The objective of image-guided intervention is to improve the efficacy of minimally invasive proceduresand reduce morbidity by providing the physician with image-based anatomical and physiological information in real time. In a typical interventional suite, X-ray projection images provide the image guidance. Meanwhile physiological information is obtained by perfusion measurements in a CT/MRI suite. However, none of the current perfusion imaging methods can be performed directly in the interventional suite. In this project,we plan to investigate a novel tomosynthetic perfusion imaging system implemented on a C-arm gantry to extract physiological information from the contrast dynamics. Meanwhile the image guidance will be provided by G-arm based cone-beam CT featuring superior low-contrast detectability using a novel scan geometry and novel cone-beam image reconstruction algorithms.
The specific aims are: (1) to implement andintegrate data acquisition schemes for tomosynthetic imaging and cone-beam CT imaging on a C-arm gantry, (2) to calibrate the tomosynthetic and cone-beam CT scan geometries, (3) to develop novel imagereconstruction algorithms for tomosynthetic perfusion imaging and cone-beam CT imaging, (4) to develop novel image correction methods for tomosynthetic perfusion imaging and cone-beam CT imaging, and (5) to validate tomosynthetic perfusion imaging and cone-beam CT imaging modalities using both physical phantoms and small animals. The successful completion of this project will result in an upgrade of a conventional C-arm system to a cutting-edge image-guided interventional platform. This platform will generate """"""""1+1 >2"""""""" synergistic effects:both anatomical structures and physiological perfusion information will be obtainable using the same imaging platform without transfering patients from an operating room to another imaging room. The new platform may be used pre-, during, and post-intervention to plan, guide, and evaluate the interventional procedures. The new interventional platform will not only benefit those at researchcenters,but also will enable image-guided interventional stroke treatmentsfor hospitals without advanced imaging facilities.
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