Joint ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Computed Tomography: Quality Control, Dosimetry and Optimization

Administration

Description

JOINT ICTP-IAEA WORKSHOP ON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY: QUALITY CONTROL, DOSIMETRY AND OPTIMIZATION

2 - 13 May 2016

Miramare, Trieste, Italy

The purpose of the workshop is to exchange advanced knowledge on the physics and technological innovations in computed tomography (CT), procedures for quality control and dosimetry. The optimization strategies, aiming to achieve diagnostic image quality at lower radiation dose, will be also extensively discussed. Achieving good image quality at lower patient dose became of high importance in the last decades with the new technological development and especially when new generations of multi-detector CT became widely available. The improved diagnostic accuracy and shortened scanning time in CT lead to the global increase of the number of CT examinations, both for adults and children. As noted by UNSCEAR (2008), “the increasing trend in annual CT examination frequency and the significant dose per examination have an important impact on the overall population dose due to medical examinations”. CT is already the main contributor to the effective dose from medical exposure, estimated to contribute to 43% of the total dose to the world population. CT imaging is currently an important component, not only in diagnostic radiology, but in all disciplines of radiation medicine. CT has evolved from standalone techniques to combined imaging, used together with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) in hybrid systems. In radiation therapy, CT imaging is an indispensable tool for the accurate treatment planning. While CT is an established technology and modern CT systems are being installed worldwide, there is a significant shortage of clinical medical physicists specialized in the field of diagnostic radiology that are able to adequately support this technology. Because of the rapid technological development in CT, keeping up to date knowledge of clinical specialists is a challenging task. Optimization of CT is a complex and multidisciplinary task, requiring deep knowledge of technology, technical factors affecting image quality and patient dose, clinical purpose and required image quality. Medical physicists are responsible for quality control and dosimetry, and have an important role in optimization of clinical protocols. This workshop under the umbrella of ICTP and IAEA is expected to contribute to strengthening the qualification of medical physicists working in CT. The workshop will assist in the development of networks of professionals working in CT from different regions.

Material

General Information List of Participants Poster group photo

Joint ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Computed Tomography: Quality Control, Dosimetry and Optimization | (smr 2853)

Go to day

Monday, 2 May 2016
- 09:00 - 17:00 Day 1
  - 09:00 Welcome/Introduction of the Participants/Pre-course test 1h0'
  - 10:00 IAEA Activities in Medical Radiation Physics 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Harry Delis (IAEA)
  - 11:00 Introduction to CT Physics 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mika Kortesniemi (HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki, Finland)
  - 12:00 CT Technology (overview) 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA)
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 DICOM Information in CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Renato Padovani (ICTP)
  - 15:00 QA/QC Program for CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mika Kortesniemi
  - 16:00 Quality Management in CT (procedures/documentation/audits) 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Harry Delis
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
- 09:00 - 18:00 Day 2
  - 09:00 Image Quality in CT (indices/parameters/artefacts) 2h0'
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
  - 11:00 Dosimetry in CT (quantities/units/methods) 2h0'
    
    Speaker: Mika Kortesniemi
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Hospital Practicals: QC and Dosimetry in CT & Parallel Sessions "Patient dose estimation exercise" at ICTP 3h0' ( LB InfoLab ( Leonardo Building - Lab ) )
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
- 09:00 - 18:00 Day 3
  - 09:00 Reconstruction Algorithms and Iterative Methods 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mika Kortesniemi
  - 10:00 Reconstruction algorithms/effect of filtering 2h0' ( LB, InfoLab ( Leonardo Building - Lab ) )
    
    Speaker: Mika Kortesniemi
  - 12:00 Equipment specifications/purchase 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Hospital Practicals: QC and Dosimetry in CT & Parallel Sessions "Patient dose estimation exercise" at ICTP 3h0' ( LB, InfoLab ( Leonardo Building - Lab ) )
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
Thursday, 5 May 2016
- 09:00 - 17:00 Day 4
  - 09:00 Foetal Dosimetry 1h0'
    
