Cone-beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (CB-XLCT) prototype development and performance evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiological Physics

Background:

• X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) offers potential for theranostic applications.
• Developing integrated XLCT systems requires addressing imaging chain calibration and optimal imaging conditions.
• Pre-clinical studies are crucial for advancing XLCT technology towards clinical translation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype rotational cone-beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (CB-XLCT) system.
• To establish a geometric calibration method for both XL and CT imaging modalities.
• To assess the system's performance and commercialization feasibility for pre-clinical theranostic imaging.

Main Methods:

• A rotational CB-XLCT system prototype was designed using a low-dose x-ray tube and a rotating gantry.
• Monte Carlo GATE simulations determined optimal imaging conditions for nanophosphor particles (NPs).
• Image cross-correlation (ICC) was employed for automatic geometric calibration of XL and CT images.

Main Results:

• The system achieved high linearity (0.99) and a contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of 19.5 in phantom experiments.
• XL images demonstrated a Dice similarity coefficient (DICE) of 0.149 for 1 mm separation between light sources.
• Demonstrated XLCT imaging results using Letter phantoms with NPs.

Conclusions:

• The developed CB-XLCT prototype shows promise for high-quality pre-clinical imaging in small animals.
• CT image performance is comparable to commercial systems; XL images show potential but require further development for biomedical applications.
• The system's feasibility for commercialization was assessed, highlighting areas for future research.