Lori-Anne Gardi

Western University | UWO · Robarts Research Institute

Breast cancer screening has substantially reduced mortality across screening populations. However, a clinical need persists for more accessible, cost-effective, and robust approaches for increased-risk and diverse patient populations, especially those with dense breasts where screening mammography is suboptimal. We developed and validated a cost-ef...

In this article, A Universal Medium (AUM) is proposed that forms the foundation of, and is the source of, everything we observe in the universe (all particles, forces and laws of nature). AUM is a quantifiable medium that propagates waves at the speed of light. Here, particles are modeled as circular waves or solitons that propagate in place, and t...

In this paper, I show how to build up higher order hyper-complex numbers using an iterative method producing something resembling a fractal algebra.

Background Mammographic screening has reduced mortality in women through the early detection of breast cancer. However, the sensitivity for breast cancer detection is significantly reduced in women with dense breasts, in addition to being an independent risk factor. Ultrasound (US) has been proven effective in detecting small, early‐stage, and inva...

We present in this work some experiments involving the optics of systems where the paraxial optics approximation cannot be applied, as in the case of rainbow formation by raindrops and the case of light deflection by massive objects, such as in the vicinity of black holes. The first experiment is the injection of laser light into a glass cylinder,...

This paper describes the methods used to develop the VERY FIRST simulator of the Ferrocell optical viewing device.

Purpose Image‐guided needle biopsy of small, detectable lesions is crucial for early‐stage diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of breast cancer. High‐resolution positron emission mammography (PEM) is a dedicated functional imaging modality that can detect breast cancer independent of breast tissue density, but anatomical context and real‐...

Purpose: Permanent breast seed implant (PBSI) brachytherapy is a novel technique for early-stage breast cancer. Computed tomography (CT) images are used for treatment planning and freehand 2D ultrasound for implant guidance. The multimodality imaging approach leads to discrepancies in target identification. To address this, a prototype 3D ultrasou...

The necessity of acknowledging the existence of a new chemical element is discussed. A new view of the electric current as a diffusion wave in a wire is advanced. The production of a magnetic field by an electric current is explained in terms of mechanics of surface waves.

Purpose Image‐guided focal ablation procedures are first‐line therapy options in the treatment of liver cancer tumors that provide advantageous reductions in patient recovery times and complication rates relative to open surgery. However, extensive physician training is required and image guidance variabilities during freehand therapy applicator pl...

Image-guided biopsy is crucial for diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning of women with breast cancer. Conventional imaging modalities to guide breast biopsy are not optimal, often resulting in inconclusive or false-negative diagnosis. High-resolution breast-specific functional imaging using positron emission mammography (PEM) has demonstrated...

Using the physics of sound waves as a foundation, subatomic particles and their behaviors are modeled with classical mechanics to calculate the Planck energy, the electron's energy and the energy levels of the first two atoms: hydrogen and helium. Five different methods are used to calculate energies, including spring-mass systems and wave systems,...

In this paper, a spacetime structure consisting of a body-centered cubic lattice is modeled classically as a spring-mass system, where the components of each unit cell in the lattice are based on the fundamental units discovered by Max Planck, and the common forces that govern the motion of particles in spacetime is defined and unified by geometric...

In this paper, subatomic particles are described by the formation of standing waves of energy as a result of energetic oscillations in the spacetime lattice. The creation of new particles with higher energies, or the decay of particles to lower energies, are described by the formation of wave center points that cause an increase or decrease in stan...

This is a short paper showing an analogy between the magnetic component of an electric field and the dielectric component.

In this paper, the two distinct properties of particle mass and charge are related, unifying equations for classical mechanics and electromagnetism that use mass and charge as variables for the electron.

This paper uses a real life example to test Modified Unit Analysis.

In this paper, the electric nature of the universe is revealed by applying the language of electronics to the energy and forces acting upon subatomic particles.

This article shows the system of equations developed while modeling light as an LC circuit.

