Development of a bioluminescence tomography system using phase measurement profilometry surface reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Preclinical imaging
• Biomedical optics
• Medical physics

Background:

• Bioluminescence tomography (BLT) is crucial for preclinical research, requiring accurate surface data for boundary constraints.
• Existing methods may involve ionizing radiation or higher costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel BLT system for *in vivo* small animal imaging.
• To integrate phase measurement profilometry (PMP) for precise 360° surface reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Developed a BLT system incorporating PMP for surface data acquisition.
• Validated surface reconstruction accuracy using phantoms and live mice.
• Compared PMP-BLT performance against a multimodal CT/BLT system in orthotopic lung cancer models.

Main Results:

• Achieved accurate 360° surface reconstruction using PMP.
• Demonstrated equivalent performance to CT/BLT in tumor localization and size quantification.
• PMP-BLT showed advantages in non-ionizing radiation, cost, and acquisition speed.

Conclusions:

• The PMP-BLT system offers a non-ionizing, cost-effective, and rapid alternative for *in vivo* small animal imaging.
• Accurate surface reconstruction via PMP enhances BLT's utility in preclinical research.
• This technology shows promise for improved tumor imaging and characterization in small animals.