Prospective multicenter case-control study of telemedicine for home medical care.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the combined use of remote medical services for patients with stroke, cancer, neuromuscular diseases, and other conditions, who are being cared for at home. This study was conducted as a part of a multicenter joint trial supported by the Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant for the 'Comparative Study of the home telemedicine in Japan'.

Effect of edge-preserving adaptive image filter on low-contrast detectability in CT systems: application of ROC analysis.

Objective: For the multislice CT (MSCT) systems with a larger number of detector rows, it is essential to employ dose-reduction techniques. As reported in previous studies, edge-preserving adaptive image filters, which selectively eliminate only the noise elements that are increased when the radiation dose is reduced without affecting the sharpness of images, have been developed. In the present study, we employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to assess the effects of the quantum denoising system (QDS), which is an edge-preserving adaptive filter that we have developed, on low-contrast resolution, and to evaluate to what degree the radiation dose can be reduced while maintaining acceptable low-contrast resolution.

Development of variable pitch factor scanning for multislice computed tomography.

Rationale And Objectives: The latest multislice computed tomography (MSCT) scanners permit the chest and abdomen to be scanned continuously. However, conventionally, it has been necessary to perform scanning twice using different pitch factors for the cardiac and abdominal regions. We have developed a new scanning technique known as variable pitch factor scanning, in which the table speed is changed during scanning to obtain continuous images from the heart to the abdomen in a single scan, and have evaluated its physical characteristics.

Improvement of spatial resolution in the longitudinal direction for isotropic imaging in helical CT.

Experiments were conducted to confirm the isotropic spatial resolution of multislice CT with a 0.5 mm slice thickness. Isotropic spatial resolution means that the spatial resolution in the transaxial plane (X-Y plane) and that in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) are equivalent.

New method of evaluating edge-preserving adaptive filters for computed tomography (CT): digital phantom method.

To evaluate the characteristics of edge-preserving adaptive filters for selectively eliminating noise without affecting resolution in low-dose scanning, we have developed a digital phantom image and evaluated noise statistical values, noise characteristics, and resolution characteristics. The results confirmed that edge-preserving adaptive filters function as smoothing filters in low-contrast regions containing noise, permitting the density resolution to be improved, while the strength of the smoothing filter is reduced to maintain spatial resolution in high-contrast regions containing small structures. It has therefore been confirmed that edge-preserving adaptive filters function as filters for selectively eliminating only the noise elements that are increased when the exposure dose is reduced and that such filters are effective for improving image quality.

Simulator-assisted setting of scan protocols for X-ray CT: development and clinical usefulness of the Scan Plan Simulator.

To assist in the selection of complicated computed tomography (CT) scan protocols and to obtain stable image SD values, prototype "Scan Plan Simulator" software with the following functions was developed and evaluated. 1) The image SD value that will be obtained in actual scanning is estimated by entering the patient's body size and scan protocol, after which a simulated image is displayed so that the estimated image SD value can be checked. The exposure dose can also be estimated in the Scan Plan Simulator.