SPECT CAMERA FOR FUNCTIONAL MICROIMAGING OF BRAIN

此申请是响应NIMH计划公告PA 99-007，用于大脑和神经系统其他部分的微成像。这也与美国国立卫生研究院最近宣布将动物成像作为一个关键的新重点是一致的。这项工作的最终目标是开发一种具有活体成像能力的小型层析伽马相机，可以对动物大脑图像进行功能定量分析。该相机将与最近开发的最适合SPECT的伽马射线发射剂一起使用，通过使用固态光电探测器技术和创新的几何设计来实现前所未有的空间和能量分辨率。根据该提案开发的设备将为研究人员提供从动物受试者中提取更准确定量信息的能力，而不是目前市场上的全身SPECT系统或需要牺牲受试者的自放射成像技术。该摄像机将对大量对了解基本疾病过程和开发诊断和治疗工具感兴趣的研究人员有用。第一阶段的目标将是构建一个具有高密度读出电子器件的检测器模块，该模块可以将许多模块无缝地平铺到一个更大的检测器单元中。探测器的性能目标是：模块尺寸约为50 mm x 50 mm，标称像素尺寸为1 mm2，内在空间分辨率为0.5至1.5 mm FWHM，光谱分辨率为6%至8% FWHM，用于140 keV伽马射线。针对预期应用的最佳准直技术也应在第一阶段确定，并且将制造和测试至少一个原型准直器。适用于该设计和应用的层析成像重建算法也将在项目的第一阶段进行研究。拟议的商业应用：第一阶段和第二阶段的开发将导致新一代SPECT系统，通过利用新的硅技术，只需要低成本的硅平面处理，并允许与探测器集成电子设备，预计将显著提高分辨率和降低成本。在第三阶段，我们将基于第一阶段和第二阶段的努力，商业化用于动物微成像的专用临床层析成像仪。在动物成像领域也有巨大的商业市场机会，并有可能为人类开发新的商业系统。

This application is in response to NIMH Program Announcement PA 99-007 for micro-imaging the brain and other parts of the nervous system. It is also consistent with NIH's recent announcement of animal imaging as a key new focus. The ultimate goal of the proposed effort is to develop a small, tomographic gamma camera with in vivo imaging capabilities that allow functional quantitative analysis of animal brain images. The proposed camera will be used with recently developed gamma-ray emitting agents most suitable for SPECT to achieve unprecedented spatial and energy resolution through the use of solid-state photodetector technology and innovative geometrical design. The device developed from this proposal will offer researchers the ability to extract far more accurate quantitative information from animal subjects than is currently possible with whole body SPECT systems on the market, or with autoradiographic techniques, which require sacrificing the subject. The proposed camera would be useful to a large number of researchers interested in understanding basic disease processes, and developing tools for diagnosis and therapy. The objective in Phase I will be to construct a detector module with high density readout electronics that allows seamless tiling of many modules into a larger detector unit. The performance goals of the detector are: a module size of approximately 50 mm x 50 mm with a nominal pixel size of 1 mm2, an intrinsic spatial resolution of between 0.5 and 1.5 mm FWHM, and a spectral resolution of 6% to 8% FWHM for 140 keV gamma-rays. The optimal collimation technique(s) for the intended applications shall also be determined during Phase I, and at least one prototype collimator will be fabricated and tested. Tomographic reconstruction algorithms appropriate for this design and application will also be investigated during the first phase of the project. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The Phase I and II development will lead to a new generation of SPECT systems expected to combine significant resolution enhancement with lower cost by utilizing new silicon technologies which need only low cost silicon planar processing and allow integration of electronics with the detector. In the third phase we will commercialize dedicated clinical tomographic imagers for microimaging of animals, based on the Phase I and II efforts. There are large commercial market opportunities in the animal imaging area as well and potential for new commercial systems for humans.