Feasibility tests of a dual modality system for imaging using gamma rays and NIR light

Abstract

We are developing a dual system for small-animal imaging in multimodality studies, which consists of a highspatial resolution gamma-camera and a scanner for Near-Infra-Red (NIR) light. The gamma-camera is assembled from a position-sensitive photomultiplier and a scintillation-crystal with parallel-hole collimator. On the other hand, the NIR imaging is designed for near-object scanning, and features two operational modes: Transmission and Fluorescence. In the Transmission mode, the NIR light, coming from five different wavelength LEDs, crosses the sample and is subsequently measured by an array sensor. In the Fluorescence mode, the emission from nanoparticles, such as singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) administered in the imaged object, is excited using the laser. The gamma-camera energy and spatial resolutions have been measured. This latter has been assessed by using specially-designed phantoms like capillary tubes or volumes with cavities filled with a radioactive solution. The NIR-scanner spatial resolution has been determined along two perpendicular directions using standards, placed at different distances from the sensor. The results show that both the NIR scanning-system and the gamma-camera feature good imaging-parameters and can be applied to multimodality studies.