A review of cellphone microscopy for disease detection.

The expansion in global cellphone network coverage coupled with advances in cellphone imaging capabilities present an opportunity for the advancement of cellphone microscopy as a low-cost alternative to conventional microscopy for disease detection in resource-limited regions. The development of cellphone microscopy has also benefitted from the availability of low-cost miniature microscope components such as low-power light-emitting diodes and ball lenses. As a result, researchers are developing hardware and software techniques that would enable such microscopes to produce high-resolution, diagnostic-quality images. This approach may lead to more widespread delivery of diagnostic services in resource-limited areas where there is a shortage of the skilled labour required for conventional microscopy and where prevalence of infectious and other diseases is still high. In this paper, we review current techniques, clinical applications and challenges faced in the field of cellphone microscopy.

Filtration to reduce paediatric dose for a linear slot-scanning digital X-ray machine.

This paper describes modelling, application and validation of a filtration technique for a linear slot-scanning digital X-ray system to reduce radiation dose to paediatric patients while preserving diagnostic image quality. A dose prediction model was implemented, which calculates patient entrance doses using variable input parameters. Effective dose is calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. An added filter of 1.8-mm aluminium was predicted to lower the radiation dose significantly. An objective image quality study was conducted using detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The PTW Normi 4FLU test phantom was used for quantitative assessment, showing that image contrast and spatial resolution were maintained with the proposed filter. A paediatric cadaver full-body imaging trial assessed the diagnostic quality of the images and measured the dose reduction using a 1.8-mm aluminium filter. Assessment by radiologists indicated that diagnostic quality was maintained with the added filtration, despite a reduction in DQE. A new filtration technique for full-body paediatric scanning on the Lodox Statscan has been validated, reducing entrance dose for paediatric patients by 36 % on average and effective dose by 27 % on average, while maintaining image quality.

Computed digital absorptiometry for measurement of phalangeal bone mineral mass on a slot-scanning digital radiography system.

UNLABELLED: Computed digital absorptiometry is a low-cost and low-radiation technique for rapid measurement of phalangeal bone mineral mass. We implement and evaluate this technique on a slot-scanning radiography system. Results, based on measurements of excised phalangeal bones, indicate that the technique has potential for use in clinical assessment of osteoporosis. INTRODUCTION: The current gold standard method for bone assessment in the diagnosis of osteoporosis requires specialised and expensive machines, highly trained personnel to conduct the examination and is available only at specialist centres. The technique, termed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), involves taking a bone mineral density measurement at the femur or lumbar spine. Measurements of bone at peripheral sites such as the phalanges using DXA and other techniques have been shown to have potential use in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Computed digital absorptiometry (CDA) is a low-cost, low-radiation radiographic technique for assessing phalangeal bone mineral mass. It uses an aluminium step wedge as a calibration device to compute bone mineral mass in units of equivalent aluminium thickness. In this study, we assess the feasibility of using CDA on a slot-scanning radiography system for measuring phalangeal bone mineral mass. METHODS: We implement and evaluate fully automated computed digital absorptiometry (CDA) of the middle phalanx of the middle finger on a slot-scanning radiography system. RESULTS: The ash weight of incinerated bones was measured and shown to have a correlation of 0.92 with CDA-derived bone mineral mass. CDA measurements had a coefficient of variation of 0.26%, indicating high precision. CONCLUSION: We conclude, based on these results, that CDA on a slot-scanning radiography machine may be useful for clinical assessment of osteoporosis.

Effect of aluminium filtration on dose and image quality in paediatric slot-scanning radiography.

This paper examines the effect that a 1.8 mm aluminium filter has on paediatric patient dose and image quality for linear slot scanning radiography (LSSR). A dynamic dose prediction model for LSSR accurately predicted the dose reduction effects of added aluminium filtration. A cadaver imaging study was carried out to assess the effects of filtration on image quality. With 1.8 mm added aluminium filtration, no visible degradation to image contrast or clarity was found, and in some cases the aluminium filtration improved the image quality as judged by radiologists.

Automated focusing in bright-field microscopy for tuberculosis detection.

Automated microscopy to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum smear slides would enable laboratories in countries with a high tuberculosis burden to cope efficiently with large numbers of smears. Focusing is a core component of automated microscopy, and successful autofocusing depends on selection of an appropriate focus algorithm for a specific task. We examined autofocusing algorithms for bright-field microscopy of Ziehl-Neelsen stained sputum smears. Six focus measures, defined in the spatial domain, were examined with respect to accuracy, execution time, range, full width at half maximum of the peak and the presence of local maxima. Curve fitting around an estimate of the focal plane was found to produce good results and is therefore an acceptable strategy to reduce the number of images captured for focusing and the processing time. Vollath's F4 measure performed best for full z-stacks, with a mean difference of 0.27 µm between manually and automatically determined focal positions, whereas it is jointly ranked best with the Brenner gradient for curve fitting.