MRI-Guided Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Tomography (MRg-NIRST) Imaging System With Wearable Breast Optical Interface...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Optical Spectroscopy

Background:

• Breast cancer diagnosis relies on sensitive and specific imaging techniques.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers excellent soft-tissue contrast but lacks molecular specificity.
• Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Tomography (NIRST) can provide functional information, such as hemoglobin concentration, but requires robust hardware for clinical translation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-guided Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Tomography (MRg-NIRST) system.
• To create an MRI-compatible breast optical interface for comprehensive breast imaging.
• To assess the system's performance in phantom and normal subject studies for potential clinical integration.

Main Methods:

• Developed a breast optical interface with flexible opto-electronic circuit strips, incorporating photodetectors and fiber-probes.
• Acquired concurrent MRI and NIRST data from 2,304 source-detector positions across six wavelengths.
• Performed 3D MRg-NIRST image reconstruction and validated the system using phantoms and normal subjects.

Main Results:

• Phantom studies demonstrated accurate estimation of inclusion diameter ([-7%, 12%]) and total hemoglobin contrast ([7%, 28%]).
• Total hemoglobin (HbT) estimates in normal subjects ranged from 8.0-125.2 μM, consistent with prior research.
• The system achieved 3D image reconstruction of the entire breast, showcasing improved optical accessibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed MRg-NIRST system with a wearable breast optical interface is suitable for clinical integration.
• The system's flexibility and increased source-detector density enhance optical accessibility for diverse breast anatomies.
• MRg-NIRST is poised for clinical testing to augment MRI in breast cancer detection.