Scholars@Duke
Darin Clark

Darin Clark

Assistant Professor in Radiology
Radiology
darin.clark@duke.edu
DUMC Box 3302, Durham, NC 27710
311 Research Drive, Bryan Research Building Room 156, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications

Multivariate investigation of aging in mouse models expressing the Alzheimer's protective APOE2 allele: integrating cognitive metrics, brain imaging, and blood transcriptomics.

Journal Article Brain Struct Funct · January 2024 APOE allelic variation is critical in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The APOE2 allele associated with cognitive resilience and neuroprotection against AD remains understudied. We employed a multipronged approach to characterize the transition fr ... Full text Link to item Cite

High-resolution hybrid micro-CT imaging pipeline for mouse brain region segmentation and volumetric morphometry.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2024 BACKGROUND: Brain region segmentation and morphometry in humanized apolipoprotein E (APOE) mouse models with a human NOS2 background (HN) contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) research by demonstrating how various risk factors affect the brain. Photon-cou ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Multi-Channel Reconstruction (MCR) Toolkit v2.0: open-source Python-based tools for X-ray CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 Recently, we have released the first open-source version of our Multi-Channel CT Reconstruction (MCR) Toolkit (https://gitlab.oit.duke.edu/dpc18/mcr-toolkit-public). The initial release of the Toolkit represents 10 years of development and provides a compl ... Full text Cite

Advancing Preclinical Micro-Photon Counting CT Perfusion Imaging: From Phantom Experiments to In Vivo Applications

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 In preclinical studies, micro-CT is frequently employed to yield valuable anatomical insights. However, there has been an increasing need for micro-CT in extracting functional measurements such as with perfusion imaging. Perfusion imaging plays a crucial r ... Full text Cite

Denoising pediatric cardiac photon-counting CT data using volumetric vision transformers and unpaired training data

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 The advent of clinical photon counting x-ray CT (PCCT) has yielded gains in spatial resolution, noise performance, contrast resolution, and radiation dose management in numerous diagnostic applications. Pediatric populations, especially, stand to benefit f ... Full text Cite

Deep Learning Models for Rapid Denoising of 5D Cardiac Photon-Counting Micro-CT Images

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) are advantageous for spectral CT imaging and material decomposition because they simultaneously acquire projections at multiple energies using energy thresholds. Unfortunately, the PCD produces noisy weighted filtered backp ... Full text Cite

An Acquisition-Based Approach for High-Fidelity Infilling of Photon-Counting X-ray Detector Pixel Gaps

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) represent a technological advancement in X-ray CT imaging, bringing increased spatial resolution and spectral information to imaging in medical and industrial fields. Despite their potential, a critical issue arises from de ... Full text Cite

A generic model of semiconductor-based photon-counting detectors for spectral CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2024 Photon-counting CT (PCCT) is an emerging x-ray spectral imaging technology. There are several PCCT prototypes available for clinical and experimental applications. Despite many published results, objective quantitative evaluation of PCCT systems remains ch ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of the impact of a novel denoising algorithm on image quality in dual-energy abdominal CT of obese patients.

Journal Article Eur Radiol · October 2023 OBJECTIVES: Evaluate a novel algorithm for noise reduction in obese patients using dual-source dual-energy (DE) CT imaging. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with contrast-enhanced abdominal imaging (54 women; age: 58 ± 14 years; BMI: 39 ± 5 kg/m2, range: 35- ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

MCR toolkit: A GPU-based toolkit for multi-channel reconstruction of preclinical and clinical x-ray CT data.

Journal Article Med Phys · August 2023 BACKGROUND: The advancement of x-ray CT into the domains of photon counting spectral imaging and dynamic cardiac and perfusion imaging has created many new challenges and opportunities for clinicians and researchers. To address challenges such as dose cons ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

A Deep Learning Approach for Rapid and Generalizable Denoising of Photon-Counting Micro-CT Images.

