Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a new CT imaging technique that could improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A team that includes Dr. Ella Kazerooni has worked on the technology, called parametric response mapping, as a means of comparing lung volume in inspiratory and expiratory CT scans to determine the extent and severity of COPD. The technique's ability to localize disease on a voxel-by-voxel basis could enable clinicians to detect functional small airway disease and characterize the severity of COPD throughout the lungs, a vast improvement over spirometry measured as forced expiratory volume, the researchers said.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit the CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
While you're in the community, check out an article on a study by Mayo Clinic researchers who used an iterative reconstruction protocol to acquire virtual colonoscopy studies at half the radiation dose of conventional exams. The technique was developed to enable better comparisons of radiation dose in clinical studies, but the clinical application also confirmed the utility of iterative reconstruction for halving the radiation dose.
Finally, read about how South Korean researchers developed a software protocol that reduces CT radiation dose by combining automatic tube voltage selection and automatic tube current modulation in the same CT scan.
Multiframe MRI for coronaries
While we're on the subject of new imaging protocols, check out an article on a new MRI technique tested by researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to identify coronary artery disease in its earliest stages. The technique captures five continuous image frames to increase the ability to obtain a clear image with no blurring. Learn how they did it by clicking here.
Also read about research conducted in Canada that uses MRI in combination with a linear accelerator to provide real-time tracking of moving targets, such as tumors, during radiation therapy. You'll find the story by clicking here, or visit our MRI Digital Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
MU gets political
Finally, it's perhaps no surprise that the U.S. government's "meaningful use" (MU) program to stimulate the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) eventually found its way into this year's political debate. A group of Republican congressional members has written a letter criticizing the program as a waste of taxpayer money.
They're asking that payments be stopped until the program can be re-examined. Learn more by clicking here, or visit our Healthcare IT Digital Community at healthcareit.auntminnie.com.
