Development of a Non-Contact Fluorescence Tomography System with Appropriate Reconstruction Techniques

Molecular Imaging is a highly topical research field based on the combination of highly selective markers and appropriate imaging devices. It is mainly concerned with studying the effects of prototype drugs in small animals, following day by day the evolution of the disease in vivo. Amongst the imaging techniques available, fluorescence based imaging is very popular due to the simplicity of the experimental systems and the widespread availability of suitable probes. As however light is heavily scattered in tissue, fluorescence images depend heavily on the inclusion depth so that different images cannot be compared. Fluorescence mediated tomography (FMT) as presented herein is hoped to overcome these shortcomings by providing a quantitative means of estimating fluorochrome concentrations in vivo. Usually, FMT-systems rely on detector readings obtained through light guiding fibers mounted in contact to the imaged animals. Recently, non-contact methods have been proposed, allowing CCD-camera images to be used as projection data. Herein, a study is presented comparing fiber-based and non-contact imaging methods and reliable indicates for the first time the superiority of non-contact techniques. Based on these findings, a novel non-contact tomography system for small animals was developed. In phantoms as well as in an animal study the capabilities of the system to reconstruct fluorescent sources in turbid media are demonstrated.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Heidelberg

Year

2006

Author dc:creator

• Schulz, Ralf B.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Semmler, Wolfhard

Repository record source_url

http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/6692

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de:6692