Clinical Micro-CT Empowered by Interior Tomography, Robotic Scanning, and Deep Learning

While micro-CT systems are instrumental in preclinical research, clinical micro-CT imaging has long been desired with cochlear implantation as a primary application. The structural details of the cochlear implant and the temporal bone require a significantly higher image resolution than that (about 0.2 mm ) provided by current medical CT scanners. In this paper, we propose a clinical micro-CT (CMCT) system design integrating conventional spiral cone-beam CT, contemporary interior tomography, deep learning techniques, and the technologies of a micro-focus X-ray source, a photon-counting detector (PCD), and robotic arms for ultrahigh-resolution localized tomography of a freely-selected volume of interest (VOI) at a minimized radiation dose level. The whole system consists of a standard CT scanner for a clinical CT exam and VOI specification, and a robotic micro-CT scanner for a local scan of high spatial and spectral resolution at minimized radiation dose. The prior information from the global scan is also fully utilized for background compensation of the local scan data for accurate and stable VOI reconstruction. Our results and analysis show that the proposed hybrid reconstruction algorithm delivers accurate high-resolution local reconstruction, and is insensitive to the misalignment of the isocenter position, initial view angle and scale mismatch in the data/image registration. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of our system design. We envision that deep learning techniques can be leveraged for optimized imaging performance. With high-resolution imaging, high dose efficiency and low system cost synergistically, our proposed CMCT system has great promise in temporal bone imaging as well as various other clinical applications.

*The video published with this article received a promotional prize for the 2020 IEEE Access Best Multimedia Award (Part 2).

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Underwater Wireless Communications and Networking

Submission Deadline: 15 December 2017

IEEE Access invites manuscript submissions in the area of Underwater Wireless Communications and Networking.

Underwater wireless communications play an important role in marine activities such as environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and scientific data collection. Underwater wireless communications still remain quite challenging, due to the unique and harsh conditions that characterize underwater channels. These conditions include for example severe attenuation, multipath dispersion, and limited resource utilization. Nonetheless advanced communication techniques using acoustic, electromagnetic and/or optical waves have emerged to tackle fundamental and practical challenges of underwater wireless communications. Recently, many academic and industrial researchers have paid attention to the development of state-of-the-art solutions for future underwater wireless communications and networks. This Special Section will enlighten and guide the potential research communities about the recent progress in the area of underwater wireless communications, and will encourage some of the leading research communities to present the state-of-the-art contributions and future research directions.

Authors are encouraged to submit original work presenting new research topics on underwater wireless communications and networking from the theoretical and practical point of views. Here, underwater wireless communication systems refer to general communication systems utilized or taken into consideration under water including, but not limited to, acoustic, radio-frequency, and optical wireless communications. Special attention will be given to articles reporting new results and insights along the following principal technical areas:

  • Underwater channel characterization, statistical modeling and estimation
  • Underwater wireless communications: Fundamental limits and theories
  • Transceiver design: Modulation, coding and detection techniques
  • Underwater wireless networking protocols and cross-layer design

This Special Section in IEEE Access will also solicit top-quality papers focusing on the applied technical areas. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Advanced signal processing techniques for underwater wireless communications
  • MIMO and diversity systems in underwater communications
  • Multi-carrier systems in underwater communications
  • Cooperative communications in underwater
  • Hybrid and multi-modal underwater communications
  • Optimization and game-theoretic techniques for underwater wireless communications
  • Underwater wireless sensor networks
  • Energy harvesting for underwater sensor networks
  • Real-time data transmission under water
  • Underwater localization, positioning, and tracking in underwater
  • Mobile underwater communications and network
  • Applications of underwater wireless communications
  • Devices and systems for underwater wireless communications
  • Demonstration of field trials, experiments, and test-beds

We also highly recommend the submission of multimedia with each article as it significantly increases the visibility, downloads, and citations of articles.

 

Associate Editor: Muhammad Ali Imran, University of Glasgow, UK

Guest Editors:

  1. Ki-Hong Park, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
  2. Paolo Casari, IMDEA Networks Institute, Spain
  3. Fraser Dalgleish, Florida Atlantic University, USA
  4. Hovannes Kulhandjian, California State University, Fresno, USA
  5. Ali Abdi, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA
  6. Huifang Chen, Zhejiang University, China

 

Related IEEE Access Special Sections:

  1. Optimization for Emerging Wireless Networks: IoT, 5G and Smart Grid Communication Networks
  2. Deployment and Management of Small Heterogeneous Cells for 5G
  3. The New Era of Smart Cities: Sensors, Communication Technologies and Applications

 

IEEE Access Editor-in-Chief: Michael Pecht, Professor and Director, CALCE, University of Maryland

Paper submission: Contact Associate Editor and submit manuscript to:
http://ieee.atyponrex.com/journal/ieee-access

For inquiries regarding this Special Section, please contact: Bora M. Onat, Managing Editor, IEEE Access (Phone: (732) 562-6036, specialsections@ieee.org)