Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.9718/JBER.2007.28.1.095

Development of High Resolution Micro-CT System for In Vivo Small Animal Imaging  

Park, Jeong-Jin (Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University)
Lee, Soo-Yeol (Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University)
Cho, Min-Hyoung (Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University)
Publication Information
Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research / v.28, no.1, 2007 , pp. 95-101 More about this Journal
Abstract
Recently, small-animal imaging technology has been rapidly developed for longitudinal screening of laboratory animals such as mice and rats. One of newly developed imaging modalities for small animals is an x-ray micro-CT (computed tomography). We have developed two types of x-ray micro-CT systems for small animal imaging. Both systems use flat-panel x-ray detectors and micro-focus x-ray sources to obtain high spatial resolution of $10{\mu}m$. In spite of the relatively large field-of-view (FOV) of flat-panel detectors, the spatial resolution in the whole-body imaging of rats should be sacrificed down to the order of $100{\mu}m$ due to the limited number of x-ray detector pixels. Though the spatial resolution of cone-beam CTs can be improved by moving an object toward an x-ray source, the FOV should be reduced and the object size is also limited. To overcome the limitation of the object size and resolution, we introduce zoom-in micro-tomography for high-resolution imaging of a local region-of-interest (ROI) inside a large object. For zoom-in imaging, we use two kinds of projection data in combination, one from a full FOV scan of the whole object and the other from a limited FOV scan of the ROI. Both of our micro-CT systems have zoom-in micro-tomography capability. One of both is a micro-CT system with a fixed gantry mounted with an x-ray source and a detector. An imaged object is laid on a rotating table between a source and a detector. The other micro-CT system has a rotating gantry with a fixed object table, which makes whole scans without rotating an object. In this paper, we report the results of in vivo small animal study using the developed micro-CTs.
Keywords
micro computed tomography; zoom-in micro-tomography; in vivo small animal imaging; flat panel detector; micro focus x-ray source;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 A. Odgaard, 'Three-dimensional methods for quantification of cancellous bone architecture,' Bone, vol. 20, no. 4 pp. 315-328, 1997   DOI   ScienceOn
2 P. Ruegsegger, B. Koller and R. Muller, 'A microtomographic system for the nondestructive evaluation of bone architecture,' Calcified Tissue Int., vol. 58, pp. 24-29, 1996   DOI
3 J.H. Kinney, N.E. Lane, D.L. Haupt, 'In vivo, three-dimensional microscopy of trabecular bone,' J. Bone and Min. Research, vol.10, pp. 264-270, 1995
4 D. A. Jaffray and J. H. Siewerdsen, 'Cone-beam computed tomography with a flat-panel imager: Initial performance characterization,' Med. Phys., vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 1311-1323, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
5 T. Hildebrand and P. Ruegsegger, 'A new method for the modelindependent assessment of thickness in three-dimensional images,' J. Micros., vol. 185, Pt. 1, pp. 67-75, 1997   DOI   ScienceOn
6 L. A. Feldkamp, L. C. Davis and J. W. Kress, 'Practical conebeam algorithm,' J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. 1 no. 6, pp.612-619, 1984   DOI
7 S. C. Lee, H. K. Kim, I. K. Chun, S. Y. Lee and M. H. Cho, 'A flat panel detector based micro-CT system: performance evaluation for small-animal imaging,' Phys. Med. Biol., vol. 48, pp. 4173-4185, 2003   DOI   ScienceOn
8 M. G. Pomper, 'Molecular imaging: an overview,' Acad. Radiol., vol. 8, pp. 1141-1153, 2001   DOI   ScienceOn
9 J. S. Thomsen, A. Laib, B. Koller, S. Prohaska, LI. Mosekilde and W. Gowin, 'Stereological measures of trabecular bone structure: comparison of 3D micro computed tomography with 2D histological sections in human proximal tibial bone biopsies,' J. Micros., vol. 218, Pt. 2, pp. 171-179, 2005   DOI   ScienceOn
10 S. Y. Lee, M. H. Cho, S. C. Lee, I. K. Chun, J. J. Park, 'Small animal x-ray micro-CT with zoom-in imaging capability,' in Proc. 15th IEEE Trans. Med. Imag., San Diego, Oct. 2006
11 R. M. Lewitt and R. H. T. Bates, 'Image reconstruction from projection-III : Projection completion method(theory) ,' Optik, vol. 50, pp.180-204, 1978
12 A. Barbier, C. Martel, M. C. De Vernejoulm F. Tirode, M. Nys, G. Mocaer, C. Morieux, H. Murakami and F. Lacheretz, 'The visualization and evaluation of bone architecture in the rat using three-dimensional x-ray microcomputed tomography,' J. Bone and Min. Research, vol. 17, pp 37-44, 1999   DOI   ScienceOn
13 E. L. Ritman, 'Molecular imaging in small animals-roles for micro-CT,' J. Cell. Biochem. Supp., vol. 36, pp. 116-224, 2002
14 I. K. Chun, M. H. Cho, S. C. Lee, M. H. Cho and S. Y. Lee, 'X-ray micro-tomography system for small-animal imaging with zoom-in imaging capability,' Phys. Med. Biol., vol. 49, pp. 3889-3902, 2004   DOI   ScienceOn
15 R. Ning, 'Flat panel detector-based cone-beam volume CT angiography imaging: System evaluation,' IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging, vol. 19, pp. 949-963, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
16 T. F. Massoud and S. S. Gambhir, 'Molecular imaging living subject: seeing fundamental biological processes in a new light,' Genes & Development, vol. 17, pp. 545-580, 2003   DOI   ScienceOn