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Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela D, Giovanetti González R, Aguilar Angulo PM, Cruz Hernández LM, Sánchez-Camacho González-Carrato MDP, Rodríguez Sánchez A, Tiberi G, Romero Castellano C. Integrating clinical research in an operative screening and diagnostic breast imaging department: First experience, results and perspectives using microwave imaging. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21904. [PMID: 38027895 PMCID: PMC10661199 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale and objectives Clinical research is crucial for evaluating new medical procedures and devices. It is important for healthcare units and hospitals to minimize the disruptions caused by conducting clinical studies; however, complex clinical pathways require dedicated recruitment and study designs.This work presents the effective introduction of novel microwave breast imaging (MBI), via MammoWave apparatus, into the clinical routine of an operative screening and diagnostic breast imaging department for conducting a multicentric clinical study. Materials and methods Microwave breast imaging, using MammoWave apparatus, was performed on volunteers coming from different clinical pathways. Clinical data, comprising demographics and conventional radiologic reports (used as reference standard), was collected; a satisfaction questionnaire was filled by every volunteer. Microwave images were analyzed by an automatic clinical decision support system, which quantified their corresponding features to discriminate between breasts with no relevant radiological findings (NF) and breasts with described findings (WF). Results Conventional breast imaging (DBT, US, MRI) and MBI were performed and adapted to assure best clinical practices and optimum pathways. 180 volunteers, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, were enrolled in the study. After microwave images' quality assessment, 48 NF (15 dense) and 169 WF (88 dense) breasts were used for the prospective study; 48 (18 dense) breasts suffered from a histology-confirmed carcinoma. An overall sensitivity of 85.8 % in breasts lesions' detection was achieved by the microwave imaging apparatus. Conclusion An optimum recruitment strategy was implemented to assess MBI. Future trials may show the clinical usefulness of microwave imaging, which may play an important role in breast screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
- Faculty of Chemical Science and Technology, Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada, University of Castilla, La Mancha, 13001, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rubén Giovanetti González
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
| | - Paul Martín Aguilar Angulo
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
| | - Lina Marcela Cruz Hernández
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
| | | | - Ana Rodríguez Sánchez
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081, Perugia, Italy
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, SE1 0AA, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Romero Castellano
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007, Toledo, Spain
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Canicattì E, Sánchez-Bayuela DÁ, Romero Castellano C, Aguilar Angulo PM, Giovanetti González R, Cruz Hernández LM, Ruiz Martín J, Tiberi G, Monorchio A. Dielectric Characterization of Breast Biopsied Tissues as Pre-Pathological Aid in Early Cancer Detection: A Blinded Feasibility Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3015. [PMID: 37761382 PMCID: PMC10527865 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13183015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dielectric characterization has significant potential in several medical applications, providing valuable insights into the electromagnetic properties of biological tissues for disease diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of therapeutic interventions. This work presents the use of a custom-designed electromagnetic characterization system, based on an open-ended coaxial probe, for discriminating between benign and malignant breast tissues in a clinical setting. The probe's development involved a well-balanced compromise between physical feasibility and its combined use with a reconstruction algorithm known as the virtual transmission line model (VTLM). Immediately following the biopsy procedure, the dielectric properties of the breast tissues were reconstructed, enabling tissue discrimination based on a rule-of-thumb using the obtained dielectric parameters. A comparative analysis was then performed by analyzing the outcomes of the dielectric investigation with respect to conventional histological results. The experimental procedure took place at Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo-Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Spain, where excised breast tissues were collected and subsequently analyzed using the dielectric characterization system. A comprehensive statistical evaluation of the probe's performance was carried out, obtaining a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 81.6%, 61.5%, and 73.4%, respectively, compared to conventional histological assessment, considered as the gold standard in this investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Canicattì
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT), 43124 Parma, Italy
- Free Space Srl, 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniel Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
