Calibrations – Penumbra spread,
Distance,
Area/Volume Accuracies-
Penumbra spread = 2.4 pixels (or 1.30mm for pixel size = 0.54mm) across using a 1.2mm X-ray tube-spot.
Distance – At high-contrast & 1% low-contrast edge,
both accurate to 1/50th of a pixel in (delta)r (i.e.
(delta)r in (delta)r/r);
and,
Area/Volume – At high-contrast & 1% low-contrast edge,
accurate to 1/18th & 1/10th of a pixel respectively in (delta)r (i.e.
2(pi)r(delta)r/(pi)r2 or
(delta)(area) = 2(pi)r(delta)r (Volume = Area x Slice-thickness).
High-Contrast Resolution – Mean Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) (Reference 2) at the high-contrast edge were improved from 3.38 lp/cm to 9.61 lp/cm at 50% normalized modulation level after 7x magnification and enhancement.
Processing-Time- 7x Magnification & enhancement of Region-of-Interest (ROI) of size of: 46x46 took 0.11 seconds by a 2.4GHz-CPU.
Figures 1 & 2 show the original coin & wire phantom image and the reduction of the penumbra effect at the guide wire edges 'after' the enhancement.
Field-Examples:-
(1).
100 slices of MR breast images of scan sequence of: (T1_3D_FS+GD)- (3D T1 W Fat suppression with Gadolinium enhancement ) of a 62 year-old female patient were used for diagnosis of tumor.
Image in Series 1,
Slice# MR000068 was diagnosed to have the possible tumor by Dr.
Chuan-Hsun Chang's team at the Cheng Tsin General Hospital of Taipei,
Taiwan.
Slice # MR000068 was further analyzed by our software.
Figure 3 showed the original image with ROI placed on the tumor region.
Figure 4 showed the 7x region of interest (ROI) 'before' and 'after' enhancement.
The enhanced image showed clearer & sharper edge-profiles for diagnosis & measurements of area/volume.
Figure 5 showed the enhanced image with annotation for the area and volume measurements e.g.
Area =188.31±1.52mm2; Volume = 564.93±4.56mm3.
Clearer and sharper changes of profile edges over time may be used to prepare a semi-automatic software,
which requires the diagnostic skill of the user for accurate detections and measurements of early or advanced tumor for the 4D screening field trial for the physiological research study or its accurate treatment monitoring in oncology.
[ Applications – 4D screening field trial measurements &/or oncological treatment monitoring ]
(2).
CR image of tibia fracture of a 13 year-old male patient (#2 - first view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 6 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 7 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 8 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the maximum fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 32.38±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration)
(3) Another CR image at 90 degree to the 13 year-old male patient (#2 second view) was taken.
It was also analyzed by the software.
Figure 9 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 10 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 11 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the fracture gap. Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 18.08±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration).
(4) CR image of distal tibial fracture of an 8 year-old male patient (#9) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 12 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 13 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 14 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the maximum fracture gap. Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 16.43± .02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration).
(5) CR image of spiral fracture of the tibia in plastic cast of a 17 year-old male patient (#14 first view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 15 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 16 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 17 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the maximum fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 18.07± .02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration).
(6) CR image of spiral fracture of the tibia in plastic cast of a 17 year-old male patient (#14 second view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 18 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 19 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 20 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the maximum fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 3.16±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration).
(7) CR image of distal left tibial fracture treated with metal pin and screw of a 16 year old male patient #10 (first view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 21 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 22 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 23 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 5.07±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration);
(8) CR image of distal left fibula and tibial fracture treated with metal pin and screw of a 16 year-old male patient #10 (second view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 24 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 25 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 26 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap of distal left fibula = 3.90±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration);
(9) CR image of right tibial midshaft fracture of a 16 year-old male patient #10 (first view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 27 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 28 showed the 7x ROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 29 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap = 9.40±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration);
and,
(10) CR image of right tibial midshaft fracture of a 16 year-old male patient #10 (second view) was analyzed by the software.
Figure 30 showed the original image with ROI placed on the fracture area.
Figure 31 showed the 7xROI images 'before' and 'after' enhancement side-by-side,
and Figure 32 showed the 7x ROI enhanced image with annotation to measure the fracture gap.
Enhanced image showed clearer and sharper edge-profile for diagnosis & measurement of distance.
Fracture gap=7.96±.02 pixels.
(Absolute unit in mm may be obtained if a known width is put into the image plane for calibration).