Bulletin of the American Physical Society
78th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the APS
Volume 56, Number 9
Wednesday–Saturday, October 19–22, 2011; Roanoke, Virginia
Session HC: Medical Physics: Improving Health, Saving Lives |
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Chair: Ken Wong, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Room: Crystal Ballroom C |
Friday, October 21, 2011 10:45AM - 11:15AM |
HC.00001: Image guidance and Motion Adaptation in Radiation Therapy Invited Speaker: Modern radiation therapy can achieve a very high level of conformality, meaning that the size and shape of nearly any disease site (such as a tumor) can be irradiated to uniform dose while sparing surrounding normal tissue. However, an inherent limitation in many treatment planning and delivery systems is that the body region under treatment is considered to be static and unchanging. This assumption is false, as there are many processes over varying time scales that change the shape, location, and size of the treatment target and surrounding tissue. Technological advances are now making it feasible to treat tumors adaptively, so that the radiation delivered is modulated in real time to match the changes in the body. These advances will enable more accurate and precise radiation treatments, which should improve cure rates and patient survival times. In this talk, I will present methods for observing the dynamic tumor, determining its changes in shape, size, and position, and delivering adaptive therapy. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 21, 2011 11:15AM - 11:45AM |
HC.00002: Monitoring electrical and thermal burns with Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging Invited Speaker: Thermal and electrical injuries are devastating and hard-to-treat clinical lesions. The pathophysiology of these injuries is not fully understood to this day. Further elucidating the natural history of this form of tissue injury could be helpful in offering stage-appropriate therapy. Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) is a novel non-invasive technique that can be used to determine optical properties of biological media. We have developed an experimental apparatus based on SFDI aimed at monitoring parameters of clinical interest such as tissue oxygen saturation, methemoglobin volume fraction, and hemoglobin volume fraction. Co- registered Laser Doppler images of the lesions are also acquired to assess tissue perfusion. Results of experiments conducted on a rat model and discussions on the systemic changes in tissue optical properties before and after injury will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 21, 2011 11:45AM - 12:15PM |
HC.00003: Medical Imaging for Understanding Sleep Regulation Invited Speaker: Sleep is essential for the health of the nervous system. Lack of sleep has a profound negative effect on cognitive ability and task performance. During sustained military operations, soldiers often suffer from decreased quality and quantity of sleep, increasing their susceptibility to neurological problems and limiting their ability to perform the challenging mental tasks that their missions require. In the civilian sector, inadequate sleep and overt sleep pathology are becoming more common, with many detrimental impacts. There is a strong need for new, in vivo studies of human brains during sleep, particularly the initial descent from wakefulness. Our research team is investigating sleep using a combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG). High resolution MRI combined with PET enables localization of biochemical processes (e.g., metabolism) to anatomical structures. MRI methods can also be used to examine functional connectivity among brain regions. Neural networks are dynamically reordered during different sleep stages, reflecting the disconnect with the waking world and the essential yet unconscious brain activity that occurs during sleep.\\[4pt] In collaboration with Linda Larson-Prior, Washington University; Alpay Ozcan, Virginia Tech; Seong Mun, Virginia Tech; and Zang-Hee Cho, Gachon University. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 21, 2011 12:15PM - 12:45PM |
HC.00004: Radiation Oncology Physics and Medical Physics Education Invited Speaker: Medical physics, an applied field of physics, is the applications of physics in medicine. Medical physicists are essential professionals in contemporary healthcare, contributing primarily to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases through numerous inventions, advances, and improvements in medical imaging and cancer treatment. Clinical service, research, and teaching by medical physicists benefits thousands of patients and other individuals every day. This talk will cover three main topics. First, exciting current research and development areas in the medical physics sub-specialty of radiation oncology physics will be described, including advanced oncology imaging for treatment simulation, image-guided radiation therapy, and biologically-optimized radiation treatment. Challenges in patient safety in high-technology radiation treatments will be briefly reviewed. Second, the educational path to becoming a medical physicist will be reviewed, including undergraduate foundations, graduate training, residency, board certification, and career opportunities. Third, I will introduce the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), which is the professional society that represents, advocates, and advances the field of medical physics (www.aapm.org). [Preview Abstract] |
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