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 XV Imaging
Smith's research focuses on the implementation of XV, a novel imaging technique that utilizes X-rays to track lung motion during breathing and create 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 placed in the lungs to treat emphysema, a condition that damages air sacs, making breathing difficult. Smith's study proposes that XV functional lung imaging can non-invasively measure regional and local changes in airflow, providing a more accurate assessment of the clinical impact of EBV placement compared to traditional CT scans.
In Vivo Demonstration and Findings
To validate this approach, Smith and his colleagues conducted a pilot study on healthy sheep, which have similar lung sizes to humans. They performed XV imaging on two 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, correlating motion in the XV videos with CT data. This software 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 main finding was that XV imaging could visualize and quantify a reduction in airflow to areas downstream of the valves, both in regions where collapse was visible in CT scans and those where it wasn't. Ventilation changes were also observed in the remaining lungs, demonstrating XV's ability to detect airflow changes from EBV placement.
Impact and Future Directions
Smith's research has significant implications for emphysema treatment, as it provides tools for better placement and verification of EBVs, leading to improved treatment options. Since the paper's publication, Smith has been working on further applications of pre-clinical and clinical XV imaging, including the world's first pediatric clinical trial examining the feasibility of using XV in children with cystic fibrosis.
Personal Perspective and Recognition
Smith expresses excitement about receiving the PMB Early Career Researcher Award, acknowledging the collaborative efforts of clinicians, scientists, 4DMedical, and the preclinical imaging facility staff. He views the award as the perfect recognition for his work in medicine and biology, providing evidence to funding bodies of the value of continuing this research.
In conclusion, Ronan Smith's innovative use of X-ray velocimetry has opened new avenues for understanding and treating lung conditions, particularly emphysema. His research not only advances medical imaging but also has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.
