Distinct Morphological Types of Small Airway Obstructions in Smokers with Emphysema and End-Stage COPD.

Rationale: The precise nature of small airway obstructions in COPD remains poorly understood, especially at early disease stages.

Objectives: This study aimed to characterize small airway obstructions and numbers up to the terminal bronchioles (TB) in smokers with limited emphysema and end-stage COPD. We hypothesized that obstruction subtypes would differ in morphology, nature and number from early to end-stage COPD.

Preclinical research on the effect of thoraco-abdominal normothermic regional perfusion on pulmonary function: A comparison of 2 strategies.

Thoraco-abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) is a novel technique to recover organs from donors after circulatory death by restoring regional circulation with extracorporeal support. However, its potential impact on pulmonary grafts remains unclear. This study compared pulmonary graft injuries across 2 TA-NRP protocols.

Personalized Contrast Agent Volumes in Abdominal CT: Bridging Theory with Practice.

to determine (1) a target Hounsfield unit (HU) for portal venous phase iodinated contrast media enhanced abdominal CT scans, (2) an equation for a personalized total contrast agent volume, and (3) the best/most appropriate time between injection and plateau/peak in HU enhancement. from an original dataset of 5,000 cases, a weight representative subset of 370 cases was sampled for detailed HU measurements. An additional 90 cases were used for visual grading to define the minimal HU required for diagnostic quality, which led to the proposed target HU.

Computational fluid dynamics of small airway disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Small airways (<2 mm diameter) are major sites of airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to quantify the impact of small airway disease, characterized by narrowing, occlusion, and obliteration, on airflow parameters in smokers and end-stage patients with COPDs.

Methods: We performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of inspiratory airflow in three lung groups: control non-used donor lungs (no smoking/emphysema history), non-used donor lungs with a smoking history and emphysema, and explanted end-stage COPD lungs.

Evaluation of Reliability of Dynamic Scapholunate Distance Measured on 4D CT-Acquired Images.

 A technique to measure scapholunate distance based on four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT)-acquired images is presented.  Intra-observer variability was evaluated through a repeated-measures study. A 4D CT of seven patients suspected of scapholunate lesion was performed.

Accuracy and precision of segmentation and quantification of wrist bone microarchitecture using photon-counting computed tomography ex vivo.

The quantification of bone microarchitecture provides insight into bone health and the effects of disease or treatment, and is therefore highly relevant clinical information. Nonetheless, in vivo quantification of bone microarchitecture is mostly limited to high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT). This is a small field of view CT modality of which the gantry size only allows scanning of distal radius and tibia.

Late intervention for type II endoleak is not determined by early sac diameter or volume changes after EVAR.

Background: To compare the diagnostic accuracy and predictive value of aneurysm sac volume measurement versus maximum diameter measurement of abdominal aortic aneurysm sac after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in patients with type II endoleak.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective study on a cohort of 103 patients who presented with a type II endoleak after EVAR for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. Maximum diameter and volumetric measurements were calculated on computed tomography follow-up scans at 3 months and 1 year after index surgery.

Direct visualization of microwires in hybrid depth electrodes using high-resolution photon-counting CT.

Hybrid depth electrodes are increasingly being used for epilepsy monitoring and human neurophysiology research. Microwires extending from the tip of the Behnke-Fried (BF) electrode into (sub)cortical areas allow to isolate single neurons and perform microstimulation. Conventional CT or MRI visualize the entire microwire bundle as an artifact extending from the BF electrode tip with low resolution, without proper identification of individual microwires.

The quantification of bone mineral density using photon counting computed tomography and its implications for detecting bone remodeling.

HR-pQCT has become standard practice when quantifying volumetric BMD (vBMD) in vivo. Yet, it is only accessible to peripheral sites, with small fields of view and lengthy scanning times. This limits general applicability in clinical workflows.

Abdominal aneurysm sac thrombus CT density and volume after EVAR: which association with underlying endoleak?

Background: Our aim was to analyse abdominal aneurysm sac thrombus density and volume on computed tomography (CT) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: Patients who underwent EVAR between January 2005 and December 2010 and had at least four follow-up CT exams available over the first five years of follow-up were included in this retrospective single-centre study. Thrombus density and aneurysm sac volume were calculated on unenhanced CT scans.

Phantom study of augmented reality framework to assist epicardial punctures.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of an augmented reality (AR) system in improving guidance, accuracy, and visualization during the subxiphoidal approach for epicardial ablation.

Approach: An AR application was developed to project real-time needle trajectories and patient-specific 3D organs using the Hololens 2. Additionally, needle tracking was implemented to offer real-time feedback to the operator, facilitating needle navigation.

Hindfoot kinematics and kinetics - A combined in vivo and in silico analysis approach.

Background: The complex anatomical structure of the foot-ankle imposes challenges to accurately quantify detailed hindfoot kinematics and estimate musculoskeletal loading parameters. Most systems used to capture or estimate dynamic joint function oversimplify the anatomical structure by reducing its complexity.

