Medical imaging practice changed dramatically with the introduction of digital imaging. Although digital imaging has many advantages, it also has made it easier to delete images that are not of diagnostic quality. Mistakes in imaging—from improper patient positioning, patient movement during the examination, and selecting improper equipment—could go undetected when images are deleted. Such an approach would preclude a reject analysis from which valuable lessons could be learned. In the analog days of radiography, saving the rejected films and then analyzing them was common practice among radiographers. In principle, reject analysis can be carried out easier and with better tools (ie, software) in the digital era, provided that rejected images are stored for analysis. Reject analysis and the subsequent lessons learned could reduce the number of repeat images, thus reducing imaging costs and decreasing patient exposure to radiation. The purpose of this study, which was conducted by order of the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate, was to investigate whether hospitals in the Netherlands store and analyze failed imaging and, if so, to identify the tools used to analyze those images.
Goed om te zien dat je geïnteresseerd bent in onze content. Onafhankelijke informatie is alleen niet gratis. Je mag onze artikelen uitsluitend kopiëren voor persoonlijk gebruik. Zo zal je geen inbreuk maken op onze Algemene Voorwaarden. Vragen? Stuur een e-mail naar: marketing@ntvg.nl.Voor het instellen van de optimale therapie van brandwonden – conservatief of operatief – is een vroege, accurate bepaling van de brandwonddiepte belangrijk. ‘Laser Doppler imaging’ (LDI) is een techniek waarmee een nauwkeurige inschatting van de brandwonddiepte kan worden gemaakt door het meten van de dermale perfusie. Hoewel is aangetoond dat de keuze voor het wel of niet verrichten van een operatie met LDI eerder kan worden gemaakt, heeft dit niet geleid tot een kortere tijd tot wondgenezing of kostenbesparing in de Nederlandse brandwondenzorg. LDI wordt in alle Nederlandse brandwondencentra gebruikt. Bij twijfel over de brandwonddiepte in de eerste of tweede lijn is doorverwijzing naar een brandwondencentrum raadzaam.
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Incidental findings on low-dose CT images obtained during hybrid imaging are an increasing phenomenon as CT technology advances. Understanding the diagnostic value of incidental findings along with the technical limitations is important when reporting image results and recommending follow-up, which may result in an additional radiation dose from further diagnostic imaging and an increase in patient anxiety. This study assessed lesions incidentally detected on CT images acquired for attenuation correction on two SPECT/CT systems.METHODS: An anthropomorphic chest phantom containing simulated lesions of varying size and density was imaged on an Infinia Hawkeye 4 and a Symbia T6 using the low-dose CT settings applied for attenuation correction acquisitions in myocardial perfusion imaging. Twenty-two interpreters assessed 46 images from each SPECT/CT system (15 normal images and 31 abnormal images; 41 lesions). Data were evaluated using a jackknife alternative free-response receiver-operating-characteristic analysis (JAFROC).RESULTS: JAFROC analysis showed a significant difference (P < 0.0001) in lesion detection, with the figures of merit being 0.599 (95% confidence interval, 0.568, 0.631) and 0.810 (95% confidence interval, 0.781, 0.839) for the Infinia Hawkeye 4 and Symbia T6, respectively. Lesion detection on the Infinia Hawkeye 4 was generally limited to larger, higher-density lesions. The Symbia T6 allowed improved detection rates for midsized lesions and some lower-density lesions. However, interpreters struggled to detect small (5 mm) lesions on both image sets, irrespective of density.CONCLUSION: Lesion detection is more reliable on low-dose CT images from the Symbia T6 than from the Infinia Hawkeye 4. This phantom-based study gives an indication of potential lesion detection in the clinical context as shown by two commonly used SPECT/CT systems, which may assist the clinician in determining whether further diagnostic imaging is justified.
Fluorescence microscopy is an indispensable technique to resolve structure and specificity in many scientific areas such as diagnostics, health care, materials- and life sciences. With the development of multi-functional instruments now costing hundreds of thousands of Euros, the availability and access to high-tech instrumentation is increasingly limited to larger imaging facilities. Here, we will develop a cost-effective alternative by combining a commercially available solution for high-resolution confocal imaging (the RCM from confocal.nl) with an open-hardware microscopy framework, the miCube, developed in the Laboratory of Biophysics of Wageningen University & Research. In addition, by implementing a recent invention of the applicant for the spectral separation of different emitters, we will improve the multiplexing capabilities of fluorescence microscopy in general and the RCM in particular. Together, our new platform will help to translate expertise and know-how created in an academic environment into a commercially sustainable future supporting the Dutch technology landscape.
