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Mürer FK, Tekseth KR, Chattopadhyay B, Olstad K, Akram MN, Breiby DW. Multimodal 2D and 3D microscopic mapping of growth cartilage by computational imaging techniques - a short review including new research. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2024; 10:045041. [PMID: 38744257 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ad4b1f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Being able to image the microstructure of growth cartilage is important for understanding the onset and progression of diseases such as osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis, as well as for developing new treatments and implants. Studies of cartilage using conventional optical brightfield microscopy rely heavily on histological staining, where the added chemicals provide tissue-specific colours. Other microscopy contrast mechanisms include polarization, phase- and scattering contrast, enabling non-stained or 'label-free' imaging that significantly simplifies the sample preparation, thereby also reducing the risk of artefacts. Traditional high-performance microscopes tend to be both bulky and expensive.Computational imagingdenotes a range of techniques where computers with dedicated algorithms are used as an integral part of the image formation process. Computational imaging offers many advantages like 3D measurements, aberration correction and quantitative phase contrast, often combined with comparably cheap and compact hardware. X-ray microscopy is also progressing rapidly, in certain ways trailing the development of optical microscopy. In this study, we first briefly review the structures of growth cartilage and relevant microscopy characterization techniques, with an emphasis on Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) and advanced x-ray microscopies. We next demonstrate with our own results computational imaging through FPM and compare the images with hematoxylin eosin and saffron (HES)-stained histology. Zernike phase contrast, and the nonlinear optical microscopy techniques of second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) are explored. Furthermore, X-ray attenuation-, phase- and diffraction-contrast computed tomography (CT) images of the very same sample are presented for comparisons. Future perspectives on the links to artificial intelligence, dynamic studies andin vivopossibilities conclude the article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik K Mürer
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- SINTEF Helgeland AS, Halvor Heyerdahls vei 33, 8626 Mo i Rana, Norway
| | - Kim R Tekseth
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Basab Chattopadhyay
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin Olstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Equine section, PO Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Muhammad Nadeem Akram
- Department of Microsystems, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3184 Borre, Norway
| | - Dag W Breiby
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Microsystems, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3184 Borre, Norway
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Furlani M, Riberti N, Gatto ML, Giuliani A. High-Resolution Phase-Contrast Tomography on Human Collagenous Tissues: A Comprehensive Review. Tomography 2023; 9:2116-2133. [PMID: 38133070 PMCID: PMC10748183 DOI: 10.3390/tomography9060166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Phase-contrast X-ray imaging is becoming increasingly considered since its first applications, which occurred almost 30 years ago. Particular emphasis was placed on studies that use this technique to investigate soft tissues, which cannot otherwise be investigated at a high resolution and in a three-dimensional manner, using conventional absorption-based settings. Indeed, its consistency and discrimination power in low absorbing samples, unified to being a not destructive analysis, are pushing interests on its utilization from researchers of different specializations, from botany, through zoology, to human physio-pathology research. In this regard, a challenging method for 3D imaging and quantitative analysis of collagenous tissues has spread in recent years: it is based on the unique characteristics of synchrotron radiation phase-contrast microTomography (PhC-microCT). In this review, the focus has been placed on the research based on the exploitation of synchrotron PhC-microCT for the investigation of collagenous tissue physio-pathologies from solely human samples. Collagen tissues' elasto-mechanic role bonds it to the morphology of the site it is extracted from, which could weaken the results coming from animal experimentations. Encouraging outcomes proved this technique to be suitable to access and quantify human collagenous tissues and persuaded different researchers to approach it. A brief mention was also dedicated to the results obtained on collagenous tissues using new and promising high-resolution phase-contrast tomographic laboratory-based setups, which will certainly represent the real step forward in the diffusion of this relatively young imaging technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Furlani
- Department DISCO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Nicole Riberti
- Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences Department, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Maria Laura Gatto
- Department DIISM, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Giuliani
- Department DISCO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy;
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Bairagi S, Abdollahifar MA, Atake OJ, Dust W, Wiebe S, Belev G, Chapman LD, Webb MA, Zhu N, Cooper DML, Eames BF. MRI overestimates articular cartilage thickness and volume compared to synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291757. [PMID: 37788257 PMCID: PMC10547194 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate evaluation of morphological changes in articular cartilage are necessary for early detection of osteoarthritis (OA). 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has highly sensitive contrast resolution and is widely used clinically to detect OA. However, synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging computed tomography (SR-PCI) can also provide contrast to tissue interfaces that do not have sufficient absorption differences, with the added benefit of very high spatial resolution. Here, MRI was compared with SR-PCI for quantitative evaluation of human articular cartilage. Medial tibial condyles were harvested from non-OA donors and from OA patients receiving knee replacement surgery. Both imaging methods revealed that average cartilage thickness and cartilage volume were significantly reduced in the OA group, compared to the non-OA group. When comparing modalities, the superior resolution of SR-PCI enabled more precise mapping of the cartilage surface relative to MRI. As a result, MRI showed significantly higher average cartilage thickness and cartilage volume, compared to SR-PCI. These data highlight the potential for high-resolution imaging of articular cartilage using SR-PCI as a solution for early OA diagnosis. Recognizing current limitations of using a synchrotron for clinical imaging, we discuss its nascent utility for preclinical models, particularly longitudinal studies of live animal models of OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suranjan Bairagi
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Oghenevwogaga J. Atake
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - William Dust
- Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sheldon Wiebe
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - George Belev
- Canadian Light Source Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - L. Dean Chapman
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - M. Adam Webb
- Canadian Light Source Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ning Zhu
- Canadian Light Source Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - David M. L. Cooper
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - B. Frank Eames
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Esposito M, Astolfo A, Cipiccia S, Jones CM, Savvidis S, Ferrara JD, Endrizzi M, Dudhia J, Olivo A. Technical note: Cartilage imaging with sub-cellular resolution using a laboratory-based phase-contrast x-ray microscope. Med Phys 2023; 50:6130-6136. [PMID: 37431640 PMCID: PMC10947188 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microscopic imaging of cartilage is a key tool for the study and development of treatments for osteoarthritis. When cellular and sub-cellular resolution is required, histology remains the gold standard approach, albeit limited by the lack of volumetric information as well as by processing artifacts. Cartilage imaging with the sub-cellular resolution has only been demonstrated in the synchrotron environment. PURPOSE To provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the capability of a laboratory-based x-ray phase-contrast microscope to resolve sub-cellular features in a cartilage sample. METHODS This work is based on a laboratory-based x-ray microscope using intensity-modulation masks. The structured nature of the beam, resulting from the mask apertures, allows the retrieval of three contrast channels, namely, transmission, refraction and dark-field, with resolution depending only on the mask aperture width. An ex vivo equine cartilage sample was imaged with the x-ray microscope and results were validated with synchrotron tomography and histology. RESULTS Individual chondrocytes, that is, cells responsible for cartilage formation, could be detected with the laboratory-based microscope. The complementarity of the three retrieved contrast channels allowed the detection of sub-cellular features in the chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first proof-of-concept of imaging cartilage tissue with sub-cellular resolution using a laboratory-based x-ray microscope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Esposito
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Alberto Astolfo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Silvia Cipiccia
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Diamond Light SourceHarwell Science and Innovation CampusDidcotUK
| | | | - Savvas Savvidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Marco Endrizzi
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Alessandro Olivo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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Pierantoni M, Hammerman M, Silva Barreto I, Andersson L, Novak V, Isaksson H, Eliasson P. Heterotopic mineral deposits in intact rat Achilles tendons are characterized by a unique fiber-like structure. J Struct Biol X 2023; 7:100087. [PMID: 36938139 PMCID: PMC10018562 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2023.100087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterotopic mineralization entails pathological mineral formation inside soft tissues. In human tendons mineralization is often associated with tendinopathies, tendon weakness and pain. In Achilles tendons, mineralization is considered to occur through heterotopic ossification (HO) primarily in response to tendon pathologies. However, refined details regarding HO deposition and microstructure are unknown. In this study, we characterize HO in intact rat Achilles tendons through high-resolution phase contrast enhanced synchrotron X-ray tomography. Furthermore, we test the potential of studying local tissue injury by needling intact Achilles tendons and the relation between tissue microdamage and HO. The results show that HO occurs in all intact Achilles tendons at 16 weeks of age. HO deposits are characterized by an elongated ellipsoidal shape and by a fiber-like internal structure which suggests that some collagen fibers have mineralized. The data indicates that deposition along fibers initiates in the pericellular area, and propagates into the intercellular area. Within HO deposits cells are larger and more rounded compared to tenocytes between unmineralized fibers, which are fewer and elongated. The results also indicate that multiple HO deposits may merge into bigger structures with time by accession along unmineralized fibers. Furthermore, the presence of unmineralized regions within the deposits may indicate that HOs are not only growing, but mineral resorption may also occur. Additionally, phase contrast synchrotron X-ray tomography allowed to distinguish microdamage at the fiber level in response to needling. The needle injury protocol could in the future enable to elucidate the relation between local inflammation, microdamage, and HO deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pierantoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Corresponding author.