Research Question: Can four dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) imaging in combination with an innovative foot manipulator capture in vivo hindfoot kinematics during a simulated stance phase of walking and can talocrural and subtalar articular joint mechanics be estimated based on a detailed in silico musculoskeletal foot-ankle model.

Multi-parametric investigations on the effects of vascular disrupting agents based on a platform of chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos.

Background: Vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) are known to specifically target preexisting tumoural vasculature. However, systemic side effects as safety or toxicity issues have been reported from clinical trials, which call for further preclinical investigations. The purpose is to gain insights into their non-specific off-targeting effects on normal vasculature and provide clues for exploring underlying molecular mechanisms.

Accuracy of photon-counting computed tomography for the measurement of bone quality in the knee.

Visualization and quantification of bone microarchitecture in the human knee allows gaining insight into normal bone structure, and into the structural changes occurring in the onset and progression of bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. However, current imaging modalities have limitations in capturing the intricacies of bone microarchitecture. Photon counting computed tomography (PCCT) is a promising imaging modality that presents high-resolution three-dimensional visualization of bone with a large field of view.

Exploration of Chick Embryo and Chorioallantoic Membrane on Imaging Navigated Platforms for Anticancer Pharmaceutical Evaluations.

Conforming to the current replace-reduce-refine 3Rs' guidelines in animal experiments, a series of explorative efforts have been made to set up operable biomedical imaging-guided platforms for qualitative and quantitative evaluations on pharmacological effects of tumor vascular-disrupting agents (VDAs), based on the chick embryos (CEs) with its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), in this overview. The techniques and platforms have been hierarchically elaborated, from macroscopic to microscopic and from overall to specific aspects. A protocol of LED lamplight associated with a new deep-learning algorithm was consolidated to screen out weak CEs by using the CAM vasculature imaging.

Association Between Vascular F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake at Diagnosis and Change in Aortic Dimensions in Giant Cell Arteritis : A Cohort Study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) who have vascular F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake at diagnosis are at increased risk for thoracic aortic complications.

Objective: To measure the association between vascular FDG uptake at diagnosis and the change in aortic dimensions.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Impact of ultra-high-resolution imaging of the lungs on perceived diagnostic image quality using photon-counting CT.

Objectives: To compare clinical image quality and perceived impact on diagnostic interpretation of chest CT findings between ultra-high-resolution photon-counting CT (UHR-PCCT) and conventional high-resolution energy-integrating-detector CT (HR-EIDCT) using visual grading analysis (VGA) scores.

Materials And Methods: Fifty patients who underwent a UHR-PCCT (matrix 512 × 512, 768 × 768, or 1024 × 1024; FOV average 275 × 376 mm, 120 × 0.2 mm; focal spot size 0.

Dynamic 3D morphology of chick embryos and allantois depicted nondestructively by 3.0T clinical magnetic resonance imaging.

Driven by a global trend of applying replace-reduce-refine or 3Rs' guidance for experimental animals in life sciences, chick embryo and particularly allantois with its chorioallantoic membrane have been increasingly utilized to substitute laboratory animals, which call for more extensive and updated knowledge about this novel experimental setup. In this study, being noninvasive, nonionizing, and super-contrasting with high spatiotemporal resolutions, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was chosen as an imaging modality for in ovo monitoring morphologic evolution of the chick embryo, allantois, and chorioallantoic membrane longitudinally throughout embryonic day (ED) 1 until ED20. Cooled in 0°C ice bath for 60 min to reduce MRI motion artifacts, 3 chick embryos (n = 60 in total) on each ED were scanned by a clinical 3.

Evaluation of safety and performance of a new prototype self-expandable nitinol venous stent in an ovine model.

Objective: Our study was a prospective in vivo study performed on an animal model to evaluate the safety and performance of a novel venous stent designed specifically for venous applications.

Methods: The novel stents were implanted in the inferior vena cava of nine sheep. The stents were deployed with different distances between the closed cell rings to test for if the segments might migrate after being deployed at maximal distance.

Questionnaire PLD-complaint-specific assessment identifies need for therapy in polycystic liver disease: A multi-centric prospective study.

Background And Aims: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) can lead to extensive hepatomegaly. Symptom relief is the primary goal of the treatment. The role of the recently developed disease-specific questionnaires for identification of the thresholds and the assessment of therapy needs further investigation.

Feasibility of photon-counting computed tomography as a novel imaging modality for challenging endodontic diagnostic tasks.

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is an innovative technological advancement in relation to x-ray detectors which offers ultra-high-resolution images. The current study aimed to evaluate the visualization ability of PCCT compared to cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) devices for challenging endodontic diagnostic tasks. A reference image of an anthropomorphic phantom was acquired using an industrial micro-CT device.

Validation of a semi-automatic method to measure total liver volumes in polycystic liver disease on computed tomography - high speed and accuracy.

Objectives: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is characterized by growth of hepatic cysts, causing hepatomegaly. Disease severity is determined using total liver volume (TLV), which can be measured from computed tomography (CT). The gold standard is manual segmentation which is time-consuming and requires expert knowledge of the anatomy.