PRECLINICAL TIME-DOMAIN DIFFUSE OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEM FOR MOLECULAR IMAGING

描述(申请人提供)：临床前光学成像系统能够在动物模型中非侵入性地研究生物医学问题，如癌症、心血管疾病和神经学。在试管和显微镜下进行的基础生物学研究成果可以扩展到活组织中。临床前光学成像还可以用于研究新药和其他干预措施的效果，这些干预措施可以为人类医学提供直接好处。圣路易斯的华盛顿大学积极从事不同层次的生物成像研究，从细胞和小动物到人类。漫反射光学成像可以比传统的平面成像系统对荧光检测具有更高的深度灵敏度，但直到最近还太慢和太复杂，不能普遍使用。我们建议对现有的时间域漫反射光学成像系统进行升级。目前的系统提供了突破性的光学成像发现，但由于采集速度慢、激发和检测能力有限以及复杂的用户界面而过时。这些属性限制了用户基础，因此失去了潜在的研究进展。所要求的系统包括一个可调谐激光器，用于选择480-780 nm的激发波长，提供检测所有常用荧光团的能力。与其他光学成像技术不同，所请求的系统中使用的时域技术可以更准确地恢复深度和相对荧光团浓度，并能够真实地三维表示荧光团的分布。3D功能通过增强的软件进行扩展，用于重建和与其他3D模式融合，包括CT、MRI、SPECT、PET和PAT。这一新系统在关键方面得到了显著改进，拓宽了其应用领域，加强了当前的研究和 吸引了新的光学成像用户。相关性：升级到新的时域漫反射光学成像系统将扩大当前的应用和用户基础，并增加当前用户的研究经费。这些改进将在分子靶向诊断试剂开发、光学成像系统验证和基础生物医学科学方面取得更有效的研究进展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Preclinical optical imaging systems enable investigation of biomedical concerns such as cancer cardiovascular disease and neurology, non-invasively in animal models. Research findings from basic biological research conducted in test tubes and under the microscope can be expanded into living tissue. Preclinical optical imaging can also be used to investigate the effects of new drugs and other interventions which can provide direct benefit to human medicine. Washington University in St. Louis is actively engaged in biological imaging at different levels, ranging from cellular and small animals to humans. Diffuse optical imaging enables greater depth sensitivity for fluorescence detection than conventional planar imaging systems, but until recently have been too slow and complicated for general use. We propose to acquire upgrade the current time-domain diffuse optical imaging system. The current system has provided groundbreaking optical imaging findings, but is outdated by slow acquisition speed, limited excitation and detection capabilities and a complex user interface. These attributes limit the user base and thus potential research progress is lost. The requested system includes a tunable laser for selection of excitation wavelengths from 480-780 nm providing the capability to detect all commonly used fluorophores. Unlike other optical imaging techniques, the time domain technology used in the requested system provides more accurate recovery of depth and relative fluorophore concentration and enables true 3D representations of fluorophore distribution. The 3D capabilities are extended by enhanced software for reconstruction and fusion with other 3D modalities including CT, MRI, SPECT, PET and PAT. This new system has been improved significantly in key aspects that broaden its field of applications, enhancing current research and attracting users new to optical imaging. Relevance: Upgrade to the new time-domain diffuse optical imaging system will broaden the current applications and user base as well as enhance the funded research of the current users. The enhancements will result in more efficient research progress in molecular-targeted diagnostic agent development, optical imaging system validation and basic biomedical sciences.