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MedTech Frontiers - July Seminar

Too much dose?  A look at X-ray imaging systems

About the Seminar:

Widespread media attention has been paid recently to increased radiation dose to the average American due to medical imaging. In 2009, an organization chartered by Congress to provide guidance on the measurement of and the protection of the US population from radiation (NCRP) issued a report that found a nearly six-fold increase since the early 1980s in medically derived radiation dose.

In this presentation, we investigate the causes of this increase in dose. We describe several radiation-based imaging modalities including radiography, fluoroscopy, and CT, examining how they work, how images are formed, and how radiation dose arises. These imaging modalities have each shown their value in clinical practice. So the question that arises is not whether to eliminate them, but rather, are there advanced imaging systems that offer equivalent image quality with lower dose. We conclude by introducing a couple of innovative imaging techniques that may meet this challenge.

Suggested viewing on topics relevant to this presentation are below.

An animation illustrating some points about how CT data are acquired.
An animation of acquisition and reconstruction of CT (non-biological)
An animation of a cardiac CT dataset
A dose calculator 

About the Speaker:

Dr. Brian Wilfley has over 20 years of experience leading development efforts for medical device and instrumentation companies. He has held senior scientific and engineering positions with Resonex, Inc., Park Scientific, Inc., Signature Bioscience, Inc., and NexRay, Inc. Combining a broad theoretical background with a highly developed experimental sense, Brian has experience across the full range of challenges encountered in developing complex measurement-based products.

He is able to support the basic research and development of measurement-based equipment, as well as the detailed engineering required to implement it. His experience ranges from magnetism to X-rays, and includes a broad array of applications including biotech instrumentation, medical imaging, and optical inspection. Brian received his AB in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at San Diego.