Journal Article Tomography · July 2, 2023 Photon-counting CT (PCCT) is powerful for spectral imaging and material decomposition but produces noisy weighted filtered backprojection (wFBP) reconstructions. Although iterative reconstruction effectively denoises these images, it requires extensive com ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Micro-CT imaging of multiple K-edge elements using GaAs and CdTe photon counting detectors.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · April 12, 2023 Objective.To evaluate the performance of two photon-counting (PC) detectors based on different detector materials, gallium arsenide (GaAs) and cadmium telluride (CdTe), for PC micro-CT imaging of phantoms with multiple contrast materials. Another objective ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Unsupervised learning of robust models for cardiac and photon-counting x-ray CT denoising

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2023 Supervised deep learning methods have rapidly advanced to the forefront of medical imaging research; however, they face limitations in advanced CT applications. For instance, label generation is difficult for retrospective cardiac CT data where dose modula ... Full text Cite

Spectral micro-CT imaging of multiple K-edge elements using GaAs and CdTe photon counting detectors

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2023 Superior material discrimination provided by photon counting detector (PCD) technology promises to transform X-ray CT into a functional and molecular imaging modality while maintaining its high spatial resolution, fast scanning times, and relatively low co ... Full text Cite

Ex vivo high-resolution hybrid micro-CT imaging using photon counting and energy integrating detectors

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2023 Spectral micro-CT shows great potential to provide accurate material composition by utilizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials. This is especially well-suited for pre-clinical imaging using nanoparticle-based contrast agent ... Full text Cite

Advanced photon counting CT imaging pipeline for cardiac phenotyping of apolipoprotein E mouse models.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2023 BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and lipid metabolism. This study aimed to develop an imaging-based pipeline to comprehensively assess cardiac structure and function in mouse models expressing dif ... Full text Link to item Cite

Material decomposition from photon-counting CT using a convolutional neural network and energy-integrating CT training labels.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · July 18, 2022 Objective.Photon-counting CT (PCCT) has better dose efficiency and spectral resolution than energy-integrating CT, which is advantageous for material decomposition. Unfortunately, the accuracy of PCCT-based material decomposition is limited due to spectral ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Photon Counting CT and Radiomic Analysis Enables Differentiation of Tumors Based on Lymphocyte Burden.

Journal Article Tomography · March 10, 2022 The purpose of this study was to investigate if radiomic analysis based on spectral micro-CT with nanoparticle contrast-enhancement can differentiate tumors based on lymphocyte burden. High mutational load transplant soft tissue sarcomas were initiated in ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Cardiac CT reconstruction for vendor-neutral virtual imaging trials

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2022 Cardiac CT imaging is invaluable in a variety of applications including non-invasive assessment of coronary artery calcifications, the ruling out of acute coronary artery syndrome, and the planning of valve replacement procedures. Newer applications includ ... Full text Cite

Photon Counting Micro-CT for Imaging Cisplatin

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2022 The photon-counting (PC) detector technology promises to enhance the number of CT applications due to the spectral information. Of high interest for the cancer research community is imaging the tumor delivery of Cisplatin (CisPt), a chemotherapeutic agent ... Full text Cite

Spectral micro-CT and nanoradiomic analysis for classification of tumors based on lymphocytic burden in cancer therapy studies

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2022 The purpose of this study was to investigate if radiomic analysis based on spectral micro-CT with nanoparticle contrast-enhancement can differentiate tumors based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) burden. High mutational load transplant soft tissue sa ... Full text Cite

Volumetric, dual-domain x-ray CT reconstruction with deep learning

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2022 Novel deep learning (DL) methods have produced state-of-the-art results in nearly every area of x-ray CT data processing. However, DL-driven, iterative reconstruction remains challenging because of the volumetric nature of many reconstruction problems: the ... Full text Cite

Anatomical and functional cardiac PCCT imaging pipeline for characterization of Apolipoprotein E mouse models

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2022 Non-invasive imaging strategies are essential in understanding the factors associated with the ongoing rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the possible interactions between these diseases. Our scientific premise is based ... Full text Cite

