Fused monochromatic imaging acquired by single source dual energy CT in hepatocellular carcinoma during arterial phase: an initial experience

Objective： To explore whether single and fused monochromatic images can improve liver tumor detection and delineation by single source dual energy CT （ssDECT） in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） during arterial phase. Methods： Fifty-seven patients with HCC who underwent ssDECT scanning at Beijing Cancer Hospital were enrolled retrospectively. Twenty-one sets of monochromatic images from 40 to 140 keV were reconstructed at 5 keV intervals in arterial phase. The optimal contrast-noise ratio （CNR） monochromatic images of the liver tumor and the lowest-noise monochromatic images were selected for image fusion. We evaluated the image quality of the optimal-CNR monochromatic images, the lowest-noise monochromatic images and the fused monochromatic images, respectively. The evaluation indicators included the spatial resolution of the anatomical structure, the noise level, the contrast and CNR of the tumor. Results： In arterial phase, the anatomical structure of the liver can be displayed most clearly in the 65-keV monochromatic images, with the lowest image noise. The optimal-CNR monochromatic images of HCC tumor were 50-keV monochromatic images in which the internal structural features of the liver tumors were displayed most clearly and meticulously. For tumor detection, the fused monochromatic images and the 50-keV monochromatic images had similar performances, and were more sensitive than 65-keV monochromatic images. Conclusions： We achieved good arterial phase images by fusing the optimal-CNR monochromatic images of the HCC tumor and the lowest-noise monochromatic images. The fused images displayed liver tumors and anatomical structures more clearly, which is potentially helpful for identifying more and smaller HCC tumors.

Mobile mini-fluorimeter for antibiotic aptasensing based on surface-plasmonic effect of burlike nanogolds enhanced by digitized imaging diagnosis

Antibiotic abuse now poses a grave threat to global ecology and bestirs public concerns about the residue issue in daily necessities.The traceability measurements along supply chain or logistic circulation have become increasingly essential given the labile nature of diverse synthetic residuals on site.In an attempt to answer this urgency,here a miniaturized fluorometric aptasensor prototype was contrived that catered to the point-of-care screening norm for two typical additives:chloramphenicol and enrofloxacin.The key target-indicating module worked in vitro based on the competitive binding-induced fluorescence recovery of fluorescein-labeled aptamers,which were photobleached beforehand in the format of double helix on burlike nanogold carriers.The“prickly”geometry of the latter not just enriched the capture probes at preferentially substrate-accessible spires;but also contributed to a tip-enhanced surface plasmon effect,sensitizing the signal-on during the duplex dissociation even at nanomolar threshold of the analytes.On the other hand,to encompass a full portable,a set of optical devices were mounted within a 3D-printed cartridge(adaptor)to converge the light beam and route it towards the detector,for which the smartphone camera came up in handy with a home-developed App for calibrating the emissive brightness.Enlightened by the high-dynamic-range compression,an imaging diagnostic algorithm was built in to grid and digitize each slide in the album for augmented detection performance.Thus,a novel bio-to-silico integration was invented that capable of in situ rapid reporting on the antibiotic presence with high sensitivity and selectivity.Further field practices in spiked milk on sales proved the precision and rudimentary feasibility of the well-assembled model of appliance,thus holding nice prospects in nonexpert(e.g.,family and local community)utilities for foodborne antibiotic identification.