Phase-Contrast X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography for Enhanced 3D Microstructural Analysis of Bone and Joint Tissues

用于增强骨和关节组织 3D 微观结构分析的相差 X 射线微计算机断层扫描

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00174
• 负责人: McLachlin, Stewart
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743039
• 关键词: Phase; Contrast; ray; Micro; Computed

Activities of daily living for millions of Canadians are painfully affected by altered or disrupted bone and joint tissue mechanics from aging, injury, and disease. These changes often occur in the complex microstructure of hard (e.g., bone) and soft (e.g., cartilage) tissues. Our team of researchers at the University of Waterloo are leading innovative biomedical engineering research programs to better understand bone and joint tissue mechanics, with new discoveries leading to improved tools and devices for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and repair. However, our research is constrained by available micro-computed tomography (µCT) imaging equipment for non-destructive microstructural analysis of bone and joint tissues. Microstructural imaging of biological tissues with traditional µCT equipment is commonly hindered by poor image quality (e.g., contrast, distortion, noise) at important tissue boundaries as well as long scanning times (1-5+ hours), which limits our ability to make important distinctions about the tissue architecture, integrity, and response to mechanical loading. Our group of researchers have requested funding for a new type of µCT imaging system that uses unique phase-contrast X-ray technology to better resolve biological tissue microstructure and composition more quickly and more accurately. The phase-contrast X-ray technology enables near real-time microstructural imaging, at much greater efficiency (100x) than traditional µCT imaging systems. Currently, there are no existing research facilities in Canada with access to phase-contrast X-ray µCT imaging for biological tissue characterization, making the proposed equipment a national first. With phase-contrast X-ray µCT imaging we will achieve crucial new understanding of biological tissue mechanics, including microstructural geometry, composition, and tolerance of hard and soft tissues. The proposed equipment significantly improves image contrast of low-density materials like soft biological tissues and novel biomaterials, which to date has been a major limitation with traditional µCT imaging. Further, the near real-time imaging provided by phase-contrast X-ray µCT will enable, for the first time, more accurate and efficient characterization experiments of progressive changes in biological tissue microstructure under different loading conditions. With this equipment Canada will continue international leadership in biomedical engineering research, demonstrating a new transformative technology for biological tissue characterization that addresses shortcomings with current equipment as well as knowledge gaps in bone and joint tissue mechanics. Nearly 20 trainees are expected to use this equipment in the first year, providing them marketable, cutting-edge skills in medical imaging, image processing, computational modeling and machine learning, highly sought after by the growing number of biomedical companies in the nearby Toronto-Waterloo innovation corridor.

数百万加拿大人的日常生活活动受到衰老，损伤和疾病的骨骼和关节组织力学的改变或破坏的影响。这些变化通常发生在硬（例如骨骼）和软（例如软骨）组织的复杂微观结构中。我们的滑铁卢大学的研究人员团队正在领导创新的生物医学工程研究计划，以更好地了解骨骼和联合组织力学，并提供了新的发现，可改善改进的工具和设备，以预防伤害，康复和修复。但是，我们的研究受到可用的微型层析成像（µCT）成像设备的限制，用于对骨骼和关节timuli的非破坏性微结构分析。在重要的组织边界以及长时间的扫描时间（1-5+）小时）的图像质量（例如，对比度，失真，噪声，噪声）通常会阻碍使用传统µCT设备对生物Timuli进行的微观结构成像，这限制了我们在组织架构，整体构建，机械载荷响应中产生重要差异的能力。我们的一组研究人员要求为一种新型的µCT成像系统提供资金，该系统使用唯一的相对比X射线技术来更好，更准确地更好地解决生物组织微观结构和组成。相比性X射线技术比传统的µCT成像系统效率更高（100倍）接近实时的微观结构成像。当前，加拿大没有现有的研究设施，可以使用用于生物组织表征的相对比对比度X射线µCT成像，这使得拟议的设备成为全国性的。使用相位对比X射线µCT成像，我们将对生物组织力学（包括微观结构的几何形状，组成和硬组织的耐受性）获得至关重要的新理解。提出的设备可显着改善低密度材料（如软生物学时机和新型生物材料）的图像对比度，迄今为止，这是传统µCT成像的主要限制。此外，相互对比X射线µCT提供的近实时成像将首次实现在不同载荷条件下生物组织微观结构进行性变化的更准确，更有效的表征实验。加拿大的设备将继续在生物医学工程研究方面的国际领导力，展示了一种用于生物组织特征的新的变革性技术，该技术解决了当前设备以及骨骼和关节组织力学方面的知识差距。预计将有近20名学员在第一年使用此设备，以提供医学成像，图像处理，计算建模和机器学习的可销售，尖端的技能，这是由于多伦多 - 沃特卢（Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation Innovation the By By By Turonto-Waterloo Innovation Forridor）越来越多地追求的。