Novel Detector for Molecular Imaging Studies

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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.