helmholtzzentrum münchen

Methodology

This project offers to develop a unique FMT-XCT hybrid system, the likes of which exist nowhere. Beside the relative straightforward integration of two different modalities, this project offers to significantly advance each of the systems components, well beyond the current sate of the art in order to further advance technological European competencies and provide a truly high performing system that utilizes the strength of XCT and FMT while significantly reducing their weaknesses by the hybrid approach.

 

It is proposed to:

  • Improve XCT contrast differentiation while retaining reasonable dose exposure by dual energy, multiresolution approaches.
  • Advance stand-alone FMT by utilizing novel free-space non-contact approaches operating in the 360-degree projection implementation, offering the best yet performance of stand alone FMT.
  • Advance the knowledge on optimal implementation of anatomical information into the FMT problem by (a) improving XCT contrast to offer advanced segmentation and highly adept annotation of XCT structures with optical attenuation properties and by (b) researching the use of priors that offer no-strong anatomy-function relations as is appropriate for fluorescence biodistribution. This advancement can only be achieved herein due to the proposed construction of the first XCT-FMT prototype (see figure) worldwide.
  • Deliver the best performing optical imaging method by means of incorporating XCT information.
  • Deliver a highly evolved hybrid XCT-FMT to complement XCT with functional and molecular contrast and complement FMT with anatomical contrast and the ability to improve its performance by means of XCT-based attenuation correction.
  • Advance the knowledge into the sensitivity and quantitative ability of the method in resolving functional and molecular signatures in-vivo.

While there is no direct basis to compare progress against, since a truly unique system is being developed, comparisons to stand-alone modalities and to PET imaging, offer direct evaluation metrics by which to monitor work progress