Diffuse optical tomography for breast cancer imaging guided by computed tomography: A feasibility study.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Optical Tomography

Background:

• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) offers intrinsic sensitivity for imaging tissue chromophores like hemoglobin.
• Clinical adoption of DOT is limited by low spatial resolution due to strong optical scattering.
• Anatomical guidance from other imaging modalities can significantly enhance DOT performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a computed tomography (CT) guided multispectral DOT imaging system for breast cancer detection.
• To assess the feasibility of a prototype DOT system integrated with CT guidance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype DOT system using a 650 nm laser and an electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD) camera.
• Validation of CT-guided DOT reconstruction algorithms through numerical simulations and phantom experiments.
• Investigation of imaging parameters including projection number and measurement patch width.

Main Results:

• An air-cooling EMCCD camera is sufficient for transmission mode DOT imaging.
• Six angular projections are adequate for DOT to reconstruct optical targets with 2x and 4x absorption contrast when guided by CT.
• CT guidance substantially improves DOT imaging resolution and accuracy.

Conclusions:

• CT-guided DOT is a feasible approach for enhancing breast cancer imaging.
• The developed prototype demonstrates the potential of this integrated imaging technique.
• Future work includes integrating the multispectral DOT system into a breast CT scanner.