Biomedical subjects

Charles A Pelizzari

Publications and source records attributed to Charles A Pelizzari.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Spin echo spectroscopic electron paramagnetic resonance imaging.

The use of spin echoes to obtain spectroscopic EPR images (spectral-spatial images) at 250 MHz is described. The advantages of spin echoes-larger signals than the free induction decay, better phase characteristics for Fourier transformation, and decay shapes undistorted by instrumental dead time-are clearly shown. An advantage is gained from using a crossed loop resonator that isolates the 250-W pump power by greater than 50 dB from the observer arm preamplifiers. The echo decay rates can be used to determine the oxygen content in solutions containing 1 mM trityl concentrations. Two- and three-dimensional images of oxygen concentration are presented.

Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy↗

PubMed2006

Region of interest reconstruction from truncated data in circular cone-beam CT.

The circular scanning trajectory is one of the most widely adopted data-acquisition configurations in computed tomography (CT). The Feldkamp, Davis, Kress (FDK) algorithm and its various modifications have been developed for reconstructing approximately three-dimensional images from circular cone-beam data. When data contain transverse truncations, however, these algorithms may reconstruct images with significant truncation artifacts. It is of practical significance to develop algorithms that can reconstruct region-of-interest (ROI) images from truncated circular cone-beam data that are free of truncation artifacts and that have an accuracy comparable to that obtained from nontruncated cone-beam data. In this work, we have investigated and developed a backprojection-filtration (BPF)-based algorithm for ROI-image reconstruction from circular cone-beam data containing transverse truncations. Furthermore, we have developed a weighted BPF algorithm to exploit "redundant" information in data for improving image quality. In an effort to validate and evaluate the proposed BPF algorithms for circular cone-beam CT, we have performed numerical studies by using both computer-simulation data and experimental data acquired with a radiotherapy cone-beam CT system. Quantitative results in these studies demonstrate that the proposed BPF algorithms for circular cone-beam CT can reconstruct ROI images free of truncation artifacts.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

Reduction of image artifacts in mice by bladder flushing with a novel double-lumen urethral catheter.

In electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI), the accumulation of contrast agent in the bladder can create a very large source of signal, often far greater than that of the organ of interest. Mouse model images have become increasingly important in preclinical testing. To minimize bladder accumulation on mouse images, we developed a novel, minimally invasive, MRI/EPRI-friendly procedure for flushing a female mouse bladder. It is also applicable to other imaging techniques, for example, PET, SPECT, etc., where contrast agent accumulation in the bladder is also undesirable. A double-lumen urethral catheter was developed, using a standard IV catheter with a silicone tube extension, having a polyethylene tube threaded into the IV catheter. Flushing of the bladder provides a substantial reduction in artifacts, as shown in images of tumors in mice.

Administration, Intravesical↗

PubMed2005

A hybrid approach to reducing computed tomography metal artifacts in intracavitary brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: To develop a hybrid approach to reduce computed tomography (CT) metal artifacts caused by the Fletcher-Suit applicator. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Using the acquired raw projection data, the hybrid algorithm determines the separate contributions from the metal and non-metal objects. Next, reconstructions of metal and non-metal images are separately obtained from their estimated projections. A final image is formed by appropriately combining the individual images. Phantom and patient data are used to evaluate the performance of this method. RESULTS: CT images reconstructed by use of the standard filtered-backprojection (FBP) algorithm contain significant artifacts even for small metal objects. However, images reconstructed using the hybrid algorithm contain virtually no artifacts. For metal objects with complex structures, the hybrid algorithm can also yield images containing fewer severe streak artifacts than those reconstructed using the FBP algorithm alone. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that the hybrid approach can effectively reduce CT metal artifacts caused by the Fletcher-Suit applicator.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Biological effective dose for comparison and combination of external beam and low-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy prostate cancer treatment plans.

