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Biomedical subjects

J F Malone

Publications and source records attributed to J F Malone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Commissioning and quality assurance protocol for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) systems.

This study reports on the development and evaluation of a protocol for testing DEXA systems, which can be incorporated into a routine medical physics/engineering service. Methodologies are reported for (1) scatter measurement, (2) estimation of reference dose and (3) enquiry into potential sources of overexposure. Results show that fan-beam and cone-beam systems require shielding if the walls or operator are within 1 m of the table. Patient reference dose was estimated using the dose-area product (DAP). This varied over an order of magnitude from 2 to 36 mGy cm2 in the range of systems studied. The inquiry into potential sources of overexposure revealed some weaknesses in current practise including a design which prevents the inclusion of DAP metres; beam non-uniformity; incorrect specification of patient dose and the risk of overexposure when tube operates during patient positioning.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2001

Attractive intramolecular edge-to-face aromatic interactions in flexible organic molecules.

Recent X-ray crystallographic and NMR evidence indicates that relatively weak intramolecular edge-to-face interactions between aromatic rings can affect or determine the conformation of organic molecules in the solid state and in solution. Experimental estimates indicate that these interactions are energetically attractive by ca. 1.5 kcal mol(-1) but disfavored in solution by entropic factors due to the restricted internal mobility. Hence, these interactions are more manifest at low temperature in solution or in crystal structures where conformational entropy effects are negligible.

Benzene Derivatives↗
PubMed2001

Effect of age on ocular microtremor activity.

BACKGROUND: Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a high-frequency tremor of the eyes. It is present in all individuals and is related to brainstem activity. The OMT signal appears as an irregular oscillatory movement with intermittent burst-like components. The clinical interest in OMT has centered on its use in the assessment of the comatose patient, with broad agreement among authors of its prognostic value. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in OMT activity related to aging. METHODS: OMT was recorded from 72 normal healthy subjects using the piezoelectric strain gauge technique. The subjects ranged in age from 21 to 88 years (54.22 +/- 20.43 years, mean +/- SD). RESULTS: Our results show that the overall frequency and frequency content of the bursts falls with age (p < .002 and p < .001, respectively). There is a highly significant drop in all three frequency parameters of OMT (p < .0001) in subjects older than 60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that different values of normality should operate for subjects over 60 years of age when considering the clinical application of OMT.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Training and accreditation in radiation protection for interventional radiology.

Training in radiation protection is a basic aspect of the optimisation of medical exposures. Council Directive 97/43/EURATOM establishes the need for an adequate theoretical and practical training of the staff working in radiological practices, and competence in radiation, for which Member States shall ensure the establishment of appropriate curricula. Keeping in mind the different specialities and professional responsibilities, training curricula must be proposed and endorsed to achieve a common core of knowledge in radiation protection throughout Europe, for different groups of health workers. In interventional radiology, previous initiatives led to the definition of a syllabus of educational objectives and to its testing in a specific course. The present paper presents educational objectives for interventional radiology, developed in the framework of the DIMOND European concerted action.

Accreditation↗
PubMed2001

Medical exposures directive: implications for interventional radiology.

The new European Directive on Medical Exposures (97/43/EURATOM) specifically mentions 'high dose procedures' among the areas requiring special attention. This is universally interpreted as including the interventional procedures in radiology, cardiology and many of the special procedures involving fluoroscopy in these and related areas. This communication will focus on a definition of interventional procedures. It will examine the equipment, processes and patient and staff risks involved. From this examination it will be evident that new development is rapid in these areas and proceeding at a rate that is well ahead of both supporting research and regulatory framework. It will further note that the level of patient risk which is acceptable may be higher than in many other procedures. Finally it will note where the general provisions of the new Directive must be brought to bear on this new and developing field.

European Union↗
PubMed2001

Methods and materials for the measurement of subjective and objective measurements of image quality.

The evaluation of medical imaging systems may be performed using both subjective (e.g. high contrast limiting resolution, and low contrast detail detectability), and objective/physical (e.g. characteristic curve, signal-to-noise ratio, modulation transfer function, and Wiener spectra) indices of image quality. For the purposes of Quality Assurance subjective measurements currently have a wider usage in the clinical environment due to the inherent simplicity of the measurements; however, more rigorous objective approaches are gaining acceptability, and represent a paradigm for possible future QA measurements. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. There is currently wide debate as to the interpretation of these measurements. However, there appears to be a lack of standardisation among scientists in the various approaches to making these measurements, and especially so in the case of objective indices; furthermore, the measurement protocol used must have a bearing on the interpretation of subsequent results. The purpose of this paper is to (i) present the most fundamental indices in the characterisation of 'image quality', and (ii) recommend approaches to the measurement of these indices.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

The development of a phantom to determine foetal organ doses from 131I in the foetal thyroid.