Complex numbers are 2-dimensional numbers that are expressed in the form a + bi, where a and b are "real" values, and "i" is a solution of the equation x 2 = −1. Because no "real" value can satisfy this equation, "i" is referred to as imaginary. Although a lot of mystery surrounds imaginary numbers and complex numbers, they turn out to be quite use...

In this article, the most important equations in classical physics, including Einstein's energy-mass equivalence , Coulomb's law and Newton's laws, are compared to and validated against a set of force equations developed by independent researcher Robert Distinti. These results are further validated against Jeff Yee's equations from his wave model o...

Planck's constant, h, is a central character in light theory and quantum mechanics and is traditionally referred to as the quantum of action. The classical definition of action is "kinetic energy minus potential energy, multiplied by time", with units [J s]. The units of the energy equation, E = h f , are traditionally written as [J s 1/s] where un...

Electromagnetic waves are waves that propagate through the vacuum of space. Although it is well known that mechanical waves require the presence of a medium for wave propagation, it is commonly thought that electromagnetic waves do not require a medium for propagation. The purpose of this essay is the demonstrate, using logic and common sense, that...

Black holes, first identified by general relativity, are of the most mysterious objects in the universe. Scientific consensus is that black holes do in fact exist in nature. Not only that, but they are considered as an important feature of our universe. The equally mysterious concept called fractal geometry, popularized by Benoit Mandelbrot, is als...

Purpose: During image-guided prostate biopsy, needles are targeted at tissues that are suspicious of cancer to obtain specimen for histological examination. Unfortunately, patient motion causes targeting errors when using an MR-transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) fusion approach to augment the conventional biopsy procedure. This study aims to develop an...

Using the law of capacitance, the exact value of Planck’s constant is derived from scratch. The assumption here is that the energy of light is directly related to the phenomenon of capacitance.

Introduction: This study evaluates the clinical benefit of magnetic resonance-transrectal ultrasound (MR-TRUS) fusion biopsy over systematic biopsy between first-time and repeat prostate biopsy patients with prior atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP). Materials: 100 patients were enrolled in a single-centre prospective cohort study: 50 for...

Planck's constant, h , as an action constant is one of the most widely studied concepts in theoretical physics. It appears in many equations from Planck's energy equation to the famous Schrodinger equation. Historically, the energy equation, E = hv , and units for h , [ J × s ] , were chosen by convention. However, this essay describes a method of...

Purpose: In current clinical practice, there is no integrated 3D ultrasound (3DUS) guidance system clinically available for breast brachytherapy. In this study, the authors present a novel robot-assisted 3DUS system for real-time planning and guidance of breast interstitial high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment.

Two different end-to-end procedures were tested for real-time planning in breast HDR brachytherapy treatment. Both methods are using a 3D ultrasound (3DUS) system and a freehand catheter optimization algorithm. They were found fast and efficient. We demonstrated a proof-of-concept approach for personalized real-time guidance and planning to breast...

In this work, we present a novel system for realtime planning and guidance of breast HDR brachytherapy treatment, using 3DUS. Modules were developed for catheter optimization, image reconstruction, semi-automatic segmentation and catheter tracking. The new system was found efficient and was validated in phantom for real-time planning and guidance o...

Image-guided percutaneous ablation is the standard treatment for focal liver tumors deemed inoperable and is commonly used to maintain eligibility for patients on transplant waitlists. Radiofrequency (RFA), microwave (MWA) and cryoablation technologies are all delivered via one or a number of needle-shaped probes inserted directly into the tumor. P...

There is always another way to say the same thing that doesn't look at all like the way it was said before." Richard Feynman. In this essay, a novel approach to cosmology is presented that mathematically models the Universe as an iterated function system (IFS) analogous to the famous Mandelbrot Set IFS (M): z=z 2 +c, where z and c are complex numbe...

Purpose Two‐dimensional ultrasound (2D US) imaging is commonly used for diagnostic and intraoperative guidance of interventional liver procedures; however, 2D US lacks volumetric information that may benefit interventional procedures. Over the past decade, three‐dimensional ultrasound (3D US) has been developed to provide the missing spatial inform...

