Events
Upcoming Seminar
A Novel Multimodal Approach for Lung Fibrosis Characterization
Speaker: Dr Lorenzo D’Amico, Research Fellow Post-doc, Monash University & Elettra Italy
Abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe and progressive condition in which the lung becomes scarred over time resulting in pulmonary function impairment. Classical histopathology remains an important tool for micro-structural tissue assessment in the diagnosis of PF. A novel workflow based on spatial correlated propagation-based phase-contrast micro computed tomography (PBI-microCT), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and histopathology was developed and applied to two different preclinical mouse models of PF – the commonly used and well characterized Bleomycin-induced PF and a novel mouse model for progressive PF caused by conditional Nedd4-2 KO. The aim was to integrate structural, chemical, and mechanical features from hallmarks of fibrotic lung tissue remodeling. PBI-microCT was used to assess structural alteration in whole fixed and paraffin embedded lungs, allowing for identification of fibrotic foci within the 3D context of the entire organ and facilitating targeted microtome sectioning of planes of interest for subsequent histopathology. Subsequently, these sections of interest were subjected to FTIR to retrieve the collagen I and III content and AFM to assess changes in the local tissue stiffness of previously identified structures of interest. This workflow for 3D spatial correlation of PBI, targeted histopathology and subsequent FTIR and AFM is tailored around the standard procedure of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens, it may be a powerful tool for the comprehensive tissue assessment beyond the scope of PF and preclinical research.
Bio: DLorenzo D’Amico comes from Trieste (Italy). He holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a PhD in Nanotechnology, both issued by the University of Trieste. During his PhD he worked at SYRMEP the imaging beamline of Elettra, the Italian synchrotron, and in March 2024 joined the IMPACT Synergy Project at the Monash University & Elettra Italy.
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Past Seminars
Synchrotron radiation-based CT for Ultra-High Resolution and Multiscale Lung Imaging
Dr. Willi Wagner
Synchrotron radiation-based Computed Tomography (SR-CT) has emerged as a powerful tool for achieving ultra-high resolution and multiscale imaging of lung structures. This advanced imaging technique utilizes synchrotron radiation, generated by high-energy particle accelerators, to produce X-rays of exceptional intensity and coherence. Through innovative imaging algorithms and specialized detectors, SR-CT offers unprecedented spatial resolution, enabling the visualization of intricate details within lung tissues at the micron scale, holding promise for diagnostic applications in patients.
This talk explores the advancements and applications of SR-CT in lung imaging, emphasizing its ability to provide ultra-high spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity, crucial for visualizing intricate pulmonary structures at various scales. By leveraging the unique properties of synchrotron radiation, SR-CT surpasses the limitations of conventional CT imaging, particularly in differentiating soft tissues and elucidating subtle structural variations associated with lung diseases.
Synchrotron radiation-based CT represents a transformative approach to lung imaging, offering unparalleled resolution and sensitivity for the comprehensive assessment of pulmonary structure and pathologies that affect lung structure, such as emphysema, fibrosis, and lung cancer.
Despite notable progress, challenges remain in translating SR-CT from research laboratories to clinical settings, including accessibility, radiation dose considerations, and workflow integration. Nevertheless, ongoing developments in synchrotron facilities, imaging algorithms, and international collaboration between multidisciplinary teams hold promise for realizing the diagnostic potential of SR-CT in patient care.
Dr. Willi Wagner; Radiology Consultant Physician; Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany; Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg, Member of German Center for Lung Research.
The Importance of Consumer Involvement in Breast Cancer Clinical Trials with Imaging
Professor Sarah Lewis
Professor Sarah Lewis is currently the Associate Dean of Research Performance for the Faculty of Medicine and Health. As a Professor of Medical Imaging, Sarah’s other substantive role is in cancer imaging, supervision of HDR students and accreditation. Professor Lewis has attracted over $17 million dollars in funding through competitive research grants and philanthropy for her breast cancer research and educational activities, including NHMRC, Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Between 2014-18 Sarah was the Examiner-in-Chief for the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPBA) and from 2016 to present, is the Deputy Chair of the MRPBA Accreditation Committee. Her professional interests are in EMCR development and mentoring.
