A multimodal complex flow phantom for diagnostic imaging

这项工作建立在谢菲尔德医学物理小组正在开发的U/S流动体模专业知识[1，2]的基础上。该项目将包括以下任务，工作量按项目月估计。背景和文献回顾(M1-M4)回顾与用于测量生理血流的定量诊断成像技术的校准有关的文献。这将涵盖流动理论、体模设计和构造、对公认标准的遵从性、临床应用、IPR等问题。临床成像技术、计算和实验流场评估(M5-M12)对使用X射线、U/S、核磁共振的血流成像方法以及用于临床评估的体模的最新技术有基本的了解，这将通过访问临床单位来加强早期工作。学生还将学习流体力学(特别是CFD)，从理论上描述模体设计中隐含的环形涡流。此外，还将初步开发理想的实验系统，熟悉环形涡旋的生产和行为，在第一年年底之前形成模型的初步设计概念。原型模型构建和测试(M13-M24)本活动将受益于利兹测试对象公司(LTO)的设计和制造专业知识，该公司在该领域拥有X年的专业经验，为Y多家医疗保健客户提供模型。该办公室将就与在X光、核磁共振和U/S环境下操作相关的设计约束以及遵守适当标准(例如BS EN 61685：2002、IEC 61685：2001)提供指导。特别是磁共振成像环境施加的限制，表明了一种用于产生可重复的复杂流动的液压驱动机制。出于校准目的，必须非常好地描述动态全流场的重现性，并确定能够实现这一点的公差(结合使用CFD和实验流动可视化)。流动模体原型的成功建造和特征预计将在第二年年底完成，这样就可以在第三年研究其在临床技术中的应用。临床成像系统(M15-M36)的模体部署在M24上交付的模体将与已建立的方法一起用于评估NHS的成像系统。对这些不同的方法及其对可靠成像用于诊断目的的生理/病理复杂血流的影响进行关键比较，将提供高质量的数据，以支持高影响的出版。除了这些科学成果外，该项目的这一阶段还将与LTO合作，提供适合于将复杂的流动体模的独特功能作为一般的、临床相关的流动测试对象进行营销的材料。开发计划和论文定稿(M37-M42)该项目的最后阶段将集中于博士论文的定稿，但也将根据临床基准测试的结果和开发战略(知识产权，专利)提出任何改进设计的建议。由于该项目的翻译性质，后几个方面预计将有助于本论文的最后一章。

This work builds on U/S flow phantom expertise being developed by the Medical Physics group at Sheffield [1,2]. The project will consist of the following tasks with effort estimated by project month.Background and literature review (M1-M4) Review of the literature pertaining to calibration of quantitative diagnostic imaging technologies for measurement of physiological flows. This will cover flow theory, phantom design and construction, compliance with recognised standards, application in a clinical context, issues of IPR etc. Clinical imaging techniques, computational and experimental flow field assessment (M5-M12) A fundamental understanding of flow imaging methods using X-ray, U/S, MRI and the current state-of-the-art in phantoms for clinical assessment will underpin early work strengthened by visits to clinical units. The student will also be introduced to fluid dynamics (and CFD in particular) for theoretical description of the ring vortex flows that are implicit to the phantom design. This will be complemented by initial development of idealised experimental systems that provide familiarity with ring vortex production and behaviour, leading to an initial design concept for the phantom by the end of Year 1.Prototype phantom construction and testing (M13-M24) This activity will benefit from the design and manufacturing expertise of Leeds Test Objects (LTO, phantom manufacturer with X years expertise in the field, who provide phantoms to over Y healthcare clients). LTO will provide guidance in the design constraints associated with operation in X-ray, MRI and U/S environments and adherence to appropriate standards (e.g. BS EN 61685:2002, IEC 61685:2001). Limitations imposed by the MRI environment in particular, suggest a hydraulically driven mechanism for generating reproducible complex flows. For calibration purposes reproducibility of the dynamic full flow field must be extremely well characterised and the tolerances within which this can be achieved will be established (using a combination of CFD and experimental flow visualization). Successful construction and characterisation of the flow phantom prototype is anticipated by the end of Year 2, so that its application to clinical technology can be investigated during Year 3.Phantom deployment for benchmarking of clinical imaging systems (M15-M36) The phantom delivered at M24 will be used to evaluate imaging systems in the NHS alongside established methods. A critical comparison of these varied approaches and their implications for reliably imaging physiological/pathological complex flows for diagnostic purposes will provide high quality data to support a high-impact publication. In addition to these scientific outputs this phase of the project will deliver, in partnership with LTO, materials suitable for marketing the unique features of the complex flow phantom as a general, clinically relevant, flow test object. Exploitation plan and thesis finalisation (M37-M42) The final period of the project will focus on finalisation of the PhD thesis, but will also deliver any recommendations for improved design based on the outcomes of the clinical benchmarking exercise and a strategy for exploitation (IPR, patenting). Due to the translational nature of the project these latter aspects are expected to contribute to the last chapter of the thesis.