INTEGRATED FLUORESCENCE DIFFUSE OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY & MICRO-CT

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 使用荧光探针是用于体内分子成像的重要方法，特别是用于研究小动物癌症模型。尽管如此，断层成像能力的缺乏限制了荧光成像主要用于浅表组织的地形图绘制。荧光扩散光学层析成像（F-DOT）是一种能够分辨荧光团浓度三维分布的新兴技术。然而，大多数现有技术需要光纤来将光源和检测器与动物耦合，这显著限制了其应用和可实现的分辨率。我们正在实施一种非接触式F-DOT系统，该系统使用光栅扫描脉冲激光和时间选通增强型CCD（ICCD）相机，具有旋转状态，用于动物解析3-D荧光图像。我们将展示我们的初步结果，从幻影研究使用扫描连续波二极管激光器。进一步的研究正在进行中的脉冲激光和时间选通采集的方向;正规化的图像重建技术;和同时多模态成像与我们的微型CT系统。 提出了一种用于小动物活体成像的荧光扩散光学层析成像（FDOT）方法，该方法利用X射线显微CT数据作为结构先验信息辅助FDOT重建。该项目涉及硬件和方法的开发，特别是FDOT的正问题和逆问题求解器。该项目的总体目标是提高FDOT临床前成像应用的可实现分辨率。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Using fluorescent probes is an important methodology for in vivo molecular imaging, particularly to study small animal cancer models. Nonetheless the lack of tomographical imaging capability is limiting fluorescence imaging primarily to topographical mapping of superficial tissue. Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (F-DOT) is an emerging technology capable of resolving the distribution of fluorophore concentration in 3-D. However, the majority of existing techniques require fiber-optics to couple the light sources and detectors with the animal, which significantly restricts its applications and achievable resolution. We are implementing a non-contact F-DOT system that uses raster-scanning pulsed laser and time-gated intensified CCD (ICCD) camera with a rotational state for the animal to resolve 3-D fluorescence images. We will demonstrate our preliminary result from a phantom study using a scanning continuous-wave diode laser. Further study is under way in the directions of pulsed laser and time-gated acquisition; regularized image reconstruction techniques; and simultaneous multimodal imaging with our micro-CT system. We developed a fluorescence diffusion optical tomography (FDOT) method for in vivo imaging of small animals, which use x-ray micro-CT data as the structural a priori information to assist the FDOT reconstruction. This project involves hardware and methodology development, particularly the forward and inverse problem solvers for FDOT. The overall goal of the project is to increase the achievable resolution of FDOT for preclinical imaging applications.