Purpose: In breast interstitial high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, the number and positions of the catheters are usually chosen manually using a preimplant CT scan. In this work, we present an innovative approach for real-time 3D ultrasound (3DUS) planning in breast HDR brachytherapy. Methods: The end-to-end procedure was realized with a comput...

An apparatus for determining a distribution of a selected therapy in a target volume is provided. A three-dimensional ultrasound transducer captures volume data from the target volume. A computing device is in communication with the three-dimensional ultrasound transducer for receiving the volume data and determining the distribution of the selecte...

Two-dimensional ultrasound (2D US) imaging is commonly used for diagnostic and intraoperative guidance of interventional abdominal procedures including percutaneous thermal ablation of focal liver tumors with radiofrequency (RF) or microwave (MW) induced energy. However, in many situations 2D US may not provide enough anatomical detail and guidance...

Purpose: Three-dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided systems have been developed to improve targeting accuracy during prostate biopsy. However, prostate motion during the procedure is a potential source of error that can cause target misalignments. The authors present an image-based registration technique to compensate for prostate...

PURPOSE Enhanced cancer detection using MRI-3D TRUS fusion for targeted prostate biopsy has been preliminarily shown. Tissue correspondence in MRI-3D TRUS fusion is only valid if the prostate remains stationary. This study quantifies the observed prostate motion during TRUS probe movements and calculates its potential impact on the accuracy of targ...

Purpose: This study investigates the performance of a 3 D Ultrasound (US) system in imaging elbow and wrist nerves. Materials and methods: Twenty healthy volunteers with asymptomatic median, ulnar and radial nerves were prospectively investigated. Bilateral 3DUS scans of the elbows and wrists were acquired by using a commercially available US sc...

Ultrasound imaging has improved the treatment of prostate cancer by producing increasingly higher quality images and influencing sophisticated targeting procedures for the insertion of radioactive seeds during brachytherapy. However, it is critical that the needles be placed accurately within the prostate to deliver the therapy to the planned locat...

This paper presents a mechanically-assisted 3D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy system with MRI–3D TRUS fusion. The 3D TRUS system employs a 4 degree-of-freedom linkage for real-time TRUS probe tracking. MRI–TRUS fusion is achieved using a surface-based non-linear registration incorporating thin-plate splines to provide real-time overlays of su...

To ensure accurate targeting and repeatability, 3D TRUS-guided biopsies require registration to determine coordinate transformations to (1) incorporate pre-procedure biopsy plans and (2) compensate for inter-session prostate motion and deformation between repeat biopsy sessions. We evaluated prostate surface- and image-based 3D-to-3D TRUS registrat...

Purpose: Automatic identification of the biopsy-core tissue location during a prostate biopsy procedure would provide verification that targets were adequately sampled and would allow for appropriate intraprocedure biopsy target modification. Localization of the biopsy core requires accurate segmentation of the biopsy needle and needle tip from tr...

In order to obtain a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer, over one million men undergo prostate biopsies every year. Currently, biopsies are performed under two-dimensional (2D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance with manual stabilization of a hand-held end- or side-firing transducer probe. With this method, it is challenging to precisely g...

Prostate biopsy procedures are currently limited to using 2D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging to guide the biopsy needle. Being limited to 2D causes ambiguity in needle guidance and provides an insufficient record to allow guidance to the same suspicious locations or avoid regions that are negative during previous biopsy sessions. We have deve...

Purpose: Prostate biopsy, performed using two-dimensional (2D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance, is the clinical standard for a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer. Histological analysis of the biopsies can reveal cancerous, noncancerous, or suspicious, possibly precancerous, tissue. During subsequent biopsy sessions, noncancerous region...

Quantitative measurements of carotid atherosclerosis can be determined using three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS). This pilot study involved the development of prospective cardiac gating of 3DUS carotid images to reduce cardiac cycle-derived arterial pulsatility. The method developed uses electrocardiograph signal detection of the cardiac cycle R wa...

