Informatics, T1 to T2

computer science

computer science

• the study of computers and computational systems including their principles, design, implementation, and applications. (University of Maryland, 2019).

• It encompasses both theoretical and practical aspects of computing, focusing on the development of algorithms, software systems, and computer hardware.

Information Technology

• is the use of any computers, storage, networking and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data.

• it also refers to the use, development, and management of computer-based systems, software, and networks to store, transmit, retrieve, and manipulate data and information.

information science

• is the science and practice dealing with the effective collection, storage, retrieval, and use of information.

• It is concerned with recordable information and knowledge, and the technologies and related services that facilitate their management and use.

Bioinformatics

• is important for data management from the biology world and modern medicine.

• This is a software program that is supported by the availability of the internet.

• Prospects in this field include its future contribution to functional understanding of the human genome, leading to enhanced discovery of drug targets and individualized therapy.

Biomedical Informatics

• a field that combines different areas of study to understand and enhance the use of biomedical data for scientific research, problem-solving, and improving human health.

• It explores and models various biological systems to bridge the gap between basic and clinical research and apply these findings to enhance healthcare.

• It also considers the human aspect by including social and behavioral sciences when assessing technical solutions.

Medical Informatics

• a branch of health informatics, combines knowledge from the fields of medicine and computer science to enhance healthcare and achieve better outcomes for patients.

• in this interdisciplinary domain, experts leverage their expertise in both areas to effectively utilize technology in various aspects of patient care, clinical practices, and research environments.

Biomedicine

• branch of medical science that applies biological and physiological principles to medical treatments.

• It is the umbrella theoretical framework for most health science and health technology work done in academic and government settings.

• Western medical practices and the surrounding healthcare infrastructure are principally biomedical.

• it allows medical professionals to understand how the human body functions through molecular level.

• This field has served as the foundation for the most current medical advancements and therapeutic strategies.

Why is biomedicine important for the healthcare industry?

healthcare information technology

• Health IT

• involves the processing, storage, and exchange of health information in an electronic environment.

• will improve the quality of healthcare and;

• prevent medical errors

why is healthcare information technology important?

image data acquisition

the act of retrieving an image from an external source for future image processing

image data acquisition (in radiology)

• the primary point of data entry into a PACS, errors created here can spread throughout the system, thereby impacting healthcare operations.

• Digital data from multiple imaging modalities is then processed for input into a picture archiving and communication system (PACS).

Picture Archiving and Communication System

• PACS

• This system is used for storing, retrieving, distributing pictures generated by various medical imaging modalities (X-ray, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound)

• radiography

• flouroscopy

• computed tomography

categories of x-ray

radiography

employs film or a solid-state image receptor to acquire static images for interpretation by a radiologist.

flouroscopy

• classically employed with an x-ray tube under an examination table while providing images on a monitor or display typically in real-time.

• medical imaging process that uses numerous pulses (short bursts) of an X-ray beam to display the internal organs and tissues on a computer screen in real time.

Computed Tomography Scan

• CT Scan

• employs an x-ray source coupled with a detector array that is rotating around the patient with subsequent reconstruction of images into different planes.

• combines a sequence of X-ray images collected from various angles around the body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones, blood arteries, and soft tissues inside the body.

• The images produced in this modality contain more information than standard X-rays.

• contrast

• density

• dynamic range

• spatial resolution

• noise

• signal to noise ratio (SNR)

• artifacts

What are the factors that affects radiographic image quality?

Contrast

Is a term for quality that is intended to compare two adjacent densities.

density

degree of blackening of a film

Dynamic Range

the range of different X-ray intensity that the detector is capable of imaging.

radiographic detectors that offer good contrast over a wide dynamic range

what are needed to produce high-quality digital radiographs?

detectors with large dynamic range will display very low or very high exposure values in an image.

Viewers can see the range of various visible intensities because?

too white or too black with no obvious contrast

The extreme exposure intensities would seem, what?

more visible contrast.

narrow latitude photos display, what?

Spatial Resolution

its capacity to tell nearby structures apart from one another.

lp/mm

line pairs per millimeter

a bar pattern with alternate radio-dense bars and radiolucent spaces of equal width can be taken.

how to get a reliable measure of spatial resolution in terms of line pairs per millimeter?

