Advanced Small Animal Conformal Radiation Therapy Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Sunil; Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Przybyla, Beata; Webber, Jessica; Boerma, Marjan; Clarkson, Richard; Moros, Eduardo G; Corry, Peter M; Griffin, Robert J

2017-02-01

We have developed a small animal conformal radiation therapy device that provides a degree of geometrical/anatomical targeting comparable to what is achievable in a commercial animal irradiator. small animal conformal radiation therapy device is capable of producing precise and accurate conformal delivery of radiation to target as well as for imaging small animals. The small animal conformal radiation therapy device uses an X-ray tube, a robotic animal position system, and a digital imager. The system is in a steel enclosure with adequate lead shielding following National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements 49 guidelines and verified with Geiger-Mueller survey meter. The X-ray source is calibrated following AAPM TG-61 specifications and mounted at 101.6 cm from the floor, which is a primary barrier. The X-ray tube is mounted on a custom-made "gantry" and has a special collimating assembly system that allows field size between 0.5 mm and 20 cm at isocenter. Three-dimensional imaging can be performed to aid target localization using the same X-ray source at custom settings and an in-house reconstruction software. The small animal conformal radiation therapy device thus provides an excellent integrated system to promote translational research in radiation oncology in an academic laboratory. The purpose of this article is to review shielding and dosimetric measurement and highlight a few successful studies that have been performed to date with our system. In addition, an example of new data from an in vivo rat model of breast cancer is presented in which spatially fractionated radiation alone and in combination with thermal ablation was applied and the therapeutic benefit examined.

Online virtual isocenter based radiation field targeting for high performance small animal microirradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, James M. P.; Ansell, Steve; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2015-12-01

Advances in precision microirradiators for small animal radiation oncology studies have provided the framework for novel translational radiobiological studies. Such systems target radiation fields at the scale required for small animal investigations, typically through a combination of on-board computed tomography image guidance and fixed, interchangeable collimators. Robust targeting accuracy of these radiation fields remains challenging, particularly at the millimetre scale field sizes achievable by the majority of microirradiators. Consistent and reproducible targeting accuracy is further hindered as collimators are removed and inserted during a typical experimental workflow. This investigation quantified this targeting uncertainty and developed an online method based on a virtual treatment isocenter to actively ensure high performance targeting accuracy for all radiation field sizes. The results indicated that the two-dimensional field placement uncertainty was as high as 1.16 mm at isocenter, with simulations suggesting this error could be reduced to 0.20 mm using the online correction method. End-to-end targeting analysis of a ball bearing target on radiochromic film sections showed an improved targeting accuracy with the three-dimensional vector targeting error across six different collimators reduced from 0.56+/- 0.05 mm (mean  ±  SD) to 0.05+/- 0.05 mm for an isotropic imaging voxel size of 0.1 mm.

Thermoacoustic Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert A. Kruger

2003-04-01

Full Text Available We have designed, constructed, and tested a thermoacoustic computed tomography (TCT scanner for imaging optical absorption in small animals in three dimensions. The device utilizes pulsed laser irradiation (680–1064 nm and a unique, 128-element transducer array. We quantified the isotropic spatial resolution of this scanner to be 0.35 mm. We describe a dual-wavelength subtraction technique for isolating optical dyes with TCT. Phantom experiments demonstrate that we can detect 5 fmol of a near-infrared dye (indocyanine green, ICG in a 1-ML volume using dual-wavelength subtraction. Initial TCT imaging in phantoms and in two sacrificed mice suggests that three-dimensional, optical absorption patterns in small animals can be detected with an order of magnitude better spatial resolution and an order of magnitude better low-contrast detectability in small animals when compared to fluorescence imaging or diffusion optical tomography.

Animals In Synchrotrons: Overcoming Challenges For High-Resolution, Live, Small-Animal Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnelley, Martin; Parsons, David; Morgan, Kaye; Siu, Karen

2010-01-01

Physiological studies in small animals can be complicated, but the complexity is increased dramatically when performing live-animal synchrotron X-ray imaging studies. Our group has extensive experience in high-resolution live-animal imaging at the Japanese SPring-8 synchrotron, primarily examining airways in two-dimensions. These experiments normally image an area of 1.8 mmx1.2 mm at a pixel resolution of 0.45 μm and are performed with live, intact, anaesthetized mice.There are unique challenges in this experimental setting. Importantly, experiments must be performed in an isolated imaging hutch not specifically designed for small-animal imaging. This requires equipment adapted to remotely monitor animals, maintain their anesthesia, and deliver test substances while collecting images. The horizontal synchrotron X-ray beam has a fixed location and orientation that limits experimental flexibility. The extremely high resolution makes locating anatomical regions-of-interest slow and can result in a high radiation dose, and at this level of magnification small animal movements produce motion-artifacts that can render acquired images unusable. Here we describe our experimental techniques and how we have overcome several challenges involved in performing live mouse synchrotron imaging.Experiments have tested different mouse strains, with hairless strains minimizing overlying skin and hair artifacts. Different anesthetics have also be trialed due to the limited choices available at SPring-8. Tracheal-intubation methods have been refined and controlled-ventilation is now possible using a specialized small-animal ventilator. With appropriate animal restraint and respiratory-gating, motion-artifacts have been minimized. The animal orientation (supine vs. head-high) also appears to affect animal physiology, and can alter image quality. Our techniques and image quality at SPring-8 have dramatically improved and in the near future we plan to translate this experience to the

Feasibility of a CdTe-based SPECT for high-resolution low-dose small animal imaging: a Monte Carlo simulation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S-J; Yu, A R; Lee, Y-J; Kim, Y-S; Kim, H-J

2014-01-01

Dedicated single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems based on pixelated semiconductors such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) are in development to study small animal models of human disease. In an effort to develop a high-resolution, low-dose system for small animal imaging, we compared a CdTe-based SPECT system and a conventional NaI(Tl)-based SPECT system in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). In addition, we investigated the radiation absorbed dose and calculated a figure of merit (FOM) for both SPECT systems. Using the conventional NaI(Tl)-based SPECT system, we achieved a spatial resolution of 1.66 mm at a 30 mm source-to-collimator distance, and a resolution of 2.4-mm hot-rods. Using the newly-developed CdTe-based SPECT system, we achieved a spatial resolution of 1.32 mm FWHM at a 30 mm source-to-collimator distance, and a resolution of 1.7-mm hot-rods. The sensitivities at a 30 mm source-to-collimator distance were 115.73 counts/sec/MBq and 83.38 counts/sec/MBq for the CdTe-based SPECT and conventional NaI(Tl)-based SPECT systems, respectively. To compare quantitative measurements in the mouse brain, we calculated the CNR for images from both systems. The CNR from the CdTe-based SPECT system was 4.41, while that from the conventional NaI(Tl)-based SPECT system was 3.11 when the injected striatal dose was 160 Bq/voxel. The CNR increased as a function of injected dose in both systems. The FOM of the CdTe-based SPECT system was superior to that of the conventional NaI(Tl)-based SPECT system, and the highest FOM was achieved with the CdTe-based SPECT at a dose of 40 Bq/voxel injected into the striatum. Thus, a CdTe-based SPECT system showed significant improvement in performance compared with a conventional system in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity, and CNR, while reducing the radiation dose to the small animal subject. Herein, we discuss the feasibility of a CdTe-based SPECT system for high

Molecular Imaging with Small Animal PET/CT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Binderup, T.; El-Ali, H.H.; Skovgaard, D.

2011-01-01

is also described. In addition, the non-invasive nature of molecular imaging and the targets of these promising new tracers are attractive for other research areas as well, although these fields are much less explored. We present an example of an interesting research field with the application of small......Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) and computer tomography (CT) is an emerging field in pre-clinical imaging. High quality, state-of-the-art instruments are required for full optimization of the translational value of the small animal studies with PET and CT. However...... in this field of small animal molecular imaging with special emphasis on the targets for tissue characterization in tumor biology such as hypoxia, proliferation and cancer specific over-expression of receptors. The added value of applying CT imaging for anatomical localization and tumor volume measurements...

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden; Technische Univ. Dresden; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden

2014-01-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Thute, Prasad [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Krause, Mechthild [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Enghardt, Wolfgang [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Radiooncology

2014-07-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Clinical aspects of toxoplasmosis in small animal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Luiz Baptista Galvão

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, has importance in human and veterinary medicine. Animals can be direct or indirect source of infection to man, and this intermediate host, the disease may be responsible for encephalitis and deaths due to congenital form as coinfection in neonates and patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The man and animals can acquire the disease by eating undercooked meat or cures, infected with tissue cysts, as well as food and water contaminated with oocysts. Iatrogenic, such as, blood transfusion and organ transplantation are other less frequent routes of transmission. The causative agent of this disease is Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan obligate intracellular coccidian. In small animals, the infection has been reported in several countries, promoting varied clinical manifestations and uncommon but severe and fatal, which is a challenge in the clinical diagnosis of small animals, especially when the nervous system involvement. Thus, constitute the purpose of this review address the participation of small animals in the spread of the disease, clinical aspects related to it, as well as discuss methods of diagnosis, therapeutic measures, prophylaxis and control of this disease.

Small Animal Models for Evaluating Filovirus Countermeasures.

Science.gov (United States)

Banadyga, Logan; Wong, Gary; Qiu, Xiangguo

2018-05-11

The development of novel therapeutics and vaccines to treat or prevent disease caused by filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses, depends on the availability of animal models that faithfully recapitulate clinical hallmarks of disease as it is observed in humans. In particular, small animal models (such as mice and guinea pigs) are historically and frequently used for the primary evaluation of antiviral countermeasures, prior to testing in nonhuman primates, which represent the gold-standard filovirus animal model. In the past several years, however, the filovirus field has witnessed the continued refinement of the mouse and guinea pig models of disease, as well as the introduction of the hamster and ferret models. We now have small animal models for most human-pathogenic filoviruses, many of which are susceptible to wild type virus and demonstrate key features of disease, including robust virus replication, coagulopathy, and immune system dysfunction. Although none of these small animal model systems perfectly recapitulates Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus disease on its own, collectively they offer a nearly complete set of tools in which to carry out the preclinical development of novel antiviral drugs.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology--a bidirectional translational approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Bütof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang

2014-12-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

A Very High Spatial Resolution Detector for Small Animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanai Shah, M.S.

2007-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an in vivo analog of autoradiography and has the potential to become a powerful new tool in imaging biological processes in small laboratory animals. PET imaging of small animals can provide unique information that can help in advancement of human disease models as well as drug development. Clinical PET scanners used for human imaging are bulky, expensive and do not have adequate spatial resolution for small animal studies. Hence, dedicated, low cost instruments are required for conducting small animal studies with higher spatial resolution than what is currently achieved with clinical as well as dedicated small animal PET scanners. The goal of the proposed project is to investigate a new all solid-state detector design for small animal PET imaging. Exceptionally high spatial resolution, good timing resolution, and excellent energy resolution are expected from the proposed detector design. The Phase I project was aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of producing high performance solid-state detectors that provide high sensitivity, spatial resolution, and timing characteristics. Energy resolution characteristics of the new detector were also investigated. The goal of the Phase II project is to advance the promising solid-state detector technology for small animal PET and determine its full potential. Detectors modules will be built and characterized and finally, a bench-top small animal PET system will be assembled and evaluated

Small animal PET and its applications in biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Feichan

2004-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging technique that permits the use of positron-labeled molecular imaging probes for non-invasive assays of biochemical processes. As the leading technology in nuclear medicine, PET has extended its applications from the clinical field to the study of small laboratory animals. In recent years, the development of new detector technology has dramatically improved the spatial resolution and image quality of small animal PET scanner, which is being used increasingly as a basic tool in modern biomedical research. In particular, small animal PET will play an important role in drug discovery and development, in the study of small animal models of human diseases, in characterizing gene expression and in many other ways. (authors)

Importance of Attenuation Correction (AC) for Small Animal PET Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El Ali, Henrik H.; Bodholdt, Rasmus Poul; Jørgensen, Jesper Tranekjær

2012-01-01

was performed. Methods: Ten NMRI nude mice with subcutaneous implantation of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were scanned consecutively in small animal PET and CT scanners (MicroPETTM Focus 120 and ImTek’s MicroCATTM II). CT-based AC, PET-based AC and uniform AC methods were compared. Results: The activity...

Advances in Small Animal Imaging Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George K.

2007-01-01

The rapid growth in genetics and molecular biology combined with the development of techniques for genetically engineering small animals has led to an increased interest in in vivo laboratory animal imaging during the past few years. For this purpose, new instrumentation, data acquisition strategies, and image processing and reconstruction techniques are being developed, researched and evaluated. The aim of this article is to give a short overview of the state of the art technologies for high resolution and high sensitivity molecular imaging techniques, primarily positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The basic needs of small animal imaging will be described. The evolution in instrumentation in the past two decades, as well as the commercially available systems will be overviewed. Finally, the new trends in detector technology and preliminary results from challenging applications will be presented. For more details a number of references are provided

Modality comparison for small animal radiotherapy: A simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazalova, Magdalena, E-mail: bazalova@stanford.edu; Nelson, Geoff; Noll, John M.; Graves, Edward E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-01-15

Purpose: Small animal radiation therapy has advanced significantly in recent years. Whereas in the past dose was delivered using a single beam and a lead shield for sparing of healthy tissue, conformal doses can be now delivered using more complex dedicated small animal radiotherapy systems with image guidance. The goal of this paper is to investigate dose distributions for three small animal radiation treatment modalities. Methods: This paper presents a comparison of dose distributions generated by the three approaches—a single-field irradiator with a 200 kV beam and no image guidance, a small animal image-guided conformal system based on a modified microCT scanner with a 120 kV beam developed at Stanford University, and a dedicated conformal system, SARRP, using a 220 kV beam developed at Johns Hopkins University. The authors present a comparison of treatment plans for the three modalities using two cases: a mouse with a subcutaneous tumor and a mouse with a spontaneous lung tumor. A 5 Gy target dose was calculated using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes. Results: All treatment modalities generated similar dose distributions for the subcutaneous tumor case, with the highest mean dose to the ipsilateral lung and bones in the single-field plan (0.4 and 0.4 Gy) compared to the microCT (0.1 and 0.2 Gy) and SARRP (0.1 and 0.3 Gy) plans. The lung case demonstrated that due to the nine-beam arrangements in the conformal plans, the mean doses to the ipsilateral lung, spinal cord, and bones were significantly lower in the microCT plan (2.0, 0.4, and 1.9 Gy) and the SARRP plan (1.5, 0.5, and 1.8 Gy) than in single-field irradiator plan (4.5, 3.8, and 3.3 Gy). Similarly, the mean doses to the contralateral lung and the heart were lowest in the microCT plan (1.5 and 2.0 Gy), followed by the SARRP plan (1.7 and 2.2 Gy), and they were highest in the single-field plan (2.5 and 2.4 Gy). For both cases, dose uniformity was greatest in the single-field irradiator plan followed by

Small Animal Massage Therapy: A Brief Review and Relevant Observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Formenton, Maira Rezende; Pereira, Marco Aurélio Amador; Fantoni, Denise Tabacchi

2017-12-01

Massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular in human and animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Wider application of the technique led to research efforts aimed at providing scientific support to anecdotal beneficial effects, particularly pain relief. Recent studies have shown that massage therapy alters dopamine and serotonin levels, decreases noradrenaline levels, and modulates the immune system. Psychological effects such as reduction of stress and anxiety, with improvement of depressive patients, have been reported in humans. This article set out to review the major aspects of massage therapy based on recent publications on the topic, and to extrapolate concepts and practical aspects described in human physiotherapy to the veterinary patient, particularly the applicability of different techniques in Small Animal Medicine. Indications of massage therapy in small animals include pain relief, orthopedic rehabilitation, Canine Sports Medicine, intensive care, and management of nonspecific edema. Techniques described in this article were originally intended for use in humans and scientific data supporting anecdotal, beneficial effects in domestic animals are still lacking; this fruitful area for research is therefore open to veterinary professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvement of semi-quantitative small-animal PET data with recovery coefficients: a phantom and rat study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aide, Nicolas; Louis, Marie-Hélène; Dutoit, Soizic; Labiche, Alexandre; Lemoisson, Edwige; Briand, Mélanie; Nataf, Valérie; Poulain, Laurent; Gauduchon, Pascal; Talbot, Jean-Noël; Montravers, Françoise

2007-10-01

To evaluate the accuracy of semi-quantitative small-animal PET data, uncorrected for attenuation, and then of the same semi-quantitative data corrected by means of recovery coefficients (RCs) based on phantom studies. A phantom containing six fillable spheres (diameter range: 4.4-14 mm) was filled with an 18F-FDG solution (spheres/background activity=10.1, 5.1 and 2.5). RCs, defined as measured activity/expected activity, were calculated. Nude rats harbouring tumours (n=50) were imaged after injection of 18F-FDG and sacrificed. The standardized uptake value (SUV) in tumours was determined with small-animal PET and compared to ex-vivo counting (ex-vivo SUV). Small-animal PET SUVs were corrected with RCs based on the greatest tumour diameter. Tumour proliferation was assessed with cyclin A immunostaining and correlated to the SUV. RCs ranged from 0.33 for the smallest sphere to 0.72 for the largest. A sigmoidal correlation was found between RCs and sphere diameters (r(2)=0.99). Small-animal PET SUVs were well correlated with ex-vivo SUVs (y=0.48x-0.2; r(2)=0.71) and the use of RCs based on the greatest tumour diameter significantly improved regression (y=0.84x-0.81; r(2)=0.77), except for tumours with important necrosis. Similar results were obtained without sacrificing animals, by using PET images to estimate tumour dimensions. RC-based corrections improved correlation between small-animal PET SUVs and tumour proliferation (uncorrected data: Rho=0.79; corrected data: Rho=0.83). Recovery correction significantly improves both accuracy of small-animal PET semi-quantitative data in rat studies and their correlation with tumour proliferation, except for largely necrotic tumours.

Synchrotron-based intravenous cerebral angiography in a small animal model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Michael E; Schueltke, Elisabeth; Fiedler, Stephan; Nemoz, Christian; Guzman, Raphael; Corde, Stephanie; Esteve, Francois; LeDuc, Geraldine; Juurlink, Bernhard H J; Meguro, Kotoo

2007-01-01

K-edge digital subtraction angiography (KEDSA), a recently developed synchrotron-based technique, utilizes monochromatic radiation and allows acquisition of high-quality angiography images after intravenous administration of contrast agent. We tested KEDSA for its suitability for intravenous cerebral angiography in an animal model. Adult male New Zealand rabbits were subjected to either angiography with conventional x-ray equipment or synchrotron-based intravenous KEDSA, using an iodine-based contrast agent. Angiography with conventional x-ray equipment after intra-arterial administration of contrast agent demonstrated the major intracranial vessels but no smaller branches. KEDSA was able to visualize the major intracranial vessels as well as smaller branches in both radiography mode (planar images) and tomography mode. Visualization was achieved with as little as 0.5 ml kg -1 of iodinated contrast material. We were able to obtain excellent visualization of the cerebral vasculature in an animal model using intravenous injection of contrast material, using synchrotron-based KEDSA

Intrinsic respiratory gating in small-animal CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartling, Soenke H.; Dinkel, Julien; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Stiller, Wolfram; Semmler, Wolfhard; Grasruck, Michael; Madisch, Ijad; Gupta, Rajiv; Kiessling, Fabian

2008-01-01

Gating in small-animal CT imaging can compensate artefacts caused by physiological motion during scanning. However, all published gating approaches for small animals rely on additional hardware to derive the gating signals. In contrast, in this study a novel method of intrinsic respiratory gating of rodents was developed and tested for mice (n=5), rats (n=5) and rabbits (n=2) in a flat-panel cone-beam CT system. In a consensus read image quality was compared with that of non-gated and retrospective extrinsically gated scans performed using a pneumatic cushion. In comparison to non-gated images, image quality improved significantly using intrinsic and extrinsic gating. Delineation of diaphragm and lung structure improved in all animals. Image quality of intrinsically gated CT was judged to be equivalent to extrinsically gated ones. Additionally 4D datasets were calculated using both gating methods. Values for expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes determined with the two gating methods were comparable and correlated well with values known from the literature. We could show that intrinsic respiratory gating in rodents makes additional gating hardware and preparatory efforts superfluous. This method improves image quality and allows derivation of functional data. Therefore it bears the potential to find wide applications in small-animal CT imaging. (orig.)

[Application of paramunity inducers in small animal practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Proksch, A L; Hartmann, K

2016-01-01

Paramunity inducers have been used to treat small animals for decades. Paramunity inducers are based on attenuated and inactivated poxviruses (avipox virus and parapox virus). Their applications include both therapeutic and prophylactic use in various diseases. Despite their wide and variable use, only a very small number of placebo-controlled studies has been published. Positive effects in preventing kitten mortality and in treating feline stomatitis have been reported, however, no statistically significant effect of their therapeutic use in canine parvovirus infection, feline leukemia infection virus infection or canine papillomavirus infection could be demonstrated. For these infectious diseases, paramunity inducers do not appear to be effective.

A clinical gamma camera-based pinhole collimated system for high resolution small animal SPECT imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mejia, J.; Galvis-Alonso, O.Y., E-mail: mejia_famerp@yahoo.com.b [Faculdade de Medicina de Sao Jose do Rio Preto (FAMERP), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Biologia Molecular; Castro, A.A. de; Simoes, M.V. [Faculdade de Medicina de Sao Jose do Rio Preto (FAMERP), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Clinica Medica; Leite, J.P. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMRP/USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Medicina. Dept. de Neurociencias e Ciencias do Comportamento; Braga, J. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Div. de Astrofisica

2010-11-15

The main objective of the present study was to upgrade a clinical gamma camera to obtain high resolution tomographic images of small animal organs. The system is based on a clinical gamma camera to which we have adapted a special-purpose pinhole collimator and a device for positioning and rotating the target based on a computer-controlled step motor. We developed a software tool to reconstruct the target's three-dimensional distribution of emission from a set of planar projections, based on the maximum likelihood algorithm. We present details on the hardware and software implementation. We imaged phantoms and heart and kidneys of rats. When using pinhole collimators, the spatial resolution and sensitivity of the imaging system depend on parameters such as the detector-to-collimator and detector-to-target distances and pinhole diameter. In this study, we reached an object voxel size of 0.6 mm and spatial resolution better than 2.4 and 1.7 mm full width at half maximum when 1.5- and 1.0-mm diameter pinholes were used, respectively. Appropriate sensitivity to study the target of interest was attained in both cases. Additionally, we show that as few as 12 projections are sufficient to attain good quality reconstructions, a result that implies a significant reduction of acquisition time and opens the possibility for radiotracer dynamic studies. In conclusion, a high resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system was developed using a commercial clinical gamma camera, allowing the acquisition of detailed volumetric images of small animal organs. This type of system has important implications for research areas such as Cardiology, Neurology or Oncology. (author)

Prevalence and pattern of small animal orthopaedic conditions at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Small animal orthopaedic case records of a 20-year period were surveyed to obtain the prevalence and pattern of orthopaedic conditions presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with the objective of providing data for planning on small animal healthcare facilities, policy ...

Preliminary Experience with Small Animal SPECT Imaging on Clinical Gamma Cameras

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Aguiar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The traditional lack of techniques suitable for in vivo imaging has induced a great interest in molecular imaging for preclinical research. Nevertheless, its use spreads slowly due to the difficulties in justifying the high cost of the current dedicated preclinical scanners. An alternative for lowering the costs is to repurpose old clinical gamma cameras to be used for preclinical imaging. In this paper we assess the performance of a portable device, that is, working coupled to a single-head clinical gamma camera, and we present our preliminary experience in several small animal applications. Our findings, based on phantom experiments and animal studies, provided an image quality, in terms of contrast-noise trade-off, comparable to dedicated preclinical pinhole-based scanners. We feel that our portable device offers an opportunity for recycling the widespread availability of clinical gamma cameras in nuclear medicine departments to be used in small animal SPECT imaging and we hope that it can contribute to spreading the use of preclinical imaging within institutions on tight budgets.

Frequency domain fluorescence diffuse tomography of small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Orlova, Anna G.; Turchin, Ilya V.; Kamensky, Vladislav A.; Plehanov, Vladimir I.; Balalaeva, Irina V.; Sergeeva, Ekaterina A.; Shirmanova, Marina V.; Kleshnin, Michail S.

2007-05-01

Fluorescent compounds for selective cancer cell marking are used for development of novel medical diagnostic methods, investigation of the influence of external factors on tumor growth, regress and metastasis. Only special tools for turbid media imaging, such as optical diffusion tomography permit noninvasive monitoring of fluorescent-labeled tumor alterations deep in animal tissue. In this work, the results of preliminary experiments utilizing frequency-domain fluorescent diffusion tomography (FD FDT) experimental setup in small animal are presented. Low-frequency modulated light (1 kHz) from Nd:YAG laser with second harmonic generation at the wavelength of 532 nm was used in the setup. The transilluminative planar configuration was used in the setup. A series of model experiments has been conducted and show good agreement between theoretical and experimental fluorescence intensity. Models of deep tumors were created by two methods: (1) glass capsules containing fluorophore solution were inserted into esophagus of small animals to simulate marked tumors; (2) a suspension of transfected HEΚ293-Turbo-RFP cells was subcutaneously injected to small animal. The conducted experiments have shown that FD FDT allows one to detect the presence of labeled tumor cells in small animals, to determine the volume of an experimental tumor, to perform 3D tumor reconstruction, as well as to conduct monitoring investigations. The obtained results demonstrate the potential capability of the FD FDT method for noninvasive whole-body imaging in cancer studies, diagnostics and therapy.

Accuracy and Radiation Dose of CT-Based Attenuation Correction for Small Animal PET: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ching-Ching; Chan, Kai-Chieh

2013-06-01

-Small animal PET allows qualitative assessment and quantitative measurement of biochemical processes in vivo, but the accuracy and reproducibility of imaging results can be affected by several parameters. The first aim of this study was to investigate the performance of different CT-based attenuation correction strategies and assess the resulting impact on PET images. The absorbed dose in different tissues caused by scanning procedures was also discussed to minimize biologic damage generated by radiation exposure due to PET/CT scanning. A small animal PET/CT system was modeled based on Monte Carlo simulation to generate imaging results and dose distribution. Three energy mapping methods, including the bilinear scaling method, the dual-energy method and the hybrid method which combines the kVp conversion and the dual-energy method, were investigated comparatively through assessing the accuracy of estimating linear attenuation coefficient at 511 keV and the bias introduced into PET quantification results due to CT-based attenuation correction. Our results showed that the hybrid method outperformed the bilinear scaling method, while the dual-energy method achieved the highest accuracy among the three energy mapping methods. Overall, the accuracy of PET quantification results have similar trend as that for the estimation of linear attenuation coefficients, whereas the differences between the three methods are more obvious in the estimation of linear attenuation coefficients than in the PET quantification results. With regards to radiation exposure from CT, the absorbed dose ranged between 7.29-45.58 mGy for 50-kVp scan and between 6.61-39.28 mGy for 80-kVp scan. For 18 F radioactivity concentration of 1.86x10 5 Bq/ml, the PET absorbed dose was around 24 cGy for tumor with a target-to-background ratio of 8. The radiation levels for CT scans are not lethal to the animal, but concurrent use of PET in longitudinal study can increase the risk of biological effects. The

Recommendations on vaccination for Asian small animal practitioners: a report of the WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Day, M J; Karkare, U; Schultz, R D; Squires, R; Tsujimoto, H

2015-02-01

-core vaccines to adult animals, with little understanding that "herd immunity" is more important than frequent revaccination of individual animals within the population. In this paper, the VGG presents the findings of this project and makes key recommendations for the Asian countries. The VGG recommends that (1) Asian veterinary schools review and increase as needed the amount of instruction in small animal vaccinology within their undergraduate curriculum and increase the availability of pertinent postgraduate education for practitioners; (2) national small animal veterinary associations, industry veterinarians and academic experts work together to improve the scientific evidence base concerning small animal infectious diseases and vaccination in their countries; (3) national small animal veterinary associations take leadership in providing advice to practitioners based on improved local knowledge and global vaccination guidelines; (4) licensing authorities use this enhanced evidence base to inform and support the registration of improved vaccine product ranges for use in their countries, ideally with DOI for core vaccines similar or equal to those of equivalent products available in western countries (i.e. 3 or 4 years). The VGG also endorses the efforts made by Asian governments, non-governmental organisations and veterinary practitioners in working towards the goal of global elimination of canine rabies virus infection. In this paper, the VGG offers both a current pragmatic and future aspirational approach to small animal vaccination in Asia. As part of this project, the VGG delivered continuing education to over 800 Asian practitioners at seven events in four countries. Accompanying this document is a list of 80 frequently asked questions (with answers) that arose during these discussions. The VGG believes that this information will be of particular value to Asian veterinarians as they move towards implementing global trends in small companion animal vaccinology. © 2014

Integration of optical imaging with a small animal irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weersink, Robert A.; Ansell, Steve; Wang, An; Wilson, Graham; Shah, Duoaud; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The authors describe the integration of optical imaging with a targeted small animal irradiator device, focusing on design, instrumentation, 2D to 3D image registration, 2D targeting, and the accuracy of recovering and mapping the optical signal to a 3D surface generated from the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. The integration of optical imaging will improve targeting of the radiation treatment and offer longitudinal tracking of tumor response of small animal models treated using the system. Methods: The existing image-guided small animal irradiator consists of a variable kilovolt (peak) x-ray tube mounted opposite an aSi flat panel detector, both mounted on a c-arm gantry. The tube is used for both CBCT imaging and targeted irradiation. The optical component employs a CCD camera perpendicular to the x-ray treatment/imaging axis with a computer controlled filter for spectral decomposition. Multiple optical images can be acquired at any angle as the gantry rotates. The optical to CBCT registration, which uses a standard pinhole camera model, was modeled and tested using phantoms with markers visible in both optical and CBCT images. Optically guided 2D targeting in the anterior/posterior direction was tested on an anthropomorphic mouse phantom with embedded light sources. The accuracy of the mapping of optical signal to the CBCT surface was tested using the same mouse phantom. A surface mesh of the phantom was generated based on the CBCT image and optical intensities projected onto the surface. The measured surface intensity was compared to calculated surface for a point source at the actual source position. The point-source position was also optimized to provide the closest match between measured and calculated intensities, and the distance between the optimized and actual source positions was then calculated. This process was repeated for multiple wavelengths and sources. Results: The optical to CBCT registration error was 0.8 mm. Two

Data base on animal mortality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, T.D.

1987-01-01

A data base on animal mortality has been compiled. The literature on LD 50 and the dose-response function for radiation-induced lethality, reflect several inconsistencies - primarily due to dose assignments and to analytical methods and/or mathematical models used. Thus, in order to make the individual experiments which were included in the data base as consistent as possible, an estimate of the uniform dose received by the bone marrow in each treatment group was made so that the interspecies differences are minimized. The LD 50 was recalculated using a single estimation procedure for all studies for which sufficient experimental data are available. For small animals such as mice, the dose to the hematopoietic system is approximately equal to the treatment dose, but for large animals the marrow dose may be about half of the treatment dose

Low cost venom extractor based on Arduino(®) board for electrical venom extraction from arthropods and other small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Besson, Thomas; Debayle, Delphine; Diochot, Sylvie; Salinas, Miguel; Lingueglia, Eric

2016-08-01

Extracting venom from small species is usually challenging. We describe here an affordable and versatile electrical venom extractor based on the Arduino(®) Mega 2560 Board, which is designed to extract venom from arthropods and other small animals. The device includes fine tuning of stimulation time and voltage. It was used to collect venom without apparent deleterious effects, and characterized for the first time the venom of Zoropsis spinimana, a common spider in French Mediterranean regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SiliPET: Design of an ultra-high resolution small animal PET scanner based on stacks of semi-conductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesca, N.; Auricchio, N.; Di Domenico, G.; Zavattini, G.; Malaguti, R.; Andritschke, R.; Kanbach, G.; Schopper, F.

2007-01-01

We studied with Monte Carlo simulations, using the EGSnrc code, a new scanner for small animal positron emission tomography (PET), based on stacks of double-sided semiconductor detectors. Each stack is composed of planar detectors with dimension 70x60x1 mm 3 and orthogonal strips on both sides with 500 μm pitch to read the two interaction coordinates, the third being the detector number in the stack. Multiple interactions in a stack are discarded. In this way, we achieve a precise determination of the first interaction point of the two 511 keV photons. The reduced dimensions of the scanner also improve the solid angle coverage resulting in a high sensitivity. Preliminary results of scanners based on Si planar detectors are presented and the initial tomographic reconstructions demonstrate very good spatial resolution limited only by the positron range. This suggests that, this is a promising new approach for small animal PET imaging. We are testing some double-sided silicon detectors, equipped with 128 orthogonal p and n strips on opposite sides using VATAGP3 ASIC by IDEAS

Performance evaluation of a mouse-sized camera for dynamic studies in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George; Majewski, Stan; Wojcik, Randy; Weisenberger, Andrew; Sakellios, Nicolas; Nikita, Konstantina; Uzunoglu, Nikolaos; Bouziotis, Penelope; Varvarigou, Alexandra

2007-01-01

A mouse sized camera has been built in terms of collaboration between the presenting institutions. The system is used for the performance of dynamic studies in small animals, in order to evaluate novel radiopharmaceuticals. The active area of the detector is approximately 48x96 mm allowing depiction of the entire mouse in a single view. The system is based on two flat-panel Hamamatsu H8500 position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMT), a pixellated NaI(Tl) scintillator and a copper-beryllium (CuBe) parallel-hole collimator. In this work, the evaluation results of the system are presented, using phantoms and small animals injected with conventional radiophrmaceuticals. Average resolution was ∼1.6 mm on the collimator surface and increased to ∼4.1 mm in 12 cm distance from the detector. The average energy resolution was measured and found to be ∼15.6% for Tc 99m . Results from imaging thin capillaries demonstrated system's high resolution and sensitivity in activity variations was shown. Initial dynamic studies have been carried out in small animals injected with Tc 99m -DTPA and Tc 99m -MDP. The results show system's ability to perform kinetic imaging in small animals

Cone Beam X-Ray Luminescence Tomography Imaging Based on KA-FEM Method for Small Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dongmei; Meng, Fanzhen; Zhao, Fengjun; Xu, Cao

2016-01-01

Cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography can realize fast X-ray luminescence tomography imaging with relatively low scanning time compared with narrow beam X-ray luminescence tomography. However, cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography suffers from an ill-posed reconstruction problem. First, the feasibility of experiments with different penetration and multispectra in small animal has been tested using nanophosphor material. Then, the hybrid reconstruction algorithm with KA-FEM method has been applied in cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography for small animals to overcome the ill-posed reconstruction problem, whose advantage and property have been demonstrated in fluorescence tomography imaging. The in vivo mouse experiment proved the feasibility of the proposed method.

Prototype design of singles processing unit for the small animal PET

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, P.; Zhao, L.; Lu, J.; Li, B.; Dong, R.; Liu, S.; An, Q.

