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RADIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND IMAGING: SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES The Radiological Sciences and Imaging (RSI) service provides important support to all imaging departments in N. Ireland helping to ensure the quality, safety and effectiveness of diagnostic imaging procedures. The RSI service works closely with the Radiation Protection Service and both services are based in the same building on the Forster Green Hospital site. This provides an exciting and stimulating environment for staff to work in. Medical physics expert in diagnostic radiology Advice is provided on the optimisation exam protocols and equipment performance to ensure that the appropriate balance is achieved between patient dose and diagnostic information. This aspect is particularly important with changing imaging technologies in diagnostic radiology and the implementation of new techniques and protocols. Assistance is provided to Radiology departments in establishment and review of Diagnostic Reference Levels. The Service provides advice and assistance on radiology equipment specification and selection. Equipment Quality Assurance Commissioning and routine performance measurements are provided for imaging equipment in diagnostic radiology in accord with nationally recommended standards. The equipment covered includes 28 CT scanners (all except two multi-slice scanners) and PET-CT. The service provides physics services to the Breast Screening Programme in N. Ireland which covers 16 mammography systems including full-field digital mammography. The number of CR and DDR systems is growing rapidly providing new challenges for quality assurance and optimisation. Patient Dosimetry Patient dosimetry continues to ensure that doses to patients in diagnostic radiology are continuously audited and the potential for significant reductions is often identified. The RSI are developing an innovative Web based patient dosimetry system to assist x-ray departments within N. Ireland to collate and audit patient dose measurements MRI AND IMAGING Scientific support is provided for all 11 NHS MRI systems in N. Ireland. Commissioning, routine Quality Assurance and site surveys are undertaken and the RSI Service provides an MR safety advisor to Trusts. Support is provided in protocol and pulse sequence optimisation. The implementation of advanced MR techniques such as MR spectroscopy and functional MRI is supported. Research is developing in areas including oncology, cardiology and brain imaging. Hybrid, multi modality and digital imaging The RSI service works closely with other Services within the Agency and is developing support for the imaging work of other Services and R&D within the Agency. Digital imaging is an increasing activity and links are being developed to support clinical applications where advanced visualisation or image analysis is required. A regional PACS is due for implementation in N. Ireland bringing healthcare establishments wider and more comprehensive access to digital images. Research and Development Research and Development is actively encouraged within the Service and external funding has been obtained for a number of projects. At any one time there are several projects being undertaken in a wide range of interesting topics, among which the following is a selection of current projects: X-ray image analysis of bone fracture healing Assessment of the performance of digital imaging systems and computer simulation in optimisation in Diagnostic Radiology Patient dose and imaging system performance in 3D rotational angiography Modelling of effect of dose reduction on CT image quality Patient skin dose measurement in interventional neuroradiology and cardiology Computer simulation of digital mammography systems Monte Carlo modelling in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine Voxel-based morphometry in brain volume measurement MR imaging for Gel dosimery in Radiotherapy