Noise

• radiographic noise

• the variations in an image that are random or structured but do not match the variations in an object's X-ray attenuation

noise power spectrum

most accurate noise metric for determining the noise's spatial frequency content.

quantum noise

• the amount of X-ray quanta required to create the image

• primarily responsible for image noise.

to manage exposure parameter.

what is the most effective technique to lessen quantum noise?

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

• SNR

• an important statistic that includes the impacts of contrast, resolution, and noise

the higher the signal and lower the noise

The better the image quality,

images with high SNR

The recognition of small and lower contrast structures is made possible by, what?

detective quantum efficiency

• DQE

• the greatest way to determine how well an imaging system transfers signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

human detection capacity increases.

increased SNR means, what?

inverse

what is the relationship between DQE and the necessary radiation exposure?

Artifacts

• motion artifacts, equipment malfunctions, processing errors, or foreign objects, can negatively affect image quality.

• Identifying and minimizing or correcting these are essential for obtaining high-quality images.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan

• Diagnostic ultrasound

• Mammography

• Single-photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) Scan

• Fluoroscopy

• X-ray

What are the different Imaging Modalities?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• MRI

• a medical imaging procedure that creates detailed images of the body's organs and tissues by using a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves.

Positron Emission Tomography Scan

• PET Scan

• a type of imaging examination that can reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of tissues and organs.

• employs a radioactive chemical known as a tracer to detect both normal and abnormal metabolic activity.

Diagnostic Ultrasound

• Sonography/Diagnostic Medical Sonography

• type of imaging that employs sound waves to create images of structures within the body.

Mammography

• an x-ray imaging technique used to check the breast in order to detect cancer and other breast disorders early.

Single-photon Emission Computerized Tomography Scan

• SPECT Scan

• a type of nuclear imaging scan that combines computed tomography (CT) and a radioactive tracer.

• Doctors can examine how blood travels to tissues and organs due to the tracer.

• It may be utilized to aid in the diagnosis of seizures, strokes, and infections.

video

Standard X-rays i pictures; fluoroscopy is to what?

x-ray

• a rapid, painless diagnostic examination that generates images of the structures inside the human body, specifically the bones.

• penetrate through the body and are absorbed in varying degrees depending on the density of the substance.

Image processing

• designed to convert the raw digital image to an optimal or usable radiographic image.

• It involves the use of several computational methods and algorithms to modify and improve digital images obtained from radiographic imaging modalities (x-rays, CT, MRI, ultrasound)

• to display the full object range;

• to improve local contrast;

• to optimize spatial resolution of the digital system, and;

• to suppress image noise.

goals of image processing:

software and algorithms

what are used to assess and enhance the quality and diagnostic utility of radiographic pictures?

preprocessing

• refers to the initial steps that are applied to the raw imaging data and is generally out of the hands of the imaging device operator or the end-user, the radiologist.

• methods account for defects, imperfections, and non-uniformity in the detection system and are usually built into each manufacturer's system.

• the way in which this is performed will depend on the readout character of the detector system.

• Point scan systems (laser-based computed radiography [CR]), linear scan systems (newer CR and some charged-couple devices [CCD]), and;

• two–dimensional fixed array systems (CCD, direct and indirect DR)

these will require different forms of preprocessing to correct for system imperfections:

Processing

• When a digital radiography (DR) image is created, it's like taking a picture with a special camera that captures X-rays.

• This camera creates a grid of tiny squares, each representing a different level of X-ray exposure. 

• These squares have a wide range of brightness levels and respond consistently to X-rays, which is good for making accurate images.

• However, because there are so many brightness levels, it can be hard to see subtle details or differences in certain areas, like finding small abnormalities.

postprocessing

• After the initial image processing.

• Once the raw digital data has been refined using algorithms, the resulting image is ready to be viewed.

• At the viewing station, additional adjustments can be made to the contrast and brightness of the image using windowing and leveling techniques.

windowing and leveling techniques

what are the techniques to ajdust the contrast and brightness of the image during postprocessing at the viewing station?