Co-clinical photon counting CT research for multi-contrast imaging

Conference Proceedings of SPIE the International Society for Optical Engineering · January 1, 2022 Developing novel contrast agents for multi-energy photon-counting (PC)CT will require a clear translation pathway from preclinical validation to clinical applications. To begin this development, we have used a clinical PCCT scanner (Siemens NAEOTOM Alpha) ... Full text Cite

Photon-counting X-ray CT perfusion imaging in animal models of cancer

Conference Proceedings of SPIE the International Society for Optical Engineering · January 1, 2022 Photon-counting detector (PCD) CT promises to improve routine CT imaging applications with higher spatial resolution, lower levels of noise at fixed dose, and improved image contrast while providing spectral information with every scan. We propose and demo ... Full text Cite

Material Decomposition from Photon-Counting CT using a Convolutional Neural Network and Energy-Integrating CT Training Labels

Conference Proceedings of SPIE the International Society for Optical Engineering · January 1, 2022 Although photon counting detectors (PCD) can offer numerous benefits for CT imaging, it is difficult to generate accurate material decompositions from photon counting (PC) CT images due to spectral distortions. In this work, we present a deep learning (DL) ... Full text Cite

Detection of Lung Nodules in Micro-CT Imaging Using Deep Learning.

Journal Article Tomography · August 7, 2021 We are developing imaging methods for a co-clinical trial investigating synergy between immunotherapy and radiotherapy. We perform longitudinal micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of mice to detect lung metastasis after treatment. This work explores deep ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Advances in micro-CT imaging of small animals.

Journal Article Phys Med · August 2021 PURPOSE: Micron-scale computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging is a ubiquitous, cost-effective, and non-invasive three-dimensional imaging modality. We review recent developments and applications of micro-CT for preclinical research. METHODS: Based on a comp ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Evaluating renal lesions using deep-learning based extension of dual-energy FoV in dual-source CT-A retrospective pilot study.

Journal Article Eur J Radiol · June 2021 PURPOSE: Dual-source (DS) CT, dual-energy (DE) field of view (FoV) is limited to the size of the smaller detector array. The purpose was to establish a deep learning-based approach to DE extrapolation by estimating missing image data using data from both t ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Deep learning based spectral distortion correction and decomposition for photon counting ct using calibration provided by an energy integrated detector

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2021 While the benefits of photon counting (PC) CT are significant, the performance of current PCDs is limited by physical effects distorting the spectral response. In this work, we examine a deep learning (DL) approach for spectral correction and material deco ... Full text Cite

A constrained bregman framework for unsupervised convolutional denoising of multi-channel x-ray ct data

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2021 Deep learning (DL) approaches to image denoising have advanced real-world performance in one of the most thoroughly studied areas of digital signal processing. Keys to the success of DL are data-driven approximation of an underlying signal model and non-li ... Full text Cite

Towards deep learning detection of lung nodules using micro-CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2021 We are developing imaging methods for the preclinical arm of a co-clinical trial investigating synergy between immunotherapy and radiotherapy. We perform in vivo micro-CT of mouse lungs to detect lung metastasis after treatment. This work explores deep lea ... Full text Cite

Dual source hybrid spectral micro-CT using an energy-integrating and a photon-counting detector.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · October 21, 2020 Preclinical micro-CT provides a hotbed in which to develop new imaging technologies, including spectral CT using photon counting detector (PCD) technology. Spectral imaging using PCDs promises to expand x-ray CT as a functional imaging modality, capable of ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Deep learning based spectral extrapolation for dual-source, dual-energy x-ray computed tomography.