2018-05-01

Position Emission Tomography (PET) is an advanced clinical diagnostic imaging technique for nuclear medicine. Small animal PET is increasingly used for studying the animal model of disease, new drugs and new therapies. A prototype of Singles Processing Unit (SPU) for a small animal PET system was designed to obtain the time, energy, and position information. The energy and position is actually calculated through high precison charge measurement, which is based on amplification, shaping, A/D conversion and area calculation in digital signal processing domian. Analysis and simulations were also conducted to optimize the key parameters in system design. Initial tests indicate that the charge and time precision is better than 3‰ FWHM and 350 ps FWHM respectively, while the position resolution is better than 3.5‰ FWHM. Commination tests of the SPU prototype with the PET detector indicate that the system time precision is better than 2.5 ns, while the flood map and energy spectra concored well with the expected.

Semiautomated analysis of small-animal PET data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Adam L; Dahlbom, Magnus; Huang, Sung-Cheng; Hsueh, Wei-Ann; Pio, Betty S; Czernin, Johannes; Kreissl, Michael; Wu, Hsiao-Ming; Silverman, Daniel H S

2006-07-01

The objective of the work reported here was to develop and test automated methods to calculate biodistribution of PET tracers using small-animal PET images. After developing software that uses visually distinguishable organs and other landmarks on a scan to semiautomatically coregister a digital mouse phantom with a small-animal PET scan, we elastically transformed the phantom to conform to those landmarks in 9 simulated scans and in 18 actual PET scans acquired of 9 mice. Tracer concentrations were automatically calculated in 22 regions of interest (ROIs) reflecting the whole body and 21 individual organs. To assess the accuracy of this approach, we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of simulated PET scans with the known activities, and we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of real PET scans both with manually established ROI activities in original scan data and with actual radioactivity content in immediately harvested tissues of imaged animals. PET/atlas coregistrations were successfully generated with minimal end-user input, allowing rapid quantification of 22 separate tissue ROIs. The simulated scan analysis found the method to be robust with respect to the overall size and shape of individual animal scans, with average activity values for all organs tested falling within the range of 98% +/- 3% of the organ activity measured in the unstretched phantom scan. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) measured from actual PET scans using this semiautomated method correlated reasonably well with radioactivity content measured in harvested organs (median r = 0.94) and compared favorably with conventional SUV correlations with harvested organ data (median r = 0.825). A semiautomated analytic approach involving coregistration of scan-derived images with atlas-type images can be used in small-animal whole-body radiotracer studies to estimate radioactivity concentrations in organs. This approach is rapid and less labor intensive than are

State-of-the-art of small animal imaging with high-resolution SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolaus, S.; Wirrwar, A.; Antke, C.; Kley, K.; Mueller, H.W.

2005-01-01

During the recent years, in vivo imaging of small animals using SPECT has become of growing relevance. Along with the development of dedicated high-resolution small animal SPECT cameras, an increasing number of conventional clinical scanners has been equipped with single or multipinhole collimators. This paper reviews the small animal tomographs, which are operating at present and compares their performance characteristics. Furthermore, we describe the in vivo imaging studies, which have been performed so far with the individual scanners and survey current approaches to optimize molecular imaging with small animal SPECT. (orig.)

Near Field UHF RFID Antenna System Enabling the Tracking of Small Laboratory Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Catarinucci

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Radio frequency identification (RFID technology is more and more adopted in a wide range of applicative scenarios. In many cases, such as the tracking of small-size living animals for behaviour analysis purposes, the straightforward use of commercial solutions does not ensure adequate performance. Consequently, both RFID hardware and the control software should be tailored for the particular application. In this work, a novel RFID-based approach enabling an effective localization and tracking of small-sized laboratory animals is proposed. It is mainly based on a UHF Near Field RFID multiantenna system, to be placed under the animals’ cage, and able to rigorously identify the NF RFID tags implanted in laboratory animals (e.g., mice. Once the requirements of the reader antenna have been individuated, the antenna system has been designed and realized. Moreover, an algorithm based on the measured Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI aiming at removing potential ambiguities in data captured by the multiantenna system has been developed and integrated. The animal tracking system has been largely tested on phantom mice in order to verify its ability to precisely localize each subject and to reconstruct its path. The achieved and discussed results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking system.

Molecular imaging of small animals with dedicated PET tomographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatziioannou, A.F.

2002-01-01

Biological discovery has moved at an accelerated pace in recent years, with a considerable focus on the transition from in vitro to in vivo models. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the need to adapt clinical imaging methods, as well as for novel imaging technologies for biological research. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical imaging modality that permits the use of positron-labeled molecular imaging probes for non-invasive assays of biochemical processes. The imaging procedure can be repeatedly performed before and after interventions, thereby allowing each animal to be used as its own control. Positron-labeled compounds that target a range of molecular targets have been and continue to be synthesized, with examples of biological processes ranging from receptors and synthesis of transmitters in cell communication, to metabolic processes and gene expression. In animal research, PET has been used extensively in the past for studies of non-human primates and other larger animals. New detector technology has improved spatial resolution, and has made possible PET scanning for the study of the most important modern molecular biology model, the laboratory mouse. This paper presents the challenges facing PET technology as applied to small animal imaging, provides a historical overview of the development of small animal PET systems, and discusses the current state of the art in small animal PET technology. (orig.)

Theoretical considerations on maximum running speeds for large and small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Mauricio A

2016-02-07

Mechanical equations for fast running speeds are presented and analyzed. One of the equations and its associated model predict that animals tend to experience larger mechanical stresses in their limbs (muscles, tendons and bones) as a result of larger stride lengths, suggesting a structural restriction entailing the existence of an absolute maximum possible stride length. The consequence for big animals is that an increasingly larger body mass implies decreasing maximal speeds, given that the stride frequency generally decreases for increasingly larger animals. Another restriction, acting on small animals, is discussed only in preliminary terms, but it seems safe to assume from previous studies that for a given range of body masses of small animals, those which are bigger are faster. The difference between speed scaling trends for large and small animals implies the existence of a range of intermediate body masses corresponding to the fastest animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nigerian Veterinary Journal The record of J 14small animal trauma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

base for the establishment of protocols for trauma patient care. Trauma cases ranked first and accounted fOT46.3% of all small animal surgical cases presented during the period. Species involvement markedly favoured the canine species. Incidence of trauma was significantly higher (1)<0.05) in males (60.5%) and younger.

Absolute quantitative total-body small-animal SPECT with focusing pinholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Chao; Have, Frans van der; Vastenhouw, Brendan; Beekman, Freek J.; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O.; Paans, Anne M.J.

2010-01-01

In pinhole SPECT, attenuation of the photon flux on trajectories between source and pinholes affects quantitative accuracy of reconstructed images. Previously we introduced iterative methods that compensate for image degrading effects of detector and pinhole blurring, pinhole sensitivity and scatter for multi-pinhole SPECT. The aim of this paper is (1) to investigate the accuracy of the Chang algorithm in rodents and (2) to present a practical Chang-based method using body outline contours obtained with optical cameras. Here we develop and experimentally validate a practical method for attenuation correction based on a Chang first-order method. This approach has the advantage that it is employed after, and therefore independently from, iterative reconstruction. Therefore, no new system matrix has to be calculated for each specific animal. Experiments with phantoms and animals were performed with a high-resolution focusing multi-pinhole SPECT system (U-SPECT-II, MILabs, The Netherlands). This SPECT system provides three additional optical camera images of the animal for each SPECT scan from which the animal contour can be estimated. Phantom experiments demonstrated that an average quantification error of -18.7% was reduced to -1.7% when both window-based scatter correction and Chang correction based on the body outline from optical images were applied. Without scatter and attenuation correction, quantification errors in a sacrificed rat containing sources with known activity ranged from -23.6 to -9.3%. These errors were reduced to values between -6.3 and +4.3% (with an average magnitude of 2.1%) after applying scatter and Chang attenuation correction. We conclude that the modified Chang correction based on body contour combined with window-based scatter correction is a practical method for obtaining small-animal SPECT images with high quantitative accuracy. (orig.)

Computer-aided pulmonary image analysis in small animal models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Ziyue; Mansoor, Awais; Mollura, Daniel J. [Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 32892 (United States); Bagci, Ulas, E-mail: ulasbagci@gmail.com [Center for Research in Computer Vision (CRCV), University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, Florida 32816 (United States); Kramer-Marek, Gabriela [The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW7 3RP (United Kingdom); Luna, Brian [Microfluidic Laboratory Automation, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-2715 (United States); Kubler, Andre [Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Dey, Bappaditya; Jain, Sanjay [Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 (United States); Foster, Brent [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95817 (United States); Papadakis, Georgios Z. [Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 32892 (United States); Camp, Jeremy V. [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (United States); Jonsson, Colleen B. [National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States); Bishai, William R. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815 and Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 (United States); Udupa, Jayaram K. [Medical Image Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2015-07-15

Purpose: To develop an automated pulmonary image analysis framework for infectious lung diseases in small animal models. Methods: The authors describe a novel pathological lung and airway segmentation method for small animals. The proposed framework includes identification of abnormal imaging patterns pertaining to infectious lung diseases. First, the authors’ system estimates an expected lung volume by utilizing a regression function between total lung capacity and approximated rib cage volume. A significant difference between the expected lung volume and the initial lung segmentation indicates the presence of severe pathology, and invokes a machine learning based abnormal imaging pattern detection system next. The final stage of the proposed framework is the automatic extraction of airway tree for which new affinity relationships within the fuzzy connectedness image segmentation framework are proposed by combining Hessian and gray-scale morphological reconstruction filters. Results: 133 CT scans were collected from four different studies encompassing a wide spectrum of pulmonary abnormalities pertaining to two commonly used small animal models (ferret and rabbit). Sensitivity and specificity were greater than 90% for pathological lung segmentation (average dice similarity coefficient > 0.9). While qualitative visual assessments of airway tree extraction were performed by the participating expert radiologists, for quantitative evaluation the authors validated the proposed airway extraction method by using publicly available EXACT’09 data set. Conclusions: The authors developed a comprehensive computer-aided pulmonary image analysis framework for preclinical research applications. The proposed framework consists of automatic pathological lung segmentation and accurate airway tree extraction. The framework has high sensitivity and specificity; therefore, it can contribute advances in preclinical research in pulmonary diseases.

The motivations and methodology for high-throughput PET imaging of small animals in cancer research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aide, Nicolas [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Nuclear Medicine Department, Caen Cedex (France); Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Visser, Eric P. [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Lheureux, Stephanie [Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Heutte, Natacha [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Szanda, Istvan [King' s College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London (United Kingdom); Hicks, Rodney J. [Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Centre for Molecular Imaging, East Melbourne (Australia)

2012-09-15

Over the last decade, small-animal PET imaging has become a vital platform technology in cancer research. With the development of molecularly targeted therapies and drug combinations requiring evaluation of different schedules, the number of animals to be imaged within a PET experiment has increased. This paper describes experimental design requirements to reach statistical significance, based on the expected change in tracer uptake in treated animals as compared to the control group, the number of groups that will be imaged, and the expected intra-animal variability for a given tracer. We also review how high-throughput studies can be performed in dedicated small-animal PET, high-resolution clinical PET systems and planar positron imaging systems by imaging more than one animal simultaneously. Customized beds designed to image more than one animal in large-bore small-animal PET scanners are described. Physics issues related to the presence of several rodents within the field of view (i.e. deterioration of spatial resolution and sensitivity as the radial and the axial offsets increase, respectively, as well as a larger effect of attenuation and the number of scatter events), which can be assessed by using the NEMA NU 4 image quality phantom, are detailed. (orig.)

Model-Based Normalization of a Fractional-Crystal Collimator for Small-Animal PET Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S; Metzler, Scott D

2017-05-01

Previously, we proposed to use a coincidence collimator to achieve fractional-crystal resolution in PET imaging. We have designed and fabricated a collimator prototype for a small-animal PET scanner, A-PET. To compensate for imperfections in the fabricated collimator prototype, collimator normalization, as well as scanner normalization, is required to reconstruct quantitative and artifact-free images. In this study, we develop a normalization method for the collimator prototype based on the A-PET normalization using a uniform cylinder phantom. We performed data acquisition without the collimator for scanner normalization first, and then with the collimator from eight different rotation views for collimator normalization. After a reconstruction without correction, we extracted the cylinder parameters from which we generated expected emission sinograms. Single scatter simulation was used to generate the scattered sinograms. We used the least-squares method to generate the normalization coefficient for each LOR based on measured, expected and scattered sinograms. The scanner and collimator normalization coefficients were factorized by performing two normalizations separately. The normalization methods were also verified using experimental data acquired from A-PET with and without the collimator. In summary, we developed a model-base collimator normalization that can significantly reduce variance and produce collimator normalization with adequate statistical quality within feasible scan time.

Design of a multimodal fibers optic system for small animal optical imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli, Antonello E; Pagliazzi, Marco; Boschi, Federico

2015-02-01

Small animals optical imaging systems are widely used in pre-clinical research to image in vivo the bio-distribution of light emitting probes using fluorescence or bioluminescence modalities. In this work we presented a set of simulated results of a novel small animal optical imaging module based on a fibers optics matrix, coupled with a position sensitive detector, devoted to acquire bioluminescence and Cerenkov images. Simulations were performed using GEANT 4 code with the GAMOS architecture using the tissue optics plugin. Results showed that it is possible to image a 30 × 30 mm region of interest using a fiber optics array containing 100 optical fibers without compromising the quality of the reconstruction. The number of fibers necessary to cover an adequate portion of a small animal is thus quite modest. This design allows integrating the module with magnetic resonance (MR) in order to acquire optical and MR images at the same time. A detailed model of the mouse anatomy, obtained by segmentation of 3D MRI images, will improve the quality of optical 3D reconstruction. Copyright © 2014 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in endoscopic surgery for small animal reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Katic, N; Dupré, G

2016-09-01

Although endoscopic surgery entered its "golden era" in the mid-1980s, it is still advancing at a tremendous pace. Novel surgical techniques and devices are continuously developed and applied, and new indications (and/or contraindications) for the use of endoscopic surgery are routinely reported in the literature and subjected to systematic assessments. Although endoscopic surgery (laparoscopy in particular) has already become established as the gold standard in human medicine, it has yet to be proven as a viable alternative to open surgery in the field of veterinary medicine. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery include better intra-operative visualization, reduced postoperative pain, reduced scar formation and increased postoperative mobility. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the application of this will continue to expand. Small animal reproduction, a field within the broad discipline of veterinary medicine, has already recognized and begun to reap the benefits of endoscopic surgery. Herein, we retrospectively review the most recent successful novel applications of endoscopic surgery in the small animal reproduction system to provide small animal reproductive surgeons with important knowledge to help improve their own veterinarian medical practice. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The therapeutic lamp: treating small-animal phobias.

Science.gov (United States)

Wrzesien, Maja; Alcañiz, Mariano; Botella, Cristina; Burkhardt, Jean-Marie; Bretón-López, Juana; Ortega, Mario; Brotons, Daniel Beneito

2013-01-01

We all have an irrational fear or two. Some of us get scared by an unexpected visit from a spider in our house; others get nervous when they look down from a high building. Fear is an evolutionary and adaptive function that can promote self-preservation and help us deal with the feared object or situation. However, when this state becomes excessive, it might develop into psychological disorders such as phobias, producing high anxiety and affecting everyday life. The Therapeutic Lamp is an interactive projection-based augmented-reality system for treating small-animal phobias. It aims to increase patient-therapist communication, promote more natural interaction, and improve the patient's engagement in the therapy.

Antimicrobial stewardship in small animal veterinary practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guardabassi, Luca; Prescott, John F

2015-01-01

Despite the increasing recognition of the critical role for antimicrobial stewardship in preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, examples of effective antimicrobial stewardship programs are rare in small animal veterinary practice. This article highlights the basic requirements...

Sub-millimetre DOI detector based on monolithic LYSO and digital SiPM for a dedicated small-animal PET system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcinkowski, Radosław; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2016-01-01

The mouse model is widely used in a vast range of biomedical and preclinical studies. Thanks to the ability to detect and quantify biological processes at the molecular level in vivo, PET has become a well-established tool in these investigations. However, the need to visualize and quantify radiopharmaceuticals in anatomic structures of millimetre or less requires good spatial resolution and sensitivity from small-animal PET imaging systems. In previous work we have presented a proof-of-concept of a dedicated high-resolution small-animal PET scanner based on thin monolithic scintillator crystals and Digital Photon Counter photosensor. The combination of thin monolithic crystals and MLE positioning algorithm resulted in an excellent spatial resolution of 0.7 mm uniform in the entire field of view (FOV). However, the limitation of the scanner was its low sensitivity due to small thickness of the lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals (2 mm). Here we present an improved detector design for a small-animal PET system that simultaneously achieves higher sensitivity and sustains a sub-millimetre spatial resolution. The proposed detector consists of a 5 mm thick monolithic LYSO crystal optically coupled to a Digital Photon Counter. Mean nearest neighbour (MNN) positioning combined with depth of interaction (DOI) decoding was employed to achieve sub-millimetre spatial resolution. To evaluate detector performance the intrinsic spatial resolution, energy resolution and coincidence resolving time (CRT) were measured. The average intrinsic spatial resolution of the detector was 0.60 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM). A DOI resolution of 1.66 mm was achieved. The energy resolution was 23% FWHM at 511 keV and CRT of 529 ps were measured. The improved detector design overcomes the sensitivity limitation of the previous design by increasing the nominal sensitivity of the detector block and retains an excellent intrinsic spatial resolution. (paper)

On the surveillance for animal diseases in small herds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greiner, Matthias; Dekker, Aldo

2005-01-01

Small herds may present a problem in surveillance for infectious animal diseases because typical levels of a within-herd design prevalence are not directly applicable. We suggest a definition of small herds as those smaller than 2/(within-herd design prevalence) on the basis that such herds would...... be expected to have less than two (i.e. only one) infected animals. Consequently, the probability of detecting small herds cannot be improved by choosing a larger sample size within the herd. We derive necessary sample sizes of herds and the probability ("confidence") of detecting disease within a stratum...... conservative (lower) estimates of the confidence for a given sample size and should therefore be preferred....

Small animal MRI: clinical MRI as an interface to basic biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinkernelle, J.G.; Stelter, L.; Hamm, B.; Teichgraeber, U.

2008-01-01

The demand for highly resolved small animal MRI for the purpose of biomedical research has increased constantly. Dedicated small animal MRI scanners working at ultra high field strengths from 4.7 to 7.0 T and even above are MRI at its best. However, using high resolution RF coils in clinical scanners up to 3.0 T, small animal MRI can achieve highly resolved images showing excellent tissue contrast. In fact, in abundant experimental studies, clinical MRI is used for small animal imaging. Mostly clinical RF coils in the single-loop design are applied. In addition, custom-built RF coils and even gradient inserts are used in a clinical scanner. For the reduction of moving artifacts, special MRI-compatible animal ECG und respiration devices are available. In conclusion, clinical devices offer broad availability, are less expense in combination with good imaging performance and provide a translational nature of imaging results. (orig.)

Multi-institutional MicroCT image comparison of image-guided small animal irradiators

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Chris D.; Lindsay, Patricia; E Graves, Edward; Wong, Eugene; Perez, Jessica R.; Poirier, Yannick; Ben-Bouchta, Youssef; Kanesalingam, Thilakshan; Chen, Haijian; E Rubinstein, Ashley; Sheng, Ke; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena

2017-07-01

To recommend imaging protocols and establish tolerance levels for microCT image quality assurance (QA) performed on conformal image-guided small animal irradiators. A fully automated QA software SAPA (small animal phantom analyzer) for image analysis of the commercial Shelley micro-CT MCTP 610 phantom was developed, in which quantitative analyses of CT number linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, spatial resolution by means of modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT contrast were performed. Phantom microCT scans from eleven institutions acquired with four image-guided small animal irradiator units (including the commercial PXi X-RAD SmART and Xstrahl SARRP systems) with varying parameters used for routine small animal imaging were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using SAPA, based on which tolerance levels for each QA test were established and imaging protocols for QA were recommended. By analyzing microCT data from 11 institutions, we established image QA tolerance levels for all image quality tests. CT number linearity set to R 2  >  0.990 was acceptable in microCT data acquired at all but three institutions. Acceptable SNR  >  36 and noise levels  1.5 lp mm-1 for MTF  =  0.2) was obtained at all but four institutions due to their large image voxel size used (>0.275 mm). Ten of the eleven institutions passed the set QA tolerance for geometric accuracy (2000 HU for 30 mgI ml-1). We recommend performing imaging QA with 70 kVp, 1.5 mA, 120 s imaging time, 0.20 mm voxel size, and a frame rate of 5 fps for the PXi X-RAD SmART. For the Xstrahl SARRP, we recommend using 60 kVp, 1.0 mA, 240 s imaging time, 0.20 mm voxel size, and 6 fps. These imaging protocols should result in high quality images that pass the set tolerance levels on all systems. Average SAPA computation time for complete QA analysis for a 0.20 mm voxel, 400 slice Shelley phantom microCT data set

High resolution propagation-based imaging system for in vivo dynamic computed tomography of lungs in small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Preissner, M.; Murrie, R. P.; Pinar, I.; Werdiger, F.; Carnibella, R. P.; Zosky, G. R.; Fouras, A.; Dubsky, S.

2018-04-01

We have developed an x-ray imaging system for in vivo four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) of small animals for pre-clinical lung investigations. Our customized laboratory facility is capable of high resolution in vivo imaging at high frame rates. Characterization using phantoms demonstrate a spatial resolution of slightly below 50 μm at imaging rates of 30 Hz, and the ability to quantify material density differences of at least 3%. We benchmark our system against existing small animal pre-clinical CT scanners using a quality factor that combines spatial resolution, image noise, dose and scan time. In vivo 4DCT images obtained on our system demonstrate resolution of important features such as blood vessels and small airways, of which the smallest discernible were measured as 55–60 μm in cross section. Quantitative analysis of the images demonstrate regional differences in ventilation between injured and healthy lungs.

Control of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP for small animal ventilators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leão Nunes Marcelo V

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP for the mechanical ventilation of small animals is frequently obtained with water seals or by using ventilators developed for human use. An alternative mechanism is the use of an on-off expiratory valve closing at the moment when the alveolar pressure is equal to the target PEEP. In this paper, a novel PEEP controller (PEEP-new and the PEEP system of a commercial small-animal ventilator, both based on switching an on-off valve, are evaluated. Methods The proposed PEEP controller is a discrete integrator monitoring the error between the target PEEP and the airways opening pressure prior to the onset of an inspiratory cycle. In vitro as well as in vivo experiments with rats were carried out and the PEEP accuracy, settling time and under/overshoot were considered as a measure of performance. Results The commercial PEEP controller did not pass the tests since it ignores the airways resistive pressure drop, resulting in a PEEP 5 cmH2O greater than the target in most conditions. The PEEP-new presented steady-state errors smaller than 0.5 cmH2O, with settling times below 10 s and under/overshoot smaller than 2 cmH2O. Conclusion The PEEP-new presented acceptable performance, considering accuracy and temporal response. This novel PEEP generator may prove useful in many applications for small animal ventilators.

Prompt gamma-ray imaging for small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Libai

Small animal imaging is recognized as a powerful discovery tool for small animal modeling of human diseases, which is providing an important clue to complete understanding of disease mechanisms and is helping researchers develop and test new treatments. The current small animal imaging techniques include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). A new imaging modality called prompt gamma-ray imaging (PGI) has been identified and investigated primarily by Monte Carlo simulation. Currently it is suggested for use on small animals. This new technique could greatly enhance and extend the present capabilities of PET and SPECT imaging from ingested radioisotopes to the imaging of selected non-radioactive elements, such as Gd, Cd, Hg, and B, and has the great potential to be used in Neutron Cancer Therapy to monitor neutron distribution and neutron-capture agent distribution. This approach consists of irradiating small animals in the thermal neutron beam of a nuclear reactor to produce prompt gamma rays from the elements in the sample by the radiative capture (n, gamma) reaction. These prompt gamma rays are emitted in energies that are characteristic of each element and they are also produced in characteristic coincident chains. After measuring these prompt gamma rays by surrounding spectrometry array, the distribution of each element of interest in the sample is reconstructed from the mapping of each detected signature gamma ray by either electronic collimations or mechanical collimations. In addition, the transmitted neutrons from the beam can be simultaneously used for very sensitive anatomical imaging, which provides the registration for the elemental distributions obtained from PGI. The primary approach is to use Monte Carlo simulation methods either with the specific purpose code CEARCPG, developed at NC State University or with the general purpose

An integrated multimodality image-guided robot system for small-animal imaging research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Wen-Lin; Hsin Wu, Tung; Hsu, Shih-Ming; Chen, Chia-Lin; Lee, Jason J.S.; Huang, Yung-Hui

2011-01-01

We design and construct an image-guided robot system for use in small-animal imaging research. This device allows the use of co-registered small-animal PET-MRI images to guide the movements of robotic controllers, which will accurately place a needle probe at any predetermined location inside, for example, a mouse tumor, for biological readouts without sacrificing the animal. This system is composed of three major components: an automated robot device, a CCD monitoring mechanism, and a multimodality registration implementation. Specifically, the CCD monitoring mechanism was used for correction and validation of the robot device. To demonstrate the value of the proposed system, we performed a tumor hypoxia study that involved FMISO small-animal PET imaging and the delivering of a pO 2 probe into the mouse tumor using the image-guided robot system. During our evaluation, the needle positioning error was found to be within 0.153±0.042 mm of desired placement; the phantom simulation errors were within 0.693±0.128 mm. In small-animal studies, the pO 2 probe measurements in the corresponding hypoxia areas showed good correlation with significant, low tissue oxygen tensions (less than 6 mmHg). We have confirmed the feasibility of the system and successfully applied it to small-animal investigations. The system could be easily adapted to extend to other biomedical investigations in the future.

Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R.

2017-01-01

Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R., E-mail: m_vettorato@hotmail.com [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

2017-11-15

Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

The biological application of small animal PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, Ralph

2001-01-01

The short history of small animal PET is reviewed in the context of its application in the laboratory. Early work has demonstrated a role for the technique in both drug development and in the in vivo monitoring of neuroreceptor function with time. As spatial resolution approaches 1 mm, challenges in quantification remain. However, the ability to carry out animal PET studies that are analogous to human PET will form an important bridge between laboratory and clinical sciences

Experimental task-based optimization of a four-camera variable-pinhole small-animal SPECT system

Science.gov (United States)

Hesterman, Jacob Y.; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Furenlid, Lars R.; Wilson, Donald W.

2005-04-01

We have previously utilized lumpy object models and simulated imaging systems in conjunction with the ideal observer to compute figures of merit for hardware optimization. In this paper, we describe the development of methods and phantoms necessary to validate or experimentally carry out these optimizations. Our study was conducted on a four-camera small-animal SPECT system that employs interchangeable pinhole plates to operate under a variety of pinhole configurations and magnifications (representing optimizable system parameters). We developed a small-animal phantom capable of producing random backgrounds for each image sequence. The task chosen for the study was the detection of a 2mm diameter sphere within the phantom-generated random background. A total of 138 projection images were used, half of which included the signal. As our observer, we employed the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) with Laguerre-Gauss channels. The signal-to-noise (SNR) of this observer was used to compare different system configurations. Results indicate agreement between experimental and simulated data with higher detectability rates found for multiple-camera, multiple-pinhole, and high-magnification systems, although it was found that mixtures of magnifications often outperform systems employing a single magnification. This work will serve as a basis for future studies pertaining to system hardware optimization.

Techniques necessary for multiple tracer quantitative small-animal imaging studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, Terry L.; Dence, Carmen S.; Engelbach, John A.; Herrero, Pilar; Gropler, Robert J.; Welch, Michael J.

2005-01-01

Introduction: An increasing number and variety of studies on rodent models are being conducted using small-animal positron emission tomography scanners. We aimed to determine if animal handling techniques could be developed to perform routine animal imaging in a timely and efficient manner and with minimal effect on animal physiology. These techniques need to be reproducible in the same animal while maintaining hemodynamic and physiological stability. Methods: The necessary techniques include (a) the use of inhalant anesthesia, (b) arterial and venous cannulation for multiple tracer administrations and blood sampling, (c) development of small-volume analytic columns and techniques and (d) measurement of the physiological environment during the imaging session. Results: We provide an example of a cardiac imaging study using four radiotracers ( 15 O-water, 1-[ 11 C]-acetate, 1-[ 11 C]-palmitate and 1-[ 11 C]-glucose) injected into normal rats. Plasma substrates, CO 2 production and total metabolites were measured. The animals remained anesthetized over the entire imaging session, and their physiological state was maintained. Conclusion: The intrastudy stability of the physiological measurements and substrate levels and interstudy reproducibility of the measurements are reported

Technology challenges in small animal PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecomte, Roger

2004-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging modality allowing biochemical processes to be investigated in vivo with sensitivity in the picomolar range. For this reason, PET has the potential to play a major role in the emerging field of molecular imaging by enabling the study of molecular pathways and genetic processes in living animals non-invasively. The challenge is to obtain a spatial resolution that is appropriate for rat and mouse imaging, the preferred animal models for research in biology, while achieving a sensitivity adequate for real-time measurement of rapid dynamic processes in vivo without violating tracer kinetic principles. An overview of the current state of development of dedicated small animal PET scanners is given, and selected applications are reported and discussed with respect to performance and significance to research in biology

Development of a Si-PM-based high-resolution PET system for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Imaizumi, Masao; Watabe, Tadashi; Shimosegawa, Eku; Hatazawa, Jun; Watabe, Hiroshi; Kanai, Yasukazu

2010-01-01

A Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (Si-PM) is a promising photodetector for PET, especially for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, because it has high gain and is less sensitive to a static magnetic field. We developed a Si-PM-based depth-of-interaction (DOI) PET system for small animals. Hamamatsu 4 x 4 Si-PM arrays (S11065-025P) were used for its detector blocks. Two types of LGSO scintillator of 0.75 mol% Ce (decay time: ∼45 ns; 1.1 mm x 1.2 mm x 5 mm) and 0.025 mol% Ce (decay time: ∼31 ns; 1.1 mm x 1.2 mm x 6 mm) were optically coupled in the DOI direction to form a DOI detector, arranged in a 11 x 9 matrix, and optically coupled to the Si-PM array. Pulse shape analysis was used for the DOI detection of these two types of LGSOs. Sixteen detector blocks were arranged in a 68 mm diameter ring to form the PET system. Spatial resolution was 1.6 mm FWHM and sensitivity was 0.6% at the center of the field of view. High-resolution mouse and rat images were successfully obtained using the PET system. We confirmed that the developed Si-PM-based PET system is promising for molecular imaging research.

Management of occupational health risks in small-animal veterinary practices.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Eva; Barraclough, Richard; Fishwick, David; Curran, Andrew

2009-08-01

Small-animal work is a major element of veterinary practice in the UK and may be hazardous, with high levels of work-related injuries and ill-health reported in Australia and USA. There are no studies addressing the management of occupational health risks arising from small-animal work in the UK. To investigate the sources of health and safety information used and how health and safety and 12 specific occupational health risks are managed by practices. A cross-sectional postal survey of all small-animal veterinary practices in Hampshire. A response was mandatory as this was a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) inspection activity. A total of 118 (100%) practices responded of which 93 were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 99 and 86%, respectively, were aware of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) practice standards and had British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) staff members, while only 51% had previous contact with HSE (publications, advice and visit). Ninety per cent had health and safety policies, but only 31% had trained responsible staff in health and safety. Specific health hazards such as occupational allergens and computer use were relatively overlooked both by practices and the RCVS/BSAVA guidance available in 2002. Failings in active health risk management systems could be due to a lack of training to ensure competence in those with responsibilities. Practices rely on guidance produced by their professional bodies. Current RCVS guidance, available since 2005, has remedied some previous omissions, but further improvements are recommended.

First application of liquid-metal-jet sources for small-animal imaging: High-resolution CT and phase-contrast tumor demarcation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsson, Daniel H.; Lundstroem, Ulf; Burvall, Anna; Hertz, Hans M. [Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Albanova, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Westermark, Ulrica K.; Arsenian Henriksson, Marie [Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-02-15

Purpose: Small-animal studies require images with high spatial resolution and high contrast due to the small scale of the structures. X-ray imaging systems for small animals are often limited by the microfocus source. Here, the authors investigate the applicability of liquid-metal-jet x-ray sources for such high-resolution small-animal imaging, both in tomography based on absorption and in soft-tissue tumor imaging based on in-line phase contrast. Methods: The experimental arrangement consists of a liquid-metal-jet x-ray source, the small-animal object on a rotating stage, and an imaging detector. The source-to-object and object-to-detector distances are adjusted for the preferred contrast mechanism. Two different liquid-metal-jet sources are used, one circulating a Ga/In/Sn alloy and the other an In/Ga alloy for higher penetration through thick tissue. Both sources are operated at 40-50 W electron-beam power with {approx}7 {mu}m x-ray spots, providing high spatial resolution in absorption imaging and high spatial coherence for the phase-contrast imaging. Results: High-resolution absorption imaging is demonstrated on mice with CT, showing 50 {mu}m bone details in the reconstructed slices. High-resolution phase-contrast soft-tissue imaging shows clear demarcation of mm-sized tumors at much lower dose than is required in absorption. Conclusions: This is the first application of liquid-metal-jet x-ray sources for whole-body small-animal x-ray imaging. In absorption, the method allows high-resolution tomographic skeletal imaging with potential for significantly shorter exposure times due to the power scalability of liquid-metal-jet sources. In phase contrast, the authors use a simple in-line arrangement to show distinct tumor demarcation of few-mm-sized tumors. This is, to their knowledge, the first small-animal tumor visualization with a laboratory phase-contrast system.

Non-Invasive in vivo Imaging in Small Animal Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Koo

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Non-invasive real time in vivo molecular imaging in small animal models has become the essential bridge between in vitro data and their translation into clinical applications. The tremendous development and technological progress, such as tumour modelling, monitoring of tumour growth and detection of metastasis, has facilitated translational drug development. This has added to our knowledge on carcinogenesis. The modalities that are commonly used include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, Computed Tomography (CT, Positron Emission Tomography (PET, bioluminescence imaging, fluorescence imaging and multi-modality imaging systems. The ability to obtain multiple images longitudinally provides reliable information whilst reducing animal numbers. As yet there is no one modality that is ideal for all experimental studies. This review outlines the instrumentation available together with corresponding applications reported in the literature with particular emphasis on cancer research. Advantages and limitations to current imaging technology are discussed and the issues concerning small animal care during imaging are highlighted.

Hyperpolarized singlet NMR on a small animal imaging system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Christoffer; Pileio, Giuseppe; Tayler, Michael C. D.