    Speaker: John Damilakis (University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece)
  - 10:00 Cardiac CT Physics 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
  - 11:00 Physics of Dual Energy CT and CT Perfusion 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh
  - 12:00 Shielding for CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Harry Delis
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Analysis of CT-QC and dosimetry measurements 3h0' ( LB, InfoLab ( Leonardo Building - Lab ) )
    
    Speaker: All
Friday, 6 May 2016
- 09:00 - 15:00 Day 5
  - 09:00 Advanced Dosimetry - individualized dosimetry 1h0'
    
    Speaker: John Damilakis
  - 10:00 Embryo/fetal dosimetry - dose calculation software 2h0' ( LB, InfoLab ( Leonardo Building - Lab ) )
    
    Speaker: John Damilakis
  - 12:00 Cone Beam CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Paola Bregant (Ospedale Maggiore, Trieste)
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 CT Simulator 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Stefania Cora (Vicenza Hospital, Italy)
Monday, 9 May 2016
- 09:00 - 17:00 Day 6
  - 09:00 Introduction: participants and lecturers; organization of the work in the second week 30'
  - 09:30 International BSS and IAEA work on implementation 30'
    
    Speaker: Jenia Vassileva (IAEA, Vienna, Austria)
  - 10:00 Justification for CT: Why it is important and who is responsile 30'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra (Harvard University, USA)
  - 10:30 Optimization strategy: what, who and how? 30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano (NHS, London, UK)
  - 11:00 Break 30'
  - 11:30 Designing indication based clinical CT protocols 30'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 12:00 CT radiation dose tracking in CT department 30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 12:30 Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) - the concept and use 30'
    
    Speaker: Jenia Vassileva
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 DRLs in CT for adults and children 30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 14:30 Italian experience in CT dose tracking 30'
    
    Speaker: Paola Bregant
  - 15:00 Interactive session: dose tracking and DRLs for CT 30'
    
    Speaker: All participants
  - 15:30 Break 30'
  - 16:00 Interactive session: the role of medical physicists and other team members in CT justification and optimization 1h0'
    
    Speaker: All participants
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
- 09:00 - 18:00 Day 7
  - 09:00 Overview of CT scan parameters 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 10:00 Tube current modulation and dose reduction 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 11:00 Break 30'
  - 11:30 Measures of clinical image quality and confidence 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 12:30 Automatic tube voltage selection 30'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Practical work in groups: G1 and G2 in Trieste Hospital; rotation for tasks A) and B) 4h0'
```
A) at CT scanner: scan parameters; review of clinical protocols;

B) at PACS and dose tracking stations

G3 and G4 in the computer lab: self-learning using the IAEA e-learning material on patient dose management in CT
```
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
- 09:00 - 18:00 Day 8
  - 09:00 Chest CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 10:00 Cardiac CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 11:00 Break 30'
  - 11:30 Dual energy CT: applications 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 12:30 Patient protection in CT 30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Practical work in groups: G3 and G4 in the hospital; rotation for tasks A) and B) 4h0'
```
A) at CT scanner: scan parameters; review of clinical protocols;

B) at PACS and dose tracking stations

G1 and G2 in the computer lab: self-learning using the IAEA e-learning material on patient does management in CT
```
Thursday, 12 May 2016
- 09:00 - 17:00 Day 9
  - 09:00 Abdomen CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 10:00 Paedriatric CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 11:00 Break 30'
  - 11:30 Conclusions from the IAEA survey on paediatric CT 30'
    
    Speaker: Jenia Vassileva
  - 12:00 Head CT 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Classroom practical in groups: review of CT protocols 3h0'
    
    Speaker: Kalra & Castellano
Friday, 13 May 2016
- 09:00 - 17:00 Day 10
  - 09:00 Clinical aspects of CT in pregnancy 30'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 09:30 CT and obesity 30'
    
    Speaker: Mannudeep Kalra
  - 10:00 CT in Radiotherapy 1h0'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 11:00 Break 30'
  - 11:30 Classroom practical: review of dose data 1h30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 13:00 Lunch Break 1h0'
  - 14:00 Classroom Practical: review of dose data 1h30'
    
    Speaker: Isabel Castellano
  - 15:30 Post-Course Test 1h0'
  - 16:30 What I shall do next? Interactive discussion and individual workplan 30'