SPECT CAMERA FOR FUNCTIONAL MICROIMAGING OF BRAIN

此应用程序是对NIMH计划公告PA 99-007的响应，用于对大脑和神经系统的其他部分进行显微成像。这也与NIH最近宣布将动物成像作为关键的新重点是一致的。这项拟议工作的最终目标是开发一种小型层析伽马相机，具有活体成像能力，可以对动物大脑图像进行功能定量分析。建议的相机将与最适合SPECT的新近开发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，实现前所未有的空间和能量分辨率。根据这一提议开发的设备将为研究人员提供从动物对象中提取更准确的定量信息的能力，而不是目前市场上的全身SPECT系统，或者需要牺牲对象的放射自显影技术。建议的相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设备的探测器模块，允许将许多模块无缝拼接成一个更大的探测器单元。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，固有空间分辨率在0.5至1.5 mm半高宽之间，对于140keV伽马射线，光谱分辨率为6%至8%半高宽。预期应用的最佳准直技术(S)也应在第一阶段确定，并将至少制造和测试一个原型准直器。在该项目的第一阶段，还将研究适合于这一设计和应用的层析重建算法。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，通过利用只需要低成本硅平面处理并允许电子与探测器集成的新硅技术，有望将显着的分辨率提高与更低的成本结合在一起。在第三阶段，我们将在第一阶段和第二阶段的基础上，将用于动物显微成像的专用临床断层成像仪商业化。在动物成像领域也有巨大的商业市场机会，并有潜力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.