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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

A two-dimensional pencil-beam algorithm for calculation of arc electron dose distributions.

A two-dimensional pencil-beam algorithm is presented for the calculation of arc electron dose distributions in any plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The dose distributions are calculated by modelling the arced beam as a single broad beam defined by the irradiated surface of the patient. The algorithm is two-dimensional in that the anatomical cross section of the patient and the skin collimators are assumed identical in parallel planes outside the plane of calculation. The broad beam is modelled as a collection of strip beams, each strip beam being characterised by its planar fluence, mean projected angular direction and a root-mean-square spread about the mean direction. Using these parameters, the dose distribution is calculated using pencil-beam theory. Examples of strip-beam parameters and resulting dose distributions for patient geometries are presented. Features of the algorithm, which include (1) incorporation of pencil-beam theory for the calculation of dose in heterogeneous tissue, (2) run times of only about twice that of comparable-sized fixed electron fields and (3) the input requirement of only a single depth dose and four off-axis dose profiles of measured data, make the algorithm practical for clinical use.

Algorithms

Internal tissue displacement measurement based on ultrasonic wave Doppler signal digital detection and its application to fetal movement monitoring.

We have developed a fetal movement monitoring system based on small displacement measurement of internal tissues. When ultrasonic pulses are transmitted to the fetus, the reflected ultrasonic waves which have a Doppler frequency shift due to the fetal movements are detected by using an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler technique. In this paper, we propose a displacement measurement method for internal tissues which is based on the Doppler signal digital detection technique. In the method, the received ultrasonic RF signals are sampled with a sampling frequency of four times higher than the centre frequency of the ultrasonic waves; the Doppler frequency shift signals are derived using digital signal processing. From the detected signals, the internal displacements are estimated using the arc-tangent method. The basic algorithm of the detection method has already been used in the area of blood flow sensing, however, we apply the algorithm to the displacement measurement of internal tissues. The comparison between the proposed method and the conventional method is presented. The fetal movement quantitative monitoring system based on the method which has been constructed is shown.

Algorithms

Amplitude distribution of calcium sparks in confocal images: theory and studies with an automatic detection method.

Determination of the calcium spark amplitude distribution is of critical importance for understanding the nature of elementary calcium release events in striated muscle. In the present study we show, on general theoretical grounds, that calcium sparks, as observed in confocal line scan images, should have a nonmodal, monotonic decreasing amplitude distribution, regardless of whether the underlying events are stereotyped. To test this prediction we developed, implemented, and verified an automated computer algorithm for objective detection and measurement of calcium sparks in raw image data. When the sensitivity and reliability of the algorithm were set appropriately, we observed highly left-skewed or monotonic decreasing amplitude distributions in skeletal muscle cells and cardiomyocytes, confirming the theoretical predictions. The previously reported modal or Gaussian distributions of sparks detected by eye must therefore be the result of subjective detection bias against small amplitude events. In addition, we discuss possible situations when a modal distribution might be observed.

Algorithms

[The choice of the treatment procedure in complicated forms of gallstones].

The article is devoted to an assessment of results of treatment of patients with complicated forms of cholelithiasis. Results of the treatment with active surgical measures and use of the endoscopic surgery methods are compared. Advantages of using endoscopy in algorithm of diagnostic and medical measures are shown. Recommendations are given concerning the terms and consequence of using the endoscopic methods of treatment.

Acute Disease

Quantification of diabetic maculopathy by digital imaging of the fundus.

Measurement of the extent of diabetic retinopathy is an essential part of assessing the efficacy of local or systemic treatment regimens. Current clinical studies use empirical grading of retinopathy which is performed by a trained observer using standard photographs. This method is relatively arbitrary, as well as time consuming and vulnerable to observer error. We have developed a digital fundus imaging system and image processing programs which provide objective, quantitative measures of macular oedema, retinal exudates, and microaneurysms in diabetic retinopathy. Using fluorescein angiograms, the degree of macular oedema is quantified both in terms of area of fundus involved and severity of oedema by analysis of the temporal changes in intensity of fluorescence. Fluorescein angiograms are also used for the detection and counting of microaneurysms, by a combination of shade correction, matched filtering, and shape algorithms. For detection and measurement of retinal exudates, a colour transparency projected through a red free filter is analysed using a combination of shade correction and thresholding techniques. The system described is in clinical use, and has potential for a wide variety of applications. With further development, digital analysis of fundus images should supercede the currently used manual semi-quantitative methods, providing faster, more accurate, objective quantitative results.

