Denoising dual-energy abdominal CT of obese patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel algorithm for noise reduction in obese patients for dual-source dual-energy (DE) CT abdominal imaging. We demonstrated that multi-channel denoising methods (RSKR, multi-energy (ME)-NLM) could reduce image noise and improve both objective image quality metrics like contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and subjective metrics like reader satisfaction.Fides R. Schwartz, Darin P. Clark, Francesca Rigiroli, Kevin Kalisz, Benjamin Wildman-Tobriner, Sarah Thomas, Joshua Wilson, Cristian T. Badea & Daniele Marin . Evaluation of the impact of a novel denoising algorithm on image quality in dual-energy abdominal CT of obese patientsEur Radiol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-023-09644-7 

Spectral CT imaging using GaAs and CdTe photon counting detectors

In this study, we compared the performance of PC micro-CT imaging when using two types of PCDs. We have also demonstrated the ability of PCDs to separate a wide range of K-edge materials.

Alex Jeffrey Allphin, Darin P Clark, Thomas Thüring, Prajwal Bhandari, Ketan B Ghaghada, Cristian T Badea. Micro-CT imaging of multiple K-edge elements using GaAs and CdTe photon counting detectors. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 2023, DOI 10.1088/1361-6560/acc77e

Group Photo

QIAL members and the Bass Connections team, March 2023

Artist and T-shirts Designer: Nariman (Ali) Mahzarnia

 

Animal Models and Their Role in Imaging-Assisted Co-Clinical Trials

This overview paper describes the ten co-clinical trials of investigators from eleven institutions who are supported by the CIRP initiative and are members of the Animal Models and Co-clinical Trials (AMCT) Working Group.

Examples of MRI and micro-CT images in the p53/MCA model and the schematics of the preclinical arm of the clinical trial organized at Duke.

Peehl, D.M.; Badea, C.T.; Chenevert, T.L.; Daldrup-Link, H.E.; Ding, L.; Dobrolecki, L.E.; Houghton, A.M.; Kinahan, P.E.; Kurhanewicz, J.; Lewis, M.T.; Li, S.; Luker, G.D.; Ma, C.X.; Manning, H.C.; Mowery, Y.M.; O’Dwyer, P.J.; Pautler, R.G.; Rosen, M.A.; Roudi, R.; Ross, B.D.; Shoghi, K.I.; Sriram, R.; Talpaz, M.; Wahl, R.L.; Zhou, R. Animal Models and Their Role in Imaging-Assisted Co-Clinical TrialsTomography 20239, 657-680. https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography9020053

Identifying vulnerable brain networks associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk

Ali Mahzarnia, Jacques A Stout, Robert J Anderson, Hae Sol Moon, Zay Yar Han, Kate Beck, Jeffrey N Browndyke, David B Dunson, Kim G Johnson, Richard J O’Brien, Alexandra Badea, Identifying vulnerable brain networks associated with Alzheimer’s disease riskCerebral Cortex, 2022;, bhac419, https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhac419

QIAL papers @ CT Meeting 2022

1. C. Badea, D. Clark, A. Alphin, J. C. Ramirez-Giraldo, P. Bhandari, Y. Mowery, K. Ghaghada. Co-clinical photon counting CT research for multi-contrast imaging. Proceedings Volume 12304, 7th International Conference on Image Formation in X-Ray Computed Tomography; 123040G (2022)  https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2646399
2. Darin P. Clark, Alex J. Allphin, Yvonne M. Mowery, Cristian T. Badea. Photon-counting x-ray CT perfusion imaging in animal models of cancer . Proceedings Volume 7th International Conference on Image Formation in X-Ray Computed Tomography, 123041B (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2646403
3. Rohan Nadkarni, Alex Allphin, Darin Clark, Cristian Badea. Material decomposition from photon-counting CT using a convolutional neural network and energy-integrating CT training labels.  Proceedings Volume 12304, 7th International Conference on Image Formation in X-Ray Computed Tomography; 123041K (2022)) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2646405

Preclinical implementation of a clinical trial

This study aimed to investigate whether adding neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT), anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) antibody (anti-PD-1), or RT + anti-PD-1 to surgical resection improves disease-free survival for mice with soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The paper has been included in the highlights.

https://doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-21-0991 

Deep learning based material decomposition for photon counting CT

R Nadkarni, A Allphin, DP Clark, CT Badea. Material decomposition from photon-counting CT using a convolutional neural network and energy-integrating CT training labels.  Physics in Medicine & BiologyVolume 67Number 15https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ac7d34

The Absolute Winding Number

Badea A, Li D, Niculescu A, Anderson R, Stout J, Williams C, Colton C, Maeda N, Dunson D. Absolute Winding Number Differentiates Mouse Spatial Navigation Strategies With Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2022 Jan;16. PMCID: PMC9247395.

Spectral micro-CT and Preclinical Applications

We presented this talk  on spectral micro-CT and its applications at the NCI CIRP Annual Meeting,  June 22-23, 2022.