A CT-based simulator has been assembled based on a commercial CT scanner, virtual simulation software developed at the University of North Carolina and a laser drawing device to transfer the radiation portals from the virtual simulator to the patient. The simulation process can be completed in approximately 1 h; under most cases, the treatment portals can be designed and the patient marked in one session. The device has an inherent accuracy of +/- 1 mm. The portal projection accuracy in clinical cases is observed to be better than 2 mm.
In using a CT scanner as a radiation therapy simulator, it would be helpful to be able to transfer the beam outline from the computer plan to the patient's skin. A beam outline transfer device has been constructed and installed on a Siemens' DRH CT scanner gantry. The planned treatment beam geometry from a 3-D computerized simulation and planning system can be projected onto the patient's skin surface accurately and efficiently. The positioning accuracy achieved is within +/- 0.1 cm over a 20 cm x 20 cm field. Integrating the device into the CT scanner, simplifies the device and reduces the cost over an externally mounted device. Two unsuccessful methods to correct the projection distortions are also mentioned. In order to achieve the reported beam outline transfer accuracy, a system based on our empirically derived calibration procedure is described.
As our applications continue to become more sophisticated, the demand for more storage continues to rise. Hence many businesses are looking toward data warehousing technology to satisfy their storage needs. A warehouse is different from a conventional database and hence deserves a different approach while storing data that might be retrieved at a later point in time. In this paper we look at the problem of storing and retrieving medical image data from a warehouse. We regard the warehouse as a pyramid with fast storage devices at the top and slower storage devices at the bottom. Our approach is to store the most needed information absirac at the top of the pyramid and more detailed and storage consuming data toward the end of the pyramid. This information is linked for browsing purposes. In a similar fashion, during the retrieval of data, the user is given a sample represeniaion with browse option of the detailed data and, as required, more and more details are made available.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.