- Faculty of Chemical Science and Technology, Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada, University of Castilla—La Mancha, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Cristina Romero Castellano
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | - Paul Martín Aguilar Angulo
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | - Rubén Giovanetti González
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | - Lina Marcela Cruz Hernández
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | - Juan Ruiz Martín
- Anatomic Pathology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK
| | - Agostino Monorchio
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT), 43124 Parma, Italy
- Free Space Srl, 56122 Pisa, Italy
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Sánchez-Bayuela DÁ, Ghavami N, Tiberi G, Sani L, Vispa A, Bigotti A, Raspa G, Badia M, Papini L, Ghavami M, Castellano CR, Bernardi D, Calabrese M, Tagliafico AS. A multicentric, single arm, prospective, stratified clinical investigation to evaluate MammoWave's ability in breast lesions detection. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288312. [PMID: 37450545 PMCID: PMC10348515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Microwave imaging is a safe and promising new technology in breast radiology, avoiding discomfort of breast compression and usage of ionizing radiation. This paper presents the first prospective microwave breast imaging study during which both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects were recruited. Specifically, a prospective multicentre international clinical trial was performed in 2020-2021, to investigate the capability of a microwave imaging device (MammoWave) in allowing distinction between breasts with no radiological finding (NF) and breasts with radiological findings (WF), i.e., with benign or malignant lesions. Each breast scan was performed with the volunteers lying on a dedicated examination table in a comfortable prone position. MammoWave output was compared to reference standard (i.e., radiologic study obtained within the last month and integrated with histological one if available and deemed necessary by responsible investigator) to classify breasts into NF/WF categories. MammoWave output consists of a selection of microwave images' features (determined prior to trials' start), which allow distinction between NF and WF breasts (using statistical significance p<0.05). 353 women were enrolled in the study (mean age 51 years ± 12 [SD], minimum age 19, maximum age 78); MammoWave data from the first 15 women of each site, all with NF breasts, were used for calibration. Following central assessor evaluation, 111 NF (48 dense) and 272 WF (136 dense) breasts were used for comparison with MammoWave output. 272 WF comprised 182 benign findings and 90 malignant histology-confirmed cancer. A sensitivity of 82.3% was achieved (95%CI: 0.78-0.87); sensitivity is maintained when limiting the investigation to histology-confirmed breasts cancer only (90 histology-confirmed breasts cancer have been included in this analysis, having sizes ranging from 3 mm to 60 mm). Specificity value of approximately 50% was achieved as expected, since thresholds were calculated (for each feature) using median value obtained after recruiting the first 15 women (of each site), all NF. This prospective trial may represent another step for introducing microwave imaging into clinical practice, for helping in breast lesion identification in asymptomatic women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, Spain
- Faculty of Chemical Science and Technology, Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada, University of Castilla, La Mancha, Spain
| | - Navid Ghavami
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Sani
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Mario Badia
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Daniela Bernardi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
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Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela D, Ghavami N, Romero Castellano C, Bigotti A, Badia M, Papini L, Raspa G, Palomba G, Ghavami M, Loretoni R, Calabrese M, Tagliafico A, Tiberi G. A Multicentric, Single Arm, Prospective, Stratified Clinical Investigation to Confirm MammoWave's Ability in Breast Lesions Detection. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2100. [PMID: 37370995 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13122100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel techniques, such as microwave imaging, have been implemented in different prototypes and are under clinical validation, especially for breast cancer detection, due to their harmless technology and possible clinical advantages over conventional imaging techniques. In the prospective study presented in this work, we aim to investigate through a multicentric European clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05300464) the effectiveness of the MammoWave microwave imaging device, which uses a Huygens-principle-based radar algorithm for image reconstruction and comprises dedicated image analysis software. A detailed clinical protocol has been prepared outlining all aspects of this study, which will involve adult females having a radiologist study output obtained using conventional exams (mammography and/or ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging) within the previous month. A maximum number of 600 volunteers will be recruited at three centres in Italy and Spain, where they will be asked to sign an informed consent form prior to the MammoWave scan. Conductivity weighted microwave images, representing the homogeneity of the tissues' dielectric properties, will be created for each breast, using a conductivity = 0.3 S/m. Subsequently, several microwave image parameters (features) will be used to quantify the images' non-homogenous behaviour. A selection of these features is expected to allow for distinction between breasts with lesions (either benign or malignant) and those without radiological findings. For all the selected features, we will use Welch's t-test to verify the statistical significance, using the gold standard output of the radiological study review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Álvarez Sánchez-Bayuela
