Browsing by Author "Costa, Durval C."
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- Comparison between 3D laser scanning and computed tomography on the modelling of head surfacePublication . Sousa, Eva; Vieira, Lina; Costa, D. M.; Costa, Durval C.; Parafita, R.; Loja, M. A.The measurement of people physical parameters and proportions constitutes an important field of science, the anthropometry since it is related to the characterization of the human size and constitution; it allows improving the design and sizing of systems and devices to human use. To enable these measurements, different direct and indirect methodologies may be used depending on the particular aim of a specific study and on the eventual availability of data sources that can be used also for this purpose. Because of this relevance, the present work intends to assess the influence of different acquisition and reconstruction methods in the modeling of a 3D head surface. In order to assess the significance of the differences between acquisition and reconstruction methods, a set of measurements between several anatomic references of a physical phantom were carried out. Statistical evaluation using the Friedman test for non-parametrical pared samples was considered. We found, so far, no statistically significant differences between the several methods considered for acquisition and reconstruction.
- Estudo da influência do número de ciclos por projecção no cálculo da fracção de ejecção ventricular esquerda em estudos Gated-SPECTPublication . Vieira, Lina; Faria, Diogo; Patrina, Joana; Nunes, Cátia; Sousa, Diogo; Ribeiro, Liliana; Almeida, Pedro; Costa, Durval C.Introdução - Gated-Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Gated-SPECT) do miocárdio usa-se cada vez mais na avaliação conjunta da perfusão do miocárdio e da função ventricular esquerda. O objectivo deste estudo é analisar a possível interferência do número de ciclos cardíacos (ciclos/projecção) e contagens totais por aquisição no cálculo da FEVE (fracção de ejecção do ventrículo esquerdo). Material e métodos - Foram incluídos 35 indivíduos a quem foram realizados estudos Gated-SPECT do miocárdio por indicação clínica. Em todos os pacientes foram adquiridos dois estudos em esforço: um com 25 ciclos! projecção (ES-25) e outro com 50 ciclos! projecção (ES-50), e dois estudos em repouso: um com 25 ciclos/projecção (ER-25) e outro com 12 ciclos! projecção (ER-1 2). Os valores da FEVE obtidos nos diferentes estudos foram tratados estatisticamente com o recurso à versão 14 SPSS. Resultados - Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os valores de FEVE ES-25 e ES-50 (p=0.504) nem entre os valores de FEVE ER-25 e ER-12 (p=O.243). Conclusão - No caso da nossa amostra, o número de ciclos!projecção e consequentemente as contagens totais por aquisição não parecem ter influência de forma significativa no cálculo da FEVE%, nem em repouso nem após esforço.
- Evaluation of the attenuation correction on myocardial perfusion imaging: a phantom studyPublication . Machado, Marisa; Oliveira, Francisco P. M.; Vieira, Lina Oliveira; Costa, Durval C.Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is important for risk stratification of coronary artery disease. MPI quantification obtained from available images may not be accurate due to several potential sources of error, being photon attenuation, especially in overweight patients, a significant problem. Attenuation maps derived from X-ray computed tomography (CT) may be used to correct for photon attenuation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of non-attenuation correction (NAC) and attenuation correction (AC) in MPI SPECT imaging using anthropomorphic phantoms simulating patients with different attenuation profiles. Forty-nine SPECT and CT studies of Heart/Thorax phantoms with different attenuation layers were acquired. All SPECT imaging data were reconstructed with and without AC. Quantification of the myocardial signal (uptake) was performed in four regions of interest: septum, anterior wall, inferior wall, and apex. This was done both in NAC and AC SPECT images. A qualitative evaluation was performed by a nuclear medicine physician also in NAC and AC SPECT images. The results demonstrated, as expected, statistically lower counts when the thickness of the phantom attenuating material increased and attenuation correction was lacking. On the other hand, when attenuation correction was applied, there were no statistically significant count differences whatever the thickness of the phantom attenuating material. In the qualitative evaluation, the nuclear medicine physician observed small variations in the anterior wall uptake according to the various conditions under test. However, the changes were not statistically significant. In conclusion, there is no evidence that the effects of attenuation in overweight patients are not properly corrected when the MPI SPECT images are reconstructed with CT-based AC. In terms of qualitative visual assessment, there is no significant variation in the classification of myocardial walls uptake with and without AC when the evaluation is done by an experienced physician.
