New Course Proposal - ENSC 374-4 Biomedical Image Acquisition

Calendar Information

Course Number: ENSC 374

Course Title: Biomedical Image Acquisition

Credit Hours: 4

Vector: 3-0-2 (lecture-tutorial-lab)

Course Description

This course provides an understanding of the scientific principles, physics and engineering technology that provide the basis for the various techniques (radiography, sonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging), by which medical images are acquired.

Prerequisites:  ENSC 220, ENSC 225

Recommended: ENSC 224-3 Electronic Devices (This would be very useful for those students with a desire to develop solid state semiconductors detectors for biomedical imaging.)

Corequisite: None

Rationale for Introduction of This Course

This course will form an integral component of the new Biomedical Engineering curriculum.  Much of biomedical engineering has to do with signals, typically physiological measurements or image acquisition.  The course introduces the foundation of basic science and technology associated with acquiring signals and in particular, biomedical imaging data.  

The course forms a prequel to the course ENSC 474-4 Biomedical Signal and Image Processing, which covers the subsequent visualization, processing and analysis tools applied to multidimensional signals such as 2D/3D medical images.

Will this be a required or elective course in the curriculum; probable enrolment when offered?

This is an elective course for the Biomedical Signals and Instrumentation concentration of the Biomedical Engineering option.  It will also be of interest to students in the Electronics option, and could be taken for credit if the “Technical Electives” of that option were defined more broadly.  Probable enrolment: 20, rising to perhaps 30 if taken by students in the Electronics option.

Scheduling and Registration Information

Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.

First offering to be Spring 2008.  Annually thereafter in the Spring semester.

Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?

Dr. Karim S. Karim, Dr. Andrew Rawicz.  The course will be taught by tenure-track and/or tenured faculty.

Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?

No.

Is this course considered a `duplicate' of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.

No.

Resource Implications

Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.

Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.

DTO-funded additional faculty members will increase the School’s total instructional resources, allowing  core courses to be distributed equitably.  No course need be eliminated.  

Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?

Existing space and equipment is adequate for this course offering.

Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.

The computing resources required exist in Engineering Science. 

Course Outline 

Topics:

1. Radiologic physics - X-rays and their production: X-ray emission and interactions between x-rays and matter along with principles of radioactivity and nuclear transformation. Introduction to radiation therapy principles. Foundation principles of radiation protection together with statutory requirements. Introduction to computer imaging in medicine.
2. Radiographic imaging and methods: Causes of scattered radiation and methods for its control. Characteristics of image receptors, fluorescent intensifying screens, screen categories, light diffusion, cassettes. Concepts of kilovolts, time, millamps, distance and exposure technique charts. Image quality factors: geometric, SNR, resolution, MTF, contrast, unsharpness.  Ionising radiation, x-radiation and its effects on living tissue including dose and equivalent dose calculations. Fluoroscopic imaging systems, mobile radiography, and information technology in medical imaging.
3. Sonographic imaging and methods: Acoustics theory, transducer design, beam focusing, sound-tissue interaction, image acquisition. Doppler ultrasound including power levels and biological effects. Sonographic anatomy of the abdominal organs and related structures. Some discussion on artifacts and image optimisation.
4. Computed tomography and methods: Scientific principles and operational modes including system components and image characteristics. Image reconstruction techniques including summation, convolution and back-projection. Evolution to helical/spiral CT systems and artefacts and image quality measures in tomography and dosimetry.
5. Magnetic resonance imaging and methods: Provide an understanding of the scientific principles underpinning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), its associated instrumentation and protocols, positioning methods and biological protection principles.

Projects/Laboratory Work

Sample projects could cover any of the above topics.  For example, characterization of an X-ray photoconductor or optical photodiode sensor could form one such project. Analyzing various characteristics of an acoustic sensor or optimizing design parameters for a specific application could be another project.  Developing a basic computed tomography reconstruction algorithm could form another alternative.  

Grading

Grading will consist of Midterm (20%), Final (50%), Project (20%) and weekly assignments (10%).

Textbook

1. The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Hardbound by Jerrold T. Bushberg PhD; J. Anthony Seibert PhD; Edwin M. Leidholdt, Jr. PhD; John M. Boone PhD ISBN/ISSN: 0-683-30118-7

2. Medical Imaging Physics by William R. Hendee, E. Russell Ritenour, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 4th edition (June 15, 2002) ISBN: 0471382264.