Ronan Smith, a postdoctoral research fellow at Adelaide University, has been awarded the prestigious Physics in Medicine & Biology (PMB) Early Career Researcher Award for his groundbreaking work in X-ray velocimetry (XV). This award recognizes the best paper in PMB's 2025 Early Career Researcher Focus Collection, and Smith's research has made a significant impact in the field of lung imaging and treatment.
Unlocking the Potential of X-ray Velocimetry
Smith's research focuses on XV, a novel imaging technique that utilizes X-rays to track lung motion during breathing and create detailed 3D maps of local ventilation. In his award-winning paper, "Visualising ventilation changes following endobronchial valve placement with x-ray velocimetry functional lung imaging," Smith explores the potential of XV to detect changes in lung function after the insertion of endobronchial valves (EBVs).
EBVs are one-way valves designed to treat emphysema, a condition that damages lung air sacs, making breathing difficult. By preventing airflow into damaged areas, EBVs allow the rest of the lung to function more effectively. Smith's research highlights the importance of accurately assessing the clinical impact of EBV placement, which is currently challenging with traditional CT scans.
In Vivo Demonstration and Software Analysis
To demonstrate the potential of XV, Smith and his colleagues conducted a pilot study on healthy sheep, which have similar lung sizes to humans. They performed XV imaging on anesthetized and ventilated animals before and after EBV placement. The XV scanning process involved recording fluoroscopic videos of individual breaths at various angles, with anatomic positioning provided by breath-hold CT scans.
The researchers used XV LVAS software from 4DMedical to analyze the data. This software correlates motion in XV videos with CT data, measuring lung expansion and contraction during a breath cycle. It creates 3D maps of specific ventilation in small voxels throughout the lungs, allowing for the calculation of mean specific ventilation and ventilation heterogeneity.
The study's findings were remarkable. XV imaging could visualize and quantify a reduction in airflow to areas downstream of the valves, even in regions where collapse was not detectable by CT scans. Ventilation changes were also observed in the remaining lungs, demonstrating XV's ability to provide valuable insights into lung function.
Future Applications and Impact
Since the publication of this paper, Smith has been working on expanding the applications of pre-clinical and clinical XV imaging. He is part of an interdisciplinary team investigating lung function changes in various diseases, aiming to understand the diseases and assess treatment outcomes. One of the most exciting developments is the world's first pediatric clinical trial of XV imaging, examining its feasibility in children with cystic fibrosis.
Smith's work has gained recognition, and he views the PMB Early Career Researcher Award as the perfect validation of his efforts. He acknowledges the collaborative nature of the project, involving clinicians, scientists, and the preclinical imaging facility staff. This award not only highlights the excellence of his research but also serves as a powerful tool to secure funding for future endeavors.
In conclusion, Ronan Smith's research in X-ray velocimetry has opened new avenues for understanding and treating lung conditions. His innovative approach to imaging lung function has the potential to revolutionize clinical decision-making and improve treatment outcomes for patients with emphysema and other lung diseases.
