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Allphin AJ, Nadkarni R, Clark DP, Gil CJ, Tomov ML, Serpooshan V, Badea CT. Turn-table micro-CT scanner for dynamic perfusion imaging in mice: design, implementation, and evaluation. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:175012. [PMID: 39137802 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad6edd] [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: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Objective.This study introduces a novel desktop micro-CT scanner designed for dynamic perfusion imaging in mice, aimed at enhancing preclinical imaging capabilities with high resolution and low radiation doses.Approach.The micro-CT system features a custom-built rotating table capable of both circular and helical scans, enabled by a small-bore slip ring for continuous rotation. Images were reconstructed with a temporal resolution of 3.125 s and an isotropic voxel size of 65µm, with potential for higher resolution scanning. The system's static performance was validated using standard quality assurance phantoms. Dynamic performance was assessed with a custom 3D-bioprinted tissue-mimetic phantom simulating single-compartment vascular flow. Flow measurements ranged from 1.51to 9 ml min-1, with perfusion metrics such as time-to-peak, mean transit time, and blood flow index calculated.In vivoexperiments involved mice with different genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases to showcase the system's capabilities for perfusion imaging.Main Results.The static performance validation confirmed that the system meets standard quality metrics, such as spatial resolution and uniformity. The dynamic evaluation with the 3D-bioprinted phantom demonstrated linearity in hemodynamic flow measurements and effective quantification of perfusion metrics.In vivoexperiments highlighted the system's potential to capture detailed perfusion maps of the brain, lungs, and kidneys. The observed differences in perfusion characteristics between genotypic mice illustrated the system's capability to detect physiological variations, though the small sample size precludes definitive conclusions.Significance.The turn-table micro-CT system represents a significant advancement in preclinical imaging, providing high-resolution, low-dose dynamic imaging for a range of biological and medical research applications. Future work will focus on improving temporal resolution, expanding spectral capabilities, and integrating deep learning techniques for enhanced image reconstruction and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Allphin
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - R Nadkarni
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - D P Clark
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - C J Gil
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - M L Tomov
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - V Serpooshan
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - C T Badea
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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Allphin AJ, Mahzarnia A, Clark DP, Qi Y, Han ZY, Bhandari P, Ghaghada KB, Badea A, Badea CT. Advanced photon counting CT imaging pipeline for cardiac phenotyping of apolipoprotein E mouse models. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291733. [PMID: 37796905 PMCID: PMC10553338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291733] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and lipid metabolism. This study aimed to develop an imaging-based pipeline to comprehensively assess cardiac structure and function in mouse models expressing different APOE genotypes using photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT). METHODS 123 mice grouped based on APOE genotype (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4, APOE knockout (KO)), gender, human NOS2 factor, and diet (control or high fat) were used in this study. The pipeline included PCCT imaging on a custom-built system with contrast-enhanced in vivo imaging and intrinsic cardiac gating, spectral and temporal iterative reconstruction, spectral decomposition, and deep learning cardiac segmentation. Statistical analysis evaluated genotype, diet, sex, and body weight effects on cardiac measurements. RESULTS Our results showed that PCCT offered high quality imaging with reduced noise. Material decomposition enabled separation of calcified plaques from iodine enhanced blood in APOE KO mice. Deep learning-based segmentation showed good performance with Dice scores of 0.91 for CT-based segmentation and 0.89 for iodine map-based segmentation. Genotype-specific differences were observed in left ventricular volumes, heart rate, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and cardiac index. Statistically significant differences were found between control and high fat diets for APOE2 and APOE4 genotypes in heart rate and stroke volume. Sex and weight were also significant predictors of cardiac measurements. The inclusion of the human NOS2 gene modulated these effects. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the potential of PCCT in assessing cardiac structure and function in mouse models of CVD which can help in understanding the interplay between genetic factors, diet, and cardiovascular health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Allphin
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Ali Mahzarnia
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Darin P. Clark
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Yi Qi
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Zay Y. Han
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Prajwal Bhandari
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ketan B. Ghaghada
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Badea
