Respiratory gated micro-CT

微型计算机（micro-CT）断层扫描已迅速成为一个重要的实验室工具，用于研究人类疾病的啮齿动物模型。 与放射科对人体进行的计算机断层扫描（CT）一样，微型CT扫描仪使用在受试者周围不同角度采集的X射线图像来生成高质量的解剖结构3D图像。 然而，微型CT扫描仪是高度专业化的，可以提供啮齿动物体内小结构的高分辨率图像，例如肺部的分支气道，或将氧气和营养物质带到肿瘤的血管。使用微CT成像技术的一个优点是这些技术的非侵入性。 使用3D X射线成像，研究人员可以看到动物体内发生的事情。 疾病进展或动物对治疗的反应可以通过在指定的时间点进行微CT扫描并分析图像来诊断疾病、监测其传播或确定治疗的效果来监测。我正在从事的一个研究领域是呼吸道疾病啮齿动物模型的微型CT成像。 通过在整个成像过程中监测动物的呼吸，我们可以根据图像中肺部含有多少空气来回顾性地对X射线图像进行分类。 然后，我们可以生成一系列描绘完整呼吸周期的3D图像。 使用这些图像，可以执行解剖特征的准确测量（诸如气道直径或肺体积）。 此外，还可以从3D图像中获得功能信息（例如潮气量或呼吸周期每个阶段的空气含量）。 在呼吸系统疾病的啮齿动物模型中，这些解剖学和功能测量值将不同于在类似的健康动物队列中获得的那些测量值。

Micro-computed (micro-CT) tomography has rapidly become an important laboratory tool for studies of human disease in rodent models.  Like computed tomography (CT) scans performed in radiology departments on human subjects, micro-CT scanners use x-ray images acquired at different angles around the subject to produce high-quality, 3D images of the anatomy.  However, micro-CT scanners are highly specialized to provide high-resolution images of the small structures inside rodents, such as the branching airways in the lungs, or the vessels bringing oxygen and nutrients to a tumour. One advantage of using micro-CT imaging technologies is the non-invasive nature of these techniques.  Using 3D x-ray imaging, researchers can see what is happening inside the animal.  Disease progression or how the animal is responding to treatment can be monitored by performing micro-CT scans at specified timepoints and analysing  the images to diagnose the disease, monitor its spread or determine how well the treatment is performing. One area of research that I am pursuing is micro-CT imaging in rodent models of respiratory disease.   By monitoring the respiration of the animal throughout the imaging session, we can retrospectively sort the x-ray images based on how much air was contained in the lungs in the image.  We can then produce a series of 3D images depicting the complete respiratory cycle.  Using these images, accurate measurements of the anatomical features can be performed (such as airway diameter, or lung volume).  In addition, functional information (such as tidal volume, or air content at each phase of the respiratory cycle) can also be obtained from the 3D images.  In rodent models of respiratory illness, these anatomical and functional measurements will be different than those measurements obtained in a similar cohort of healthy animals.