| | - Malin Hammerman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Linnea Andersson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Novak
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Isaksson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Eliasson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Hayashi D, Roemer FW, Link T, Li X, Kogan F, Segal NA, Omoumi P, Guermazi A. Latest advancements in imaging techniques in OA. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2022; 14:1759720X221146621. [PMID: 36601087 PMCID: PMC9806406 DOI: 10.1177/1759720x221146621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The osteoarthritis (OA) research community has been advocating a shift from radiography-based screening criteria and outcome measures in OA clinical trials to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based definition of eligibility and endpoint. For conventional morphological MRI, various semiquantitative evaluation tools are available. We have lately witnessed a remarkable technological advance in MRI techniques, including compositional/physiologic imaging and automated quantitative analyses of articular and periarticular structures. More recently, additional technologies were introduced, including positron emission tomography (PET)-MRI, weight-bearing computed tomography (CT), photon-counting spectral CT, shear wave elastography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, multiscale X-ray phase contrast imaging, and spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging of cartilage. On top of these, we now live in an era in which artificial intelligence is increasingly utilized in medicine. Osteoarthritis imaging is no exception. Successful implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) will hopefully improve the workflow of radiologists, as well as the level of precision and reproducibility in the interpretation of images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Hayashi
- Department of Radiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA,Department of Radiology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank W. Roemer
- Department of Radiology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Radiology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Link
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Franciso, CA, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Li
- Department of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Feliks Kogan
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neil A. Segal
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Patrick Omoumi
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Han Z, Ou J, Koyamada K. High-precision page information extraction from 3D scanned booklets using physics-informed neural network. J Vis (Tokyo) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12650-022-00877-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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8
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Gauffenic A, Bazin D, Combes C, Daudon M, Ea HK. Pathological calcifications in the human joint. CR CHIM 2022. [DOI: 10.5802/crchim.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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9
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Einarsson E, Pierantoni M, Novak V, Svensson J, Isaksson H, Englund M. Phase-contrast enhanced synchrotron micro-tomography of human meniscus tissue. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2022; 30:1222-1233. [PMID: 35750240 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the feasibility of synchrotron radiation-based phase contrast enhanced micro-computed tomography (SR-PhC-μCT) for imaging of human meniscus. Quantitative parameters related to fiber orientation and crimping were evaluated as potential markers of tissue degeneration. DESIGN Human meniscus specimens from 10 deceased donors were prepared using different preparation schemes: fresh frozen and thawed before imaging or fixed and paraffin-embedded. The samples were imaged using SR-PhC-μCT with an isotropic voxel size of 1.625 μm. Image quality was evaluated by visual inspection and spatial resolution. Fiber voxels were defined using a grey level threshold and a structure tensor analysis was applied to estimate collagen fiber orientation. The area at half maximum (FAHM) was calculated from angle histograms to quantify orientation distribution. Crimping period was calculated from the power spectrum of image profiles of crimped fibers. Parameters were compared to degenerative stage as evaluated by Pauli histopathological scoring. RESULTS Image quality was similar between frozen and embedded samples and spatial resolutions ranged from 5.1 to 5.8 μm. Fiber structure, including crimping, was clearly visible in the images. Fibers appeared to be less organized closer to the tip of the meniscus. Fiber density might decrease slightly with degeneration. FAHM and crimping period did not show any clear association with histopathological scoring. CONCLUSION SR-PhC-μCT is a feasible technique for high-resolution 3D imaging of fresh frozen meniscus tissue. Further work is needed to establish quantitative parameters that relate to tissue degeneration, but this imaging technique is promising for future studies of meniscus structure and biomechanical response.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Einarsson
- Medical Radiation Physics, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Orthopedics, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - M Pierantoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - V Novak
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - J Svensson
- Medical Radiation Physics, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - H Isaksson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - M Englund
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Orthopedics, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Xin X, Xu H, Jian J, Lv W, Zhao Y, Li Y, Zhao X, Hu C. A method of three-dimensional branching geometry to differentiate the intrahepatic vascular type in early-stage liver fibrosis using X-ray phase-contrast CT. Eur J Radiol 2022; 148:110178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2022.110178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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New imaging tools for mouse models of osteoarthritis. GeroScience 2022; 44:639-650. [PMID: 35129777 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00525-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by a disruption of articular joint cartilage homeostasis. Mice are the most commonly used models to study OA. Despite recent reviews, there is still a lack of knowledge about the new development in imaging techniques. Two types of modalities are complementary: those that assess structural changes in joint tissues and those that assess metabolism and disease activity. Micro MRI is the most important imaging tool for OA research. Automated methodologies for assessing periarticular bone morphology with micro-CT have been developed allowing quantitative assessment of tibial surface that may be representative of the whole OA joint changes. Phase-contrast X-ray imaging provides in a single examination a high image precision with good differentiation between all anatomical elements of the knee joint (soft tissue and bone). Positron emission tomography, photoacoustic imaging, and fluorescence reflectance imaging provide molecular and functional data. To conclude, innovative imaging technologies could be an alternative to conventional histology with greater resolution and more efficiency in both morphological analysis and metabolism follow-up. There is a logic of permanent adjustment between innovations, 3R rule, and scientific perspectives. New imaging associated with artificial intelligence may add to human clinical practice allowing not only diagnosis but also prediction of disease progression to personalized medicine.
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Drevet S, Favier B, Brun E, Gavazzi G, Lardy B. Mouse Models of Osteoarthritis: A Summary of Models and Outcomes Assessment. Comp Med 2022; 72:3-13. [PMID: 34986927 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-21-000043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multidimensional health problem and a common chronic disease. It has a substantial impact onpatient quality of life and is a common cause of pain and mobility issues in older adults. The functional limitations, lack of curative treatments, and cost to society all demonstrate the need for translational and clinical research. The use of OA models in mice is important for achieving a better understanding of the disease. Models with clinical relevance are needed to achieve 2 main goals: to assess the impact of the OA disease (pain and function) and to study the efficacy of potential treatments. However, few OA models include practical strategies for functional assessment of the mice. OA signs in mice incorporate complex interrelations between pain and dysfunction. The current review provides a comprehensive compilation of mousemodels of OA and animal evaluations that include static and dynamic clinical assessment of the mice, merging evaluationof pain and function by using automatic and noninvasive techniques. These new techniques allow simultaneous recordingof spontaneous activity from thousands of home cages and also monitor environment conditions. Technologies such as videographyand computational approaches can also be used to improve pain assessment in rodents but these new tools must first be validated experimentally. An example of a new tool is the digital ventilated cage, which is an automated home-cage monitor that records spontaneous activity in the cages.
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13
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Paiva K, Meneses AADM, Barcellos R, Moura MSDS, Mendes G, Fidalgo G, Sena G, Colaço G, Silva HR, Braz D, Colaço MV, Barroso RC. Performance evaluation of segmentation methods for assessing the lens of the frog Thoropa miliaris from synchrotron-based phase-contrast micro-CT images. Phys Med 2022; 94:43-52. [PMID: 34995977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In the context of synchrotron microtomography using propagation-based phase-contrast imaging (XSPCT), we evaluated the performance of semiautomatic and automatic image segmentation of soft biological structures by means of Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and volume quantification. METHODS We took advantage of the phase-contrast effects of XSPCT to provide enhanced object boundaries and improved visualization of the lenses of the frog Thoropa miliaris. Then, we applied semiautomatic segmentation methods 1 and 2 (Interpolation and Watershed, respectively) and method 3, an automatic segmentation algorithm using the U-Net architecture, to the reconstructed images. DSC and volume quantification of the lenses were used to quantify the performance of image segmentation methods. RESULTS Comparing the lenses segmented by the three methods, the most pronounced difference in volume quantification was between methods 1 and 3: a reduction of 4.24%. Method 1, 2 and 3 obtained the global average DSC of 97.02%, 95.41% and 89.29%, respectively. Although it obtained the lowest DSC, method 3 performed the segmentation in a matter of seconds, while the semiautomatic methods had the average time to segment the lenses around 1 h and 30 min. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the performance of U-Net was impaired due to the irregularities of the ROI edges mainly in its lower and upper regions, but it still showed high accuracy (DSC = 89.29%) with significantly reduced segmentation time compared to the semiautomatic methods. Besides, with the present work we have established a baseline for future assessments of Deep Neural Networks applied to XSPCT volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Paiva
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | | | - Renan Barcellos
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nuclear Engineering Program/COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Mendes
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Fidalgo
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Sena
- Nuclear Engineering Program/COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Colaço
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Hélio Ricardo Silva
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Delson Braz
- Nuclear Engineering Program/COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinicius Colaço
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Regina Cely Barroso
- Laboratory of Applied Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Physics Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Li Y, Zhao Y, Ji D, Han S, Zheng M, Lv W, Xin X, Li F, Zhao X, Liu D, Hu C. 3D ring artifacts removal algorithm combined low-rank tensor decomposition with spatial-sequential total variation regularization and its application in phase-contrast microtomography. Med Phys 2021; 49:393-410. [PMID: 34854084 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE High-resolution synchrotron radiation X-ray phase contrast microtomography (PC-μCT) images often suffer from severe ring artifacts, which are mainly caused by undesirable responses of detector elements. In the medical imaging field, the existence of ring artifacts can lead to degraded visual quality and can directly affect diagnosis accuracy. Thus, removing or at least effectively reducing ring artifacts is indispensable. METHOD The existing ring artifacts removal algorithms mainly focus on two-dimensional (matrix-based) priors, and these algorithms fail to consider correlations hidden in sequential computed tomography (CT) images. This paper proposed a novel three-dimensional (tensor-based) ring artifacts removal algorithm for synchrotron radiation X-ray PC-μCT images. In the sinogram domain, ring artifacts manifest as vertical stripe artifacts. From an image decomposition perspective, a degraded sinogram can be decomposed into a stripe artifacts component and an underlying clean sinogram component. The proposed algorithm is designed to detect and remove stripe artifacts from a degraded sinogram by fully identifying the characteristics of the two components. Specifically, for the stripe artifacts component, tensor Tucker decomposition is used to describe its low-rank character. For the underlying clean sinogram component, spatial-sequential total variation regularization is adopted to enhance the piecewise smoothness. Moreover, the Frobenius norm term is further used to model Gaussian noise. An efficient augmented Lagrange multiplier method is designed to solve the proposed optimization model. RESULTS The proposed method is evaluated utilizing both simulations and real data containing different ring artifacts patterns. In the simulations, the human chest CT images are used for evaluating the proposed method. We compare the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), and mean absolute error (MAE) results of our algorithm with the Naghia's method, the RRRTV method, the wavelet-FFT method, and the SDRSD-GIF method. The proposed method was also evaluated on real data from rat liver samples and rat tooth samples. Our proposed method outperforms the competing methods in terms of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation results. Additionally, the 3D visualization results were presented to make the ring artifacts removal effect more intuitive. CONCLUSION The experimental results on simulations and real data clearly demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the quality of PC-μCT images compared with the existing popular algorithms, and it has great potential to promote the application of high-resolution imaging for visualizing biological tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimin Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqing Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dongjiang Ji