2012-01-01

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization makes a significant advance toward overcoming the sensitivity limitations of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, particularly in the case of low-gamma nuclei. The sensitivity may be improved further by storing the hyperpolarization in slowly relaxing singlet...... populations of spin- 1/2 pairs. Here, we report hyperpolarized 13C spin order transferred into and retrieved from singlet spin order using a small animal magnetic resonance imaging scanner. For spins in sites with very similar chemical shifts, singlet spin order is sustained in high magnetic field without...... requiring strong radiofrequency irradiation. The demonstration of robust singlet-to-magnetization conversion, and vice versa, on a small animal scanner, is promising for future in vivo and clinical deployments....

Marketing small animal theriogenology services--one perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, J A

2007-08-01

Once a decision is made to add small animal theriogenology services to a practice, marketing strategies must be developed and implemented to attract clients to the new services. Marketing strategies for the niche market of theriogenology include start-up marketing methods, referral programs, internal marketing, and continued marketing. Marketing theriogenology services is a dynamic, ongoing process that never ends.

Wavelet-based regularization and edge preservation for submillimetre 3D list-mode reconstruction data from a high resolution small animal PET system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jesus Ochoa Dominguez, Humberto de, E-mail: hochoa@uacj.mx [Departamento de Ingenieria Eectrica y Computacion, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Avenida del Charro 450 Norte, C.P. 32310 Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico); Ortega Maynez, Leticia; Osiris Vergara Villegas, Osslan; Gordillo Castillo, Nelly; Guadalupe Cruz Sanchez, Vianey; Gutierrez Casas, Efren David [Departamento de Ingenieria Eectrica y Computacion, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Avenida del Charro 450 Norte, C.P. 32310 Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico)

2011-10-01

The data obtained from a PET system tend to be noisy because of the limitations of the current instrumentation and the detector efficiency. This problem is particularly severe in images of small animals as the noise contaminates areas of interest within small organs. Therefore, denoising becomes a challenging task. In this paper, a novel wavelet-based regularization and edge preservation method is proposed to reduce such noise. To demonstrate this method, image reconstruction using a small mouse {sup 18}F NEMA phantom and a {sup 18}F mouse was performed. Investigation on the effects of the image quality was addressed for each reconstruction case. Results show that the proposed method drastically reduces the noise and preserves the image details.

State of the art in both in vitro and in vivo aspects of small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maziere, B.; Lebars, D.

2002-01-01

Full text: In vivo imaging for small animals is dramatically expanding due to the coincidence of mainly three technical factors: 1. the explosion in computer power 2. the enhancement in image processing 3. the accessibility and affordability of digital autoradiography systems and small-animal scanners. Among these imaging techniques let us mention the anatomical imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, X-rays and IRM and the functional imaging radioisotopic techniques SPECT and TEP. The main advantage of the first group of imaging techniques is essentially linked to the high resolution of the anatomical images (with the drawback of the necessity of putting the animal at rest using anaesthesia). The main advantages of SPECT and PET are their high sensitivity and the vast number of functions or metabolism they allow to image. The applications for isotopic functional imaging in small animals are increasing rapidly. Factors contributing to this dramatic expansion include the three previous technical factors plus, at least, three methodological factors: 1. the drug discovery process based on receptor / mechanism of action 2. the increasing number of rodent models of human diseases (SCID mice implanted with human tumors, gene knock-out mice, transgene mice) 3. the advances in isotope and validated tracer availability performances Small animal radioisotopic functional imaging for drug development. In vivo quantification of biological processes to measure the mechanism of action of a potential drug and its concentration at the site of action has become mandatory for developing a drug. Rational and efficient means of confirming mechanisms of action are required. For this purpose, PET and/or SPECT functional - biochemical - molecular imaging in small animals are tools of choice for economical reasons (in the domain of drug development, industry is suffering huge opportunity costs by failing to weed out non-performing new active substances until late phases II and III) and

Fully automated intrinsic respiratory and cardiac gating for small animal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuntz, J; Baeuerle, T; Semmler, W; Bartling, S H [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Dinkel, J [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Zwick, S [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics, Freiburg University (Germany); Grasruck, M [Siemens Healthcare, Forchheim (Germany); Kiessling, F [Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH-Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen (Germany); Gupta, R [Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)], E-mail: j.kuntz@dkfz.de

2010-04-07

A fully automated, intrinsic gating algorithm for small animal cone-beam CT is described and evaluated. A parameter representing the organ motion, derived from the raw projection images, is used for both cardiac and respiratory gating. The proposed algorithm makes it possible to reconstruct motion-corrected still images as well as to generate four-dimensional (4D) datasets representing the cardiac and pulmonary anatomy of free-breathing animals without the use of electrocardiogram (ECG) or respiratory sensors. Variation analysis of projections from several rotations is used to place a region of interest (ROI) on the diaphragm. The ROI is cranially extended to include the heart. The centre of mass (COM) variation within this ROI, the filtered frequency response and the local maxima are used to derive a binary motion-gating parameter for phase-sensitive gated reconstruction. This algorithm was implemented on a flat-panel-based cone-beam CT scanner and evaluated using a moving phantom and animal scans (seven rats and eight mice). Volumes were determined using a semiautomatic segmentation. In all cases robust gating signals could be obtained. The maximum volume error in phantom studies was less than 6%. By utilizing extrinsic gating via externally placed cardiac and respiratory sensors, the functional parameters (e.g. cardiac ejection fraction) and image quality were equivalent to this current gold standard. This algorithm obviates the necessity of both gating hardware and user interaction. The simplicity of the proposed algorithm enables adoption in a wide range of small animal cone-beam CT scanners.

Attenuation correction for freely moving small animal brain PET studies based on a virtual scanner geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelis, G I; Kyme, A Z; Ryder, W J; Fulton, R R; Meikle, S R

2014-01-01

Attenuation correction in positron emission tomography brain imaging of freely moving animals is a very challenging problem since the torso of the animal is often within the field of view and introduces a non negligible attenuating factor that can degrade the quantitative accuracy of the reconstructed images. In the context of unrestrained small animal imaging, estimation of the attenuation correction factors without the need for a transmission scan is highly desirable. An attractive approach that avoids the need for a transmission scan involves the generation of the hull of the animal’s head based on the reconstructed motion corrected emission images. However, this approach ignores the attenuation introduced by the animal’s torso. In this work, we propose a virtual scanner geometry which moves in synchrony with the animal’s head and discriminates between those events that traversed only the animal’s head (and therefore can be accurately compensated for attenuation) and those that might have also traversed the animal’s torso. For each recorded pose of the animal’s head a new virtual scanner geometry is defined and therefore a new system matrix must be calculated leading to a time-varying system matrix. This new approach was evaluated on phantom data acquired on the microPET Focus 220 scanner using a custom-made phantom and step-wise motion. Results showed that when the animal’s torso is within the FOV and not appropriately accounted for during attenuation correction it can lead to bias of up to 10% . Attenuation correction was more accurate when the virtual scanner was employed leading to improved quantitative estimates (bias < 2%), without the need to account for the attenuation introduced by the extraneous compartment. Although the proposed method requires increased computational resources, it can provide a reliable approach towards quantitatively accurate attenuation correction for freely moving animal studies. (paper)

Hyperspectral small animal fluorescence imaging: spectral selection imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Leavesley, Silas; Jiang, Yanan; Patsekin, Valery; Hall, Heidi; Vizard, Douglas; Robinson, J. Paul

2008-02-01

Molecular imaging is a rapidly growing area of research, fueled by needs in pharmaceutical drug-development for methods for high-throughput screening, pre-clinical and clinical screening for visualizing tumor growth and drug targeting, and a growing number of applications in the molecular biology fields. Small animal fluorescence imaging employs fluorescent probes to target molecular events in vivo, with a large number of molecular targeting probes readily available. The ease at which new targeting compounds can be developed, the short acquisition times, and the low cost (compared to microCT, MRI, or PET) makes fluorescence imaging attractive. However, small animal fluorescence imaging suffers from high optical scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence. Much of these problems can be overcome through multispectral imaging techniques, which collect images at different fluorescence emission wavelengths, followed by analysis, classification, and spectral deconvolution methods to isolate signals from fluorescence emission. We present an alternative to the current method, using hyperspectral excitation scanning (spectral selection imaging), a technique that allows excitation at any wavelength in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range. In many cases, excitation imaging may be more effective at identifying specific fluorescence signals because of the higher complexity of the fluorophore excitation spectrum. Because the excitation is filtered and not the emission, the resolution limit and image shift imposed by acousto-optic tunable filters have no effect on imager performance. We will discuss design of the imager, optimizing the imager for use in small animal fluorescence imaging, and application of spectral analysis and classification methods for identifying specific fluorescence signals.

A 3D high-resolution gamma camera for radiopharmaceutical studies with small animals

CERN Document Server

Loudos, G K; Giokaris, N D; Styliaris, E; Archimandritis, S C; Varvarigou, A D; Papanicolas, C N; Majewski, S; Weisenberger, D; Pani, R; Scopinaro, F; Uzunoglu, N K; Maintas, D; Stefanis, K

2003-01-01

The results of studies conducted with a small field of view tomographic gamma camera based on a Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube are reported. The system has been used for the evaluation of radiopharmaceuticals in small animals. Phantom studies have shown a spatial resolution of 2 mm in planar and 2-3 mm in tomographic imaging. Imaging studies in mice have been carried out both in 2D and 3D. Conventional radiopharmaceuticals have been used and the results have been compared with images from a clinically used system.

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russo, G. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Pisciotta, P., E-mail: pietro.pisciotta@ibfm.cnr.it [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy); Cirrone, G.A.P.; Romano, F. [National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy); Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G.I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Acquaviva, R. [University of Catania, Catania (Italy); Gilardi, M.C. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Cuttone, G. [National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy)

2017-02-21

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, G.; Pisciotta, P.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Romano, F.; Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G. I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V.; Acquaviva, R.; Gilardi, M. C.; Cuttone, G.

2017-02-01

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russo, G.; Pisciotta, P.; Cirrone, G.A.P.; Romano, F.; Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G.I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V.; Acquaviva, R.; Gilardi, M.C.; Cuttone, G.

2017-01-01

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Geo-PET: A novel generic organ-pet for small animal organs and tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Sensoy, Levent

Reconstructed tomographic image resolution of small animal PET imaging systems is improving with advances in radiation detector development. However the trend towards higher resolution systems has come with an increase in price and system complexity. Recent developments in the area of solid-state photomultiplication devices like silicon photomultiplier arrays (SPMA) are creating opportunities for new high performance tools for PET scanner design. Imaging of excised small animal organs and tissues has been used as part of post-mortem studies in order to gain detailed, high-resolution anatomical information on sacrificed animals. However, this kind of ex-vivo specimen imaging has largely been limited to ultra-high resolution muCT. The inherent limitations to PET resolution have, to date, excluded PET imaging from these ex-vivo imaging studies. In this work, we leverage the diminishing physical size of current generation SPMA designs to create a very small, simple, and high-resolution prototype detector system targeting ex-vivo tomographic imaging of small animal organs and tissues. We investigate sensitivity, spatial resolution, and the reconstructed image quality of a prototype small animal PET scanner designed specifically for imaging of excised murine tissue and organs. We aim to demonstrate that a cost-effective silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array based design with thin crystals (2 mm) to minimize depth of interaction errors might be able to achieve sub-millimeter resolution. We hypothesize that the substantial decrease in sensitivity associated with the thin crystals can be compensated for with increased solid angle detection, longer acquisitions, higher activity and wider acceptance energy windows (due to minimal scatter from excised organs). The constructed system has a functional field of view (FoV) of 40 mm diameter, which is adequate for most small animal specimen studies. We perform both analytical (3D-FBP) and iterative (ML-EM) methods in order to

Technical note - Considerations for MR imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, Martin A.

2011-01-01

Routine clinical veterinary use of MR scanning is becoming more common. This article addresses the major technical considerations for radiographers performing MR examinations on small animals and provides practical advice for scanning techniques.

Dry coupling for whole-body small-animal photoacoustic computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Chenghung; Li, Lei; Zhu, Liren; Xia, Jun; Li, Chiye; Chen, Wanyi; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

2017-04-01

We have enhanced photoacoustic computed tomography with dry acoustic coupling that eliminates water immersion anxiety and wrinkling of the animal and facilitates incorporating complementary modalities and procedures. The dry acoustic coupler is made of a tubular elastic membrane enclosed by a closed transparent water tank. The tubular membrane ensures water-free contact with the animal, and the closed water tank allows pressurization for animal stabilization. The dry coupler was tested using a whole-body small-animal ring-shaped photoacoustic computed tomography system. Dry coupling was found to provide image quality comparable to that of conventional water coupling.

Adapting Animal-Assisted Therapy Trials to Prison-Based Animal Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, Molly; Ramaswamy, Megha

2016-09-01

Prison-based animal programs have shown promise when it comes to increased sociability, responsibility, and levels of patience for inmates who participate in these programs. Yet there remains a dearth of scientific research that demonstrates the impact of prison-based animal programs on inmates' physical and mental health. Trials of animal-assisted therapy interventions, a form of human-animal interaction therapy most often used with populations affected by depression/anxiety, mental illness, and trauma, may provide models of how prison-based animal program research can have widespread implementation in jail and prison settings, whose populations have high rates of mental health problems. This paper reviews the components of prison-based animal programs most commonly practiced in prisons today, presents five animal-assisted therapy case studies, evaluates them based on their adaptability to prison-based animal programs, and discusses the institutional constraints that act as barriers for rigorous prison-based animal program research implementation. This paper can serve to inform the development of a research approach to animal-assisted therapy that nurses and other public health researchers can use in working with correctional populations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dynamic studies of small animals with a four-color diffuse optical tomography imager

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitz, Christoph H.; Graber, Harry L.; Pei Yaling; Farber, Mark; Stewart, Mark; Levina, Rita D.; Levin, Mikhail B.; Xu Yong; Barbour, Randall L.

2005-01-01

We present newly developed instrumentation for full-tomographic four-wavelength, continuous wave, diffuse optical tomography (DOT) imaging on small animals. A small-animal imaging stage was constructed, from materials compatible with in-magnet studies, which offers stereotaxic fixation of the animal and precise, stable probe positioning. Instrument performance, based on calibration and phantom studies, demonstrates excellent long-term signal stability. DOT measurements of the functional rat brain response to electric paw stimulation are presented, and these demonstrate high data quality and excellent sensitivity to hemodynamic changes. A general linear model analysis on individual trials is used to localize and quantify the occurrence of functional behavior associated with the different hemoglobin state responses. Statistical evaluation of outcomes of individual trials is employed to identify significant regional response variations for different stimulation sites. Image results reveal a diffuse cortical response and a strong reaction of the thalamus, both indicative of activation of pain pathways by the stimulation. In addition, a weaker lateralized functional component is observed in the brain response, suggesting presence of motor activation. An important outcome of the experiment is that it shows that reactions to individual provocations can be monitored, without having to resort to signal averaging. Thus the described technology may be useful for studies of long-term trends in hemodynamic response, as would occur, for example, in behavioral studies involving freely moving animals

Application of MOSFET detectors for dosimetry in small animal radiography using short exposure times.

Science.gov (United States)

De Lin, Ming; Toncheva, Greta; Nguyen, Giao; Kim, Sangroh; Anderson-Evans, Colin; Johnson, G Allan; Yoshizumi, Terry T

2008-08-01

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) X-ray imaging for small animals can be used for functional phenotyping given its ability to capture rapid physiological changes at high spatial and temporal resolution. The higher temporal and spatial requirements for small-animal imaging drive the need for short, high-flux X-ray pulses. However, high doses of ionizing radiation can affect the physiology. The purpose of this study was to verify and apply metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology to dosimetry for small-animal diagnostic imaging. A tungsten anode X-ray source was used to expose a tissue-equivalent mouse phantom. Dose measurements were made on the phantom surface and interior. The MOSFETs were verified with thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the MOSFET results agreed with the TLD results (bias, 0.0625). Using typical small animal DSA scan parameters, the dose ranged from 0.7 to 2.2 cGy. Application of the MOSFETs in the small animal environment provided two main benefits: (1) the availability of results in near real-time instead of the hours needed for TLD processes and (2) the ability to support multiple exposures with different X-ray techniques (various of kVp, mA and ms) using the same MOSFET. This MOSFET technology has proven to be a fast, reliable small animal dosimetry method for DSA imaging and is a good system for dose monitoring for serial and gene expression studies.

9.4 T small animal MRI using clinical components for direct translational studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Felder, Jörg; Celik, A Avdo; Choi, Chang-Hoon; Schwan, Stefan; Shah, N Jon

2017-12-28

Magnetic resonance is a major preclinical and clinical imaging modality ideally suited for longitudinal studies, e.g. in pharmacological developments. The lack of a proven platform that maintains an identical imaging protocol between preclinical and clinical platforms is solved with the construction of an animal scanner based on clinical hard- and software. A small animal magnet and gradient system were connected to a clinical MR system. Several hardware components were either modified or built in-house to achieve compatibility. The clinical software was modified to account for the different field-of-view of a preclinical MR system. The established scanner was evaluated using clinical QA protocols, and platform compatibility for translational research was verified against clinical scanners of different field strength. The constructed animal scanner operates with the majority of clinical imaging sequences. Translational research is greatly facilitated as protocols can be shared between preclinical and clinical platforms. Hence, when maintaining sequences parameters, maximum similarity between pulses played out on a human or an animal system is maintained. Coupling of a small animal magnet with a clinical MR system is a flexible, easy to use way to establish and advance translational imaging capability. It provides cost and labor efficient translational capability as no tedious sequence reprogramming between moieties is required and cross-platform compatibility of sequences facilitates multi-center studies.

Precise image-guided irradiation of small animals: a flexible non-profit platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Löck, Steffen; Dietrich, Antje; Fursov, Andriy; Haase, Robert; Lukas, Mathias; Krause, Mechthild; Baumann, Michael; Bütof, Rebecca; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Rimarzig, Bernd; Sobiella, Manfred

2016-01-01

Preclinical in vivo studies using small animals are essential to develop new therapeutic options in radiation oncology. Of particular interest are orthotopic tumour models, which better reflect the clinical situation in terms of growth patterns and microenvironmental parameters of the tumour as well as the interplay of tumours with the surrounding normal tissues. Such orthotopic models increase the technical demands and the complexity of preclinical studies as local irradiation with therapeutically relevant doses requires image-guided target localisation and accurate beam application. Moreover, advanced imaging techniques are needed for monitoring treatment outcome. We present a novel small animal image-guided radiation therapy (SAIGRT) system, which allows for precise and accurate, conformal irradiation and x-ray imaging of small animals. High accuracy is achieved by its robust construction, the precise movement of its components and a fast high-resolution flat-panel detector. Field forming and x-ray imaging is accomplished close to the animal resulting in a small penumbra and a high image quality. Feasibility for irradiating orthotopic models has been proven using lung tumour and glioblastoma models in mice. The SAIGRT system provides a flexible, non-profit academic research platform which can be adapted to specific experimental needs and therefore enables systematic preclinical trials in multicentre research networks. (paper)

Euthanasia of Small Animals with Nitrogen; Comparison with Intravenous Pentobarbital

OpenAIRE

Quine, John P.; Buckingham, William; Strunin, Leo

1988-01-01

Intravenous pentobarbital (with or without addition of saturated potassium chloride) was compared with nitrogen gas exposure for euthanasia of small animals (dogs, cats, and rabbits) in a humane society environment. Initially, electrocardiographic) and electroencephalographic monitoring were used to establish the time of death in presedated animals given either pentobarbital or exposed to nitrogen; later, nitrogen euthanasia alone was studied. Sedation with acepromazine delayed the effects of...

In vivo small animal imaging: Current status and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagadis, George C.; Loudos, George; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Langer, Steve G.; Nikiforidis, George C.

2010-01-01

The use of small animal models in basic and preclinical sciences constitutes an integral part of testing new pharmaceutical agents prior to commercial translation to clinical practice. Whole-body small animal imaging is a particularly elegant and cost-effective experimental platform for the timely validation and commercialization of novel agents from the bench to the bedside. Biomedical imaging is now listed along with genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics as an integral part of biological and medical sciences. Miniaturized versions of clinical diagnostic modalities, including but not limited to microcomputed tomography, micromagnetic resonance tomography, microsingle-photon-emission tomography, micropositron-emission tomography, optical imaging, digital angiography, and ultrasound, have all greatly improved our investigative abilities to longitudinally study various experimental models of human disease in mice and rodents. After an exhaustive literature search, the authors present a concise and critical review of in vivo small animal imaging, focusing on currently available modalities as well as emerging imaging technologies on one side and molecularly targeted contrast agents on the other. Aforementioned scientific topics are analyzed in the context of cancer angiogenesis and innovative antiangiogenic strategies under-the-way to the clinic. Proposed hybrid approaches for diagnosis and targeted site-specific therapy are highlighted to offer an intriguing glimpse of the future.

Quantification in dynamic and small-animal positron emission tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Disselhorst, Johannes Antonius

2011-01-01

This thesis covers two aspects of positron emission tomography (PET) quantification. The first section addresses the characterization and optimization of a small-animal PET/CT scanner. The sensitivity and resolution as well as various parameters affecting image quality (reconstruction settings, type

A new generation of PET scanners for small animal studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegyesi, G.; Imrek, J.; Kalinka, G.; Molnar, J.; Novak, D.; Valastyan, I.; Balkay, L.; Emri, M.; Kis, S.; Tron, L.

2008-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Research on small animal PET scanners has been a hot topic in recent years. These devices are used in the preclinical phases of drug tests and during the development of new radiopharmaceuticals. They also provide a cost efficient way to test new materials, new design concepts and new technologies that later can be used to build more efficient human medical imaging devices. The development of a PET scanner requires expertise on different fields, therefore a consortium was formed that brought together Hungarian academic and industrial partners: the Nuclear Research Institute (which has experience in the development of nuclear detectors and data acquisition systems), the PET Center of the University of Debrecen (which has clinical experience in the application of nuclear imaging devices and background in image processing software), Mediso Ltd. (which has been developing, manufacturing, selling and servicing medical imaging devices since 1990) and other academic partners. This consortium has been working together since 2003: the knowledge base acquired during the development of our small animal PET scanners (miniPET-I and miniPET-II) is now being utilized to build a commercial multimodal human PET scanner. The operation of a PET scanner is based on the simultaneous detection ('coincidence') of two gamma photons originating from a positron annihilation. In traditional PET scanners coincidence is detected by a central unit during the measurement. In our system there is no such central module: all detected single gamma events are recorded (list mode data acquisition), and the list of events are processed using a computer cluster (built from PCs). The usage of independent detector modules and commercial components reduce both development and maintenance costs. Also, this mode of data acquisition is more suitable for development purposes, since once the data is collected and stored it can be used many times to test different signal

Coded Aperture Nuclear Scintigraphy: A Novel Small Animal Imaging Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawid Schellingerhout

2002-10-01

Full Text Available We introduce and demonstrate the utility of coded aperture (CA nuclear scintigraphy for imaging small animals. CA imaging uses multiple pinholes in a carefully designed mask pattern, mounted on a conventional gamma camera. System performance was assessed using point sources and phantoms, while several animal experiments were performed to test the usefulness of the imaging system in vivo, with commonly used radiopharmaceuticals. The sensitivity of the CA system for 99mTc was 4.2 × 103 cps/Bq (9400 cpm/μCi, compared to 4.4 × 104 cps/Bq (990 cpm/μCi for a conventional collimator system. The system resolution was 1.7 mm, as compared to 4–6 mm for the conventional imaging system (using a high-sensitivity low-energy collimator. Animal imaging demonstrated artifact-free imaging with superior resolution and image quality compared to conventional collimator images in several mouse and rat models. We conclude that: (a CA imaging is a useful nuclear imaging technique for small animal imaging. The advantage in signal-to-noise can be traded to achieve higher resolution, decreased dose or reduced imaging time. (b CA imaging works best for images where activity is concentrated in small volumes; a low count outline may be better demonstrated using conventional collimator imaging. Thus, CA imaging should be viewed as a technique to complement rather than replace traditional nuclear imaging methods. (c CA hardware and software can be readily adapted to existing gamma cameras, making their implementation a relatively inexpensive retrofit to most systems.

UTIs in small animal patients: part 1: etiology and pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smee, Nicole; Loyd, Kimberly; Grauer, Greg

2013-01-01

Understanding how urinary tract infections (UTIs) can occur and how to classify them can help the practitioner to make a plan for treatment. This review summarizes the etiology, pathogenesis, and host defense mechanisms associated with bacterial UTIs in dogs and cats. UTIs in Small Animal Patients: Part 2: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications will appear in the March/April 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

The Combination of In vivo 124I-PET and CT Small Animal Imaging for Evaluation of Thyroid Physiology and Dosimetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik H. El-Ali

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: A thyroid rat model combining functional and anatomical information would be of great benefit for better modeling of thyroid physiology and for absorbed dose calculations. Our aim was to show that 124I-PET and CT small animal imaging are useful as a combined model for studying thyroid physiology and dose calculation. Methods: Seven rats were subjects for multiple thyroid 124I-imaging and CT-scans. S-values [mGy/MBqs] for different thyroid sizes were simulated. A phantom with spheres was designed for validation of performances of the small animal PET and CT imaging systems. Results: Small animal image-based measurements of the activity amount and the volumes of the spheres with a priori known volumes showed a good agreement with their corresponding actual volumes. The CT scans of the rats showed thyroid volumes from 34–70 mL. Conclusions: The wide span in volumes of thyroid glands indicates the importance of using an accurate volume-measuring technique such as the small animal CT. The small animal PET system was on the other hand able to accurately estimate the activity concentration in the thyroid volumes. We conclude that the combination of the PET and CT image information is essential for quantitative thyroid imaging and accurate thyroid absorbed dose calculation.

Monte Carlo simulation of small field electron beams for small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chung-Chi; Chen, Ai-Mei; Tung, Chuan-Jong; Chao, Tsi-Chian

2011-01-01

The volume effect of detectors in the dosimetry of small fields for photon beams has been well studied due to interests in radiosurgery and small beamlets used in IMRT treatments; but there is still an unexplored research field for small electron beams used in small animal irradiation. This study proposes to use the BEAM Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to assess characteristics of small electron beams (4, 6, 14, 30 mm in diameter) with the kinetic energies of 6 and 18 MeV. Three factors influencing beam characteristics were studied (1) AE and ECUT settings, (2) photon jaw settings and (3) simulation pixel sizes. Study results reveal that AE/ECUT settings at 0.7 MeV are adequate for linear accelerator treatment head simulation, while 0.521 MeV is more favorable to be used for the phantom study. It is also demonstrated that voxel size setting at 1/4 of the simulation field width in all directions is sufficient to achieve accurate results. As for the photon jaw setting, it has great impact on the absolute output of different field size setting (i.e. output factor) but with minimum effect on the relative lateral distribution.

Small-animal dark-field radiography for pulmonary emphysema evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Yaroshenko, Andre; Meinel, Felix G.; Hellbach, Katharina; Bech, Martin; Velroyen, Astrid; Müller, Mark; Bamberg, Fabian; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Yildirim, Ali Ã.-.; Eickelberg, Oliver; Pfeiffer, Franz

2014-03-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and emphysema is one of its main components. The disorder is characterized by irreversible destruction of the alveolar walls and enlargement of distal airspaces. Despite the severe changes in the lung tissue morphology, conventional chest radiographs have only a limited sensitivity for the detection of mild to moderate emphysema. X-ray dark-field is an imaging modality that can significantly increase the visibility of lung tissue on radiographic images. The dark-field signal is generated by coherent, small-angle scattering of x-rays on the air-tissue interfaces in the lung. Therefore, morphological changes in the lung can be clearly visualized on dark-field images. This is demonstrated by a preclinical study with a small-animal emphysema model. To generate a murine model of pulmonary emphysema, a female C57BL/6N mouse was treated with a single orotracheal application of porcine pancreatic elastase (80 U/kg body weight) dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Control mouse received PBS. The mice were imaged using a small-animal dark-field scanner. While conventional x-ray transmission radiography images revealed only subtle indirect signs of the pulmonary disorder, the difference between healthy and emphysematous lungs could be clearly directly visualized on the dark-field images. The dose applied to the animals is compatible with longitudinal studies. The imaging results correlate well with histology. The results of this study reveal the high potential of dark-field radiography for clinical lung imaging.

Denoising of high resolution small animal 3D PET data using the non-subsampled Haar wavelet transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochoa Domínguez, Humberto de Jesús; Máynez, Leticia O.; Vergara Villegas, Osslan O.; Mederos, Boris; Mejía, José M.; Cruz Sánchez, Vianey G.

2015-01-01

PET allows functional imaging of the living tissue. However, one of the most serious technical problems affecting the reconstructed data is the noise, particularly in images of small animals. In this paper, a method for high-resolution small animal 3D PET data is proposed with the aim to reduce the noise and preserve details. The method is based on the estimation of the non-subsampled Haar wavelet coefficients by using a linear estimator. The procedure is applied to the volumetric images, reconstructed without correction factors (plane reconstruction). Results show that the method preserves the structures and drastically reduces the noise that contaminates the image

Denoising of high resolution small animal 3D PET data using the non-subsampled Haar wavelet transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochoa Domínguez, Humberto de Jesús, E-mail: hochoa@uacj.mx [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Máynez, Leticia O. [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Vergara Villegas, Osslan O. [Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Mederos, Boris; Mejía, José M.; Cruz Sánchez, Vianey G. [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico)

2015-06-01

PET allows functional imaging of the living tissue. However, one of the most serious technical problems affecting the reconstructed data is the noise, particularly in images of small animals. In this paper, a method for high-resolution small animal 3D PET data is proposed with the aim to reduce the noise and preserve details. The method is based on the estimation of the non-subsampled Haar wavelet coefficients by using a linear estimator. The procedure is applied to the volumetric images, reconstructed without correction factors (plane reconstruction). Results show that the method preserves the structures and drastically reduces the noise that contaminates the image.

Development of Optical Molecular Imaging System for the Acquisition of Bioluminescence Signals from Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byeong Il; Kim, Hyeon Sik; Jeong, Hye Jin; Lee, Hyung Jae; Moon, Seung Min; Kwon, Seung Young; Jeong, Shin Young; Bom, Hee Seung; Min, Jung Joon; Choi, Eun Seo

2009-01-01

Optical imaging is providing great advance and improvement in genetic and molecular imaging of animals and humans. Optical imaging system consists of optical imaging devices, which carry out major function for monitoring, tracing, and imaging in most of molecular in-vivo researches. In bio-luminescent imaging, small animals containing luciferase gene locally irradiate light, and emitted photons transmitted through skin of the small animals are imaged by using a high sensitive charged coupled device (CCD) camera. In this paper, we introduced optical imaging system for the image acquisition of bio-luminescent signals emitted from small animals. In the system, Nikon lens and four LED light sources were mounted at the inside of a dark box. A cooled CCD camera equipped with a control module was used. We tested the performance of the optical imaging system using effendorf tube and light emitting bacteria which injected intravenously into CT26 tumor bearing nude mouse. The performance of implemented optical imaging system for bio-luminescence imaging was demonstrated and the feasibility of the system in small animal imaging application was proved. We anticipate this system could be a useful tool for the molecular imaging of small animals adaptable for various experimental conditions in future

P.I.X.S.C.A.N.: a micro-CT scanner for small animal based on hybrid pixel detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, R.

2008-03-01

Since more than a dozen years, efforts were led in the field of X-ray tomography for small animals, principally for the improvement of spatial resolution and the diminution of the absorbed dose. The C.P.P.M. developed the micro-CT P.I.X.S.C.A.N. based on the hybrid pixel detector X.P.A.D.2. In this context, my thesis work consists in studying the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 and the contribution of the hybrid pixels in the imaging of small animals. A fast analytical simulation, FastSimu, was developed. An extrapolation of the performance of the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N, as well as the validation of the results obtained with the measured data, were led by means of the analytical simulator FastSimu. The demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 allowed to obtain reconstructed images with a rather good quality for a relatively weak absorbed dose. Its spatial resolution is degraded by the high number of defective pixels of the detector X.P.A.D.2. Beyond this study, a new version of the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 is under construction. This latter, characterized by two and a half times smaller pixels and about no defective pixels will bring a considerable improvement on spatial resolution. (author)

RFID Technology for Continuous Monitoring of Physiological Signals in Small Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Volk, Tobias; Gorbey, Stefan; Bhattacharyya, Mayukh; Gruenwald, Waldemar; Lemmer, Björn; Reindl, Leonhard M; Stieglitz, Thomas; Jansen, Dirk

2015-02-01

Telemetry systems enable researchers to continuously monitor physiological signals in unrestrained, freely moving small rodents. Drawbacks of common systems are limited operation time, the need to house the animals separately, and the necessity of a stable communication link. Furthermore, the costs of the typically proprietary telemetry systems reduce the acceptance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a low-cost telemetry system based on common radio frequency identification technology optimized for battery-independent operational time, good reusability, and flexibility. The presented implant is equipped with sensors to measure electrocardiogram, arterial blood pressure, and body temperature. The biological signals are transmitted as digital data streams. The device is able of monitoring several freely moving animals housed in groups with a single reader station. The modular concept of the system significantly reduces the costs to monitor multiple physiological functions and refining procedures in preclinical research.

Open-Source Medical Devices (OSMD) Design of a Small Animal Radiotherapy System

Science.gov (United States)

Prajapati, S.; Mackie, T. R.; Jeraj, R.

2014-03-01

Open-Source Medical Devices (OSMD) was initiated with the goal of facilitating medical research by developing medical technologies including both hardware and software on an open-source platform. Our first project was to develop an integrated imaging and radiotherapy device for small animals that includes computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and radiation therapy (RT) modalities for which technical specifications were defined in the first OSMD conference held in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in December 2011. This paper specifically focuses on the development of a small animal RT (micro-RT) system by designing a binary micro multileaf collimator (bmMLC) and a small animal treatment planning system (SATPS) to enable intensity modulated RT (IMRT). Both hardware and software projects are currently under development and their current progresses are described. After the development, both bmMLC and TPS will be validated and commissioned for a micro-RT system. Both hardware design and software development will be open-sourced after completion.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2016-01-01

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Tianwu [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva 4 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva 4 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205 (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2016-01-15

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2016-01-01

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future

Carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in small animal veterinarians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paul, Narayan Chandra; Moodley, Arshnee; Ghibaudo, G.

2011-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is increasingly reported in small animals and cases of human infections have already been described despite its recent emergence in veterinary practice. We investigated the prevalence of MRSP and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus...... aureus (MRSA) among small animal dermatologists attending a national veterinary conference in Italy. Nasal swabs were obtained from 128 veterinarians, seven of which harboured MRSP (n = 5; 3.9%) or MRSA (n = 2; 1.6%). A follow-up study of two carriers revealed that MRSP persisted for at least 1 month...... by spa typing. Methicillin-resistant isolates were further typed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, SCCmec and multi-locus sequence typing. Two lineages previously associated with pets were identified among the five MRSP isolates; the European epidemic clone ST71-SCCmec II-III and ST106-SCCmec IV...

