X-Ray Detector Replacement for an In Vivo Micro-Computed Tomography Scanner

UBC高通量表型基因组学中心（CHTP）由CFI， BCKDF和牙科学院资助，使用微型计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）成像，光学成像和扫描电子显微镜提供2D和3D成像和分析，使其成为研究人员追求创新研究和培训任务的独特资源。在过去的两年中，微型ct平台（2台仪器）支持了19个UBC研究团队和1个SFU研究团队，包括高分辨率标本扫描和体内成像项目，涵盖自然科学，工程和健康。以自然科学为基础的项目来自牙科、科学和应用科学，研究动物福利、材料、混凝土样品、岩石成分，并开发改进的成像技术和/或与其他成像方式相关联。与健康相关的项目来自牙科、医学、制药科学和科学，研究肥胖、肿瘤学、纳米医学、骨骼、牙齿和生物材料。体内微型ct的主要使用者是Nancy Ford博士，她是一名医学物理学家，也是CHTP设施的主任。他是呼吸和心脏门控微ct成像、对比增强微ct以及临床前研究中基于定量图像的肺结构和功能测量的世界领先专家。她目前的研究包括用于临床前研究的新型造影剂的表征，以及使用呼吸门控微ct作为一种非侵入性方法来评估不同放射治疗后小鼠的肺结构和功能，包括一种新型超快速闪光治疗。未来的微ct工作将包括获取多组幻像，以训练卷积神经网络从微ct图像中去除噪声和伪影，以提高图像质量和均匀性。即将进行的维修将需要对x射线探测器进行维修，该探测器由连接到电荷耦合器件（CCD）的闪烁体光纤组成。闪烁体在物理上与CCD分离，导致探测器上灵敏度降低的区域随着时间的推移而发展，现在影响了感兴趣的成像区域的很大一部分。这台机器的维修对福特博士的研究非常重要，因为延长停机时间将立即停止她目前的硕士学生的所有进展，并破坏她与维多利亚大学同事的合作。此外，今年秋天，动物学的一名研究人员发起了一项纵向研究，将在1年的不同时间点对同一只动物进行成像，因此持续的功能对该研究团队来说也是至关重要的。所要求的维修将确保这台在加拿大西部独一无二的具有生理门控能力的微型ct机器保持功能，为HQP提供独特的培训经验，为工业开发可转移技能，并创造新的科学知识。

The UBC Centre for High-Throughput Phenogenomics (CHTP)-funded by the CFI, BCKDF, and Faculty of Dentistry-provides 2D and 3D imaging and analysis using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging, optical imaging, and scanning electron microscopy, making it a unique resource for researchers to pursue their innovative research and training mandates. The micro-CT platform (2 instruments) has supported 19 UBC research teams and 1 from SFU over the past 2 years, including high-resolution specimen scanning and in vivo imaging for projects spanning the natural sciences, engineering, and health. The natural science-based projects come from Dentistry, Science, and Applied Science studying animal welfare, materials, concrete samples, rock composition, and developing improved imaging techniques and/or correlating with other imaging modalities. The health-related projects are from Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Science studying obesity, oncology, nanomedicine, bone, teeth, and biomaterials. The primary user of the in vivo micro-CT is Dr. Nancy Ford, a medical physicist and Director of the CHTP facility. Dr. Ford is a world-leading expert in respiratory- and cardiac-gated micro-CT imaging, contrast-enhanced micro-CT, and in quantitative image-based measurements of lung structure and function in preclinical studies. Her current research includes characterization of novel contrast agents for preclinical studies, and using respiratory-gated micro-CT as a non-invasive method to assess lung structure and function in mice following different radiation therapy treatments, including a novel ultra-fast FLASH treatment. Future micro-CT work will include acquiring many sets of phantom images in order to train a convolutional neural network to remove noise and artifacts from the micro-CT images with the aim of improving the image quality and uniformity. Upcoming repairs will be necessary for the x-ray detector, which is comprised of a scintillator fibre-bonded to a charge-coupled device (CCD). The scintillator is physically separating from the CCD, leading to regions of reduced sensitivity on the detector that are progressing over time, and are now affecting a significant portion of the imaging region of interest. Repairs to this machine are important for Dr. Ford's research, as extended downtime will immediately halt all progress by her current MSc students and destroy a collaboration with a colleague at the University of Victoria. In addition, an investigator from Zoology has initiated a longitudinal study this fall, where the same animals will be imaged at various timepoints over 1 year, and so continued functionality is also paramount to that research team. The requested repairs will ensure this micro-CT machine, with physiological gating capabilities that are unique in Western Canada, remains functional, enabling unique training experiences for HQP, development of transferable skills for industry, and the creation of new scientific knowledge.