Gotta catch ‘em all – Photon Counting Detectors for Synchrotron Medical Imaging
Dr Chris Hall
A synchrotron storage ring provides beams of x-rays which could be considered part of a high-quality sandbox for x-ray imaging development. The beams are bright, collimated, and can be created with a very small energy bandwidths across a wide spectrum; but generating an illuminating beam is only part of the task. The detection of those x-rays with suitable efficiency, spatial and temporal resolution would complete a versatile radiography tool kit. It is relatively easy to turn the 2D energy fluence of an incoming x-ray flux into an image if object dose is not a consideration. Traditional energy integrating detectors will do this, often based on converters with outputs in the optical spectrum. For lowest dose, lowest noise and highest dynamic range though. The ‘photon counting’ detector is the optimum instrument.
The invention of 1D photon counting detectors can be traced back to the early years of the last century. Manufacturing of 2D arrays with element spacings suitable for synchrotron imaging has taken many decades longer. The Imaging and Medical Beam Line at the Australian Synchrotron (IMBL) is privileged to be one of the first SR beamlines to use a 2D photon counting detector for radiography. This presentation will discuss the benefits and some of the drawbacks of our current detector. The recent images captured using a Dectris Eiger2 3MW detector will be shown and some future tests described.
Dr. Chris Hall is a member of a small team tasked with developing and operating a world class biomedical and materials imaging facility at the Australian Synchrotron. He is a Senior Instrument Scientist at the ANSTO Australian Synchrotron, supporting research which uses the Imaging and Medical beamline (IMBL) on that facility. Dr. Hall started his research career studying gamma ray emission from the cosmos. His PhD project involved building working models of a sophisticated satellite borne gamma radiation telescope. The theme of radiation detection and its uses has continued throughout Dr. Hall’s career. Following his astronomy work he joined a research group at the Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS) in the UK. Here he built and employed specialist detectors for the scientific exploitation of synchrotron radiation beams.
Dr. Hall joined Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, in 2006 as a Senior Research Fellow; leading programs in instrumentation and medical physics research at the new Australian Synchrotron. He was a member of a Collaborative Research Center for Biomedical Imaging Development (CRC BID), and a member of an ARC supported Centre of Excellence in Coherent X-ray Science (CoE CXS). Whilst at Monash his research projects included: Using small angle x-ray scattering to diagnose disease in tissue samples; Methods of mapping small angle x-ray scatter signatures in volumes; The uses of x-ray phase contrast for diagnostic imaging; Using cell markers for tracking; and functional medical x-ray imaging. In the technical field he has played a key role in the development of x-ray detectors for clinical medical imaging on the synchrotron; Development of a novel gamma ray imaging detector for nuclear medicine, and optimisation of x-ray detectors for coherent diffractive imaging.
An Overview of Analysis Methods for Multireader Multicase (MRMC) Diagnostic Studies
Stephen L. Hillis
A major problem in diagnostic radiology is the evaluation of diagnostic systems. A diagnostic system can be defined as an imaging treatment (such as mammography for breast cancer) and a reader (typically a radiologist) who interprets an image generated from that treatment. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is a well-established method for assessing the diagnostic performance of such imaging systems in which human observers serve as detectors and decision makers.
Because of variability in readers’ accuracies, it is desirable to generalize results not only to the population of cases but also to the population of readers. A commonly used study design that allows generalization to both populations is the treatment-by-reader-by-case factorial design, where each case (i.e., patient) undergoes each of the diagnostic tests and the resulting images are evaluated once by each reader. Typically, the number of cases is 25–200 while the number of readers is 3–15. Such studies are referred to as multireader multicase (MRMC) studies.
In this talk I will give an overview of available statistical methods for analyzing MRMC studies. I will also discuss how to size future studies based on either pilot data or conjectured parameter estimates. I will illustrate the methods using real data sets. Analyses will be performed using the recently created R software package, MRMCaov, which is freely available at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MRMCaov/index.html. The talk will be oriented to researchers with only a basic understanding of statistical methods.
Stephen L. Hillis is a research professor in the Departments of Radiology and Biostatistics at the University of Iowa. He earned his PhD in statistics in 1987 and his MFA in music in 1978, both from the University of Iowa. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and four book chapters. Since 1998, his research has been focused on methodology for multireader diagnostic radiologic imaging studies.
BUILDING IMAGE INTERPRETATION SKILLS: HOW RADIOLOGISTS LEARN
Dr Sally Ayesa
The development and refinement of radiodiagnosis skills is a fundamental part of a doctor’s journey into specialist radiology practice. Radiologists develop their skills via a combination of formal education, practical work-based training and continuous self-directed learning, which extends beyond accredited training into a career long professional development pursuit. Underpinning the direct interaction with the images themselves is a strong foundation of clinical knowledge which allows the clinician to problem solve and offer recommendations for patient management. This session explores some of the practical ways in which radiologists develop their radiodiagnosis skills, including search patterns, assessment of pathology and clinical problem-solving.