- The School of Science, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuo Han
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengting Zheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenjuan Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohong Xin
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fangzhi Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis and National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Disease, Beijing, China
| | - Dayong Liu
- School of Stomatology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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15
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Romano M, Bravin A, Mittone A, Eckhardt A, Barbone GE, Sancey L, Dinkel J, Bartzsch S, Ricke J, Alunni-Fabbroni M, Hirner-Eppeneder H, Karpov D, Giannini C, Bunk O, Bouchet A, Ruf V, Giese A, Coan P. A Multi-Scale and Multi-Technique Approach for the Characterization of the Effects of Spatially Fractionated X-ray Radiation Therapies in a Preclinical Model. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194953. [PMID: 34638437 PMCID: PMC8507698 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to use a multi-technique approach to detect the effects of spatially fractionated X-ray Microbeam (MRT) and Minibeam Radiation Therapy (MB) and to compare them to seamless Broad Beam (BB) irradiation. Healthy- and Glioblastoma (GBM)-bearing male Fischer rats were irradiated in-vivo on the right brain hemisphere with MRT, MB and BB delivering three different doses for each irradiation geometry. Brains were analyzed post mortem by multi-scale X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging-Computed Tomography (XPCI-CT), histology, immunohistochemistry, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS). XPCI-CT discriminates with high sensitivity the effects of MRT, MB and BB irradiations on both healthy and GBM-bearing brains producing a first-time 3D visualization and morphological analysis of the radio-induced lesions, MRT and MB induced tissue ablations, the presence of hyperdense deposits within specific areas of the brain and tumor evolution or regression with respect to the evaluation made few days post-irradiation with an in-vivo magnetic resonance imaging session. Histology, immunohistochemistry, SAXS/WAXS and XRF allowed identification and classification of these deposits as hydroxyapatite crystals with the coexistence of Ca, P and Fe mineralization, and the multi-technique approach enabled the realization, for the first time, of the map of the differential radiosensitivity of the different brain areas treated with MRT and MB. 3D XPCI-CT datasets enabled also the quantification of tumor volumes and Ca/Fe deposits and their full-organ visualization. The multi-scale and multi-technique approach enabled a detailed visualization and classification in 3D of the radio-induced effects on brain tissues bringing new essential information towards the clinical implementation of the MRT and MB radiation therapy techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariele Romano
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Am Coulombwall 1, München, 85748 Garching, Germany; (M.R.); (A.E.); (G.E.B.)
| | - Alberto Bravin
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France; (A.B.); (A.M.); (D.K.)
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Mittone
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France; (A.B.); (A.M.); (D.K.)
- CELLS-ALBA Synchrotron, 08290 Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain
| | - Alicia Eckhardt
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Am Coulombwall 1, München, 85748 Garching, Germany; (M.R.); (A.E.); (G.E.B.)
| | - Giacomo E. Barbone
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Am Coulombwall 1, München, 85748 Garching, Germany; (M.R.); (A.E.); (G.E.B.)
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
| | - Lucie Sancey
- Centre de Recherche UGA/INSERM U1209/CNRS UMR5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, 38700 La Tronche, France;
| | - Julien Dinkel
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
| | - Stefan Bartzsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, 81675 Munich, Germany;
- Department of Radiation Sciences (DRS), Institute of Radiation Medicine (IRM), Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jens Ricke
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
| | - Marianna Alunni-Fabbroni
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
| | - Heidrun Hirner-Eppeneder
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
| | - Dmitry Karpov
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France; (A.B.); (A.M.); (D.K.)
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland;
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| | - Oliver Bunk
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland;
| | - Audrey Bouchet
- Inserm U1296 Unit “Radiation: Defense, Health Environment”, 69008 Lyon, France;
| | - Viktoria Ruf
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (V.R.); (A.G.)
| | - Armin Giese
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (V.R.); (A.G.)
| | - Paola Coan
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Am Coulombwall 1, München, 85748 Garching, Germany; (M.R.); (A.E.); (G.E.B.)
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.D.); (J.R.); (M.A.-F.); (H.H.-E.)
- Correspondence:
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16
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Pierantoni M, Silva Barreto I, Hammerman M, Verhoeven L, Törnquist E, Novak V, Mokso R, Eliasson P, Isaksson H. A quality optimization approach to image Achilles tendon microstructure by phase-contrast enhanced synchrotron micro-tomography. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17313. [PMID: 34453067 PMCID: PMC8397765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96589-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Achilles tendons are mechanosensitive, and their complex hierarchical structure is in part the result of the mechanical stimulation conveyed by the muscles. To fully understand how their microstructure responds to mechanical loading a non-invasive approach for 3D high resolution imaging suitable for soft tissue is required. Here we propose a protocol that can capture the complex 3D organization of the Achilles tendon microstructure, using phase-contrast enhanced synchrotron micro-tomography (SR-PhC-μCT). We investigate the effects that sample preparation and imaging conditions have on the resulting image quality, by considering four types of sample preparations and two imaging setups (sub-micrometric and micrometric final pixel sizes). The image quality is assessed using four quantitative parameters. The results show that for studying tendon collagen fibers, conventional invasive sample preparations such as fixation and embedding are not necessary or advantageous. Instead, fresh frozen samples result in high-quality images that capture the complex 3D organization of tendon fibers in conditions as close as possible to natural. The comprehensive nature of this innovative study by SR-PhC-μCT breaks ground for future studies of soft complex biological tissue in 3D with high resolution in close to natural conditions, which could be further used for in situ characterization of how soft tissue responds to mechanical stimuli on a microscopic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pierantoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | - Malin Hammerman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lissa Verhoeven
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elin Törnquist
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Novak
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Rajmund Mokso
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
- Division of Solid Mechanics, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Eliasson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Hanna Isaksson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
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17
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Zhao Y, Zhao Q, Zheng M, Yang T, Liu D, Sun L, Lv W, Li Y, Liu Y, Hu C. Comparison of microstructural imaging of the root canal isthmus using propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast and absorption micro-computed tomography. J Microsc 2021; 284:74-82. [PMID: 34143441 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Clear and complete microstructural imaging of the root canal isthmus is an important part of pathological investigations in research and clinical practice. X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) is a widely used non-destructive imaging technique, which allows for distortion-free three-dimensional (3D) visualisation. While absorption μCT typically has poor contrast resolution for observing the root canal isthmus, especially for weak-absorbing tissues, propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging (PBI) is a powerful imaging method, which in its combination with μCT (PB-PCμCT) enables high-resolution and high-contrast microstructural imaging of the weak-absorbing tissues in samples. To investigate the feasibility and ability of PB-PCμCT in microstructural imaging of the root canal isthmus, conventional absorption μCT and PB-PCμCT experiments were performed. The two-dimensional (2D) and 3D comparison results demonstrated that, compared to absorption μCT, PB-PCμCT has the ability to image the root canal isthmus more clearly and completely, and thus, it has great potential to serve as a valuable tool for biomedical and preclinical studies on the root canal isthmus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengting Zheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Dayong Liu
- Tianjin Medical University School of Stomatology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Lianlian Sun
- Department of Stomatology, Fifth Central of Tianjin, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjuan Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yimin Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongchao Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fifth Central of Tianjin, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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18
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Horng A, Stroebel J, Geith T, Milz S, Pacureanu A, Yang Y, Cloetens P, Lovric G, Mittone A, Bravin A, Coan P. Multiscale X-ray phase contrast imaging of human cartilage for investigating osteoarthritis formation. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:42. [PMID: 34098949 PMCID: PMC8182937 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00739-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The evolution of cartilage degeneration is still not fully understood, partly due to its thinness, low radio-opacity and therefore lack of adequately resolving imaging techniques. X-ray phase-contrast imaging (X-PCI) offers increased sensitivity with respect to standard radiography and CT allowing an enhanced visibility of adjoining, low density structures with an almost histological image resolution. This study examined the feasibility of X-PCI for high-resolution (sub-) micrometer analysis of different stages in tissue degeneration of human cartilage samples and compare it to histology and transmission electron microscopy. Methods Ten 10%-formalin preserved healthy and moderately degenerated osteochondral samples, post-mortem extracted from human knee joints, were examined using four different X-PCI tomographic set-ups using synchrotron radiation the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (France) and the Swiss Light Source (Switzerland). Volumetric datasets were acquired with voxel sizes between 0.7 × 0.7 × 0.7 and 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.1 µm3. Data were reconstructed by a filtered back-projection algorithm, post-processed by ImageJ, the WEKA machine learning pixel classification tool and VGStudio max. For correlation, osteochondral samples were processed for histology and transmission electron microscopy. Results X-PCI provides a three-dimensional visualization of healthy and moderately degenerated cartilage samples down to a (sub-)cellular level with good correlation to histologic and transmission electron microscopy images. X-PCI is able to resolve the three layers and the architectural organization of cartilage including changes in chondrocyte cell morphology, chondrocyte subgroup distribution and (re-)organization as well as its subtle matrix structures. Conclusions X-PCI captures comprehensive cartilage tissue transformation in its environment and might serve as a tissue-preserving, staining-free and volumetric virtual histology tool for examining and chronicling cartilage behavior in basic research/laboratory experiments of cartilage disease evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Horng
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.,RZM - Radiologisches Zentrum Munich-Pasing, Pippinger Str. 25, 81245, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Stroebel
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Tobias Geith
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Milz
- Faculty of Medicine, Anatomische Anstalt, Neuroanatomy, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Yang Yang
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France.,National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Peter Cloetens
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Goran Lovric
- Paul Scherrer Institute (Swiss Light Source), Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | - Alberto Bravin
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Paola Coan
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748, Garching, Germany.