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
- Faculty of Chemical Science and Technology, Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Navid Ghavami
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
| | - Cristina Romero Castellano
- Breast Imaging Department, Radiology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
| | | | - Mario Badia
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Papini
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Raspa
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK
| | | | | | - Alberto Tagliafico
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK
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Dey M, Rana SP, Loretoni R, Duranti M, Sani L, Vispa A, Raspa G, Ghavami M, Dudley S, Tiberi G. Automated breast lesion localisation in microwave imaging employing simplified pulse coupled neural network. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271377. [PMID: 35862368 PMCID: PMC9302781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
MammoWave is a microwave imaging device for breast lesion detection, employing two antennas which rotate azimuthally (horizontally) around the breast. The antennas operate in the 1-9 GHz band and are set in free space, i.e., pivotally, no matching liquid is required. Microwave images, subsequently obtained through the application of Huygens Principle, are intensity maps, representing the homogeneity of the dielectric properties of the breast tissues under test. In this paper, MammoWave is used to realise tissues dielectric differences and localise lesions by segmenting microwave images adaptively employing pulse coupled neural network (PCNN). Subsequently, a non-parametric thresholding technique is modelled to differentiate between breasts having no radiological finding (NF) or benign (BF) and breasts with malignant finding (MF). Resultant findings verify that automated breast lesion localization with microwave imaging matches the gold standard achieving 81.82% sensitivity in MF detection. The proposed method is tested on microwave images acquired from a feasibility study performed in Foligno Hospital, Italy. This study is based on 61 breasts from 35 patients; performance may vary with larger number of datasets and will be subsequently investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreyee Dey
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: ,
| | | | | | - Michele Duranti
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Perugia Hospital, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sani
- UBT - Umbria Bioengineering Technologies Srl, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Raspa
- UBT - Umbria Bioengineering Technologies Srl, Perugia, Italy
| | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Dudley
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
- UBT - Umbria Bioengineering Technologies Srl, Perugia, Italy
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Tiberi G, Ghavami M. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Systems in Biomedical Sensing. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:4403. [PMID: 35746186 PMCID: PMC9231255 DOI: 10.3390/s22124403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The extremely low power transmission levels of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, alongside its advantageously large bandwidth, make it a prime candidate for being used in numerous healthcare scenarios, which require short-range high-data-rate communications and safe radar-based applications [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Tiberi
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK;
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, 06081 Perugia, Italy
| | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK;
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Sani L, Vispa A, Loretoni R, Duranti M, Ghavami N, Alvarez Sánchez-Bayuela D, Caschera S, Paoli M, Bigotti A, Badia M, Scorsipa M, Raspa G, Ghavami M, Tiberi G. Breast lesion detection through MammoWave device: Empirical detection capability assessment of microwave images' parameters. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250005. [PMID: 33848318 PMCID: PMC8043413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
