NASA Image Processing Technology Applied to Medicine: Ten Unsolved Problems in Medical Imaging

The solutions to current diagnostic imaging problems will be found, at least in part, in digital image processing technology developed by NASA. The adaptation of appropriate technology that can be applied clinically to improve the care of patients is a major concern of radiologists. We have considered ten problems with clinical significance in diagnostic medical imaging, and discuss the impact of NASA image processing technology presently and predict future developments in this area

Aerosolized In Vivo 3D Localization of Nose-to-Brain Nanocarrier Delivery Using Multimodality Neuroimaging in a Rat Model—Protocol Development

The fate of intranasal aerosolized radiolabeled polymeric micellar nanoparticles (LPNPs) was tracked with positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) imaging in a rat model to measure nose-to-brain delivery. A quantitative temporal and spatial testing protocol for new radio-nanotheranostic agents was sought in vivo. LPNPs labeled with a zirconium 89 (89Zr) PET tracer were administered via intranasal or intravenous delivery, followed by serial PET/CT imaging. After 2 h of continuous imaging, the animals were sacrificed, and the brain substructures (olfactory bulb, forebrain, and brainstem) were isolated. The activity in each brain region was measured for comparison with the corresponding PET/CT region of interest via activity measurements. Serial imaging of the LPNPs (100 nm PLA–PEG–DSPE+89Zr) delivered intranasally via nasal tubing demonstrated increased activity in the brain after 1 and 2 h following intranasal drug delivery (INDD) compared to intravenous administration, which correlated with ex vivo gamma counting and autoradiography. Although assessment of delivery from nose to brain is a promising approach, the technology has several limitations that require further development. An experimental protocol for aerosolized intranasal delivery is presented herein, which may provide a platform for better targeting the olfactory epithelium

Aerosolized In Vivo 3D Localization of Nose-to-Brain Nanocarrier Delivery Using Multimodality Neuroimaging in a Rat Model—Protocol Development

The fate of intranasal aerosolized radiolabeled polymeric micellar nanoparticles (LPNPs) was tracked with positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) imaging in a rat model to measure nose-to-brain delivery. A quantitative temporal and spatial testing protocol for new radio-nanotheranostic agents was sought in vivo. LPNPs labeled with a zirconium 89 (89Zr) PET tracer were administered via intranasal or intravenous delivery, followed by serial PET/CT imaging. After 2 h of continuous imaging, the animals were sacrificed, and the brain substructures (olfactory bulb, forebrain, and brainstem) were isolated. The activity in each brain region was measured for comparison with the corresponding PET/CT region of interest via activity measurements. Serial imaging of the LPNPs (100 nm PLA–PEG–DSPE+89Zr) delivered intranasally via nasal tubing demonstrated increased activity in the brain after 1 and 2 h following intranasal drug delivery (INDD) compared to intravenous administration, which correlated with ex vivo gamma counting and autoradiography. Although assessment of delivery from nose to brain is a promising approach, the technology has several limitations that require further development. An experimental protocol for aerosolized intranasal delivery is presented herein, which may provide a platform for better targeting the olfactory epithelium

Towards Omni-Tomography—Grand Fusion of Multiple Modalities for Simultaneous Interior Tomography

We recently elevated interior tomography from its origin in computed tomography (CT) to a general tomographic principle, and proved its validity for other tomographic modalities including SPECT, MRI, and others. Here we propose “omni-tomography”, a novel concept for the grand fusion of multiple tomographic modalities for simultaneous data acquisition in a region of interest (ROI). Omni-tomography can be instrumental when physiological processes under investigation are multi-dimensional, multi-scale, multi-temporal and multi-parametric. Both preclinical and clinical studies now depend on in vivo tomography, often requiring separate evaluations by different imaging modalities. Over the past decade, two approaches have been used for multimodality fusion: Software based image registration and hybrid scanners such as PET-CT, PET-MRI, and SPECT-CT among others. While there are intrinsic limitations with both approaches, the main obstacle to the seamless fusion of multiple imaging modalities has been the bulkiness of each individual imager and the conflict of their physical (especially spatial) requirements. To address this challenge, omni-tomography is now unveiled as an emerging direction for biomedical imaging and systems biomedicine

Argonne National Laboratory Reports

Report on the current status of X-ray computed tomography and the principal advantages of CT scanning