MICROCHANNEL PLATE ANTISCATTER GRID FOR RADIOGRAPHY

Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation in conjunction with UC Davis Medical Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Schott Fiber Optics, proposes to develop large format, focused, two-dimensional, microchannel plate anti-scatter grids as commercial replacements for today's linear anti-scatter grids used in radiography. In Phase I, the applicants will develop 18x24cm grids focused at 60cm, compatible with mammography. Monte Carlo simulations will aid the designs. Bench tests with x-ray sources, phantoms and screen-film detectors will validate the prototype grids. The 18x24cm grids will be constructed as tiled arrays of smaller microchannel plates, using a press-fusing technique recently developed by Schott. The large format tiled array will be focused either: by arranging multiple flat plates on a gentle curve to conform to the spherical surface; or by thermally slumping the large array to the desired surface. In Phase II, 20"x14" grids focused at 1m and 14 "x17" grids focused at 1.83m will be developed, for bench and clinical tests in general and chest radiography. Commercialization of the superior anti-scatter grids will occur in Phase III. These new anti-scatter grids could markedly improve screen-film radiography and will also play a role in digital radiography. $ = TOTAL AWARD AMTS & NOT LIMITED TO PORTION OF PROJECT RELATED TO SUBJECT OF SEARCH SUBPROJECT $ = TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT DIVIDED BY NUMBER OF SUBPROJECTS SOURCE: CRISP FORMAT F FY 97 LAST UPDATE 04-07-98 1QUERY 1536 ID SEARCH 06/01/98 PAGE 517 --PROJECT NUMBER......1 R43 RR11531-01 INVESTIGATOR NAME/ADDRESS FY 97 THOMAS, RICHARD K IRG/INTRAMURAL UNIT..ZRG1 MEDICAL SERVICES RES GROUP INC AWARD AMOUNT......... $92,000 1407 UNION AVE MEMPHIS, TN 38104 PERFORMING ORGANIZATION: MEDICAL SERVICES RESEARCH GROUP TITLE PUBLIC HEALTH DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ABSTRACT: The proposed project would involve research, planning and design for a public health-oriented data management system (DMS). The DMS would interface data from appropriate sources and integrate them in order to support public health planning and facilitate the manipulation of data by public health professionals. This proposal is in direct response to interest expressed by the Public Health Service (USPHS). The USPHS is seeking to develop information databases useful to public health workers that take the form of stand-alone or networked configurations. Further, the PHS seeks to develop a computer system that can lead public health workers through appropriate statistical tests for assessing community health status. Medical Services Research Group has begun design work on a system that could be adapted to meet the requirements of the USPHS. Prototype functions have already been developed that address issues of concern to the USPHS, such as the determination of health status, developing community "report cards", tracking disease prevalence, and providing the basis for intervention strategy development. The project has been developed in cooperation with various public health agencies. Phase I funding would provide the opportunity to refine system design and determine its feasibility for use in public health settings.