MammoWave is a microwave imaging device for breast lesions detection, which operates using two (azimuthally rotating) antennas without any matching liquid. Images, subsequently obtained by resorting to Huygens Principle, are intensity maps, representing the homogeneity of tissues' dielectric properties. In this paper, we propose to generate, for each breast, a set of conductivity weighted microwave images by using different values of conductivity in the Huygens Principle imaging algorithm. Next, microwave images' parameters, i.e. features, are introduced to quantify the non-homogenous behaviour of the image. We empirically verify on 103 breasts that a selection of these features may allow distinction between breasts with no radiological finding (NF) and breasts with radiological findings (WF), i.e. with lesions which may be benign or malignant. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. We obtained single features Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curves (AUCs) spanning from 0.65 to 0.69. In addition, an empirical rule-of-thumb allowing breast assessment is introduced using a binary score S operating on an appropriate combination of features. Performances of such rule-of-thumb are evaluated empirically, obtaining a sensitivity of 74%, which increases to 82% when considering dense breasts only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Sani
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Loretoni
- Breast Screening and Diagnostic Breast Cancer Unit, AUSL Umbria 2, Foligno, Italy
| | - Michele Duranti
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Perugia Hospital, Perugia, Italy
| | - Navid Ghavami
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | - Martina Paoli
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Mario Badia
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- UBT—Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Perugia, Italy
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
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Sohani B, Puttock J, Khalesi B, Ghavami N, Ghavami M, Dudley S, Tiberi G. Developing Artefact Removal Algorithms to Process Data from a Microwave Imaging Device for Haemorrhagic Stroke Detection. Sensors (Basel) 2020; 20:s20195545. [PMID: 32998256 PMCID: PMC7582349 DOI: 10.3390/s20195545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we present an investigation of different artefact removal methods for ultra-wideband Microwave Imaging (MWI) to evaluate and quantify current methods in a real environment through measurements using an MWI device. The MWI device measures the scattered signals in a multi-bistatic fashion and employs an imaging procedure based on Huygens principle. A simple two-layered phantom mimicking human head tissue is realised, applying a cylindrically shaped inclusion to emulate brain haemorrhage. Detection has been successfully achieved using the superimposition of five transmitter triplet positions, after applying different artefact removal methods, with the inclusion positioned at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. The different artifact removal methods have been proposed for comparison to improve the stroke detection process. To provide a valid comparison between these methods, image quantification metrics are presented. An "ideal/reference" image is used to compare the artefact removal methods. Moreover, the quantification of artefact removal procedures through measurements using MWI device is performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Sohani
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - James Puttock
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
| | - Banafsheh Khalesi
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
| | - Navid Ghavami
- UBT-Umbria Bioengineering Technologies, Spin off of University of Perugia, 06081 Assisi, Italy;
| | - Mohammad Ghavami
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
| | - Sandra Dudley
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK; (J.P.); (B.K.); (M.G.); (S.D.); (G.T.)
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Brizi D, Fontana N, Costa F, Tiberi G, Galante A, Alecci M, Monorchio A. Design of Distributed Spiral Resonators for the Decoupling of MRI Double-Tuned RF Coils. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2020; 67:2806-2816. [PMID: 32031927 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2020.2971843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A systematic analytical approach to design Spiral Resonators (SRs), acting as distributed magnetic traps (DMTs), for the decoupling of concentric Double-Tuned (DT) RF coils suitable for Ultra-High Field (7 T) MRI is presented. METHODS The design is based on small planar SRs placed in between the two RF loops (used for signal detection of the two nuclei of interest). We developed a general framework based on a fully analytical approach to estimate the mutual coupling between the RF coils and to provide design guidelines for the geometry and number of SRs to be employed. Starting from the full-analytical estimations of the SRs geometry, electromagnetic simulations for improving and validating the performance can be carried out. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We applied the method to a test case of a DT RF coil consisting of two concentric and coplanar loops used for 7 T MRI, tuned at the Larmor frequencies of the proton (1H, 298 MHz) and sodium (23Na, 79 MHz) nuclei, respectively. We performed numerical simulations and experimental measurements on fabricated prototypes, which both demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed design procedure. SIGNIFICANCE The decoupling is achieved by printing the SRs on the same dielectric substrate of the RF coils thus allowing a drastic simplification of the fabrication procedure. It is worth noting that there are no physical connections between the decoupling SRs and the 1H/23Na RF coils, thus providing a mechanically robust experimental set-up, and improving the transceiver design with respect to other traditional decoupling techniques.