Journal Article Med Phys · September 2020 PURPOSE: Data completion is commonly employed in dual-source, dual-energy computed tomography (CT) when physical or hardware constraints limit the field of view (FoV) covered by one of two imaging chains. Practically, dual-energy data completion is accompl ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Hybrid energy integrating and photon counting micro-CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2020 The maturation of photon-counting detector (PCD) technology promises to enhance routine CT applications with high-fidelity spectral information, transforming X-ray CT into a functional and molecular imaging modality, while maintaining the high spatial reso ... Full text Cite

Fast spectral x-ray CT reconstruction with data-adaptive, convolutional regularization

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2020 Advancements in deep learning and GPU computing have exponentially driven the application of neural networks to classic medical imaging problems: denoising, segmentation, artifact removal, etc. Deep learning solutions are particularly attractive for proces ... Full text Cite

Development of a spectral Micro-CT system using a photon counting detector with anti-coincidence corrections

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2020 There is potential to improve CT imaging by adding spectral capabilities as given by photon counting detectors (PCD). Here we describe and assess performance of a new spectral micro-CT prototype system using a CdTe-based PCD with 100-µm pixel size (model X ... Full text Cite

A spectral CT study on iodine augmentation of radiation therapy and its potential for combination with chemotherapy

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2020 High-Z based nanoparticles (NP) are emerging as promising agents for both cancer radiotherapy (RT) and CT imaging. NPs can be delivered to tumors via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and they preferentially accumulate in tumor's perivas ... Full text Cite

Computational 3D histological phenotyping of whole zebrafish by X-ray histotomography.

Journal Article Elife · May 7, 2019 Organismal phenotypes frequently involve multiple organ systems. Histology is a powerful way to detect cellular and tissue phenotypes, but is largely descriptive and subjective. To determine how synchrotron-based X-ray micro-tomography (micro-CT) can yield ... Full text Link to item Cite

Functional imaging of tumor vasculature using iodine and gadolinium-based nanoparticle contrast agents: a comparison of spectral micro-CT using energy integrating and photon counting detectors.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · March 12, 2019 Advances in computed tomography (CT) hardware have propelled the development of novel CT contrast agents. In particular, the spectral capabilities of x-ray CT can facilitate simultaneous imaging of multiple contrast agents. This approach is particularly us ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Overcoming detector limitations of x-ray photon counting for preclinical microcomputed tomography.

Journal Article J Med Imaging (Bellingham) · January 2019 Spectral computed tomography (CT) using photon counting detectors (PCDs) can provide accurate tissue composition measurements by utilizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials. PCDs are especially suited for K-edge imaging, rev ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Spectral data completion for dual-source x-ray CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2019 In the context of x-ray CT, data completion is the process of augmenting truncated projection data to avoid artifacts during reconstruction. Data completion is commonly employed in dual-source CT where physical or hardware constraints limit the field of vi ... Full text Cite

Convolutional regularization methods for 4D, x-ray CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2019 Deep learning methods have shown great promise in tackling challenging medical imaging tasks. Within the field of x-ray CT, deep learning for image denoising is of interest because of the fundamental link between ionizing radiation dose and diagnostic imag ... Full text Cite

Photon-counting cine-cardiac CT in the mouse.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2019 The maturation of photon-counting detector (PCD) technology promises to enhance routine CT imaging applications with high-fidelity spectral information. In this paper, we demonstrate the power of this synergy and our complementary reconstruction techniques ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Rigid Embedding of Fixed and Stained, Whole, Millimeter-Scale Specimens for Section-free 3D Histology by Micro-Computed Tomography.

Journal Article J Vis Exp · October 17, 2018 For over a hundred years, the histological study of tissues has been the gold standard for medical diagnosis because histology allows all cell types in every tissue to be identified and characterized. Our laboratory is actively working to make technologica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Low-dose 4D cardiac imaging in small animals using dual source micro-CT.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · January 9, 2018 Micro-CT is widely used in preclinical studies, generating substantial interest in extending its capabilities in functional imaging applications such as blood perfusion and cardiac function. However, imaging cardiac structure and function in mice is challe ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Data-efficient methods for multi-channel x-ray CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2018 The superiority of iterative reconstruction techniques over analytical ones is documented in a variety of CT imaging applications. However, iterative reconstruction techniques generally require a substantial increase in data processing time and required re ... Full text Cite

