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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Method for Enhancing a Three Dimensional Image from a Plurality of Frames of Flash LIDAR Data

A method for enhancing a three dimensional image from frames of flash LIDAR data includes generating a first distance R(sub i) from a first detector i to a first point on a surface S(sub i). After defining a map with a mesh theta having cells k, a first array S(k), a second array M(k), and a third array D(k) are initialized. The first array corresponds to the surface, the second array corresponds to the elevation map, and the third array D(k) receives an output for the DEM. The surface is projected onto the mesh theta, so that a second distance R(sub k) from a second point on the mesh theta to the detector can be found. From this, a height may be calculated, which permits the generation of a digital elevation map. Also, using sequential frames of flash LIDAR data, vehicle control is possible using an offset between successive frames.

Vanek, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

CCD imaging sensors

A method for promoting quantum efficiency (QE) of a CCD imaging sensor for UV, far UV and low energy x-ray wavelengths by overthinning the back side beyond the interface between the substrate and the photosensitive semiconductor material, and flooding the back side with UV prior to using the sensor for imaging. This UV flooding promotes an accumulation layer of positive states in the oxide film over the thinned sensor to greatly increase QE for either frontside or backside illumination. A permanent or semipermanent image (analog information) may be stored in a frontside SiO.sub.2 layer over the photosensitive semiconductor material using implanted ions for a permanent storage and intense photon radiation for a semipermanent storage. To read out this stored information, the gate potential of the CCD is biased more negative than that used for normal imaging, and excess charge current thus produced through the oxide is integrated in the pixel wells for subsequent readout by charge transfer from well to well in the usual manner.

Janesick, James R.↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-41: Dictionary Learning Based Quantitative Reconstruction for Low-Dose Dual-Energy CT (DECT)

Purpose: DECT collects two sets of projection data under higher and lower energies. With appropriates composition methods on linear attenuation coefficients, quantitative information about the object, such as density, can be obtained. In reality, one of the important problems in DECT is the radiation dose due to doubled scans. This work is aimed at establishing a dictionary learning based reconstruction framework for DECT for improved image quality while reducing the imaging dose. Methods: In our method, two dictionaries were learned respectively from the high-energy and lowenergy image datasets of similar objects under normal dose in advance. The linear attenuation coefficient was decomposed into two basis components with material based composition method. An iterative reconstruction framework was employed. Two basis components were alternately updated with DECT datasets and dictionary learning based sparse constraints. After one updating step under the dataset fidelity constraints, both high-energy and low-energy images can be obtained from the two basis components. Sparse constraints based on the learned dictionaries were applied to the high- and low-energy images to update the two basis components. The iterative calculation continues until a pre-set number of iteration was reached. Results: We evaluated the proposed dictionary learning method with dual energy images collected using a DECT scanner. We re-projected the projection data with added Poisson noise to reflect the low-dose situation. The results obtained by the proposed method were compared with that obtained using FBP based method and TV based method. It was found that the proposed approach yield better results than other methods with higher resolution and less noise. Conclusion: The use of dictionary learned from DECT images under normal dose is valuable and leads to improved results with much lower imaging dose.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1994

Beyond maximum entropy: Fractal Pixon-based image reconstruction

We have developed a new Bayesian image reconstruction method that has been shown to be superior to the best implementations of other competing methods, including Goodness-of-Fit methods such as Least-Squares fitting and Lucy-Richardson reconstruction, as well as Maximum Entropy (ME) methods such as those embodied in the MEMSYS algorithms. Our new method is based on the concept of the pixon, the fundamental, indivisible unit of picture information. Use of the pixon concept provides an improved image model, resulting in an image prior which is superior to that of standard ME. Our past work has shown how uniform information content pixons can be used to develop a 'Super-ME' method in which entropy is maximized exactly. Recently, however, we have developed a superior pixon basis for the image, the Fractal Pixon Basis (FPB). Unlike the Uniform Pixon Basis (UPB) of our 'Super-ME' method, the FPB basis is selected by employing fractal dimensional concepts to assess the inherent structure in the image. The Fractal Pixon Basis results in the best image reconstructions to date, superior to both UPB and the best ME reconstructions. In this paper, we review the theory of the UPB and FPB pixon and apply our methodology to the reconstruction of far-infrared imaging of the galaxy M51. The results of our reconstruction are compared to published reconstructions of the same data using the Lucy-Richardson algorithm, the Maximum Correlation Method developed at IPAC, and the MEMSYS ME algorithms. The results show that our reconstructed image has a spatial resolution a factor of two better than best previous methods (and a factor of 20 finer than the width of the point response function), and detects sources two orders of magnitude fainter than other methods.