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Rana SP, Dey M, Tiberi G, Sani L, Vispa A, Raspa G, Duranti M, Ghavami M, Dudley S. Machine Learning Approaches for Automated Lesion Detection in Microwave Breast Imaging Clinical Data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10510. [PMID: 31324863 PMCID: PMC6642213 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast lesion detection employing state of the art microwave systems provide a safe, non-ionizing technique that can differentiate healthy and non-healthy tissues by exploiting their dielectric properties. In this paper, a microwave apparatus for breast lesion detection is used to accumulate clinical data from subjects undergoing breast examinations at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Perugia Hospital, Perugia, Italy. This paper presents the first ever clinical demonstration and comparison of a microwave ultra-wideband (UWB) device augmented by machine learning with subjects who are simultaneously undergoing conventional breast examinations. Non-ionizing microwave signals are transmitted through the breast tissue and the scattering parameters (S-parameter) are received via a dedicated moving transmitting and receiving antenna set-up. The output of a parallel radiologist study for the same subjects, performed using conventional techniques, is taken to pre-process microwave data and create suitable data for the machine intelligence system. These data are used to train and investigate several suitable supervised machine learning algorithms nearest neighbour (NN), multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network, and support vector machine (SVM) to create an intelligent classification system towards supporting clinicians to recognise breasts with lesions. The results are rigorously analysed, validated through statistical measurements, and found the quadratic kernel of SVM can classify the breast data with 98% accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Prakash Rana
- Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Maitreyee Dey
- Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
- UBT Srl, Spin Off of the University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sani
- UBT Srl, Spin Off of the University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Raspa
- UBT Srl, Spin Off of the University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Michele Duranti
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Perugia Hospital, Perugia, Italy
| | - Mohammad Ghavami
- Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Dudley
- Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
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Gagliardi V, Tiberi G, Biagi L, Retico A, Symms M, Stara R, Aringhieri G, Zampa V, Tosetti M. 252. Prediction of subject-specific SAR distribution in MSK MR exam at 7 T. Phys Med 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2018.04.263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Paoli M, Sani L, Vispa A, Raspa G, Tiberi G, Angelucci M, Ceccarelli D. 257. Workplace Safety: Risks assessment of electromagnetic fields exposure. Phys Med 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2018.04.268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Andreuccetti D, Biagi L, Burriesci G, Cannatà V, Contessa GM, Falsaperla R, Genovese E, Lodato R, Lopresto V, Merla C, Napolitano A, Pinto R, Tiberi G, Tosetti M, Zoppetti N. Occupational exposure in MR facilities due to movements in the static magnetic field. Med Phys 2017; 44:5988-5996. [PMID: 28857189 DOI: 10.1002/mp.12537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The exposure of operators moving in the static field of magnetic resonance (MR) facilities was assessed through measurements of the magnetic flux density, which is experienced as variable in time because of the movement. Collected data were processed to allow the comparison with most recent and authoritative safety standards. METHODS Measurements of the experienced magnetic flux density B were performed using a probe worn by volunteers moving in MR environments. A total of 55 datasets were acquired nearby a 1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T whole body scanners. Three different metrics were applied: the maximum intensity of B, to be compared with 2013/35/EU Directive exposure limit values for static fields; the maximum variation of the vector B on every 3s-interval, for comparison with the ICNIRP-2014 basic restriction aimed at preventing vertigo effects; two weighted-peak indices (for "sensory" and "health" effects: SENS-WP, HLTH-WP), assessing compliance with ICNIRP-2014 and EU Directive recommendations intended to prevent stimulation effects. RESULTS Peak values of |B| were greater than 2 T in nine of the 55 datasets. All the datasets at 1.5 T and 3 T were compliant with the limit for vertigo effects, whereas six datasets at 7 T turned out to be noncompliant. At 7 T, all 36 datasets were noncompliant for the SENS-WP index and 26 datasets even for the HLTH-WP one. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate that compliance with EU Directive limits for static fields does not guarantee compliance with ICNIRP-2014 reference levels and clearly show that movements in the static field could be the key component of the occupational exposure to EMF in MR facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Andreuccetti
- IFAC-CNR ("Nello Carrara" Institute for Applied Physics of the Italian National Research Council), via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Laura Biagi
