Right Dose Image Contest (by Siemens)

Every year, Siemens organizes a Medical Imaging Contest. The idea is to obtain the best CT image with minimal dose. This contest doesn't focus only on image quality, but also on the dose, which is displayed in top of every image. There are always very nice images from different body parts and the competition this year is already open. Just take a look at the gallery. Of course, as it is organized by Siemens, the images have to be acquired with a scanner from the SOMATOM® Family and post-processed with syngo® software. Learn more about the challenge:

http://healthcare.siemens.com/computed-tomography/technologies-innovations/ct-image-contest

To get more information about radiation in CT, read this article:
Mannudeep K. Kalra, MD, DNB, Michael M. Maher, MD, FFR(RCSI), FRCR, Thomas L. Toth, DSc, Leena M. Hamberg, PhD, Michael A. Blake, MRCPI, FRCR, FFR(RCSI), Jo-Anne Shepard, MD and Sanjay Saini, MD (2004). Strategies for CT Radiation Dose Optimization Radiology DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2303021726

CT scans help Anthropology studies

This video has caught my attention few days ago. Field Museum in Chicago has used a CT scan to help them with the face reconstruction of an ancient skull (12,000 to 15,000 year old). The great advantage of using a CT scan is that once you have scanned the skull, you can do the processing and reconstruction of the skull on a computer without having to touch it, which means that the skull is never damaged. The problem here is usually the transport of the skull to the CT scan, which are usually located in hospital or clinics. This time, they used a mobile CT scan, which travels to the museum instead of the skull having to travel. Moreover, the researchers used a 3D printer to obtain a model of the skull, which was then used by a forensic artist to do the final face reconstruction. The motivation behind this new scan was that the researchers were not happy with the face reconstruction done before, which made this skull look "too Neanderthal".

After watching this video, I have look for publications which describe the techniques used, but I haven't found many detailed publications. However, I found this review publication (Lynnerup, N. (2010). Medical Imaging of Mummies and Bog Bodies – A Mini-Review Gerontology, 56 (5), 441-448 DOI: 10.1159/000266031), which I have read and although not too detailed about the CT scanning procedures, I have learned a few things:
- Living tissues require different processing that dead tissues, because Hounsfield units are different. Bone tends to de-mineralize, while soft tissues tend to become denser (probably due to surrounding minerals).
- Even that this type of scans are done since the 70's, new CT scans are also done, because technology has improved that new findings arise.
- CT data can be easily shared with other scientists, while skulls and mummies can't.

Refurbished imaging systems

This company Block Imaging provides refurbished imaging systems. Not always a new system needs to be bought... And you can also find a list of equipments they are looking for here. The video on top is one of their cute/funny promotion videos.

The risk of medical imaging

In the last few years, there has been in the media several news warning to the effects of medical imaging which use ionizing radiation:

http://ps.columbia.edu/news/new-study-confirms-ps-researchers%E2%80%99-predictions-ct-induced-cancer-kids
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/arrs-roc041912.php
http://coloncancer.about.com/b/2010/12/06/do-ct-scans-cause-cancer.htm

The editor William Hendee of Medical Physics has written an editorial about this topic:
http://online.medphys.org/resource/1/mphya6/v40/i4/p040401_s1?view=fulltext&bypassSSO=1

Most professionals are actually worried that people start refusing to undertake medical exams. Do you think this will happen?

Gorillla CT scan

Can you find the Gorilla in this image?



I took at least 10 seconds to spot it. This image was used in a study with radiologists, where they were asked if there is something wrong with the image. 83% of radiologist didn't see the gorilla. This doesn't mean that the radiologist don't pay attention to the images, but rather that they will not see what they aren't looking for... Please see the video that inspired this study in the links and understand better what this means.

Links:
http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html
http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/02/13/dancing-gorilla-image-on-ct-scan-passed-over-by-more-than-80-of-radiologists-study-finds/

Best Medical Imaging Book

A great book is a precious help. I have several medical imaging books, which I use to cross information. General medical imaging books which focus on the physics and engineering principles are my favorites. Here is some of them:

Medical Imaging Physics. William Hendee and E. Russel Ritenour.
http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Imaging-Physics-William-Hendee/dp/0471382264

Medical Imaging Signals and Systems. Jerry Prince and Jonathan Links.
http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Imaging-Signals-Systems-Prince/dp/0130653535

The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging. J. Bushberg, J. Seibert, E. Leidholdt Jr., J. Boone.
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Physics-Medical-Imaging-Third/dp/0781780578

These two are also quite famous and used, but I have personally never used them:

Introduction to Medical Imaging: Physics, Engineering and Clinical Applications. N. Smith and A. Webb.
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Medical-Imaging-Engineering-Applications/dp/0521190657

Fundamentals of Medical Imaging. Paul Suetens.
http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Medical-Imaging-Paul-Suetens/dp/0521519152

Do you know any other good books?

Great moments in TV with medical images/scanners! #3

Who said that medical images aren't romantic?

Big Picture

Ever wondered how to explain medical imaging concepts to high-school students or people which are not from the science field? Welcome Trust has dedicated its latest issue of Big Picture Magazine to neuroimaging techniques. You can download the pdf here and also other teaching materials.

One of the nice images of this pdf is shown below: a CT angiograghy where you can see the brain vessels.