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In the United States, fall means football, and every fan knows it can be tough to hit a moving target. This month’s E-News Exclusive details an effort to overcome the ever-changing nature of the body and deliver radiation dose with the deft touch of a franchise quarterback.
We must also point out that radiologists may be some of the great unsung innovators of our day, devising the most ingenious workarounds to deliver results under formidable circumstances. As you have come to expect, we’ll share more of our favorites here.
Aware of any we missed? Hit us up on Twitter and/or Facebook and set things right.
— Dave Yeager, editor |
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Radiotherapy in Motion
Traditional radiation therapy involves taking a reference image of a patient and planning treatment around it, but that method doesn’t account for movement of tumors, tissues, or organs. Movement is a critical challenge for radiotherapists. Tissues or organs that move may receive unintended radiation, and a tumor may not receive the prescribed dose.
A newer method, online adaptive therapy, allows physicians to image a patient in real time and tailor radiation to the specific anatomy of the patient. The Unity system from Elekta combines a 1.5 T MRI scanner with a linear accelerator to precisely locate and track tumors. According to Kevin Brown, global vice president of scientific research for Elekta, treatment delivery can be “adapted in real time in response to changes in tumor position and shape and the relationship to sensitive organs over time. Due to the capability of the MRI, the system also offers the potential to respond to the biological characteristics of the tissue.”
Brown says the Unity system’s ability to provide up-to-date information allows clinicians to maintain smaller tumor margins when delivering treatment and deliver more dose to tumors while reducing dose to surrounding tissues and organs. Clinicians who are currently performing online adaptive therapy see significant potential for its use.
Full story » |
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New App Offers Virtual-Reality MRI Experience
Technicians in the United Kingdom have unveiled a free app designed to offer youngsters—and, often, their equally uneasy parents—a 360-degree view from within an MRI scanner. This accommodation enables families to prepare for a scan in virtual reality, according to The Guardian.
Optical, Ultrasound Tech Combine to Improve Tissue Visualization
Purdue University is spearheading photoacoustic tomography, a noninvasive imaging system that sends pulsed light into body tissue, creating a small increase in temperature that causes the tissue to expand. The acoustic fluctuations can, in turn, be used to visualize the tissue, the researchers say.
3D-Printed Implants Help Grow ‘Real Bone’
Chemically coated ceramic implants successfully guided the regrowth of missing bone in lab animals while steadily dissolving, according to New York University researchers, and implanted scaffolds were naturally absorbed by the test animals’ bodies as new bone gradually replaced the devices.
Researchers Harness Aquatic Navigational Signals
Michigan State University scientists have discovered a navigational gene that allows glass catfish to respond to the Earth’s magnetic waves. This discovery heralds a noninvasive means to stabilize the bodily responses of those suffering from neurological disorders, according to the researchers. |
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“Consider the blood vessels like a river. The conventional way to deliver drugs is to dump them in the river. We will deliver the drug from the nose to directly outside the river, in the perivascular space.”
— Hong Chen, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine, describing a technique profiled in the Journal of Controlled Release that uses ultrasound and its contrast agent to administer drugs into the brainstem |
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Lives in Their Hands
At a pediatric hospital in Orlando, tangible 3D renderings of internal organs ease uncertainty for families whose children are in need of major medical procedures. Read more »
The Need for Speed
Quicker scans mean greater patient satisfaction and savings that go directly to the bottom line. Radiologists are upping efficiency across the board, with everything from awe-inspiring breakthroughs to the most retro human touches in their toolbox. Read more »
More With Less
What does an aeronautical wind tunnel have to do with reducing radiology dose? Catch up on some of the innovations spurring the industry’s efforts to obtain sharper images while keeping long-term consequences to a minimum. Read more »
Comparison Shopping for Your Archive
When it comes to PACS and VNAs, one size does not fit all. Facilities should make proper assessments of their needs and avoid decision-making shortcuts when choosing between multiple technologies and vendors. Read more » |
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