Puetter, Richard C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fluorescent toxins as ion channel activity sensors.

Voltage gated ion channels (VGICs) shape the electrical character of cells by undergoing structural changes in response to membrane depolarization. High-resolution techniques have provided a wealth of data on individual VGIC structures, but the conformational changes of endogenous channels in live cell membranes have remained unexplored. Here, we describe methods for imaging structural changes of voltage-gated K + channels in living cells, using peptidyl toxins labeled with fluorophores that report specific protein conformations. These Endogenous Voltage-sensor Activity Probes (EVAPs) enable study of both VGIC allostery and function in the context of endogenous live-cell membranes under different physiological states. In this chapter, we describe methods for the synthesis, imaging, and analysis of dynamic EVAPs, which can report K + channel activity in complex tissue preparations via 2-photon excitation microscopy, and environment-sensitive EVAPs, which report voltage-dependent conformational changes at the VGIC-toxin interface. The methods here present the utility of current EVAPs and lay the groundwork for the development of other probes that act by similar mechanisms. EVAPs can be correlated with electrophysiology, offering insight into the molecular details of endogenous channel function and allostery in live cells. This enables investigation of conformational changes of channels in their native, functional states, putting structures and models into a context of live-cell membranes. The expansive array of state-dependent ligands and optical probes should enable probes more generally for investigating the molecular motions of endogenous proteins.

Stewart, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1998

Thickness-Independent Ultrasonic Imaging Applied to Abrasive Cut-Off Wheels: An Advanced Aerospace Materials Characterization Method for the Abrasives Industry. A NASA Lewis Research Center Technology Transfer Case History

Abrasive cut-off wheels are at times unintentionally manufactured with nonuniformity that is difficult to identify and sufficiently characterize without time-consuming, destructive examination. One particular nonuniformity is a density variation condition occurring around the wheel circumference or along the radius, or both. This density variation, depending on its severity, can cause wheel warpage and wheel vibration resulting in unacceptable performance and perhaps premature failure of the wheel. Conventional nondestructive evaluation methods such as ultrasonic c-scan imaging and film radiography are inaccurate in their attempts at characterizing the density variation because a superimposing thickness variation exists as well in the wheel. In this article, the single transducer thickness-independent ultrasonic imaging method, developed specifically to allow more accurate characterization of aerospace components, is shown to precisely characterize the extent of the density variation in a cut-off wheel having a superimposing thickness variation. The method thereby has potential as an effective quality control tool in the abrasives industry for the wheel manufacturer.

Roth, Don J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Detection of road boundary

Several researchers have proposed and implemented various systems pertaining to the development of autonomous land vehicles (ALVs). One fundamental problem associated with the navigation of an ALV is the ability to efficiently extract the boundaries of the pathway that need to be navigated. In this paper a method is presented that will determine the road boundaries in one pass using a limited search area in the input image. The method employs the statistical information regarding the gray levels present in the images along with geometrical constraints concerning the road. Some examples are given to demonstrate the efficacy of the method.

Sowers, James P.↗
DOE OSTI2015

TU-CD-BRB-08: Radiomic Analysis of FDG-PET Identifies Novel Prognostic Imaging Biomarkers in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients Treated with SBRT