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Cristian T. Badea
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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Clark DP, Badea CT. MCR toolkit: A GPU-based toolkit for multi-channel reconstruction of preclinical and clinical x-ray CT data. Med Phys 2023; 50:4775-4796. [PMID: 37285215 PMCID: PMC10756497 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16532] [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: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advancement of x-ray CT into the domains of photon counting spectral imaging and dynamic cardiac and perfusion imaging has created many new challenges and opportunities for clinicians and researchers. To address challenges such as dose constraints and scanning times while capitalizing on opportunities such as multi-contrast imaging and low-dose coronary angiography, these multi-channel imaging applications require a new generation of CT reconstruction tools. These new tools should exploit the relationships between imaging channels during reconstruction to set new image quality standards while serving as a platform for direct translation between the preclinical and clinical domains. PURPOSE We outline and demonstrate a new Multi-Channel Reconstruction (MCR) Toolkit for GPU-based analytical and iterative reconstruction of preclinical and clinical multi-energy and dynamic x-ray CT data. To promote open science, open-source distribution of the Toolkit will coincide with the release of this publication (GPL v3; gitlab.oit.duke.edu/dpc18/mcr-toolkit-public). METHODS The MCR Toolkit source code is implemented in C/C++ and NVIDIA's CUDA GPU programming interface, with scripting support from MATLAB and Python. The Toolkit implements matched, separable footprint CT reconstruction operators for projection and backprojection in two geometries: planar, cone-beam CT (CBCT) and 3rd generation, cylindrical multi-detector row CT (MDCT). Analytical reconstruction is performed using filtered backprojection (FBP) for circular CBCT, weighted FBP (WFBP) for helical CBCT, and cone-parallel projection rebinning followed by WFBP for MDCT. Arbitrary combinations of energy and temporal channels are iteratively reconstructed under a generalized multi-channel signal model for joint reconstruction. We solve this generalized model algebraically using the split Bregman optimization method and the BiCGSTAB(l) linear solver interchangeably for both CBCT and MDCT data. Rank-sparse kernel regression (RSKR) and patch-based singular value thresholding (pSVT) are used to regularize the energy and time dimensions, respectively. Under a Gaussian noise model, regularization parameters are estimated automatically from the input data, dramatically reducing algorithm complexity for end users. Multi-GPU parallelization of the reconstruction operators is supported to manage reconstruction times. RESULTS Denoising with RSKR and pSVT and post-reconstruction material decomposition are illustrated with preclinical and clinical cardiac photon-counting (PC)CT data. A digital MOBY mouse phantom with cardiac motion is used to illustrate single energy (SE), multi-energy (ME), time resolved (TR), and combined multi-energy and time-resolved (METR) helical, CBCT reconstruction. A fixed set of projection data is used across all reconstruction cases to demonstrate the Toolkit's robustness to increasing data dimensionality. Identical reconstruction code is applied to in vivo cardiac PCCT data acquired in a mouse model of atherosclerosis (METR). Clinical cardiac CT reconstruction is illustrated using the XCAT phantom and the DukeSim CT simulator, while dual-source, dual-energy CT reconstruction is illustrated for data acquired with a Siemens Flash scanner. Benchmarking results with NVIDIA RTX 8000 GPU hardware demonstrate 61%-99% efficiency in scaling computation from one to four GPUs for these reconstruction problems. CONCLUSIONS The MCR Toolkit provides a robust solution for temporal and spectral x-ray CT reconstruction problems and was built from the ground up to facilitate translation of CT research and development between preclinical and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin P. Clark
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Virtual Imaging Trials, Carl E. Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cristian T. Badea
- Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Abstract
Image registration is an important research topic in medical image-guided therapy, which is dedicated to registering the high-dose imaging sequences with low-dose/faster means. Registering computer tomography (CT) scanning sequences with cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) scanning sequences is a typical application and has been widely used in CBCT-guided radiotherapy. The main problem is the difference in image clarity of these two image sequences. To solve this problem, for the single projection image sequence matching tasks encountered in medical practice, a novel local quality based curved section encoding strategy is proposed in this paper, which is called the high-quality curved section (HQCS). As an optimized cross-section regularly encoded along the sequence of image, this curved section could be used in order to solve the matching problem. Referencing the independent ground truth provided by medical image physicians, with an experiment combined with the four most widely used indicators used on image registration, matching performance of HQCS on CT/CBCT datasets was tested with varying clarity. Experimental results show that the proposed HQCS can register the CT/CBCT effectively and outperforms the commonly used methods. Specifically, the proposed HQCS has low time complexity and higher scalability, which indicates that the application enhanced the task of diagnosis.
