published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Obstetrics and Gynaecology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation presents the results of an investigation into the performance characteristics of a unique hemispherical SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) imaging system capable of producing three-dimensional (3D) tomographic images of the human brain. The system is completely stationary and collects all necessary views of the patient simultaneously, with no system motion. The imager consists of twenty small (10cm x 10cm crystal area), digital gamma cameras arranged in a hemispherical pattern around the patient's head and a hemispherical lead aperture. The hemispherical aperture is positioned between the cameras and the head and contains a large number of pinholes; in this way each camera sees a number of overlapping pinhole projections of the radioactive distribution within the patient's brain. The initial investigation of the performance characteristics of a 3D SPECT system of this design were carried out using a computer simulation in which effects due to radiometry, finite pinhole size, finite detector resolution, photon noise, and object attenuation were included. We used a digital 3D brain phantom as the test object and an iterative search algorithm to perform the reconstructions. The simulations were used to compare the performance of a variety of system configurations. Based upon the results of the simulation study, we constructed a laboratory prototype of the 3D SPECT system, which we used to further characterize the expected performance of a clinical imaging system of the same design. Prior to collecting SPECT data we calibrated the imaging system, which required that we efficiently measure and store the spatially variant system response function. These calibration data were then included in the reconstructions of the SPECT phantoms that we imaged. A number of different SPECT phantoms were imaged to demonstrate the system performance. We measured a reconstructed spatial resolution of 4.8mm full-width at half-maximum and a full-system sensitivity of 36cps/μCi, where both values were measured for a point source in air located at the center of the field of view. We also describe an analysis that we performed to determine the equivalent, non-multiplexed system sensitivity; using this method, we found that the equivalent sensitivity was 79% of the measured value for the system configuration and the particular task that we investigated.

There have been reports on the use of Ultrasound (US) for monitoring fracture repair and for measuring muscle volume. Change in muscle mass is a useful bio-marker for monitoring the use and disuse of muscle, and the affects of age, disease and injury. The main modality for imaging bone is X-ray and for muscle volume Magnetic Resonance (MR). Previous studies have shown US to have advantages over X-ray and MR. US can image all stages of the fracture repair process and can detect signs of healing 4-6 weeks before X-ray allowing earlier detection of possible complications. Compared to MR, US is less resource intensive, easier to access and also has fewer exclusion criteria for patients. Despite these advantages, the limited field of view that US can provide results in high operator dependency for scan interpretation and also for length and volume measurements. Three-dimensional Ultrasound (3D US) has been developed to overcome these limitations and has been used to provide extended field of view images of the foetus and the heart and to obtain accurate volume measurements for organs. In this thesis it is hypothesized that 3D US can provide a more comprehensive method of imaging fracture repair than X-ray and is also a viable alternative to MR for determining muscle volumes in vivo. Initially, an electromagnetically (EM) tracked 3D US system was evaluated for clinical use using phantom-based experiments. It was found that the presence of metal objects in or near the EM field caused distortion and resulted in errors in the volume measurements of phantoms of up to ±20%. An optically tracked system was also evaluated and it was found that length measurements of a phantom could be made to within ±1.3%. Fracture repair was monitored in five patients with lower limb fractures. Signs of healing were visible earlier on 3D US with a notable, although variable, lag between callus development on X-ray compared to 3D US. 3D US provided a clearer view of callus formation and the changes in density of the callus as it matured. Additional information gained by applying image processing methods to the 3D US data was used to develop a measure of callus density and to identify the frequency dependent appearance of the callus. Volume measurements of the rectus femoris quadricep muscle were obtained using 3DUS from eleven healthy volunteers and were validated against volume measurements derived using MR. The mean difference between muscle volume measurements obtained using 3D US and MR was 0.53 cm3 with a standard deviation of 1.09 cm3 and 95% confidence intervals of 0.20 - 1.27 cm3 In conclusion, 3D US demonstrates great potential as a tool for imaging components of the musculoskeletal system and as means of measuring callus density.

