X-ray micro-modulated luminescence tomography (XMLT)

Opt Express. 2014 Mar 10;22(5):5572-80. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.005572.

Abstract

Imaging depth of optical microscopy has been fundamentally limited to millimeter or sub-millimeter due to strong scattering of light in a biological sample. X-ray microscopy can resolve spatial details of few microns deep inside a sample but contrast resolution is inadequate to depict heterogeneous features at cellular or sub-cellular levels. To enhance and enrich biological contrast at large imaging depth, various nanoparticles are introduced and become essential to basic research and molecular medicine. Nanoparticles can be functionalized as imaging probes, similar to fluorescent and bioluminescent proteins. LiGa(5)O(8):Cr(3+) nanoparticles were recently synthesized to facilitate luminescence energy storage with x-ray pre-excitation and subsequently stimulated luminescence emission by visible/near-infrared (NIR) light. In this paper, we propose an x-ray micro-modulated luminescence tomography (XMLT, or MLT to be more general) approach to quantify a nanophosphor distribution in a thick biological sample with high resolution. Our numerical simulation studies demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Ceramics / chemistry
  • Computer Simulation
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Humans
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Molecular Probe Techniques
  • Optical Phenomena
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • X-Ray Microtomography / instrumentation
  • X-Ray Microtomography / methods*

Substances

  • Glass ceramics