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19
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Calcified cartilage revealed in whole joint by X-ray phase contrast imaging. OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE OPEN 2021; 3:100168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2021.100168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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20
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Li Y, Zhao Y, Ji D, Lv W, Xin X, Zhao X, Liu D, Ouyang Z, Hu C. Sparse-domain regularized stripe decomposition combined with guided-image filtering for ring artifact removal in propagation-based x-ray phase-contrast CT. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 33878737 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abf9de] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Propagation-based x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PB-PCCT) images often suffer from severe ring artifacts. Ring artifacts are mainly caused by the nonuniform response of detector elements, and they can degrade image quality and affect the subsequent image processing and quantitative analyses. To remove ring artifacts in PB-PCCT images, a novel method combined sparse-domain regularized stripe decomposition (SDRSD) method with guided image filtering (GIF) was proposed. In this method, polar coordinate transformation was utilized to convert the ring artifacts to stripe artifacts. And then considering the directional and sparse properties of the stripe artifacts and the continuity characteristics of the sample, the SDRSD method was designed to remove stripe artifacts. However, for the SDRSD method, the presence of noise may destroy the edges of the stripe artifacts and lead to incomplete decomposition. Hence, a simple and efficient smoothing technique, namely GIF, was employed to overcome this issue. The simulations and real experiments demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively remove ring artifacts as well as preserve the structures and edges of the samples. In conclusion, the proposed method can serve as an effective tool to remove ring artifacts in PB-PCCT images, and it has high potential for promoting the biomedical and preclinical applications of PB-PCCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimin Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongjiang Ji
- School of Science, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin 300222, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjuan Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohong Xin
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis and National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Disease, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Dayong Liu
- Tianjin Medical University School of Stomatology, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoguang Ouyang
- Tianjin Medical University School of Stomatology, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China
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21
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Pierantoni M, Le Cann S, Sotiriou V, Ahmed S, Bodey AJ, Jerjen I, Nowlan NC, Isaksson H. Muscular loading affects the 3D structure of both the mineralized rudiment and growth plate at early stages of bone formation. Bone 2021; 145:115849. [PMID: 33454374 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.115849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fetal immobilization affects skeletal development and can lead to severe malformations. Still, how mechanical load affects embryonic bone formation is not fully elucidated. This study combines mechanobiology, image analysis and developmental biology, to investigate the structural effects of muscular loading on embryonic long bones. We present a novel approach involving a semi-automatic workflow, to study the spatial and temporal evolutions of both hard and soft tissues in 3D without any contrast agent at micrometrical resolution. Using high-resolution phase-contrast-enhanced X-ray synchrotron microtomography, we compare the humeri of Splotch-delayed embryonic mice lacking skeletal muscles with healthy littermates. The effects of skeletal muscles on bone formation was studied from the first stages of mineral deposition (Theiler Stages 23 and 24) to just before birth (Theiler Stage 27). The results show that muscle activity affects both growth plate and mineralized regions, especially during early embryonic development. When skeletal muscles were absent, there was reduced mineralization, altered tuberosity size and location, and, at early embryonic stages, decreased chondrocyte density, size and elongation compared to littermate controls. The proposed workflow enhances our understanding of mechanobiology of early bone formation and could be implemented for the study of other complex biological tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pierantoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Sophie Le Cann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Vivien Sotiriou
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Saima Ahmed
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Iwan Jerjen
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Niamh C Nowlan
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Hanna Isaksson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
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22
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Solé Cruz E, Mercier A, Suuronen JP, Chaffanjon P, Brun E, Bellier A. Synchrotron phase-contrast imaging applied to the anatomical study of the hand and its vascularization. J Anat 2021; 239:536-543. [PMID: 33686643 PMCID: PMC8273599 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Microscopic anatomical study of the hand requires difficult or destructive dissection techniques for each anatomical structure. Synchrotron phase-contrast imaging (sPCI) allows us to study precisely, at a microscopic resolution and in a nondestructive approach, the soft tissues and bone structures within a single 3D image. Therefore, we aimed to assess the capacity of sPCI to study the arterial anatomy of the hand and digits in human cadavers for anatomical purposes. A non-injected hand from an embalmed body was imaged using sPCI at 21-µm pixel size. The vascularization and innervation of the hands were virtually reconstructed at 84-µm resolution, and the medial neurovascular bundle of the third digit at 21 µm. The thinner-most distal structures were observed and reported. The diameter and thickness of the vascular and neural structures were defined on 2D computed tomographic axial projections, and using a granulometry method coupled to the 3D reconstructions. The vascularization of the hand was visible from the radial and ulnar arteries to the distal digital transverse anastomoses. The thinnest structure observed was the anastomotic arterial network around the proper palmar digital nerve. The latter emerged from the proper palmar digital artery and vascularized the nerve around its whole length and circumference. The perineural arterioles individualizable at this resolution had a diameter of 66-309 µm. In conclusion, sPCI allows both the arterial and neural anatomy of the hand to be studied at the same time, as well as the anatomical interactions between both networks. It facilitates the study of structures that have different sizes, diameters, thickness, and histological origin with great precision, in a noninvasive way, and using a single technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Solé Cruz
- French Alpes Laboratory of Anatomy, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.,Inserm UA7 Strobe, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.,ID17 Biomedical Beamline, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Alexis Mercier
- French Alpes Laboratory of Anatomy, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France
| | - Jussi-Petteri Suuronen
- Inserm UA7 Strobe, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.,ID17 Biomedical Beamline, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Chaffanjon
- French Alpes Laboratory of Anatomy, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France
| | - Emmanuel Brun
- Inserm UA7 Strobe, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France
| | - Alexandre Bellier
- French Alpes Laboratory of Anatomy, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.,Computational Biology and Mathematics, TIMC Laboratory, UMR 5525 CNRS, Grenoble, France
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23
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Mürer FK, Chattopadhyay B, Madathiparambil AS, Tekseth KR, Di Michiel M, Liebi M, Lilledahl MB, Olstad K, Breiby DW. Quantifying the hydroxyapatite orientation near the ossification front in a piglet femoral condyle using X-ray diffraction tensor tomography. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2144. [PMID: 33495539 PMCID: PMC7835348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80615-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
While a detailed knowledge of the hierarchical structure and morphology of the extracellular matrix is considered crucial for understanding the physiological and mechanical properties of bone and cartilage, the orientation of collagen fibres and carbonated hydroxyapatite (HA) crystallites remains a debated topic. Conventional microscopy techniques for orientational imaging require destructive sample sectioning, which both precludes further studies of the intact sample and potentially changes the microstructure. In this work, we use X-ray diffraction tensor tomography to image non-destructively in 3D the HA orientation in a medial femoral condyle of a piglet. By exploiting the anisotropic HA diffraction signal, 3D maps showing systematic local variations of the HA crystallite orientation in the growing subchondral bone and in the adjacent mineralized growth cartilage are obtained. Orientation maps of HA crystallites over a large field of view (~ 3 × 3 × 3 mm3) close to the ossification (bone-growth) front are compared with high-resolution X-ray propagation phase-contrast computed tomography images. The HA crystallites are found to predominantly orient with their crystallite c-axis directed towards the ossification front. Distinct patterns of HA preferred orientation are found in the vicinity of cartilage canals protruding from the subchondral bone. The demonstrated ability of retrieving 3D orientation maps of bone-cartilage structures is expected to give a better understanding of the physiological properties of bones, including their propensity for bone-cartilage diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik K. Mürer
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393PoreLab, Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Basab Chattopadhyay
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393PoreLab, Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Aldritt Scaria Madathiparambil
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393PoreLab, Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kim Robert Tekseth
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393PoreLab, Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marco Di Michiel
- grid.5398.70000 0004 0641 6373ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marianne Liebi
- grid.5371.00000 0001 0775 6028Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Magnus B. Lilledahl
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin Olstad
- grid.19477.3c0000 0004 0607 975XFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Equine Section, Sentrum, P. O. Box 369, 0102 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag W. Breiby
- grid.5947.f0000 0001 1516 2393PoreLab, Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway ,grid.463530.70000 0004 7417 509XDepartment of Microsystems, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Campus Vestfold, 3184 Borre, Norway
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Notohamiprodjo S, Varasteh Z, Beer AJ, Niu G, Chen X(S, Weber W, Schwaiger M. Tumor Vasculature. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00090-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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25
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Barbone GE, Bravin A, Mittone A, Grosu S, Ricke J, Cavaletti G, Djonov V, Coan P. High-Spatial-Resolution Three-dimensional Imaging of Human Spinal Cord and Column Anatomy with Postmortem X-ray Phase-Contrast Micro-CT. Radiology 2021; 298:135-146. [DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2020201622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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26
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Sun M, Lv W, Zhao X, Qin L, Zhao Y, Xin X, Jian J, Chen X, Hu C. Vascular branching geometry relating to portal hypertension: a study of liver microvasculature in cirrhotic rats by X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2020; 10:116-127. [PMID: 31956535 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2019.11.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Portal hypertension is one of the major complications of cirrhosis. The changes in hepatic microvasculature are considered as critical pathophysiological characteristics of portal hypertension. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) is a new imaging technique that can detect liver vessels at a micrometric level without contrast agents. Methods In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats with liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or bile duct ligation (BDL) were investigated with PCCT. The portal pressures of rats were recorded before euthanasia. The branch angle and Murray's deviation (MD) were measured based on the branching geometry of the three-dimensional (3D) microvasculature of liver cirrhosis in rats. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the correlation between branching geometry and portal pressure in liver fibrosis. Results The results demonstrated that the branch angle and MD significantly increased in the CCl4 model and BDL model compared with their corresponding normal group or sham group. The portal pressure was significantly correlated with the branching morphologic features (all R≥0.761 and P<0.01). Conclusions The branch angle and MD could accurately distinguish portal pressure in cirrhotic rats, suggesting that branching geometric characteristics of the microvasculature may be a promising marker in the prognosis of portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Wenjuan Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Lili Qin
