Characterizing a photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging platform for preclinical murine longitudinal studies.

SIGNIFICANCE

To effectively study preclinical animal models, medical imaging technology must be developed with a high enough resolution and sensitivity to perform anatomical, functional, and molecular assessments. Photoacoustic (PA) tomography provides high resolution and specificity, and fluorescence (FL) molecular tomography provides high sensitivity; the combination of these imaging modes will enable a wide range of research applications to be studied in small animals.

AIM

We introduce and characterize a dual-modality PA and FL imaging platform using and phantom experiments.

APPROACH

The imaging platform's detection limits were characterized through phantom studies that determined the PA spatial resolution, PA sensitivity, optical spatial resolution, and FL sensitivity.

RESULTS

The system characterization yielded a PA spatial resolution of in the transverse plane and in the longitudinal axis, a PA sensitivity detection limit not less than that of a sample with absorption coefficient , an optical spatial resolution of in the vertical axis and in the horizontal axis, and a FL sensitivity detection limit not concentration of IR-800. The scanned animals displayed in three-dimensional renders showed high-resolution anatomical detail of organs.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined PA and FL imaging system has been characterized and has demonstrated its ability to image mice , proving its suitability for biomedical imaging research applications.