Can laboratory x-ray virtual histology provide intraoperative 3D tumor resection margin assessment?

Surgery is an essential part of the curative plan for most patients affected with solid tumors. The outcome of such surgery, e.g.

Longitudinal In-Vivo X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography With Molybdenum Nanoparticles.

X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) with nanoparticles (NPs) as contrast agents shows potential for molecular biomedical imaging with higher spatial resolution than present methods. To date the technique has been demonstrated on phantoms and mice, however, parameters such as radiation dose, exposure times and sensitivity have not yet allowed for high-spatial-resolution in vivo longitudinal imaging, i.e.

Quantitative predictions in small-animal X-ray fluorescence tomography.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) tomography from nanoparticles (NPs) shows promise for high-spatial-resolution molecular imaging in small-animals. Quantitative reconstruction algorithms aim to reconstruct the true distribution of NPs inside the small-animal, but so far there has been no feasible way to predict signal levels or evaluate the accuracy of reconstructions in realistic scenarios. Here we present a GPU-based computational model for small-animal XRF tomography.

A Library of Potential Nanoparticle Contrast Agents for X-Ray Fluorescence Tomography Bioimaging.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been used as contrast agents for several bioimaging modalities. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) tomography can provide sensitive and quantitative 3D detection of NPs. With spectrally matched NPs as contrast agents, we demonstrated earlier in a laboratory system that XRF tomography could achieve high-spatial-resolution tumor imaging in mice.

High-spatial-resolution x-ray fluorescence tomography with spectrally matched nanoparticles.

Present macroscopic biomedical imaging methods provide either morphology with high spatial resolution (e.g. CT) or functional/molecular information with lower resolution (e.

Focused anti-scatter grid for background reduction in x-ray fluorescence tomography.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) tomography is an emerging imaging technology with the potential for high spatial resolution molecular imaging. One of the key limitations is the background noise due to Compton scattering since it degrades the signal and limits the sensitivity. In this Letter, we present a linear focused anti-scatter grid that reduces the Compton scattering background.

Removal of ring artifacts in microtomography by characterization of scintillator variations.

Ring artifacts reduce image quality in tomography, and arise from faulty detector calibration. In microtomography, we have identified that ring artifacts can arise due to high-spatial frequency variations in the scintillator thickness. Such variations are normally removed by a flat-field correction.

Characterization of scintillator-based detectors for few-ten-keV high-spatial-resolution x-ray imaging.

Purpose: High-spatial-resolution x-ray imaging in the few-ten-keV range is becoming increasingly important in several applications, such as small-animal imaging and phase-contrast imaging. The detector properties critically influence the quality of such imaging. Here the authors present a quantitative comparison of scintillator-based detectors for this energy range and at high spatial frequencies.

Laboratory x-ray fluorescence tomography for high-resolution nanoparticle bio-imaging.

We demonstrate that nanoparticle x-ray fluorescence computed tomography in mouse-sized objects can be performed with very high spatial resolution at acceptable dose and exposure times with a compact laboratory system. The method relies on the combination of the 24 keV line-emission from a high-brightness liquid-metal-jet x-ray source, pencil-beam-forming x-ray optics, photon-counting energy-dispersive detection, and carefully matched (Mo) nanoparticles. Phantom experiments and simulations show that the arrangement significantly reduces Compton background and allows 100 μm detail imaging at dose and exposure times compatible with small-animal experiments.