Imaging optimizations with non-pure and high-energy positron emitters in small animal positron computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harzmann, Sophie

2014-01-01

The contribution on imaging optimizations with non-pure and high-energy positron emitters in small animal positron emission tomography (PET) covers the following topics: physical fundamentals of PET, mathematical image reconstruction and data analyses, Monte-Carlo simulations and implemented correction scheme, quantification of cascade gamma coincidences based on simulations and measurements, sinogram based corrections, restoration of the spatial resolution, implementation of full corrections.

SU-E-T-217: Intrinsic Respiratory Gating in Small Animal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Y; Smith, M; Mistry, N [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: Preclinical animal models of lung cancer can provide a controlled test-bed for testing dose escalation or function-based-treatment-planning studies. However, to extract lung function, i.e. ventilation, one needs to be able to image the lung at different phases of ventilation (in-hale / ex-hale). Most respiratory-gated imaging using micro-CT involves using an external ventilator and surgical intervention limiting the utility in longitudinal studies. A new intrinsic respiratory retrospective gating method was developed and tested in mice. Methods: A fixed region of interest (ROI) that covers the diaphragm was selected on all projection images to estimate the mean intensity (M). The mean intensity depends on the projection angle and diaphragm position. A 3-point moving average (A) of consecutive M values: Mpre, Mcurrent and Mpost, was calculated to be subtracted from Mcurrent. A fixed threshold was used to enable amplitude based sorting into 4 different phases of respiration. Images at full-inhale and end-exhale phases of respiration were reconstructed using the open source OSCaR. Lung volumes estimated at the 2 phases of respiration were validated against literature values. Results: Intrinsic retrospective gating was accomplished without the use of any external breathing waveform. While projection images were acquired at 360 different angles. Only 138 and 104 projections were used to reconstruct images at full-inhale and end-exhale. This often results in non-uniform under-sampled angular projections leading to some minor streaking artifacts. The calculated expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes correlated well with the values known from the literature. Conclusion: Our initial result demonstrates an intrinsic gating method that is suitable for flat panel cone beam small animal CT systems. Reduction in streaking artifacts can be accomplished by oversampling the data or using iterative reconstruction methods. This initial experience will enable

Small-Animal Imaging Using Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Scott C; Tichauer, Kenneth M

2016-01-01

Diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) has been developed to image the spatial distribution of fluorescence-tagged tracers in living tissue. This capability facilitates the recovery of any number of functional parameters, including enzymatic activity, receptor density, blood flow, and gene expression. However, deploying DFT effectively is complex and often requires years of know-how, especially for newer mutlimodal systems that combine DFT with conventional imaging systems. In this chapter, we step through the process of using MRI-DFT imaging of a receptor-targeted tracer in small animals.

Comparison SPECT-CT with PET-CT in several applications of small-animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Yifan; Song Shaoli; Huang Gang

2009-01-01

With the development of medical science, monitoring dynamic biologic processes in small-animal models of diseases has become one of the most important approaches in medical studies. Important physiologic parameters that traditionally have been characterized by nuclear medicine imaging include blood flow, biochemical metabolism, and cellular receptors. Recently, nuclear medicine has been greatly facilitated by the newer development of dual-modality integrated imaging systems (SPECT-CT and PET-CT), which provide functional and anatomical images in the same scanning session, with the acquired images co-registered by means of the hardware. The purpose of this review is to compare SPECT-CT with PET-CT in several applications of small-animal models. Conclusicn: PET-CT for small animal modes in nledical research in the applications has great advantages, but SPECT-CT is still a very important role, and research low cost. (authors)

Attenuation correction for the NIH ATLAS small animal PET scanner

CERN Document Server

Yao, Rutao; Liow, JeihSan; Seidel, Jurgen

2003-01-01

We evaluated two methods of attenuation correction for the NIH ATLAS small animal PET scanner: 1) a CT-based method that derives 511 keV attenuation coefficients (mu) by extrapolation from spatially registered CT images; and 2) an analytic method based on the body outline of emission images and an empirical mu. A specially fabricated attenuation calibration phantom with cylindrical inserts that mimic different body tissues was used to derive the relationship to convert CT values to (I for PET. The methods were applied to three test data sets: 1) a uniform cylinder phantom, 2) the attenuation calibration phantom, and 3) a mouse injected with left bracket **1**8F right bracket FDG. The CT-based attenuation correction factors were larger in non-uniform regions of the imaging subject, e.g. mouse head, than the analytic method. The two methods had similar correction factors for regions with uniform density and detectable emission source distributions.

Time over threshold readout method of SiPM based small animal PET detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valastyan, I.; Gal, J.; Hegyesi, G.; Kalinka, G.; Nagy, F.; Kiraly, B.; Imrek, J.; Molnar, J.

2012-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The aim of the work was to design a readout concept for silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensor array used in small animal PET scanner. The detector module consist of LYSO 35x35 scintillation crystals, 324 SiPM sensors (arranged in 2x2 blocks and those quads in a 9x9 configuration) and FPGA based readout electronics. The dimensions of the SiPM matrix are area: 48x48 mm 2 and the size of one SiPM sensor is 1.95x2.2 mm 2 . Due to the high dark current of the SiPM, conventional Anger based readout method does not provide sufficient crystal position maps. Digitizing the 324 SiPM channels is a straightforward way to obtain proper crystal position maps. However handling hundreds of analogue input channels and the required DSP resources cause large racks of data acquisition electronics. Therefore coding of the readout channels is required. Proposed readout method: The coding of the 324 SiPMs consists two steps: Step 1) Reduction of the channels from 324 to 36: Row column readout, SiPMs are connected to each other in column by column and row-by row, thus the required channels are 36. The dark current of 18 connected SiPMs is small in off for identifying pulses coming from scintillating events. Step 2) Reduction of the 18 rows and columns to 4 channels: Comparators were connected to each rows and columns, and the level was set above the level of dark noise. Therefore only few comparators are active when scintillation light enters in the tile. The output of the comparator rows and columns are divided to two parts using resistor chains. Then the outputs of the resistor chains are digitized by a 4 channel ADC. However instead of the Anger method, time over threshold (ToT) was used. Figure 1 shows the readout concept of the SiPM matrix. In order to validate the new method and optimize the front-end electronics of the detector, the analogue signals were digitized before the comparators using a CAEN DT5740 32 channel digitizer, then the

Blended learning in the small animal clinic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langebæk, Rikke

2011-01-01

At the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Basic Surgical Skills are taught in groups of 30-35 students in the first year of the master program (4th year students). The eight day course is an example of ‘blended learning’ in which students use our e-learning-material (Step 1) to prepare...... for the practical part of the course (Step 2, 3 and 4). From their home computers, students log on to the e-learning platform of Copenhagen University: https://absalon.ku.dk and go to the Basic Surgical Skills course, which consist of a line of chapters concerning a variety of surgical subjects. Each subject...... the implementation of these new teaching methods (e-learning and Skills Lab), teachers have ascertained a more satisfactory level of preparation, students that seem more focused and live-animal surgery that is conducted at a more ‘professional’ level than before. Finally, our research in this field shows...

Current concepts in oncologic surgery in small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Matz, Brad M

2015-05-01

Surgical oncology is experiencing rapid transition in veterinary medicine. Mast cell tumors and soft tissue sarcomas are two of the most common neoplasms in small animal patients. Clinicians should be familiar with the need for staging and the procedures involved in treating patients with these tumors. Clinicians should be comfortable with available adjuvant therapies and when to use them in certain patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scalable Electrophysiology in Intact Small Animals with Nanoscale Suspended Electrode Arrays

OpenAIRE

Gonzales, Daniel L.; Badhiwala, Krishna N.; Vercosa, Daniel G.; Avants, Ben W.; Liu, Zheng; Zhong, Weiwei; Robinson, Jacob T.

2017-01-01

Electrical measurements from large populations of animals would help reveal fundamental properties of the nervous system and neurological diseases. Small invertebrates are ideal for these large-scale studies; however, patch-clamp electrophysiology in microscopic animals typically requires low-throughput and invasive dissections. To overcome these limitations, we present nano-SPEARs: suspended electrodes integrated into a scalable microfluidic device. Using this technology, we have made the fi...

SiliPET: An ultra high resolution design of a small animal PET scanner based on double sided silicon strip detector stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zavattini, G.; Cesca, N.; Di Domenico, G.; Moretti, E.; Sabba, N.

2006-01-01

We investigated the capabilities of a small animal PET scanner, named SiliPET, based on four stacks of double sided silicon strips detectors. Each stack consists of 40 silicon detectors with dimension 60x60x1mm 3 . These are arranged to form a box 5x5x6cm 3 with minor sides opened; the box represents the maximal FOV of the scanner. The performance parameters of SiliPET scanner have been estimated, giving an intrinsic spatial resolution of 0.52mm and a sensitivity of 5.1% at the center of the system

A small animal PET based on GAPDs and charge signal transmission approach for hybrid PET-MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Jihoon; Choi, Yong; Hong, Key Jo; Hu, Wei; Jung, Jin Ho; Huh, Yoonsuk [Department of Electronic Engineering, Sogang University, 1 Shinsu-Dong, Mapo-Gu, Seoul 121-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byung-Tae, E-mail: ychoi.image@gmail.com [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-08-15

Positron emission tomography (PET) employing Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GAPDs) and charge signal transmission approach was developed for small animal imaging. Animal PET contained 16 LYSO and GAPD detector modules that were arranged in a 70 mm diameter ring with an axial field of view of 13 mm. The GAPDs charge output signals were transmitted to a preamplifier located remotely using 300 cm flexible flat cables. The position decoder circuits (PDCs) were used to multiplex the PET signals from 256 to 4 channels. The outputs of the PDCs were digitized and further-processed in the data acquisition unit. The cross-compatibilities of the PET detectors and MRI were assessed outside and inside the MRI. Experimental studies of the developed full ring PET were performed to examine the spatial resolution and sensitivity. Phantom and mouse images were acquired to examine the imaging performance. The mean energy and time resolution of the PET detector were 17.6% and 1.5 ns, respectively. No obvious degradation on PET and MRI was observed during simultaneous PET-MRI data acquisition. The measured spatial resolution and sensitivity at the CFOV were 2.8 mm and 0.7%, respectively. In addition, a 3 mm diameter line source was clearly resolved in the hot-sphere phantom images. The reconstructed transaxial PET images of the mouse brain and tumor displaying the glucose metabolism patterns were imaged well. These results demonstrate GAPD and the charge signal transmission approach can allow the development of high performance small animal PET with improved MR compatibility.

Development of a simple photon emission computed tomography dedicated to the small animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekaert, V.

2006-11-01

The development of in vivo small animal imaging becomes essential to study human pathologies. The ImaBio project of Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC) fits in the process of developing new instruments for biomedical applications with the development of a multimodality imaging platform dedicated to small animal imaging (AMISSA). This thesis presents the study, the design and the development of a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) which will be integrated to the AMISSA platform. The result of these developments is the possibility to obtain the spatial distribution of an injected molecule into the animal. The SPECT technical solutions are based on the acquired knowledge of the institute allowing the conception of a device with cameras adapted to the gamma detection produced by the radiotracers used in single photon imaging. In order to cover the entire of the transverse field of view, four gamma cameras are arranged in a ring around the volume of interest. Each camera consists of 5 individual modules based on a YAP:Ce crystal array, a multi-anode photomultiplier and a dedicated multichannel electronic device. Finally, 20 detection modules were calibrated to give the same result for an identical energy deposit. The data are acquired then process to extract the positions and the energies deposited by gamma photons in the crystals. This last information is then gathered to build the projections. The 3D reconstructed image from the projections is carried out by the sequence of two algorithms, analytical and iterative OS-EM, both modified to take into account the singular geometry of our detection system. Finally, the obtained image is fused with the anatomical information given by the micro Computed Tomography system. (author)

Partial body irradiation of small laboratory animals with an industrial X-ray tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenzel, Thorsten; Kruell, Andreas; Grohmann, Carsten; Schumacher, Udo

2014-01-01

Dedicated precise small laboratory animal irradiation sources are needed for basic cancer research and to meet this need expensive high precision radiation devices have been developed. To avoid such expenses a cost efficient way is presented to construct a device for partial body irradiation of small laboratory animals by adding specific components to an industrial X-ray tube. A custom made radiation field tube was added to an industrial 200 kV X-ray tube. A light field display as well as a monitor ionization chamber were implemented. The field size can rapidly be changed by individual inserts of MCP96 that are used for secondary collimation of the beam. Depth dose curves and cross sectional profiles were determined with the use of a custom made water phantom. More components like positioning lasers, a custom made treatment couch, and a commercial isoflurane anesthesia unit were added to complete the system. With the accessories described secondary small field sizes down to 10 by 10 mm 2 (secondary collimator size) could be achieved. The dosimetry of the beam was constructed like those for conventional stereotactical clinical linear accelerators. The water phantom created showed an accuracy of 1 mm and was well suited for all measurements. With the anesthesia unit attached to the custom made treatment couch the system is ideal for the radiation treatment of small laboratory animals like mice. It was feasible to shrink the field size of an industrial X-ray tube from whole animal irradiation to precise partial body irradiation of small laboratory animals. Even smaller secondary collimator sizes than 10 by 10 mm 2 are feasible with adequate secondary collimator inserts. Our custom made water phantom was well suited for the basic dosimetry of the X-ray tube.

High-resolution short-exposure small-animal laboratory x-ray phase-contrast tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Daniel H.; Vågberg, William; Yaroshenko, Andre; Yildirim, Ali Önder; Hertz, Hans M.

2016-12-01

X-ray computed tomography of small animals and their organs is an essential tool in basic and preclinical biomedical research. In both phase-contrast and absorption tomography high spatial resolution and short exposure times are of key importance. However, the observable spatial resolutions and achievable exposure times are presently limited by system parameters rather than more fundamental constraints like, e.g., dose. Here we demonstrate laboratory tomography with few-ten μm spatial resolution and few-minute exposure time at an acceptable dose for small-animal imaging, both with absorption contrast and phase contrast. The method relies on a magnifying imaging scheme in combination with a high-power small-spot liquid-metal-jet electron-impact source. The tomographic imaging is demonstrated on intact mouse, phantoms and excised lungs, both healthy and with pulmonary emphysema.

Small-animal whole-body imaging using a photoacoustic full ring array system

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Guo, Zijian; Aguirre, Andres; Zhu, Quing; Wang, Lihong V.

2011-03-01

In this report, we present a novel 3D photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system for small-animal whole-body imaging. The PACT system, based on a 512-element full-ring transducer array, received photoacoustic signals primarily from a 2-mm-thick slice. The light was generated by a pulse laser, and can either illuminate from the top or be reshaped to illuminate the sample from the side, using a conical lens and an optical condenser. The PACT system was capable of acquiring an in-plane image in 1.6 s; by scanning the sample in the elevational direction, a 3D tomographic image could be constructed. We tested the system by imaging a cylindrical phantom made of human hairs immersed in a scattering medium. The reconstructed image achieved an in-plane resolution of 0.1 mm and an elevational resolution of 1 mm. After deconvolution in the elevational direction, the 3D image was found to match well with the phantom. The system was also used to image a baby mouse in situ; the spinal cord and ribs can be seen easily in the reconstructed image. Our results demonstrate that the PACT system has the potential to be used for fast small-animal whole-body tomographic imaging.

Developments in undergraduate teaching of small-animal soft-tissue surgical skills at the University of Sydney.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopinath, Deepa; McGreevy, Paul D; Zuber, Richard M; Klupiec, Corinna; Baguley, John; Barrs, Vanessa R

2012-01-01

This article discusses recent developments in soft-tissue surgery teaching at the University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science. An integrated teaching program was developed for Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) students with the aim of providing them with optimal learning opportunities to meet "Day One" small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies. Didactic lectures and tutorials were introduced earlier into the curriculum to prepare students for live-animal surgery practical. In addition to existing clinics, additional spay/neuter clinics were established in collaboration with animal welfare organizations to increase student exposure to live-animal surgery. A silicon-based, life-like canine ovariohysterectomy model was developed with the assistance of a model-making and special effects company. The model features elastic ovarian pedicles and suspensory ligaments, which can be stretched and broken like those of an actual dog. To monitor the volume and type of student surgical experience, an E-portfolio resource was established. This resource allows for the tracking of numbers of live, student-performed desexing surgeries and incorporates competency-based assessments and reflective tasks to be completed by students. Student feedback on the integrated surgical soft-tissue teaching program was assessed. Respondents were assessed in the fourth year of the degree and will have further opportunities to develop Day One small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies in the fifth year. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were motivated to participate in all aspects of the program, while 78% agreed or strongly agreed that they received an adequate opportunity to develop their skills and confidence in ovariohysterectomy or castration procedures through the fourth-year curriculum.

Development of in-vivo micro CT system for small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nam, Ki Yong; Lim, Jong Hyeok; Jeong, Young Jo; Park, Jeong Gwon [Institute for Radiological Imaging Science, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jung Bung [DRGEM Corp., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Kwon Ha [Institute for Radiological Imaging Science and Medical School of Radiology, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Computed tomography system with the spatial resolution of {approx}25 {mu}m has been developed for the application to small animals. This system is designed by gantry-rotation type for minimizing animal movement. To get image with micro-spatial resolution, system characteristic such as geometry between main components of source, specimen and detector, field of view, etc., is described in this paper. The requirements of x-ray spot size and CCD pixel size to approach the resolution are discussed. In-vivo imaging test for mouse is also presented as a result.

Development of in-vivo micro CT system for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Ki Yong; Lim, Jong Hyeok; Jeong, Young Jo; Park, Jeong Gwon; Park, Jung Bung; Yoon, Kwon Ha

2005-01-01

Computed tomography system with the spatial resolution of ∼25 μm has been developed for the application to small animals. This system is designed by gantry-rotation type for minimizing animal movement. To get image with micro-spatial resolution, system characteristic such as geometry between main components of source, specimen and detector, field of view, etc., is described in this paper. The requirements of x-ray spot size and CCD pixel size to approach the resolution are discussed. In-vivo imaging test for mouse is also presented as a result

Improved instrumentation for blood flow velocity measurements in the microcirculation of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesquita, Jayme Alves Jr. de; Bouskela, Eliete; Wajnberg, Eliane; Lopes de Melo, Pedro

2007-01-01

Microcirculation is the generic name of vessels with internal diameter less than 100 μm of the circulatory system, whose main functions are tissue nutrition and oxygen supply. In microcirculatory studies, it is important to know the amount of oxyhemoglobin present in the blood and how fast it is moving. The present work describes improvements introduced in a classical hardware-based instrument that has usually been used to monitor blood flow velocity in the microcirculation of small animals. It consists of a virtual instrument that can be easily incorporated into existing hardware-based systems, contributing to reduce operator related biases and allowing digital processing and storage. The design and calibration of the modified instrument are described as well as in vitro and in vivo results obtained with electrical models and small animals, respectively. Results obtained in in vivo studies showed that this new system is able to detect a small reduction in blood flow velocity comparing arteries and arterioles (p<0.002) and a further reduction in capillaries (p<0.0001). A significant increase in velocity comparing capillaries and venules (p<0.001) and venules and veins (p<0.001) was also observed. These results are in close agreement with biophysical principles. Moreover, the improvements introduced in the device allowed us to clearly observe changes in blood flow introduced by a pharmacological intervention, suggesting that the system has enough temporal resolution to track these microcirculatory events. These results were also in close conformity to physiology, confirming the high scientific potential of the modified system and indicating that this instrument can also be useful for pharmacological evaluations

Accessories for detention and protection used in small animals radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vettorato, Michel Campos; Vulcano, Luiz Carlos; Fernandes, Marco Antonio Rodrigues

2016-01-01

Radiation therapy is a medical method well established in the treatment of cancer in veterinary medicine worldwide. The radiotherapy protocols applied in animals vary according to several factors. In most procedures require sedation or anesthesia of the animal and this fact imposes the use of immobilization accessories specially developed for the different species of animals and treated as their specified procedures. Therefore, this study aims to describe the types of accessories used for immobilization and for the protection of small animals undergoing radiotherapy. For its development a literature search was performed by search sites like Google Scholar, Scielo, Bireme, PubMed, and consultations in books campus library Botucatu UNESP. Despite the limitations of each accessory rated this review, it was possible to identify the use of each and how this can be advantageous for the treatment of animals undergoing radiation therapy. (author)

Computed tomography of the central nervous system in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tipold, A.; Tipold, E.

1991-01-01

With computed tomography in 44 small animals some well defined anatomical structures and pathological processes of the central nervous system are described. Computed tomography is not only necessary for the diagnosis of tumors; malformations, inflammatory, degenerative and vascular diseases and traumas are also visible

Experience with a small animal hyperthermia ultrasound system (SAHUS): report on 83 tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, P; Moros, E G; Parry, J J; Rogers, B E; Myerson, R J; Zeug, A; Locke, J E; Rossin, R; Straube, W L; Singh, A K

2005-01-01

An external local ultrasound (US) system was developed to induce controlled hyperthermia of subcutaneously implanted tumours in small animals (e.g., mice and rats). It was designed to be compatible with a small animal positron emission tomography scanner (microPET) to facilitate studies of hyperthermia-induced tumour re-oxygenation using a PET radiopharmaceutical, but it is applicable for any small animal study requiring controlled heating. The system consists of an acrylic applicator bed with up to four independent 5 MHz planar disc US transducers of 1 cm in diameter, a four-channel radiofrequency (RF) generator, a multiple thermocouple thermometry unit, and a personal computer with custom monitoring and controlling software. Although the system presented here was developed to target tumours of up to 1 cm in diameter, the applicator design allows for different piezoelectric transducers to be exchanged and operated within the 3.5-6.5 MHz band to target different tumour sizes. Temperature feedback control software was developed on the basis of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) approach when the measured temperatures were within a selectable temperature band about the target temperature. Outside this band, an on/off control action was applied. Perfused tissue-mimicking phantom experiments were performed to determine optimum controller gain constants, which were later employed successfully in animal experiments. The performance of the SAHUS (small animal hyperthermia ultrasound system) was tested using several tumour types grown in thighs of female nude (nu/nu) mice. To date, the system has successfully treated 83 tumours to target temperatures in the range of 41-43 deg. C for periods of 65 min on average

Cell and small animal models for phenotypic drug discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szabo M

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mihaly Szabo,1 Sara Svensson Akusjärvi,1 Ankur Saxena,1 Jianping Liu,2 Gayathri Chandrasekar,1 Satish S Kitambi1 1Department of Microbiology Tumor, and Cell Biology, 2Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden Abstract: The phenotype-based drug discovery (PDD approach is re-emerging as an alternative platform for drug discovery. This review provides an overview of the various model systems and technical advances in imaging and image analyses that strengthen the PDD platform. In PDD screens, compounds of therapeutic value are identified based on the phenotypic perturbations produced irrespective of target(s or mechanism of action. In this article, examples of phenotypic changes that can be detected and quantified with relative ease in a cell-based setup are discussed. In addition, a higher order of PDD screening setup using small animal models is also explored. As PDD screens integrate physiology and multiple signaling mechanisms during the screening process, the identified hits have higher biomedical applicability. Taken together, this review highlights the advantages gained by adopting a PDD approach in drug discovery. Such a PDD platform can complement target-based systems that are currently in practice to accelerate drug discovery. Keywords: phenotype, screening, PDD, discovery, zebrafish, drug

P.I.X.S.C.A.N.: a micro-CT scanner for small animal based on hybrid pixel detectors; PIXSCAN: micro-tomodensitrometre a pixels hybrides pour le petit animal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khoury, R

2008-03-15

Since more than a dozen years, efforts were led in the field of X-ray tomography for small animals, principally for the improvement of spatial resolution and the diminution of the absorbed dose. The C.P.P.M. developed the micro-CT P.I.X.S.C.A.N. based on the hybrid pixel detector X.P.A.D.2. In this context, my thesis work consists in studying the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 and the contribution of the hybrid pixels in the imaging of small animals. A fast analytical simulation, FastSimu, was developed. An extrapolation of the performance of the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N, as well as the validation of the results obtained with the measured data, were led by means of the analytical simulator FastSimu. The demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 allowed to obtain reconstructed images with a rather good quality for a relatively weak absorbed dose. Its spatial resolution is degraded by the high number of defective pixels of the detector X.P.A.D.2. Beyond this study, a new version of the demonstrator P.I.X.S.C.A.N./X.P.A.D.2 is under construction. This latter, characterized by two and a half times smaller pixels and about no defective pixels will bring a considerable improvement on spatial resolution. (author)

Simulation of time curves in small animal PET using GATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, Luc; Strul, Daniel; Santin, Giovanni; Krieguer, Magalie; Morel, Christian

2004-01-01

The ClearPET project of the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CCC) is building spin-off technology for high resolution small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Monte Carlo simulation is essential for optimizing the specifications of these systems with regards to their most important characteristics, such as spatial resolution, sensitivity, or count rate performance. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission simulates the passing of time during real acquisitions, allowing to handle dynamic systems such as decaying source distributions or moving detectors. GATE output is analyzed on an event-by-event basis. The time associated with each single event allows to sort coincidences and to model dead-time. This leads to the study of time curves for a prospective small animal PET scanner design. The count rates of true, and random coincidences are discussed together with the corresponding Noise Equivalent Count (NEC) rates as a function of some PET scanner specifications such as detector dead time, or coincidence time window

Characterization of a high-purity germanium detector for small-animal SPECT.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Lindsay C; Campbell, Desmond L; Hull, Ethan L; Peterson, Todd E

2011-09-21

We present an initial evaluation of a mechanically cooled, high-purity germanium double-sided strip detector as a potential gamma camera for small-animal SPECT. It is 90 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick with two sets of 16 orthogonal strips that have a 4.5 mm width with a 5 mm pitch. We found an energy resolution of 0.96% at 140 keV, an intrinsic efficiency of 43.3% at 122 keV and a FWHM spatial resolution of approximately 1.5 mm. We demonstrated depth-of-interaction estimation capability through comparison of pinhole acquisitions with a point source on and off axes. Finally, a flood-corrected flood image exhibited a strip-level uniformity of less than 1%. This high-purity germanium offers many desirable properties for small-animal SPECT.

Position-Sensitive Detector with Depth-of-Interaction Determination for Small Animal PET

CERN Document Server

Fedorov, A; Kholmetsky, A L; Korzhik, M V; Lecoq, P; Lobko, A S; Missevitch, O V; Tkatchev, A

2002-01-01

Crystal arrays made of LSO and LuAP crystals 2x2x10 mm pixels were manufactured for evaluation of detector with depth-of-interaction (DOI) determination capability intended for small animal positron emission tomograph. Position-sensitive LSO/LuAP phoswich DOI detector based on crystal 8x8 arrays and HAMAMATSU R5900-00-M64 position-sensitive multi-anode photomultiplier tube was developed and evaluated. Time resolution was found to be not worse than 1.0 ns FWHM for both layers, and spatial resolution mean value was 1.5 mm FWHM for the center of field-of-view.

Wide-field lifetime-based FRET imaging for the assessment of early functional distribution of transferrin-based delivery in breast tumor-bearing small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Sinsuebphon, Nattawut; Rudkouskaya, Alena; Barroso, Margarida; Intes, Xavier

2016-02-01

Targeted drug delivery is a critical aspect of successful cancer therapy. Assessment of dynamic distribution of the drug provides relative concentration and bioavailability at the target tissue. The most common approach of the assessment is intensity-based imaging, which only provides information about anatomical distribution. Observation of biomolecular interactions can be performed using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Thus, FRET-based imaging can assess functional distribution and provide potential therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we used wide-field lifetime-based FRET imaging for the study of early functional distribution of transferrin delivery in breast cancer tumor models in small animals. Transferrin is a carrier for cancer drug delivery. Its interaction with its receptor is within a few nanometers, which is suitable for FRET. Alexa Fluor® 700 and Alexa Fluor® 750 were conjugated to holo-transferrin which were then administered via tail vein injection to the mice implanted with T47D breast cancer xenografts. Images were continuously acquired for 60 minutes post-injection. The results showed that transferrin was primarily distributed to the liver, the urinary bladder, and the tumor. The cellular uptake of transferrin, which was indicated by the level of FRET, was high in the liver but very low in the urinary bladder. The results also suggested that the fluorescence intensity and FRET signals were independent. The liver showed increasing intensity and increasing FRET during the observation period, while the urinary bladder showed increasing intensity but minimal FRET. Tumors gave varied results corresponding to their FRET progression. These results were relevant to the biomolecular events that occurred in the animals.

Development of a Magnetoencephalograph System for Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. E.; Kim, I. S.; Kang, C. S.; Kwon, H.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, Y. H.; Kim, K.

2011-01-01

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/Hz 1/2 /cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

Measurement of flow velocity fields in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals using micro ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (micro-EPIV).

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Ming; Niu, Lili; Wang, Yanping; Jiang, Bo; Jin, Qiaofeng; Jiang, Chunxiang; Zheng, Hairong

2010-10-21

Determining a multidimensional velocity field within microscale opaque fluid flows is needed in areas such as microfluidic devices, biofluid mechanics and hemodynamics research in animal studies. The ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) technique is appropriate for measuring opaque flows by taking advantage of PIV and B-mode ultrasound contrast imaging. However, the use of clinical ultrasound systems for imaging flows in small structures or animals has limitations associated with spatial resolution. This paper reports on the development of a high-resolution EchoPIV technique (termed as micro-EPIV) and its application in measuring flows in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals. Phantom experiments demonstrate the validity of the technique, providing velocity estimates within 4.1% of the analytically derived values with regard to the flows in a small straight vessel-mimic phantom, and velocity estimates within 5.9% of the computationally simulated values with regard to the flows in a small stenotic vessel-mimic phantom. Animal studies concerning arterial and venous flows of living rats and rabbits show that the micro-EPIV-measured peak velocities within several cardiac cycles are about 25% below the values measured by the ultrasonic spectral Doppler technique. The micro-EPIV technique is able to effectively measure the flow fields within microscale opaque fluid flows.

Measurement of flow velocity fields in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals using micro ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (micro-EPIV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Ming; Niu Lili; Jiang Bo; Jin Qiaofeng; Jiang Chunxiang; Zheng Hairong; Wang Yanping

2010-01-01

Determining a multidimensional velocity field within microscale opaque fluid flows is needed in areas such as microfluidic devices, biofluid mechanics and hemodynamics research in animal studies. The ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) technique is appropriate for measuring opaque flows by taking advantage of PIV and B-mode ultrasound contrast imaging. However, the use of clinical ultrasound systems for imaging flows in small structures or animals has limitations associated with spatial resolution. This paper reports on the development of a high-resolution EchoPIV technique (termed as micro-EPIV) and its application in measuring flows in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals. Phantom experiments demonstrate the validity of the technique, providing velocity estimates within 4.1% of the analytically derived values with regard to the flows in a small straight vessel-mimic phantom, and velocity estimates within 5.9% of the computationally simulated values with regard to the flows in a small stenotic vessel-mimic phantom. Animal studies concerning arterial and venous flows of living rats and rabbits show that the micro-EPIV-measured peak velocities within several cardiac cycles are about 25% below the values measured by the ultrasonic spectral Doppler technique. The micro-EPIV technique is able to effectively measure the flow fields within microscale opaque fluid flows.

Coil concepts for rapid and motion-compensated MR-Imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korn, Matthias

2009-01-01

In this work radiofrequency-coils for the imaging of small animals in clinical whole-body MRI-systems were developed. Therefore in a first step single-channel solenoids were designed and characterized. The solenoids had two and three windings respectively, which were implemented as double wires to increase the homogeneity of the receive profile. These coils allow the acquisition of whole-body images of mice with high signal-to-noise ratio and homogeneity over a distance of at least 6.3 cm. Since many imaging experiments require rapid image acquisition, in the next step a novel coil concept was developed, which, due to its geometry, enables parallel imaging in arbitrary directions. A prototype was assembled and tested on phantom and small-animal experiments. With an accelerating factor of R=2, the difference of the SNR in all directions from the theoretical maximum, was less than 1%. In order to compensate physiological motion by the self-gating technique, in this work a coil is presented for the first time, which selectively amplifies the self-gating signal, while - due to a optical detuning technique - preserving the homogeneous illumination of the image. In vivo experiments on a small animal show an amplification of the self-gating signal by at least 40%. (orig.)

Enclosure for small animals during awake animal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Goddard, Jr., James S

2013-11-26

An enclosure or burrow restrains an awake animal during an imaging procedure. A tubular body, made from a radiolucent material that does not attenuate x-rays or gamma rays, accepts an awake animal. A proximal end of the body includes an attachment surface that corresponds to an attachment surface of an optically transparent and optically uniform window. An anti-reflective coating may be applied to an inner surface, an outer surface, or both surfaces of the window. Since the window is a separate element of the enclosure and it is not integrally formed as part of the body, it can be made with optically uniform thickness properties for improved motion tracking of markers on the animal with a camera during the imaging procedure. The motion tracking information is then used to compensate for animal movement in the image.

Multi-modality image reconstruction for dual-head small-animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Chang-Han; Chou, Cheng-Ying

2015-01-01

The hybrid positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) or positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) has become routine practice in clinics. The applications of multi-modality imaging can also benefit research advances. Consequently, dedicated small-imaging system like dual-head small-animal PET (DHAPET) that possesses the advantages of high detection sensitivity and high resolution can exploit the structural information from CT or MRI. It should be noted that the special detector arrangement in DHAPET leads to severe data truncation, thereby degrading the image quality. We proposed to take advantage of anatomical priors and total variation (TV) minimization methods to reconstruct PET activity distribution form incomplete measurement data. The objective is to solve the penalized least-squares function consisted of data fidelity term, TV norm and medium root priors. In this work, we employed the splitting-based fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm to split smooth and non-smooth functions in the convex optimization problems. Our simulations studies validated that the images reconstructed by use of the proposed method can outperform those obtained by use of conventional expectation maximization algorithms or that without considering the anatomical prior information. Additionally, the convergence rate is also accelerated.

Development of a Magnetoencephalograph System for Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. E.; Kim, I. S.; Kang, C. S.; Kwon, H.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, Y. H.; Kim, K. [Brain and Cognition Measurement Laboratory, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science(KRISS), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-08-15

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/Hz{sup 1/2}/cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

Primary functions of the first Japanese large-scale facility for exposing small animals to radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Yuu; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro; Yamaoka, Kiyonori; Kataoka, Takahiro; Sakoda, Akihiro

2010-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Okayama University have carried out the experimental animal study and its related studies since 2007 in order to examine the physiological effects of radon in detail. Thus, a radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical certainty of our animal tests. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its types in Japan. The facility has a potential of approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups each of which consists of five independent cages. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. The major functions of the facility controlling radon and avoiding thoron were shown theoretically and experimentally. The relative standard deviation of radon concentration at the highest concentration group was about 5%, although the lower concentration groups seemed to be affected by variations in background radon. (author)

Bone scintigraphy for the investigation of lameness in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolln, G.; Franke, C.