We report a methodology for comparing and combining dose information from external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and interstitial brachytherapy (IB) components of prostate cancer treatment using the biological effective dose (BED). On a prototype early-stage prostate cancer patient treated with EBRT and low-dose rate I-125 brachytherapy, a 3-dimensional dose distribution was calculated for each of the EBRT and IB portions of treatment. For each component of treatment, the BED was calculated on a point-by-point basis to produce a BED distribution. These individual BED distributions could then be summed for combined therapies. BED dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of the prostate, urethra, rectum, and bladder were produced and compared for various combinations of EBRT and IB. Transformation to BED enabled computation of the relative contribution of each modality to the prostate dose, as the relative weighting of EBRT and IB was varied. The BED-DVHs of the prostate and urethra demonstrated dramatically increased inhomogeneity with the introduction of even a small component of IB. However, increasing the IB portion relative to the EBRT component resulted in lower dose to the surrounding normal structures, as evidenced by the BED-DVHs of the bladder and rectum. Conformal EBRT and low-dose rate IB conventional dose distributions were successfully transformed to the common "language" of BED distributions for comparison and for merging prostate cancer radiation treatment plans. The results of this analysis can assist physicians in quantitatively determining the best combination and weighting of radiation treatment modalities for individual patients.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Biological-effective versus conventional dose volume histograms correlated with late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity after external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a matched pair analysis.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the dose-volume histograms (DVH's) for the rectum and bladder constructed using biological-effective dose (BED-DVH's) better correlate with late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity after treatment with external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer than conventional DVH's (C-DVH's). METHODS: The charts of 190 patients treated with external beam radiotherapy with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were reviewed. Six patients (3.2%) were found to have RTOG grade 3 GI toxicity, and similarly 6 patients (3.2%) were found to have RTOG grade 3 GU toxicity. Average late C-DVH's and BED-DVH's of the bladder and rectum were computed for these patients as well as for matched-pair control patients. For each matched pair the following measures of normalized difference in the DVH's were computed: (a) deltaAUC = (Area Under Curve [AUC] in grade 3 patient--AUC in grade 0 patient)/(AUC in grade 0 patient) and (b) deltaV60 = (Percent volume receiving = 60 Gy [V60] in grade 3 patient--V60 in grade 0 patient)/(V60 in grade 0 patient). RESULTS: As expected, the grade 3 curve is to the right of and above the grade 0 curve for all four sets of average DVH's--suggesting that both the C-DVH and the BED-DVH can be used for predicting late toxicity. deltaAUC was higher for the BED-DVH's than for the C-DVH's--0.27 vs 0.23 (p = 0.036) for the rectum and 0.24 vs 0.20 (p = 0.065) for the bladder. deltaV60 was also higher for the BED-DVH's than for the C-DVH's--2.73 vs 1.49 for the rectum (p = 0.021) and 1.64 vs 0.71 (p = 0.021) for the bladder. CONCLUSIONS: When considering well-established dosimetric endpoints used in evaluating treatment plans, BED-DVH's for the rectum and bladder correlate better with late toxicity than C-DVH's and should be considered when attempting to minimize late GI and GU toxicity after external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Quantitative tumor oxymetric images from 4D electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI): methodology and comparison with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI.

