SPECT CAMERA FOR FUNCTIONAL MICROIMAGING OF BRAIN

本申请是对NIMH计划公告PA 99-007的响应，用于大脑和神经系统其他部分的显微成像。 这也与NIH最近宣布的动物成像作为一个关键的新焦点是一致的。所提出的努力的最终目标是开发一个小型的，断层扫描伽马相机在体内成像能力，允许功能定量分析动物大脑图像。拟议的相机将使用最近开发的伽马射线发射剂最适合SPECT实现前所未有的空间和能量分辨率，通过使用固态光电探测器技术和创新的几何设计。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比目前市场上的全身SPECT系统或放射自显影技术（需要牺牲受试者）更准确的定量信息的能力。拟议中的相机将是有用的，有兴趣了解基本的疾病过程，并开发诊断和治疗工具的大量研究人员。第一阶段的目标是建造一个具有高密度读出电子设备的探测器模块，该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 mm 2，固有空间分辨率为0.5 mm至1.5 mm FWHM，光谱分辨率为6%至8% FWHM（140 keV伽马射线）。在第一阶段，还应确定预期应用的最佳准直技术，并将制造和测试至少一个原型准直器。 在该项目的第一阶段，还将研究适合于这种设计和应用的层析重建算法。拟定商业应用：第一和第二阶段的发展将导致新一代的SPECT系统，预计通过利用新的硅技术，将联合收割机显著的分辨率提高与较低的成本结合起来，该技术只需要低成本的硅平面处理，并允许将电子器件与探测器集成。在第三阶段，我们将在第一阶段和第二阶段工作的基础上，将用于动物显微成像的专用临床断层成像仪商业化。在动物成像领域也存在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.