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Project
Towards patient-tailored use of contrast agents in CT imaging: improving diagnostic quality and patient safety (FWOSB83)
This research aims to provide patient-tailored use of contrast agents in computed tomography (CT) imaging to improve diagnostic quality and patient safety. Intravenous contrast agents are high atomic number materials which are injected to the patients to increase the diagnostic quality in contrast-enhanced CT.
Recent years, advances in CT hardware and image reconstruction had a dramatic impact on image quality and radiation dose. However, the administration of contrast agents did not follow this trend: for
many CT interventions, the same dose of contrast agent is injected to each patient which results in a large variation in quality.
We will improve the diagnostic quality by providing a model for patient-tailored contrast-injection based on the patient’s physical characteristics such as weight, height, and physiological parameters such as heart rate or cardiac output.
A controlled and patient-specific use of contrast agents can reduce the risk of contrast-induced kidney injuries such as contrast-induced nephropathy and provides a guarantee for optimal image quality in function of the pathology. In addition, we will also investigate the effect of contrast agents on absorbed radiation dose to the patient. We will develop a patient dosimetry software which includes the presence of contrast agents in the radiation dosimetry calculations (dose is the energy deposited per unit of mass). All current dosimetry guidelines and protocols neglect the presence of contrast agents in CT.
Recent years, advances in CT hardware and image reconstruction had a dramatic impact on image quality and radiation dose. However, the administration of contrast agents did not follow this trend: for
many CT interventions, the same dose of contrast agent is injected to each patient which results in a large variation in quality.
We will improve the diagnostic quality by providing a model for patient-tailored contrast-injection based on the patient’s physical characteristics such as weight, height, and physiological parameters such as heart rate or cardiac output.
A controlled and patient-specific use of contrast agents can reduce the risk of contrast-induced kidney injuries such as contrast-induced nephropathy and provides a guarantee for optimal image quality in function of the pathology. In addition, we will also investigate the effect of contrast agents on absorbed radiation dose to the patient. We will develop a patient dosimetry software which includes the presence of contrast agents in the radiation dosimetry calculations (dose is the energy deposited per unit of mass). All current dosimetry guidelines and protocols neglect the presence of contrast agents in CT.
Date:1 Nov 2019 → 16 Sep 2023
Keywords:Patient-tailored, contrast agent
Disciplines:Diagnostic radiology