- Image quality of myocardial perfusion-gated studies: effect of ingestion of different fat content in the reduction of extra-myocardial abdominal signalPublication . Vieira, Lina; Almeida, Pedro; Costa, Durval C.Myocardial perfusion-gated-SPECT (MP-gated-SPECT) imaging often shows radiotracer uptake in abdominal organs. This accumulation interferes frequently with qualitative and quantitative assessment of the infero-septal region of myocardium. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of ingestion of different fat content on the reduction of extra-myocardial uptake and to improve MP-gated-SPECT image quality. In this study, 150 patients (65 ^ 18 years) who were referred for MP-gated-SPECT underwent a 1-day-protocol including imaging after stress (physical or pharmacological) and resting conditions. All patients gave written informed consent. Patients were subdivided into five groups: GI, GII, GIII, GIV and GV. In the first four groups, patients ate two chocolate bars with different fat content. Patients in GV – control group (CG) – had just water. Uptake indices (UI) of myocardium (M)/liver(L) and M/stomach–proximal bowel(S) revealed lower UI of M/S at rest in all groups. Both stress and rest studies using different food intake indicate that patients who ate chocolate with different fat content showed better UI of M/L than the CG. The UI of M/L and M/S of groups obtained under physical stress are clearly superior to that of groups obtained under pharmacological stress. These differences are only significant in patients who ate high-fat chocolate or drank water. The analysis of all stress studies together (GI, GII, GIII and GIV) in comparison with CG shows higher mean ranks of UI of M/L for those who ate high-fat chocolate. After pharmacological stress, the mean ranks of UI of M/L were higher for patients who ate high- and low-fat chocolate. In conclusion, eating food with fat content after radiotracer injection increases, respectively, the UI of M/L after stress and rest in MP-gated-SPECT studies. It is, therefore, recommended that patients eat a chocolate bar after radiotracer injection and before image acquisition.
- Imobilização da região da cabeça por prototipagem rápida para fins de diagnóstico e terapêuticaPublication . Craveiro, D. S.; Loja, M. A.; Vieira, Lina; Sousa, Eva; Costa, Durval C.; Parafita, Rui; Rodrigues, J. A.Objetivo do estudo: Modelar e testar, por procedimentos de prototipagem rápida, máscaras de imobilização da cabeça através da imagem médica. Conclusões: Dispositivos de imobilização construídos por prototipagem rápida têm características favoráveis para aplicação em imobilização em diagnóstico e terapia. Para dispositivos de imobilização da cabeça as diferenças encontradas na análise estática realizada foram mínimas.
- Monte Carlo simulation of the basic features of the GE Millennium MG single photon emission computed tomography gamma cameraPublication . Vieira, Lina; Vaz, Tânia; Costa, Durval C.; Almeida, P.Objective - To describe and validate the simulation of the basic features of GE Millennium MG gamma camera using the GATE Monte Carlo platform. Material and methods - Crystal size and thickness, parallel-hole collimation and a realistic energy acquisition window were simulated in the GATE platform. GATE results were compared to experimental data in the following imaging conditions: a point source of 99mTc at different positions during static imaging and tomographic acquisitions using two different energy windows. The accuracy between the events expected and detected by simulation was obtained with the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test. Comparisons were made regarding the measurement of sensitivity and spatial resolution, static and tomographic. Simulated and experimental spatial resolutions for tomographic data were compared with the Kruskal–Wallis test to assess simulation accuracy for this parameter. Results - There was good agreement between simulated and experimental data. The number of decays expected when compared with the number of decays registered, showed small deviation (≤0.007%). The sensitivity comparisons between static acquisitions for different distances from source to collimator (1, 5, 10, 20, 30cm) with energy windows of 126–154 keV and 130–158 keV showed differences of 4.4%, 5.5%, 4.2%, 5.5%, 4.5% and 5.4%, 6.3%, 6.3%, 5.8%, 5.3%, respectively. For the tomographic acquisitions, the mean differences were 7.5% and 9.8% for the energy window 126–154 keV and 130–158 keV. Comparison of simulated and experimental spatial resolutions for tomographic data showed no statistically significant differences with 95% confidence interval. Conclusions - Adequate simulation of the system basic features using GATE Monte Carlo simulation platform was achieved and validated.