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yuqing Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaohong Xin
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jianbo Jian
- Radiation Oncology Department, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Information Technology, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
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Phase-contrast computed tomography: A correlation study between portal pressure and three dimensional microvasculature of ex vivo liver samples from carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats. Microvasc Res 2019; 125:103884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2019.103884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Advanced 3D Imaging of Uterine Leiomyoma's Morphology by Propagation-based Phase-Contrast Microtomography. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10580. [PMID: 31332223 PMCID: PMC6646365 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47048-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign smooth muscle tumor in women pelvis, originating from the myometrium. It is caused by a disorder of fibrosis, with a large production and disruption of extracellular matrix (ECM). Medical treatments are still very limited and no preventative therapies have been developed. We supposed that synchrotron-based phase-contrast microtomography (PhC-microCT) may be an appropriate tool to assess the 3D morphology of uterine leiomyoma, without the use of any contrast agent. We used this technique to perform the imaging and the quantitative morphometric analysis of healthy myometrium and pathologic leiomyomas. The quantitative morphometric analysis of collagen bundles was coupled to the Roschger approach. This method, previously only used to evaluate mineralized bone density distribution, was applied here to study the fibrosis mass density distribution in healthy and pathologic biopsies from two patients. This protocol was shown to be powerful in studying uterine leiomyomas, detecting also small signs of the ECM alteration. This is of paramount importance not only for the follow-up of the present study, i.e. the investigation of different compounds and their possible therapeutic benefits, but also because it offers new methodologic possibilities for future studies of the ECM in soft tissues of different body districts.
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Ghani MU, Gregory B, Omoumi F, Zheng B, Yan A, Wu X, Liu H. Impact of a single distance phase retrieval algorithm on spatial resolution in X-ray inline phase sensitive imaging. BIOMEDICAL SPECTROSCOPY AND IMAGING 2019; 8:29-40. [PMID: 31788419 PMCID: PMC6883648 DOI: 10.3233/bsi-190186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A single-projection based phase retrieval method based on the phase attenuation duality principle (PAD) was used to compare the spatial resolution of the acquired phase sensitive and PAD processed phase retrieved images. An inline phase sensitive prototype was used to acquire the phase sensitive images. The prototype incorporates a micro-focus x-ray source and a flat panel detector with a 50 μm pixel pitch. A phantom composed of a 2 cm thick 50-50 adipose-glandular mimicking slab sandwiched with a 0.82 cm thick slanted PMMA sharp edge was used. Phase sensitive image of the phantom was acquired at 120 kV, 3.35 mAs with a 16 μm tube focal spot size under a geometric magnification (M) of 2.5. The PAD based method was applied to the acquired phase sensitive image for the retrieval of phase values. With necessary data processing, modulation transfer function (MTF) curves were determined for the estimation and comparison of the spatial resolution. The PAD processed phase retrieved values of the phantom were in good agreement with the theoretically calculated values. Phase sensitive images showed higher spatial resolution at all spatial frequencies compared to the phase retrieved images. It was noted that the high-frequency signal components in the retrieved image were suppressed that resulted in lower MTF values. When compared to the phase sensitive image, the cutoff resolution (10% MTF) for phase retrieved image dropped 32% from 15.6 lp/mm (32μm) to 10.6 lp/mm (47μm). The resolution offered by this phase sensitive prototype is radiographically enough to detect breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad. U. Ghani
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Bradley Gregory
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Farid Omoumi
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Bin Zheng
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Aimin Yan
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35249, USA
| | - Xizeng Wu
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35249, USA
| | - Hong Liu
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK 73019, USA
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Zhao Y, Ji D, Chen Y, Jian J, Zhao X, Zhao Q, Lv W, Xin X, Yang T, Hu C. A new in-line X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography reconstruction algorithm based on adaptive-weighted anisotropic TpV regularization for insufficient data. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2019; 26:1330-1342. [PMID: 31274462 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577519005095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In-line X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (IL-PCCT) is a valuable tool for revealing the internal detailed structures in weakly absorbing objects (e.g. biological soft tissues), and has a great potential to become clinically applicable. However, the long scanning time for IL-PCCT will result in a high radiation dose to biological samples, and thus impede the wider use of IL-PCCT in clinical and biomedical imaging. To alleviate this problem, a new iterative CT reconstruction algorithm is presented that aims to decrease the radiation dose by reducing the projection views, while maintaining the high quality of reconstructed images. The proposed algorithm combines the adaptive-weighted anisotropic total p-variation (AwaTpV, 0 < p < 1) regularization technique with projection onto convex sets (POCS) strategy. Noteworthy, the AwaTpV regularization term not only contains the horizontal and vertical image gradients but also adds the diagonal image gradients in order to enforce the directional continuity in the gradient domain. To evaluate the effectiveness and ability of the proposed algorithm, experiments with a numerical phantom and synchrotron IL-PCCT were performed, respectively. The results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm had the ability to significantly reduce the artefacts caused by insufficient data and effectively preserved the edge details under noise-free and noisy conditions, and thus could be used as an effective approach to decrease the radiation dose for IL-PCCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongjiang Ji
- The School of Science, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin 300222, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingpin Chen
- School of Physics and Information Engineering, Minnan Normal University, 363000 Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianbo Jian
- Radiation Oncology Department, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100050 Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjuan Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohong Xin
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, People's Republic of China
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Shanblatt ER, Sung Y, Gupta R, Nelson BJ, Leng S, Graves WS, McCollough CH. Forward model for propagation-based x-ray phase contrast imaging in parallel- and cone-beam geometry. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:4504-4521. [PMID: 30876068 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.004504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a fast, flexible, and accurate paraxial wave propagation model to serve as a forward model for propagation-based X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) in parallel-beam or cone-beam geometry. This model incorporates geometric cone-beam effects into the multi-slice beam propagation method. It enables rapid prototyping and is well suited to serve as a forward model for propagation-based X-ray phase contrast tomographic reconstructions. Furthermore, it is capable of modeling arbitrary objects, including those that are strongly or multi-scattering. Simulation studies were conducted to compare our model to other forward models in the X-ray regime, such as the Mie and full-wave Rytov solutions.
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32
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Zhou Y, Hu J, Zhou J, Zeng Z, Cao Y, Wang Z, Chen C, Zheng C, Chen H, Lu H. Three-dimensional characterization of the microstructure in rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface using propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2018; 25:1833-1840. [PMID: 30407196 DOI: 10.1107/s160057751801353x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the three-dimensional ultrastructure morphology of tendon-to-bone interface may allow the development of effective therapeutic interventions for enhanced interface healing. This study aims to assess the feasibility of propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography (PPC-SRµCT) for three-dimensional characterization of the microstructure in rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface (PPTI). Based on phase retrieval for PPC-SRµCT imaging, this technique is capable of visualizing the three-dimensional internal architecture of PPTI at a cellular high spatial resolution including bone and tendon, especially the chondrocytes lacuna at the fibrocartilage layer. The features on the PPC-SRµCT image of the PPTI are similar to those of a histological section using Safranin-O staining/fast green staining. The three-dimensional microstructure in the rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface and the spatial distributions of the chondrocytes lacuna and their quantification volumetric data are displayed. Furthermore, a color-coding map differentiating cell lacuna in terms of connecting beads is presented after the chondrocytes cell lacuna was extracted. This provides a more in-depth insight into the microstructure of the PPTI on a new scale, particularly the cell lacuna arrangement at the fibrocartilage layer. PPC-SRµCT techniques provide important complementary information to the conventional histological method for characterizing the microstructure of the PPTI, and may facilitate in investigations of the repair mechanism of the PPTI after injury and in evaluating the efficacy of a different therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongchun Zhou
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianzhong Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyong Zhou
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziteng Zeng
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Cao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhanwen Wang
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Can Chen
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Zheng
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Huabin Chen
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbin Lu
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
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Labriet H, Nemoz C, Renier M, Berkvens P, Brochard T, Cassagne R, Elleaume H, Estève F, Verry C, Balosso J, Adam JF, Brun E. Significant dose reduction using synchrotron radiation computed tomography: first clinical case and application to high resolution CT exams. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12491. [PMID: 30131501 PMCID: PMC6104060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30902-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the invention of Computed Tomography (CT), many technological advances emerged to improve the image sensitivity and resolution. However, no new source types were developed for clinical use. In this study, for the first time, coherent monochromatic X-rays from a synchrotron radiation source were used to acquire 3D CTs on patients. The aim of this work was to evaluate the clinical potential of the images acquired using Synchrotron Radiation CT (SRCT). SRCTs were acquired using monochromatic X-rays tuned at 80 keV (0.350 × 0.350 × 2 mm3 voxel size). A quantitative image quality comparison study was carried out on phantoms between a state of the art clinical CT and SRCT images. Dedicated iterative algorithms were developed to optimize the image quality and further reduce the delivered dose by a factor of 12 while keeping a better image quality than the one obtained with a clinical CT scanner. We finally show in this paper the very first SRCT results of one patient who received Synchrotron Radiotherapy in an ongoing clinical trial. This demonstrates the potential of the technique in terms of image quality improvement at a reduced radiation dose for inner ear visualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Labriet
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, avenue Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - C Nemoz
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - M Renier
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - P Berkvens
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - T Brochard
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - R Cassagne
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - H Elleaume
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - F Estève
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, avenue Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - C Verry
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, avenue Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - J Balosso
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, avenue Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - J F Adam
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, avenue Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France.