Approved for public release, distribution unlimited / With the unveiling of ForceNet, the Navy's architectural framework for how naval warfare is to be conducted in the information age, much of the technological focus has been placed on Web technology. One of the most promising technologies is Web services. Web services provide for a standard way to move and share data more reliably, securely, and quickly. The capabilities imbedded in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) can merge previously disparate systems into one integrated environment. Already proven successful in the administrative realm, wide-area networks such as the Secure Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNET) have become secure and reliable enough to pass data between systems and units to support tactical operations. The Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School is currently working to extend these precepts into the modeling and simulation world under the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) project. By leveraging existing Web service technology, warfighters at the "tip of the spear" can have access to previously unrealized amounts of tactically-relevant data, analysis, and planning tools. The goal of this thesis is to apply the XMSF and Extensible 3D (X3D) graphics to the field of sonar visualization. Undersea warfare is a complex operation that requires a continuous and detailed analysis of the acoustic environment. Tactical sensor employment without a firm understanding of the complete undersea picture can lead to fatal consequences. The Navy has spent significant resources to develop training systems and tactical decision aids in an effort to integrate training, rehearsal and execution. Unfortunately, many of the high-resolution analysis tools that can provide high-resolution sonar prediction results are not easily accessible to the fleet. By taking advantage of Web services and XMSF technology, warfighters will need only access to the network to be able to pull real-time environmental analysis data from large databases, remotely run sonar prediction models on supercomputers, and view detailed three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds that visualize the undersea picture.

A fairly general method for studying electromagnetic induction in cases where any lateral variations in conductivity are confined to the near-surface region is developed using the thin-sheet technique. The significant feature is that extended anomalies, subject only to the restriction that well-defined two-dimensional problems are approached at infinity, can be handled. The approximate boundary condition is that gradients parallel to the coordinate axes vanish at infinity. / Graduate

The problem encountered in this study was threefold: 1. To analyze the field of engineering models used in design studies and identify and define the way in which they are applied to product development. 2. To determine the degree and extent of skills and knowledge necessary for constructing engineering models. 3. To compare the skills and knowledge associated with model building to course content offered in industrial arts.

Ryanodine receptors (RyR) are intracellular channels that are intricately involved in Ca2+ release. These channels large membrane proteins~2.26MDa in size. In this multi-goal project firstly we successfully studied the gating mechanics of the RyR1 in the presence of Mg2+. We used single particle reconstruction and image processing techniques to obtain the 3D structure of the RyR1 with Mg2+. The 3D structure in the presence of Mg2+ and an ATP analog is the closest representation of human physiological conditions. The open and closed state structures of RyR1 are known. However, the physiologically closed state has not been studied before. Understanding this structure will help in the understanding of protein interactions. Our second goal was the validation of this 3D structure under different levels of noise. Validation under different noise levels analyzed the problem of noise bias is present in the field of cryo-EM and single particle reconstruction in select cases.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) provides full range detection and classification of sea and air based targets through two-dimensional range-Doppler imaging. The Naval Postgraduate School has developed a custom integrated circuit that can simulate false ISAR images in order to fool enemy ISAR platforms. To validate specific hardware choices within this design, this thesis explores the effect on image quality of an overflow occurring within the final 16-bit summation adder of this circuit. Three solutions to the problem of overflows are presented and analyzed. The logical extension of ISAR development, that of three-dimensional target imaging, is next presented through the discussion of 3D monopulse radar, 3D interferometric ISAR, and a 3D, three receiver ISAR. The relative strengths of each approach are compared, along with both MATLAB and X3D software models created for one specific 3D ISAR implementation. Through the superposition of 2D ISAR images it is shown how 3D ISAR images may be created. Moreover, emphasis is placed on using this knowledge to both enhance current 2D ISAR techniques and to modify the false-target chip to handle 3D ISAR return signals. The thesis concludes with a study of Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines, through which the X3D software model was created. / Ensign, United States Naval Reserve

Mimicking the biological olfactory systems that consist of olfactory receptor arrays with large surface area and massively-diversified chemical reactivity, three dimensional (3D) metal oxide nanowire arrays were used as the active materials for gas detection. Metal oxide nanowire arrays share similar 3D structures as the array of mammal's olfactory receptors and the chemical reactivity of nanowire array can be modified by surface coatings. In this dissertation, two standalone gas sensors based on metal oxide nanowire arrays prepared by microfabrication and in-situ micromanipulation, respectively, have been demonstrated. The sensors based on WO3 nanowire arrays can detect 50 ppb NO2 with a fast response; well-aligned CuO nanowire array present a new detection mechanism, which can identify H2S at a concentration of 500 ppb. To expand the material library of 3D metal oxide nanowire arrays for gas sensing, a general route to polycrystalline metal oxide nanowire array has been introduced by using ZnO nanowire arrays as structural templates. The effectiveness of this method for high performance gas sensing was first investigated by single-nanowire devices. The polycrystalline metal oxide coatings showed high performance for gas detection and their sensitivity can be further enhanced by catalytic noble metal decorations. To form electronic nose systems, different metal oxide coatings and catalytic decorations were employed to diversify the chemical reactivity of the sensors. The systems can detect low concentrated H2S and NO2 at room temperature down to part-per-billion level. The system with different catalytic metal coatings is also capable of discriminiating five different gases (H2S, NO2, NH3, H2 and CO).