Duke’s School of Medicine welcomes the Center for Virtual Imaging Trials (CVIT), a new center focused on utilizing digital models of patients, scanners, and image readers to assess and optimize imaging technologies and applications. Launched this spring and hosted at the Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories under Duke Radiology, the center is supported by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is led by Ehsan Samei, a professor in the departments of Radiology, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The range of computational tools developed at CVIT would allow scientists and physicians to effectively evaluate imaging technologies and therapies, and their consequent impact on patient research and care. According to Ehsan Samei, “virtual imaging trials provide a new paradigm to assess the anticipated impact of medical innovations on patient care” and “offer a new way to conduct experiments in medicine in a way that is ethically, financially, and logistically feasible while reflecting the complexities and variabilities of human body and medical technologies. They open a new window in medical science and practice.” The center will provide resources to scientists and physicians both inside and outside of Duke, and organize training and forums for educating individuals who are interested in using the resources offered by the center.