Multiscale dual energy micro-CT for imaging using iodinated and gold nanoparticles

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2018 Dual energy (DE) micro-CT shows great potential to provide accurate tissue composition by utilizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials. This is especially well-suited for pre-clinical imaging using nanoparticle-based contrast ... Full text Cite

Multi-energy CT decomposition using convolutional neural networks

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2018 Spectral CT can provide accurate tissue composition measurements by utilizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials. We have introduced image reconstruction and material decomposition algorithms for multi-energy CT data acquired ... Full text Cite

Spectral imaging of iodine and gadolinium nanoparticles using dual-energy CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2018 Advances in CT hardware have propelled the development of novel CT contrast agents. Combined with the spectral capabilities of X-ray CT, molecular imaging is possible using multiple heavy-metal contrast agents. Nanoparticle platforms make particularly attr ... Full text Cite

Development of a spectral photon-counting micro-CT system with a translate-rotate geometry

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2018 Spectral CT using photon counting x-ray detectors (PCXDs) can provide accurate tissue composition measurements by utilizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials. PCXDs are especially suited for imaging Kedge contrast agents, re ... Full text Cite

A data-driven regularization strategy for statistical CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2017 There is an unmet need for CT image reconstruction algorithms that reliably provide diagnostic image quality at reduced radiation dose. Toward this end, we integrate a state-of-the-art statistical reconstruction algorithm, ordered subsets, and separable qu ... Full text Cite

Localized and efficient cardiac CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2017 The superiority of iterative reconstruction techniques over classic analytical ones is well documented in a variety of CT imaging applications where radiation dose and sampling time are limiting factors. However, by definition, the iterative nature of adva ... Full text Cite

Low-dose 4D myocardial perfusion with x-ray micro-CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2017 X-ray CT is widely used, both clinically and pre-clinically, for fast, high-resolution, anatomic imaging; however, compelling opportunities exist to expand its use in functional imaging applications. For instance, temporally-resolved CT data can detail car ... Full text Cite

Hybrid spectral CT reconstruction.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2017 Current photon counting x-ray detector (PCD) technology faces limitations associated with spectral fidelity and photon starvation. One strategy for addressing these limitations is to supplement PCD data with high-resolution, low-noise data acquired with an ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Synchrotron microCT imaging of soft tissue in juvenile zebrafish reveals retinotectal projections

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2017 Biomedical research and clinical diagnosis would benefit greatly from full volume determinations of anatomical phenotype. Comprehensive tools for morphological phenotyping are central for the emerging field of phenomics, which requires high-throughput, sys ... Full text Cite

A neural network-based method for spectral distortion correction in photon counting x-ray CT.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · August 21, 2016 Spectral CT using a photon counting x-ray detector (PCXD) shows great potential for measuring material composition based on energy dependent x-ray attenuation. Spectral CT is especially suited for imaging with K-edge contrast agents to address the otherwis ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Resolution-enhancing hybrid, spectral CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2016 Spectral x-ray imaging based on photon-counting x-ray detectors (PCXD) is an area of growing interest. By measuring the energy of x-ray photons, a spectral CT system can better differentiate elements using a single scan. However, the spatial resolution ach ... Full text Cite

Joint regularization for spectrooral CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2016 X-ray CT is widely used, both clinically and preclinically, for fast, high-resolution, anatomic imaging; however, compelling opportunities exist to expand its use in functional imaging applications. For instance, spectral information combined with nanopart ... Full text Cite

Novel approaches to address spectral distortions in photon counting x-ray CT using artificial neural networks

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2016 Spectral CT using a photon-counting x-ray detector (PCXD) can potentially increase accuracy of measuring tissue composition. However, PCXD spectral measurements suffer from distortion due to charge sharing, pulse pileup, and Kescape energy loss. This study ... Full text Cite

Spectrotemporal CT data acquisition and reconstruction at low dose.