- IMAGO7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Burriesci
- INAIL (Italian Workers' Compensation Authority), via di Fontana Candida 1, 00040, Monte Porzio Catone (Rome), Italy
| | - Vittorio Cannatà
- IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Marco Contessa
- ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) - Casaccia Research Centre, via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosaria Falsaperla
- INAIL (Italian Workers' Compensation Authority), via di Fontana Candida 1, 00040, Monte Porzio Catone (Rome), Italy
| | - Elisabetta Genovese
- IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Lodato
- INAIL (Italian Workers' Compensation Authority), via di Fontana Candida 1, 00040, Monte Porzio Catone (Rome), Italy
| | - Vanni Lopresto
- ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) - Casaccia Research Centre, via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Merla
- ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) - Casaccia Research Centre, via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Napolitano
- IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, piazza Sant'Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosanna Pinto
- ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) - Casaccia Research Centre, via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- IMAGO7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michela Tosetti
- IMAGO7 Foundation and IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Zoppetti
- IFAC-CNR ("Nello Carrara" Institute for Applied Physics of the Italian National Research Council), via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
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Giovannetti G, Tiberi G. Radiofrequency magnetic resonance coils and communication antennas: Simulation and design strategies. Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 44:1-7. [PMID: 28757459 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Coils simulation and design is a fundamental task to maximize Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Magnetic Resonance applications. In the meantime, in the last years the issue of accurate communication antennas analysis has grown. Coil design techniques take advantage of computer simulations in dependence on the magnetic field wavelength and coil sizes. In particular, since at high frequencies coils start to behave as antennas, modern Magnetic Resonance coil development exploits numerical methods typically employed for antennas simulation. This paper reviews coil and antenna performance parameters and focuses on the different simulation approaches in dependence on the near/far field zones and operating frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, Pisa, Italy; Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR - Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy; Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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Tiberi G, Costagli M, Biagi L, Ciantis AD, Fontana N, Stara R, Symms MR, Cosottini M, Guerrini R, Tosetti M. SAR prediction in adults and children by combining measured B1+ maps and simulations at 7.0 Tesla. J Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 44:1048-55. [DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Tiberi
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | - Mauro Costagli
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | - Laura Biagi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | | | - Nunzia Fontana
- Department of Information Engineering; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN); Pisa Italy
| | - Riccardo Stara
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN); Pisa Italy
| | | | - Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
| | | | - Michela Tosetti
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
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16
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Tiberi G, Fontana N, Monorchio A, Stara R, Retico A, Tosetti M. Evaluation of 3D radio-frequency electromagnetic fields for any matching and coupling conditions by the use of basis functions. J Magn Reson 2015; 261:38-42. [PMID: 26529200 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A procedure for evaluating radio-frequency electromagnetic fields in anatomical human models for any matching and coupling conditions is introduced. The procedure resorts to the extraction of basis functions: such basis functions, which represent the fields produced by each individual port without any residual coupling, are derived through an algebraic procedure which uses the S parameter matrix and the fields calculated in one (only) full-wave simulation. The basis functions are then used as building-blocks for calculating the fields for any other S parameter matrix. The proposed approach can be used both for volume coil driven in quadrature and for parallel transmission configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Tiberi
- Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy; IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | - Michela Tosetti
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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17
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Tiberi G, Fontana N, Costagli M, Stara R, Biagi L, Symms MR, Monorchio A, Retico A, Cosottini M, Tosetti M. Investigation of maximum local specific absorption rate in 7 T magnetic resonance with respect to load size by use of electromagnetic simulations. Bioelectromagnetics 2015; 36:358-66. [DOI: 10.1002/bem.21907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Tiberi