- Study of the influence of count’s number in myocardium in the determination of reproducible functional parameters in Gated-SPECT studies simulated with GATEPublication . Vieira, Lina; Sousa, Eva; Vaz, Tânia; Costa, Durval C.; Almeida, PedroMyocardial Perfusion Gated Single Photon Emission Tomography (Gated-SPET) imaging is used for the combined evaluation of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function. But standard protocols of the Gated-SPECT studies require long acquisition times for each study. It is therefore important to reduce as much as possible the total duration of image acquisition. However, it is known that this reduction leads to decrease on counts statistics per projection and raises doubts about the validity of the functional parameters determined by Gated-SPECT. Considering that, it’s difficult to carry out this analysis in real patients. For ethical, logistical and economical matters, simulated studies could be required for this analysis. Objective: Evaluate the influence of the total number of counts acquired from myocardium, in the calculation of myocardial functional parameters (LVEF – left ventricular ejection fraction, EDV – end-diastolic volume, ESV – end-sistolic volume) using routine software procedures.
- The influence of count's number in myocardium in the determination of reproducible parameters in Gated-SPECT studies simulated with GATEPublication . Vaz, Tânia; Vieira, Lina; Sousa, Eva; Costa, Durval C.; Almeida, PedroMyocardial Perfusion Gated Single Photon Emission Tomography (Gated-SPET) imaging is used for the combined evaluation of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular (LV). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of the total number of counts acquired from myocardium, in the calculation of myocardial functional parameters using routine software procedures. Methods: Gated-SPET studies were simulated using Monte Carlo GATE package and NURBS phantom. Simulated data were reconstructed and processed using the commercial software package Quantitative Gated-SPECT. The Bland-Altman and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the influence of the number of total counts in the calculation of LV myocardium functional parameters. Results: In studies simulated with 3MBq in the myocardium there were significant differences in the functional parameters: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-systolic volume (ESV), Motility and Thickness; between studies acquired with 15s/projection and 30s/projection. Simulations with 4.2MBq show significant differences in LVEF, end-diastolic volume (EDV) and Thickness. Meanwhile in the simulations with 5.4MBq and 8.4MBq the differences were statistically significant for Motility and Thickness. Conclusion: The total number of counts per simulation doesn't significantly interfere with the determination of Gated-SPET functional parameters using the administered average activity of 450MBq to 5.4MBq in myocardium.
- The influence of number of counts in the myocardium in the determination of reproducible functional parameters in gated-SPECT studies simulated with GATEPublication . Vieira, Lina; Costa, Durval C.; Almeida, PedroMyocardial perfusion gated-single photon emission computed tomography (gated-SPECT) imaging is used for the combined evaluation of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of counts/pixel and concomitantly the total counts in the myocardium for the calculation of myocardial functional parameters. Material and methods: Gated-SPECT studies were performed using a Monte Carlo GATE simulation package and the NCAT phantom. The simulations of these studies use the radiopharmaceutical 99mTc-labeled tracers (250, 350, 450 and 680MBq) for standard patient types, effectively corresponding to the following activities of myocardium: 3, 4.2, 5.4-8.2MBq. All studies were simulated using 15 and 30s/projection. The simulated data were reconstructed and processed by quantitative-gated-SPECT software, and the analysis of functional parameters in gated-SPECT images was done by using Bland-Altman test and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Results: In studies simulated using different times (15 and 30s/projection), it was noted that for the activities for full body: 250 and 350MBq, there were statistically significant differences in parameters Motility and Thickness. For the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-systolic volume (ESV) it was only for 250MBq, and 350MBq in the end-diastolic volume (EDV), while the simulated studies with 450 and 680MBq showed no statistically significant differences for global functional parameters: LVEF, EDV and ESV. Conclusion: The number of counts/pixel and, concomitantly, the total counts per simulation do not significantly interfere with the determination of gated-SPECT functional parameters, when using the administered average activity of 450MBq, corresponding to the 5.4MBq of the myocardium, for standard patient types.