Hybrid Nuclear/X-ray Projection System for Mouse Imaging

描述（由申请人提供）： 小鼠已成为遗传和癌症研究的支柱，小鼠成像使科学家能够连续监测肿瘤的发展或缓解。 mu/PET（提供功能性生物信息（例如肿瘤摄取、基因表达等））与 mu/CT 技术（为功能性信息提供解剖学背景）的结合已被证明是一个非常重要的工具。然而，与这些手术相关的辐射剂量可能很高，这限制了它们的频繁使用。虽然辐射不会伤害动物，但它可能会影响免疫反应机制并改变实验结果。我们假设 2D 图像在某些科学应用中可能足以提供必要的生物信息，代替 mu/CT 和 mu/PET 提供的 3D 图像数据集。在此应用中，我们建议为小鼠和其他小动物开发混合二维成像系统。该系统使用 7 射线投影成像与 X 射线投影射线照相相结合，我们将其称为 MINX（使用核素和 X 射线的小鼠成像）。 MINX 系统使用单个计算机射线照相 CR 探测器（BaFBr 成像板）来捕获 7 射线和 X 射线图像。我们假设 MINX 系统将为小鼠研究人员提供类似于 mu/PET/mu/CT 的信息，但减少的辐射剂量和较低的成像成本将使研究人员能够对同一只动物进行更多成像，从而更频繁地收集连续数据。六个具体目标包括（1）蒙特卡罗和数值模拟研究，以确定最优化的 MINX 系统设计，（2）使用微光刻技术制造适合小鼠成像的平行孔准直器，（3）MINX 系统本身的构建，（4）开发适当的模型，然后进行模型成像，（5）对小鼠进行初步研究以进一步优化，最后（6）使用 MINX 系统对小鼠进行系列分析，同时与 mu/CT/mu/PET 成像进行比较。本研究旨在展示基准对齐的二维核/X 射线投影图像在小鼠研究中的实用性，我们预计 MINX 系统的开发将为小鼠研究人员提供另一个评估生物功能和遗传途径的重要工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mouse has become the mainstay of genetic and cancer research, and mouse imaging has allowed scientists to monitor tumor development or remission serially. The combination of mu/PET, which provides functional biological information (e.g. tumor uptake, gene expression, etc.) with mu/CT techniques, which provides the anatomical context for the functional information, has proved to be a very important tool for this. However, the radiation dose associated with these procedures can be high, and this limits their frequent use. While the radiation does not harm the animal, it may affect immune response mechanisms and change the experimental outcome. We hypothesize that 2D images may be sufficient in some scientific applications to provide the biological information necessary, in lieu of 3D image data sets that mu/CT and mu/PET provide. In this application, we propose the development of a hybrid two-dimensional imaging system for the mouse and other small animals. This system uses 7-ray projection imaging combined with x-ray projection radiography, and we refer to this as MINX (mouse imaging using nuclides and x-rays). The MINX system uses a single computed radiography CR detector (BaFBr imaging plate) to capture both the 7-ray and x-ray images. We hypothesize that the MINX system will provide mouse researchers with information similar to mu/PET/mu/CT, however the reduced radiation dose and lower imaging costs will allow investigators to perform more imaging on the same animal and therefore collect serial data more frequently. The six Specific Aims include (1) Monte Carlo and numerical simulation studies to define the most optimal MINX system design, (2) the manufacture of a parallel hole collimator appropriate for mouse imaging using microlithography techniques, (3) the construction of the MINX system itself, (4) the development of appropriate phantoms followed by phantom imaging, (5) initial studies on mice for further optimization, and finally (6) serial analysis using the MINX system on mice simultaneous with mu/CT/mu/PET imaging for comparison. This study is designed to demonstrate the utility of fiducially aligned 2-D nuclear/x-ray projection images in mouse research, and we expect that the development of the MINX system will give mouse researchers another important tool for the assessment of biological function and genetic pathways.