2010-01-01

Bone scintigraphy has been used as a helpful method in diagnosing lameness in small animals. It is a sensitive, non-invasive method to evaluate bone lesions and orthopaedic disorders. It provides a functional image of the skeleton and thereby aiding in the localisation and diagnosing of obscure lameness. Compared to human medicine one important difference is the inability of an animal to characterize its pain to the examiner. Another difference is the lacking cooperation of an animal during bone scintigraphy. Before this background are shown on the basis of 5 examples the advantages, the method and the different indication of bone scintigraphy. The technique of this method arrives from a human medicine protocol of a 2-phase-bone-scintigraphy and has to be done under light anaesthesia, to avoid artefacts of movement during acquisitions. The authors are convinced that bone scintigraphy is a very useful and diagnostic method for evaluation of obscure lameness because it can give a quick diagnosis and aimed therapy. Therefore secondary changes and additional costs can be avoided for the animal and its owner. (orig.)

Evaluating performance of a pixel array semiconductor SPECT system for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Naoki; Zhao, Songji; Fujiki, Yutaka

2005-01-01

Small animal imaging has recently been focused on basic nuclear medicine. We have designed and built a small animal SPECT imaging system using a semiconductor camera and a newly designed collimator. We assess the performance of this system for small object imaging. We employed an MGC 1500 (Acrorad Co.) camera including a CdTe semiconductor. The pixel size was 1.4 mm/pixel. We designed and produced a parallel-hole collimator with 20-mm hole length. Our SPECT system consisted of a semiconductor camera with the subject holder set on an electric rotating stage controlled by a computer. We compared this system with a conventional small animal SPECT system comprising a SPECT-2000H scanner with four Anger type cameras and pinhole collimators. The count rate linearity for estimation of the scatter was evaluated for a pie-chart phantom containing different concentrations of 99m Tc. We measured the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the 99m Tc SPECT line source along with scatter. The system volume sensitivity was examined using a flood source phantom which was 35 mm long with a 32-mm inside diameter. Additionally, an in vivo myocardial perfusion SPECT study was performed with a rat. With regards to energy resolution, the semiconductor camera (5.6%) was superior to the conventional Anger type camera (9.8%). In the count rate linearity evaluation, the regression lines of the SPECT values were y=0.019x+0.031 (r 2 =0.999) for our system and y=0.018x+0.060 (r 2 =0.997) for the conventional system. Thus, the scatter count using the semiconductor camera was less than that using the conventional camera. FWHMs of our system and the conventional system were 2.9±0.1 and 2.0±0.1 mm, respectively. Moreover, the system volume sensitivity of our system [0.51 kcps/(MBq/ml)/cm] was superior to that of the conventional system [0.44 kcps/(MBq/ml)/cm]. Our system provided clear images of the rat myocardium, sufficient for practical use in small animal imaging. Our SPECT system, utilizing a

Image-guided small animal radiation research platform: calibration of treatment beam alignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matinfar, Mohammad; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter; Ford, Eric; Wong, John

2009-01-01

Small animal research allows detailed study of biological processes, disease progression and response to therapy with the potential to provide a natural bridge to the clinical environment. The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is a portable system for precision irradiation with beam sizes down to approximately 0.5 mm and optimally planned radiation with on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance. This paper focuses on the geometric calibration of the system for high-precision irradiation. A novel technique for the calibration of the treatment beam is presented, which employs an x-ray camera whose precise positioning need not be known. Using the camera system we acquired a digitally reconstructed 3D 'star shot' for gantry calibration and then developed a technique to align each beam to a common isocenter with the robotic animal positioning stages. The calibration incorporates localization by cone-beam CT guidance. Uncorrected offsets of the beams with respect to the calibration origin ranged from 0.4 mm to 5.2 mm. With corrections, these alignment errors can be reduced to the sub-millimeter range. The calibration technique was used to deliver a stereotactic-like arc treatment to a phantom constructed with EBT Gafchromic films. All beams were shown to intersect at a common isocenter with a measured beam (FWHM) of approximately 1.07 mm using the 0.5 mm collimated beam. The desired positioning accuracy of the SARRP is 0.25 mm and the results indicate an accuracy of 0.2 mm. To fully realize the radiation localization capabilities of the SARRP, precise geometric calibration is required, as with any such system. The x-ray camera-based technique presented here provides a straightforward and semi-automatic method for system calibration.

Monte Carlo based performance assessment of different animal PET architectures using pixellated CZT detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visvikis, D.; Lefevre, T.; Lamare, F.; Kontaxakis, G.; Santos, A.; Darambara, D.

2006-01-01

The majority of present position emission tomography (PET) animal systems are based on the coupling of high-density scintillators and light detectors. A disadvantage of these detector configurations is the compromise between image resolution, sensitivity and energy resolution. In addition, current combined imaging devices are based on simply placing back-to-back and in axial alignment different apparatus without any significant level of software or hardware integration. The use of semiconductor CdZnTe (CZT) detectors is a promising alternative to scintillators for gamma-ray imaging systems. At the same time CZT detectors have the potential properties necessary for the construction of a truly integrated imaging device (PET/SPECT/CT). The aims of this study was to assess the performance of different small animal PET scanner architectures based on CZT pixellated detectors and compare their performance with that of state of the art existing PET animal scanners. Different scanner architectures were modelled using GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission). Particular scanner design characteristics included an overall cylindrical scanner format of 8 and 24 cm in axial and transaxial field of view, respectively, and a temporal coincidence window of 8 ns. Different individual detector modules were investigated, considering pixel pitch down to 0.625 mm and detector thickness from 1 to 5 mm. Modified NEMA NU2-2001 protocols were used in order to simulate performance based on mouse, rat and monkey imaging conditions. These protocols allowed us to directly compare the performance of the proposed geometries with the latest generation of current small animal systems. Results attained demonstrate the potential for higher NECR with CZT based scanners in comparison to scintillator based animal systems

Open-source, small-animal magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound system.

Science.gov (United States)

Poorman, Megan E; Chaplin, Vandiver L; Wilkens, Ken; Dockery, Mary D; Giorgio, Todd D; Grissom, William A; Caskey, Charles F

2016-01-01

MR-guided focused ultrasound or high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS/MRgHIFU) is a non-invasive therapeutic modality with many potential applications in areas such as cancer therapy, drug delivery, and blood-brain barrier opening. However, the large financial costs involved in developing preclinical MRgFUS systems represent a barrier to research groups interested in developing new techniques and applications. We aim to mitigate these challenges by detailing a validated, open-source preclinical MRgFUS system capable of delivering thermal and mechanical FUS in a quantifiable and repeatable manner under real-time MRI guidance. A hardware and software package was developed that includes closed-loop feedback controlled thermometry code and CAD drawings for a therapy table designed for a preclinical MRI scanner. For thermal treatments, the modular software uses a proportional integral derivative controller to maintain a precise focal temperature rise in the target given input from MR phase images obtained concurrently. The software computes the required voltage output and transmits it to a FUS transducer that is embedded in the delivery table within the magnet bore. The delivery table holds the FUS transducer, a small animal and its monitoring equipment, and a transmit/receive RF coil. The transducer is coupled to the animal via a water bath and is translatable in two dimensions from outside the magnet. The transducer is driven by a waveform generator and amplifier controlled by real-time software in Matlab. MR acoustic radiation force imaging is also implemented to confirm the position of the focus for mechanical and thermal treatments. The system was validated in tissue-mimicking phantoms and in vivo during murine tumor hyperthermia treatments. Sonications were successfully controlled over a range of temperatures and thermal doses for up to 20 min with minimal temperature overshoot. MR thermometry was validated with an optical temperature probe, and focus

Performance characteristics of a small animal PET camera for molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastings, D.L.; Reader, A.J.; Julyan, P.J.; Zweit, J.; Jeavons, A.P.; Jones, T.

2007-01-01

The performance of a novel type of animal PET camera, the quad High-Density Avalanche Chamber (HIDAC) was assessed for a non-rotating 16-module system. Spatial resolution was 1.0 mm, and invariant within a standard deviation ≤5%. Absolute sensitivity was 0.95%, and the scatter-background corrected sensitivity was 0.75%. The count rate capability was linear at typical activities used in animal imaging, with a 20% loss at 11.5 MBq. The camera demonstrates small regions of radiotracer uptake with excellent detail in the mouse

Dynamic 18F-fluoride small animal PET to noninvasively assess renal function in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnoeckel, Uta; Stegger, Lars; Schaefers, Klaus P.; Hermann, Sven; Schober, Otmar; Schaefers, Michael; Reuter, Stefan; Schlatter, Eberhard; Gabriels, Gert

2008-01-01

Renal function can be quantified by both laboratory and scintigraphic methods. In the case of small animal diagnostics, scintigraphic image-based methods are ideal since they can assess split renal function, work noninvasively, and can be repeated. The aim of this study is to validate a 18 F-PET-based method to quantify renal function in rats. Fluoride clearance was calculated from a dynamic whole body listmode acquisition of 60 min length in a small animal PET scanner following an i.v. injection of 15 MBq 18 F-fluoride. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in the left ventricle and the bladder as well as traced around the kidney contours. The respective time-activity curves (TAC) were calculated. The renal 18 F-clearance was calculated by the ratio of the total renal excreted activity (bladder VOI) and the integral of the blood TAC. PET-derived renal function was validated by intraindividual measurements of creatinine clearance (n=23), urea clearance (n=23), and tubular excretion rate (TER-MAG3). The split renal function was derived from the injection of the clinically available radionuclide 99m Tc-mercaptotriglycine by blood sampling and planar renography (n=8). In all animals studied, PET revealed high-quality TACs. PET-derived renal fluoride clearance was linearly correlated with intraindividual laboratory measures (PET vs. creatinine: r=0.78; PET vs. urea: r=0.73; PET vs. TER-MAG3: r=0.73). Split function was comparable ( 18 F-PET vs. MAG3-renography: r=0.98). PET-derived measures were highly reproducible. 18 F-PET is able to noninvasively assess renal function in rats and provides a significant potential for serial studies in different experimental scenarios. (orig.)

Cone Beam Micro-CT System for Small Animal Imaging and Performance Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shouping Zhu

2009-01-01

in this paper. Experimental results show that the system is suitable for small animal imaging and is adequate to provide high-resolution anatomic information for bioluminescence tomography to build a dual modality system.

SIC, an intracerebral radiosensitive probe for in vivo neuropharmacology investigations in small laboratory animals: theoretical considerations and practical characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Pain, F.; Laniece, P.; Mastrippolito, R.; Charon, Y.; Comar, D.; Leviel, V.; Pujol, J. F.; Valentin, L.

2000-02-01

Although high-resolution tomographs provide a new approach that strongly simplifies the measurement of in vivo tracer biodistribution and kinetics in small animals, they suffer from an important drawback: the need for animal anesthesia or immobilization, which restricts the neurophysiological investigations. Furthermore, quantitative in vivo experiments realized on the brain sometimes only require a simple measurement of the radioactivity achieved on a few local points and do not necessarily imply the use of a tomograph, which is a detector of high cost. These constraints led the authors to develop an interacerebral /spl beta/ sensitive probe, sonde intracerebrate (SIC) (French acronym of intracerebral probe) that will allow chronic measurements of the neurophysiological activity in awake and unrestrained small animals. The volume to which the probe is sensitive and the noise contributions to the relevant signal have been evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations. Characterizations of a first prototype based on a small piece of scintillating fiber (500-/spl mu/m diameter and 1-mm length) fused to a same diameter optical fiber coupled in turn to a photomultiplier are also presented. A first configuration of the detector is finally proposed.

Ethics in Animal-Based Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Dominik; Tolba, René H

2015-01-01

In recent years, there have been a number of new demands and regulations which have reignited the discussion on ethics in animal-based research. In the light of this development, the present review first presents an overview of underlying core ethical questions and issues. This is followed by an outline of the current discussion on whether animals (used for experimentation) should have rights ascribed to them and whether animals need to have certain characteristics in order to be the beneficiaries of rights. The discourse on concepts of sentience and the 'sociozoological scale' in particular is mapped out in this regard. There follows an outline of relevant ethical positions and current moral approaches to animal-based research (animal rights position, utilitarianism, 'convergence position', intrinsic cultural value of fundamental research, 'contractarianism', anthropocentrism, principle of the three Rs). 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Hyperspectral and multispectral bioluminescence optical tomography for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhari, Abhijit J; Darvas, Felix; Bading, James R; Moats, Rex A; Conti, Peter S; Smith, Desmond J; Cherry, Simon R; Leahy, Richard M

2005-01-01

For bioluminescence imaging studies in small animals, it is important to be able to accurately localize the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the underlying bioluminescent source. The spectrum of light produced by the source that escapes the subject varies with the depth of the emission source because of the wavelength-dependence of the optical properties of tissue. Consequently, multispectral or hyperspectral data acquisition should help in the 3D localization of deep sources. In this paper, we describe a framework for fully 3D bioluminescence tomographic image acquisition and reconstruction that exploits spectral information. We describe regularized tomographic reconstruction techniques that use semi-infinite slab or FEM-based diffusion approximations of photon transport through turbid media. Singular value decomposition analysis was used for data dimensionality reduction and to illustrate the advantage of using hyperspectral rather than achromatic data. Simulation studies in an atlas-mouse geometry indicated that sub-millimeter resolution may be attainable given accurate knowledge of the optical properties of the animal. A fixed arrangement of mirrors and a single CCD camera were used for simultaneous acquisition of multispectral imaging data over most of the surface of the animal. Phantom studies conducted using this system demonstrated our ability to accurately localize deep point-like sources and show that a resolution of 1.5 to 2.2 mm for depths up to 6 mm can be achieved. We also include an in vivo study of a mouse with a brain tumour expressing firefly luciferase. Co-registration of the reconstructed 3D bioluminescent image with magnetic resonance images indicated good anatomical localization of the tumour

MediSPECT: Single photon emission computed tomography system for small field of view small animal imaging based on a CdTe hybrid pixel detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accorsi, R.; Autiero, M.; Celentano, L.

2007-01-01

We describe MediSPECT, a new scanner developed at University and INFN Napoli, for SPECT studies on small animals with a small field of view (FOV) and high spatial resolution. The CdTe pixel detector (a 256x256 matrix of 55 μm square pixels) operating in single photon counting for detection of gamma-rays with low and medium energy (e.g. 125 I, 27-35 keV, 99m Tc, 140 keV), is bump bonded to the Medipix2 readout chip. The FOV of the MediSPECT scanner with a coded aperture mask collimator ranges from 6.3 mm (system spatial resolution 110 μm at 27-35 keV) to 24.3 mm. With a 0.30 mm pinhole the FOV ranges from 2.4 to 29 mm (where the system spatial resolution is 1.0 mm at 27-35 keV and 2.0 mm at 140 keV). MediSPECT will be used for in vivo imaging of small organs or tissue structures in mouse, e.g., brain, thyroid, heart or tumor

An automated robot arm system for small animal tissue biopsy under dual-image modality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Y.H.; Wu, T.H.; Lin, M.H.; Yang, C.C.; Guo, W.Y.; Wang, Z.J.; Chen, C.L.; Lee, J.S.

2006-01-01

The ability to non-invasively monitor cell biology in vivo is one of the most important goals of molecular imaging. Imaging procedures could be inter-subject performed repeatedly at different investigating stages; thereby need not sacrifice small animals during the entire study period. Thus, the ultimate goal of this study was to design a stereotactic image-guided system for small animals and integrated it with an automatic robot arm for in vivo tissue biopsy analysis. The system was composed of three main parts, including one small animal stereotactic frame, one imaging-fusion software and an automatic robot arm system. The system has been thoroughly evaluated with three components; the robot position accuracy was 0.05±0.02 mm, the image registration accuracy was 0.37±0.18 mm and the system integration was satisfactorily within 1.20±0.39 mm of error. From these results, the system demonstrated sufficient accuracy to guide the micro-injector from the planned delivery routes into practice. The entire system accuracy was limited by the image fusion and orientation procedures, due to its nature of the blurred PET imaging obtained from the small objects. The primary improvement is to acquire as higher resolution as possible the fused imaging for localizing the targets in the future

Small-animal SPECT and SPECT/CT: application in cardiovascular research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golestani, Reza; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); Wu, Chao [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neurosciences, Utrecht (Netherlands); Tio, Rene A. [University Medical Center Groningen, Thorax Center, Department of Cardiology, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Zeebregts, Clark J. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Petrov, Artiom D. [University of California, Irvine, Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Irvine, California (United States); Beekman, Freek J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neurosciences, Utrecht (Netherlands); Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Section Radiation Detection and Medical Imaging, Delft (Netherlands); MILabs, Utrecht (Netherlands); Boersma, Hendrikus H. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands); Slart, Riemer H.J.A. [University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); University Medical Center Groningen, Cardiovascular Imaging Group, P.O. Box 30001, Groningen (Netherlands)

2010-09-15

Preclinical cardiovascular research using noninvasive radionuclide and hybrid imaging systems has been extensively developed in recent years. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is based on the molecular tracer principle and is an established tool in noninvasive imaging. SPECT uses gamma cameras and collimators to form projection data that are used to estimate (dynamic) 3-D tracer distributions in vivo. Recent developments in multipinhole collimation and advanced image reconstruction have led to sub-millimetre and sub-half-millimetre resolution SPECT in rats and mice, respectively. In this article we review applications of microSPECT in cardiovascular research in which information about the function and pathology of the myocardium, vessels and neurons is obtained. We give examples on how diagnostic tracers, new therapeutic interventions, pre- and postcardiovascular event prognosis, and functional and pathophysiological heart conditions can be explored by microSPECT, using small-animal models of cardiovascular disease. (orig.)

Small-animal SPECT and SPECT/CT: application in cardiovascular research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golestani, Reza; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O.; Wu, Chao; Tio, Rene A.; Zeebregts, Clark J.; Petrov, Artiom D.; Beekman, Freek J.; Boersma, Hendrikus H.; Slart, Riemer H.J.A.

2010-01-01

Preclinical cardiovascular research using noninvasive radionuclide and hybrid imaging systems has been extensively developed in recent years. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is based on the molecular tracer principle and is an established tool in noninvasive imaging. SPECT uses gamma cameras and collimators to form projection data that are used to estimate (dynamic) 3-D tracer distributions in vivo. Recent developments in multipinhole collimation and advanced image reconstruction have led to sub-millimetre and sub-half-millimetre resolution SPECT in rats and mice, respectively. In this article we review applications of microSPECT in cardiovascular research in which information about the function and pathology of the myocardium, vessels and neurons is obtained. We give examples on how diagnostic tracers, new therapeutic interventions, pre- and postcardiovascular event prognosis, and functional and pathophysiological heart conditions can be explored by microSPECT, using small-animal models of cardiovascular disease. (orig.)

Performance of the first Japanese large-scale facility for radon inhalation experiments with small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Y.; Mitsunobu, F.; Yamaoka, K.; Tanaka, H.; Kataoka, T.; Sakoda, A.

2011-01-01

A radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical validity of differences of the biological response in various radon environments. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its kind in Japan. The facility has a capability to conduct approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups with five independent cages each. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. Because the first target of this study is to examine the in vivo behaviour of radon and its effects, the major functions to control radon and to eliminate thoron were examined experimentally. Additionally, radon progeny concentrations and their particle size distributions in the cages were also examined experimentally to be considered in future projects. (authors)

Magnetic resonance imaging for precise radiotherapy of small laboratory animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frenzel, Thorsten [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Bereich Strahlentherapie; Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Anatomie und Experimentelle Morphologie; Kaul, Michael Gerhard; Ernst, Thomas Michael; Salamon, Johannes [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Jaeckel, Maria [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie; Schumacher, Udo [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Anatomie und Experimentelle Morphologie; Kruell, Andreas [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (Germany). Bereich Strahlentherapie

2017-05-01

Radiotherapy of small laboratory animals (SLA) is often not as precisely applied as in humans. Here we describe the use of a dedicated SLA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for precise tumor volumetry, radiotherapy treatment planning, and diagnostic imaging in order to make the experiments more accurate. Different human cancer cells were injected at the lower trunk of pfp/rag2 and SCID mice to allow for local tumor growth. Data from cross sectional MRI scans were transferred to a clinical treatment planning system (TPS) for humans. Manual palpation of the tumor size was compared with calculated tumor size of the TPS and with tumor weight at necropsy. As a feasibility study MRI based treatment plans were calculated for a clinical 6 MV linear accelerator using a micro multileaf collimator (μMLC). In addition, diagnostic MRI scans were used to investigate animals which did clinical poorly during the study. MRI is superior in precise tumor volume definition whereas manual palpation underestimates their size. Cross sectional MRI allow for treatment planning so that conformal irradiation of mice with a clinical linear accelerator using a μMLC is in principle feasible. Several internal pathologies were detected during the experiment using the dedicated scanner. MRI is a key technology for precise radiotherapy of SLA. The scanning protocols provided are suited for tumor volumetry, treatment planning, and diagnostic imaging.

Veterinarians' perceptions of behaviour support in small-animal practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Roshier, A L; McBride, E A

2013-03-09

Veterinarians are professionals considered to be at the forefront of animal welfare, including behaviour medicine. However, concerns raised, both within the profession and without, highlight that the support offered is not optimal, due to deficiencies in veterinary training, which focuses on physical aspects and overlooks psychological aspects. This preliminary study explored the experiences and perceptions of six veterinarians (three male, three female, age range: 23-55 years) in two UK small-animal practices. Seventeen annual booster consultations were videoed and conversations thematically analysed for welfare topics discussed. Both veterinarians and clients completed questionnaires to gather demographic information and perspectives. All veterinarians recognised behaviour as a component of their caseload, and acknowledged that clients expected them to provide behaviour support. Veterinarians varied in their experiences of and confidence in providing behaviour support. Five felt unable to meet client expectations; four did not feel their training had prepared them sufficiently. Only one provided dedicated behaviour consultations, the others referred cases. All provided suggestions for behaviour skills needed for new veterinary graduates. The study has afforded an insight into the experiences of a small opportunistic sample of veterinarians. The data indicated important limitations regarding time available in general consultations to discuss behaviour concerns, and practitioner knowledge and skill in detection, anamnesis, assessment and provision of appropriate behaviour information. Suggestions for veterinary training in behaviour are provided.

WE-H-206-02: Recent Advances in Multi-Modality Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsui, B. [Johns Hopkins University (United States)

2016-06-15

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

WE-H-206-02: Recent Advances in Multi-Modality Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsui, B.

2016-01-01

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

Microbiological Standardization in Small Laboratory Animals and Recommendations for the Monitoring

OpenAIRE

Meral Karaman

2014-01-01

Microbiological standardization in laboratory animal breeding is based on the classification according to the microorganisms that the animals host and consequently their upbringing environment, as well as the certification of their microbiological status and the protection of their properties. Although there are many different classifications for microbiological standardization of laboratory animals, they can be basically classified as; gnotobiotic animals, animals bred with a complete barrie...

Management and Level of Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus Illinger, 1815 as Display Animal in Indonesia Conservation Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulfa Hansyari Ar-Rasyid

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Education and breeding become main reasons for asian small-clawed otter placement as display animal in zoo. Proper management is needed to maintain asian small-clawed otter welfare. This research objectives were to examine and assess asian small-clawed otter welfare in three Indonesia zoos. The study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 in Bandung Zoo, Ragunan Zoo and Ocean Dream Samudra Ancol. The methods of this research were literature review, interview and field observation. Data were analyzed using the suitability of management and animal welfare assessment. The result showed that there were three main management activities conducted at the three study locations, i.e., nutrition, housing, and health management. Bandung Zoo achieved the lowest score of asian small-clawed otter welfare (45,24% compared to Ragunan Zoo (62,24% and Ocean Dream Samudra (65,90%. Asian small-clawed otter welfare in three institutions were relatively low to fair category, this was due to the unfilled quality of food and water i.e.,  the type, amount, feeding frequency, diet and preparing of food; the unavailability of suitable and favorable environmental conditions; the care facilities provided could not ensure the health of animal; the appearance of abnormal behavior that affected the growth and breeding of animal; and animal had no freedom to behave as in their natural habitat. Keywords: animal display, animal welfare, Asian small-clawed otter, zoo 

A new small-animal model for the study of acquired heterotopic ossification after hip surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthonissen, Joris; Ossendorf, Christian; Hock, Johanna Lisa; Ritz, Ulrike; Hofmann, Alexander; Rommens, Pol Maria

2015-01-01

Heterotopic ossification (HO)--the formation of bone in soft tissues--is a frequent problem after surgery of the hip and pelvis, but little is known about its underlying pathogenic mechanisms. It is vital to study the underlying pathogenesis in animal models to develop and evaluate new prophylactic regimens directed against HO. However, previously developed small-animal models for the study of HO imitate neither surgery nor trauma-mechanisms that potentially cause HO. Hence, the goal of this study was to develop a novel small-animal model imitating hip surgery that can reliably produce HO. Twenty male Wistar rats were subjected to surgery of the right hip during which the femoral canal was reamed in three steps up to 2 mm, and a muscle lesion was made. Twelve weeks after surgery, the amount of heterotopic bone was assessed using micro-computed tomography. Eighteen of 20 animals showed HO around the hip 12 weeks after surgery. The amount of heterotopic bone varied from very small particles up to near ankylosis. A rat model of hip/pelvic surgery that does not use exogenous osteogenic stimulus and can reliably produce HO was developed.

Fundamental image quality limits for microcomputed tomography in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, N.L.; Thornton, M.M.; Holdsworth, D.W.

2003-01-01

Small-animal imaging has become increasingly more important as transgenic and knockout mice are produced to model human diseases. One imaging technique that has emerged is microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). For live-animal imaging, the precision in the images will be determined by the x-ray dose given to the animal. As a result, we propose a simple method to predict the noise performance of an x-ray micro-CT system as a function of dose and image resolution. An ideal, quantum-noise limited micro-CT scanner, assumed to have perfect resolution and ideal efficiency, was modeled. Using a simplified model, the coefficient of variation (COV) of the linear attenuation coefficient was calculated for a range of entrance doses and isotropic voxel sizes. COV calculations were performed for the ideal case and with simulated imperfections in efficiency and resolution. Our model was validated in phantom studies and mouse images were acquired with a specimen scanner to illustrate the results. A simplified model of noise propagation in the case of isotropic resolution indicates that the COV in the linear attenuation coefficient is proportional to (dose) -1/2 and to the (isotropic voxel size) -2 in the reconstructed volume. Therefore an improvement in the precision can be achieved only by increasing the isotropic voxel size (thereby decreasing the resolution of the image) or by increasing the x-ray dose. For the ideal scanner, a COV of 1% in the linear attenuation coefficient for an image of a mouse exposed to 0.25 Gy is obtained with a minimum isotropic voxel size of 135 μm. However, the same COV is achieved at a dose of 5.0 Gy with a 65 μm isotropic voxel size. Conversely, for a 68 mm diameter rat, a COV of 1% obtained from an image at 5.0 Gy would require an isotropic voxel size of 100 μm. These results indicate that short-term, potentially lethal, effects of ionizing radiation will limit high-resolution live animal imaging. As improvements in detector technology allow the

The zoonotic potential of Clostridium difficile from small companion animals and their owners.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabold, Denise; Espelage, Werner; Abu Sin, Muna; Eckmanns, Tim; Schneeberg, Alexander; Neubauer, Heinrich; Möbius, Nadine; Hille, Katja; Wieler, Lothar H; Seyboldt, Christian; Lübke-Becker, Antina

2018-01-01

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in humans range from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening intestinal disease. Findings on C. difficile in various animal species and an overlap in ribotypes (RTs) suggest potential zoonotic transmission. However, the impact of animals for human CDI remains unclear. In a large-scale survey we collected 1,447 fecal samples to determine the occurrence of C. difficile in small companion animals (dogs and cats) and their owners and to assess potential epidemiological links within the community. The Germany-wide survey was conducted from July 2012-August 2013. PCR ribotyping, Multilocus VNTR Analysis (MLVA) and PCR detection of toxin genes were used to characterize isolated C. difficile strains. A database was defined and logistic regression used to identify putative factors associated with fecal shedding of C. difficile. In total, 1,418 samples met the inclusion criteria. The isolation rates for small companion animals and their owners within the community were similarly low with 3.0% (25/840) and 2.9% (17/578), respectively. PCR ribotyping revealed eight and twelve different RTs in animals and humans, respectively, whereas three RTs were isolated in both, humans and animals. RT 014/0, a well-known human hospital-associated lineage, was predominantly detected in animal samples. Moreover, the potentially highly pathogenic RTs 027 and 078 were isolated from dogs. Even though, C. difficile did not occur simultaneously in animals and humans sharing the same household. The results of the epidemiological analysis of factors associated with fecal shedding of C. difficile support the hypothesis of a zoonotic potential. Molecular characterization and epidemiological analysis revealed that the zoonotic risk for C. difficile associated with dogs and cats within the community is low but cannot be excluded.

Non-invasive 3D-microscopy with 10-μm spatial resolution inside alive small laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasov, A.; Dewaele, D.; De Clerck, N.

2002-01-01

Full text: Small laboratory animals (mice and rats) are widely used in development of drugs and treatments. Micro-CT or microtomography allows non-invasive 3D imaging and measurements of the microstructure inside the body of alive animals. To recognise the internal changes of bones and different organs in the very early stage, high-resolution micro-CT scanner for in-vivo 3D-imaging has been developed. The Micro-CT scanner based on the X-ray geometry with source-detector pair rotation around the object instead of object rotation geometry, typical for other micro-CT systems. Object illuminated by an X-ray source with 5 microns spot size and 20-100keV energies. X-ray images collected by a digital x-ray camera. Projection images with 8000x1000x16bit format collected from several hundreds angular projections. On the base of this information cross sectional images can be reconstructed in 8000x8000x32bit full format or 1024x1024x32bit preview. Maximum object size (scanning volume) is 80mm in diameter by 200mm in length with 10-microns isotropic pixel size for reconstruction at any place of this space. All software for system control, reconstruction and 3D analysis runs on Pentium-4 2GHz or Dual Intel Xeon 1.7GHz computer under Microsoft Windows-2000. The instrument is widely used for scanning of physical phantoms as well as different alive small laboratory animals under anesthesia. Achieved spatial resolution is 20microns for low-contrast objects and 10-microns for high-contrast objects (bone, etc.). Typical scanning time is 20-120min, typical irradiation dose - 0.25-0.7Gy per scan. To avoid movement artefacts from breathing, the instrument can synchronise acquisition cycle with pulses from special breathing sensor. Software package includes dual-processor reconstruction software, 3D-rendering and measurement of all general and bone-specific morphological parameters. New in-vivo Micro-CT scanner allows non-destructive 3D-imaging and measurements of the internal

Imaging of lung metastasis tumor mouse model using [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET and CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, June Youp; Woo, Sang Keun; Lee, Tae Sup [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2007-02-15

The purpose of this study is to image metastaic lung melanoma model with optimal pre-conditions for animal handling by using [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET and clinical CT. The pre-conditions for lung region tumor imaging were 16-22 h fasting and warming temperature at 30 .deg. C. Small animal PET image was obtained at 60 min postinjection of 7.4 MBq [{sup 18}F]FDG and compared pattern of [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake and glucose standard uptake value (SUVG) of lung region between Ketamine/Xylazine (Ke/Xy) and Isoflurane (Iso) anesthetized group in normal mice. Metastasis tumor mouse model to lung was established by intravenous injection of B16-F10 cells in C57BL/6 mice. In lung metastasis tumor model, [{sup 18}F]FDG image was obtained and fused with anatomical clinical CT image. Average blood glucose concentration in normal mice were 128.0 {+-} 22.87 and 86.0 {+-} 21.65 mg/dL in Ke/Xy group and Iso group, respectively. Ke/Xy group showed 1.5 fold higher blood glucose concentration than Iso group. Lung to Background ratio (L/B) in SUVG image was 8.6 {+-} 0.48 and 12.1 {+-}0.63 in Ke/Xy group and Iso group, respectively. In tumor detection in lung region, [{sup 18}F]FDG image of Iso group was better than that of Ke/Xy group, because of high L/B ratio. Metastatic tumor location in [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET image was confirmed by fusion image using clinical CT. Tumor imaging in small animal lung region with [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET should be considered pre-conditions which fasting, warming and an anesthesia during [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake. Fused imaging with small animal PET and CT image could be useful for the detection of metastatic tumor in lung region.

Current status and future perspectives of in vivo small animal imaging using radiolabeled nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George; Kagadis, George C.; Psimadas, Dimitris

2011-01-01

Small animal molecular imaging is a rapidly expanding efficient tool to study biological processes non-invasively. The use of radiolabeled tracers provides non-destructive, imaging information, allowing time related phenomena to be repeatedly studied in a single animal. In the last decade there has been an enormous progress in related technologies and a number of dedicated imaging systems overcome the limitations that the size of small animal possesses. On the other hand, nanoparticles (NPs) gain increased interest, due to their unique properties, which make them perfect candidates for biological applications. Over the past 5 years the two fields seem to cross more and more often; radiolabeled NPs have been assessed in numerous pre-clinical studies that range from oncology, till HIV treatment. In this article the current status in the tools, applications and trends of radiolabeled NPs reviewed.

Microbiological Standardization in Small Laboratory Animals and Recommendations for the Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meral Karaman

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Microbiological standardization in laboratory animal breeding is based on the classification according to the microorganisms that the animals host and consequently their upbringing environment, as well as the certification of their microbiological status and the protection of their properties. Although there are many different classifications for microbiological standardization of laboratory animals, they can be basically classified as; gnotobiotic animals, animals bred with a complete barrier system (Germ free, GF, with Colonization-Resistant Flora; CRF, animals bred with a partial barrier system (Specified Pathogen Free, SPF, and animals bred by conventional methods in units without barriers (Conventional; CV. Monitoring of microbiological standardization is carried out in two ways. One is controlling barrier systems (process control and the other is controlling laboratory animals (product control. In controlling barrier systems samples are taken routinely from ambient air, surfaces, base plate materials of animals, foods and waters, and microbiological tests are carried out. FELASA guidelines are frequently used in monitoring laboratory animals. These guidelines where the monitoring frequency, sample size, micro-organisms to be tested, vary according to the microbiological quality of the animals, and test methods and are frequently updated by FELASA and shared in their web pages. In our country, in general, laboratory animals used for experimental studies present no microbiological standardization, and follow-up protocols are not implemented. Therefore, construction of facilities for the production of microbiologically standard animals and establishment of backup laboratories testing microbiological quality should be established.

Scanner calibration of a small animal PET camera based on continuous LSO crystals and flat panel PSPMTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benlloch, J.M.; Carrilero, V.; Gonzalez, A.J.; Catret, J.; Lerche, Ch.W.; Abellan, D.; Garcia de Quiros, F.; Gimenez, M.; Modia, J.; Sanchez, F.; Pavon, N.; Ros, A.; Martinez, J.; Sebastia, A.

2007-01-01

We have constructed a small animal PET with four identical detector modules, each consisting of a continuous LYSO crystal attached to a Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube (PSPMT). The dimensions of the continuous crystal are 50x50 mm 2 and 10 mm thickness. The modules are separated 11 cm between each other in the scanner. In this paper we discuss the method used for the calibration of the camera for this special system with continuous detectors. We also present the preliminary values for the main performance parameters such as spatial and energy resolution, and sensitivity of the system

Animal based parameters are no panacea for on-farm monitoring of animal welfare

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bracke, M.B.M.