This work presents a methodology for obtaining quantitative oxygen concentration images in the tumor-bearing legs of living C3H mice. The method uses high-resolution electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). Enabling aspects of the methodology include the use of injectable, narrow, single-line triaryl methyl spin probes and an accurate model of overmodulated spectra. Both of these increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resulting in high resolution in space (1 mm)(3) and oxygen concentrations (approximately 3 torr). Thresholding at 15% the maximum spectral amplitude gives leg/tumor shapes that reproduce those in photographs. The EPRI appears to give reasonable oxygen partial pressures, showing hypoxia (approximately 0-6 torr, 0-10(3) Pa) in many of the tumor voxels. EPRI was able to detect statistically significant changes in oxygen concentrations in the tumor with administration of carbogen, although the changes were not increased uniformly. As a demonstration of the method, EPRI was compared with nearly concurrent (same anesthesia) T(2)*/blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI. There was a good spatial correlation between EPRI and MRI. Homogeneous and heterogeneous T(2)*/BOLD MRI correlated well with the quantitative EPRI. This work demonstrates the potential for EPRI to display, at high spatial resolution, quantitative oxygen tension changes in the physiologic response to environmental changes.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Reduction of computed tomography metal artifacts due to the Fletcher-Suit applicator in gynecology patients receiving intracavitary brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a method of reducing computed tomography (CT) metal artifacts due to the Fletcher-Suit applicator. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We apply a projection-interpolation algorithm to CT images containing artifacts from the brachytherapy applicator. Regions of projection data containing the applicator are interpolated, removing the metal from the projections. A new image is then reconstructed, and a pixel-by-pixel correction factor applied to the original image to reduce the severity of metal artifacts. This technique is applied to phantom and patient image data. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of images produced before and after projection-interpolation show a significant reduction in metal artifacts. In patient images containing the tandem alone, this method almost completely eliminated the artifact. In slices containing both tandem and colpostats, the algorithm reduced artifacts but did not completely eliminate them. CONCLUSIONS: The projection-interpolation method can be used to reduce the severity of metal artifacts caused by the Fletcher-Suit applicator.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Dosimetric quality endpoints for low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy using biological effective dose (BED) vs. conventional dose.

The purpose of this study was to compare conventional low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy dosimetric quality parameters with their biological effective dose (BED) counterparts. To validate a model for transformation from conventional dose to BED, the postimplant plans of 31 prostate brachytherapy patients were evaluated using conventional dose-volume histogram (DVH) quality endpoints and analogous BED-DVH endpoints. Based on CT scans obtained 4 weeks after implantation, DVHs were computed and standard dosimetric endpoints V100 (volume receiving 100% of the prescribed dose), V150, V200, HI (1-[V150/V100]), and D90 (dose that 90% of the target volume received) were obtained for quality analysis. Using known and reported transformations, dose grids were transformed to BED-early (alpha/beta = 10 Gy) and BED-late (alpha/beta = 3 Gy) grids, and the same dosimetric endpoints were analyzed. For conventional, BED-early and BED-late DVHs, no differences in V100 were seen (0.896, 0.893, and 0.894, respectively). However, V150 and V200 were significantly higher for both BED-early (0.582 and 0.316) and BED-late (0.595 and 0.337), compared with the conventional (0.539 and 0.255) DVHs. D90 was significantly lower for the BED-early (103.1 Gy) and BED-late transformations (106.9 Gy) as compared with the conventional (119.5 Gy) DVHs. The conventional prescription parameter V100 is the same for the corresponding BED-early and BED-late transformed DVHs. The toxicity parameters V150 and V200 are slightly higher using the BED transformations, suggesting that the BED doses are somewhat higher than predicted using conventional DVHs. The prescription/quality parameter D90 is slightly lower, implying that target coverage is lower than predicted using conventional DVHs. This methodology can be applied to analyze BED dosimetric endpoints to improve clinical outcome and reduce complications of prostate brachytherapy.

Brachytherapy↗

PubMed2003

Receiver operating characteristic analysis: a general tool for DNA array data filtration and performance estimation.

A critical step for DNA array analysis is data filtration, which can reduce thousands of detected signals to limited sets of genes. Commonly accepted rules for such filtration are still absent. We present a rational approach, based on thresholding of intensities with cutoff levels that are estimated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The technique compares test results with known distributions of positive and negative signals. We apply the method to Atlas cDNA arrays, GeneFilters, and Affymetrix GeneChip. ROC analysis demonstrates similarities in the distribution of false and true positive data for these different systems. We illustrate the estimation of an optimal cutoff level for intensity-based filtration, providing the highest ratio of true to false signals. For GeneChip arrays, we derived filtration thresholds consistent with the reported data based on replicate hybridizations. Intensity-based filtration optimized with ROC combined with other types of filtration (for example, based on significances of differences and/or ratios), should improve DNA array analysis. ROC methodology is also demonstrated for comparison of the performance of different types of arrays, imagers, and analysis software.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