Qingkai Huo

X-ray fluorescent CT imaging of cerebral uptake of stable-iodine perfusion agent iodoamphetamine analog IMP in mice

Using X-ray fluorescent computed tomography (XFCT), the in vivo and ex vivo cerebral distribution of a stable-iodine-labeled cerebral perfusion agent, iodoamphetamine analog (127I-IMP), has been recorded in the brains of mice. In vivo cerebral perfusion in the cortex, hippocampus and thalamus was depicted at 0.5 mm in-plane spatial resolution. Ex vivo XFCT images at 0.25 mm in-plane spatial resolution allowed the visualisation of the detailed structures of these regions. The quality of the XFCT image of the hippocampus was comparable with the 125I-IMP autoradiogram. These results highlight the sensitivity of XFCT and its considerable potential to evaluate cerebral perfusion in small animals without using radioactive agents.

Sheet-beam geometry for in vivo fluorescent x-ray computed tomography: proof-of-concept experiment in molecular imaging

We propose a fluorescent x-ray computed tomography method using an array of detectors with an incident sheet beam, aimed at providing molecular imaging with high sensitivity and good spatial resolution. In this study, we prove the feasibility of this concept and investigate its imaging properties, including spatial and contrast resolutions and quantitativeness, by imaging an acrylic phantom and a normal mouse brain using a preliminary imaging system with monochromatic synchrotron x rays.

X-ray refraction-contrast computed tomography images using dark-field imaging optics

If an x-ray beam containing internal information derived from sample soft tissue is incident upon a Laue-case analyzer, the beam will subsequently split into a forwardly diffracted beam and a separate diffracted beam. Using these beams acquired simultaneously, a refraction-contrast computed tomography (CT) imaging system for biomedical use with lower radiation dose can be easily realized, and has a high depicting capability on the soft tissues compared with conventional x-ray CT based on absorption contrast principles. In this paper, we propose an imaging system using dark-field imaging for CT measurement based on a tandem system of Bragg- and Laue-case crystals with two two-dimensional detectors, along with a data-processing method to extract information on refraction from the measured entangled intensities by use of rocking curve fitting with polynomial functions. Reconstructed images of soft tissues are presented and described.

Convolution reconstruction algorithm for refraction-contrast computed tomography using a Laue-case analyzer for dark-field imaging

We derive a reconstruction algorithm for refraction-contrast computed tomography (CT) using dark-field imaging (DFI) optics, which can extract refraction information by a single shot, from the ray equation in geometrical optics. The proposed algorithm is similar to the convolution reconstruction technique widely used in conventional CT. Thus, this algorithm can be implemented simply while also being fast and stable. To demonstrate its validity, we constructed the imaging system based on DFI optics composed of a transmission Laue-type angular analyzer at the vertical wiggler beamline BL-14C in KEK and performed a preliminary imaging experiment using a physical phantom to successfully obtain the DFI-CT image using the proposed algorithm.

Visualization of age-dependent myocardial metabolic impairment in cardiomyopathic model hamster obtained by fluorescent X-ray computed tomography using I-127 BMIPP

Fluorescent X-ray computed tomography (FXCT) enables visualization of myocardial fatty acid metabolism by using non-radio-iodinated I-5-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(R,S)-methylpentadecanoice acid (BMIPP). In this experiment, age-dependent myocardial metabolic impairment was successfully imaged and analyzed quantitatively in J2N-k cardiomyopathic hamster using FXCT.

Preliminary quantitative analysis of myocardial fatty acid metabolism from fluorescent X-ray computed tomography imaging.

