Accumetra’s Partnership
CT scanners have made impressive technological advancements over the last two decades. As a result, they have become highly complex instruments with numerous new parameters and settings that can be challenging to properly set and effectively use. When optimizing scanner protocols to achieve the clinical image quality needed at the lowest possible radiation dose it is helpful to have quantitative image quality measurements that provide insights on expected clinical task performance.
Accumetra is developing a new class of easy to use image quality measurement tools and services that will enable radiologists and physicists to better understand, improve, and monitor the performance of CT scanners and protocols.
To demonstrate the utility of a simple and easy to use image quality report Accumetra is making available a free CT image quality assessment service. This prototype service allows researchers to scan three rolls of scotch tape and obtain a quantitative image quality report showing the expected performance of the CT acquisition for specific clinical tasks. Currently clinical task performance is being estimated for solid lung nodule detection and volume change measurements. An example report is available here. Over time more clinical task performance metrics will be added and of course we will be replacing the rolls of tape with calibrated phantoms to achieve even higher measurement performance. To try out this first of its kind service just follow the simple instructions on the right and visit Accumetra’s CT Image Quality Report upload page.
Accumetra is also partnering with leading patient advocacy organizations to determine the best CT scanners and protocols for lung cancer screening and COPD measurement. The CT Lung Cancer Screening Protocol Challenge is accepting scan data from clinical sites and reporting on top performing scanners and protocols. Over 30 international clinical sites have participated in this challenge resulting in a highly useful and growing database of CT scanner and protocol imaging performance. Send email to info@accumetra.com to obtain information on how to participate and help establish better protocols for lung cancer and COPD imaging.