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Sawall S, Beckendorf J, Amato C, Maier J, Backs J, Vande Velde G, Kachelrieß M, Kuntz J. Coronary micro-computed tomography angiography in mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16866. [PMID: 33033290 PMCID: PMC7546728 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73735-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronary computed tomography angiography is an established technique in clinical practice and a valuable tool in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in humans. Imaging of coronaries in preclinical research, i.e. in small animals, is very difficult due to the high demands on spatial and temporal resolution. Mice exhibit heart rates of up to 600 beats per minute motivating the need for highest detector framerates while the coronaries show diameters below 100 μm indicating the requirement for highest spatial resolution. We herein use a custom built micro-CT equipped with dedicated reconstruction algorithms to illustrate that coronary imaging in mice is possible. The scanner provides a spatial and temporal resolution sufficient for imaging of smallest, moving anatomical structures and the dedicated reconstruction algorithms reduced radiation dose to less than 1 Gy but do not yet allow for longitudinal studies. Imaging studies were performed in ten mice administered with a blood-pool contrast agent. Results show that the course of the left coronary artery can be visualized in all mice and all major branches can be identified for the first time using micro-CT. This reduces the gap in cardiac imaging between clinical practice and preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Sawall
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), X-Ray Imaging and CT, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany. .,Medical Faculty, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.
| | - Jan Beckendorf
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Molecular Cardiology and Epigenetics (Internal Medicine VIII), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carlo Amato
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), X-Ray Imaging and CT, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Joscha Maier
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), X-Ray Imaging and CT, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Johannes Backs
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Molecular Cardiology and Epigenetics (Internal Medicine VIII), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Department of Imaging & Pathology/ MoSAIC, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marc Kachelrieß
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), X-Ray Imaging and CT, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Jan Kuntz
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), X-Ray Imaging and CT, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
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Abstract
The maturation of photon-counting detector (PCD) technology promises to enhance routine CT imaging applications with high-fidelity spectral information. In this paper, we demonstrate the power of this synergy and our complementary reconstruction techniques, performing 4D, cardiac PCD-CT data acquisition and reconstruction in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, including calcified plaque. Specifically, in vivo cardiac micro-CT scans were performed in four ApoE knockout mice, following their development of calcified plaques. The scans were performed with a prototype PCD (DECTRIS, Ltd.) with 4 energy thresholds. Projections were sampled every 10 ms with a 10 ms exposure, allowing the reconstruction of 10 cardiac phases at each of 4 energies (40 total 3D volumes per mouse scan). Reconstruction was performed iteratively using the split Bregman method with constraints on spectral rank and spatio-temporal gradient sparsity. The reconstructed images represent the first in vivo, 4D PCD-CT data in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Robust regularization during iterative reconstruction yields high-fidelity results: an 8-fold reduction in noise standard deviation for the highest energy threshold (relative to unregularized algebraic reconstruction), while absolute spectral bias measurements remain below 13 Hounsfield units across all energy thresholds and scans. Qualitatively, image domain material decomposition results show clear separation of iodinated contrast and soft tissue from calcified plaque in the in vivo data. Quantitatively, spatial, spectral, and temporal fidelity are verified through a water phantom scan and a realistic MOBY phantom simulation experiment: spatial resolution is robustly preserved by iterative reconstruction (10% MTF: 2.8–3.0 lp/mm), left-ventricle, cardiac functional metrics can be measured from iodine map segmentations with ~1% error, and small calcifications (615 μm) can be detected during slow moving phases of the cardiac cycle. Given these preliminary results, we believe that PCD technology will enhance dynamic CT imaging applications with high-fidelity spectral and material information.