Dr Sally Ayesa is a clinical radiologist and nuclear medicine physician, working across Gosford, Wyong & Royal North Shore Hospitals. She is a lecturer within the Sydney Medical School and Unit Coordinator within the Master of Medicine & Surgery Programs. Dr Ayesa is a member of the Radiopaedia editorial board, and sits on the Curriculum Assessment Committee and Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists. She is a co-director of radiology training on the Central Coast, where she is also the clinical lead for ultrasound imaging. Her research interests include thoracic oncology, diversity & inclusion, and medical education – which is the topic of her PhD research. Dr Ayesa is the co-convenor of the RANZCR Centralised Learning Program and upcoming Radiopaedia 2024 Conference.
Delivering the Future of Robotic CBCT Imaging
Dr Tess Reynolds, Deputy Director of the Image X Institute, Robinson Fellow, and Cancer Institute of NSW Early Career Fellow at the University of Sydney
In the last few decades there has been a game-changing proliferation of surgical, 3D image guidance on robotic imaging systems, dramatically improving patient outcomes. However, image guidance remains limited for many surgical procedures, preventing patients from receiving the highest possible quality of care. Here, we focus on cone beam CT imaging and what the future of 3D interventional imaging will look like by unlocking the full potential of robotic imaging systems.
Tess Reynolds is the Deputy Director of the Image X Institute, Robinson Fellow, and Cancer Institute of NSW Early Career Fellow at the University of Sydney. Through her academic-industry-healthcare partnership with the
Lung imaging at the IMBL: Propagation-based phase-contrast and dark-field
Jannis Ahlers
Novel imaging modalities measuring phase changes and scattering properties of a sample have enabled low-dose x-ray imaging that provides complementary information to conventional X-rays. The simplest implementation of these modalities is propagation-based imaging, which relies on the downstream interference of refracted and diffracted coherent X-rays to image phase changes and scattering-induced diffusion. The IMPACT project is aiming to bring propagation-based phase-contrast imaging to the clinical stage at the Australian Synchrotron’s IMBL. We present initial results from the lung imaging sub-project, with an analysis of parameters such as energy and propagation-distance when imaging a human torso phantom. In addition, a novel technique for propagation-based dark-field imaging using dual-energy information is presented.
Jannis Ahlers is a doctoral candidate in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, and part of the Monash X-ray Imaging Group. He previously graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics, and from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in medical physics. He is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.
Jannis is studying novel signal modalities which allow entirely new properties of a sample to be explored, in the context of experimentally simple propagation-based X-ray imaging techniques. These modalities include phase-contrast imaging, which studies how the phase of the X-rays changes in a sample, as well as dark-field X-ray imaging, which enables quantification of the scattering of X-rays off very small structures in the sample. Jannis is interested in exploring how spectral techniques can be used for coherent X-ray imaging, and in the application of these techniques to imaging of the lung.
A new approach to imaging the lungs: X-ray dark-field
Dr Kay Morgan, ARC Future Fellow, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University
Conventional x-ray imaging allows us to see inside the body, typically revealing the bones with better contrast than any other structures. New methods of x-ray imaging that use phase contrast are now also capturing soft-tissue structures like the lungs, both in projection and combined with CT. While phase-contrast CT can reveal the structure of individual airways and even alveoli when performed at high resolution, the use of high-resolution CT is typically associated with much higher radiation doses. This motivates an even more recent development, dark-field x-ray imaging. Dark-field images reveal how x-rays are scattered by unresolved or sub-pixel structures. This means that images do not need to directly resolve alveoli, since an increased dark-field signal is seen from regions of the lung that contain many alveoli. Studies have shown that structural changes in the alveoli as a result of lung disease or lung cancer will result in a decreased dark-field signal, indicating that the approach could potentially be useful in a diagnostic setting (e.g. [1]). A collaboration between Monash University and TUMunich showed that the dark-field signal will also vary during the breath, providing regional feedback on the inflation of the alveoli during the breath [2]. TUMunich researchers in Germany are now imaging human patients using the dark-field approach to lung imaging [3, 4]. Researchers at Monash are investigating a range of experimental approaches to capturing dark-field images, aiming for minimal radiation dose, robust, low-cost set-ups and quantitative measurements [5-8].
