Carbon nanotube field emission based x-ray pixel array micro-RT

描述（申请人提供）：基于碳纳米管场发射的x射线像元束阵列微rt系统碳纳米管场发射（CNT）技术已经成功地用于开发新型放射成像系统，以满足当前和未来癌症生物学研究和医学应用的需求。迄今为止，探索这种独特的纳米技术用于辐射输送装置的可行性的工作很少。对超高时空分辨率图像引导小动物辐照的需求日益增长，目前研究人员正在努力利用传统技术来应对这一挑战。在不久的将来，对高分辨率小动物研究工具的需求预计将急剧增长，因为新的生物标志物和生物传感器试剂，许多是基于纳米技术的，从研究和开发管道中出来，用于临床前研究，包括预期和非预期的影响，包括辐射-药物相互作用。我们的最终目标是开发一种基于纳米技术的微型ct - rt系统，该系统能够进行前所未有的时间（<1ms）和空间（<1mm）分辨率的小动物图像引导调强照射。x射线像素光束阵列技术允许单独控制每个像素光束，因此系统以电子方式，而不是机械方式，定义辐射场形状并形成强度调制。这种特性对于高分辨率的小动物辐射尤其具有吸引力，因为它们具有极小的尺度和快速的器官运动。该探索性R21应用的具体目标是证明基于碳纳米管场发射技术的x射线像元束阵列微rt器件的可行性。我们开发了一个基于碳纳米管FE的原型微型ct扫描仪，具有30微米的空间分辨率和10毫秒的时间分辨率。我们假设所提出的微型ct - RT系统可以以类似甚至优于当今人类癌症患者接受的最先进放射治疗的方式向小动物模型提供辐射。微型ct - rt系统的成功实施可以显著推进小动物模型研究，这些研究是开发新的放射增敏剂、放射保护剂、癌细胞检测或人类预后生物标志物不可或缺的一部分。本课题为期三年的具体研究目标是：蒙特卡罗仿真和基于硬件的微rt系统设计；SA 2：单阵列微rt系统制造；SA 3：小动物辐照微rt系统原型调试。该研究项目利用纳米技术开发新的图像引导辐射输送工具，用于使用小动物模型进行基础癌症研究。目前，小动物辐照技术远远落后于癌症研究的需要。该系统有望提供类似于人类放射治疗的小动物辐射，因此它将使新的和更具临床相关性的动物模型研究成为可能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Carbon nanotube field emission based x-ray pixel beam array micro-RT system Carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission (FE) technology has been successfully used to develop novel radiographic imaging systems to meet the current and anticipated needs in both cancer biology research and medical application. To date, few works exist that explore the feasibility of this unique nanotechnology for radiation delivery devices. There is a growing need for ultra-high spatial and temporal resolution image-guided small animal irradiation and researchers today are struggling to meet the challenge using conventional technologies. The need for high-resolution small animal research tools is expected to grow drastically in the near future as new biomarker and biosensor agents, many are nanotechnology-based, coming out of the research and development pipeline for preclinical study for both intended and unintended effects including radiation- drug interaction. Our ultimate goal is to develop a nanotechnology based micro-CT-RT system that is capable of unprecedented temporal (<1ms) and spatial (<1mm) resolution small-animal image-guided intensity-modulated irradiation. The x-ray pixel beam array technology allows individual control of each of the pixel beams and thus the system electronically, not mechanically, defines radiation field shape and forms intensity modulation. Such feature is especially attractive for high-resolution small animal irradiation due to their extreme small scale and rapid organ motion. The specific goal for this exploratory R21 application is to demonstrate the feasibility of carbon nanotube field emission technology based x-ray pixel beam array micro-RT device. We have developed a prototype CNT FE based micro-CT scanner capable 30micron spatial resolution and 10ms temporal resolution. We hypothesize that the proposed micro-CT- RT system can deliver radiation to small-animal models in ways analogous or even superior to the state of the art radiotherapy received by human cancer patients today. Successful implementation of the micro-CT-RT system can significantly advance small- animal model studies integral to the development of new radiosensitizers, and radioprotectors, cancer cell detection or prognosis biomarkers for humans. The specific aims of the proposed three-year research are SA 1: Monte Carlo simulation and hardware based micro-RT system design; SA 2: Single array micro-RT system fabrication, SA 3: Prototype micro-RT system commissioning for small animal irradiation. The research project uses nanotechnology to develop novel image-guided radiation delivery tools for basic cancer research using small animal models. Currently, small animal irradiation technology is far behind the cancer research need. The proposed system promises to deliver small animal irradiation analogous to the state of the art radiotherapy for human and thus it will enable new and more clinically relevant animal model study.