Small Animal Photoacoustic Imaging Unit: Integrating Optical Imaging with High Fr

描述(申请人提供)：在完整的小动物疾病模型中研究动态过程的需要刺激了高分辨率多模式成像方法的发展，这些方法不仅提供功能信息，还提供解剖信息。在过去的十年中，光声成像在生物医学中的应用显示出巨大的发展，这是因为它适用于一系列研究课题，如肿瘤学、脑成像和纳米颗粒研究。基于光输入和声音输出的概念，光声成像利用组织在吸收脉冲激光能量时的快速热弹性膨胀。这种热弹性膨胀导致产生宽带超声波，然后可以用将机械声波转换为电信号的换能器进行检测。当与超声相结合时，光声成像可以同时提供解剖和功能数据。光声成像通过在微尺度分辨率和合理的穿透深度提供高光学对比度图像，填补了分子成像的空白，因此可以探测和可视化组织内部的光吸收结构，其分辨率远远高于纯光学方法。我们正在申请资金购买高分辨率光声系统，Vevo LAZR(Visualsonics，Inc.)，配备了光学和声学组件以及分析软件。这一光声系统的加入将加强南加州大学分子成像中心现有用户在肿瘤学、药学、工程学、神经科学和遗传医学方面正在进行的工作，并极大地增强该中心支持肝病、心脏病、病理学、发育生物学和纳米颗粒研究的能力。我们聚集了14名NIH资助的用户(10名主要用户和4名次要用户)，他们的研究领域包括酒精/药物引起的肝病、工程学、牙科、心脏病学、肿瘤学和药剂学，以支持我们目前的S10应用程序。这一系统，再加上日益复杂的小鼠模型，概括了人类疾病的病理，正在推动疾病研究和体内正常发育过程的革命。光声系统的收购将补充和支持个性化医学的研究革命。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The need to study dynamic processes in intact small animal models of disease has stimulated the development of high resolution multi-modality imaging methods that provide not only functional but also anatomical information. Photoacoustic imaging for biomedical applications has shown tremendous growth in the last decade due to its applicability to a spectrum of research topics such as oncology, brain imaging and nanoparticle research. Based on the concept of "light in and sound out", photoacoustic imaging capitalizes on the rapid thermoelastic expansion of tissue upon absorption of pulsed laser energy. This thermoelastic expansion results in the generation of a wide band ultrasound wave which then can be detected with a transducer that converts the mechanical acoustic wave into electrical signals. When coupled with ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging can simultaneously provide anatomical and functional data. Photoacoutstic imaging occupies a void in molecular imaging by providing high optical contrast images at microscale resolution and at a reasonable penetration depth, therefore light absorbing structures deep inside tissues can be detected and visualized with resolutions far superior to pure optical methods. We are requesting funds to purchase a high-resolution photoacoustic system, Vevo LAZR (VisualSonics, Inc.), equipped with optical and acoustic components and analysis software. The addition of this photoacoustic system will strengthen both ongoing work in oncology, pharmaceutical sciences, engineering, neurosciences, and genetic medicine by current users of the USC Molecular Imaging Center, as well as greatly enhance the ability of the Center to support new research in liver disease, cardiology, pathology, developmental biology and nanoparticle research. We have gathered 14 NIH funded users (10 major users and 4 minor users) with research disciplines in alcohol/drug induced liver disease, engineering, dentistry, cardiology, oncology and pharmacy to support our current S10 application. This system, coupled with increasingly sophisticated mouse models that recapitulate human disease pathology, is fueling a revolution in the investigation of disease and normal developmental processes in vivo. The acquisition of the photoacoustics system will complement and support the research revolution towards personalized medicine.