[1] Yaroshenko, A., Meinel, F. G., Bech, M., Tapfer, A., Velroyen, A., Schleede, S., … & Pfeiffer, F. (2013). Pulmonary emphysema diagnosis with a preclinical small-animal x-ray dark-field scatter-contrast scanner. Radiology, 269(2), 427-433.
[2] Gradl, R., Morgan, K. S., Dierolf, M., Jud, C., Hehn, L., Günther, B., … & Pfeiffer, F. (2018). Dynamic in vivo chest x-ray dark-field imaging in mice. IEEE transactions on medical imaging, 38(2), 649-656.
[3] Willer, K., Fingerle, A. A., Noichl, W., De Marco, F., Frank, M., Urban, T., … & Pfeiffer, F. (2021). X-ray dark-field chest imaging for detection and quantification of emphysema in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a diagnostic accuracy study. The Lancet Digital Health, 3(11), e733-e744.
[4] Gassert, F. T., Urban, T., Frank, M., Willer, K., Noichl, W., Buchberger, P., … & Pfeiffer, F. (2021). X-ray dark-field chest imaging: qualitative and quantitative results in healthy humans. Radiology, 301(2), 389-395.
[5] Leatham, T. A., Paganin, D. M., & Morgan, K. S. (2023). X-ray dark-field and phase retrieval without optics, via the Fokker–Planck equation. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.
[6] Beltran, M. A., Paganin, D. M., Croughan, M. K., & Morgan, K. S. (2022). A fast implicit X-ray diffusive-dark-field retrieval method using a single mask and exposure. arXiv preprint arXiv:2211.07399.
[7] Croughan, M. K., How, Y. Y., Pennings, A., & Morgan, K. S. (2022). Directional dark field retrieval with single-grid x-ray imaging. arXiv preprint arXiv:2211.11757.
[8] How, Y. Y., & Morgan, K. S. (2022). Quantifying the x-ray dark-field signal in single-grid imaging. Optics Express, 30(7), 10899-10918.
Kaye Morgan works in x-ray imaging in the School of Physics and Astronomy in the Faculty of Science at Monash University, currently holding a Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC). Previous to this, Kaye held a Veski Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, spending several years at the Technische Universität München as a Hans Fischer Fellowship. This followed an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, awarded in the year following her PhD.
Kaye works in the field of x-ray optics, developing new methods of imaging that reach new scales in resolution, speed and sensitivity, and access new contrast modalities. One such modality is phase contrast x-ray imaging (PCXI), which examines changes in the x-ray phase rather than the x-ray intensity, revealing soft tissue structures like the airways that are not seen in conventional x-ray imaging. Another is x-ray dark-field imaging, which reveals where sub-pixel unresolved structures scatter the x-ray wavefield. Dr Morgan is working both on developing and extending these methods and on applying them to medical research questions. Imaging is performed largely at the SPring-8 synchrotron, the Australian Synchrotron and the Munich Compact Light Source.
Spectral and phase-contrast biomedical imaging: from synchrotron sources to laboratory setups.
Dr Luca Brombal, Researcher, Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Italy
Spectral and phase-contrast techniques have been widely exploited for biomedical imaging applications at synchrotrons in the last three decades. Following their successful implementation, there is an increasing interest for bringing comparable imaging performance from large and expensive infrastructures (i.e. synchrotrons) to compact and relatively cheap laboratory/hospital systems. In this context, the advent of photon-counting devices equipped with multiple thresholds has enabled spectral imaging to be performed with conventional X-ray tubes. At the same time, the development of techniques with relaxed coherence requirements, such as edge-illumination, has opened the possibility of implementing phase-contrast imaging with conventional off-the-shelf X-ray sources.
In this talk, an overview of the recent advancements in spectral and phase-contrast imaging – ranging from virtual histology to multi-material decomposition tomography – obtained in Trieste both at the Elettra sychrotron facility and at PEPILab, a new compact multi-modal X-ray imaging facilities at INFN’s laboratories, is presented.
Luca Brombal gained his PhD on X-ray phase-contrast imaging applications in 2020 at University of Trieste, in collaboration with the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Elettra, and University College London. In 2021 he received a “Young Researcher Grant” from INFN to design, build and develop a new compact multi-modal phase-contrast and spectral imaging system – Photon-counting Edge-illumination Phase-contrast Imaging (PEPI) project. From October 2022, he is a Researcher at the University of Trieste, lecturer in radiation protection, and leader of the PEPI research group.
