Computed
Tomography
Facilities
and Equipment
The
G.E. eXplore RS rodent CT scanner is located
in the ISIVR of the Moores Cancer Center. This scanner can
image
small animals at
resolutions of 45 or 90µm and in vitro specimens at
27µm. The system uses a
volumetric conebeam technology that unlike conventional CT allows the
entire
volume of a sample to be imaged in one rotation rather than
slice-by-slice.
This permits the entire field-of-view (88 mm imaging diameter) to be
scanned in
3 to 15 minutes, delivering 0.1 - 0.38Gy depending on the spatial
resolution
and SNR desired.
Service
High-resolution rodent
CT imaging provides a backdrop
for fusion with the high sensitivity low resolution PET and optical
imaging. In
combination with a CT blood pool agent [1]
given IV or IP, CT will allow the detection and monitoring of
intra-abdominal
tumors. In addition, the ability to image mice with CT in-lieu of
rabbits will
accelerate contrast development by allowing the use of well established
models
of human diseases and by allowing the use of laboratory batches of
agents that
can be scaled down over one-hundred-fold.
- High-resolution
anatomic
delineation for fusion with Optical,
PET, MR, or SPECT images
- Measurement
of tumor burden
particularly after IV contrast
administration
- Aids
in the development of CT-based
agents
- Assessment of skeletal
abnormalities and tumors
Measurement
of Tumor Burden
CT
imaging experiments
can be used to assess lung tumors
and metastases and bone tumors without the need for contrast media. To
assess
for soft tissue or hepatic tumors, IV or even intraperitoneal contrast
may be
required.
Anatomical
Imaging
CT
imaging will be
performed in high resolution to
provide anatomic landmarks to co-localize signals acquired with PET,
SPECT or
optical imaging.
Other
Services
Development
of CT-Based Contrast
Media
We can currently use Dy-DTPA-Dextran [1] that
serves as a CT blood pool agent and PFOB emulsion [2] that
serves as a blood pool and hepatic and splenic imaging agent. These agents
are manufactured in our facilities as needed. In addition to IV
administration then can be given IP for abdominal and pelvic imaging. PFOB
emulsion can also be given SQ to localize the draining lymph nodes. We aim
to ultimately develop targeted agents or possibly molecular imaging agents.
