@inproceedings{81436d9f546e4595b1cb3a66fa433adc,
title = "A dual micro-CT system for small animal imaging",
abstract = "Micro-CT is a non-invasive imaging modality usually used to assess morphology in small animals. In our previous work, we have demonstrated that functional micro-CT imaging is also possible. This paper describes a dual microCT system with two fixed x-ray/detectors developed to address such challenging tasks as cardiac or perfusion studies in small animals. A two-tube/detector system ensures simultaneous acquisition of two projections, thus reducing scanning time and the number of contrast injections in perfusion studies by a factor of two. The system is integrated with software developed in-house for cardio-respiratory monitoring and gating. The sampling geometry was optimized for 88 microns in such a way that the geometric blur of the focal spot matches the Nyquist sample at the detector. A geometric calibration procedure allows one to combine projection data from the two chains into a single reconstructed volume. Image quality was measured in terms of spatial resolution, uniformity, noise, and linearity. The modulation transfer function (MTF) at 10% is 3.4 lp/mm for single detector reconstructions and 2.3 lp/mm for dual tube/detector reconstructions. We attribute this loss in spatial resolution to the compounding of slight errors in the separate single chain calibrations. The dual micro-CT system is currently used in studies for morphological and functional imaging of both rats and mice.",
keywords = "Calibration, Cardiac imaging, Micro-CT, Small animal",
author = "Badea, {C. T.} and S. Johnston and B. Johnson and M. Lin and Hedlund, {L. W.} and Johnson, {G. Allan}",
note = "Copyright: Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.; Medical Imaging 2008 - Physics of Medical Imaging ; Conference date: 18-02-2008 Through 21-02-2008",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1117/12.772303",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9780819470973",
series = "Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE",
booktitle = "Medical Imaging 2008 - Physics of Medical Imaging",
}