Purpose: This study aims to identify novel prognostic imaging biomarkers in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) using quantitative, high-throughput image analysis. Methods: 86 patients with LAPC receiving chemotherapy followed by SBRT were retrospectively studied. All patients had a baseline FDG-PET scan prior to SBRT. For each patient, we extracted 435 PET imaging features of five types: statistical, morphological, textural, histogram, and wavelet. These features went through redundancy checks, robustness analysis, as well as a prescreening process based on their concordance indices with respect to the relevant outcomes. We then performed principle component analysis on the remaining features (number ranged from 10 to 16), and fitted a Cox proportional hazard regression model using the first 3 principle components. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the ability to distinguish high versus low-risk patients separated by median predicted survival. To avoid overfitting, all evaluations were based on leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV), in which each holdout patient was assigned to a risk group according to the model obtained from a separate training set. Results: For predicting overall survival (OS), the most dominant imaging features were wavelet coefficients. There was a statistically significant difference in OS between patients with predicted high and low-risk based on LOOCV (hazard ratio: 2.26, p<0.001). Similar imaging features were also strongly associated with local progression-free survival (LPFS) (hazard ratio: 1.53, p=0.026) on LOOCV. In comparison, neither SUVmax nor TLG was associated with LPFS (p=0.103, p=0.433) (Table 1). Results for progression-free survival and distant progression-free survival showed similar trends. Conclusion: Radiomic analysis identified novel imaging features that showed improved prognostic value over conventional methods. These features characterize the degree of intra-tumor heterogeneity reflected on FDG-PET images, and their biological underpinnings warrant further investigation. If validated in large, prospective cohorts, this method could be used to stratify patients based on individualized risk.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mapping the intrinsic photocurrent streamlines through micromagnetic heterostructure devices

Photocurrent in quantum materials is often collected at global contacts far away from the initial photoexcitation. This collection process is highly nonlocal. It involves an intricate spatial pattern of photocurrent flow (streamlines) away from its primary photoexcitation that depends sensitively on the configuration of current collecting contacts as well as the spatial nonuniformity and tensor structure of conductivity. Direct imaging to track photocurrent streamlines is challenging. Here, we demonstrate a microscopy method to image photocurrent streamlines through ultrathin heterostructure devices comprising platinum on yttrium iron garnet (YIG). We accomplish this by combining scanning photovoltage microscopy with a uniform rotating magnetic field. Here, local photocurrent is generated through a photo-Nernst type effect with its direction controlled by the external magnetic field. This enables the mapping of photocurrent streamlines in a variety of geometries that include conventional Hall bar-type devices, but also unconventional wing-shaped devices called electrofoils. In these, we find that photocurrent streamlines display contortion, compression, and expansion behavior depending on the shape and angle of attack of the electrofoil devices, much in the same way as tracers in a wind tunnel map the flow of air around an aerodynamic airfoil. This affords a powerful tool to visualize and characterize charge flow in optoelectronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-81: Targeting of HER2-Expressing Tumors with Dual PET-MR Imaging Probes

Purpose: The detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) expression in malignant tumors provides important information influencing patient management. Radionuclide in vivo imaging of HER2 may permit the detection of HER2 in both primary tumors and metastases by a single noninvasive procedure. Trastuzumab, effective in about 15 % of women with breast cancer, downregulates signalling through the Akt/PI3K and MAPK pathways.These pathways modulate metabolism which can be monitored by positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: The relationship between response of HER2 overexpressing tumours and changes in imaging PET or SPECT and MRI will be examined by a integrated bimodal imaging probe.Small (7 kDa) high-affinity anti-HER2 Affibody molecules and KCCYSL targeting peptide may be suitable tracers for visualization of HER2-expressing tumors. Peptide-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) as MRI imaging and CB-TE2A as PET imaging are integrated into a single synthetic molecule in the HER2 positive cancer. Results: One of targeted contrast bimodal imaging probe agents was synthesized and evaluated to target HER2-expressing tumors in a HER2 positive rat model. We will report the newest results regarding the development of bimodal imaging probes. Conclusion: The preliminary results of the bimodal imaging probe presents high correlation of MRI signal and PET imaging intensity in vivo. This unique feature can hardly be obtained by single model contrast agents. It is envisioned that this bimodal agents can hold great potential for accurate detection of HER2-expressing tumors which are critical for clinical management of the disease.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-J-273: Skin Temperature Recovery Rate as a Potential Predictor for Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions

Purpose: To assess the potential of dynamic infrared imaging to evaluate early skin reactions during radiation therapy in cancer patients. Methods: Thermal images were captured by our home-built system consisting of two flash lamps and an infrared (IR) camera. The surface temperature of the skin was first raised by ∼ 6 °C from ∼1 ms short flashes; the camera then captured a series of IR images for 10 seconds. For each image series, a basal temperature was recorded for 0.5 seconds before flash was triggered. The temperature gradients (ε) were calculated between a reference point (immediately after the flash) and at a time point of 2sec, 4sec and 9sec after that. A 1.0 cm region of interest (ROI) on the skin was drawn; the mean and standard deviations of the ROIs were calculated. The standard ε values for normal human skins were evaluated by imaging 3 healthy subjects with different skin colors. All of them were imaged on 3 separate days for consistency checks. Results: The temperature gradient, which is the temperature recovery rate, depends on the thermal properties of underlying tissue, i.e. thermal conductivity. The average ε for three volunteers averaged over 3 measurements were 0.64±0.1, 0.72±0.2 and 0.80±0.3 at 2sec, 4sec and 9sec respectively. The standard deviations were within 1.5%–3.2%. One of the volunteers had a prior small skin burn on the left wrist and the ε values for the burned site were around 9% (at 4sec) and 13% (at 9sec) lower than that from the nearby normal skin. Conclusion: The temperature gradients from the healthy subjects were reproducible within 1.5%–3.2 % and that from a burned skin showed a significant difference (9%–13%) from the normal skin. We have an IRB approved protocol to image head and neck patients scheduled for radiation therapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-R-38: Impact of Smoothing and Noise On Robustness of CBCT Textural Features for Prediction of Response to Radiotherapy Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers

Purpose: To examine the impact of image smoothing and noise on the robustness of textural information extracted from CBCT images for prediction of radiotherapy response for patients with head/neck (H/N) cancers. Methods: CBCT image datasets for 14 patients with H/N cancer treated with radiation (70 Gy in 35 fractions) were investigated. A deformable registration algorithm was used to fuse planning CT’s to CBCT’s. Tumor volume was automatically segmented on each CBCT image dataset. Local control at 1-year was used to classify 8 patients as responders (R), and 6 as non-responders (NR). A smoothing filter [2D Adaptive Weiner (2DAW) with 3 different windows (ψ=3, 5, and 7)], and two noise models (Poisson and Gaussian, SNR=25) were implemented, and independently applied to CBCT images. Twenty-two textural features, describing the spatial arrangement of voxel intensities calculated from gray-level co-occurrence matrices, were extracted for all tumor volumes. Results: Relative to CBCT images without smoothing, none of 22 textural features extracted showed any significant differences when smoothing was applied (using the 2DAW with filtering parameters of ψ=3 and 5), in the responder and non-responder groups. When smoothing, 2DAW with ψ=7 was applied, one textural feature, Information Measure of Correlation, was significantly different relative to no smoothing. Only 4 features (Energy, Entropy, Homogeneity, and Maximum-Probability) were found to be statistically different between the R and NR groups (Table 1). These features remained statistically significant discriminators for R and NR groups in presence of noise and smoothing. Conclusion: This preliminary work suggests that textural classifiers for response prediction, extracted from H&N CBCT images, are robust to low-power noise and low-pass filtering. While other types of filters will alter the spatial frequencies differently, these results are promising. The current study is subject to Type II errors. A much larger cohort of patients is needed to confirm these results. This work was supported in part by a grant from Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA)

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-DE-BRA-01: SCIENCE COUNCIL JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR COMPETITION WINNER: Acceleration of a Limited-Angle Intrafraction Verification (LIVE) System Using Adaptive Prior Knowledge Based Image Estimation