Fluorescent X-ray computed tomography (FXCT) using synchrotron radiation reveals the cross-sectional distribution of specific elements in biomedical objects. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of FXCT imaging to assess the myocardial metabolic state quantitatively. Hearts labelled with non-radioactive iodine myocardial fatty acid agent 15-p-(iodophenyl)-3-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) from cardiomyopathic and normal hamsters were imaged. FXCT images were compared with optical microscope images. Myocardial fatty acid metabolism enhanced with BMIPP was clearly depicted by FXCT, which showed an almost homogeneous image for normal and a heterogeneous image for cardiomyopathic hearts. Morphological structures of the heart such as the left ventricle and myocardial wall were also visualized by FXCT. Optical microscopy showed no fibrosis in normal and slight interstitial fibrosis in cardiomyopathic hearts. In the case of cardiomyopathy, the area of significantly reduced BMIPP uptake was 39% in the short axis of the mid-left ventricle in the FXCT image, whereas a slight interstitial fibrosis of around 12% was recognized by optical microscopy for the same slice. This result indicated that reduced BMIPP uptake was caused by the myocardial fatty acid metabolic abnormality, not by the fibrosis in cardiomyopathy. Thus, FXCT images might be used to assess the quantitative metabolic analysis in small animal models of heart diseases.

Refraction-contrast tomosynthesis imaging using dark-field imaging optics

A soft tissue tomosynthesis imaging system using Laue-case analyzer for dark-field imaging (DFI) optics is described. Two images from which refraction component is deduced are obtained in a single exposure of DFI, while two exposures are required in diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI). The measurement time and radiation dose are thus reduced to half those from DEI. Additionally, the proposed reconstruction algorithm, using only one tenth the number of projections required in computed tomography (CT) imaging, produced images in no way inferior to refraction-contrast CT images. We ex vivo imaged an excised human lung tissue using the system constructed at the KEK vertical wiggler beamline PF-BL14C to demonstrate the proposed imaging protocol efficacy.

Refractive-index based tomosynthesis using dark-field imaging optics

Tomosynthesis (TS) is a pseudo-3-dimensional image reconstruction method to recover depth-resolved information using restricted number of projections. In this research, refraction index based TS imaging using dark-field imaging (DFI) optics is proposed and biomedical soft tissues were imaged in low dose exposure. By a single exposure of an object, two projected images are obtained from a Laue-case analyzer of DFI. Calculating the both images refraction component is deduced, while two exposures are needed in DEI (diffraction enhanced imaging). Thus the measurement time and the radiation dose in DFI are half of DEI. In addition, the proposed reconstruction algorithm, derived from the quantitative relationship in measurement process, allows high contrast tomographic imaging in spite of one order smaller number of projections for CT (computed tomography). To demonstrate the proposed imaging protocol efficacy, an ex-vivo excised tissue of human lung were imaged using a system constructed at the vertical wiggler beamline at PF-BL14C at KEK. TS image is successfully delineated high quality soft tissue structures comparable to CT.

Tissue Visualization Using X-Ray Dark-Field Imaging towards Pathological Goal

In XDFI (x-ray dark-field imaging) LAA (Laue-case angle analyzer) simultaneously provides two x-ray images; one corresponds to a FD forward diffracted beam and a separate D diffracted beam. When this is applied to biomedical specimens x-ray images are very high contrast and very high spatial resolution. We constructed XDFI system at the vertical wiggler beamline BL-14C in KEK Photon Factory and performed imaging experiment of breast tissues and an excised human femoral artery. In this paper, we discuss a tissue visualization and pathological goal using 2D, 3D-CT and 2.5D image (tomosynthesis) with XDFI.

Fluorescent X‐Ray Computed Tomography towards Molecular Imaging: Proof‐of‐Concept Experiments

By means of fluorescent x‐ray computed tomography (FXCT) one can detect and image a distribution of non‐radioactive imaging agent, e.g., iodine, in a biomedical subject at a high spatial resolution, so it can be a novel molecular imaging modality. We have been studying an FXCT system using synchrotron radiation for in‐vivo imaging brains of small animals such as mouse, or rat. For the purpose, we propose a fast FXCT imaging method based on the novel geometry. In this study, we prove the feasibility of this concept and investigate its imaging properties, including spatial and contrast resolutions and quantitativeness, by imaging an acrylic phantom and a normal mouse brain using a preliminary imaging system with monochromatic synchrotron x rays.