AW-FETCH Software
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(Update: As of January 3rd 2007 Aware Electronics has available our new 32 bit Windows version of Aw-Fetch base station component. Phone or E-Mail for details.)
Aware has developed new software, AW-FETCH, a remote
monitoring package for plotting at a base station PC, data from
an unlimited number of remote RM units. (See figure
below). AW-FETCH automatically connects with one or more remote
PCs, dialing phone numbers if necessary, and updates each radiation file
to the base station computer.
AW-FETCH includes a highly optimized communications sub-system
including CRC error correction, variable size packets, password
protection, automatic detection of modem flow control (for optimal speed
with data-compressing smart modems), utilization of 16550 UART FIFO
buffers and other advanced features. AW-FETCH will operate with modems
(land line or cellular), direct-connect serial ports, or transceivers
with TNC interface (for example MFJ's Packet Only Transceiver: $119 +
MFJ's TNC: $119).
The package is optimized for efficient operation, tailored
for use with the Aware RM units and/or PMI-30 together with AW-SRAD
and/or AW-GRAPH radiation data gathering programs. For example, unlike
standard communications programs, the interrupt handler in AW-FETCH
immediately enables interrupts and frees the interrupt controller before
processing any data, to assure the radiation gathering aspect of the
software has sufficient CPU time. Because of the critical nature of the
communication, it also includes anti-crash technology (anti stack
overflow control).
AW-FETCH fetches the minimum data needed to update the duplicated
radiation file, rather than copying over the entire file with each
update. If during an update session the communications link is broken,
after re-establishing the link, the program automatically picks up where it left
off.
Plot up to 8 locations simultaneously with AW-GRAPH, and update
plots from AW-GRAPH with one key stroke. Program will selectively
"mark" points to indicate points gathered during a test period, for
example, when a patient is lying in bed, or a fan was turned on, etc.
Excellent for Radiation Safety (place an RM-60 + HP. 200LX in that old
storage room), remote monitoring of Radon WL, processing, manufacturing
facilities, Nuclear Medical applications, etc.
At the recent EPA "International Radiological Post-Emergency Response
Issues Conference" in Washington DC, Aware Electronics demonstrated the
use of Aw-fetch software. We monitored and graphed, with the hit a of
few keys, several remote locations, including the radiological waiting
room in a large New York City hospital (HP 200LX Palm Top PC with RM-60
and PCMCIA modem situated above the false ceiling tile of the waiting
room) and a RM-70 plugged into a PC with modem in Aware's office. In
the case of Aware's office location, we equipped our 800 phone line with
a ComSwitch 7500 which, when detecting an extended modem dial string
sent by Aw-fetch, automatically connected our 800 line to the office
PC's modem, allowing Aw-fetch to proceed with the update of data and
plot at our Washington DC location.
A radiologic example: Radiologist administers 120 mC 131-I to
patient with cancerous thyroid. Patient is allowed to leave hospital
when 131-I level reaches 30 mC. MD places RM-60 + HP. 200LX palm top PC
with PCMCIA modem in patient's room, has patient assume a standardized
position, (for example laying in bed), then starts the radiation
program. Periodically over the next several days, MD uses AW-FETCH to
view patient's activity. When activity decays 75%, patient is
discharged. One MD can monitor an unlimited number of patients from any
telephone jack. AW-GRAPH's math modeling function will help predict
future levels. Flip between semilog and normal plot with a keystroke.
Below is selected text and images from a successful grant application
(SBIR HCFA Grant # 97-P-90781/3-01 "Remote Monitoring of I-131 Therapy
Patients") using AW-FETCH package, RM-60s and HP. 200LX palm top PCs
equipped with PCMCIA modems.
Also see 9/98 edition of peer reviewed JOURNAL of NUCLEAR MEDICINE
"Remotely Pollable Geiger-Muller Detector for Continuous Monitoring of
Iodine-131 Therapy Patients" (L.S. Zuckier, B. Boardman, Q.H. Zhao).
