Utilizing high-energy γ-photons for high-resolution ²¹³Bi SPECT in mice

The combined α-, γ-, and x-ray emitter ²¹³Bi (half-life, 46 min) is promising for radionuclide therapy. SPECT imaging of ²¹³Bi is challenging, because most emitted photons have a much higher energy (440 keV) than common in SPECT. We assessed ²¹³Bi imaging capabilities of the Versatile Emission Computed...

EXIRAD-3D: Fast automated three-dimensional autoradiography

Introduction: Autoradiography is an established technique for high-resolution imaging of radiolabelled molecules in biological tissue slices. Unfortunately, creating a 3D image from a set of these 2D images is extremely time-consuming and error-prone. MicroSPECT systems provide such 3D images but have a low resolution. Here we present EXIRAD...

Characterization of a multi-pinhole molecular breast tomosynthesis scanner

In recent years, breast imaging using radiolabelled molecules has attracted significant interest. Our group has proposed a multi-pinhole molecular breast tomosynthesis (MP-MBT) scanner to obtain 3D functional molecular breast images at high resolutions. After conducting extensive optimisation studies using simulations, we here present a first...

Efficient Monte-Carlo based system modelling for image reconstruction in preclinical pinhole SPECT

The use of multi-pinhole collimation has enabled ultra-high-resolution imaging of SPECT and PET tracers in small animals. Key for obtaining high-quality images is the use of statistical iterative image reconstruction with accurate energy-dependent photon transport modelling through collimator and detector. This can be incorporated in a system...

A scanning focus nuclear microscope with multi-pinhole collimation

Microscopic nuclear imaging down to spatial resolutions of a few hundred microns can already be achieved using low-energy gamma emitters (e.g. ¹²⁵I, ∼30 keV) and a basic single micro-pinhole gamma camera. This has been applied to in vivo mouse thyroid imaging, for example. For clinically used radionuclides such as ^99mTc,...