Objective: Understanding the induced current flow from transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is essential for determining the optimal dose and treatment. Head tissue conductivities play a key role in the resulting electromagnetic fields. However, there exists a complicated relationship between skull conductivity and participant age, that remains unclear. We explored how variations in skull

Due to the existing demands for methods independent of patient co-operation in preventing and overcoming the incidence of white spot lesions (WSLs) and caries in fixed orthodontic treatments, several studies have considered the modification of orthodontic composites using antimicrobial nanomaterials. In this regard, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the addition of chitosan nanoparticles

The development of modern micro-processing technology has led to the design and production of sub-millimeter-sized coils. A novel type of micro-magnetic stimulation (μMS) regulatory technology has widely been researched in recent years. This technology has several advantages, including small size, no contact between tissues and the metal coil, and high spatial resolution. Considering some problems

One method for detecting radiotherapy treatment errors is to capture the exit dose using an electronic portal imaging device. In comparison with a baseline integrated image, subsequent fractions can be compared and differences in images suggest a difference in the radiation treatment delivered. The aim of this work was to assess the sensitivity of a commercial software PerFRACTION in detecting such

Purpose. To investigate the feasibility of using a single MRI acquisition for fiducial marker identification and synthetic CT (sCT) generation towards MRI-only treatment planning for prostate external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods. Seven prostate cancer patients undergoing EBRT, each with three implanted gold fiducial markers, participated in this study. In addition to the planning CT scan

Accurate detection of key components plays a vital role in determining cardiovascular diseases in the ECG. In this method, we propose an enhanced T-wave delineation method using the phasor transform. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and median filters were used to suppress the high-frequency noise and baseline drift during pre-processing. The phasor transform was used to detect and locate the delineation

Type 2 uterine fibroids are challenging to resect surgically as≥ 50% volume of myoma lies within the myometrium. A hysteroscopic approach for ablating fibroids is minimally-invasive, but places a considerable burden on the operator to accurately place the ablation applicator within the target. We investigated the sensitivity of transcervical microwave ablation outcome with respect to position of the

Background and Objective: This article describes a fully automatic system for classifying various spinal degenerative phenotypes namely Modic changes, endplate defects and focal changes which are associated with lower back pain. These are obtained from T1/T2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. Lower back pain is a predominantly occurring ailment, which is prone to have various roots including the

Convection-enhanced delivery of rhenium-186 (186Re)-nanoliposomes is a promising approach to provide precise delivery of large localized doses of radiation for patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. Current approaches for treatment planning utilizing convection-enhanced delivery are designed for small molecule drugs and not for larger particles such as 186Re-nanoliposomes. To enable the treatment

Image registration is an inherently ill-posed problem that lacks the constraints needed for a unique mapping between voxels of the two images being registered. As such, one must regularize the registration to achieve physically meaningful transforms. The regularization penalty is usually a function of derivatives of the displacement-vector field and can be calculated either analytically or numerically

Screws made up of non-biodegradable materials (Ti-alloy, etc.) have been used since long for temporary joining/fixation in applications involving skeleton damage or bone fracture. These screws need to be removed after complete healing as their sustained presence results in many complications, such as - micro-fracturing, stress shielding, etc. The removal of these screws is a little difficult too as

The dosimetry of intraoral radiography procedures is of great interest since dental examinations are among the most numerous radiological procedures. Usually, the surveys are performed using measurements free in air. The entrance surface air kerma (K e ) can be estimated from measurements of incident air kerma and the use of backscatter factors (BSF). The purpose of this work is to calculate BSF values

Segmenting lesion regions of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from computed tomography (CT) images is a challenge owing to COVID-19 lesions characterized by high variation, low contrast between infection lesions and around normal tissues, and blurred boundaries of infections. Moreover, a shortage of available CT dataset hinders deep learning techniques applying to tackling COVID-19. To address these

Purpose. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of RayStation analytical pencil beam (APB) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms on the interplay effect in pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton-based stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) lung plans. Methods. The current in-silico planning study was designed for a total dose of 5000 cGy(RBE) with a fractional dose of 1000 cGy(RBE)

According to the World Health Organization, 50% of deaths in European Union are caused by Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), while 80% of premature heart diseases and strokes can be prevented. In this study, a Computer-Aided Diagnostic model for a precise diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is proposed. The methodology is based on State Space Advanced Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (AFCMs), an evolution of

We report a methodology to analyze data extracted from infrared images. These pictures show the lower limbs of a cohort of individuals belonging to, (1) voluntary controls and (2) patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type II. The analysis is presented in terms of Cross Entropy and temperature distributions; both using the associated thermal histograms. The temperature analysis is placed in terms

