Physicians often use high-quality CT images for planning advanced forms of radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients. But if an individual has a metal object in her body, such as a hip implant or dental filling, it can cause image distortions and make it difficult for doctors to read the scans.
Now scientists at Stanford and Palo-Alto based Varian Medical Systems have launched a project to develop advanced imaging technology for improving the quality of CT images in such circumstances.
As part of the project, researchers will develop new megavoltage X-ray detection hardware and image reconstruction software, and will validate the new technology in a clinical trial to be conducted by Stanford.
The research is funded by a $3.6 million, five-year grant from the Cancer Imaging Program of the National Cancer Institute. Stanford radiologist Rebecca Fahrig, PhD, will serve as a co-principal investigator on the project.
Photo by Akira Ohgaki
