Overview

The CT Clinical Innovation Center develops and evaluates new technology, clinical applications and dose-reduction techniques for computerized tomography (CT) to improve patient care.

Our core team of researchers and clinical investigators has particular expertise in the use of CT imaging for:

• Quantitative assessment of disease progression and regression.
• Organ function.
• Material composition.
• Methods to quantify and reduce radiation dose.

Our center also provides Mayo Clinic investigators with access to cutting-edge CT technology, CT physics support and consultation, and advanced image processing capabilities.

We also have made data resources available for the larger CT research community. These resources include a patient CT projection data library and the Low-Dose CT Grand Challenge.

CT imaging is used mainly to detect and characterize anatomic structures. One of our main goals is to move clinical CT imaging beyond this paradigm by also measuring biological processes, such as blood flow and perfusion.

Collaboration

To help advance our goals, we engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with clinical investigators, research scientists and industry partners.

Within our center, Ph.D.-level CT physicists work with a multidisciplinary team of physicians, scientists, research fellows and graduate students. These teams work together to develop and evaluate new CT imaging technology and clinical applications, with a particular focus on quantitative applications of CT imaging. The CT Clinical Innovation Center research team also interacts with every aspect of Mayo Clinic's CT clinical practice to develop, optimize and translate innovative CT technologies into practice to improve care.

Facilities

The CT Clinical Innovation Center is equipped with state-of-the-art CT technology, radiological phantoms, dosimetry devices, advanced image processing and computing tools, a conference room, and a library collection.

In the mornings, the photon-counting detector CT scanner located in the center is used for translational research activities involving patients and clinical trial participants. In the afternoons, it's used for basic research activities, such as scanning of test objects and specimens.

Directors

The director of the CT Clinical Innovation Center is Cynthia H. McCollough, Ph.D. Dr. McCollough is an internationally renowned researcher in the development and evaluation of CT technology and radiation dose-reduction methods. Dr. McCollough's work focuses on maximizing the benefit and minimizing the risk of computerized tomography. She and her team are developing ways to keep radiation exposures as low as possible while maintaining the needed image quality.

The center's medical director is Joel G. Fletcher, M.D. Dr. Fletcher is a gastrointestinal radiologist who is recognized internationally as a leader in abdominal imaging. Dr. Fletcher's research interests include CT imaging, pancreatic cancer imaging, dynamic pelvic floor imaging, and imaging in Crohn's disease and other small bowel conditions.

History

The CT Clinical Innovation Center was founded in 2004 by Drs. McCollough and Fletcher in partnership with Siemens Healthcare, now known as Siemens Healthineers, a leading manufacturer of medical imaging equipment.

The partnership allows Mayo Clinic investigators and Siemens scientists to work together toward their mutual goals of developing and using new CT imaging technologies to improve patient care.