Aneurysm

Screening for peripheral arterial disease: the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of noninvasive tests in a defined population.

Large vessel peripheral arterial disease (LV-PAD) is a common condition that causes significant morbidity and disability. The authors evaluated the individual components of a comprehensive noninvasive vascular examination to identify the most sensitive and specific measurements for diagnosing LV-PAD. This cohort, initially screened between 1979 and 1981 in Rancho Bernardo, California, included 421 normal subjects and 63 subjects with LV-PAD. Segmental blood pressure ratios and flow velocities by Doppler ultrasound were used to define cases of LV-PAD. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of each individual component of the diagnostic algorithm were determined. Overall, measurements of posterior tibial flow showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy. In addition, an absent or non-recordable posterior tibial peak forward flow, occurring in 96% of all limbs with isolated posterior tibial disease, or an ankle ratio < or = 0.8 considered in parallel yielded a test with sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 99%, positive predictive value of 90%, negative predictive value of 99%, and overall accuracy of 98%. These results indicate that the vast majority of LV-PAD cases can be detected with a single measurement using a handheld Doppler flowmeter employed at the ankle.

Adult

Experimental verification of cesium brachytherapy line source emission using a semiconductor detector.

Described is an experimental verification technique for cesium brachytherapy line source emission. The dose rate levels produced by a line source algorithm are compared with measurements taken around J-series stainless-steel sheathed cesium sources with a p-type semiconductor diode detector. Further study of isodensity contours is undertaken using a film dosimetry technique. The errors involved in using these techniques are assessed.

Algorithms

Automatic detection and measurement of EMG silent periods in masticatory muscles during chewing in man.

Silent periods are transient stops of muscle activity that are induced by mechanical or electrical stimulus. The current report describes a new algorithm which enables automatic detection and measurement of silent periods that occur in the EMG of human masticatory muscles during chewing efforts together with jaw positions in space at the occurrence of the silent periods. The EMG signal for detection of the silent period is modeled based on the observation of the EMG records induced from the jaw-closing muscles during chewing efforts in seven volunteer subjects. The algorithm for automatic detection and measurement of the EMG silent period has been applied successfully to real EMG data and the performance of the software was confirmed to be sufficiently reliable. The results of the analysis are stored in a biosignal database for possible clinical use.

Adult

Case studies on the effect of exercise and hot water submersion on intracardiac temperature and the performance of a pacemaker which varies pacing rate based on temperature.

The effectiveness of using blood temperature change as an indicator to automatically vary heart rate physiologically was evaluated in 3 patients implanted with Model Sensor Kelvin 500 (Cook Pacemaker Corporation, Leechburg, PA, USA) pacemakers. Each patient performed two block-randomized treadmill exercise tests: one while programmed for temperature-based, rate-modulated pacing and the other while programmed without rate modulation. In 1 pacemaker patient and 4 volunteers, heart rates were recorded during exposure to a hot water bath. Blood temperature measured at 10 sec intervals and pacing rate measured at 1 min intervals were telemetered to a diagnostic programmer and data collector for storage and transfer to a computer. Observation comments and ECG-derived heart rates were manually recorded. The temperature-based pacemaker was shown to respond promptly not only to physical exertion but also to emotionally caused stress and submersion in a hot bath. These events cause increased heart rate in the normal heart. Using a suitable algorithm to process the measurement of blood temperature, it was possible to produce appropriate pacing rates in paced patients.

Aged

An automatic six-degree-of-freedom image registration algorithm for image-guided frameless stereotaxic radiosurgery.

A frameless radiosurgical treatment system has been developed by coupling an orthogonal pair of real-time x-ray cameras to a robotically manipulated linear accelerator to guide the therapy beam to treatment sites within a patient's cranium. The two cameras observe the position and orientation of the patient's head in the treatment system coordinate frame. An image registration algorithm compares the two real-time radiographs to a corresponding pair of digitally synthesized radiographs derived from a CT study of the patient. The algorithm determines all six degrees of translational and rotational difference between the position of the head in the CT coordinate frame and its position in the treatment room coordinate frame. This allows translation of treatment planning coordinates into treatment room coordinates without rigidly fixing the patient's head position during either the CT scan or treatment. In this paper the image registration algorithm is described and measurements of the precision and speed with which the process can determine the patient's position are reported. The tests have demonstrated translational uncertainty of 0.5-1.0 mm per axis and rotational uncertainty of 0.6-1.3 degrees per axis, accomplished in approximately 2 s elapsed time.

