In Situ X-Ray-Induced Acoustic Computed Tomography With a Contrast Agent: A Proof of Concept

AFFILIATIONS
1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Convergence IT Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang
University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
2 Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, Republic of Korea
3 College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
4 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School & Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Chonnam, Republic of Korea
5 Department of Artificial Intelligence Convergence, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
6 e-mail: ch31037@jnu.ac.kr
7 e-mail: chulhong@postech.edu

ABSTRACT
X-ray-induced acoustic computed tomography (XACT) has shown great potential as a hybrid imaging modality for real-time non-invasive x-ray dosimetry and low-dose three- dimensional (3D) imaging. While promising, one drawback of the XACT system is the underlying low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), limiting its in vivo clinical use. In this Letter, we propose the first use of a conventional x-ray computed tomography contrast agent, Gastrografin, for improving the SNR of in situ XACT imaging. We obtained 3D volumetric XACT images of a mouse’s stomach with orally injected Gastrografin establishing the proposal’s feasibility. Thus, we believe, in the future, our proposed technique will allow in vivo imaging and expand or complement conventional x-ray modalities, such as radiotherapy and accelerators.

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