Introduction: External electron beams have excellent distributions in treatment for superficial tumors while suppressing influence deeper normal tissue. However, the skin surface cannot be given a sufficient dose due to the build-up effect. In this study, we have investigated the combination of electron beams to expand the treatment region by keeping the dose gradient beyond d_max. Materials and Methods: The percentage depth doses of different electron beams were superimposed on a spreadsheet to determine the combinations of electron beams so that the treatment range was maximized. Based on the obtained weight for electron beams, dose distributions were calculated using a treatment planning system and examined for potential clinical application. Results: With the combination of 4 MeV and 9 MeV electron beams, the 90% treatment range in the depth direction increased by 8.0 mm, and with 4 MeV and 12 MeV beams, it increased by 4.0 mm, with the same maximum dose depth and halfdose depth of the absorbed dose. The dose calculations were performed using the treatment planning system yielded similar results with a matching degree of ±1.5%. Conclusions: Although the influences of low monitor unit values and daily output differences remain to be considered, the results suggest that the proposed approach can be clinically applied to expand treatment regions easily.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic imaging (DCE-MRI) is a useful method for detection and diagnosis of liver lesions. However, DCE-MRI using Gd-EOB-DTPA has some problems with arterial phase images. Radial volumetric imaging breath-holding examination (r-VIBE) with k-space weighted image contrast reconstruction (KWIC), which is a modification of Cartesian VIBE (c-VIBE), is a new 3D-gradient echo sequence with a number of advantages compared with c-VIBE, including lower motion sensitivity. This study was performed to evaluate image contrast, blurring, and temporal phase division effects of r-VIBE in comparison with c-VIBE. Image contrast using diluted Gd-EOB-DTPA aqueous solution showed no significant difference between r-VIBE and c-VIBE. Imaging was performed with r-VIBE and c-VIBE during injection of a Gd-EOB-DTPA solution into a serpentine tube. r-VIBE showed a smaller half-width of the signal intensity profile of the tube and less image artifacts by blurring when compared to c-VIBE. The arrival times and durations of the maximum signal strengths of r-VIBE and c-VIBE images during injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA solution into the tube were almost identical. r-VIBE improved the temporal resolution without degradation of liver DCE-MRI using Gd-EOB-DTPA.

This study was designed to clarify the relation between the pressure resistance of an angiographical tube and the amount of contrast medium injected under a connected microcatheter used for interventional radiology (IVR). We investigated the injection pressure and the expansion rate at the center of the tube during contrast enhancement by setting the power injector to 1200 PSI pressure, with 2.0 ml/s injection speed, 10 ml injection volume, 5.0 s injection time, and 0 s rise time for tubes with different pressure resistance performance (low or high). Then we examined the amount of contrast medium material discharged from the microcatheter. The low-pressure resistant tube (less than 140 PSI) injection pressure exceeded the pressure performance. The expansion rate increased to 49%, presenting a risk of rupture. The injection pressure of the high-pressure resistant tube (less than 1200 PSI) was within the pressure-resistance performance. The expansion rate increased to 38%. However, when the contrast medium discharge amount contributing to the image was measured within the injection time under the condition of 10 ml injection for 5.0 s, the former was 2.3 ml and the latter was 4.2 ml. The entire amount was not discharged during the injection period. It became apparent that it is discharged in drips after some time. Results show that the tube expansion caused retention of the contrast medium inside, which decreases the actual amount of the injected contrast medium. From the results, we infer the possibility of preventing reduction of the injected contrast medium amount attributable to expansion.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the routine protocols and the frequency of added or omitted imaging on nuclear medicine imaging in Japan. A nationwide survey on routine protocols and current state of added or omitted imaging in major nuclear medicine imaging were performed for Japanese nuclear medicine technologist. The survey showed that the routine protocols were almost 100% fixed, some of the routine protocols were found to be useful and percentage of imaging techniques such as single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography that increased patient burden and reduced through put were low. Furthermore, the survey showed that additional or omission imaging were frequently performed on bone scintigraphy and positron emission tomography and added or omitted judgements were often depend upon the rule of thumb by nuclear medicine technologist. In this study, we have concluded that the quality of examination and the diagnosis might depend on the knowledge of nuclear medicine technologist, performed added or omitted imaging.