Purpose: To develop an adaptive prior knowledge based image estimation method to reduce the scan angle needed in the LIVE system to reconstruct 4D-CBCT for intrafraction verification. Methods: The LIVE system has been previously proposed to reconstructs 4D volumetric images on-the-fly during arc treatment for intrafraction target verification and dose calculation. This system uses limited-angle beam’s eye view (BEV) MV cine images acquired from the treatment beam together with the orthogonally acquired limited-angle kV projections to reconstruct 4D-CBCT images for target verification during treatment. In this study, we developed an adaptive constrained free-form deformation reconstruction technique in LIVE to further reduce the scanning angle needed to reconstruct the CBCT images. This technique uses free form deformation with energy minimization to deform prior images to estimate 4D-CBCT based on projections acquired in limited angle (orthogonal 6°) during the treatment. Note that the prior images are adaptively updated using the latest CBCT images reconstructed by LIVE during treatment to utilize the continuity of patient motion.The 4D digital extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom was used to evaluate the efficacy of this technique with LIVE system. A lung patient was simulated with different scenario, including baseline drifts, amplitude change and phase shift. Limited-angle orthogonal kV and beam’s eye view (BEV) MV projections were generated for each scenario. The CBCT reconstructed by these projections were compared with the ground-truth generated in XCAT.Volume-percentage-difference (VPD) and center-of-mass-shift (COMS) were calculated between the reconstructed and the ground-truth tumors to evaluate the reconstruction accuracy. Results: Using orthogonal-view of 6° kV and BEV- MV projections, the VPD/COMS values were 12.7±4.0%/0.7±0.5 mm, 13.0±5.1%/0.8±0.5 mm, and 11.4±5.4%/0.5±0.3 mm for the three scenarios, respectively. Conclusion: The technique enables LIVE to accurately reconstruct 4D-CBCT images using only orthogonal 6° angle, which greatly improves the efficiency and reduces dose of LIVE for intrafraction verification.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1974

Outer planet Pioneer imaging communications system study

The effects of different types of imaging data compression on the elements of the Pioneer end-to-end data system were studied for three imaging transmission methods. These were: no data compression, moderate data compression, and the advanced imaging communications system. It is concluded that: (1) the value of data compression is inversely related to the downlink telemetry bit rate; (2) the rolling characteristics of the spacecraft limit the selection of data compression ratios; and (3) data compression might be used to perform acceptable outer planet mission at reduced downlink telemetry bit rates.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1996

Laser-induced incandescence calibration via gravimetric sampling

Absolute calibration of laser-induced incandescence (LII) is demonstrated via comparison of LII signal intensities with gravimetrically determined soot volume fractions. This calibration technique does not rely upon calculated or measured optical characteristics of soot. The variation of the LII signal with gravimetrically measured soot volume fractions ranging from 0.078 to 1.1 ppm established the linearly of the calibration. With the high spatial and temporal resolution capabilities of laser-induced incandescence (LII), the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the soot field within a gravimetric chimney were characterized. Radial uniformity of the soot volume fraction, f(sub v) was demonstrated with sufficient averaging of the single laser-shot LII images of the soot field thus confirming the validity of the calibration method for imaging applications. As illustration, instantaneous soot volume fractions within a Re = 5000 ethylene/air diffusion flame measured via planar LII were established quantitatively with this calibration.

Choi, M. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Maskless Gamma-Ray All-Sky Imager: BATSE/CGRO

The non-collimated detectors of BATSE (Burst And Transient Source Experiment) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) can be used as a high sensitivity hard X-ray and low energy gamma-ray all-sky imager in the energy range between 20 keV and 2 MeV. The fluxes from sources in the sky are modulated as the spacecraft orbits the Earth. The CGRO orbital precession further allows sampling of sky in strips corresponding to the limb of the earth at any given time. The modulation data are transformed into images by various reconstruction methods. High sensitivity images of location accuracy of about 0.1 deg and source seperation of about 1 deg are obtained.

Zhang, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Image recovery from edge primitives

A method for extracting edge primitives from Mach-band patterns is presented together with a method for recovering image representations of features outlined by the edge boundaries. The accuracy, stability, and resolution of these representations are assessed. Since these representations are most commonly used in characterizing targets, this method of low-level processing offers new opportunities for computer vision and high data-compressing coding. Two bandpass filters are considered, the spatially invariant Laplacian of Gaussian filter and spatially variant intensity-dependent spatial (IDS) summation. It is shown that the recovery from the IDS bandpass data is particularly advantageous in applications for which robustness to local and temporal variations in illumination is important. It is concluded that the edge primitives extracted from bandpassed images can be an efficient way to store, transmit, and represent images.

Alter-Gartenberg, Rachel↗