Iodine can accumulate in the foetal thyroid from the twelfth week of gestation onwards. If the iodine taken up by the foetal thyroid is in the form of 131I then the thyroid and its proximal tissues and organs will be irradiated. Several mathematical models exist in the literature on foetal/maternal iodine kinetics. However, very few studies have been performed where the foetal thyroid had been physically modelled thus allowing the determination of foetal organ dosimetry from 131I in the foetal thyroid. Here, the development of such a physical model or phantom is described and dosimetry results obtained from the phantom are discussed. The phantom is of Perspex construction, the dimensions of which are sufficient to incorporate models of the foetus at 16, 24 and 36 weeks' gestational age. The dosimetry of two organs is presented, that of the brain and the thymus. The results show that the measured absorbed dose is comparable with that calculated using modified MIRD dosimetry and traditional methods. The results also show that the dose to the thymus is greater than that of the brain by a factor of almost 30 for 16 weeks' gestational age.

Brain↗
PubMed2000

Thyroid dosimetry in Europe following the Chernobyl accident.

Thyroid dose estimates for European populations following the Chernobyl accident in 1986 have been presented in the literature. These dose estimates used standard values for parameters such as thyroid mass, iodine uptake and biological half-life. Previous work has shown that these values are not representative of European populations and that local values should be utilized. Using published data on revised thyroid dose estimates, thyroid dosimetry data arising as a result of the Chernobyl accident are presented for 22 European countries. When these are compared with previously published estimates it is found that in all cases the previous results underestimate the thyroid dose by up to a factor of 4. Risk estimates on the incidence of fatal and non-fatal thyroid cancers are also determined from this new data and, again, the results are underestimated. The results show an increase in the number of fatal cancers, rising from 149 as predicted by the NEA to 310 under the new estimates, and from 180 as predicted by UNSCEAR to the new estimate of 380.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Dominant frequency content of ocular microtremor from normal subjects.

Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a high frequency tremor of the eyes present during fixation and probably related to brainstem activity (Coakley, D. (1983). Minute eye movement and brain stem function. CRC Press, FL.). Published observations on the frequency of OMT have varied widely. Ocular microtremor was recorded in 105 normal healthy subjects using the Piezoelectric strain gauge technique. The dominant frequency content of a signal was determined using the peak counting method. Values recorded ranged from 70 to 103 Hz, the mean frequency being 83.68 Hz (S.D. +/- 5.78 Hz).

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The application of d.c. electrical stimulation in evoking and recording gustatory brain potentials.

Evidence exists which supports the hypothesis that electrical stimulation of appropriate parameters can fulfil the fundamental requirements for an effective evoked potential taste stimulus. Nevertheless, it had previously been considered that electrical taste stimulation is inadequate for evoking gustatory brain potentials. Consequently, the majority of the earlier attempts to record gustatory evoked potentials (GEPs) reported in the literature have employed chemical stimulus techniques. The design of an electrical taste stimulator and its interface to an evoked potential recording unit is described. The first human brain potentials recorded with this system are presented, among which are those attributable to taste pathway activation. Following future work to unequivocally confirm that taste evoked brain potentials are achievable with this system, it has potential to become a clinically valuable tool.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1999

Ocular microtremor in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Abnormalities in the oculomotor control mechanism of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease are well recognised. In this study the effect of Parkinson's disease on tonic output from oculomotor nuclei was studied by using oculomicrotremor as an index of such output. Oculomicrotremor readings were taken from 22 parkinsonian patients and 22 normal healthy volunteers using the piezoelectric strain gauge technique. There was a slower overall tremor frequency, baseline, and burst frequency in the parkinsonian group. There was also a significant increase in the duration of baseline, with a decrease in the number of bursts a second and a decrease in average duration of bursts in the patient group compared with the normal group. One patient, whose medication was withdrawn, showed a marked decrease in mean frequency and baseline frequency with a decrease in number of bursts and increase in baseline duration compared with readings taken when treatment recommenced. These results suggest that variables measured in oculomicrotremor are altered compared with normal subjects, reflecting altered tonic output from oculomotor nuclei in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Ocular microtremor in oculomotor palsy.

OBJECTIVES: Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a high frequency tremor of the eyes present in all individuals. Recent reports suggest that OMT may be a useful indicator of brainstem function. However, the actual origin of ocular microtremor remains controversial. This study aims to provide evidence that OMT has a neurogenic origin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The OMT activity of five subjects with unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy and one subject with complete unilateral internal and external ophthalmoplegia were recorded from both eyes of each subject using the piezoelectric strain gauge technique, with the normal eye acting as a control. Five parameters of OMT activity were studied in each subject: the peak count, the power of the high frequency peak, the percentage power between 60 and 100 Hz, the percentage power between 70 and 80 Hz, and the 10 dB cut-off point. RESULTS: In the five subjects with oculomotor nerve palsy, the mean peak count in the normal eye was 88.4 Hz (SD+/-16.9) and in the affected eye was 59 Hz (SD+/-8.6), P < 0.0096. There was also a fall in the peak power, the power between 60 and 100 Hz, and the power between 70 and 80 Hz. In subject six, who had complete opthalmoplegia, there was no evidence of OMT activity in the denervated eye. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that innervation of the extraocular muscles is necessary for normal OMT activity, and OMT therefore has a neurogenic origin.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Examination of aperture signals in digital radiography.