Algorithms

Measures of uncertainty of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter estimates: a new computerized algorithm.

Numerous algorithms exist to fit data to nonlinear models of the type used in chemistry, pharmacology, physiology, etc. Most include modules that provide some measure of the reliability of the estimated model parameters. The variance-covariance matrix (VCM) is the common tabulation of information that is used to quantify the parameter uncertainty as well as correlations between parameters. The VCM has its mathematical foundation in the linear regression world, where the dependent variable is a linear function of the parameters. However, when the model is not linear in its parameters, then the VCM is no longer an absolute quantitative measure of reliability of the parameter estimates and should be interpreted with caution. If the goal is to obtain a realistic and quantitative rather than a qualitative measurement of the parameter reliability, then it is necessary to have an alternative approach to describe the parameter likelihood region. We present a computerized algorithm that fills that need, and we compare its performance with the traditional VCM approach for different data sets. We also discuss criteria that may be used to determine when the VCM approach should and should not be used.

Algorithms

Self organizing maps for the analysis of high resolution ECG in acute myocardial infarction.

An approach for an all-embracing ECG signal analysis is introduced. Self organizing maps are applied to spatial high resolution multilead ECG (body surface ECG) recorded during the acute phase of myocardial infarction to detect characteristic changes. The algorithm deals with the measurement of similarity between different pathological signal types. In opposition to other techniques, the whole ECG-signal coded as a feature vector is used as input for the self organizing map. The results show that this approach is suitable for handling unsharp class transitions common to several problems from the medical domain.

Algorithms

Accuracy of ultrasonography in assessing spleen and liver size in patients with Gaucher disease: comparison to computed tomographic measurements.

A comparison was made between volume measurements of spleen and liver by ultrasonography and by computed tomography, the two most common modes of assessment of organ size in patients with Gaucher disease, who require frequent follow-up measurements. The two measurements showed a high degree of correlation within a broad range for both spleen and liver volumes. An algorithm for conversion of one measurement to the other was derived for both spleen and liver.

Adolescent

Dosimetry of large, irregularly shaped fields by the circle method. A feasibility study.

The Circle Method is an algorithm for dose calculation in an irregularly shaped field. The algorithm is based on measurements of circle fields at the therapy machine in use. A separation into primary and scattered radiation components is not necessary. Clarkson's sector-integration method and an off-axis correction are embodied. Experimental and calculated dose values agree within +/- 2.8% in the treatment field and under block shieldings.

Algorithms

Detection of movement artifact in recorded pulse oximeter saturation.

UNLABELLED: Movement artifact (MA) must be detected when analysing recordings of pulse oximeter saturation (SpO2). Visual analysis of individual pulse waveforms is the safest, but also the most tedious, method for this purpose. We wanted to test the reliability of a computer algorithm (Edentec Motion Annotation System), based on a comparison between pulse and heart rate, for MA detection. Ten 12-h recordings of SpO2, pulse waveforms and heart rate from ten preterm infants were analysed for the presence of MA on the pulse waveform signal. These data were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the computer algorithm, and of the oximeter itself, in detecting MA. Recordings were divided into segments of 2.5 s duration to compare the movement identification methods. Of the segments 31% +/- 6% (mean +/- SD) contained MA. The computer algorithm identified 95% +/- 3% of these segments, the pulse oximeter only 18% +/- 11%. Specificity was 85% +/- 4% and 99% +/- 0%, respectively. SpO2 was < or =80% in 3% +/- 1% of segments. 88% +/- 7% of the pulse waveform signal showed MA during this time, leaving a significant potential for erroneous identification of hypoxaemia. Recordings of SpO2 do not allow a reliable identification of MA. CONCLUSION: Without additional information about movement artifact, a significant proportion of recording time of pulse oximeter signal may be regarded as demonstrating hypoxaemia which, in fact, simply reflects poor measurement conditions. The computer algorithm used in this study identified periods of movement artifact reliably.

