Targeted ultra-high resolution x-ray tomography development and clinical applications

National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This project is the main effort of my lab during the pandemic year. On the clinical application front, we contribute high-resolution targeted CT scan technology to 4 clinical protocols: 96-H-0100, LAM and other rare cystic lung diseases, PI Joel Moss, NHLBI Pulmonary Branch, 290 patients had been scanned as of 4/15/21. Our technology provides a more accurate score of the cyst burden in the lungs, and lead to new findings about the correlation of cyst structures with the impairment of the diffusion capacity of the lung. The study is on-going. 20-CC-0113, COVID-19 long term effects in the lung, PI Anthony Suffredini, NIH Clinical Center Critical Care Medicine, 40 patients had been scanned as of 4/15/21. The ultra-high resolution images from our scans are being used to answer questions, such as the cause of DLco reduction in convelescent patients. The study is on-going; 19-CC-0070, Kidney and bladder cancer pre-operative planning, PI Elizabeth Jones, NIH Clinical Center Radiology, 20 patients had been scanned as of 4/15/21. Our technology provides superior image resolution that help surgical planning and identification of lesions. The study is on-going; 18-H-0108, Genetic disease ACDC, PI Manfred Boehm, NHLBI Translational Vascular Medicine, 7 patients had been scanned as of 4/15/21. Our technology help with the structural and molecular identification of tissue calcification in these patients. The study is on-going. On the technical development front, we continue to advance in an approach we invented to improve resolution in clinical scanners beyond the hardware limit, through the use of detector inserts in the form of compact photon-counting detectors. Fusion of data from the inserts and the CT's own detector has been the focus of the development work. Improving the detector insert is a second focus of the development work.