SBIR-STTR Award

We propose this SBIR effort to develop a unique three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging system for acquiring complete 3D surface profiles of a small animal undergoing in vivo optical tomography imaging procedures. The acquired 3D surface model of the small animal body provides accurate geometric boundary conditions for 3D reconstruction algorithms to produce precise 3D diffuse optical tomography (DOT) images. Advanced DOT algorithms require good a priori knowledge of the boundary geometry of the diffuse medium imaged in order to provide accurate forward models of light propagation within this medium. Original experimental DOT demonstrations for reconstructing absorbers, scatterers and fluorochromes all used phantoms or tissues that were confined to easily modeled geometries (such as a slab or a cylinder). In recent years several methods have been developed to model photon propagation through diffuse media with complex boundaries using finite solutions of the diffusion or transport equation (finite elements or differences) or more recently analytical methods based on the tangent-plane method. To fully exploit advantages of these sophisticated algorithms, accurate 3D boundary geometry of the subject must be extracted in a practical, real-time, and in vivo manner. To date, there is no known reported technique for extracting 3D dimensional boundaries with fully automated, accurate and real-time in vivo performance. We propose this SBIR project to address this pressing need in the small animal imaging community. The major innovation of this SBIR program is a new 3D imaging system design concept that will facilitate a speedy and convenient imaging configuration for acquiring a 3D model with complete 360-degree coverage of an animal body surface. Traditional 3D imaging methods of achieving complete surface coverage require either moving the image sensor or the animal body so that multiple 3D images from different viewing angles can be acquired. In in-vivo small animal optical imaging, the preferred way of performing image acquisitions is to obtain complete sets of images without moving either the camera or the animal. Specifically, our Phase I technical aims are listed below: Aim 1: Design and build functional prototype hardware of the proposed 3D imaging system; Aim 2: Develop 3D surface imaging reconstruction algorithms; Aim 3: Improve DOT algorithms to utilize the precise 3D geometric boundary data; Aim 4: Perform 3D and DOT imaging tests on small animal phantoms, assess prototype's performance; Aim 5: Develop a plan for integrating the 3D camera into a small animal DOT system in Phase II.

Thesaurus Terms:
Rodentia, biomedical equipment development, optical tomography, three dimensional imaging /topography, whole body imaging /scanning mathematical model, model design /development, phantom model bioengineering /biomedical engineering, laboratory mouse

The impact of advancing tomographic optical imaging is potentially enormous since it offers a work frame whereas specific functional or molecular events could be quantitatively imaged in deep tissues and hence significantly advances basic cancer research, drug discovery and healthcare practices. Advanced diffuse optical tomography (DOT) algorithms require good a priori knowledge of the boundary geometry of the diffuse medium being imaged to provide accurate forward models of light propagation within this medium. To date, there is no known technique for automated extracting complete 3600 3D boundaries with accurate and real-time in vivo performance. To address this pressing need in the small animal imaging community, Technest Inc. in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Harvard Medical School (HMS), and Tufts University propose to use a novel 3D camera ring system for small animal DOT imaging. Instead of using a single camera and a motion stage to acquire multiple images of the animal body surface, the camera ring can simultaneously acquire multiple (16) surface images in vivo and automatically generate 3D surface model of the animal. The 3D model provides accurate geometric boundary information for the DOT subsystem. The distinguished advantages of our proposed imaging system include: "" Automated complete 3600 coverage of small animal (mouse) body surface;"" High speed and In vivo imaging capability;"" Minimal post processing;"" Coherent integration of 3D surface data with multi-spectral DOT imaging modality;"" Compact and low-cost design.

Public Health Relevance:
The proposed 3600 3D Camera Ring enhanced DOT system represents a new image modality that has a direct impact on preclinical molecular imaging in the area of non-invasive optical imaging. The impact of this research is potentially enormous since it offers a work frame whereas specific functional or molecular events could be quantitatively imaged and hence significantly advances basic cancer research, drug discovery and healthcare practices.

Thesaurus Terms:
3-D Imaging;3d Image;3d Imaging;3d Modeling;Address;Adverse Effects;Algorithms;Animal Model;Animal Models And Related Studies;Animal Structures;Animals;Apoplexy;Area;Atrophic Arthritis;Basic Cancer Research;Body Surface;Body Tissues;Calibration;Cardiopulmonary;Cardiovascular Diseases;Care, Health;Cerebral Stroke;Cerebrovascular Apoplexy;Cerebrovascular Stroke;Cerebrovascular Accident;Collaborations;Communities;Computer Programs;Computer Software;Data;Diffuse;Disease;Disorder;Effectiveness;Electromagnetic, Laser;Event;Fiber;Functional Imaging;Graphical Interface;Hosp;Healthcare;Hospitals;Inflm;Illumination;Image;Image Reconstructions;Images, 3-D;Imaging Procedures;Imaging Techniques;Imaging, Three-Dimensional;Inflammation;Inflammatory Arthritis;Investigation;Knowledge;Lasers;Life;Light;Lighting;Mammals, Mice;Measurement;Measures;Medical Imaging, Three Dimensional;Metastasis;Metastasize;Metastatic Neoplasm;Metastatic Tumor;Methods;Methods And Techniques;Methods, Other;Mice;Modeling;Molecular;Monitor;Motion;Murine;Mus;Neoplasm Metastasis;Optical Tomography;Output;Pathway Interactions;Pattern;Performance;Phase;Photoradiation;Physiologic Imaging;Process;Radiation, Laser;Research;Resolution;Rheumatoid Arthritis;Sbir;Sbirs (R43/44);Secondary Neoplasm;Secondary Tumor;Small Animal Imaging Systems;Small Business Innovation Research;Small Business Innovation Research Grant;Software;Source;Speed;Speed (Motion);Staging;Stroke;Structure;Surface;Survival Rate;System;System, Loinc Axis 4;Technics, Imaging;Techniques;Testing;Three-Dimensional Image;Three-Dimensional Imaging;Time;Tissues;Treatment Efficacy;Treatment Side Effects;Tumor Cell Migration;Universities;Vascular Accident, Brain;Woman;Work;Anticancer Research;Brain Attack;Cancer Metastasis;Cancer Research;Cardiovascular Disorder;Cerebral Vascular Accident;Computer Program/Software;Cost;Design;Designing;Diffuse Optical Tomography;Disease/Disorder;Drug Discovery;Experiment;Experimental Research;Experimental Study;Graphic User Interface;Graphical User Interface;Imaging;Imaging Modality;Improved;In Vivo;Medical Schools;Meetings;Model Organism;Molecular Imaging;Novel;Optic Imaging;Optical Imaging;Pathway;Pre-Clinical;Preclinical;Prototype;Public Health Relevance;Reconstruction;Research Study;Sensor;Side Effect;Software Systems;Stroke;Therapeutic Efficacy;Therapeutically Effective;Therapy Adverse Effect;Three-Dimensional Modeling;Treatment Adverse Effect;Tumor;User-Friendly