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 significant contributions to 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 air sacs in the lungs, 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 can be challenging with traditional CT scans.
In Vivo Demonstration and Pilot Study
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 two anesthetized and ventilated animals before and after placing EBVs in their lungs. 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 allowed them to measure the lung's expansion and contraction during a breath cycle and create a 3D map of specific ventilation in small voxels throughout the lungs. The software then calculated mean specific ventilation and ventilation heterogeneity across different lung regions.
The results 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 parts of the lungs, demonstrating the technology's ability to provide detailed insights into lung function.
Impact and Future Prospects
Smith's research has significant implications for people with emphysema. By using XV imaging to detect airflow changes from EBV placement, healthcare professionals can improve the accuracy of valve placement and treatment options. This could lead to better outcomes for patients, as evidenced by the positive feedback from funding bodies.
Since the publication of his 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 evaluate treatment outcomes. Additionally, Smith is conducting the world's first pediatric clinical trial of XV imaging, examining its feasibility in children with cystic fibrosis.
Personal Reflection and Future Endeavors
As an early-career researcher, Smith is passionate about developing his own research. He is currently exploring dark-field X-ray imaging, another novel X-ray imaging method. This technology has the potential to reveal the promise of nanoparticle-delivered gene therapy, as demonstrated in a separate study. Smith's enthusiasm for his work and his dedication to advancing medical imaging techniques make him a rising star in the field.
The PMB Early Career Researcher Award is a testament to Smith's hard work and the impact of his research. It highlights the importance of recognizing and supporting emerging leaders in biomedical physics, ensuring that their innovative ideas and contributions continue to shape the future of medicine and biology.
