Session S02: Advanced Physics for Medical Imaging and Therapy

The Power of Ultra-High-Resolution CT & Deep Learning in Modern Medical Imaging

Nearly 100 million medical computed tomography (CT) exams are performed every year in the United States, underscoring the crucial role CT plays in both diagnostic imaging and treatment planning. The primary driver behind this substantial clinical demand for CT stems from its ability to generate highly detailed images of patient anatomy in a matter of seconds or less. Recent advancements in technology have introduced commercially available CT systems that can resolve objects as small as 100-200 microns – providing much needed boosts in spatial resolution that may further improve imaging of the heart, lungs, bones, and vascularized tissue in general. Ongoing research and development efforts aim to further refine CT systems, pushing the boundaries of spatial resolution and reducing necessary radiation exposure to patients by implementation of deep-learning reconstruct techniques.

 

This talk will discuss 1) the fundamental physics of ultra-high-resolution CT “UHRCT”, 2) clinical and emerging applications of UHRCT, and 3) applications of deep learning reconstruction techniques for modern CT systems.   

Robotics in high-precision radiation treatment

Cyberknife is developed in early 1990 at Stanford University and is the first FDA approved robotic system for radiation delivery. It is composed of an X band linear accelerator mounted on a 6 joint industry Robot. With the help of an automated X- ray imaging guidance system, the robotic system is capable to delivery high- precision radiation to any part of the body. The advances of CyberKnife system include frameless patient setup, semi real-time imaging guidance and automated robotic correction in dose delivery. This presentation will give an overview of the current CyberKnife technology, its clinical application and the quality assurance program following AAPM Task Group 135.   

Radiologic motion tracing and adaption

Effective motion management during radiation therapy has become crucial with the increased use of hypofractionation and the adoption of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) with tight margins and sharp dose gradients. Majority of motion management techniques in radiation therapy is focused around respiratory motion followed by gastrointestinal motion. Thus, most of the recent advanced radiotherapy machines designed to accommodate accurate targeting, tracking, gating, or accounting for various types of motion. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the contemporary strategies employed in clinics for advanced motion management in radiation therapy.