Here we summarized the main research topics in which our group is currently involved


  • MICENEA - Microwave Imaging for Combined Early diagNostics of brEast cAncer

    MICENEA is a project financed by the Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research, within the framework of the 'FIRB Futuro in Ricerca 2012' initiative. X-ray mammography is the most widely used diagnostic technique in mass screening, because it allows for excellent spatial resolution and very good contrast. Microwave Imaging is one of the suitable candidates to be combined with mammography. It is a low-cost method, non invasive, quick, devoid of ionizing radiations, not requiring breast compression. Microwave imaging has attracted great attention in research since it was shown that dielectric and conductivity contrast, between healthy and malignant tissues, is sharper than density contrast upon which X-ray method is based. Several microwave imaging algorithms have been developed, but only few prototype systems have been implemented and clinically tested.


  • CHIRON - Cyclic and person-centric Health management: Integrated appRoach for hOme, mobile and clinical eNvironments

    CHIRON is an European project financed within the ARTEMIS initiative. The main objective of CHIRON will be to provide an architecture and an interfacing layer allowing the transfer of the data gathered from multiple and heterogeneous sources to the currently available and newly developed expert systems, where the information will be analyzed and appropriate feedbacks will be generated. At the same time a methodology for building a robust expert system that - starting from a wide range of data acquired and preprocessed by the related embedded systems - personalizes their analysis will be developed. This personalization will be achieved according to the specific case and to the specific patient and defines a reduced set of key parameters able to assess the clinical situation of the patient and to support the doctor in his decision process.


  • Physical and psychophysical evaluation of digital systems for radiology

    These studies are achieved in collaboration with the Medical Physics Departments of Modena and Reggio Emilia Hospitals. The aim of this research is to investigate the physical and the psychophysical performance of digital detectors for radiographic imaging. Objective and subjective measurements by means of human observers and automatic methods are achieved and correlated, for better characterize the performance of digital systems. Software for assisting to perform the evaluations is developed and made available through this site.


  • Voxel dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine

    This research is done in collaboration with the Medical Physics Department of the S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital in Rome (Italy), with the European Institute of Oncology in Milan (Italy), and with the Centre for Clinical Researches, Havana (Cuba). The aim is to calculate the energy deposition at the voxel level for radionuclide targeted therapy dosimetry with Monte Carlo simulations. We also compared results obtained with three general purpose Monte Carlo codes: MCNP4C, EGSnrc, and GEANT4.


  • A very high spatial resolution small animal PET scanner based on high granularity silicon photomultipliers

    This project involves a collaboration among four different Italian Universities: Pisa, Bari, Perugia, and Bologna. The goal of the project is to develop an ultra high resolution, MR compatible PET detector camera head based upon a novel detector design and cutting-edge photo-detector technology, that can be employed for a next-generation small animal PET system, with a spatial resolution below 1 mm, or for a combined PET/MR scanner. Within the framework of the project, our group is in charge of the Monte Carlo simulations of the system, and the development of image reconstruction methods.


  • Development of a digital tomosynthesis system for breast imaging

    The aim of this activity is the development and building of a Tomosynthesis imaging unit for mammography applications. Breast tomosynthesis is an imaging method that using a reduced number of digital X-ray planar images makes a 3D reconstruction of breast. Tomosynthesis permits to see through the structured anatomic noise and thus to improve early breast cancer detection. This project arises from a collaboration with IMS, a mammography equipment manufacturer based near Bologna, Italy, and Dexela Limited, London, UK, which developes innovative technology for 3D breast imaging.


  • Dual-modality (Ultrasound-SPECT) camera - ECORAD project

    The aim of the ECORAD collaboration is to develop a dual integrated portable camera able to acquire ultrasound and scintigraphic images at the same time. That will allow to get both morphological and functional information on the same device. A final volumetric image containing the fusion information will be provided to the user. The ECORAD project is funded by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and is a collaboration of various groups: Rome, Padua, and Bologna.


  • X-ray CT system for breast imaging

    The goal of this project is the development of an X-ray imaging Cone-Beam Computed Tomography system dedicated to breast imaging. The aim is to provide a tomographic view of breast lesions, adding the advantage of the 3D reconstruction of tissue structures to the conventional two views X-ray mammography of the compressed breast. The system is being developed at the University & Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) laboratories in Naples.