Novel Detector for Molecular Imaging Studies

描述（申请人提供）：微流体装置是一种很有前途的新兴分子成像研究技术。这些芯片可以包含各种微电路和微孔，并且能够处理试剂和溶剂的纳升样品。微流控芯片已被设计用于多种应用，如细胞孵育研究。在微流控芯片上增加量化和成像低剂量放射性的能力，可以为研究人员提供一个平台，在受控的体外环境中使用放射性标记探针研究分子过程。提出的努力将旨在研究一种微流控装置，能够检测和成像存在于微流控室中的放射性药物发射的带电粒子。该高分辨率检测器将用于体外分子成像的研制和研究。除了高空间分辨率外，所提出的探测器还能够在明显低于当前最先进的体内成像生物成像系统（约两个数量级）的水平上检测细胞中的摄取。考虑到这些因素，所提出的检测器将非常有希望在分子和细胞成像的癌症研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Microfluidic devices are a promising, emerging technology for molecular imaging studies. These chips can contain a variety of microcircuitry and microwells, and are capable of manipulating nanoliter samples of reagents and solvents. The microfluidic chips have been designed for a multitude of applications, such as cell incubation studies. Adding the ability to quantify and image low amounts of radioactivity on a microfluidic chip can provide researchers with a platform to investigate molecular processes with radiolabeled probes in a controlled in-vitro environment. The proposed effort will be aimed at investigating a microfludic device capable of detecting and imaging charged particles emitted by radiopharmaceuticals present in the micro-fluidic chamber. This high resolution detector would be produced and investigated for in vitro molecular imaging. In addition to high spatial resolution, the proposed detector will also be capable of detecting uptake in cells at levels significantly below (by about two orders of magnitude) current, state-of-the-art in vivo imaging biological imaging systems. In view of these considerations, the proposed detector will be very promising for molecular and cellular imaging in cancer studies.