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France.
| | - E Brun
- Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, EA 7442, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Mittone A, Ivanishko Y, Kovalev S, Lisutina P, Lotoshnikov M, Tkachev S, Tkacheva M, Crippa L, Dmitriev V, Bravin A. High resolution hard X-ray 3D mapping of a Macaca fascicularis eye: A feasibility study without contrast agents. Phys Med 2018; 51:7-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Structural Myocardial Alterations by Grating-Based Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography. Invest Radiol 2018; 53:26-34. [PMID: 28846552 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (gb-PCCT) relies on x-ray refraction instead of absorption to generate high-contrast images in biological soft tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of gb-PCCT for the depiction of structural changes in heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four human heart specimens from patients with hypertensive disease, ischemic disease, dilated heart disease, and cardiac lipomatosis were examined. The gb-PCCT setup consisted of an x-ray tube (40 kV, 70 mA), grating-interferometer, and detector, and allowed simultaneous acquisition of phase- and absorption-contrast data. With histopathology as the standard of reference, myocardium (MC), fibrotic scar (FS), interstitial fibrosis (IF), and fatty tissue (FT) were visually and quantitatively evaluated. Systematic differences in absorption- and phase-contrast Hounsfield units (HUabs and HUp) were assessed. RESULTS Thirteen corresponding cross-sections were included, and MC, FS, IF, and FT were found in 13 (100%), 4 (30.8%), 7 (53.8%), and 13 (100%) cross-sections, respectively. Mean HUp/HUabs were 52.5/54.1, 86.6/69.7, 62.4/62.3, and -38.6/-258.9 for MC, FS, IF, and FT, respectively. An overlap in HUabs was observed for MC and IF (P = 0.84) but not for HUp (P < 0.01). Contrast-to-noise ratios were significantly higher in phase- than in absorption-contrast for MC/FT (35.4 vs 7.8; P < 0.01) and for MC/FS (12.3 vs 0.2; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Given its superior soft tissue contrast, gb-PCCT is able to depict structural changes in different cardiomyopathies, which can currently not be obtained by x-ray absorption-based imaging methods. If current technical limitations can be overcome, gb-PCCT may evolve as a powerful tool for the anatomical assessment of cardiomyopathy.
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Quantitative Assessment of Degenerative Cartilage and Subchondral Bony Lesions in a Preserved Cadaveric Knee: Propagation-Based Phase-Contrast CT Versus Conventional MRI and CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2018; 210:1317-1322. [PMID: 29629804 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.17.18286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone conditions in a fully preserved cadaveric human knee joint using high-resolution x-ray propagation-based phase-contrast imaging (PBI) CT and to compare the performance of the new technique with conventional CT and MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cadaveric human knee was examined using an x-ray beam of 60 keV, a detector with a 90-mm2 FOV, and a pixel size of 46 × 46 μm2. PBI CT images were reconstructed with both the filtered back projection algorithm and the equally sloped tomography method. Conventional 3-T MRI and CT were also performed. Measurements of cartilage thickness, cartilage lesions, International Cartilage Repair Society scoring, and detection of subchondral bone changes were evaluated. Visual inspection of the specimen akin to arthroscopy was conducted and served as a standard of reference for lesion detection. RESULTS Loss of cartilage height was visible on PBI CT and MRI. Quantification of cartilage thickness showed a strong correlation between the two modalities. Cartilage lesions appeared darker than the adjacent cartilage on PBI CT. PBI CT showed similar agreement to MRI for depicting cartilage substance defects or lesions compared with the visual inspection. The assessment of subchondral bone cysts showed moderate to strong agreement between PBI CT and CT. CONCLUSION In contrast to the standard clinical methods of MRI and CT, PBI CT is able to simultaneously depict cartilage and bony changes at high resolution. Though still an experimental technique, PBI CT is a promising high-resolution imaging method to evaluate comprehensive changes of osteoarthritic disease in a clinical setting.
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Barbone GE, Bravin A, Romanelli P, Mittone A, Bucci D, Gaaβ T, Le Duc G, Auweter S, Reiser MF, Kraiger MJ, Hrabě de Angelis M, Battaglia G, Coan P. Micro-imaging of Brain Cancer Radiation Therapy Using Phase-contrast Computed Tomography. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018; 101:965-984. [PMID: 29976510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.03.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Experimental neuroimaging provides a wide range of methods for the visualization of brain anatomic morphology down to subcellular detail. Still, each technique-specific detection mechanism presents compromises among the achievable field-of-view size, spatial resolution, and nervous tissue sensitivity, leading to partial sample coverage, unresolved morphologic structures, or sparse labeling of neuronal populations and often also to obligatory sample dissection or other sample invasive manipulations. X-ray phase-contrast imaging computed tomography (PCI-CT) is an experimental imaging method that simultaneously provides micrometric spatial resolution, high soft-tissue sensitivity, and ex vivo full organ rodent brain coverage without any need for sample dissection, staining or labeling, or contrast agent injection. In the present study, we explored the benefits and limitations of PCI-CT use for in vitro imaging of normal and cancerous brain neuromorphology after in vivo treatment with synchrotron-generated x-ray microbeam radiation therapy (MRT), a spatially fractionated experimental high-dose radiosurgery. The goals were visualization of the MRT effects on nervous tissue and a qualitative comparison of the results to the histologic and high-field magnetic resonance imaging findings. METHODS AND MATERIALS MRT was administered in vivo to the brain of both healthy and cancer-bearing rats. At 45 days after treatment, the brain was dissected out and imaged ex vivo using propagation-based PCI-CT. RESULTS PCI-CT visualizes the brain anatomy and microvasculature in 3 dimensions and distinguishes cancerous tissue morphology, necrosis, and intratumor accumulation of iron and calcium deposits. Moreover, PCI-CT detects the effects of MRT throughout the treatment target areas (eg, the formation of micrometer-thick radiation-induced tissue ablation). The observed neurostructures were confirmed by histologic and immunohistochemistry examination and related to the micro-magnetic resonance imaging data. CONCLUSIONS PCI-CT enabled a unique 3D neuroimaging approach for ex vivo studies on small animal models in that it concurrently delivers high-resolution insight of local brain tissue morphology in both normal and cancerous micro-milieu, localizes radiosurgical damage, and highlights the deep microvasculature. This method could assist experimental small animal neurology studies in the postmortem evaluation of neuropathology or treatment effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo E Barbone
- Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching, Germany
| | - Alberto Bravin
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Domenico Bucci
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Neuropharmacology Section, I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Thomas Gaaβ
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Sigrid Auweter
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian F Reiser
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus J Kraiger
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- Institute of Experimental Genetics and German Mouse Clinic, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Battaglia
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Neuropharmacology Section, I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Paola Coan
- Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching, Germany; Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
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Wu T, Ni S, Cao Y, Liao S, Hu J, Duan C. Three-dimensional visualization and pathologic characteristics of cartilage and subchondral bone changes in the lumbar facet joint of an ovariectomized mouse model. Spine J 2018; 18:663-673. [PMID: 29155252 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Low back pain (LBP) is more prevalent among postmenopausal women than men. Ovariectomy (OVX) is an established animal model that mimics the estrogen deficiency of postmenopausal women. Little is known about the three-dimensional (3D) morphologic properties of cartilage and subchondral bone changes in the lumbar facet joint (LFJ) of an OVX mouse model. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to characterize the 3D morphologic change of cartilage and subchondral bone in the LFJ of an OVX mouse model. STUDY DESIGN Three-dimensional visualization and a histologic study on degenerative changes in cartilage and subchondral bone in the LFJ of an OVX mouse model were conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ovariectomy is performed to mimic postmenopausal changes in adult female mice. We present an imaging tool for 3D visualization of the pathologic characteristics of cartilage and subchondral bone changes LFJ degradation using propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PPCT). The samples were further dissected, fixed, and stained for histologic examination. RESULTS Propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography imaging provides a 3D visualization of altered cartilage with a simultaneous high detail of the subchondral bone abnormalities in an OVX LFJ model. A quantitative analysis demonstrated that the cartilage volume, the surface area, and thickness were decreased in the OVX group compared with the control group (p<.05). Meanwhile, these decreases were accompanied by an obvious destruction of the subchondral bone surface and a loss of trabecular bone in the OVX group (p<.05). The delineation of the 3D pathologic changes in the PPCT imaging was confirmed by a histopathologic method with Safranin-O staining. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining revealed an increased number of osteoclasts in the subchondral bone of the OVX mice compared with that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrated that a mouse model of OVX-induced LFJ osteoarthritis (OA)-like changes was successfully established and showed a good resemblance to the human OA pathology. Propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography has great potential to becomea powerful 3D imaging method to comprehensively characterize LFJ OA and to effectively monitor therapeutics. Moreover, degenerative LFJ possesses a severe morphologic change in the subchondral bone, may be the source of postmenopausal LBP, and has the potential to be a novel therapeutic target for LBP treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianding Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shuangfei Ni
