Next generation micro CT

下一代显微 CT

• 批准号: 6936254
• 负责人: BRADLEY E PATT
• 金额: $ 9.36万
• 依托单位: GAMMA MEDICA-IDEAS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-30 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6936254
• 关键词: bioimaging /biomedical imaging; biomedical equipment development; computed axial tomography; image enhancement; laboratory mouse; laboratory rat; miniature biomedical equipment; radiation detector; radiation dosage

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Commercially available micro-CT (computer tomography) systems have failed to meet the challenging demands for small animal imaging, beyond the single requirement for good spatial resolution. Specifically, they have failed to take into account that the thousand times smaller volume in mice, compared to humans, is also coupled with 10 times faster heart rates, and increased respiratory rates and circulation times. Thus, the currently available systems have been limited to either: (1) in-vivo volume CT, which is primarily useful for co-registration of anatomical with functional images provided by positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT), but is very slow (several minutes); or (2) ex-vivo high spatial resolution CT, with good contrast resolution for specimen imaging but at too high dose for live subjects. Thus, these commercial systems all fail to address significant applications for micro-CT, such as tumor perfusion and cardiac ejection fraction studies. The goal of this project is to develop a next generation micro-CT for pre-clinical imaging for drug development and medical research. The system will be designed to provide clinical quality CT images in vivo in mice and rats, with performance specifications optimized to accommodate the demanding requirements of the most critical areas currently in medical research. Specifically, the instrument will provide very high spatial resolution (< 100 mm), ultra fast frame speeds (< 1 second), and low radiation dose to the subject. This will be achieved utilizing a photon counting mode for x-ray acquisition, instead of the standard current integration mode. The system will be capable of gross energy information and energy binning, and thus will provide "Color-CT(tm)" capability, allowing tissue compositional analysis. To accomplish these advances, the system will feature advanced CdZnTe solid state detectors, coupled to high speed integrated circuits for signal processing, to achieve performance characteristics not currently possible from conventional technologies used by the major CT manufacturers. During the Phase I project, we will develop an x-ray detector module incorporating a 4 x 64 pixel CdZnTe detector, coupled to high speed custom integrated circuit readout electronics. The detector performance will be evaluated in response to a high intensity x-ray flux, on an existing CT gantry, with regard to spectral quality, energy resolution and count rate performance. The detector capabilities will be evaluated in a side-by-side comparison with a commercial integrating mode volume-CT detector, with regard to required system specifications such as contrast, dose, and acquisition speed. In Phase II, a fast dynamic multi-slice Color-CT(tm) scanner prototype will be developed, employing multiple detector modules in a novel system design incorporating a very fast x-ray source.

描述（由申请人提供）：超出对良好空间分辨率的单一要求，商业上可用的微型CT（计算机断层扫描）系统无法满足对小动物成像的挑战性要求。具体而言，他们未能考虑到，与人相比，小鼠的千倍小体积也与心率更快的10倍以及增加的呼吸率和循环时间相结合。因此，当前可用的系统仅限于：（1）体内卷CT，这主要用于与正电子发射断层扫描（PET）或单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT）提供的功能图像共同注册解剖学图像，但非常慢（几分钟）；或（2）前体高空间分辨率CT，具有良好的对比度分辨率用于样品成像，但对于现场受试者而言，剂量过高。因此，这些商业系统都无法解决微型CT的重要应用，例如肿瘤灌注和心脏射血分数研究。该项目的目的是开发下一代Micro-CT，用于用于药物开发和医学研究的临床前成像。该系统将旨在在小鼠和大鼠的体内提供临床质量的CT图像，并具有优化的性能规格，以适应医学研究中当前最关键领域的苛刻要求。具体而言，该仪器将提供非常高的空间分辨率（<100 mm），超快速框架速度（<1秒）和对受试者的低辐射剂量。这将是利用X射线采集的光子计数模式而不是标准电流集成模式来实现的。该系统将能够总体能量信息和能量封装，从而提供“颜色-CT（TM）”能力，从而允许组织组成分析。为了实现这些进步，该系统将配备高级CDZNTE固态检测器，并与高速集成电路进行信号处理，以实现主要CT制造商使用的常规技术目前无法实现的性能特征。 在第一阶段项目中，我们将开发一个X射线检测器模块，该模块融合了4 x 64像素CDZNTE检测器，并耦合到高速自定义集成电路读数电子设备。关于光谱质量，能量分辨率和计数速率性能，将根据现有CT龙门的高强度X射线通量来评估检测器性能。对于所需的系统规格，例如对比度，剂量和获取速度，将在与商业集成模式卷检测器的并排比较中评估检测器能力。在II阶段，将开发快速动态的多块颜色CORT（TM）扫描仪原型，该原型在包含非常快速的X射线源的新型系统设计中采用了多个检测器模块。