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of our rigid and non?rigid registration methods to align three?dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound(TRUS)images of the prostate in order to improve repeat biopsy planning and guidance for prostate cancer diagnosis. Methods and Materials: Three 3D prostate ultrasoundimages were obtained from each of the 16 patien...

Successful cryotherapy of the prostate for neoplasms relies on imaging to achieve good oncological outcomes with minimal complications. Traditional prostatic cryotherapy relies on 2-dimensional ultrasonography (2DUS) guidance, which often makes it difficult to track the passage of needles in an oblique plane. We describe our initial 3-dimensional u...

There are currently limitations associated with the prostate biopsy procedure, which is the most commonly used method for a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer. With the use of two-dimensional (2D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) for needle-guidance in this procedure, the physician has restricted anatomical reference points for guiding the needle...

Large core needle biopsy is a common procedure used to obtain histological samples when cancer is suspected in diagnostic breast images. The procedure is typically performed under image guidance, with freehand ultrasound and stereotactic mammography (SM) being the most common modalities used. To utilize the advantages of both modalities, a biopsy d...

Prostate biopsy procedures are generally limited to 2D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging for biopsy needle guidance. This limitation results in needle position ambiguity and an insufficient record of biopsy core locations in cases of prostate re-biopsy. We have developed a multi-jointed mechanical device that supports a commercially available T...

Current transperineal prostate brachytherapy uses transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance and a template at a fixed position to guide needles along parallel trajectories. However, pubic arch interference (PAI) with the implant path obstructs part of the prostate from being targeted by the brachytherapy needles along parallel trajectories. To solve t...

Purpose: To determine the time interval in the cardiac cycle for prospectively gated ultrasound imaging of the carotid artery that will reduce change in cross‐sectional lumen area to 5%. Method and Materials: Three female subjects (ages 26–46) were used for this pilot study. The ultrasound transducer was placed over the left common carotid artery i...

Ultrasound imaging has revolutionized the treatment of prostate cancer by producing increasingly accurate models of the prostate and influencing sophisticated targeting procedures for the insertion of radioactive seeds during brachytherapy. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging, which allows 3D models of the prostate to be constructed from a se...

In order to guide the needle to the correct location in 3D US-guided brachytherapy, the needle is continuously tracked as it is being inserted. A pre-scan before the needle insertion and a post-scan after the needle insertion are subtracted to obtain a difference image containing the needle. The image is projected along two orthogonal directions ap...

An algorithm has been developed in this paper to localize implanted radioactive seeds in 3D ultrasound images for a dynamic intraoperative brachytherapy procedure. Segmentation of the seeds is difficult, due to their small size in relatively low quality of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images. In this paper, intraoperative seed segmentation in 3D T...

Large core needle biopsy is a common procedure used to obtain histological samples when a suspicious lesion is detected in diagnostic breast images. The procedure is typically performed using image guidance, with ultrasound(US) and stereotactic mammography (SM) being the most common modalities used. Each of these imaging methods, however, has limit...

Intraoperative prostate brachytherapy has potential to solve the problems in current brachytherapy, and verification of implanted seed locations in ultrasound (US) images is a necessary step in an intraoperative procedure. However, due to low quality of US images, and small size of radioactive seeds, it is difficult to achieve seed segmentation in...

An algorithm was developed in order to segment and track brachytherapy needles inserted along oblique trajectories. Three‐dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images of the rigid rod simulating the needle inserted into the tissue‐mimicking agar and chicken breast phantoms were obtained to test the accuracy of the algorithm under ideal con...

Introduction: Potential minimally invasive lungcancer therapies such as brachytherapy will require intraoperative imaging for both instrument tracking and tumour volume measurements for radiationdose planning. Ultrasound(US) is the modality of choice because it is inexpensive, real‐time, portable, and non‐invasive to the patient. Objectives: We hav...

In prostate brachytherapy, an 18-gauge needle is used to implant radioactive seeds. This thin needle can be deflected from the preplanned trajectory in the prostate, potentially resulting in a suboptimum dose pattern and at times requiring repeated needle insertion to achieve optimal dosimetry. In this paper, we report on the evaluation of brachyth...