High-performance cloud computing (HPCC) integrates high-performance computing (HPC) with cloud computing to provide the supercomputing informatics infrastructure needed for the processing and mobile display of high quality, multi-dimensional diagnostic images. Such infrastructure would advance high-throughput cancer screening like virtual colonoscopy (VC), also known as computed tomography colonography (CTC). The short-term goals of this proposal are to develop and validate the clinical benefits of a novel mobile next-generation HPCC-VC decision support system (HPCC-VC2) that integrates (1) a high-performance iterative reconstruction techniques (hpIRT) for reconstructing ultra-low-dose (ULD) super-resolution (SR) multi-energy laxative-free CTC (ME-lfCTC) images, (2) a high-performance computer-assisted bowel preparation (hpCABP) scheme for removal of residual fecal materials and a high-performance computer-aided detection (hpCADe) scheme and detection of polypoid and flat non-polypoid lesions in ME-lfCTC. Specifically, we hypothesize that the HPCC-VC2 system will (1) provide an ME-lfCTC examination at an ULD of 1 mSy or less, (2) achieve high detection performance for colorectal lesions, (3) prepare a CTC examination within 5 minutes, and (4) improve readers'performance in the detection of colorectal lesions from lfCTC images shown on mobile display devices.
The specific aims are: (1) develop dynamic compression scheme for rapid uploading of raw CTC data to the HPCC;(2) develop parallel hpIRT method for ULD SR ME-CTC;(3) develop parallel hpCABP and hpCADe schemes for the HPCC-VC2;and (4) evaluate the clinical benefit of the HPCC-VC2 system. Successful development of the HPCC-VC2 system will demonstrate the clinical benefit of the platform for improved diagnostic imaging and facilitation of accurate, high-throughput colon cancer screening that is highly acceptable to patients. In the longer term, broad adoption and use of the HPCC-VC2 system will facilitate early and accurate diagnoses, and thus will reduce mortality from colon cancer that is currently the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Successful development of the HPCC-VC2 system will demonstrate the clinical benefit of the platform for improved diagnostic imaging and facilitation of accurate, high-throughput colon cancer screening that is highly acceptable to patients. In the longer term, broad adoption and use of the HPCC-VC2 system will facilitate early and accurate diagnoses, and thus will reduce mortality from colon cancer that is currently the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
