Biomedical subjects

Z Kolitsi

Publications and source records attributed to Z Kolitsi.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A wavelet-based method for removal of out-of-plane structures in digital tomosynthesis.

Reconstructed images in digital tomosynthesis (DTS) are affected by artifacts due to blur from planes other than the fulcrum plane. A wavelet-based method has been developed for the discrimination and subsequent removal of unrelated structures from the reconstructed plane. The approach exploits both the specific pattern of noise in DTS and the spatial locality of the wavelet transformation. The technique was implemented on a DTS clinical protoype system. Experimental evaluation on angiographic types of images demonstrated excellent noise differentiation and elimination. The method is therefore particularly useful for certain medical imaging applications such as vascular DTS imaging.

Angiography↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Q-Pro: a quality control management system for medical equipment.

Q-Pro is an application for quality control (QC) and inspection of medical equipment. The system has been designed on the basis of a broad requirements analysis, contributed by clinical engineers from several European countries and with a focus on current and forthcoming regulatory requirements concerning the quality control and risk management for medical equipment. Q-Pro comprises a generalized application, providing the necessary flexibility to accommodate the different degrees of difficulty and specialization in creating or customizing QC protocols, carrying out inspections and managing collected data. The system incorporates a tool library for QC protocol design, widely used multimedia as well as a local database for protocol and inventory data archiving. The paper presents a detailed account of the system context of use, design and functionality.

Equipment and Supplies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a new Clinical Engineering Management Tool & Information System (CLE-MANTIS).

The evolution of the field of biomedical technology has led to the diffusion of an impressive number of medical devices into healthcare institutions. In this environment, Clinical Engineering Departments (CEDs) are expanding their role in healthcare technology management, by changing their structure and introducing quality systems in order to improve their services and monitor the outcomes. In the framework of the national project BIOTECHNET II, a software tool for the management of biomedical technology, named CLE-MANTIS, has been developed, with the aim to assist CEDs in their tasks. CLE-MANTIS functions include the upkeep of an inventory, the support and monitoring of scheduled maintenance, corrective maintenance, vigilance, equipment acquisition and replacement, service contract management and user training. The system offers clinical engineers the possibility to monitor and evaluate the quality and cost-effectiveness of their departments through the monitoring of quality and cost indicators. This paper presents the main features and functions of the system.

Biomedical Engineering↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A study on the current situation in the biomedical technology and clinical engineering sector in Bulgaria--advances, trends and needs.

A survey of the clinical engineering sector in Bulgaria was carried out, within the context of the 1996 Phare Partnership Program, with the aim to provide a reflection of the current situation concerning the management of biomedical technology and investigate the relevant needs in hospitals. The survey was initiated by the Institute of Biomedical Technology (INBIT) in Patras, Greece, with the active support of national organizations, educational institutions and other parties that share involvement in the overall management of medical devices in Bulgaria. This paper summarizes the results of the survey, giving an insight into the situation in the field and providing the basis for a more thorough study on the Biomedical Technology and Clinical Engineering sectors in Bulgaria.

Biomedical Engineering↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A multiple projection method for digital tomosynthesis.

A new method of optimized efficiency for the retrospective reconstruction of tomograms is presented. The method has been developed for use with isocentric fluoroscopic units and is capable of performing digital tomosynthesis of anatomical planes of user selected orientation and distance from the isocenter. Optimization of efficiency has been achieved by segmenting the reconstruction process into discrete transformations that are specific to groups of pixels, rather than performing pixel by pixel operations. These involve a number of projections of the acquired image matrices as well as parallel translations and summing. Application of this method has resulted in a significant reduction of computing time. The proposed algorithm has been experimentally tested on a radiotherapy simulator unit with the use of a phantom and the obtained results are reported and discussed.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A method for selective removal of out-of-plane structures in digital tomosynthesis.

The quality of the reconstructed images in Digital Tomosynthesis is often limited by the presence of artifacts due to blur from planes other than the fulcrum plane. A technique has been developed for the separation and subsequent removal of unrelated structures from the reconstructed plane. The method involves the reconstruction of the blur originating in user-selected "noisy" planes as it appears on the plane of interest. This is achieved by projecting the reconstructed images of the selected plane on the image formation plane for all viewing angles, and subsequently, synthesizing its blurred image on the plane of interest. There are no restrictions as to the identity of the planes to be removed. Reproduction of the noise is performed using the tomosynthesis algorithm itself, thus the technique can be modified to suit any reconstruction algorithm. The proposed technique was implemented on the Multiple Projection Algorithm and was experimentally evaluated using a radiotherapy simulator unit.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Computer assisted process management for health care: the IBIS tool.

IBIS is a broad range informatics tool, which can provide essential assistance to users during quality development projects in the health care environment. It can be used to set up a preliminary process model and specify variable and their interrelationships; the system propagates various quality related effects through the process structure, in a bottom up fashion, by linking quality indices to outcomes, repetitively, until arriving at the final outcome, at the top. An incorporated interactive browser is used to simulate the running process, to test and evaluate it, though a cause--effect interaction on intermediate or final outcomes. The tool provides guided support throughout the quality development procedure and during the continuous improvement process. At the same time, it constitutes an effective training tool on the principles of quality work. Additionally, IBIS can be used for the quality system's documentation, by means of a multimedia presentation, incorporating descriptive text, images and graphical displays, video sequences and sound.

Decision Support Systems, Management↗