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Cao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shenghui Liao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Lushan South Rd, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jianzhong Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunyue Duan
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Rd No.87, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Giuliani A, Mazzoni S, Mele L, Liccardo D, Tromba G, Langer M. Synchrotron Phase Tomography: An Emerging Imaging Method for Microvessel Detection in Engineered Bone of Craniofacial Districts. Front Physiol 2017; 8:769. [PMID: 29085301 PMCID: PMC5649129 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The engineering of large 3D constructs, such as certain craniofacial bone districts, is nowadays a critical challenge. Indeed, the amount of oxygen needed for cell survival is able to reach a maximum diffusion distance of ~150–200 μm from the original vascularization vector, often hampering the long-term survival of the regenerated tissues. Thus, the rapid growth of new blood vessels, delivering oxygen and nutrients also to the inner cells of the bone grafts, is mandatory for their long-term function in clinical practice. Unfortunately, significant progress in this direction is currently hindered by a lack of methods with which to visualize these processes in 3D and reliably quantify them. In this regard, a challenging method for simultaneous 3D imaging and analysis of microvascularization and bone microstructure has emerged in recent years: it is based on the use of synchrotron phase tomography. This technique is able to simultaneously identify multiple tissue features in a craniofacial bone site (e.g., the microvascular and the calcified tissue structure). Moreover, it overcomes the intrinsic limitations of both histology, achieving only a 2D characterization, and conventional tomographic approaches, poorly resolving the vascularization net in the case of an incomplete filling of the newly formed microvessels by contrast agents. Indeed, phase tomography, being based on phase differences among the scattered X-ray waves, is capable of discriminating tissues with similar absorption coefficients (like vessels and woven bone) in defined experimental conditions. The approach reviewed here is based on the most recent experiences applied to bone regeneration in the craniofacial region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Giuliani
- Sezione di Biochimica, Biologia e Fisica Applicata, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche e Odontostomatologiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzoni
- Sezione di Biochimica, Biologia e Fisica Applicata, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche e Odontostomatologiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Luigi Mele
- Sezione di Biotecnologie, Istologia Medica e Biologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Liccardo
- Sezione di Biotecnologie, Istologia Medica e Biologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Max Langer
- Centre de Recherche en Acquisition et Traitment d'Images pour la Santé (CREATIS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 5220, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) U1206, Université de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
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Weber L, Hänsch A, Wolfram U, Pacureanu A, Cloetens P, Peyrin F, Rit S, Langer M. Registration of phase-contrast images in propagation-based X-ray phase tomography. J Microsc 2017; 269:36-47. [PMID: 28815603 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
X-ray phase tomography aims at reconstructing the 3D electron density distribution of an object. It offers enhanced sensitivity compared to attenuation-based X-ray absorption tomography. In propagation-based methods, phase contrast is achieved by letting the beam propagate after interaction with the object. The phase shift is then retrieved at each projection angle, and subsequently used in tomographic reconstruction to obtain the refractive index decrement distribution, which is proportional to the electron density. Accurate phase retrieval is achieved by combining images at different propagation distances. For reconstructions of good quality, the phase-contrast images recorded at different distances need to be accurately aligned. In this work, we characterise the artefacts related to misalignment of the phase-contrast images, and investigate the use of different registration algorithms for aligning in-line phase-contrast images. The characterisation of artefacts is done by a simulation study and comparison with experimental data. Loss in resolution due to vibrations is found to be comparable to attenuation-based computed tomography. Further, it is shown that registration of phase-contrast images is nontrivial due to the difference in contrast between the different images, and the often periodical artefacts present in the phase-contrast images if multilayer X-ray optics are used. To address this, we compared two registration algorithms for aligning phase-contrast images acquired by magnified X-ray nanotomography: one based on cross-correlation and one based on mutual information. We found that the mutual information-based registration algorithm was more robust than a correlation-based method.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Weber
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U1206, CREATIS, Lyon, France.,ESRF, The European Synchrotron, Grenoble, France.,Currently at Centre Jean Perrin, Service de Physique Médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - A Hänsch
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U1206, CREATIS, Lyon, France
| | - U Wolfram
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (IMPEE), Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Pacureanu
- ESRF, The European Synchrotron, Grenoble, France
| | - P Cloetens
- ESRF, The European Synchrotron, Grenoble, France
| | - F Peyrin
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U1206, CREATIS, Lyon, France.,ESRF, The European Synchrotron, Grenoble, France
| | - S Rit
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U1206, CREATIS, Lyon, France
| | - M Langer
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U1206, CREATIS, Lyon, France
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Cao Y, Ni S, Wu T, Duan C, Liao S, Hu J. WITHDRAWN: 3D visualization and pathological characteristics of cartilage and subchondral bone changes in the lumbar facet joint of an Ovariectomized mouse model. Spine J 2017:S1529-9430(17)30322-4. [PMID: 28713051 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2017.11.009. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Shuangfei Ni
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Tianding Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.
| | - Chunyue Duan
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.
| | - Shenghui Liao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Jianzhong Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; The Key Laboratory of Organ Damage, Aging and Reproductive Medicine of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
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Zamir A, Diemoz PC, Vittoria FA, Hagen CK, Endrizzi M, Olivo A. Edge illumination X-ray phase tomography of multi-material samples using a single-image phase retrieval algorithm. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:11984-11996. [PMID: 28788753 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.011984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we present a single-image phase retrieval algorithm for multi-material samples, developed for the edge illumination (EI) X-ray phase contrast imaging method. The theoretical derivation is provided, along with any assumptions made. The algorithm is evaluated quantitatively using both simulated and experimental results from a computed tomography (CT) scan using the EI laboratory implementation. Qualitative CT results are provided for a biological sample containing both bone and soft-tissue. Using a single EI image per projection and knowledge of the complex refractive index, the algorithm can accurately retrieve the interface between a given pair of materials. A composite CT slice can be created by splicing together multiple CT reconstructions, each retrieved for a different pair of materials.
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Jian J, Zhang W, Yang H, Zhao X, Xuan R, Li D, Hu C. Phase-contrast CT: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Capillarized Sinusoids and Trabecular Structure in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues. Acad Radiol 2017; 24:67-75. [PMID: 27818006 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2016.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Capillarization of sinusoids and change of trabecular thickness are the main histologic features in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Of particular interest are the three-dimensional (3D) visualization and quantitative evaluation of such alterations in the HCC progression. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) is an emerging imaging method that provides excellent image contrast for soft tissues. This study aimed to explore the potential of in-line PCCT in microstructure imaging of capillarized sinusoids and trabecular structure in human HCC tissues and to quantitatively evaluate the alterations of those fine structures during the development of HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS This project was designed as an ex vivo experimental study. The study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from the patients. Eight human resected HCC tissue samples were imaged using in-line PCCT. After histologic processing, PCCT images and histopathologic data were matched. Fine structures in HCC tissues were revealed. Quantitative analyses of capillarized sinusoids (ie, percentage of sinusoidal area [PSA], sinusoidal volume) and trabecular structure (ie, trabecular thickness, surface-area-to-volume ratio [SA/V]) in low-grade (well or moderately differentiated) and high-grade (poorly differentiated) HCC groups were performed. RESULTS Using PCCT, the alterations of capillarized sinusoids and trabecular structure were clearly observed in 3D geometry, which was confirmed by the corresponding histologic sections. The 3D qualitative analyses of sinusoids in the high-grade HCC group were significantly different (P < 0.05) in PSA (7.8 ± 2.5%) and sinusoidal volume (2.9 ± 0.6 × 107 µm3) from those in the low-grade HCC group (PSA, 12.9 ± 2.2%; sinusoidal volume, 2.4 ± 0.3 × 107 µm3). Moreover, the 3D quantitative evaluation of the trabecular structure in the high-grade HCC group showed a significant change (P < 0.05) in the trabecular thickness (87.8 ± 15.6 µm) and SA/V (2.2 ± 1.3 × 103 µm-1) compared to the low-grade HCC group (trabecular thickness, 75.9 ± 7.1 µm; SA/V, 7.5 ± 1.3 × 103 µm-1). CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into the 3D alterations of microstructures such as capillarized sinusoids and the trabecular structure at a micrometer level, which might allow for an improved understanding of the development of HCC.
