via University College London
A CT scan technique that splits a full X-ray beam into thin beamlets can deliver the same quality of image at a much reduced radiation dose, according to a new UCL study.
The technique, demonstrated on a small sample in a micro CT scanner, could potentially be adapted for medical scanners and used to reduce the amount of radiation millions of people are exposed to each year.
A computerised tomography (CT) scan is a form of X-ray that creates very accurate cross-sectional views of the inside of the body. It is used to guide treatments and diagnose cancers and other diseases.
Past studies have suggested CT scans may cause a small increase in lifelong cancer risk because their high-energy wavelengths can damage DNA. Although cells repair this damage, sometimes these repairs are imperfect, leading to DNA mutations in later years.
In the new study, published in Physical Review Applied, researchers placed a mask with tiny slits over an X-ray beam, breaking up the beam into beamlets. They then moved the sample being imaged in a cycloidal motion that ensured the whole object was irradiated quickly – that is, no parts of it were missed.
The researchers compared the new technique to conventional CT scanning methods, where a sample rotates as a full beam is directed on to it, finding it delivered the same quality of image at a vastly reduced dose.
Dr Charlotte Hagen (UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering), first author of the paper and a member of the UCL Advanced X-Ray Imaging Group, said: “Being able to reduce the dose of a CT scan is a long-sought goal. Our technique opens new possibilities for medical research and we believe that it can be adjusted for use in medical scanners, helping to reduce a key source of radiation for people in many countries.”
In the NHS, about five million CT scans are performed every year; in the United States, the annual number of CT scans is more than 80 million. CT scanning is thought to account for a quarter of Americans’ total exposure to radiation.
Conventional CT scans involve an X-ray beam being rotated around the patient. The new “cycloidal” method combines this rotation with a simultaneous backwards and forwards motion.
The use of beamlets enables a sharper image resolution, as the part of the scanner “reading” the information from the X-ray is able to locate where the information is coming from more precisely.
Professor Sandro Olivo (UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering), senior author of the paper, said: “This new method fixes two problems. It can be used to reduce the dose, but if deployed at the same dose it can increase the resolution of the image.
“This means that the sharpness of the image can be easily adjusted using masks with different-sized apertures, allowing greater flexibility and freeing the resolution from the constraints of the scanner’s hardware.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
CT scan technique
- A sneak peek of the current state and future use of artificial intelligence in pathologyon March 7, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Artificial intelligence can already scan images of the eye to assess patients for diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss, and find evidence of strokes on brain CT scans.
- Imec develops 4D scanner for heart surgeryon March 7, 2021 at 10:14 pm
The imec.icon project DIASTOLE, involving VUB, UZ Brussels and Imec, is paving the way to safely implement 4D scans in cardiac surgery, raising the prospec ...
- Investment in Medical Imaging Scans Could Avert Millions of Cancer Deaths Globally, Report Co-Sponsored by the IAEA Showson March 4, 2021 at 9:09 am
Scaling up access to nuclear medicine and medical imaging services would avert nearly 2.5 million cancer deaths worldwide by 2030 and yield global lifetime productivity gains of USD 1.41 trillion – a ...
- Philips Incisive CT gets even smarter with debut of AI-enabled Precise Suiteon March 4, 2021 at 5:00 am
New Precise Suite on the Philips Incisive CT platform accelerates CT workflows to help drive diagnostic confidence and improve the patient and staff experience. Amsterdam, the Netherlands– Royal ...
- Philips Incisive CT gets even smarter with debut of AI-enabled Precise Suite Amsterdam Stock Exchange:NL0000009538on March 4, 2021 at 3:28 am
News Highlights Philips Incisive CT in use with patient Philips Incisive CT in use by tech operator Precise Suite Incisive carotid Precise Suite Incisive ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
CT scan technique
Go deeper with Bing News on:
CT scanning
- Veterinary CT Scanner Market Size, Share 2020: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecasts 2025on March 7, 2021 at 4:07 pm
The Global Veterinary CT Scanner Market was valued at USD 113.73 Million in 2016 and is projected to reach USD ...
- To Your Good Health: CT scan unlikely to miss advanced lung canceron March 6, 2021 at 6:13 pm
Lung cancer, especially early lung cancer, is often missed on a regular chest X-ray. Pneumonia can accompany early lung cancer, and the pneumonia can hide the cancerous mass, but experienced ...
- Charlotte Hungerford Hospital upgrades CT-scan equipmenton March 5, 2021 at 4:34 pm
TORRINGTON — Hartford HealthCare and Charlotte Hungerford Hospital have invested in new scanners at their Torrington and Winsted locations, as part of a continuing commitment to utilizing the very ...
- Initial Insurance Billing Codes Issued for Dedicated Breast CT in The USAon March 4, 2021 at 10:28 am
Izotropic Corporation (CSE: IZO) (OTCQB: IZOZF) (FSE: 1R3) ("Izotropic"), a company developing high-resolution 3D dedicated breast CT imaging technology for the earlier detection, diagnosis, and ...
- Philips Incisive CT gets even smarter with debut of AI-enabled Precise Suiteon March 4, 2021 at 5:00 am
New Precise Suite on the Philips Incisive CT platform accelerates CT workflows to help drive diagnostic confidence and improve the patient and staff experience. Amsterdam, the Netherlands– Royal ...