Lead discs have been widely used to measure scattered radiation in radiographic imaging. An alternative approach, which offers advantages in terms of practical simplicity and radiation dose efficiency, is based on measurements obtained using a narrow aperture. The use of such an aperture for scatter measurement is examined from an experimental perspective in this paper. The examination is based on analysing features in images of apertures of 0.5 mm to 10 mm in diameter using a digital fluoroscopy system. Clinical imaging conditions were simulated using a 15 cm thickness of scattering material and a kilovoltage of 80 kVp. It was found that images of broad apertures consist of a transmitted signal, with primary and scatter components, which is surrounded by a skirt resulting from scatter. Furthermore, it was found that the skirt and the scatter component of the transmitted signal become negligible for narrow apertures. It was also found that a 1.5 mm aperture generates a scatter-free primary signal within the limits of accuracy of the detection system employed. This outcome was confirmed on the basis of accurate densitometric measurements and aperture signals which were independent of air gap. It is concluded that the signal measured using a 1.5 mm aperture can be related to the open field signal to determine the scatter signal and that this is an accurate method for such measurement with this experimental arrangement.

Air↗
PubMed1998

Thyroid dosimetry of adult European populations.

Radioactive iodine, in the form of iodine-131, behaves similarly to stable iodine in small quantities, thus resulting in a radiation dose to the thyroid. Under the Medical Internal Radiation Dosimetry Committee formulation for radiation dose calculation to an organ, the resulting dose to the thyroid gland is dependent on the organ mass, its isotope uptake and the effective half-life of the element in the gland. Traditionally, values have been used for these parameters which, in some cases, were determined some decades previous. Iodine supply is a primary contributor to correct thyroid function and ultimately these values of mass, uptake and half-life. Recently, new data have become available on iodine kinetics throughout Europe. Here, the influence of the highly variable iodine supply in Europe on projected thyroid doses is determined. Thyroid mass values ranged from 9 g (Sweden) to 28 g (Poland) while uptake measurements were found to range from 18% (Finland) to approximately 60% (Germany and Poland). Resulting dose estimates ranged from 0.5 Gy MBq-1 (Finland) injested to 1.3 Gy MBq-1 (Czechoslovakia) injested. It was also found that among European populations the highest dose burden was to those populations with mild iodine deficiency. The results show that the use of generic metabolic data for the thyroid can lead to a misrepresentation of the absorbed dose to the thyroid. Thus, the data presented provide a better reflection of the actual thyroid dose following ingestion of iodine-131 for European countries.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Quality assurance programme applied to mobile C-arm fluoroscopy systems.

The importance of quality assurance (QA) of X-ray equipment in diagnostic imaging departments is well recognised. However, practically no attention has been paid in the literature to the application of QA programmes to mobile C-arm fluoroscopy systems. This equipment is sometimes omitted from these programmes because it is often "off-site" from the main radiological facility and suitable QA protocols are unavailable. The need for QA can be substantiated by the fact that these systems are finding greater clinical use in orthopaedic, vascular and cardiac applications. Hence, there is a growing awareness among users for the need of good image quality and low patient radiation dose. In view of this, the objective of this study was to review the existing literature, design a suitable QA protocol for this equipment and use it to survey 10 C-arms in clinical use. The protocol was designed to address mechanical and electrical safety in addition to radiation safety and image quality. Results indicate substantial performance differences between systems with significant variations in input air kerma rate to the image receptor. The authors believe that such a protocol is necessary with a view to establishing optimal performance levels and assist in the development of suitable "write-off" criteria for such systems.

Equipment Safety↗
PubMed1997

Estimation of foetal brain dose from I-131 in the foetal thyroid.

The ingestion of I-131 by pregnant women can have consequences for the developing foetus, in particular brain function. As the foetal thyroid accumulates iodine from the twelfth week of gestation onwards, the determination of foetal brain dose resulting from such I-131 accumulation is essential. Normal dosimetric methods fail to treat the case of foetus. Using an approximation method based on the MIRD approach, a foetal dose estimation scheme is developed to allow the determination of foetal brain dose from foetal thyroid irradiation. Dose values are obtained for the foetus based on the maternal intake of I-131. It was found that the choice of biokinetic model for the mother/foetus has a large impact on the determined dose estimate.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Specification and initial evaluation of a multiple application teleradiology system.

The digitization and transmission of medical images is becoming increasingly more important and available. The selection of appropriate clinical applications for teleradiology systems is an important factor in determining the success of such ventures. In this paper, the selection of such applications and the evaluation of the teleradiology system is described. The system (LIAISON, CAPTEC Ltd, Malahide, Ireland) is PC based and is capable of digitization and transmission of three categories of medical images: (1) plain film radiographs; (2) CT film data and (3) video sequences such as ultrasound scans. A comprehensive technical evaluation was carried out on the acquisition and display station in which various parameters such as spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and distortion were investigated. Results showed that the system performed well within specifications. An exploratory clinical evaluation was performed using a case mix of subtle fractures, chests and dislocations, and CT scans. Here the system performed well with a diagnostic accuracy of 95% for the digital image compared with the analogue image.

Computer Communication Networks↗