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Gasilov S, Mittone A, Horng A, Geith T, Bravin A, Baumbach T, Coan P. Hard X-ray index of refraction tomography of a whole rabbit knee joint: A feasibility study. Phys Med 2016; 32:1785-1789. [PMID: 27793538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report results of the computed tomography reconstruction of the index of refraction in a whole rabbit knee joint examined at the photon energy of 51keV. Refraction based images make it possible to delineate the bone, cartilage, and soft tissues without adjusting the contrast window width and level. Density variations, which are related to tissue composition and are not visible in absorption X-ray images, are detected in the obtained refraction based images. We discuss why refraction-based images provide better detectability of low contrast features than absorption images.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gasilov
- Institute for Beam Physics and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany.
| | - A Mittone
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble 38043, France; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - A Horng
- Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - T Geith
- Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - A Bravin
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble 38043, France
| | - T Baumbach
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany; Laboratory for Application of Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany
| | - P Coan
- Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany
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Cao Y, Yin X, Zhang J, Wu T, Li D, Lu H, Hu J. Visualization of mouse spinal cord intramedullary arteries using phase- and attenuation-contrast tomographic imaging. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2016; 23:966-974. [PMID: 27359146 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577516006482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Many spinal cord circulatory disorders present the substantial involvement of small vessel lesions. The central sulcus arteries supply nutrition to a large part of the spinal cord, and, if not detected early, lesions in the spinal cord will cause irreversible damage to the function of this organ. Thus, early detection of these small vessel lesions could potentially facilitate the effective diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. However, the detection of such small vessels is beyond the capability of current imaging techniques. In this study, an imaging method is proposed and the potential of phase-contrast imaging (PCI)- and attenuation-contrast imaging (ACI)-based synchrotron radiation for high-resolution tomography of intramedullary arteries in mouse spinal cord is validated. The three-dimensional vessel morphology, particularly that of the central sulcus arteries (CSA), detected with these two imaging models was quantitatively analyzed and compared. It was determined that both PCI- and ACI-based synchrotron radiation can be used to visualize the physiological arrangement of the entire intramedullary artery network in the mouse spinal cord in both two dimensions and three dimensions at a high-resolution scale. Additionally, the two-dimensional and three-dimensional vessel morphometric parameter measurements obtained with PCI are similar to the ACI data. Furthermore, PCI allows efficient and direct discrimination of the same branch level of the CSA without contrast agent injection and is expected to provide reliable biological information regarding the intramedullary artery. Compared with ACI, PCI might be a novel imaging method that offers a powerful imaging platform for evaluating pathological changes in small vessels and may also allow better clarification of their role in neurovascular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianzhen Yin
- Center for Drug Delivery System, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 20203, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiwen Zhang
- Center for Drug Delivery System, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 20203, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianding Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongzhe Li
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbin Lu
- Department of Sports Medicine, Research Centre of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianzhong Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China
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Astolfo A, Lathuilière A, Laversenne V, Schneider B, Stampanoni M. Amyloid-β plaque deposition measured using propagation-based X-ray phase contrast CT imaging. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2016; 23:813-9. [PMID: 27140162 PMCID: PMC5315008 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577516004045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid beta accumulation into insoluble plaques (Aβp) is known to play a significant role in the pathological process in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The presence of Aβp is also one of the neuropathological hallmarks for the disease. AD final diagnosis is generally acknowledged after the evaluation of Aβp deposition in the brain. Insoluble Aβp accumulation may also concur to cause AD as postulated in the so-called amyloid hypothesis. Therefore, the visualization, evaluation and quantification of Aβp are nowadays the keys for a better understanding of the disease, which may point to a possible cure for AD in the near future. Synchrotron-based X-ray phase contrast (XPC) has been demonstrated as the only imaging method that can retrieve the Aβp signal with high spatial resolution (up to 10 µm), high sensitivity and three-dimensional information at the same time. Although at the moment XPC is suitable for ex vivo samples only, it may develop into an alternative to positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in Aβp imaging. In this contribution the possibility of using synchrotron-based X-ray phase propagation computed tomography to visualize and measure Aβp on mouse brains is presented. A careful setup optimization for this application leads to a significant improvement of spatial resolution (∼1 µm), data acquisition speed (five times faster), X-ray dose (five times lower) and setup complexity, without a substantial loss in sensitivity when compared with the classic implementation of grating-based X-ray interferometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Astolfo
- TOMCAT Beamline, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Lathuilière
- Neurodegenerative Studies Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Vanessa Laversenne
- Neurodegenerative Studies Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Bernard Schneider
- Neurodegenerative Studies Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Marco Stampanoni
- TOMCAT Beamline, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Izadifar Z, Honaramooz A, Wiebe S, Belev G, Chen X, Chapman D. Low-dose phase-based X-ray imaging techniques for in situ soft tissue engineering assessments. Biomaterials 2016; 82:151-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of in vivo x-ray dark-field radiography for early-stage diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema in mice. Furthermore, we aimed to analyze how the dark-field signal correlates with morphological changes of lung architecture at distinct stages of emphysema. MATERIALS AND METHODS Female 8- to 10-week-old C57Bl/6N mice were used throughout all experiments. Pulmonary emphysema was induced by orotracheal injection of porcine pancreatic elastase (80-U/kg body weight) (n = 30). Control mice (n = 11) received orotracheal injection of phosphate-buffered saline. To monitor the temporal patterns of emphysema development over time, the mice were imaged 7, 14, or 21 days after the application of elastase or phosphate-buffered saline. X-ray transmission and dark-field images were acquired with a prototype grating-based small-animal scanner. In vivo pulmonary function tests were performed before killing the animals. In addition, lungs were obtained for detailed histopathological analysis, including mean cord length (MCL) quantification as a parameter for the assessment of emphysema. Three blinded readers, all of them experienced radiologists and familiar with dark-field imaging, were asked to grade the severity of emphysema for both dark-field and transmission images. RESULTS Histopathology and MCL quantification confirmed the introduction of different stages of emphysema, which could be clearly visualized and differentiated on the dark-field radiograms, whereas early stages were not detected on transmission images. The correlation between MCL and dark-field signal intensities (r = 0.85) was significantly higher than the correlation between MCL and transmission signal intensities (r = 0.37). The readers' visual ratings for dark-field images correlated significantly better with MCL (r = 0.85) than visual ratings for transmission images (r = 0.36). Interreader agreement and the diagnostic accuracy of both quantitative and visual assessment were significantly higher for dark-field imaging than those for conventional transmission images. CONCLUSIONS X-ray dark-field radiography can reliably visualize different stages of emphysema in vivo and demonstrates significantly higher diagnostic accuracy for early stages of emphysema than conventional attenuation-based radiography.
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3D visualization of the lumbar facet joint after degeneration using propagation phase contrast micro-tomography. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21838. [PMID: 26907889 PMCID: PMC4764819 DOI: 10.1038/srep21838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lumbar facet joint (LFJ) degeneration is believed to be an important cause of low back pain (LBP). Identifying the morphological changes of the LFJ in the degeneration process at a high-resolution level could be meaningful for our better understanding of the possible mechanisms underlying this process. In the present study, we determined the 3D morphology of the LFJ using propagation phase contrast micro-tomography (PPCT) in rats to assess the subtle changes that occur during the degeneration process. PPCT provides vivid 3D images of micromorphological changes in the LFJ during its degeneration process, and the changes in the subchondral bone occurred earlier than in the cartilage during the early stage of degeneration of the LFJ. The delineation of this alteration was similar to that with the histological method. Our findings demonstrated that PPCT could serve as a valuable tool for 3D visualization of the morphology of the LFJ by providing comprehensive information about the cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone and their changes during degeneration processes. It might also have great potential for providing effective diagnostic tools to track changes in the cartilage and to evaluate the effects of therapeutic interventions for LFJ degeneration in preclinical studies.
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50
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Hagen CK, Maghsoudlou P, Totonelli G, Diemoz PC, Endrizzi M, Rigon L, Menk RH, Arfelli F, Dreossi D, Brun E, Coan P, Bravin A, De Coppi P, Olivo A. High contrast microstructural visualization of natural acellular matrices by means of phase-based x-ray tomography. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18156. [PMID: 26657471 PMCID: PMC4677348 DOI: 10.1038/srep18156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Acellular scaffolds obtained via decellularization are a key instrument in regenerative medicine both per se and to drive the development of future-generation synthetic scaffolds that could become available off-the-shelf. In this framework, imaging is key to the understanding of the scaffolds’ internal structure as well as their interaction with cells and other organs, including ideally post-implantation. Scaffolds of a wide range of intricate organs (esophagus, lung, liver and small intestine) were imaged with x-ray phase contrast computed tomography (PC-CT). Image quality was sufficiently high to visualize scaffold microarchitecture and to detect major anatomical features, such as the esophageal mucosal-submucosal separation, pulmonary alveoli and intestinal villi. These results are a long-sought step for the field of regenerative medicine; until now, histology and scanning electron microscopy have been the gold standard to study the scaffold structure. However, they are both destructive: hence, they are not suitable for imaging scaffolds prior to transplantation, and have no prospect for post-transplantation use. PC-CT, on the other hand, is non-destructive, 3D and fully quantitative. Importantly, not only do we demonstrate achievement of high image quality at two different synchrotron facilities, but also with commercial x-ray equipment, which makes the method available to any research laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte K Hagen
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Giorgia Totonelli
- University College London, Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Paul C Diemoz
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Endrizzi
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Luigi Rigon
- University of Trieste, Department of Physics, Trieste, 34127, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, Trieste, 34127, Italy
| | | | - Fulvia Arfelli
- University of Trieste, Department of Physics, Trieste, 34127, Italy
| | - Diego Dreossi
- Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA, Basovizza/Trieste, 34012, Italy
| | - Emmanuel Brun
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, 38043, France
| | - Paola Coan
- Ludwig Maximilians University, Department of Physics, Garching, 85748, Germany.,Ludwig Maximilians University, Faculty of Medicine, Grosshadern-Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Alberto Bravin
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, 38043, France
| | - Paolo De Coppi
- University College London, Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Olivo
- University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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