Multimodal optical molecular image reconstruction with frequency domain measurements

Area of Science:

• Biomedical optics
• Molecular imaging
• Medical physics

Background:

• Multimodality molecular imaging is crucial for understanding tissue, organ, and tumor characteristics.
• Current gold standard methods rely on invasive nuclear techniques using ionizing radiation.
• There is a need for non-invasive, patient-tolerant, and cost-effective functional imaging modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate near-infrared (NIR) frequency domain optical tomography (FDOT) as a functional complement to structural X-ray computed tomography (CT).
• To demonstrate a novel multifrequency NIR FDOT approach for 3D image reconstruction.
• To evaluate the potential of a novel fluorescent agent, gold nanoshell indocyanine green (NS ICG), for multimodal optical molecular imaging.

Main Methods:

• Developed and applied a multifrequency NIR FDOT system in both transmission and reflectance modes.
• Utilized the radiative transport equation (RTE) for 3D image reconstruction.
• Tested the system ex vivo using a nude mouse model with a target labeled with gold nanoshell indocyanine green (NS ICG).

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated 3D reconstruction of a target using the novel multifrequency NIR FDOT approach.
• Showcased the capability of gold NS ICG as a fluorescent probe in conjunction with FDOT.
• Validated the feasibility of using NIR FDOT for functional molecular imaging.

Conclusions:

• Multifrequency NIR FDOT is a promising non-invasive technique for functional molecular imaging.
• Gold NS ICG serves as an effective fluorophore for multimodal optical molecular image reconstruction.
• This approach offers a patient-tolerant and potentially less expensive alternative to traditional molecular imaging methods.