
Tsuneichi Okano ◽  
Munetaka Naitoh ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
A.P. Arzhantsev

During the study, intraoral periapical images were analyzed in 300 patients. The possibilities of using the methods of radiography and their influence on the quality of the obtained x-ray images were studied. The intraoral periapical radiography was compared with the results of orthopantomography and cone beam computed tomography. To identify the features of the mapping of zones of periapical destruction, 47 experimental x-ray studies were performed on skeletonized jaws with artificial defects in cortical plates. Often encountered errors are: an arbitrary choice of angles of inclination and the centration of the x-ray tube, the wrong location of the x-ray receiver in the patient's mouth, inaccurate installation or poor fixation of the patient's head, inefficient selection of physical and technical conditions of shooting, non-compliance with the conditions of the photo process with analog radiography or post-processing and printing digital image. The characteristic projection distortions of images resulting from these errors are analyzed and illustrated.


2008 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 227-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O. ODERO ◽  
J. R. HARTLEY ◽  
D. S. SHIMM

It is important to deliver radiation to treatment targets with accuracy. Typically, patients are positioned using marks on the surface of the skin. However, without imaging procedures, there is no information about the location of mobile internal organs and targets. The use of implanted radiopaque markers can help localize internal target organs using imaging modalities. Quality assurance procedures have been performed on commercially available spiral gold markers to determine their location and image quality. The results obtained from different, least essential imaging modalities employed in radiation therapy showed that these markers are not as clearly visible on radiographs as compared to the modalities with electronic output formats. The image quality was also poorer on megavoltage as compared to kilovoltage X-ray imaging modalities.


Author(s):  
M.G. Baldini ◽  
S. Morinaga ◽  
D. Minasian ◽  
R. Feder ◽  
D. Sayre ◽  
...  

Contact X-ray imaging is presently developing as an important imaging technique in cell biology. Our recent studies on human platelets have demonstrated that the cytoskeleton of these cells contains photondense structures which can preferentially be imaged by soft X-ray imaging. Our present research has dealt with platelet activation, i.e., the complex phenomena which precede platelet appregation and are associated with profound changes in platelet cytoskeleton. Human platelets suspended in plasma were used. Whole cell mounts were fixed and dehydrated, then exposed to a stationary source of soft X-rays as previously described. Developed replicas and respective grids were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Monserrat ◽  
Elena Prieto ◽  
Benigno Barbés ◽  
Luis Pina ◽  
Arlette Elizalde ◽  
...  

Background In 2014, Siemens developed a new software-based scatter correction (Progressive Reconstruction Intelligently Minimizing Exposure [PRIME]), enabling grid-less digital mammography. Purpose To compare doses and image quality between PRIME (grid-less) and standard (with anti-scatter grid) modes. Material and Methods Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured for various polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) thicknesses and dose values provided by the mammograph were recorded. CDMAM phantom images were acquired for various PMMA thicknesses and inverse Image Quality Figure (IQFinv) was calculated. Values of incident entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and average glandular dose (AGD) were obtained from the DICOM header for a total of 1088 pairs of clinical cases. Two experienced radiologists compared subjectively the image quality of a total of 149 pairs of clinical cases. Results CNR values were higher and doses were lower in PRIME mode for all thicknesses. IQFinv values in PRIME mode were lower for all thicknesses except for 40 mm of PMMA equivalent, in which IQFinv was slightly greater in PRIME mode. A mean reduction of 10% in ESAK and 12% in AGD in PRIME mode with respect to standard mode was obtained. The clinical image quality in PRIME and standard acquisitions resulted to be similar in most of the cases (84% for the first radiologist and 67% for the second one). Conclusion The use of PRIME software reduces, in average, the dose of radiation to the breast without affecting image quality. This reduction is greater for thinner and denser breasts.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Muchui Thambura ◽  
Jeanette G.E du Plessis ◽  
Cheryl M E McCrindle ◽  
Tanita Cronje

Abstract Introduction Anecdotal evidence suggests that medical professionals in trauma units are requesting additional regional images using conventional x-ray systems, even after trauma patients have undergone full-body Lodox scans. Patients are then exposed to additional radiation, additional waiting times and an increased medical bill. This study aimed at investigating the extent to which Lodox systems were used in trauma units (n=28) in South Africa. Method In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the researcher invited one radiographer from the 28 hospitals in South Africa that use Lodox systems. Radiographers who were most experienced in using the Lodox system completed an online questionnaire. Results Twenty (71.43% n=20) out of twenty-eight radiographers responded. Most hospitals (90%, n=18) were referring patients for additional conventional x-ray images. Radiographers indicated that conventional x-rays were requested for the chest (27.80%, 10/36), the abdomen (16.67%, 6/36), the spine (13.89%, 5/36) and the extremities and skull (19.44%, 7/36). Additionally, radiographers reported using Lodox to perform procedures and examinations usually performed on conventional x-ray systems when conventional x-ray systems were not operational. Conclusion Currently, it is not clear if the use of conventional x-ray imaging following Lodox is necessary, but the results suggest that the practice is commonplace, with healthcare workers in most hospitals (90%, n=18) requesting additional x-ray imaging. The researcher thus recommends that an imaging protocol for Lodox imaging systems should be developed to guide the referral of the patients for further imaging.


Author(s):  
Dipayan Das ◽  
KC Santosh ◽  
Umapada Pal

Abstract Since December 2019, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused world-wide turmoil in less than a couple of months, and the infection, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is spreading at an unprecedented rate. AI-driven tools are used to identify Coronavirus outbreaks as well as forecast their nature of spread, where imaging techniques are widely used, such as CT scans and chest X-rays (CXRs). In this paper, motivated by the fact that X-ray imaging systems are more prevalent and cheaper than CT scan systems, a deep learning-based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model, which we call Truncated Inception Net, is proposed to screen COVID-19 positive CXRs from other non-COVID and/or healthy cases. To validate our proposal, six different types of datasets were employed by taking the following CXRs: COVID-19 positive, Pneumonia positive, Tuberculosis positive, and healthy cases into account. The proposed model achieved an accuracy of 99.96% (AUC of 1.0) in classifying COVID- 19 positive cases from combined Pneumonia and healthy cases. Similarly, it achieved an accuracy of 99.92% (AUC of 0.99) in classifying COVID-19 positive cases from combined Pneumonia, Tuberculosis and healthy CXRs. To the best of our knowledge, as of now, the achieved results outperform the existing AI-driven tools for screening COVID-19 using CXRs.


2022 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 326
Author(s):  
С.А. Кукушкин ◽  
А.В. Осипов ◽  
Е.В. Осипова ◽  
В.М. Стожаров

X-ray diffraction and total external reflection of X-rays (X-ray reflectometry) methods were used to study the successive stages of synthesis of epitaxial SiC films on Si (100) X-ray diffraction and total external X-ray reflection (XRD) methods were used to study successive stages of synthesis of epitaxial SiC films on Si (100) surfaces, (110) and (111) surfaces by the atom substitution method. The data on the transformation evolution of (100) surfaces were studied, (110) and (111) Si, into SiC surfaces. A comparative analysis of the X-ray structural quality of the SiC layers grown on Si by the atom substitution method with the quality of SiC layers grown by Advanced Epi by the standard CVD method. A modified technique for the total outer X-ray reflection method, based on measurements of the intensity of the reflected X-rays using a special parabolic mirror. It is shown that the method of total external reflection method makes it possible to obtain important information about the degree of surface roughness of SiC layers, the evolution of their crystal structure and plasmon energy in the process of Si to SiC conversion.


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