RSNA 2009 Meeting Preview - Radiological Society of North America

Erik Vidholm, Ph.D.,
headed the research
team that developed
software tools that
utilize the 3D mouse
that allows researchers
to analyze and
“feel” virtual organs to
determine their size—a
technology called haptics.
(right) Dr. Vidholm
works with the haptic
pen at the specially
constructed work
station that can show
stereographics.
“This allows us to perform functions
like retrieving all images of
lesions with particular characteristics,”
Dr. Rubin said. “There is a close relationship
between structured reporting
and what iPAD is capable of doing.
iPAD essentially provides a reporting
template for radiologists to fill out
to describe the characteristics of the
abnormalities they see in images.”
iPhone Study Reveals Breadth, Utility and
Price of Applications
The iPhone study to be presented at
RSNA 2009 examined the benefits to
radiologists of certain iPhone applications
geared toward the medical community,
including viewing applications
to help provide timely consultations
and increase response time to referring
clinicians
The impetus for the study came
from several RSNA annual meeting
presentations in recent years that demonstrated
novel iPhone technologies for
medicine. Krishna Juluru, M.D., and
colleagues at Weill Medical College of
Cornell University in New York and
the University of Pennsylvania School
of Medicine in Philadelphia decided
to examine the full breadth of medical
applications available, including the
average cost.
His group split the medical applications
category into seven subcategories:
viewing applications, communications,
business, education, clinical utility,
medical reference and non-radiology.
Researchers found 303 applications
in the medical applications category,
four of which were not included in the
study because they were in foreign
languages. Another 135 that researchers
deemed to not have much relevance to
radiology were placed in the last subcategory.
The study revealed many useful
applications in the other six subcategories,
including some that would be
valuable to both physicians in private
practice and those working in an academic
setting. Applications of highest
interest were those enabling viewing of
radiographic datasets.
“The viewing applications would
be very useful to both groups,” said Dr.
Juluru. “If you’re a private practitioner
running a small group, clinicians may
call you for quick consults at times you
do not have direct access to your PACS
workstation. These iPhone viewing
applications can help provide timely
consultations and increase response
time to referring clinicians.”
Applications in the medical reference
subcategory were the most
expensive, averaging $41 per application.
The next highest average was the
business category at $20.50, which
included such applications as a coding
and billing guide. Clinical utility applications,
such as a drug guide, were the
least expensive, at an average of $2.37.
Researchers discovered that iPhone
applications are not only about viewing
imaging data, but they can also provide
Photo Credit: Kristin Norell
Adaptation of a
computer model
to an image of a
liver. With the aid
of the adapted
model it is possible
to measure
the volume of the
liver, for instance,
or calculate
changes in shape
and migrations.
Images courtesy of
Uppsala University.
decision support, increase operational
efficiency, promote patient safety and
improve productivity.
The next step is to learn the limitations
for these medical applications, Dr.
Juluru said.
“Do they provide the level of diagnostic
detail for accurate interpretation,
or should they really be used for a
general review to provide a preliminary
read or confirm a finding, before a final
read?” he asked. “That’s a study that’s
just waiting to happen.” ■
❚
Technology at RSNA 2009
O
THER technology-related
scientific papers to be presented
at RSNA 2009 include:
“Update on the National Cancer
Institute’s National Biomedical
Imaging Archive and Cancer
Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG ® ) project and the
Cancer Genome Atlas Project.”
“Automated Image-based Classification of Imaging
Modality.”
“Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of Radiology
Administration by Utilizing Business Intelligence Visualization
Tools: Getting on the Same Page with MGH
Imaging.”
Learn More
■ For more information on iPAD, go to bimm.stanford.
edu/main/ipad. Users who meet installation prerequisites
can download iPAD at the site.
■ For more information on Dr. Vidholm’s haptics
research at the Center for Image Analysis at Uppsala
University in Sweden, go to www.cb.uu.se/research/
haptics.
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