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Lee CL, Daniel AR, Holbrook M, Brownstein J, Silva Campos LD, Hasapis S, Ma Y, Borst LB, Badea CT, Kirsch DG. Sensitization of Vascular Endothelial Cells to Ionizing Radiation Promotes the Development of Delayed Intestinal Injury in Mice. Radiat Res 2019; 192:258-266. [PMID: 31265788 PMCID: PMC6776243 DOI: 10.1667/rr15371.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exposure of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to ionizing radiation can cause acute and delayed injury. However, critical cellular targets that regulate the development of radiation-induced GI injury remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of vascular endothelial cells in controlling acute and delayed GI injury after total-abdominal irradiation (TAI). To address this, we used genetically engineered mice in which endothelial cells are sensitized to radiation due to the deletion of the tumor suppressor p53. Remarkably, we found that VE-cadherin-Cre; p53FL/FL mice, in which both alleles of p53 are deleted in endothelial cells, were not sensitized to the acute GI radiation syndrome, but these mice were highly susceptible to delayed radiation enteropathy. Histological examination indicated that VE-cadherin-Cre; p53FL/FL mice that developed delayed radiation enteropathy had severe vascular injury in the small intestine, which was manifested by hemorrhage, loss of microvessels and tissue hypoxia. In addition, using dual-energy CT imaging, we showed that VE-cadherin-Cre; p53FL/FL mice had a significant increase in vascular permeability of the small intestine in vivo 28 days after TAI. Together, these findings demonstrate that while sensitization of endothelial cells to radiation does not exacerbate the acute GI radiation syndrome, it is sufficient to promote the development of late radiation enteropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Lung Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Andrea R Daniel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Matt Holbrook
- Department of Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Jeremy Brownstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | | | - Stephanie Hasapis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Luke B Borst
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606
| | - Cristian T Badea
- Department of Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - David G Kirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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A Soft-Threshold Filtering Approach for Tomography Reconstruction from a Limited Number of Projections with Bilateral Edge Preservation. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19102346. [PMID: 31117299 PMCID: PMC6567033 DOI: 10.3390/s19102346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In X-ray tomography image reconstruction, one of the most successful approaches involves a statistical approach with l2 norm for fidelity function and some regularization function with lp norm, 1<p<2. Among them stands out, both for its results and the computational performance, a technique that involves the alternating minimization of an objective function with l2 norm for fidelity and a regularization term that uses discrete gradient transform (DGT) sparse transformation minimized by total variation (TV). This work proposes an improvement to the reconstruction process by adding a bilateral edge-preserving (BEP) regularization term to the objective function. BEP is a noise reduction method and has the purpose of adaptively eliminating noise in the initial phase of reconstruction. The addition of BEP improves optimization of the fidelity term and, as a consequence, improves the result of DGT minimization by total variation. For reconstructions with a limited number of projections (low-dose reconstruction), the proposed method can achieve higher peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index measurement (SSIM) results because it can better control the noise in the initial processing phase.
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Blocker SJ, Mowery YM, Holbrook MD, Qi Y, Kirsch DG, Johnson GA, Badea CT. Bridging the translational gap: Implementation of multimodal small animal imaging strategies for tumor burden assessment in a co-clinical trial. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0207555. [PMID: 30958825 PMCID: PMC6453461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In designing co-clinical cancer studies, preclinical imaging brings unique challenges that emphasize the gap between man and mouse. Our group is developing quantitative imaging methods for the preclinical arm of a co-clinical trial studying immunotherapy and radiotherapy in a soft tissue sarcoma model. In line with treatment for patients enrolled in the clinical trial SU2C-SARC032, primary mouse sarcomas are imaged with multi-contrast micro-MRI (T1 weighted, T2 weighted, and T1 with contrast) before and after immune checkpoint inhibition and pre-operative radiation therapy. Similar to the patients, after surgery the mice will be screened for lung metastases with micro-CT using respiratory gating. A systems evaluation was undertaken to establish a quantitative baseline for both the MR and micro-CT systems against which others systems might be compared. We have constructed imaging protocols which provide clinically-relevant resolution and contrast in a genetically engineered mouse model of sarcoma. We have employed tools in 3D Slicer for semi-automated segmentation of both MR and micro-CT images to measure tumor volumes efficiently and reliably in a large number of animals. Assessment of tumor burden in the resulting images was precise, repeatable, and reproducible. Furthermore, we have implemented a publicly accessible platform for sharing imaging data collected during the study, as well as protocols, supporting information, and data analyses. In doing so, we aim to improve the clinical relevance of small animal imaging and begin establishing standards for preclinical imaging of tumors from the perspective of a co-clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. J. Blocker
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Y. M. Mowery
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - M. D. Holbrook
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Y. Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - D. G. Kirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - G. A. Johnson
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - C. T. Badea
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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10