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | - Nunzia Fontana
- Department of Information Engineering; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN); Pisa Italy
| | - Mauro Costagli
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | - Riccardo Stara
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN); Pisa Italy
- Physics Department; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
| | - Laura Biagi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
| | | | - Agostino Monorchio
- Department of Information Engineering; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN); Pisa Italy
| | | | - Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
| | - Michela Tosetti
- Imago7 Foundation; Pisa Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance; IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation; Pisa Italy
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Toncelli A, Noeske R, Cosottini M, Costagli M, Domenici V, Tiberi G, Tosetti M. STEAM-MiTiS: An MR spectroscopy method for the detection of scalar-coupled metabolites and its application to glutamate at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2014; 74:1515-22. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ralph Noeske
- MR Applications and Workflow Development; GE Healthcare; Berlin Germany
| | - Mirco Cosottini
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
- Fondazione IMAGO7; Pisa Italy
| | - Mauro Costagli
- Fondazione IMAGO7; Pisa Italy
- Laboratorio di Fisica Medica e Biotecnologie per la Risonanza Magnetica IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris; Pisa Italy
| | - Valentina Domenici
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale; University of Pisa; Pisa Italy
| | - Gianluigi Tiberi
- Fondazione IMAGO7; Pisa Italy
- Laboratorio di Fisica Medica e Biotecnologie per la Risonanza Magnetica IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris; Pisa Italy
| | - Michela Tosetti
- Fondazione IMAGO7; Pisa Italy
- Laboratorio di Fisica Medica e Biotecnologie per la Risonanza Magnetica IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris; Pisa Italy
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Costagli M, Kelley DAC, Symms MR, Biagi L, Stara R, Maggioni E, Tiberi G, Barba C, Guerrini R, Cosottini M, Tosetti M. Tissue Border Enhancement by inversion recovery MRI at 7.0 Tesla. Neuroradiology 2014; 56:517-23. [DOI: 10.1007/s00234-014-1365-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Ghavami N, Tiberi G, Edwards DJ, Safaai-Jazi A, Monorchio A. HUYGENS PRINCIPLE BASED IMAGING OF MULTILAYERED OBJECTS WITH INCLUSIONS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.2528/pierb13121002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Tiberi G, Costagli M, Stara R, Cosottini M, Tropp J, Tosetti M. Electromagnetic characterization of an MR volume coil with multilayered cylindrical load using a 2-D analytical approach. J Magn Reson 2013; 230:186-197. [PMID: 23548562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2013.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Revised: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We present an analytical method for the analysis of Radio Frequency (RF) volume coils for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), using a 2-D full wave solution with loading by multilayered cylinders. This allows the characterization of radio-frequency E, H, B1, B1(+) fields. Comparisons are provided with experimental data obtained at 7.0 T. The procedure permits us to clearly separate the solution to single line source problem (which we call the primordial solution) and the composite solution (i.e. full coil, i.e. the summations of primordial solutions according to the resonator drive configuration). The capability of separating the primordial solution and the composite one is fundamental for a thorough analysis of the phenomena of dielectric resonance, and of standing wave and multi-source interference. We show that dielectric resonance can be identified only by looking at the electromagnetic field from a single line source.
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Scansetti G, Mollo F, Tiberi G, Andrion A, Piolatto G. Pleural mesothelioma after a short interval from first exposure in the wine filter industry. Am J Ind Med 1984; 5:335-9. [PMID: 6326567 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.4700050410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Pleural mesotheliomas are usually reported after a long interval has passed since first exposure to asbestos. We, however, describe a case observed after a latent period of only 7.5 years in a worker exposed in a factory manufacturing auxiliary products for wine treatment, including chrysotile asbestos filters. The exposure to asbestos lasted 3-4 months per year, during which airborne fiber concentrations ranged from 1 to 4 ff/cc in the patient's workplace. Due to the characteristics of the manufacturing process, the asbestos fibers were very thin in diameter. The patient also suffered from nasal breathing impairment. An examination of the literature showed that asbestos-related mesotheliomas have been reported, albeit rarely, after less than 10 years from onset of exposure. Therefore, it is believed that this case should be related to past exposure to asbestos.
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