PMID- 33740092 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20210713 LR - 20210713 IS - 1432-1084 (Electronic) IS - 0938-7994 (Print) IS - 0938-7994 (Linking) VI - 31 IP - 8 DP - 2021 Aug TI - A comparison between manual and artificial intelligence-based automatic positioning in CT imaging for COVID-19 patients. PG - 6049-6058 LID - 10.1007/s00330-020-07629-4 [doi] AB - OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the imaging workflow, radiation dose, and image quality for COVID-19 patients examined using either the conventional manual positioning (MP) method or an AI-based automatic positioning (AP) method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-seven adult COVID-19 patients underwent chest CT scans on a CT scanner using the same scan protocol except with the manual positioning (MP group) for the initial scan and an AI-based automatic positioning method (AP group) for the follow-up scan. Radiation dose, patient positioning time, and off-center distance of the two groups were recorded and compared. Image noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were assessed by three experienced radiologists and were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The AP operation was successful for all patients in the AP group and reduced the total positioning time by 28% compared with the MP group. Compared with the MP group, the AP group had significantly less patient off-center distance (AP 1.56 cm +/- 0.83 vs. MP 4.05 cm +/- 2.40, p < 0.001) and higher proportion of positioning accuracy (AP 99% vs. MP 92%), resulting in 16% radiation dose reduction (AP 6.1 mSv +/- 1.3 vs. MP 7.3 mSv +/- 1.2, p < 0.001) and 9% image noise reduction in erector spinae and lower noise and higher SNR for lesions in the pulmonary peripheral areas. CONCLUSION: The AI-based automatic positioning and centering in CT imaging is a promising new technique for reducing radiation dose and optimizing imaging workflow and image quality in imaging the chest. KEY POINTS: * The AI-based automatic positioning (AP) operation was successful for all patients in our study. * AP method reduced the total positioning time by 28% compared with the manual positioning (MP). * AP method had less patient off-center distance and higher proportion of positioning accuracy than MP method, resulting in 16% radiation dose reduction and 9% image noise reduction in erector spinae. CI - (c) 2020. The Author(s). FAU - Gang, Yadong AU - Gang Y AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Chen, Xiongfeng AU - Chen X AD - Department of Radiology, Puren Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, NO.1 Benxi street, Jianshe 4th Road, Qingshan District, Wuhan, 430080, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Li, Huan AU - Li H AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Wang, Hanlun AU - Wang H AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Li, Jianying AU - Li J AD - GE Healthcare, Computed Tomography Research Center, Beijing, 100176, People's Republic of China. FAU - Guo, Ying AU - Guo Y AD - GE Healthcare, Computed Tomography Research Center, Beijing, 100176, People's Republic of China. FAU - Zeng, Junjie AU - Zeng J AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Hu, Qiang AU - Hu Q AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Hu, Jinxiang AU - Hu J AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. FAU - Xu, Haibo AU - Xu H AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8451-8979 AD - Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, NO.169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. xuhaibo1120@hotmail.com. LA - eng GR - 2017YFC0108803/National Key Research and Development Plan of China/ GR - 81771819/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ GR - 81801667/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ PT - Journal Article DEP - 20210319 PL - Germany TA - Eur Radiol JT - European radiology JID - 9114774 SB - IM MH - Adult MH - *Artificial Intelligence MH - *COVID-19 MH - Humans MH - Radiation Dosage MH - SARS-CoV-2 MH - Tomography, X-Ray Computed PMC - PMC7975236 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Artificial intelligence OT - Coronavirus OT - Radiation dosage OT - Tomography COIS- The two authors (J.L. and Y. G.) of this manuscript are employees of GE Healthcare, the manufacturer of the CT system used in this study. The other authors, who are not GE Healthcare employees, had total and complete control of the data and information that might have represented a conflict of interest for (J.L. and Y. G.). EDAT- 2021/03/20 06:00 MHDA- 2021/07/14 06:00 PMCR- 2021/03/19 CRDT- 2021/03/19 17:26 PHST- 2020/09/25 00:00 [received] PHST- 2020/12/11 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2020/11/18 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2021/03/20 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2021/07/14 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2021/03/19 17:26 [entrez] PHST- 2021/03/19 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1007/s00330-020-07629-4 [pii] AID - 7629 [pii] AID - 10.1007/s00330-020-07629-4 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Eur Radiol. 2021 Aug;31(8):6049-6058. doi: 10.1007/s00330-020-07629-4. Epub 2021 Mar 19.