2007-01-01

On-farm monitoring of animal welfare is an important, present-day objective in animal welfare science. Scientists tend to focus exclusively on animal-based parameters, possibly because using environment-based parameters could be begging the question why welfare has been affected and because

Attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia in small animal practice: impacts of age and gender on views on euthanasia

OpenAIRE

Hartnack, Sonja; Springer, Svenja; Pittavino, Marta; Grimm, Herwig

2016-01-01

Background Euthanasia of pets has been described by veterinarians as ?the best and the worst? of the profession. The most commonly mentioned ethical dilemmas veterinarians face in small animal practice are: limited treatment options due to financial constraints, euthanizing of healthy animals and owners wishing to continue treatment of terminally ill animals. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia of small animals. This include...

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Wong, John; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal (‘tubular’ geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal (‘pancake’ geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey; Wong, John

2015-07-07

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal ('tubular' geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal ('pancake' geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry, respectively.

Effect of National Football League games on small animal emergency room caseload.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanski, Elizabeth A; Rondeau, Mark P; Shaw, Scott P; Rush, John E

2009-07-01

To evaluate whether games of popular professional football teams have an effect on small animal emergency room caseload and percentage of dogs and cats that subsequently are hospitalized, are euthanatized, or die following admission to veterinary emergency rooms located within a dedicated fan base. Prospective study. 818 dogs and cats admitted to the emergency room. During the 2007 New England Patriots (NEP) football season, small animal emergency room caseload was recorded for Sunday (4-hour blocks, 8:00 AM until 12:00 midnight) and Monday night (7:00 PM to 11:00 PM). Number of dogs and cats that subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized was recorded. Mean game importance rating (GIR) was determined for NEP games (scale, 1 [mild] to 3 [great]). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 1.7) versus non-NEP games was not different. Mean +/- SD percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.4) versus non-NEP games was significantly different (18 +/- 5% and 25 +/- 7% of daily caseload, respectively). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 8:00 PM to 12:00 midnight on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.1) versus non-NEP games was not different. Game type (NEP vs non-NEP) during emergency room admission did not influence whether dogs and cats subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized. Professional sporting events may influence veterinary emergency room caseloads.

Validity of bioluminescence measurements for noninvasive in vivo imaging of tumor load in small animals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klerk, Clara P. W.; Overmeer, Renée M.; Niers, Tatjana M. H.; Versteeg, Henri H.; Richel, Dick J.; Buckle, Tessa; van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.; van Tellingen, Olaf

2007-01-01

A relatively new strategy to longitudinally monitor tumor load in intact animals and the effects of therapy is noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI). The validity of BLI for quantitative assessment of tumor load in small animals is critically evaluated in the present review. Cancer cells are

The motivations and methodology for high-throughput PET imaging of small animals in cancer research.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aide, N.; Visser, E.P.; Lheureux, S.; Heutte, N.; Szanda, I.; Hicks, R.J.

2012-01-01

Over the last decade, small-animal PET imaging has become a vital platform technology in cancer research. With the development of molecularly targeted therapies and drug combinations requiring evaluation of different schedules, the number of animals to be imaged within a PET experiment has

Evaluation of Matrix9 silicon photomultiplier array for small-animal PET

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Junwei; Schmall, Jeffrey P.; Yang, Yongfeng; Di, Kun; Roncali, Emilie; Mitchell, Gregory S.; Buckley, Steve; Jackson, Carl; Cherry, Simon R.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The MatrixSL-9-30035-OEM (Matrix9) from SensL is a large-area silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetector module consisting of a 3 × 3 array of 4 × 4 element SiPM arrays (total of 144 SiPM pixels) and incorporates SensL’s front-end electronics board and coincidence board. Each SiPM pixel measures 3.16 × 3.16 mm2 and the total size of the detector head is 47.8 × 46.3 mm2. Using 8 × 8 polished LSO/LYSO arrays (pitch 1.5 mm) the performance of this detector system (SiPM array and readout electronics) was evaluated with a view for its eventual use in small-animal positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: Measurements of noise, signal, signal-to-noise ratio, energy resolution, flood histogram quality, timing resolution, and array trigger error were obtained at different bias voltages (28.0–32.5 V in 0.5 V intervals) and at different temperatures (5 °C–25 °C in 5 °C degree steps) to find the optimal operating conditions. Results: The best measured signal-to-noise ratio and flood histogram quality for 511 keV gamma photons were obtained at a bias voltage of 30.0 V and a temperature of 5 °C. The energy resolution and timing resolution under these conditions were 14.2% ± 0.1% and 4.2 ± 0.1 ns, respectively. The flood histograms show that all the crystals in the 1.5 mm pitch LSO array can be clearly identified and that smaller crystal pitches can also be resolved. Flood histogram quality was also calculated using different center of gravity based positioning algorithms. Improved and more robust results were achieved using the local 9 pixels for positioning along with an energy offset calibration. To evaluate the front-end detector readout, and multiplexing efficiency, an array trigger error metric is introduced and measured at different lower energy thresholds. Using a lower energy threshold greater than 150 keV effectively eliminates any mispositioning between SiPM arrays. Conclusions: In summary, the Matrix9 detector system can resolve

Evaluation of Matrix9 silicon photomultiplier array for small-animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Junwei; Schmall, Jeffrey P.; Yang, Yongfeng; Di, Kun; Roncali, Emilie; Mitchell, Gregory S.; Buckley, Steve; Jackson, Carl; Cherry, Simon R.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The MatrixSL-9-30035-OEM (Matrix9) from SensL is a large-area silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetector module consisting of a 3 × 3 array of 4 × 4 element SiPM arrays (total of 144 SiPM pixels) and incorporates SensL’s front-end electronics board and coincidence board. Each SiPM pixel measures 3.16 × 3.16 mm 2 and the total size of the detector head is 47.8 × 46.3 mm 2 . Using 8 × 8 polished LSO/LYSO arrays (pitch 1.5 mm) the performance of this detector system (SiPM array and readout electronics) was evaluated with a view for its eventual use in small-animal positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: Measurements of noise, signal, signal-to-noise ratio, energy resolution, flood histogram quality, timing resolution, and array trigger error were obtained at different bias voltages (28.0–32.5 V in 0.5 V intervals) and at different temperatures (5 °C–25 °C in 5 °C degree steps) to find the optimal operating conditions. Results: The best measured signal-to-noise ratio and flood histogram quality for 511 keV gamma photons were obtained at a bias voltage of 30.0 V and a temperature of 5 °C. The energy resolution and timing resolution under these conditions were 14.2% ± 0.1% and 4.2 ± 0.1 ns, respectively. The flood histograms show that all the crystals in the 1.5 mm pitch LSO array can be clearly identified and that smaller crystal pitches can also be resolved. Flood histogram quality was also calculated using different center of gravity based positioning algorithms. Improved and more robust results were achieved using the local 9 pixels for positioning along with an energy offset calibration. To evaluate the front-end detector readout, and multiplexing efficiency, an array trigger error metric is introduced and measured at different lower energy thresholds. Using a lower energy threshold greater than 150 keV effectively eliminates any mispositioning between SiPM arrays. Conclusions: In summary, the Matrix9 detector system can

Dynamic {sup 18}F-fluoride small animal PET to noninvasively assess renal function in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schnoeckel, Uta; Stegger, Lars; Schaefers, Klaus P.; Hermann, Sven; Schober, Otmar; Schaefers, Michael [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Muenster (Germany); Reuter, Stefan; Schlatter, Eberhard; Gabriels, Gert [Universitaetsklinikum Muenster, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik D, Experimentelle Nephrologie, Muenster (Germany)

2008-12-15

Renal function can be quantified by both laboratory and scintigraphic methods. In the case of small animal diagnostics, scintigraphic image-based methods are ideal since they can assess split renal function, work noninvasively, and can be repeated. The aim of this study is to validate a {sup 18}F-PET-based method to quantify renal function in rats. Fluoride clearance was calculated from a dynamic whole body listmode acquisition of 60 min length in a small animal PET scanner following an i.v. injection of 15 MBq {sup 18}F-fluoride. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in the left ventricle and the bladder as well as traced around the kidney contours. The respective time-activity curves (TAC) were calculated. The renal {sup 18}F-clearance was calculated by the ratio of the total renal excreted activity (bladder VOI) and the integral of the blood TAC. PET-derived renal function was validated by intraindividual measurements of creatinine clearance (n=23), urea clearance (n=23), and tubular excretion rate (TER-MAG3). The split renal function was derived from the injection of the clinically available radionuclide {sup 99m}Tc-mercaptotriglycine by blood sampling and planar renography (n=8). In all animals studied, PET revealed high-quality TACs. PET-derived renal fluoride clearance was linearly correlated with intraindividual laboratory measures (PET vs. creatinine: r=0.78; PET vs. urea: r=0.73; PET vs. TER-MAG3: r=0.73). Split function was comparable ({sup 18}F-PET vs. MAG3-renography: r=0.98). PET-derived measures were highly reproducible. {sup 18}F-PET is able to noninvasively assess renal function in rats and provides a significant potential for serial studies in different experimental scenarios. (orig.)

Design considerations and construction of a small animal PET prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzanakos, G.; Nikolaou, M.; Drakoulakos, D.; Karamitros, D.; Kontaxakis, G.; Logaras, E.; Panayiotakis, G.; Pavlopoulos, S.; Skiadas, M.; Spyrou, G.; Thireou, T.; Vamvakas, D.

2006-01-01

We are developing a small animal PET scanner consisting of two block detectors, each made of 216 BGO crystals of dimensions 3.75 mmx3.75 mmx20 mm, cylindrically arranged and coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (R2486 PSPMT). Our design was based on a very detailed Monte Carlo, that simulates the function of a PET scanner from the system level down to the individual γ-ray detectors. We have made laboratory measurements of the individual detector performance as well as measurements of characteristics of the PSPMTs. The two detector blocks which will form the basic tomographic unit have been assembled. We are developing electronics to individually process (amplify and digitize) anode signals, and use field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in the position determination and energy measurement of the γ-rays. At present, as an intermediate step, we are using the electronics supplied from Hamamatsu to study various aspects of the system and produce initial images

Low relative error in consumer-grade GPS units make them ideal for measuring small-scale animal movement patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg A. Breed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 m ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, these devices can produce exceptionally accurate data on step-length and movement patterns of small animals. With an understanding of the properties of GPS error and how it arises, it is possible, using a simple field protocol, to use consumer grade GPS units to collect step-length data for the movement of small animals that introduces a median error as small as 11 cm. These small error rates were measured in controlled observations of real butterfly movement. Similar conclusions were reached using a ground-truth test track prepared with a field tape and compass and subsequently measured 20 times using the same methodology as the butterfly tracking. Median error in the ground-truth track was slightly higher than the field data, mostly between 20 and 30 cm, but even for the smallest ground-truth step (70 cm, this is still a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and for steps of 3 m or more, the ratio is greater than 10:1. Such small errors relative to the movements being measured make these inexpensive units useful for measuring insect and other small animal movements on small to intermediate scales with budgets orders of magnitude lower than survey-grade units used in past studies. As an additional advantage, these units are simpler to operate, and insect or other small animal trackways can be collected more quickly than either survey-grade units or more traditional ruler/gird approaches.

Animal-based measures for welfare assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agostino Sevi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Animal welfare assessment can’t be irrespective of measures taken on animals. Indeed, housing parametersrelatedtostructures, designandmicro-environment, evenifreliable parameters related to structures, design and micro-environment, even if reliable and easier to take, can only identify conditions which could be detrimental to animal welfare, but can’t predict poor welfare in animals per se. Welfare assessment through animal-based measures is almost complex, given that animals’ responses to stressful conditions largely depend on the nature, length and intensity of challenges and on physiological status, age, genetic susceptibility and previous experience of animals. Welfare assessment requires a multi-disciplinary approach and the monitoring of productive, ethological, endocrine, immunological and pathological param- eters to be exhaustive and reliable. So many measures are needed, because stresses can act only on some of the mentioned parameters or on all of them but at different times and degree. Under this point of view, the main aim of research is to find feasible and most responsive indicators of poor animal welfare. In last decades, studies focused on the following parameters for animal wel- fare assessment indexes of biological efficiency, responses to behavioral tests, cortisol secretion, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte proliferation, production of antigen specific IgG and cytokine release, somatic cell count and acute phase proteins. Recently, a lot of studies have been addressed to reduce handling and constraint of animals for taking measures to be used in welfare assessment, since such procedures can induce stress in animals and undermined the reliability of measures taken for welfare assessment. Range of animal-based measures for welfare assessment is much wider under experimental condition than at on-farm level. In welfare monitoring on-farm the main aim is to find feasible measures of proved validity and reliability

Ethical dilemmas encountered by small animal veterinarians: characterisation, responses, consequences and beliefs regarding euthanasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kipperman, Barry; Morris, Patricia; Rollin, Bernard

2018-05-12

Small animal veterinarians' opinions were investigated regarding the frequency and nature of ethical dilemmas encountered, beliefs regarding euthanasia and balancing client and animal interests, prevalence and value of ethics training and proposals to mitigate the stressful effects of ethical dilemmas. The majority (52 per cent) of 484 respondents in the USA indicated via an online survey experiencing an ethical dilemma regarding the interests of clients and those of their patients at least weekly. Scenarios involving client financial concerns were commonly reported causes of ethical conflicts. While only 20 per cent of respondents indicated that other practitioners prioritise patient interests, 50 per cent of respondents characterised their own behaviour as prioritising patients. Most respondents (52 per cent) reported that ethical dilemmas are the leading cause, or are one of many equal causes, of work-related stress. Less experienced practitioners, general practitioners and associate veterinarians were more likely to encounter situations they defined as ethical dilemmas, and female respondents were more likely to find ethical dilemmas stressful. Most small animal veterinarians experience ethical dilemmas regularly, which contribute to moral stress. Results suggested that most small animal practitioners believe that greater awareness of moral stress and providing training in ethical theories and tools for coping with ethical dilemmas can ameliorate moral stress. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

SU-E-T-457: Design and Characterization of An Economical 192Ir Hemi-Brain Small Animal Irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grams, M; Wilson, Z; Sio, T; Beltran, C; Tryggestad, E; Gupta, S; Blackwell, C; McCollough, K; Sarkaria, J; Furutani, K

2014-01-01

Purpose: To describe the design and dosimetric characterization of a simple and economical small animal irradiator. Methods: A high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy source from a commercially available afterloader was used with a 1.3 centimeter thick tungsten collimator to provide sharp beam penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. The unit is equipped with continuous gas anesthesia to allow robust animal immobilization. Dosimetric characterization of the device was performed with Gafchromic film. The penumbra from the small animal irradiator was compared under similar collimating conditions to the penumbra from 6 MV photons, 6 MeV electrons, and 20 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator as well as 300 kVp photons from an orthovoltage unit and Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV protons. Results: The tungsten collimator provides a sharp penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation, and dose rates on the order of 200 cGy/minute were achieved. The sharpness of the penumbra attainable with this device compares favorably to those measured experimentally for 6 MV photons, and 6 and 20 MeV electron beams from a linear accelerator. Additionally, the penumbra was comparable to those measured for a 300 kVp orthovoltage beam and a Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV proton beam. Conclusions: The small animal irradiator described here can be built for under $1,000 and used in conjunction with any commercial brachytherapy afterloader to provide a convenient and cost-effective option for small animal irradiation experiments. The unit offers high dose rate delivery and sharp penumbra, which is ideal for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. With slight modifications to the design, irradiation of sites other than the brain could be accomplished easily. Due to its simplicity and low cost, the apparatus described is an attractive alternative for small animal irradiation experiments requiring a sharp penumbra

An application of a new planar positron imaging system (PPIS) in a small animal. MPTP-induced parkinsonism in mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Hiroyuki; Noda, Akihiro; Kakiuchi, Takeharu

2004-01-01

Recent animal PET research has led to the development of PET scanners for small animals. A planar positron imaging system (PPIS) was newly developed to study physiological function in small animals and plants in recent years. To examine the usefulness of PPIS for functional study in small animals, we examined dopaminergic images of mouse striata in MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Male C57BL/6NCrj mice were treated with MPTP 7 days before the PPIS study. Scans were performed to measure dopamine D 1 receptor binding and dopamine transporter availability with [ 11 C]SCH23390 (about 2 MBq) and [ 11 C]β-CFT (about 2 MBq), respectively. After the PPIS study, dopamine content in the striatum was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MPTP treatment significantly reduced dopamine content in the striatum 7 days after treatment. In the MPTP-treated group, [ 11 C]β-CFT binding in the striatum was significantly decreased compared with the control group, while striatal [ 11 C]SCH23390 binding was not affected. Dopamine content in the striatum was significantly correlated with the striatal binding of [ 11 C]β-CFT. The present results suggest that PPIS is able to determine brain function in a small animal. Using PPIS, high throughput imaging of small animal brain functions could be achieved. (author)

New design of a quasi-monolithic detector module with DOI capability for small animal pet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Yong Hyun; Lee, Seung-Jae; Baek, Cheol-Ha; Choi, Yong

2008-01-01

We report a new design of a detector module with depth of interaction (DOI) based on a quasi-monolithic LSO crystal, a multi-channel sensor, and maximum-likelihood position-estimation (MLPE) algorithm. Light transport and detection were modeled in a quasi-monolithic crystal using DETECT2000 code, with lookup tables (LUTs) built by simulation. Events were well separated by applying the MLPE method within 2.0 mm spatial resolution in both trans-axial and DOI directions. These results demonstrate that the proposed detector provides dependable positioning capability for small animal positron emission tomography (PET)

Collimator optimization for small animal radiation therapy at a micro-CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felix, Manuela C. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Glatting, Gerhard [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Giordano, Frank A.; Wenz, Frederik; Fleckenstein, Jens [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Brockmann, Marc A. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; University Medical Center Mainz (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology

2017-05-01

In radiation therapy of small animals treatment depths range from a few millimetres to several centimetres. In order to spare surrounding organs at risk steep dose gradients are necessary. To minimize the treatment time, and therefore the strain to the animals, a high dose rate is required. A description how these parameters can be optimized through an appropriate choice of collimators with different source surface distances (SSD) as well as different materials and geometries is presented. An industrial micro-CT unit (Y.Fox, YXLON GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) was converted into a precision irradiator for small animals. Different collimators of either stainless steel (Fe) with cylindrical bores (SSD = 42 mm) or tungsten (W) with conical bores (SSD = 14 mm) were evaluated. The dosimetry of very small radiation fields presents a challenge and was performed with GafChromic EBT3 films (Ashland, Vayne, KY, USA) in a water phantom. The films were calibrated with an ionization chamber in the uncollimated field. Treatments were performed via a rotation of the objects with a fixed radiation source. As expected, the shorter SSD of the W-collimators resulted in a (4.5 ± 1.6)-fold increase of the dose rates compared to the corresponding Fe-collimators. The ratios of the dose rates at 1 mm and 10 mm depth in the water phantom was (2.6 ± 0.2) for the Fe- and (4.5 ± 0.1) for the W-collimators. For rotational treatments in a cylindrical plastic phantom maximum dose rates of up to 1.2 Gy/min for Fe- and 5.1 Gy/min for W-collimators were measured. Choosing the smallest possible SSD leads to a high dose rate and a high surface dose, which is of advantage for the treatment of superficial target volumes. For larger SSD the dose rate is lower and the depth dose curve is shallower. This leads to a reduction of the surface dose and is best suited for treatments of deeper seated target volumes. Divergent collimator bores have, due to the reduced scatter within the collimators, a steeper

Anesthesia condition for 18F-FDG imaging of lung metastasis tumors using small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Sang-Keun; Lee, Tae Sup; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kim, June-Youp; Jung, Jae Ho; Kang, Joo Hyun; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo

2008-01-01

Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) with 18 F-FDG has been increasingly used for tumor imaging in the murine model. The aim of this study was to establish the anesthesia condition for imaging of lung metastasis tumor using small animal 18 F-FDG PET. Methods: To determine the impact of anesthesia on 18 F-FDG distribution in normal mice, five groups were studied under the following conditions: no anesthesia, ketamine and xylazine (Ke/Xy), 0.5% isoflurane (Iso 0.5), 1% isoflurane (Iso 1) and 2% isoflurane (Iso 2). The ex vivo counting, standard uptake value (SUV) image and glucose SUV of 18 F-FDG in various tissues were evaluated. The 18 F-FDG images in the lung metastasis tumor model were obtained under no anesthesia, Ke/Xy and Iso 0.5, and registered with CT image to clarify the tumor region. Results: Blood glucose concentration and muscle uptake of 18 F-FDG in the Ke/Xy group markedly increased more than in the other groups. The Iso 2 group increased 18 F-FDG uptake in heart compared with the other groups. The Iso 0.5 anesthesized group showed the lowest 18 F-FDG uptake in heart and chest wall. The small size of lung metastasis tumor (2 mm) was clearly visualized by 18 F-FDG image with the Iso 0.5 anesthesia. Conclusion: Small animal 18 F-FDG PET imaging with Iso 0.5 anesthesia was appropriate for the detection of lung metastasis tumor. To acquire 18 F-FDG PET images with small animal PET, the type and level of anesthetic should be carefully considered to be suitable for the visualization of target tissue in the experimental model

Development and implementation of EPID-based quality assurance tests for the small animal radiation research platform (SARRP).

Science.gov (United States)

Anvari, Akbar; Poirier, Yannick; Sawant, Amit

2018-04-28

Although small animal image-guided radiotherapy (SA-IGRT) systems are used increasingly in preclinical research, tools for performing routine quality assurance (QA) have not been optimized and are not readily available. Robust, efficient, and reliable QA tools are needed to ensure the accuracy and reproducibility of SA-IGRT systems. Several investigators have reported custom-made phantoms and protocols for SA-IGRT systems QA. These are typically time and resource intensive and are therefore not well suited to the preclinical radiotherapy environment, in which physics support is limited and routine QA is performed by technical staff. We investigated the use of the inbuilt electronic portal imaging device (EPID) to develop and validate routine QA tests and procedures. In this work, we focus on the Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) EPID. However, the methodology and tests developed here are applicable to any SA-IGRT system that incorporates an EPID. We performed a comprehensive characterization of the dosimetric properties of the camera-based EPID at kilovoltage energies over a 11-month period, including detector warm-up time, radiation dose history effect, stability and short- and long-term reproducibility, gantry angle dependency, output factor, and linearity of the EPID response. We developed a test to measure the constancy of beam quality in terms of half-value layer and tube peak potential using the EPID. We verified the SARRP daily output and beam profile constancy using the imager. We investigated the use of the imager to monitor beam-targeting accuracy at various gantry and couch angles. The EPID response was stable and reproducible, exhibiting maximum variations of ≤0.3% and ≤1.9% for short and long terms, respectively. The detector showed no dependence on response at different gantry angles, with a maximum variation ≤0.5%. We found close agreement in output factor measurement between the portal imager and reference dosimeters

Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, A Colello; Mazaro, S J; Amaral, L L; Rego, E M; Oliveira, H F; Pavoni, J F

2017-03-02

This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current), the radiometric survey (leakage radiation) and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1) and remained stable for long (constant) and short (repeatability) intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer). The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators) for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Colello Bruno

Full Text Available This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current, the radiometric survey (leakage radiation and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1 and remained stable for long (constant and short (repeatability intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer. The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

A 3D HIDAC-PET camera with sub-millimeter resolution for imaging small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeavons, A.P.; Chandler, R.A.; Dettmar, C.A.R.

1999-01-01

A HIDAC-PET camera consisting essentially of 5 million 0.5 mm gas avalanching detectors has been constructed for small-animal imaging. The particular HIDAC advantage--a high 3D spatial resolution--has been improved to 0.95 mm fwhm and to 0.7 mm fwhm when reconstructing with 3D-OSEM methods incorporating resolution recovery. A depth-of-interaction resolution of 2.5 mm is implicit, due to the laminar construction. Scatter-corrected sensitivity, at 8.9 cps/kBq (i.e. 0.9%) from a central point source, or 7.2 cps/kBq (543 cps/kBq/cm 3 ) from a distributed (40 mm diameter, 60 mm long) source is now much higher than previous, and other, work. A field-of-view of 100 mm (adjustable to 200 mm) diameter by 210 mm axially permits whole-body imaging of small animals, containing typically 4MBqs of activity, at 40 kcps of which 16% are random coincidences, with a typical scatter fraction of 44%. Throughout the field-of-view there are no positional distortions and relative quantitation is uniform to ± 3.5%, but some variation of spatial resolution is found. The performance demonstrates that HIDAC technology is quite appropriate for small-animal PET cameras

Scalable electrophysiology in intact small animals with nanoscale suspended electrode arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, Daniel L.; Badhiwala, Krishna N.; Vercosa, Daniel G.; Avants, Benjamin W.; Liu, Zheng; Zhong, Weiwei; Robinson, Jacob T.

2017-07-01

Electrical measurements from large populations of animals would help reveal fundamental properties of the nervous system and neurological diseases. Small invertebrates are ideal for these large-scale studies; however, patch-clamp electrophysiology in microscopic animals typically requires invasive dissections and is low-throughput. To overcome these limitations, we present nano-SPEARs: suspended electrodes integrated into a scalable microfluidic device. Using this technology, we have made the first extracellular recordings of body-wall muscle electrophysiology inside an intact roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans. We can also use nano-SPEARs to record from multiple animals in parallel and even from other species, such as Hydra littoralis. Furthermore, we use nano-SPEARs to establish the first electrophysiological phenotypes for C. elegans models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, and show a partial rescue of the Parkinson's phenotype through drug treatment. These results demonstrate that nano-SPEARs provide the core technology for microchips that enable scalable, in vivo studies of neurobiology and neurological diseases.

Work environment and occupational risk assessment for small animal Portuguese veterinary activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Macedo, Angela C; Mota, Vânia T; Tavares, João M; Machado, Osvaldo L; Malcata, Francisco X; Cristo, Marinela P; Mayan, Olga N

2018-03-01

The professional work of small animal veterinary staff encompasses a wide diversity of demanding tasks. This has prompted a number of studies covering physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, or psychological hazards, as well as their health effects upon veterinary workers. However, such results were obtained from self-reported surveys (via paper or online). This study reports the identification of potential hazards and provides a risk assessment of 15 veterinary clinics based on data from walk-through surveys, interviews with workers, and quantification of indoor air quality parameters including concentration of volatile organic compounds (total, isoflurane, and glutaraldehyde). The risk arising from X-ray exposure was unacceptable in seven clinics; X-ray examination should be discontinued in the absence of isolated radiation rooms, poor safety practices, and lack of personal protective equipment. Ergonomic-related hazards and work practices should be revised as soon as possible, considering that improper postures, as well as moving and lifting heavy animals are major causes of musculoskeletal disorders. The risk levels were, in general, small or medium (acceptable) with regard to exposure to physical hazards (such as bites, scratches, cuts, and burns) and biological hazards. It was observed that the indoor air quality parameters including temperature, respirable particulate matter and total volatile organic compounds do not indicate a comfortable workplace environment, requiring clinics' attention to keep the safe environment. The veterinarians and nurses were exposed to isoflurane (above 2 ppm) during surgery if an extractor system for waste gas was used instead of a scavenging system. Finally, veterinary workers did not possess any type of training on occupational safety and health issues, even though they recognized its importance.

A small-animal imaging system capable of multipinhole circular/helical SPECT and parallel-hole SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Jianguo; Bradley, Eric L.; Majewski, Stan; Popov, Vladimir; Saha, Margaret S.; Smith, Mark F.; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Welsh, Robert E.

2008-01-01

We have designed and built a small-animal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging system equipped with parallel-hole and multipinhole collimators and capable of circular or helical SPECT. Copper-beryllium parallel-hole collimators suitable for imaging the ∼35 keV photons from the decay of 125 I have been built and installed to achieve useful spatial resolution over a range of object-detector distances and to reduce imaging time on our dual-detector array. To address the resolution limitations in the parallel-hole SPECT and the sensitivity and limited field of view of single-pinhole SPECT, we have incorporated multipinhole circular and helical SPECT in addition to expanding the parallel-hole SPECT capabilities. The pinhole SPECT system is based on a 110 mm diameter circular detector equipped with a pixellated NaI(Tl) scintillator array (1x1x5 mm 3 /pixel). The helical trajectory is accomplished by two stepping motors controlling the rotation of the detector-support gantry and displacement of the animal bed along the axis of rotation of the gantry. Results obtained in SPECT studies of various phantoms show an enlarged field of view, very good resolution and improved sensitivity using multipinhole circular or helical SPECT. Collimators with one, three and five, 1-mm-diameter pinholes have been implemented and compared in these tests. Our objective is to develop a system on which one may readily select a suitable mode of either parallel-hole SPECT or pinhole circular or helical SPECT for a variety of small animal imaging applications

In vivo fluorescence enhanced optical tomography reconstruction of lung cancer of non immersed small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Hervé, L.; Koenig, A.; Da Silva, A.; Berger, M.; Boutet, J.; Dinten, J. M.; Peltié, P.; Rizo, P.

2007-02-01

Fluorescence enhanced diffuse optical tomography (fDOT) is envisioned to be useful to collect functional information from small animal models. For oncology applications, cancer-targeted fluorescent markers can be used as a surrogate of the cancer activity. We are developing a continuous wave fDOT bench intended to be integrated in systems dedicated to whole body small animal fluorescence analyses. The focus is currently put on the reconstruction of non immersed small animals imaged by a CCD camera. The reconstruction stage already corrects the tissue heterogeneity artifacts through the computation of an optical heterogeneity map. We will show how this formalism coupled with the determination of the animal boundaries performed by a laser scanner, can be used to manage non contact acquisitions. The time of reconstruction for a 10 × 9 laser source positions, 45 × 40 detector elements and 14 × 11 × 14 mesh voxels is typically 10 minutes on a 3GHz PCs corresponding to the acquisition time allowing the two tasks to be performed in parallel. The system is validated on an in vivo experiment performed on three healthy nude mice and a mouse bearing a lung tumor at 10, 12 and 14 days after implantation allowing the follow up of the disease. The 3D fluorescence reconstructions of this mouse are presented and the total fluorescence amounts are compared.

A small animal holding fixture system with positional reproducibility for longitudinal multimodal imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokuryo, Daisuke; Kimura, Yuichi; Obata, Takayuki; Yamaya, Taiga; Kawamura, Kazunori; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Kanno, Iwao; Aoki, Ichio, E-mail: ukimura@ieee.or [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2010-07-21

This study presents a combined small animal holding fixture system, termed a 'bridge capsule', which provides for small animal re-fixation with positional reproducibility. This system comprises separate holding fixtures for the head and lower body and a connecting part to a gas anesthesia system. A mouse is fixed in place by the combination of a head fixture with a movable part made from polyacetal resin, a lower body fixture made from vinyl-silicone and a holder for the legs and tail. For re-fixation, a similar posture could be maintained by the same holding fixtures and a constant distance between the head and lower body fixtures is maintained. Artifacts caused by the bridge capsule system were not observed on magnetic resonance (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) images. The average position differences of the spinal column and the iliac body before and after re-fixation for the same modality were approximately 1.1 mm. The difference between the MRI and PET images was approximately 1.8 mm for the lower body fixture after image registration using fiducial markers. This system would be useful for longitudinal, repeated and multimodal imaging experiments requiring similar animal postures.

Neurological examination in small animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viktor Paluš

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This clinical review about the neurological examination in small animals describes the basics about the first steps of investigation when dealing with neurological patients. The knowledge of how to perform the neurological examination is important however more important is how to correctly interpret these performed tests. A step-by-step approach is mandatory and examiners should master the order and the style of performing these tests. Neurological conditions can be sometimes very distressing for owners and for pets that might not be the most cooperating. The role of a veterinary surgeon, as a professional, is therefore to collect the most relevant history, to examine a patient in a professional manner and to give to owners an educated opinion about the further treatment and prognosis. However neurological examinations might look challenging for many. But it is only the clinical application of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology to an every-day situation for practicing veterinarians and it does not require any specific in-to-depth knowledge. This clinical review is aimed not only to provide the information on how to perform the neurological examination but it is also aimed to appeal on veterinarians to challenge their daily routine and to start practicing on neurologically normal patients. This is the best and only way to differentiate between the normal and abnormal in a real situation.

Evaluation of attenuation and scatter correction requirements in small animal PET and SPECT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Konik, Arda Bekir

Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) are two nuclear emission-imaging modalities that rely on the detection of high-energy photons emitted from radiotracers administered to the subject. The majority of these photons are attenuated (absorbed or scattered) in the body, resulting in count losses or deviations from true detection, which in turn degrades the accuracy of images. In clinical emission tomography, sophisticated correction methods are often required employing additional x-ray CT or radionuclide transmission scans. Having proven their potential in both clinical and research areas, both PET and SPECT are being adapted for small animal imaging. However, despite the growing interest in small animal emission tomography, little scientific information exists about the accuracy of these correction methods on smaller size objects, and what level of correction is required. The purpose of this work is to determine the role of attenuation and scatter corrections as a function of object size through simulations. The simulations were performed using Interactive Data Language (IDL) and a Monte Carlo based package, Geant4 application for emission tomography (GATE). In IDL simulations, PET and SPECT data acquisition were modeled in the presence of attenuation. A mathematical emission and attenuation phantom approximating a thorax slice and slices from real PET/CT data were scaled to 5 different sizes (i.e., human, dog, rabbit, rat and mouse). The simulated emission data collected from these objects were reconstructed. The reconstructed images, with and without attenuation correction, were compared to the ideal (i.e., non-attenuated) reconstruction. Next, using GATE, scatter fraction values (the ratio of the scatter counts to the total counts) of PET and SPECT scanners were measured for various sizes of NEMA (cylindrical phantoms representing small animals and human), MOBY (realistic mouse/rat model) and XCAT (realistic human model

Reviews on Physically Based Controllable Fluid Animation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pizzanu Kanongchaiyos

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In computer graphics animation, animation tools are required for fluid-like motions which are controllable by users or animator, since applying the techniques to commercial animations such as advertisement and film. Many developments have been proposed to model controllable fluid simulation with the need in realistic motion, robustness, adaptation, and support more required control model. Physically based models for different states of substances have been applied in general in order to permit animators to almost effortlessly create interesting, realistic, and sensible animation of natural phenomena such as water flow, smoke spread, etc. In this paper, we introduce the methods for simulation based on physical model and the techniques for control the flow of fluid, especially focus on particle based method. We then discuss the existing control methods within three performances; control ability, realism, and computation time. Finally, we give a brief of the current and trend of the research areas.