Journal Article Med Phys · November 2015 PURPOSE: X-ray computed tomography (CT) is widely used, both clinically and preclinically, for fast, high-resolution anatomic imaging; however, compelling opportunities exist to expand its use in functional imaging applications. For instance, spectral info ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Rank-sparsity constrained, spectro-temporal reconstruction for retrospectively gated, dynamic CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2015 Relative to prospective projection gating, retrospective projection gating for dynamic CT applications allows fast imaging times, minimizing the potential for physiological and anatomic variability. Preclinically, fast imaging is attractive due to the rapi ... Full text Cite

Spectral deblurring: An algorithm for high-resolution, hybrid spectral CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2015 We are developing a hybrid, dual-source micro-CT system based on the combined use of an energy integrating (EID) x-ray detector and a photon counting x-ray detector (PCXD). Due to their superior spectral resolving power, PCXDs have the potential to reduce ... Full text Cite

Simultaneous imaging of multiple contrast agents using full-spectrum micro-CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2015 One of the major challenges for in vivo, micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging is poor soft tissue contrast. To increase contrast, exogenous contrast agents can be used as imaging probes. Combining these probes with a photon counting x-ray detector (PCXD) ... Full text Cite

Rank-sparsity constrained atlas construction and phenotyping

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2015 Atlas construction is of great interest in the medical imaging community as a tool to visually and quantitatively characterize anatomic variability within a population. Because such atlases generally exhibit superior data fidelity relative to the individua ... Full text Cite

Spectral diffusion: an algorithm for robust material decomposition of spectral CT data.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · November 7, 2014 Clinical successes with dual energy CT, aggressive development of energy discriminating x-ray detectors, and novel, target-specific, nanoparticle contrast agents promise to establish spectral CT as a powerful functional imaging modality. Common to all of t ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Micro-CT of rodents: state-of-the-art and future perspectives.

Journal Article Phys Med · September 2014 Micron-scale computed tomography (micro-CT) is an essential tool for phenotyping and for elucidating diseases and their therapies. This work is focused on preclinical micro-CT imaging, reviewing relevant principles, technologies, and applications. Commonly ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Assessing cardiac injury in mice with dual energy-microCT, 4D-microCT, and microSPECT imaging after partial heart irradiation.

Journal Article Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys · March 1, 2014 PURPOSE: To develop a mouse model of cardiac injury after partial heart irradiation (PHI) and to test whether dual energy (DE)-microCT and 4-dimensional (4D)-microCT can be used to assess cardiac injury after PHI to complement myocardial perfusion imaging ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Dual-energy micro-CT functional imaging of primary lung cancer in mice using gold and iodine nanoparticle contrast agents: a validation study.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2014 PURPOSE: To provide additional functional information for tumor characterization, we investigated the use of dual-energy computed tomography for imaging murine lung tumors. Tumor blood volume and vascular permeability were quantified using gold and iodine ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Anatomical and functional imaging of myocardial infarction in mice using micro-CT and eXIA 160 contrast agent.

Journal Article Contrast Media Mol Imaging · 2014 Noninvasive small animal imaging techniques are essential for evaluation of cardiac disease and potential therapeutics. A novel preclinical iodinated contrast agent called eXIA 160 has recently been developed, which has been evaluated for micro-CT cardiac ... Full text Link to item Cite

A multi-resolution approach to retrospectively-gated cardiac micro-CT reconstruction

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2014 In preclinical research, micro-CT is commonly used to provide anatomical information; however, there is significant interest in using this technology to obtain functional information in cardiac studies. The fastest acquisition in 4D cardiac micro-CT imagin ... Full text Cite

Robust material decomposition for spectral CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2014 There is ongoing interest in extending CT from anatomical to functional imaging. Recent successes with dual energy CT, the introduction of energy discriminating x-ray detectors, and novel, target-specific, nanoparticle contrast agents enable functional ima ... Full text Cite

Dual-energy micro-CT imaging of pulmonary airway obstruction: Correlation with micro-SPECT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · January 1, 2014 To match recent clinical dual energy (DE) CT studies focusing on the lung, similar developments for DE micro-CT of the rodent lung are required. Our group has been actively engaged in designing pulmonary gating techniques for micro- CT, and has also introd ... Full text Cite

Constructing a 4D murine cardiac micro-CT atlas for automated segmentation and phenotyping applications

Journal Article Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · June 3, 2013 A number of investigators have demonstrated the potential of preclinical micro-CT in characterizing cardiovascular disease in mouse models. One major hurdle to advancing this approach is the extensive user interaction required to derive quantitative metric ... Full text Cite

The effect of scatter correction on dual energy micro-CT

Conference Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE · June 3, 2013 Dual energy (DE) CT imaging is expected to play a major role in the diagnostic arena as it provides a quantitative decomposition of basis materials, opening the door for new clinical applications without significantly increasing dose to the patient. DE-CT ... Full text Cite

Dual-energy micro-computed tomography imaging of radiation-induced vascular changes in primary mouse sarcomas.

Journal Article Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys · April 1, 2013 PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of radiation therapy on primary tumor vasculature using dual-energy (DE) micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Primary sarcomas were generated with mutant Kras and p53. Unirradiated tumors were compar ... Full text Link to item Cite

In vivo characterization of tumor vasculature using iodine and gold nanoparticles and dual energy micro-CT.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · March 21, 2013 Tumor blood volume and vascular permeability are well established indicators of tumor angiogenesis and important predictors in cancer diagnosis, planning and treatment. In this work, we establish a novel preclinical imaging protocol which allows quantitati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Dual-energy computed tomography imaging of atherosclerotic plaques in a mouse model using a liposomal-iodine nanoparticle contrast agent.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · March 1, 2013 BACKGROUND: The accumulation of macrophages in inflamed atherosclerotic plaques has long been recognized. In an attempt to develop an imaging agent for detection of vulnerable plaques, we evaluated the feasibility of a liposomal-iodine nanoparticle contras ... Full text Link to item Cite

Registration-based segmentation of murine 4D cardiac micro-CT data using symmetric normalization.

Journal Article Phys Med Biol · October 7, 2012 Micro-CT can play an important role in preclinical studies of cardiovascular disease because of its high spatial and temporal resolution. Quantitative analysis of 4D cardiac images requires segmentation of the cardiac chambers at each time point, an extrem ... Full text Link to item Cite

Dual-energy micro-CT of the rodent lung.

Journal Article Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol · May 15, 2012 The purpose of this work is to investigate the use of dual-energy micro-computed tomography (CT) for the estimation of vascular, tissue, and air fractions in rodent lungs using a postreconstruction three material decomposition method. Using simulations, we ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lung imaging in rodents using dual energy micro-CT.

Journal Article Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng · April 3, 2012 Dual energy CT imaging is expected to play a major role in the diagnostic arena as it provides material decomposition on an elemental basis. The purpose of this work is to investigate the use of dual energy micro-CT for the estimation of vascular, tissue, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Denoising of 4D Cardiac Micro-CT Data Using Median-Centric Bilateral Filtration.

Conference Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng · February 23, 2012 Bilateral filtration has proven an effective tool for denoising CT data. The classic filter utilizes Gaussian domain and range weighting functions in 2D. More recently, other distributions have yielded more accurate results in specific applications, and th ... Full text Link to item Cite

Computed tomography imaging of primary lung cancer in mice using a liposomal-iodinated contrast agent.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2012 PURPOSE: To investigate the utility of a liposomal-iodinated nanoparticle contrast agent and computed tomography (CT) imaging for characterization of primary nodules in genetically engineered mouse models of non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Primary lun ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Data analysis: evaluation of nanoscale contrast agent enhanced CT scan to differentiate between benign and malignant lung cancer in mouse model.

Journal Article AMIA Annu Symp Proc · 2012 Proposed is a method for statistical analysis for a small sample size, repeated measure experiment with nesting factors. In the original experiment the Student t-test was used for analysis. Using the same data, we modeled the experiment into two groups of ... Link to item Cite