High-spatial-resolution x-ray fluorescence tomography with spectrally matched nanoparticles. (14th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Larsson, Jakob C; Vogt, Carmen; Vågberg, William; Toprak, Muhammet S; Dzieran, Johanna; Arsenian-Henriksson, Marie; Hertz, Hans M
• Is Part Of: Physics in medicine & biology. Volume 63:Number 16(2018:Aug.)
• Publication Date: 2018-08-14
• Subjects: x-ray fluorescence tomography -- small-animal biomedical imaging -- nanoparticles; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Medical physics -- Periodicals; 610.153
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aad51e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-9155

Abstract

Abstract: Present macroscopic biomedical imaging methods provide either morphology with high spatial resolution (e.g. CT) or functional/molecular information with lower resolution (e.g. PET). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) from targeted nanoparticles allows molecular or functional imaging but sensitivity has so far been insufficient resulting in low spatial resolution, despite long exposure times and high dose. In the present paper, we show that laboratory XRF tomography with metal-core nanoparticles (NPs) provides a path to functional/molecular biomedical imaging with ~100 µ m resolution in living rodents. The high sensitivity and resolution rely on the combination of a high-brightness liquid-metal-jet x-ray source, pencil-beam optics, photon-counting energy-dispersive detection, and spectrally matched NPs. The method is demonstrated on mice for 3D tumor imaging via passive targeting of in-house-fabricated molybdenum NPs. Exposure times, nanoparticle dose, and radiation dose agree well with in vivo imaging.