Click For Image of JNM paper
REMOTE MONITORING OF I-131 THERAPY
PATIENTS
BRIEF ABSTRACT
Each year, in the United States, some 15,000 patients are admitted to
hospital for administration of radioactive 131-I. Although not acutely
ill, as a general rule, radiation safety regulations dictate that
patients who still retain a regulatory threshold whole-body burden of
131-I must be segregated from the general populace. Present methods of
monitoring in-patients, to determine time of discharge, are limited and
likely result in unnecessarily prolonged hospitalization. AWARE
Electronics has developed and marketed an extremely flexible
Geiger-Mueller counter (RM-60), designed to interface with
IBM-compatible personal computers, which has been useful in many
non-medical applications. Specialized counting hardware and
sophisticated display and analysis software are seamlessly integrated
using the PC as a convenient and available platform.
In collaboration with our Nuclear Medicine group, we have
investigated feasibility of this device as a remote means of monitoring
131-I therapy patients, using modems, and standard telephone lines.
Schematic representation of remote and base components of
the AW-FETCH - GM monitoring system. Continuous data from the remote
bedside computer may be uploaded to 1 or more base computers using an
intermittent telephone connection between modems (dashed line).
The remote component, consisting of a palmtop IBM compatible personal
computer, specialized software, PCMCIA modem, and RM60 miniature
serial-port-based Geiger-Mueller (GM) detector, is placed opposite the
patient's bed at a fixed distance and continuous 1 minute acquisitions
are begun. Initially and at least twice-daily, the remote palmtop is
contacted by modem and all interval data is uploaded onto the operator's
base computer over the telephone line, including measurements taken with
the patient in a predetermined standardized position. Continuous
minute-to-minute data may be viewed in native form, or can be imported
into graphic and spreadsheet programs. Points acquired with the patient
in standardized position are specially marked to highlight the constant
geometry employed. The ratio of baseline count-rate to initial dose
administered is used to estimate residual 131-I body burden by
proportionality. Display of data as a semilog plot facilitates
extrapolation of the radioactivity curves and prediction of the
patient's earliest time of discharge.
HP 200LX + PCMCIA modem + RM-60
Test of RM-60 - HP. 200LX
Raw count-rate during decay of 15 mCi of 99mTc. Each point is the average of 10
1-minute acquisitions, without subtraction of background.
Marked points represent idealized count-rate values based on extrapolation of the 24
hour measurements. Measured count rate is 5% less than that
predicted at the highest count-rates.
Patient administered 108 mCi of 131-I. Semilog plot of continuous radioactivity
measurements (tracing) and superimposed
standardized points (squares) clearly demonstrates 2 parallel lines, the upper
corresponding to the patient lying in bed, and the lower to the patient
seated in a chair which was located slightly further away from the detector. The
corresponding amount of retained 131-I is plotted on the second Y
axis. Sharp decreases in count-rate correspond to the patient moving away from the
detector to the far side of the room (towards the bathroom)
while increases above baseline represent movement towards the window and detector.
Patient administered 154 mCi of 131-I for ablation of thyroid remnants and therapy of
regional lymph node
metastases. Semilog plot of radioactivity measurements (line) and superimposed
standardized points (squares) demonstrates a gradual 30-fold
decrease in count-rate over a 2 day period. The corresponding amount of retained 131-I
is plotted on the second Y axis. In spite of having
regurgitated into the sink some 4 hours after administration of radioiodine, no sharp
decrease in activity is noted at this time point, reassuring the
physicians that no significant amount of radionuclide was lost.
For more information about AW-FETCH package, contact:
Bryan Boardman at Aware
Electronics:aware@aw-el.com
Phone: (800)729-5397 or Phone/Fax: (302)655-3800
and/or
Lionel Zuckier, MD
Nuclear Medicine Research Lab
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Ullmann Bldg, Room 121
Bronx, NY 10461
phone: (718)-430-2605
zuckier@aecom.yu.edu
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