Automated analysis of small animal PET studies through deformable registration to an atlas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gutierrez, Daniel F.; Zaidi, Habib

This work aims to develop a methodology for automated atlas-guided analysis of small animal positron emission tomography (PET) data through deformable registration to an anatomical mouse model. A non-rigid registration technique is used to put into correspondence relevant anatomical regions of

RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis on veterinary CPR. Part 1: Evidence analysis and consensus process: collaborative path toward small animal CPR guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Boller, Manuel; Fletcher, Daniel J

2012-06-01

To describe the methodology used by the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) to evaluate the scientific evidence relevant to small animal CPR and to compose consensus-based clinical CPR guidelines for dogs and cats. This report is part of a series of 7 articles on the RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis and consensus-based small animal CPR guidelines. It describes the organizational structure of RECOVER, the evaluation process employed, consisting of standardized literature searches, the analysis of relevant articles according to study design, species and predefined quality markers, and the drafting of clinical CPR guidelines based on these data. Therefore, this article serves as the methodology section for the subsequent 6 RECOVER articles. Academia, referral practice. RECOVER is a collaborative initiative that systematically evaluated the evidence on 74 topics relevant to small animal CPR and generated 101 clinical CPR guidelines from this analysis. All primary contributors were veterinary specialists, approximately evenly split between academic institutions and private referral practices. The evidence evaluation and guideline drafting processes were conducted according to a predefined sequence of steps designed to reduce bias and increase the repeatability of the findings, including multiple levels of review, culminating in a consensus process. Many knowledge gaps were identified that will allow prioritization of research efforts in veterinary CPR. Collaborative systematic evidence review is organizationally challenging but feasible and effective in veterinary medicine. More experience is needed to refine the process. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2012.

X-ray micro-tomography system for small-animal imaging with zoom-in imaging capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chun, In Kon; Cho, Myung Hye; Lee, Sang Chul; Cho, Min Hyoung; Lee, Soo Yeol

2004-01-01

Since a micro-tomography system capable of μm-resolution imaging cannot be used for whole-body imaging of a small laboratory animal without sacrificing its spatial resolution, it is desirable for a micro-tomography system to have local imaging capability. In this paper, we introduce an x-ray micro-tomography system capable of high-resolution imaging of a local region inside a small animal. By combining two kinds of projection data, one from a full field-of-view (FOV) scan of the whole body and the other from a limited FOV scan of the region of interest (ROI), we have obtained zoomed-in images of the ROI without any contrast anomalies commonly appearing in conventional local tomography. For experimental verification of the zoom-in imaging capability, we have integrated a micro-tomography system using a micro-focus x-ray source, a 1248 x 1248 flat-panel x-ray detector, and a precision scan mechanism. The mismatches between the two projection data caused by misalignments of the scan mechanism have been estimated with a calibration phantom, and the mismatch effects have been compensated in the image reconstruction procedure. Zoom-in imaging results of bony tissues with a spatial resolution of 10 lp mm -1 suggest that zoom-in micro-tomography can be greatly used for high-resolution imaging of a local region in small-animal studies

Whole-body ring-shaped confocal photoacoustic computed tomography of small animals in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Chatni, Muhammad R.; Maslov, Konstantin; Guo, Zijian; Wang, Kun; Anastasio, Mark; Wang, Lihong V.

2012-05-01

We report a novel small-animal whole-body imaging system called ring-shaped confocal photoacoustic computed tomography (RC-PACT). RC-PACT is based on a confocal design of free-space ring-shaped light illumination and 512-element full-ring ultrasonic array signal detection. The free-space light illumination maximizes the light delivery efficiency, and the full-ring signal detection ensures a full two-dimensional view aperture for accurate image reconstruction. Using cylindrically focused array elements, RC-PACT can image a thin cross section with 0.10 to 0.25 mm in-plane resolutions and 1.6 s/frame acquisition time. By translating the mouse along the elevational direction, RC-PACT provides a series of cross-sectional images of the brain, liver, kidneys, and bladder.

Impacts of Intelligent Automated Quality Control on a Small Animal APD-Based Digital PET Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Charest, Jonathan; Beaudoin, Jean-François; Bergeron, Mélanie; Cadorette, Jules; Arpin, Louis; Lecomte, Roger; Brunet, Charles-Antoine; Fontaine, Réjean

2016-10-01

Stable system performance is mandatory to warrant the accuracy and reliability of biological results relying on small animal positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies. This simple requirement sets the ground for imposing routine quality control (QC) procedures to keep PET scanners at a reliable optimal performance level. However, such procedures can become burdensome to implement for scanner operators, especially taking into account the increasing number of data acquisition channels in newer generation PET scanners. In systems using pixel detectors to achieve enhanced spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the QC workload rapidly increases to unmanageable levels due to the number of independent channels involved. An artificial intelligence based QC system, referred to as Scanner Intelligent Diagnosis for Optimal Performance (SIDOP), was proposed to help reducing the QC workload by performing automatic channel fault detection and diagnosis. SIDOP consists of four high-level modules that employ machine learning methods to perform their tasks: Parameter Extraction, Channel Fault Detection, Fault Prioritization, and Fault Diagnosis. Ultimately, SIDOP submits a prioritized faulty channel list to the operator and proposes actions to correct them. To validate that SIDOP can perform QC procedures adequately, it was deployed on a LabPET™ scanner and multiple performance metrics were extracted. After multiple corrections on sub-optimal scanner settings, a 8.5% (with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [7.6, 9.3]) improvement in the CNR, a 17.0% (CI: [15.3, 18.7]) decrease of the uniformity percentage standard deviation, and a 6.8% gain in global sensitivity were observed. These results confirm that SIDOP can indeed be of assistance in performing QC procedures and restore performance to optimal figures.

Pain control in small animalsControle da dor em pequenos animais

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Duarte Penter

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience that follows the application of a noxious stimulus. Can be experienced with or without the concomitant occurrence of physical stress signs, which occurs frequently in animals caused by trauma, systemic disease or surgical procedures. The control depends on length, where there are painful impulses and mental status of the animal. It is an important clinical condition, resulting in suffer that will affect quality life. This paper is a review of pathophysiology and pain control in small animals.A dor é uma experiência sensorial ou emocional desagradável que se segue à aplicação de um estímulo nocivo. Pode ser vivenciada com ou sem o acontecimento concomitante de sinais físicos de estresse, trauma, doença sistêmica ou procedimento cirúrgico. Seu controle depende de sua duração, de onde surgem os impulsos dolorosos e do estado de consciência do animal. É uma condição clinicamente importante, que resulta em sofrimento e afeta a qualidade de vida dos animais. O objetivo deste trabalho é a revisão da fisiopatologia e controle da dor em pequenos animais.

Enriching Triangle Mesh Animations with Physically Based Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yijing; Xu, Hongyi; Barbic, Jernej

2017-10-01

We present a system to combine arbitrary triangle mesh animations with physically based Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation, enabling control over the combination both in space and time. The input is a triangle mesh animation obtained using any method, such as keyframed animation, character rigging, 3D scanning, or geometric shape modeling. The input may be non-physical, crude or even incomplete. The user provides weights, specified using a minimal user interface, for how much physically based simulation should be allowed to modify the animation in any region of the model, and in time. Our system then computes a physically-based animation that is constrained to the input animation to the amount prescribed by these weights. This permits smoothly turning physics on and off over space and time, making it possible for the output to strictly follow the input, to evolve purely based on physically based simulation, and anything in between. Achieving such results requires a careful combination of several system components. We propose and analyze these components, including proper automatic creation of simulation meshes (even for non-manifold and self-colliding undeformed triangle meshes), converting triangle mesh animations into animations of the simulation mesh, and resolving collisions and self-collisions while following the input.

Small animal positron emission tomography imaging and in vivo studies of atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hag, Anne Mette Fisker; Ripa, Rasmus Sejersten; Pedersen, Sune Folke

2013-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a growing health challenge globally, and despite our knowledge of the disease has increased over the last couple of decades, many unanswered questions remain. As molecular imaging can be used to visualize, characterize and measure biological processes at the molecular and cellu...... knowledge obtained from in vivo positron emission tomography studies of atherosclerosis performed in small animals....

STTARR: a radiation treatment and multi-modal imaging facility for fast tracking novel agent development in small animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeung, Ivan; McKee, Trevor; Jaffray, David; Hill, Richard

2014-01-01

Small animal models play a pivotal role in the pipeline development of novel agents and strategies in personalized cancer therapy. The Spatio-Temporal Targeting and Amplification of Radiation Response Program (STTARR) consists of an animal imaging and precision radiation facility designed to provide innovative biologic imaging and targeted radiation treatment strategies in small animals. The design is to mirror the imaging and radiation treatment facility in a modern cancer center. The STTARR features imaging equipment of small animal scale including CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, Optical devices as well as image guided irradiators. The fleet of imaging and irradiation equipment provides a platform for identification of biological targets of the specific molecular pathways that influence both tumor progression and a patient's response to radiation therapy. Examples will be given in the utilization of the imaging facilities for development in novel approaches in cancer therapy including a PET-FAZA study for hypoxia measurement in a pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenograft model. In addition, the cone-beam image guided small animal irradiator developed at our institute will also be described. The animal platform (couch) provides motion in 3 dimensions to position the animal to the isocentre of the beam. A pair of rotational arms supporting the X-ray/detector pair enables acquisition of cone-beam images of the animal which give rise to image guided precision of 0.5 mm. The irradiation energy ranges from 50 to 225 kVp at a dose rate from 10-400 cGy/min. The gantry is able to direct X-ray beam of different directions to give conformal radiation treatment to the animal. A dedicated treatment planning system is able to perform treatment planning and provide commonly used clinical metrics in the animal treatment plan. Examples will be given to highlight the use of the image guided irradiator for research of drug/irradiation regimen in animal models. (author)

Anesthesia condition for {sup 18}F-FDG imaging of lung metastasis tumors using small animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woo, Sang-Keun; Lee, Tae Sup; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kim, June-Youp; Jung, Jae Ho; Kang, Joo Hyun [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Gi Jeong [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: larry@kcch.re.kr; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of)

2008-01-15

Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) with {sup 18}F-FDG has been increasingly used for tumor imaging in the murine model. The aim of this study was to establish the anesthesia condition for imaging of lung metastasis tumor using small animal {sup 18}F-FDG PET. Methods: To determine the impact of anesthesia on {sup 18}F-FDG distribution in normal mice, five groups were studied under the following conditions: no anesthesia, ketamine and xylazine (Ke/Xy), 0.5% isoflurane (Iso 0.5), 1% isoflurane (Iso 1) and 2% isoflurane (Iso 2). The ex vivo counting, standard uptake value (SUV) image and glucose SUV of {sup 18}F-FDG in various tissues were evaluated. The {sup 18}F-FDG images in the lung metastasis tumor model were obtained under no anesthesia, Ke/Xy and Iso 0.5, and registered with CT image to clarify the tumor region. Results: Blood glucose concentration and muscle uptake of {sup 18}F-FDG in the Ke/Xy group markedly increased more than in the other groups. The Iso 2 group increased {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in heart compared with the other groups. The Iso 0.5 anesthesized group showed the lowest {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in heart and chest wall. The small size of lung metastasis tumor (2 mm) was clearly visualized by {sup 18}F-FDG image with the Iso 0.5 anesthesia. Conclusion: Small animal {sup 18}F-FDG PET imaging with Iso 0.5 anesthesia was appropriate for the detection of lung metastasis tumor. To acquire {sup 18}F-FDG PET images with small animal PET, the type and level of anesthetic should be carefully considered to be suitable for the visualization of target tissue in the experimental model.

Small animal simultaneous PET/MRI: initial experiences in a 9.4 T microMRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maramraju, Sri Harsha; Ravindranath, Bosky; Vaska, Paul; Schlyer, David J [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY (United States); Smith, S David; Schulz, Daniela [Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States); Junnarkar, Sachin S; Rescia, Sergio [Instrumentation Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States); Stoll, Sean; Purschke, Martin L; Woody, Craig L [Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States); Southekal, Sudeepti [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Pratte, Jean-Francois, E-mail: schlyer@bnl.gov [Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec (Canada)

2011-04-21

We developed a non-magnetic positron-emission tomography (PET) device based on the rat conscious animal PET that operates in a small-animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, thereby enabling us to carry out simultaneous PET/MRI studies. The PET detector comprises 12 detector blocks, each being a 4 x 8 array of lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystals (2.22 x 2.22 x 5 mm{sup 3}) coupled to a matching non-magnetic avalanche photodiode array. The detector blocks, housed in a plastic case, form a 38 mm inner diameter ring with an 18 mm axial extent. Custom-built MRI coils fit inside the positron-emission tomography (PET) device, operating in transceiver mode. The PET insert is integrated with a Bruker 9.4 T 210 mm clear-bore diameter MRI scanner. We acquired simultaneous PET/MR images of phantoms, of in vivo rat brain, and of cardiac-gated mouse heart using [{sup 11}C]raclopride and 2-deoxy-2-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-d-glucose PET radiotracers. There was minor interference between the PET electronics and the MRI during simultaneous operation, and small effects on the signal-to-noise ratio in the MR images in the presence of the PET, but no noticeable visual artifacts. Gradient echo and high-duty-cycle spin echo radio frequency (RF) pulses resulted in a 7% and a 28% loss in PET counts, respectively, due to high PET counts during the RF pulses that had to be gated out. The calibration of the activity concentration of PET data during MR pulsing is reproducible within less than 6%. Our initial results demonstrate the feasibility of performing simultaneous PET and MRI studies in adult rats and mice using the same PET insert in a small-bore 9.4 T MRI.

Advances in SPECT Instrumentation (Including Small Animal Scanners). Chapter 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Domenico, G.; Zavattini, G.

2009-01-01

Fundamental major efforts have been devoted to the development of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging modality over the last few decades. Recently, a novel surge of interest in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technology has occurred, particularly after the introduction of the hybrid SPECT-CT imaging system. This has led to a flourishing of investigations in new types of detectors and collimators, and to more accurate refinement of reconstruction algorithms. Along with SPECT-CT, new, fast gamma cameras have been developed for dedicated cardiac imaging. The existing gap between PET and SPECT in sensitivity and spatial resolution is progressively decreasing, and this trend is particularly apparent in the field of small animal imaging where the most important advances have been reported in SPECT tomographs. An outline of the basic features of SPECT technology, and of recent developments in SPECT instrumentation for both clinical applications and basic biological research on animal models is described. (author)

78 FR 59624 - Guidance for Industry #223: Small Entity Compliance Guide-Declaring Color Additives in Animal...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 501 [Docket No. FDA-2013-D-1088] Guidance for Industry 223: Small Entity Compliance Guide--Declaring Color Additives... industry 223 entitled ``Small Entity Compliance Guide--Declaring Color Additives in Animal Foods.'' This...

Coupler for surgery on small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, J. E., Jr.; Swartz, P. F.

1979-01-01

Minicoupler simplifies exchange of fluids with organs of laboratory animals enabling one person to perform surgery on experimental animals such as rats and mice. Innovation eliminates obstructing hands and instruments from areas of surgery.

Performance characterization of the Inveon preclinical small-animal PET/SPECT/CT system for multimodality imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magota, Keiichi; Kubo, Naoki; Kuge, Yuji; Nishijima, Ken-ichi; Zhao, Songji; Tamaki, Nagara

2011-01-01

We investigated the performance of the Inveon small-animal PET/SPECT/CT system and compared the imaging capabilities of the SPECT and PET components. For SPECT, the energy resolution, tomographic spatial resolution and system sensitivity were evaluated with a 99m Tc solution using a single pinhole collimator. For PET, the spatial resolution, absolute sensitivity, scatter fraction and peak noise equivalent count were evaluated. Phantoms and a normal rat were scanned to compare the imaging capabilities of SPECT and PET. The SPECT spatial resolution was 0.84 mm full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) at a radius of rotation of 25 mm using a 0.5-mm pinhole aperture collimator, while the PET spatial resolution was 1.63 mm FWHM at the centre. The SPECT system sensitivity at a radius of rotation of 25 mm was 35.3 cps/MBq (4 x 10 -3 %) using the 0.5-mm pinhole aperture, while the PET absolute sensitivity was 3.2% for 350-650 keV and 3.432 ns. Accordingly, the volume sensitivity of PET was three orders of magnitude higher than that of SPECT. This integrated PET/SPECT/CT system showed high performance with excellent spatial resolution for SPECT and sensitivity for PET. Based on the tracer availability and system performance, SPECT and PET have complementary roles in multimodality small-animal imaging. (orig.)

A new tissue segmentation method to calculate 3D dose in small animal radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Noblet, C; Delpon, G; Supiot, S; Potiron, V; Paris, F; Chiavassa, S

2018-02-26

In pre-clinical animal experiments, radiation delivery is usually delivered with kV photon beams, in contrast to the MV beams used in clinical irradiation, because of the small size of the animals. At this medium energy range, however, the contribution of the photoelectric effect to absorbed dose is significant. Accurate dose calculation therefore requires a more detailed tissue definition because both density (ρ) and elemental composition (Z eff ) affect the dose distribution. Moreover, when applied to cone beam CT (CBCT) acquisitions, the stoichiometric calibration of HU becomes inefficient as it is designed for highly collimated fan beam CT acquisitions. In this study, we propose an automatic tissue segmentation method of CBCT imaging that assigns both density (ρ) and elemental composition (Z eff ) in small animal dose calculation. The method is based on the relationship found between CBCT number and ρ*Z eff product computed from known materials. Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate the impact of ρZ eff variation on the absorbed dose in tissues. These results led to the creation of a tissue database composed of artificial tissues interpolated from tissue values published by the ICRU. The ρZ eff method was validated by measuring transmitted doses through tissue substitute cylinders and a mouse with EBT3 film. Measurements were compared to the results of the Monte Carlo calculations. The study of the impact of ρZ eff variation over the range of materials, from ρZ eff  = 2 g.cm - 3 (lung) to 27 g.cm - 3 (cortical bone) led to the creation of 125 artificial tissues. For tissue substitute cylinders, the use of ρZ eff method led to maximal and average relative differences between the Monte Carlo results and the EBT3 measurements of 3.6% and 1.6%. Equivalent comparison for the mouse gave maximal and average relative differences of 4.4% and 1.2%, inside the 80% isodose area. Gamma analysis led to a 94.9% success rate in the 10% isodose

Indian draught animals power

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K. L. Phaniraja

Full Text Available With the modernization of agriculture, the use of mechanical power in agriculture has increased but draught animal power (DAP continues to be used on Indian farms due to small holdings and hill agriculture. More than 55% of the total cultivated area is still being managed by using draught animals as against about 20% by tractors. India possessed the finest breeds of draught animals. Bullocks, buffaloes and camels are the major draught animals for field operations. Horses, mules, donkeys, yak and mithun are the pack animals for transport. The quality of work from the draught animals depends upon the power developed by them. The design of traditional implements is based on long experience and these have served the purpose of the farmers. However there is plenty of scope to improve the design based on animal-machine-environment interaction so as to have more output and increased efficiency without jeopardizing animal health. [Vet World 2009; 2(10.000: 404-407

Laser surgery for selected small animal soft-tissue conditions

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Bartels, Kenneth E.

1991-05-01

With the acquisition of a Nd:YAG and a CO2 laser in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University in 1989, over 100 small animal clinical cases have been managed with these modern modalities for surgical excision and tissue vaporization. Most procedures have been for oncologic problems, but inflammatory, infectious, or congenital conditions including vaporization of acral lick 'granulomas,' excision/vaporization of foreign body induced, infected draining tracts, and resection of elongated soft palates have been successfully accomplished. Laser excision or vaporization of both benign and malignant neoplasms have effectively been performed and include feline nasal squamous cell carcinoma, mast cell tumors, and rectal/anal neoplasms. Results to date have been excellent with animals exhibiting little postoperative pain, swelling, and inflammation. Investigations involving application of laser energy for tissue welding of esophageal lacerations and hepatitic interstitial hyperthermia for metastatic colorectal cancer have also shown potential. A review of cases with an emphasis on survival time and postoperative morbidity suggests that carefully planned laser surgical procedures in clinical veterinary practice done with standardized protocols and techniques offer an acceptable means of treating conditions that were previously considered extremely difficult or virtually impossible to perform.

Factors influencing common diagnoses made during first-opinion small-animal consultations in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, N J; Dean, R S; Cobb, M; Brennan, M L

2016-09-01

It is currently unclear how frequently a diagnosis is made during small-animal consultations or how much of a role making a diagnosis plays in veterinary decision-making. Understanding more about the diagnostic process will help direct future research towards areas relevant to practicing veterinary surgeons. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency with which a diagnosis was made, classify the types of diagnosis made (and the factors influencing these) and determine which specific diagnoses were made for health problems discussed during small-animal consultations. Data were gathered during real-time direct observation of small-animal consultations in eight practices in the United Kingdom. Data collected included characteristics of the consultation (e.g. consultation type), patient (e.g. breed), and each problem discussed (e.g. new or pre-existing problem). Each problem discussed was classified into one of the following diagnosis types: definitive; working; presumed; open; previous. A three-level multivariable logistic-regression model was developed, with problem (Level 1) nested within patient (Level 2) nested within consulting veterinary surgeon (Level 3). Problems without a previous diagnosis, in cats and dogs only, were included in the model, which had a binary outcome variable of definitive diagnosis versus no definitive diagnosis. Data were recorded for 1901 animals presented, and data on diagnosis were gathered for 3192 health problems. Previous diagnoses were the most common diagnosis type (n=1116/3192; 35.0%), followed by open (n=868/3192; 27.2%) then definitive (n=660/3192; 20.7%). The variables remaining in the final model were patient age, problem history, consultation type, who raised the problem, and body system affected. New problems, problems in younger animals, and problems raised by the veterinary surgeon were more likely to result in a definitive diagnosis than pre-existing problems, problems in older animals, and problems raised by

Assessing Monkeypox Virus Prevalence in Small Mammals at the Human–Animal Interface in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Jeffrey B. Doty

2017-10-01

Full Text Available During 2012, 2013 and 2015, we collected small mammals within 25 km of the town of Boende in Tshuapa Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The prevalence of monkeypox virus (MPXV in this area is unknown; however, cases of human infection were previously confirmed near these collection sites. Samples were collected from 353 mammals (rodents, shrews, pangolins, elephant shrews, a potamogale, and a hyrax. Some rodents and shrews were captured from houses where human monkeypox cases have recently been identified, but most were trapped in forests and agricultural areas near villages. Real-time PCR and ELISA were used to assess evidence of MPXV infection and other Orthopoxvirus (OPXV infections in these small mammals. Seven (2.0% of these animal samples were found to be anti-orthopoxvirus immunoglobulin G (IgG antibody positive (six rodents: two Funisciurus spp.; one Graphiurus lorraineus; one Cricetomys emini; one Heliosciurus sp.; one Oenomys hypoxanthus, and one elephant shrew Petrodromus tetradactylus; no individuals were found positive in PCR-based assays. These results suggest that a variety of animals can be infected with OPXVs, and that epidemiology studies and educational campaigns should focus on animals that people are regularly contacting, including larger rodents used as protein sources.

Assessing Monkeypox Virus Prevalence in Small Mammals at the Human-Animal Interface in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Doty, Jeffrey B; Malekani, Jean M; Kalemba, Lem's N; Stanley, William T; Monroe, Benjamin P; Nakazawa, Yoshinori U; Mauldin, Matthew R; Bakambana, Trésor L; Liyandja Dja Liyandja, Tobit; Braden, Zachary H; Wallace, Ryan M; Malekani, Divin V; McCollum, Andrea M; Gallardo-Romero, Nadia; Kondas, Ashley; Peterson, A Townsend; Osorio, Jorge E; Rocke, Tonie E; Karem, Kevin L; Emerson, Ginny L; Carroll, Darin S

2017-10-03

During 2012, 2013 and 2015, we collected small mammals within 25 km of the town of Boende in Tshuapa Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The prevalence of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in this area is unknown; however, cases of human infection were previously confirmed near these collection sites. Samples were collected from 353 mammals (rodents, shrews, pangolins, elephant shrews, a potamogale, and a hyrax). Some rodents and shrews were captured from houses where human monkeypox cases have recently been identified, but most were trapped in forests and agricultural areas near villages. Real-time PCR and ELISA were used to assess evidence of MPXV infection and other Orthopoxvirus (OPXV) infections in these small mammals. Seven (2.0%) of these animal samples were found to be anti-orthopoxvirus immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody positive (six rodents: two Funisciurus spp.; one Graphiurus lorraineus ; one Cricetomys emini ; one Heliosciurus sp.; one Oenomys hypoxanthus , and one elephant shrew Petrodromus tetradactylus ); no individuals were found positive in PCR-based assays. These results suggest that a variety of animals can be infected with OPXVs, and that epidemiology studies and educational campaigns should focus on animals that people are regularly contacting, including larger rodents used as protein sources.

Technical Note: System for evaluating local hypothermia as a radioprotector of the rectum in a small animal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hrycushko, Brian A; Bing, Chenchen; Futch, Cecil; Wodzak, Michelle; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Medin, Paul M; Chopra, Rajiv

2017-08-01

temperature range maintained within the surrounding few millimeters. A 3D-printed rectal cooling device was fabricated for the purpose of inducing local hypothermia in the rat rectum. The RTCA was simply integrated with an image-guided small animal irradiator and Monte Carlo-based treatment planning system to facilitate an in vivo investigation of the radioprotective effect of hypothermia for late rectal toxicity following a single large dose of radiation. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Evaluation of 3D reconstruction algorithms for a small animal PET camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, C.A.; Gandler, W.R.; Seidel, J.

1996-01-01

The use of paired, opposing position-sensitive phototube scintillation cameras (SCs) operating in coincidence for small animal imaging with positron emitters is currently under study. Because of the low sensitivity of the system even in 3D mode and the need to produce images with high resolution, it was postulated that a 3D expectation maximization (EM) reconstruction algorithm might be well suited for this application. We investigated four reconstruction algorithms for the 3D SC PET camera: 2D filtered back-projection (FBP), 2D ordered subset EM (OSEM), 3D reprojection (3DRP), and 3D OSEM. Noise was assessed for all slices by the coefficient of variation in a simulated uniform cylinder. Resolution was assessed from a simulation of 15 point sources in the warm background of the uniform cylinder. At comparable noise levels, the resolution achieved with OSEM (0.9-mm to 1.2-mm) is significantly better than that obtained with FBP or 3DRP (1.5-mm to 2.0-mm.) Images of a rat skull labeled with 18 F-fluoride suggest that 3D OSEM can improve image quality of a small animal PET camera

SU-G-IeP4-11: Monitoring Tumor Growth in Subcutaneous Murine Tumor Model in Vivo: A Comparison Between MRI and Small Animal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, B; He, W; Cvetkovic, D; Chen, L; Fan, J; Ma, C [Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to compare the volume measurement of subcutaneous tumors in mice with different imaging platforms, namely a GE MRI and a Sofie-Biosciences small animal CT scanner. Methods: A549 human lung carcinoma cells and FaDu human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells were implanted subcutaneously into flanks of nude mice. Three FaDu tumors and three A549 tumors were included in this study. The MRI scans were done with a GE Signa 1.5 Tesla MR scanner using a fast T2-weighted sequence (70mm FOV and 1.2mm slice thickness), while the CT scans were done with the CT scanner on a Sofie-Biosciences G8 PET/CT platform dedicated for small animal studies (48mm FOV and 0.2mm slice thickness). Imaging contrast agent was not used in this study. Based on the DICOM images from MRI and CT scans, the tumors were contoured with Philips DICOM Viewer and the tumor volumes were obtained by summing up the contoured area and multiplied by the slice thickness. Results: The volume measurements based on the CT scans agree reasonably with that obtained with MR images for the subcutaneous tumors. The mean difference in the absolute tumor volumes between MRI- and CT-based measurements was found to be −6.2% ± 1.0%, with the difference defined as (VMR – VCT)*100%/VMR. Furthermore, we evaluated the normalized tumor volumes, which were defined for each tumor as V/V{sub 0} where V{sub 0} stands for the volume from the first MR or CT scan. The mean difference in the normalized tumor volumes was found to be 0.10% ± 0.96%. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the difference between normal and abnormal tissues is often less clear on small animal CT images than on MR images, one can still obtain reasonable tumor volume information with the small animal CT scans for subcutaneous murine xenograft models.

Using web-based animations to teach histology.

Science.gov (United States)

Brisbourne, Marc A S; Chin, Susan S-L; Melnyk, Erica; Begg, David A

2002-02-15

We have been experimenting with the use of animations to teach histology as part of an interactive multimedia program we are developing to replace the traditional lecture/laboratory-based histology course in our medical and dental curricula. This program, called HistoQuest, uses animations to illustrate basic histologic principles, explain dynamic processes, integrate histologic structure with physiological function, and assist students in forming mental models with which to organize and integrate new information into their learning. With this article, we first briefly discuss the theory of mental modeling, principles of visual presentation, and how mental modeling and visual presentation can be integrated to create effective animations. We then discuss the major Web-based animation technologies that are currently available and their suitability for different visual styles and navigational structures. Finally, we describe the process we use to produce animations for our program. The approach described in this study can be used by other developers to create animations for delivery over the Internet for the teaching of histology.

Implementation of Cascade Gamma and Positron Range Corrections for I-124 Small Animal PET

Science.gov (United States)

Harzmann, S.; Braun, F.; Zakhnini, A.; Weber, W. A.; Pietrzyk, U.; Mix, M.

2014-02-01

Small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET) should provide accurate quantification of regional radiotracer concentrations and high spatial resolution. This is challenging for non-pure positron emitters with high positron endpoint energies, such as I-124: On the one hand the cascade gammas emitted from this isotope can produce coincidence events with the 511 keV annihilation photons leading to quantification errors. On the other hand the long range of the high energy positron degrades spatial resolution. This paper presents the implementation of a comprehensive correction technique for both of these effects. The established corrections include a modified sinogram-based tail-fitting approach to correct for scatter, random and cascade gamma coincidences and a compensation for resolution degradation effects during the image reconstruction. Resolution losses were compensated for by an iterative algorithm which incorporates a convolution kernel derived from line source measurements for the microPET Focus 120 system. The entire processing chain for these corrections was implemented, whereas previous work has only addressed parts of this process. Monte Carlo simulations with GATE and measurements of mice with the microPET Focus 120 show that the proposed method reduces absolute quantification errors on average to 2.6% compared to 15.6% for the ordinary Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization algorithm. Furthermore resolution was improved in the order of 11-29% depending on the number of convolution iterations. In summary, a comprehensive, fast and robust algorithm for the correction of small animal PET studies with I-124 was developed which improves quantitative accuracy and spatial resolution.

Development of an Extracorporeal Perfusion Device for Small Animal Free Flaps.

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Andreas M Fichter

Full Text Available Extracorporeal perfusion (ECP might prolong the vital storage capabilities of composite free flaps, potentially opening a wide range of clinical applications. Aim of the study was the development a validated low-cost extracorporeal perfusion model for further research in small animal free flaps.After establishing optimal perfusion settings, a specially designed extracorporeal perfusion system was evaluated during 8-hour perfusion of rat epigastric flaps followed by microvascular free flap transfer. Controls comprised sham-operation, ischemia and in vivo perfusion. Flaps and perfusate (diluted blood were closely monitored by blood gas analysis, combined laser Doppler flowmetry and remission spectroscopy and Indocyanine-Green angiography. Evaluations were complemented by assessment of necrotic area and light microscopy at day 7.ECP was established and maintained for 8 hours with constant potassium and pH levels. Subsequent flap transfer was successful. Notably, the rate of necrosis of extracorporeally perfused flaps (27% was even lower than after in vivo perfusion (49%, although not statistically significant (P = 0,083. After sham-operation, only 6% of the total flap area became necrotic, while 8-hour ischemia led to total flap loss (98%. Angiographic and histological findings confirmed these observations.Vital storage capabilities of microvascular flaps can be prolonged by temporary ECP. Our study provides important insights on the pathophysiological processes during extracorporeal tissue perfusion and provides a validated small animal perfusion model for further studies.

Privatizing community animal health worker based veterinary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Privatizing community animal health worker based veterinary services delivery system in West Kordofan, Southern Sudan; The needed roles of community animal health assistant (CAHA) and Pastoral unions.

Monte Carlo dosimetry of iodine contrast objects in a small animal microCT

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Rodriguez-Villafuerte, M., E-mail: mercedes@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 20-364, 01000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Martinez-Davalos, A. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 20-364, 01000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2011-08-21

Small animal microcomputed tomography (microCT) studies with iodine-based contrast media are commonly used in preclinical research. While the use of contrast media improves the quality of the images, it can also result in an increase in the absorbed dose to organs with high concentration of the contrast agent, which might cause radiation damage to the animal. In this work we present the results of a Monte Carlo investigation of a microCT dosimetry study using mouse-sized cylindrical water phantoms with iodine contrast insets for different X-ray spectra (Mo and W targets, 30-80 kVp), iodine concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 15 mg mL{sup -1}) and contrast object sizes (3 and 10 mm diameter). Our results indicate an absorbed dose increase in the contrast-inset regions with respect to the absorbed dose distribution within a reference uniform water phantom. The calculated spatial absorbed dose distributions show large gradients due to beam hardening effects, and large absorbed dose enhancement as the mean energy of the beam and iodine concentration increase. We have found that absorbed doses in iodine contrast objects can increase by a factor of up to 12 for a realistic 80 kVp X-ray spectra and an iodine concentration of 15 mg mL{sup -1}.

3D absorbed dose calculation with GATE Monte Carlo simulation for the image-guided radiation therapy dedicated to the small animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noblet, Caroline

2014-01-01

Innovating irradiators dedicated to small animal allow to mimic clinical treatments in image-guided radiation therapy. Clinical practice is scaled down to the small animal by reducing beam dimensions (from cm to mm) and energy (from MeV to keV). Millimeter medium energy beams ( [fr

Data Analyses and Modelling for Risk Based Monitoring of Mycotoxins in Animal Feed

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H.J. (Ine van der Fels-Klerx

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Following legislation, European Member States should have multi-annual control programs for contaminants, such as for mycotoxins, in feed and food. These programs need to be risk based implying the checks are regular and proportional to the estimated risk for animal and human health. This study aimed to prioritize feed products in the Netherlands for deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin B1 monitoring. Historical mycotoxin monitoring results from the period 2007–2016 were combined with data from other sources. Based on occurrence, groundnuts had high priority for aflatoxin B1 monitoring; some feed materials (maize and maize products and several oil seed products and complete/complementary feed excluding dairy cattle and young animals had medium priority; and all other animal feeds and feed materials had low priority. For deoxynivalenol, maize by-products had a high priority, complete and complementary feed for pigs had a medium priority and all other feed and feed materials a low priority. Also including health consequence estimations showed that feed materials that ranked highest for aflatoxin B1 included sunflower seed and palmkernel expeller/extracts and maize. For deoxynivalenol, maize products were ranked highest, followed by various small grain cereals (products; all other feed materials were of lower concern. Results of this study have proven to be useful in setting up the annual risk based control program for mycotoxins in animal feed and feed materials.

Data Analyses and Modelling for Risk Based Monitoring of Mycotoxins in Animal Feed

Science.gov (United States)

van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. (Ine); Adamse, Paulien; Punt, Ans; van Asselt, Esther D.