The potential of naturally occurring substances as a source of biomedical materials is well-recognised and is being increasingly exploited. Silk fibroin membranes derived from Bombyx mori silk cocoons exemplify this, for example as substrata for the growth of ocular cells with the aim of generating biomaterial-cell constructs for tissue engineering. This study investigated the transport properties

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded from the ambulatory systems are mostly contaminated by various artifacts like, electrooculogram (EOG), motion artifacts (MA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) artifacts. These artifacts limit the accuracy in further analysis of EEG in practise. So far, several existing methods have been proposed with the combination of decomposition techniques and independent component

The present study aimed to dosimetrically evaluate the small-fields of a 6 MV flattening filter-free (FFF) photon beam using different detectors.The 6 MV FFF photon beam was used for measurement of output factor, depth dose, and beam profile of small-fields of sizes 0.6 cmנ0.6 cm to 6.0 cmנ6.0 cm. The five detectors used were SNC125c, PinPoint, EDGE, EBT3, and TLD-100. All measurements were performed

In small-field radiotherapy (RT), a significant challenge is to define the amount of radiation dose absorbed in the patient where the quality of the beam has to be measured with high accuracy. The properties of a proposed new beam quality specifier, namely the dose-area-product ratio at 20 and 10 cm depths in water or DAPR20,10, were studied to yield more information on its feasibility over the conventional

In small-field radiotherapy (RT), a significant challenge is to define the amount of radiation dose absorbed in the patient where the quality of the beam has to be measured with high accuracy. The properties of a proposed new beam quality specifier, namely the dose-area-product ratio at 20 and 10 cm depths in water or DAPR20,10, were studied to yield more information on its feasibility over the conventional

In optimizing the imaging conditions, changes in image quality due to scattered radiation are important evaluation targets. This study focuses on the evaluation of the image quality improvement characteristics obtained using anti-scatter grids in digital x-ray imaging, and proposes a frequency-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF) improvement factor, as a new evaluation index. Accordingly, the

In optimizing the imaging conditions, changes in image quality due to scattered radiation are important evaluation targets. This study focuses on the evaluation of the image quality improvement characteristics obtained using anti-scatter grids in digital x-ray imaging, and proposes a frequency-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF) improvement factor,MIFG(u),as a new evaluation index. Accordingly

The present study aimed to dosimetrically evaluate the small-fields of a 6 MV flattening filter-free (FFF) photon beam using different detectors. The 6 MV FFF photon beam was used for measurement of output factor, depth dose, and beam profile of small-fields of sizes 0.6 cm × 0.6 cm to 6.0 cm × 6.0 cm. The five detectors used were SNC125c, PinPoint, EDGE, EBT3, and TLD-100. All measurements were performed

Purpose: O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET), a PET radiotracer of amino acid uptake, has shown potential for diagnosis and treatment planning in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). To improve quantitative assessment of FET PET imaging, we evaluated the repeatability of uptake of this tracer in patients with GBM. Methods: Test-retest FET PET imaging was performed on 8 patients with histologically

Purpose: O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET), a PET radiotracer of amino acid uptake, has shown potential for diagnosis and treatment planning in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). To improve quantitative assessment of FET PET imaging, we evaluated the repeatability of uptake of this tracer in patients with GBM.Methods: Test-retest FET PET imaging was performed on 8 patients with histologically

Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a commercial 1.5 T MR-Linac by analyzing its patient-specific quality assurance (QA) data collected during one full year of clinical operation. Methods and Materials. The patient-specific QA system consisted of offline delivery QA (DQA) and online calculation-based QA. Offline DQA was based on ArcCHECK-MR combined with an ionization chamber. Online

The hand amputee is deprived of number of activities of daily living. To help the hand amputee, it is important to learn the pattern of muscles activity. There are several elements of tasks, which involve forearm along with the wrist and hand. The one very important task is pick and place activity performed by the hand. A pick and place action is a compilation of different finger motions for the grasping

The hand amputee is deprived of number of activities of daily living. To help the hand amputee, it is important to learn the pattern of muscles activity. There are several elements of tasks, which involve forearm along with the wrist and hand. The one very important task is pick and place activity performed by the hand. A pick and place action is a compilation of different finger motions for the grasping

Objective: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) may help patients with faltering communication abilities due to neurodegenerative diseases produce text or speech by direct neural processing. However, their practical realization has proven difficult due to limitations in speed, accuracy, and generalizability of existing interfaces. The goal of this study is to evaluate the BCI performance of a robust speech

In this research work, a simple homemade cubic phantom was designed to validate the Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) set up and verified with the help of tungsten fiducial markers (size 2–3 mm) inserted into the cubic phantom. Phantom made up of Styrofoam, was scanned with the help of 16 slice Toshiba CT scanner where each slice was of 1 mm thickness and HU level set to −1000. A radio-opaque contrast

