Imaging workflow and calibration for CT-guided time-domain fluorescence tomography

• Published in: Biomedical optics express Vol. 2; no. 11; pp. 3021 - 3036
• Main Authors: Tichauer, Kenneth M, Holt, Robert W, El-Ghussein, Fadi, Zhu, Qun, Dehghani, Hamid, Leblond, Frederic, Pogue, Brian W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Optical Society of America 01.11.2011
• Subjects: Diffuse Optical Imaging; (170.3010) Image reconstruction techniques; (170.0110) Imaging systems; (170.3660) Light propagation in tissues
• ISSN: 2156-7085; 2156-7085
• DOI: 10.1364/BOE.2.003021

In this study, several key optimization steps are outlined for a non-contact, time-correlated single photon counting small animal optical tomography system, using simultaneous collection of both fluorescence and transmittance data. The system is presented for time-domain image reconstruction in vivo, illustrating the sensitivity from single photon counting and the calibration steps needed to accurately process the data. In particular, laser time- and amplitude-referencing, detector and filter calibrations, and collection of a suitable instrument response function are all presented in the context of time-domain fluorescence tomography and a fully automated workflow is described. Preliminary phantom time-domain reconstructed images demonstrate the fidelity of the workflow for fluorescence tomography based on signal from multiple time gates.