Automatic 3D camera positioning in cardiac computed tomography: A phantom study

Y H Hadi¹, A Legoff², N Moore³, M-J Murphy⁴, L Sweetman⁵, H Precht⁶, A England⁷, M McEntee⁸

Affiliations

¹ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: hadi.y@umail.ucc.ie.
² Discipline of Health Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, France.
³ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@NiamhMoore40.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
⁵ Department of Medical Physics, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
⁶ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Regional Health Research, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Radiology, Lillebaelt Hospital, University Hospitals of Southern Denmark, Kolding, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
⁷ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@aengland1.
⁸ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Regional Health Research, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@markmcentee.

PMID: 40378647
DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.102981

Automatic 3D camera positioning in cardiac computed tomography: A phantom study

Y H Hadi et al. Radiography (Lond). 2025 Jul.

. 2025 Jul;31(4):102981.

doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.102981. Epub 2025 May 15.

Authors

Y H Hadi¹, A Legoff², N Moore³, M-J Murphy⁴, L Sweetman⁵, H Precht⁶, A England⁷, M McEntee⁸

Affiliations

¹ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: hadi.y@umail.ucc.ie.
² Discipline of Health Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, France.
³ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@NiamhMoore40.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
⁵ Department of Medical Physics, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
⁶ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Regional Health Research, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Radiology, Lillebaelt Hospital, University Hospitals of Southern Denmark, Kolding, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
⁷ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@aengland1.
⁸ Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Regional Health Research, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@markmcentee.

PMID: 40378647
DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.102981

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is essential for diagnosing coronary artery disease, with accurate positioning critical for optimising image quality (IQ) and radiation exposure. Vertical misalignment can degrade IQ and increase radiation dose. Automatic 3D camera positioning systems claim to improve accuracy and reduce errors, though research on their effectiveness in CCTA remains limited. This study evaluates positioning accuracy, radiation dose, and IQ when using automatic 3D camera positioning in CCTA across scenarios.

Methods: This prospective phantom study utilised the Multipurpose Chest N1 Phantom (Kyoto Kagaku, Japan) across three body sizes. Positioning variations included supine versus prone, head-first versus feet-first orientations, and various body surface coverings. CT scans were undertaken on a GE Revolution Apex Elite (GE Healthcare, USA) scanner. Vertical offsets from the isocentre were measured using DoseWatch software (GE Healthcare), while radiation dose was quantified through dose-length product (DLP) and Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDI_vol). IQ was assessed by calculating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and conspicuity index.

Results: Automatic 3D camera positioning achieved a mean (standard deviation) vertical offset of -1.0 (1.5) mm. Larger phantom sizes were significantly associated with increased off-centring, as indicated by Fisher's exact test (p = 0.004), and greater offsets correlated with higher radiation doses (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). IQ metrics, including SNR and CNR, decreased with increased offsets; SNR dropped from 71. to 50.9, and CNR from 0.2 to -0.6.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that automated 3D camera positioning in CCTA supports radiographers by enhancing positioning accuracy, lowering radiation exposure and improving IQ. Further work should examine the impact of automatic 3D camera positioning within clinical practice.

Implication for practice: Automatic 3D camera positioning in CCTA will likely improve patient care and safety.

Keywords: Cardiac imaging; Image quality; Patient positioning; Radiation dosage; X-ray computed tomography.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

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Automatic 3D camera positioning in cardiac computed tomography: A phantom study

Affiliations

Automatic 3D camera positioning in cardiac computed tomography: A phantom study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

MeSH terms