In this research work, a simple homemade cubic phantom was designed to validate the Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) set up and verified with the help of tungsten fiducial markers (size 2-3 mm) inserted into the cubic phantom. Phantom made up of Styrofoam, was scanned with the help of 16 slice Toshiba CT scanner where each slice was of 1 mm thickness and HU level set to -1000. A radio-opaque contrast

Introduction. The present study aims to investigate the dosimetric and radiobiological impact of patient setup errors (PSE) on the target and organs at risk (OAR) of the cervix carcinoma stage IIB patients treated with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery technique using plan uncertainty parameters module of Varian Eclipse treatment planning system and in-house developed DVH Analyzer program

Introduction. The present study aims to investigate the dosimetric and radiobiological impact of patient setup errors (PSE) on the target and organs at risk (OAR) of the cervix carcinoma stage IIB patients treated with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery technique using plan uncertainty parameters module of Varian Eclipse treatment planning system and in-house developed DVH Analyzer program

One of the major concerns is the security and protection of individuals’ privacy in society. Biometric methods have been developed in recent years and they are widely used in many places and devices to protect information and assets. Wrist veins are inside the body and their pattern is unique for each person. In this paper, the PUT wrist vein dataset is used that comprises of palm and wrist vein images

One of the major concerns is the security and protection of individuals' privacy in society. Biometric methods have been developed in recent years and they are widely used in many places and devices to protect information and assets. Wrist veins are inside the body and their pattern is unique for each person. In this paper, the PUT wrist vein dataset is used that comprises of palm and wrist vein images

The spatial resolution of small animal positron emission tomography (PET) scanners can be improved by the use of crystals with fine pitch and rejection of inter-crystal scattering (ICS) events, which leads to a better quantification of radiopharmaceuticals. On the other hand, depth-of-interaction (DOI) information is essential to preserve the spatial resolution at the PET field-of-view (FOV) periphery

Using the 50 kV INTRABEAM IORT system after breast-conserving surgery: tumor recurrence and organs at risk (OARs), such as the lung and heart, long-term complications remain the challenging problems for breast cancer patients. So, the objective of this study was to address these two problems with the help of high atomic number nanoparticles (NPs). A Monte Carlo (MC) Simulation type EGSnrc C++ class

Objective. The mechanical properties of ribs from a large number of post-mortem human subjects (PMHS) were analyzed to search for variation according to age, sex or BMI in the sample. A large sample of specimens from different donors (N = 64) with a very wide range of ages and anthropometric characteristics was tested. Methods. Uniaxial tensile tests were used for a sample of coupons machined from

Objective. The mechanical properties of ribs from a large number ofpost-mortemhuman subjects (PMHS) were analyzed to search for variation according to age, sex or BMI in the sample. A large sample of specimens from different donors (N= 64) with a very wide range of ages and anthropometric characteristics was tested.Methods. Uniaxial tensile tests were used for a sample of coupons machined from cortical

In-vivoviscoelastic properties have been estimated in human subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) by integration of poroviscoelastic-mass transport model (pve-MTM) into wearable electrical impedance tomography (w-EIT) under the influence of external compressive pressure -P. Thepve-MTM predicts the ion concentration distributioncmod(t)by coupling the poroviscoelastic and mass transport model to describe

Purpose. To compare the accuracies of the AAA and AcurosXB dose calculation algorithms and to predict the change in the down-stream and lateral dose deposition of high energy photons in the presence of material with densities higher that commonly found in the body. Method. Metal rods of titanium (d = 4.5 g cm−3), stainless steel (d=8 g cm−3) and tungsten (d=19.25 g cm−3) were positioned in a phantom

Recently, researchers have adapted Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) as a new approach to objectively monitor wounds. They have indicated various BIA parameters associated to specific wound types can be linked to wound healing through trend analysis relative to time. However, these studies are conducted using wet electrodes which have been identified as possessing several shortcomings, such as

Image registration is an inherently ill-posed problem that lacks the constraints needed for a unique mapping between voxels of the two images being registered. As such, one must regularize the registration to achieve physically meaningful transforms. The regularization penalty is usually a function of derivatives of the displacement-vector field, and can be calculated either analytically or numerically

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common orthopedic disease. A simple and cost-effective scientific tool for assisting the early diagnosis of DDH is urgently needed. This study proposed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model for automated measure of the CE angle to aid the diagnosis of DDH by modifying the Mask R-CNN algorithm.13228 anteroposterior pelvic x-ray images were collected from