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Zhou Z, Liu Y, Meng K, Guan W, He J, Liu S, Zhou Z. Application of spectral CT imaging in evaluating lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancers: initial findings. Acta Radiol 2019; 60:415-424. [PMID: 29979106 DOI: 10.1177/0284185118786076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional computed tomography (CT) can predict the lymph node metastasis of gastric cancers with moderate accuracy; however, investigation of spectral CT imaging in this field is still limited. PURPOSE To explore the application of spectral CT imaging in evaluating lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancers. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four patients with gastric cancers prospectively underwent spectral CT imaging in the arterial phase. The short and long diameters, material concentrations, and CT values were measured and compared between lymph nodes with and without metastasis. The diagnostic performance of the CT index in identifying metastatic lymph nodes was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS A total of 102 lymph nodes (77 metastatic, 25 non-metastatic) were detected on spectral CT imaging with the reference of postoperative pathologic exanimation. The short and long diameters, water/fat concentrations, CT value, and ratio between lymph nodes vs. tumors of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly higher than those of non-metastatic ones (all P < 0.05). With a cut-off of 0.785, the CT ratio of lymph node/tumor on 70-keV monochromatic images yielded an accuracy of 81.4% in differentiating lymph nodes with and without metastasis. CONCLUSION Spectral CT imaging detects lymph nodes more clearly, and the CT ratio of lymph node/tumor on 70-keV monochromatic images holds great potential in differentiating lymph nodes with and without metastasis, which is more accurate than size measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuping Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Kui Meng
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Wenxian Guan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jian He
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Zhengyang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, PR China
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11
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Holbrook M, Clark DP, Badea CT. Low-dose 4D cardiac imaging in small animals using dual source micro-CT. Phys Med Biol 2018; 63:025009. [PMID: 29148430 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa9b45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Micro-CT is widely used in preclinical studies, generating substantial interest in extending its capabilities in functional imaging applications such as blood perfusion and cardiac function. However, imaging cardiac structure and function in mice is challenging due to their small size and rapid heart rate. To overcome these challenges, we propose and compare improvements on two strategies for cardiac gating in dual-source, preclinical micro-CT: fast prospective gating (PG) and uncorrelated retrospective gating (RG). These sampling strategies combined with a sophisticated iterative image reconstruction algorithm provide faster acquisitions and high image quality in low-dose 4D (i.e. 3D + Time) cardiac micro-CT. Fast PG is performed under continuous subject rotation which results in interleaved projection angles between cardiac phases. Thus, fast PG provides a well-sampled temporal average image for use as a prior in iterative reconstruction. Uncorrelated RG incorporates random delays during sampling to prevent correlations between heart rate and sampling rate. We have performed both simulations and animal studies to validate these new sampling protocols. Sampling times for 1000 projections using fast PG and RG were 2 and 3 min, respectively, and the total dose was 170 mGy each. Reconstructions were performed using a 4D iterative reconstruction technique based on the split Bregman method. To examine undersampling robustness, subsets of 500 and 250 projections were also used for reconstruction. Both sampling strategies in conjunction with our iterative reconstruction method are capable of resolving cardiac phases and provide high image quality. In general, for equal numbers of projections, fast PG shows fewer errors than RG and is more robust to undersampling. Our results indicate that only 1000-projection based reconstruction with fast PG satisfies a 5% error criterion in left ventricular volume estimation. These methods promise low-dose imaging with a wide range of preclinical applications in cardiac imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Holbrook
- Department of Radiology, Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States of America
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12
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Abstract
Current photon counting x-ray detector (PCD) technology faces limitations associated with spectral fidelity and photon starvation. One strategy for addressing these limitations is to supplement PCD data with high-resolution, low-noise data acquired with an energy-integrating detector (EID). In this work, we propose an iterative, hybrid reconstruction technique which combines the spectral properties of PCD data with the resolution and signal-to-noise characteristics of EID data. Our hybrid reconstruction technique is based on an algebraic model of data fidelity which substitutes the EID data into the data fidelity term associated with the PCD reconstruction, resulting in a joint reconstruction problem. Within the split Bregman framework, these data fidelity constraints are minimized subject to additional constraints on spectral rank and on joint intensity-gradient sparsity measured between the reconstructions of the EID and PCD data. Following a derivation of the proposed technique, we apply it to the reconstruction of a digital phantom which contains realistic concentrations of iodine, barium, and calcium encountered in small-animal micro-CT. The results of this experiment suggest reliable separation and detection of iodine at concentrations ≥ 5 mg/ml and barium at concentrations ≥ 10 mg/ml in 2-mm features for EID and PCD data reconstructed with inherent spatial resolutions of 176 μm and 254 μm, respectively (point spread function, FWHM). Furthermore, hybrid reconstruction is demonstrated to enhance spatial resolution within material decomposition results and to improve low-contrast detectability by as much as 2.6 times relative to reconstruction with PCD data only. The parameters of the simulation experiment are based on an in vivo micro-CT experiment conducted in a mouse model of soft-tissue sarcoma. Material decomposition results produced from this in vivo data demonstrate the feasibility of distinguishing two K-edge contrast agents with a spectral separation on the order of the energy resolution of the PCD hardware.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin P. Clark
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Cristian T. Badea
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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