Investigation of the Performance of Photon‐Counting and Flat‐Panel X-ray Detectors for Propagation-Based Phase-Contrast Breast Imaging.
Dr Nicola Giannotti, Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney
Breast cancer represents the leading cause of death from cancer in women worldwide. Early detection of breast tumours improves the prognosis of patients and survival rate. Propagation-based phase-contrast CT (PB-CT) is an imaging technique that uses refraction and absorption of the X-ray beam to produce images. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of photon‐counting and flat‐panel X-ray detectors with different pixel sizes in PB‐CT breast imaging.
Dr Nicola Giannotti, PhD is since June 2020 Assistant Professor in Medical Imaging Sciences at the University of Sydney. He received his BSc Radiography in 2012 from the University of Bologna, and his PhD in 2019 from University College Dublin. 2013-2017 he was an academic tutor, PhD candidate (University College Dublin), member of BIOVASC group and diagnostic radiographer (Mater Hospital, Dublin). 2017-2020 he started his academic career as a Faculty lecturer and researcher in cardiovascular imaging. To date, Nicola has delivered a number of conference presentations internationally and contributed to the publication of a number of peer-reviewed journal articles.
Unified fast reconstruction algorithm for conventional, phase-contrast and diffraction tomography
Associate Professor Tim Gureyev, Principal Research Fellow, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne
A new unified method for three-dimensional reconstruction of objects from transmission images collected at multiple illumination directions has been developed. The method can be applied to experimental tomographic data in absorption-based, phase-contrast or diffraction imaging using X-rays, electrons and other forms of penetrating radiation or matter waves. Both the phase retrieval and the effect of Ewald sphere curvature (in the cases with a shallow depth of field and significant in-object diffraction) are incorporated in the proposed algorithm and can be taken into account. The corresponding numerical algorithm is based on three-dimensional gridding which allows for fast computational implementation, including a straightforward parallelization for multi-core computer hardware. A software code implementing the proposed algorithm has been developed, tested on simulated and experimental image data. The algorithm can be used with any scanning geometry involving plane-wave illumination, including the propagation-based phase-contrast tomography with synchrotron radiation. Given the rather simple and conceptually transparent structure of this reconstruction algorithm, future extensions to fan-beam and cone-beam geometries appear straightforward. This will make the method applicable to CT imaging with conventional X-ray tubes and microfocus sources, where the divergence of the incident beam inside the object cannot be neglected.
Timur Gureyev has a PhD in mathematical physics from Leningrad State University, USSR (1988). Dr. Gureyev is currently a Principal Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, a Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Monash University and an Adjunct Professor at the University of New England (Australia). His research is focussed at theoretical and computational aspects of new techniques for X-ray imaging, computed tomography and electron microscopy.
Turning a Death Ray into a Health Ray
Dr Daniel Hausermann, Manager, Imaging Group, Australian Synchrotron (ANSTO)
This presentation will describe the process of translating a user program to applied clinical research, in this case to improving breast cancer diagnostics. The research facility is the Australian Synchrotron (part of ANSTO) Imaging and Medical beamline (IMBL) and the technique is propagation-based phase contrast imaging (PB-PCI).
The IMBL can deliver up to 50,000 Gy/s, whilst a standard breast scan delivers a mean glandular dose of around 2 mGy. Transforming a potentially deadly X-ray beam into a gentle medical probe, tuned for safe PB-PCI of human volunteers, has been a daunting but successful process. This presentation will explain how an ANSTO strategic investment, with a focus on medical research, was implemented. This will include details of our strategy in forming partnerships with users of our research facility to validate and translate new capabilities, to modify the IMBL to operate in ‘Clinical Mode’ and to develop the imaging Patient Safety System (iPaSS).
The driving goal behind this program is the application of phase contrast imaging to a better detection of breast cancer and, just as importantly, the translation of phase contrast imaging to clinics using emerging technologies. This is being explored and will also be discussed.
Originally from Switzerland, Dr Häusermann gained his PhD in x-ray diffraction and synchrotron techniques at King’s College London. Before joining the Australian Synchrotron he worked at the European Synchrotron facility in France and most recently at the Advanced Photon Source synchrotron in Chicago, USA.
Dr Häusermann is responsible for designing and building the Imaging and Medical Therapy beamline for the Australian Synchrotron. This instrument, enables new and advanced methods for x-ray imaging in areas as diverse as cancer detection and diagnosis, understanding biological functioning and assessing engineering structures. It also enables new methods of radiotherapy for cancer treatment.