In this study, the novel poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (PLGA/HA) nanocomposite scaffolds were fabricated with solvent casting and particulate leaching (SCPL) method. The role of sodium chloride (NaCl) particles with diameters of 250-400 μm as porogen agent in the mechanical strength of the produced scaffolds was evaluated. The prepared scaffolds were characterized using

Due to the increasing clinical application of alpha particles, accurate assessment of their dosimetry at the cellular scale should be strongly advocated. Although observations of the impact of cell and nuclear geometry have been previously reported, this effect has not been fully quantified. Additionally, alpha particle dosimetry presents several challenges and most conventional methodologies have

Objective: To implement OFM-recirculation and OFM-suction capable of direct and absolute in-vivo quantification of albumin in the ISF of pigs. Approach: OFM-recirculation and OFM-suction were used to collect ISF in-vivo in pigs and lymph was collected from the same pigs after OFM sampling. Blood was collected before and after OFM sampling, plasma was isolated and mean albumin plasma concentrations

Gamma cameras are used in nuclear medicine examinations involving radioisotopes; however, they do not provide real-time feedback. We propose a real-time imaging method based on a commercially available digital camera and a scintillator array to provide simple and accurate measurements of radioisotope accumulation and contamination. We evaluate the sensitivity and resolution of the proposed device using

Optical penetration inside human skin is constrained by the wavelength dependent scattering and absorption losses by tissue microstructure and chromophores. This computational study investigates whether the signature of hematocrit variation from plexus i.e., the first skin layer having very small blood volume percentage distributed in capillary vessels, is retained by the detected photoacoustic response

Magnetocardiograms (MCG) provide clinically useful diagnostic information in a variety of cardiac dysfunctions. Low frequency baseline drifts and high frequency noise are inevitably present in routine MCG even for those measured inside magnetically shielded rooms. These interferences sometimes exceed subtle cardiac features in MCG recorded on subjects with implanted devices like cardiac pacemakers;

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are two important aliphatic esters known for their biodegradability and bioresorbability properties; the former is stiffer and brittle while the smaller modulus of the latter allows a suitable elongation. The new biomaterials being developed from the blend of these two polymers (PLA and PCL) is opportune due to the reducing interfacial tension

Geometric distortions in magnetic resonance can introduce significant uncertainties into applications such as radiotherapy treatment planning and need to be assessed as part of a comprehensive quality assurance program. We report the design, fabrication, and imaging of a custom 3D printed unibody MR distortion phantom along with quantitative image analysis. Methods: The internal cavity of the phantom

Logan graphical analysis (LGA) is a method for in vivo quantification of tracer kinetics in positron emission tomography (PET). The shortcoming of LGA is the presence of a negative bias in the estimated parameters for noisy data. Various approaches have been proposed to address this issue. We recently applied an alternative regression method called least-squares cubic (LSC), which considers the errors

In this work we introduce a technique to speed up the interpretation of bone scans with the aim of determining the presence or absence of metastatic disease. We use gray tone histograms, resembling the use of band-pass filters, in order to ensure a reliable interpretation of the bone scan, therefore providing an accurate diagnosis. We draw particular attention to three cases. The first case corresponds

Purpose. In this study, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were done to relate the dose-response of the film to that in water. The effect of backscattering materials (PMMA, lead, polystyrene, and air) was investigated on its influence on film density for radionuclides including Am-241, Tc-99m, I-131, Cs-137. Methods. A BEAMnrc MC simulation was designed to score a phase-space file (PSF) below the container

Background and purpose. Replacing CT imaging with MR imaging for MR-only radiotherapy has sparked the interest of many scientists and is being increasingly adopted in radiation oncology. Although many studies have focused on generating CT images from MR images, only models on data with the same dataset were tested. Therefore, how well the trained model will work for data from different hospitals and

Purpose: Estimate organs doses (ODs) of patients subjected to unenhanced (S1) and enhanced (S2) chest CT studies relying on image parameters such as Hounsfield Units (HUs). Materials and Methods: CT scans and images of a total of 16 patients who underwent two series of chest CT studies were obtained and retrospectively examined. OD increments of liver and pancreas for both series (S1 & S2) were estimated

The aim of this paper is to present the use of a portable, unshielded magnetocardiograph (MCG) and identify key characteristics of MCG scans that could be used in future studies to identify parameters that are sensitive to cardiac pathology. We recruited 50 patients with confirmed myocardial infarction (MI) within the past 12 weeks and 46 volunteers with no history of cardiac disease. A set of 38 parameters

Prostate cancer surgery risks erectile problems and incontinence for the patient. An instrument for guiding surgeons to avoid nerve bundle damage and ensure complete cancer removal is desirable. We present a tactile resonance sensor made of PZT ceramics, mounted in a 3D motorized translation stage for scanning and measuring tissue stiffness for detecting cancer in human prostate. The sensor may be