Algorithms

Linking cortical structure and delirium in the elderly: insights from cohort study and shared genetic risk analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the association between regional cortical changes measured via baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the incidence of delirium. METHODS: Observational associations were assessed using a prospective cohort from the UK Biobank and an independent clinical cohort. The population-based study included participants aged 60 years or older who had undergone structural brain MRI since 2014. Regional cortical volume, mean thickness, and surface area were extracted based on the Desikan-Killiany cortical atlas. Delirium was defined using ICD-10 diagnostic codes. Additionally, preoperative brain MRI images from participants in another cohort were collected and automatically segmented using deep learning algorithms to obtain cortical measurements. Logistic analysis was performed to investigate the associations between cerebral cortical structure and delirium risk. Lastly, genome-wide association study data derived from the ENIGMA Consortium and FinnGen Biobank were utilized to conduct conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate (cond/conjFDR) analyses to identify shared genetic loci associated with cortical structures and delirium. RESULTS: This observational analysis included 31,890 participants from the UK Biobank and 152 participants from an independent cohort. In the UK Biobank cohort, decreased cortical thickness in the 17 regions was associated with a significantly increased risk of delirium. Similarly, a preoperative reduction in cortical volume in 7 regions was associated with an increased risk of delirium in the independent cohort. Besides, 100 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified as significantly associated with cortical structures when conditioned on delirium. Finally, colocalization analysis demonstrated that these pleiotropic risk loci modulated the expression of NT5C2, RGP1, CCDC25, TPM2, EEF1AKMT2, IQANK1 and LHPP in blood and brain tissues. CONCLUSION: Regional cortical atrophy is associated with an increased risk of delirium in the elderly. Brain MRI examinations may be beneficial for preoperative delirium risk assessment in elderly individuals undergoing elective surgery.

Humans

Discriminant analysis algorithm based on a distance function and on a Bayesian decision.

We propose a new algorithm for the allocation of an individual to one of several possible groups or populations. The algorithm enables us to define a finite partition over the sample space, based on distance function. This partition is used, jointly with the application of a standard Bayesian decision rule, to allocate individuals to the populations. The algorithm also provides a measure of the allocation confidence for each individual, in a similar manner to that of logistic regression. The error rates for classification are also computed using the leave-one-out method. Results are compared with those obtained with other discriminant analysis techniques previously reported: Fisher's linear discriminant function, the quadratic discriminant function, logistic discrimination, and others.

Adolescent

First clinical tests using a liquid-filled electronic portal imaging device and a convolution model for the verification of the midplane dose.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently, algorithms have been developed to derive the patient dose from portal dose measurements using a liquid-filled electronic portal imaging device. These algorithms have already been validated for several phantom geometries irradiated under clinical conditions. It is the aim of the present study to investigate the applicability of a liquid-filled electronic portal imaging device in combination with these algorithms for two-dimensional midplane dose verification in clinical practice. MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS: Portal dose images were obtained during several patient treatments under routine clinical conditions. Measurements were performed to verify the midplane dose during radiotherapy of larynx cancer with 4 MV beams, breast and lung cancer with 8 MV beams and prostate cancer with both 8 and 18 MV beams. Midplane doses, determined from portal dose measurements and analyzed with our algorithms, were compared with midplane doses calculated with our three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning system (TPS). RESULTS: For the larynx treatment the measured 2D midplane dose agreed within 2.0% with TPS calculations in most parts of the field. Larger differences were found in a small region below the skin due to the absence of electron equilibrium, which is not taken into account in our portal dose analysis. For breast irradiations the measured midplane dose showed a homogeneous distribution in the AP direction in the axial plane, while high dose regions were observed in the cranial and caudal part of the breast. Portal dose measurements and TPS calculations agreed within 2.5% for most of the prostate and lung irradiations. For a few of the prostate and lung treatments larger local differences were found due to differences between the actual patient anatomy and the planning CT data, e.g. as a result of variable gas filling in the rectum and anatomical changes in the lung. CONCLUSIONS: Portal dose measurements with a liquid-filled electronic portal imaging device can be used to determine the 2D midplane dose for various treatment sites in clinical practice. Portal in vivo dosimetry has proven to be important in detecting changes in the patient's anatomy and its influence on the dose delivery. It is concluded that portal dosimetry is an excellent tool for accurate and independent verification of the dose in the entire (2D) midplane during patient treatment. However, a limited number of patients were involved in this study and the results are therefore preliminary. More research is needed to fully assess the clinical value of portal dose measurements.

Algorithms