BRAIN VASCULATURE DIGITAL TOMOSYNTHESIS

THIS PROJECT IS BEING PLANNNED TO DEVELOP CLINICAL POSITIONING DEVICES TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL TOMOSYNTHESIS APPLICATIONS EMPHASISING STUDIES OF THE VASCULATURE OF THE BRAIN. IN COLLABORATION WITH DR. BRENT HARRISON, CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT OF RADIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, AND MR. GARY HARTWELL, PHYSICIST, UNIVERSITY OFVIRGINIA, KERMATH PROPOSES TO USE EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM PREVIOUS DESIGN OF CONVENTIONAL L-C POSITIONING DEVICES THATEMPLOYED CONVENTIONAL TOMOGRAPHIC CAPABILITIES, AND L-C POSITIONING DEVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY SUPPORTING DIGITAL VASCULAR IMAGING (D.V.I.) DEVICES TO PRODUCE THE SUBJECT HARDWARE. DR. HARRISION AND MR. HARTWELL HAVE DESIGNED AND BUILT TWO D.V.I. SYSTEMS WHICH WILL BE USED TOGETHER WITH THE L-C POSITIONING DEVICES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPIAND THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AS CLINICAL EVALUATION SITES.THESE D.V.I. SYSTEMS WILL EMPLOY TOMOSYNTHESIS APPLICATIONS (A METHOD OF TOMOGRAPHY, EMPLOYING A NUMBER OF FIXED EXPOSURES AND MANIPULATION BY AN IMAGE PROCESSOR). WHILE CURRENT LITERATURE SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR DIGITAL TOMOGRAPHY,THE ONLY AVAILABLE POSITIONING HARDWARE IS TO TEST-BENCH VARIETY AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CLINICAL USAGE. KERMATH PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND FURNISH CLINICAL HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE REQUIRED D.V.I. MOTION AND ATTITUDE REQUIREMENTS. THIS PROJECT IS APPLICABLE TO THE FOLLOWING REQUEST IN THE SBIR OMNIBUS SOLICITATION: "BRAIN AND BODY IMAGING TECHNIQUES", TOMOGRAPHIC SCANNERS (INSTRUMENTATION) AND ANALYSIS; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH.