Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W Thomlinson

Publications and source records attributed to W Thomlinson.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

First human transvenous coronary angiography at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

The first operation of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) medical beamline is reported in this paper. The goal of the angiography project is to develop a reduced risk imaging technique, which can be used to follow up patients after coronary intervention. After the intravenous injection of a contrast agent (iodine) two images are produced with monochromatic beams, bracketing the iodine K-edge. The logarithmic subtraction of the two measurements results in an iodine enhanced image, which can be precisely quantified. A research protocol has been designed to evaluate the performances of this method in comparison with the conventional technique. Patients included in the protocol have previously undergone angioplasty. If a re-stenosis is suspected, the patient is imaged both at the ESRF and at the hospital with the conventional technique, within the next few days. This paper reports the results obtained with the first patients. To date, eight patients have been imaged and excellent image quality was obtained.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Research at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility medical beamline.

The application of synchrotron radiation in medical research has become a mature field of research at synchrotron facilities worldwide. In the relatively short time that synchrotrons have been available to the scientific community, their characteristic beams of UV and X-ray radiation have been applied to virtually all areas of medical science which use ionizing radiation. The ability to tune intense monochromatic beams over wide energy ranges differentiates these sources from standard clinical and research tools. At the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble, France), a major research facility is operational on an advanced wiggler radiation beamport, ID17. The beamport is designed to carry out a broad range of research ranging from cell radiation biology to in vivo human studies. Medical imaging programs at ID17 include transvenous coronary angiography, computed tomography, mammography and bronchography. In addition, a major research program on microbeam radiation therapy is progressing. This paper will present a very brief overview of the beamline and the imaging and therapy programs.

Animals↗

In vivo K-edge imaging with synchrotron radiation.

We present in this paper two imaging techniques using contrast agents assessed with in vivo experiments. Both methods are based on the same physical principle, and were implemented at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility medical beamline. The first one is intravenous coronary angiography using synchrotron radiation X-rays. This imaging technique has been planned for human studies in the near future. We describe the first experiments that were carried out with pigs at the ESRF. The second imaging mode is computed tomography using synchrotron radiation on rats bearing brain tumors. Owing to synchrotron radiation physical properties, these new imaging methods provide additional information compared to conventional techniques. After infusion of the contrast agent, it is possible to derive from the images the concentration of the contrast agent in the tumor area for the computed tomography and in any visible vessel for the angiography method.

Animals↗

Diffraction enhanced x-ray imaging.

Diffraction enhanced imaging is a new x-ray radiographic imaging modality using monochromatic x-rays from a synchrotron which produces images of thick absorbing objects that are almost completely free of scatter. They show dramatically improved contrast over standard imaging applied to the same phantom. The contrast is based not only on attenuation but also the refraction and diffraction properties of the sample. This imaging method may improve image quality for medical applications, industrial radiography for non-destructive testing and x-ray computed tomography.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Monochromatic energy-subtraction radiography using a rotating anode source and a bent Laue monochromator.

A system for area-beam energy-subtraction monochromatic radiography was developed and tested. It utilizes a bent Laue crystal monochromator developed at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), and a compact rotating anode X-ray source developed at the Science Research Laboratory (SRL). The K(alpha) characteristic lines (both K(alpha 1) and K(alpha 2) of the cerium and barium targets were diffracted by the monochromator and used for the above- and below-K-edge imaging, respectively, of phantoms with iodine contrast agents. Digital subtraction of the images produced an iodine image.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