2018-01-01

Following legislation, European Member States should have multi-annual control programs for contaminants, such as for mycotoxins, in feed and food. These programs need to be risk based implying the checks are regular and proportional to the estimated risk for animal and human health. This study aimed to prioritize feed products in the Netherlands for deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin B1 monitoring. Historical mycotoxin monitoring results from the period 2007–2016 were combined with data from other sources. Based on occurrence, groundnuts had high priority for aflatoxin B1 monitoring; some feed materials (maize and maize products and several oil seed products) and complete/complementary feed excluding dairy cattle and young animals had medium priority; and all other animal feeds and feed materials had low priority. For deoxynivalenol, maize by-products had a high priority, complete and complementary feed for pigs had a medium priority and all other feed and feed materials a low priority. Also including health consequence estimations showed that feed materials that ranked highest for aflatoxin B1 included sunflower seed and palmkernel expeller/extracts and maize. For deoxynivalenol, maize products were ranked highest, followed by various small grain cereals (products); all other feed materials were of lower concern. Results of this study have proven to be useful in setting up the annual risk based control program for mycotoxins in animal feed and feed materials. PMID:29373559

Potential Applications of Flat-Panel Volumetric CT in Morphologic, Functional Small Animal Imaging

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Susanne Greschus

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Noninvasive radiologic imaging has recently gained considerable interest in basic, preclinical research for monitoring disease progression, therapeutic efficacy. In this report, we introduce flat-panel volumetric computed tomography (fpVCT as a powerful new tool for noninvasive imaging of different organ systems in preclinical research. The three-dimensional visualization that is achieved by isotropic high-resolution datasets is illustrated for the skeleton, chest, abdominal organs, brain of mice. The high image quality of chest scans enables the visualization of small lung nodules in an orthotopic lung cancer model, the reliable imaging of therapy side effects such as lung fibrosis. Using contrast-enhanced scans, fpVCT displayed the vascular trees of the brain, liver, kidney down to the subsegmental level. Functional application of fpVCT in dynamic contrast-enhanced scans of the rat brain delivered physiologically reliable data of perfusion, tissue blood volume. Beyond scanning of small animal models as demonstrated here, fpVCT provides the ability to image animals up to the size of primates.

Small animal SPECT and its place in the matrix of molecular imaging technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meikle, Steven R; Kench, Peter; Kassiou, Michael; Banati, Richard B

2005-01-01

Molecular imaging refers to the use of non-invasive imaging techniques to detect signals that originate from molecules, often in the form of an injected tracer, and observe their interaction with a specific cellular target in vivo. Differences in the underlying physical principles of these measurement techniques determine the sensitivity, specificity and length of possible observation of the signal, characteristics that have to be traded off according to the biological question under study. Here, we describe the specific characteristics of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) relative to other molecular imaging technologies. SPECT is based on the tracer principle and external radiation detection. It is capable of measuring the biodistribution of minute ( -10 molar) concentrations of radio-labelled biomolecules in vivo with sub-millimetre resolution and quantifying the molecular kinetic processes in which they participate. Like some other imaging techniques, SPECT was originally developed for human use and was subsequently adapted for imaging small laboratory animals at high spatial resolution for basic and translational research. Its unique capabilities include (i) the ability to image endogenous ligands such as peptides and antibodies due to the relative ease of labelling these molecules with technetium or iodine (ii) the ability to measure relatively slow kinetic processes (compared with positron emission tomography, for example) due to the long half-life of the commonly used isotopes and (iii) the ability to probe two or more molecular pathways simultaneously by detecting isotopes with different emission energies. In this paper, we review the technology developments and design tradeoffs that led to the current state-of-the-art in SPECT small animal scanning and describe the position SPECT occupies within the matrix of molecular imaging technologies. (topical review)

Performance evaluation of a compact PET/SPECT/CT tri-modality system for small animal imaging applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Qingyang; Wang, Shi; Ma, Tianyu; Wu, Jing; Liu, Hui; Xu, Tianpeng; Xia, Yan; Fan, Peng; Lyu, Zhenlei; Liu, Yaqiang

2015-01-01

PET, SPECT and CT imaging techniques are widely used in preclinical small animal imaging applications. In this paper, we present a compact small animal PET/SPECT/CT tri-modality system. A dual-functional, shared detector design is implemented which enables PET and SPECT imaging with a same LYSO ring detector. A multi-pinhole collimator is mounted on the system and inserted into the detector ring in SPECT imaging mode. A cone-beam CT consisting of a micro focus X-ray tube and a CMOS detector is implemented. The detailed design and the performance evaluations are reported in this paper. In PET imaging mode, the measured NEMA based spatial resolution is 2.12 mm (FWHM), and the sensitivity at the central field of view (CFOV) is 3.2%. The FOV size is 50 mm (∅)×100 mm (L). The SPECT has a spatial resolution of 1.32 mm (FWHM) and an average sensitivity of 0.031% at the center axial, and a 30 mm (∅)×90 mm (L) FOV. The CT spatial resolution is 8.32 lp/mm @10%MTF, and the contrast discrimination function value is 2.06% with 1.5 mm size cubic box object. In conclusion, a compact, tri-modality PET/SPECT/CT system was successfully built with low cost and high performance

Utility of Small Animal Models of Developmental Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Clare M; Vickers, Mark H

2018-01-01

Any effective strategy to tackle the global obesity and rising noncommunicable disease epidemic requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these conditions that manifest as a consequence of complex gene-environment interactions. In this context, it is now well established that alterations in the early life environment, including suboptimal nutrition, can result in an increased risk for a range of metabolic, cardiovascular, and behavioral disorders in later life, a process preferentially termed developmental programming. To date, most of the mechanistic knowledge around the processes underpinning development programming has been derived from preclinical research performed mostly, but not exclusively, in laboratory mouse and rat strains. This review will cover the utility of small animal models in developmental programming, the limitations of such models, and potential future directions that are required to fully maximize information derived from preclinical models in order to effectively translate to clinical use.

Design of small-animal thermal neutron irradiation facility at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H.B.

1996-01-01

The broad beam facility (BBF) at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR) can provide a thermal neutron beam with flux intensity and quality comparable to the beam currently used for research on neutron capture therapy using cell-culture and small-animal irradiations. Monte Carlo computations were made, first, to compare with the dosimetric measurements at the existing BBF and, second, to calculate the neutron and gamma fluxes and doses expected at the proposed BBF. Multiple cell cultures or small animals could be irradiated simultaneously at the so-modified BBF under conditions similar to or better than those individual animals irradiated at the existing thermal neutron irradiation Facility (TNIF) of the BMRR. The flux intensity of the collimated thermal neutron beam at the proposed BBF would be 1.7 x 10 10 n/cm 2 ·s at 3-MW reactor power, the same as at the TNIF. However, the proposed collimated beam would have much lower gamma (0.89 x 10 -11 cGy·cm 2 /n th ) and fast neutron (0.58 x 10 -11 cGy·cm 2 /n th ) contaminations, 64 and 19% of those at the TNIF, respectively. The feasibility of remodeling the facility is discussed

Evaluation of spatial sensitivity of a prompt gamma neutron activation analysis facility for the in vivo determination of nitrogen in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasviki, K.; Ioannina University; Stamatelatos, I.E.; Kalef-Ezra, J.

2007-01-01

We investigated the spatial dependence of the sensitivity of nitrogen measurement with a prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) system for small animals and developed an analysis procedure that permits the reduction of systematic errors due to that dependence. The analysis procedure is based on neutron and photon transport calculations performed using the MCNP code in order to evaluate the sensitivity of the PGNAA facility. The system can be calibrated experimentally using a small number of phantoms of known size and composition. The calculation approach can then be used to predict responses for animal body sizes and shapes relatively to those experimentally determined and to include the effect of tissue inhomogeneities. Our calculations were verified by experimental measurements performed for a set of cylindrical inhomogeneous phantoms. The calculated to experimental ratios observed were within 6%. (author)

Computer Animation Based on Particle Methods

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Rafal Wcislo

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the main issues of a computer animation of a set of elastic macroscopic objects based on the particle method. The main assumption of the generated animations is to achieve very realistic movements in a scene observed on the computer display. The objects (solid bodies interact mechanically with each other, The movements and deformations of solids are calculated using the particle method. Phenomena connected with the behaviour of solids in the gravitational field, their defomtations caused by collisions and interactions with the optional liquid medium are simulated. The simulation ofthe liquid is performed using the cellular automata method. The paper presents both simulation schemes (particle method and cellular automata rules an the method of combining them in the single animation program. ln order to speed up the execution of the program the parallel version based on the network of workstation was developed. The paper describes the methods of the parallelization and it considers problems of load-balancing, collision detection, process synchronization and distributed control of the animation.

A framework for inverse planning of beam-on times for 3D small animal radiotherapy using interactive multi-objective optimisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balvert, Marleen; Den Hertog, Dick; Van Hoof, Stefan J; Granton, Patrick V; Trani, Daniela; Hoffmann, Aswin L; Verhaegen, Frank

2015-01-01

Advances in precision small animal radiotherapy hardware enable the delivery of increasingly complicated dose distributions on the millimeter scale. Manual creation and evaluation of treatment plans becomes difficult or even infeasible with an increasing number of degrees of freedom for dose delivery and available image data. The goal of this work is to develop an optimisation model that determines beam-on times for a given beam configuration, and to assess the feasibility and benefits of an automated treatment planning system for small animal radiotherapy.The developed model determines a Pareto optimal solution using operator-defined weights for a multiple-objective treatment planning problem. An interactive approach allows the planner to navigate towards, and to select the Pareto optimal treatment plan that yields the most preferred trade-off of the conflicting objectives. This model was evaluated using four small animal cases based on cone-beam computed tomography images. Resulting treatment plan quality was compared to the quality of manually optimised treatment plans using dose-volume histograms and metrics.Results show that the developed framework is well capable of optimising beam-on times for 3D dose distributions and offers several advantages over manual treatment plan optimisation. For all cases but the simple flank tumour case, a similar amount of time was needed for manual and automated beam-on time optimisation. In this time frame, manual optimisation generates a single treatment plan, while the inverse planning system yields a set of Pareto optimal solutions which provides quantitative insight on the sensitivity of conflicting objectives. Treatment planning automation decreases the dependence on operator experience and allows for the use of class solutions for similar treatment scenarios. This can shorten the time required for treatment planning and therefore increase animal throughput. In addition, this can improve treatment standardisation and

Establishment study of the in vivo imaging analysis with small animal imaging modalities for bio-durg development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Beomsu; Park, Sanghyeon; Choi, Dae Seong; Park, Jeonghoon; Jung, Uhee; Lee, Yun Jong

2012-01-01

In this study, we established the image modalities (micro-PET, SPECT/CT) using the experimental animal (mouse) for the development of imaging assessment method for the bio-durg and extramural collaboration proposal. We examined the micro-SPECT/CT, PET imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and micro-PET with 99m Tc tricarbonyl bifunctional chelators and 18 F-clotrimazole derivative. SPECT imaging studies were performed with 99m Tc tricarbonyl BFCs. PET imaging study was performed with 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives. We performed the PET image study of 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives using U87MG tumor bearing mice. Also we tested the intramural and extramural collaboration using small animal imaging modalities and prepared the draft of extramural R and D operation manual for small animal imaging modalities and the experimental animal imaging facility. These research results can be utilized as a basic image study protocols and data for the image assessment of drugs including biological drug

A Modified Carbon Monoxide Breath Test for Measuring Erythrocyte Lifespan in Small Animals

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Yong-Jian Ma

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was to develop a CO breath test for RBC lifespan estimation of small animals. The ribavirin induced hemolysis rabbit models were placed individually in a closed rebreath cage and air samples were collected for measurement of CO concentration. RBC lifespan was calculated from accumulated CO, blood volume, and hemoglobin concentration data. RBC lifespan was determined in the same animals with the standard biotin-labeling method. RBC lifespan data obtained by the CO breath test method for control (CON, 49.0±5.9 d rabbits, rabbits given 10 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB10, 31.0±4.0 d, and rabbits given 20 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB20, 25.0±2.9 d were statistically similar (all p>0.05 to and linearly correlated (r=0.96, p<0.01 with the RBC lifespan data obtained for the same rabbits by the standard biotin-labeling method (CON, 51.0±2.7 d; RIB10, 33.0±1.3 d; and RIB20, 27.0±0.8 d. The CO breath test method takes less than 3 h to complete, whereas the standard method requires at least several weeks. In conclusion, the CO breath test method provides a simple and rapid means of estimating RBC lifespan and is feasible for use with small animal models.

The performance of silicon detectors for the SiliPET project: A small animal PET scanner based on stacks of silicon detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auricchio, Natalia; Domenico, Giovanni di; Zavattini, Guido; Milano, Luciano; Malaguti, Roberto

2011-01-01

We propose a new scanner for small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET) based on stacks of double sided silicon detectors. Each stack is made of 40 planar detectors with dimension 60x60x1 mm 3 and 128 orthogonal strips on both sides to read the two coordinates of interaction, the third being the detector number in the stack. Multiple interactions in a stack are discarded by an exclusive OR applied between each detector plane of a stack. In this way we achieve a precise determination of the interaction point of the two 511 keV photons. The reduced dimensions of the scanner also improve the solid angle coverage resulting in a high sensitivity. Preliminary results were obtained with MEGA prototype tracker (11 double sided Si detector layers), divided into two stacks 2 cm apart made of, respectively, 5 and 6 prototype layers, placing a small spherical 22 Na source in different positions. We report on the results, spatial resolution, imaging and timing performances obtained with double sided silicon detectors, manufactured by ITC-FBK, having an active area of 3x3 cm 2 , thickness of 1 mm and a strip pitch of 500μm. Two different strip widths of 300 and 200μm equipped with 64 orthogonal p and n strips on opposite sides were read out with the VATAGP2.5 ASIC, a 128-channel 'general purpose' charge sensitive amplifier.

GATE simulation of a new design of pinhole SPECT system for small animal brain imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozsahin, D. Uzun; Bläckberg, L.; Fakhri, G. El; Sabet, H.

2017-01-01

Small animal SPECT imaging has gained an increased interest over the past decade since it is an excellent tool for developing new drugs and tracers. Therefore, there is a huge effort on the development of cost-effective SPECT detectors with high capabilities. The aim of this study is to simulate the performance characteristics of new designs for a cost effective, stationary SPECT system dedicated to small animal imaging with a focus on mice brain. The conceptual design of this SPECT system platform, Stationary Small Animal SSA-SPECT, is to use many pixelated CsI:TI detector modules with 0.4 mm × 0.4 mm pixels in order to achieve excellent intrinsic detector resolution where each module is backed by a single pinhole collimator with 0.3 mm hole diameter. In this work, we present the simulation results of four variations of the SSA-SPECT platform where the number of detector modules and FOV size is varied while keeping the detector size and collimator hole size constant. Using the NEMA NU-4 protocol, we performed spatial resolution, sensitivity, image quality simulations followed by a Derenzo-like phantom evaluation. The results suggest that all four SSA-SPECT systems can provide better than 0.063% system sensitivity and < 1.5 mm FWHM spatial resolution without resolution recovery or other correction techniques. Specifically, SSA-SPECT-1 showed a system sensitivity of 0.09% in combination with 1.1 mm FWHM spatial resolution.

Role of surgery in multimodal cancer therapy for small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Boston, Sarah; Henderson, Ralph A

2014-09-01

Surgery is a critical component in the treatment of most solid tumors in small animals. Surgery is increasingly combined with adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation so surgeons who are treating cancer must have a good understanding of surgical oncology principles, cancer biology, and the roles and potential interactions of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The sequencing plan for these modalities should be determined before treatment is initiated. The surgical oncologist must have a working knowledge of chemotherapy agents and radiation and the effect of these treatments on the ability of tissues to heal and the outcome for the patient. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combustion of animal or vegetable based liquid waste products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wikman, Karin; Berg, Magnus

2002-04-01

In this project experiences from combustion of animal and vegetable based liquid waste products have been compiled. Legal aspects have also been taken into consideration and the potential for this type of fuel on the Swedish energy market has been evaluated. Today the supply of animal and vegetable based liquid waste products for energy production in Sweden is limited. The total production of animal based liquid fat is about 10,000 tonnes annually. The animal based liquid waste products origin mainly from the manufacturing of meat and bone meal. Since meat and bone meal has been banned from use in animal feeds it is possible that the amount of animal based liquid fat will decrease. The vegetable based liquid waste products that are produced in the processing of vegetable fats are today used mainly for internal energy production. This result in limited availability on the commercial market. The potential for import of animal and vegetable based liquid waste products is estimated to be relatively large since the production of this type of waste products is larger in many other countries compared to Sweden. Vegetable oils that are used as food or raw material in industries could also be imported for combustion, but this is not reasonable today since the energy prices are relatively low. Restrictions allow import of SRM exclusively from Denmark. This is today the only limit for increased imports of animal based liquid fat. The restrictions for handle and combustion of animal and vegetable based liquid waste products are partly unclear since this is covered in several regulations that are not easy to interpret. The new directive for combustion of waste (2000/76/EG) is valid for animal based waste products but not for cadaver or vegetable based waste products from provisions industries. This study has shown that more than 27,400 tonnes of animal based liquid waste products and about 6,000 tonnes of vegetable based liquid waste products were used for combustion in Sweden

Development and applications of TOHR, an original emission tomography system, adapted to small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ploux, Lydie

1997-01-01

For many neuro-biological studies, it is necessary to link microscopic aspects of the brain's organization with integrated brain functions. Details of the former are obtained by in vitro and in situ molecular biology techniques, whereas the latter are acquired through behavioural studies. In vivo radio-imaging methods, like emission tomography are the ideal tools to investigate the links between these two levels of brain organization. The work which is presented here focuses on a new approach of emission tomography adapted to small animal studies: TOHR (French, acronym for TOmographe Haute Resolution). The principle is based on the use of a large solid angle, high resolution and high efficiency focusing collimator. High resolution and high signal to noise ratio are improved by using nuclides having a two-photon decay with small angular correlation ( 125 I, 123 I, 111 In,...). The image is built step-by-step, by moving the animal relative to the collimator focal point. First, numerical simulation showed the possibility of reaching sub-millimetric resolutions; these results led to the collimator geometry (at present 10 over the 20 faces of an icosahedron, 15 faces in the future). Then, a prototype of TOHR has been built and characterized. Its performance is very close to the numerical prediction: spatial resolution of 1.4 mm and detection efficiency 0.64%. Finally, experiments on a rat thyroid allowed the preparation and realization of the first experiments on a rat striatum. The good quality of these images shows that it is now possible to evaluate TOHR capabilities on a dopaminergic neuron degeneration model in rats in the field of neuro-degenerative disease studies. (author)

TH-EF-207A-05: Feasibility of Applying SMEIR Method On Small Animal 4D Cone Beam CT Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Y; Zhang, Y; Shao, Y; Wang, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: Small animal cone beam CT imaging has been widely used in preclinical research. Due to the higher respiratory rate and heat beats of small animals, motion blurring is inevitable and needs to be corrected in the reconstruction. Simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (SMEIR) method, which uses projection images of all phases, proved to be effective in motion model estimation and able to reconstruct motion-compensated images. We demonstrate the application of SMEIR for small animal 4D cone beam CT imaging by computer simulations on a digital rat model. Methods: The small animal CBCT imaging system was simulated with the source-to-detector distance of 300 mm and the source-to-object distance of 200 mm. A sequence of rat phantom were generated with 0.4 mm 3 voxel size. The respiratory cycle was taken as 1.0 second and the motions were simulated with a diaphragm motion of 2.4mm and an anterior-posterior expansion of 1.6 mm. The projection images were calculated using a ray-tracing method, and 4D-CBCT were reconstructed using SMEIR and FDK methods. The SMEIR method iterates over two alternating steps: 1) motion-compensated iterative image reconstruction by using projections from all respiration phases and 2) motion model estimation from projections directly through a 2D-3D deformable registration of the image obtained in the first step to projection images of other phases. Results: The images reconstructed using SMEIR method reproduced the features in the original phantom. Projections from the same phase were also reconstructed using FDK method. Compared with the FDK results, the images from SMEIR method substantially improve the image quality with minimum artifacts. Conclusion: We demonstrate that it is viable to apply SMEIR method to reconstruct small animal 4D-CBCT images.

Anaphylaxis Imaging: Non-Invasive Measurement of Surface Body Temperature and Physical Activity in Small Animals.

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Krisztina Manzano-Szalai

Full Text Available In highly sensitized patients, the encounter with a specific allergen from food, insect stings or medications may rapidly induce systemic anaphylaxis with potentially lethal symptoms. Countless animal models of anaphylaxis, most often in BALB/c mice, were established to understand the pathophysiology and to prove the safety of different treatments. The most common symptoms during anaphylactic shock are drop of body temperature and reduced physical activity. To refine, improve and objectify the currently applied manual monitoring methods, we developed an imaging method for the automated, non-invasive measurement of the whole-body surface temperature and, at the same time, of the horizontal and vertical movement activity of small animals. We tested the anaphylaxis imaging in three in vivo allergy mouse models for i milk allergy, ii peanut allergy and iii egg allergy. These proof-of-principle experiments suggest that the imaging technology represents a reliable non-invasive method for the objective monitoring of small animals during anaphylaxis over time. We propose that the method will be useful for monitoring diseases associated with both, changes in body temperature and in physical behaviour.

Comprehensive small animal imaging strategies on a clinical 3 T dedicated head MR-scanner; adapted methods and sequence protocols in CNS pathologies.

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Deepu R Pillai

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Small animal models of human diseases are an indispensable aspect of pre-clinical research. Being dynamic, most pathologies demand extensive longitudinal monitoring to understand disease mechanisms, drug efficacy and side effects. These considerations often demand the concomitant development of monitoring systems with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS: This study attempts to configure and optimize a clinical 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner to facilitate imaging of small animal central nervous system pathologies. The hardware of the scanner was complemented by a custom-built, 4-channel phased array coil system. Extensive modification of standard sequence protocols was carried out based on tissue relaxometric calculations. Proton density differences between the gray and white matter of the rodent spinal cord along with transverse relaxation due to magnetic susceptibility differences at the cortex and striatum of both rats and mice demonstrated statistically significant differences. The employed parallel imaging reconstruction algorithms had distinct properties dependent on the sequence type and in the presence of the contrast agent. The attempt to morphologically phenotype a normal healthy rat brain in multiple planes delineated a number of anatomical regions, and all the clinically relevant sequels following acute cerebral ischemia could be adequately characterized. Changes in blood-brain-barrier permeability following ischemia-reperfusion were also apparent at a later time. Typical characteristics of intra-cerebral haemorrhage at acute and chronic stages were also visualized up to one month. Two models of rodent spinal cord injury were adequately characterized and closely mimicked the results of histological studies. In the employed rodent animal handling system a mouse model of glioblastoma was also studied with unequivocal results. CONCLUSIONS: The implemented customizations including extensive

Comprehensive Small Animal Imaging Strategies on a Clinical 3 T Dedicated Head MR-Scanner; Adapted Methods and Sequence Protocols in CNS Pathologies

Science.gov (United States)

Pillai, Deepu R.; Heidemann, Robin M.; Lanz, Titus; Dittmar, Michael S.; Sandner, Beatrice; Beier, Christoph P.; Weidner, Norbert; Greenlee, Mark W.; Schuierer, Gerhard; Bogdahn, Ulrich; Schlachetzki, Felix

2011-01-01

Background Small animal models of human diseases are an indispensable aspect of pre-clinical research. Being dynamic, most pathologies demand extensive longitudinal monitoring to understand disease mechanisms, drug efficacy and side effects. These considerations often demand the concomitant development of monitoring systems with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. Methodology and Results This study attempts to configure and optimize a clinical 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner to facilitate imaging of small animal central nervous system pathologies. The hardware of the scanner was complemented by a custom-built, 4-channel phased array coil system. Extensive modification of standard sequence protocols was carried out based on tissue relaxometric calculations. Proton density differences between the gray and white matter of the rodent spinal cord along with transverse relaxation due to magnetic susceptibility differences at the cortex and striatum of both rats and mice demonstrated statistically significant differences. The employed parallel imaging reconstruction algorithms had distinct properties dependent on the sequence type and in the presence of the contrast agent. The attempt to morphologically phenotype a normal healthy rat brain in multiple planes delineated a number of anatomical regions, and all the clinically relevant sequels following acute cerebral ischemia could be adequately characterized. Changes in blood-brain-barrier permeability following ischemia-reperfusion were also apparent at a later time. Typical characteristics of intra-cerebral haemorrhage at acute and chronic stages were also visualized up to one month. Two models of rodent spinal cord injury were adequately characterized and closely mimicked the results of histological studies. In the employed rodent animal handling system a mouse model of glioblastoma was also studied with unequivocal results. Conclusions The implemented customizations including extensive sequence protocol

Design, construction and testing of a DC bioeffects test enclosure for small animals. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frazier, M J; Preache, M M

1980-11-01

This final report describes both the engineering development of a DC bioeffects test enclosure for small laboratory animals, and the biological protocol for the use of such enclosures in the testing of animals to determine possible biological effects of the environment associated with HVDC transmission lines. The test enclosure which has been designed is a modular unit, which will house up to eight rat-sized animals in individual compartments. Multiple test enclosures can be used to test larger numbers of animals. A prototype test enclosure has been fabricated and tested to characterize its electrical performance characteristics. The test enclosure provides a simulation of the dominant environment associated with HVDC transmission lines; namely, a static electric field and an ion current density. A biological experimental design has been developed for assessing the effects of the dominant components of the HVDC transmission line environment.

Reflections upon the trends of education and research in small animal reproduction in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Martínez, Heriberto

2004-01-01

An open questionnaire-based survey was performed among 86 institutions of veterinary education in 32 European countries: 15 within the European Union (EU) and 17 outside the EU, in Central and Eastern Europe and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The survey aimed to provide a view of the general status of education and research in small animal reproduction (SAR) in Europe. It further aimed to disclose whether ongoing trends in organization (e.g., from the classical animal reproduction discipline orientation [DO] toward a species-oriented [SO] organization) among veterinary colleges responsible for undergraduate education and research in SAR have affected the provision of clinical services, continuing professional development (CPD), specialization, post-graduate education, and research. Response rates reached 80% among EU institutions and 48.4% in other countries (overall response rate = 68.6%). A clear, significant majority of institutions (> 60%) were DO, with a well-defined comparative subject in the veterinary curriculum. No differences were reported for either orientation in their ability to provide undergraduate education or clinical services in SAR. However, more DO institutions reported active research in SAR than their SO counterparts. Similar (and stronger) differences were seen for post-graduate education, CPD, and participation in specialization programs (national or European). Finally, more DO than SO institutions provided assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), such as AI with frozen semen, to customers. The analysis of the data emanating from the respondents' perceptions, supports the advantages of the more classical, DO-based approach. The results highlight the need for caution when institutions abandon the comparative benefits of the classical DO animal reproduction subject for a SO approach, which tends to prioritize clinical specialized service rather than research and research education. In the author's opinion, in the absence of the

In Vivo Respiratory-Gated Micro-CT Imaging in Small-Animal Oncology Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawn Cavanaugh

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT is becoming an accepted research tool for the noninvasive examination of laboratory animals such as mice and rats, but to date, in vivo scanning has largely been limited to the evaluation of skeletal tissues. We use a commercially available micro-CT device to perform respiratory gated in vivo acquisitions suitable for thoracic imaging. The instrument is described, along with the scan protocol and animal preparation techniques. Preliminary results confirm that lung tumors as small as 1 mm in diameter are visible in vivo with these methods. Radiation dose was evaluated using several approaches, and was found to be approximately 0.15 Gy for this respiratory-gated micro-CT imaging protocol. The combination of high-resolution CT imaging and respiratory-gated acquisitions appears well-suited to serial in vivo scanning.

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H

2016-01-01

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D grid therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H [Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA (Georgia)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D grid therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.

Assessment of the sources of error affecting the quantitative accuracy of SPECT imaging in small animals

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Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley; Department of Radiology, University of California; Gullberg, Grant T; Hwang, Andrew B.; Franc, Benjamin L.; Gullberg, Grant T.; Hasegawa, Bruce H.

2008-02-15

Small animal SPECT imaging systems have multiple potential applications in biomedical research. Whereas SPECT data are commonly interpreted qualitatively in a clinical setting, the ability to accurately quantify measurements will increase the utility of the SPECT data for laboratory measurements involving small animals. In this work, we assess the effect of photon attenuation, scatter and partial volume errors on the quantitative accuracy of small animal SPECT measurements, first with Monte Carlo simulation and then confirmed with experimental measurements. The simulations modeled the imaging geometry of a commercially available small animal SPECT system. We simulated the imaging of a radioactive source within a cylinder of water, and reconstructed the projection data using iterative reconstruction algorithms. The size of the source and the size of the surrounding cylinder were varied to evaluate the effects of photon attenuation and scatter on quantitative accuracy. We found that photon attenuation can reduce the measured concentration of radioactivity in a volume of interest in the center of a rat-sized cylinder of water by up to 50percent when imaging with iodine-125, and up to 25percent when imaging with technetium-99m. When imaging with iodine-125, the scatter-to-primary ratio can reach up to approximately 30percent, and can cause overestimation of the radioactivity concentration when reconstructing data with attenuation correction. We varied the size of the source to evaluate partial volume errors, which we found to be a strong function of the size of the volume of interest and the spatial resolution. These errors can result in large (>50percent) changes in the measured amount of radioactivity. The simulation results were compared with and found to agree with experimental measurements. The inclusion of attenuation correction in the reconstruction algorithm improved quantitative accuracy. We also found that an improvement of the spatial resolution through the

Role of radiotracer in animal science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivaprasad, N.

2015-01-01

Radiotracers have been used as radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases in cattle and pet animals. In fact the veterinary nuclear medicine based on radiotracer as radiopharmaceuticals is established medical technique for functional studies and imaging of vital organs such as heart, lung, brain, spleen, liver, kidney etc for diagnosis as well as treatment of diseases such as cancers in animal. Besides, radiation from radioisotopes has been in use for radiation therapy of cancers in animals. The nuclear imaging using positron emitting radiotracer is gaining importance in the evolution of drug in small animals. In this respect, small animals have also contributed significantly in the development of radiopharmaceuticals particularly for biodistribution and bioscan studies. In fact, the quality control of radiopharmaceuticals in animals to test the safety is a mandatory requirement in the production of radiopharmaceuticals. In brief the animal science has contributed in various areas and facets of radiotracer techniques and its application vice versa the radiotracer techniques have contributed towards the progress of animal science. The animal science in combination with radiotracer has also contributed to the progress of other basic and applied sciences. Thus there exists a bond between radiotracer techniques and animal science. Some aspects of mutual dependence of animal science and radiotracer are elaborated

Programmable electronics for low-cost small animal PET/SPECT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra, Pedro; Rubio, Jose L.; Kontaxakis, Georgios; Ortuno, Juan E.; Ledesma, Maria J.; Santos, Andres

2006-01-01

This work describes and characterizes the detector module of a novel positron/single photon emission (PET/SPECT) scanner for small animals. This detector consists of a YAP/LSO phoswich, a photomultiplier and acquisition front-end, and will be used as building block of a low-cost hybrid tomograph. The front-end processes data sampled at a fixed frequency, where a state-of-the-art programmable device estimates scintillation pulse parameters by means of digital algorithms. Finally, the estimated properties of the proposed detector module are used to model a rotating four-head scanner. The performance of the proposed PET/SPECT scanner is estimated and first results are promising in both modalities, deserving further research and optimization

Micro-computed tomography newly developed for in vivo small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Yoshinori; Ninomiya, Tadashi; Kato, Takafumi; Masuda, Yuji

2005-01-01

The aim of this paper is to report a newly developed micro-computed tomography system for in vivo use. The system was composed of a micro-focus X-ray tube and an image intensifier (I.I.), both of which rotated around the object stage. A guinea pig and a rat were examined. The anesthetized animal was set on the secure object stage. Images of the head of the guinea pig and the tibia knee joint of the rat were taken. In addition, an image of the rat's tail was taken. The reconstruction and the image viewing were carried out using I-View software. The voxel matrix was 512 x 512 x 384. The voxel sizes ranged from 10 x 10 x 10 μm to 100 x 100 x 100 μm. The exposure time was 17 s, and the reconstruction time was 150 s. The head of the guinea pig and the tibia/knee joint of the rat were observed clearly under 100-μm and 30μm voxels, respectively. The trabecular bone of the tail was also observed clearly under a 10 μm voxel. The newly developed micro-computed tomography system makes it possible to obtain images of anesthetized animals set on a secure object stage. Clear bone images of the small animals could be obtained within a short time. (author)

MRI-Only Based Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for the Rat Brain on a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shandra Gutierrez

Full Text Available Computed tomography (CT is the standard imaging modality in radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP. However, magnetic resonance (MR imaging provides superior soft tissue contrast, increasing the precision of target volume selection. We present MR-only based RTP for a rat brain on a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP using probabilistic voxel classification with multiple MR sequences. Six rat heads were imaged, each with one CT and five MR sequences. The MR sequences were: T1-weighted, T2-weighted, zero-echo time (ZTE, and two ultra-short echo time sequences with 20 μs (UTE1 and 2 ms (UTE2 echo times. CT data were manually segmented into air, soft tissue, and bone to obtain the RTP reference. Bias field corrected MR images were automatically segmented into the same tissue classes using a fuzzy c-means segmentation algorithm with multiple images as input. Similarities between segmented CT and automatic segmented MR (ASMR images were evaluated using Dice coefficient. Three ASMR images with high similarity index were used for further RTP. Three beam arrangements were investigated. Dose distributions were compared by analysing dose volume histograms. The highest Dice coefficients were obtained for the ZTE-UTE2 combination and for the T1-UTE1-T2 combination when ZTE was unavailable. Both combinations, along with UTE1-UTE2, often used to generate ASMR images, were used for further RTP. Using 1 beam, MR based RTP underestimated the dose to be delivered to the target (range: 1.4%-7.6%. When more complex beam configurations were used, the calculated dose using the ZTE-UTE2 combination was the most accurate, with 0.7% deviation from CT, compared to 0.8% for T1-UTE1-T2 and 1.7% for UTE1-UTE2. The presented MR-only based workflow for RTP on a SARRP enables both accurate organ delineation and dose calculations using multiple MR sequences. This method can be useful in longitudinal studies where CT's cumulative radiation dose might contribute

MRI-Only Based Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for the Rat Brain on a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP).

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Shandra; Descamps, Benedicte; Vanhove, Christian

2015-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is the standard imaging modality in radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP). However, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides superior soft tissue contrast, increasing the precision of target volume selection. We present MR-only based RTP for a rat brain on a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) using probabilistic voxel classification with multiple MR sequences. Six rat heads were imaged, each with one CT and five MR sequences. The MR sequences were: T1-weighted, T2-weighted, zero-echo time (ZTE), and two ultra-short echo time sequences with 20 μs (UTE1) and 2 ms (UTE2) echo times. CT data were manually segmented into air, soft tissue, and bone to obtain the RTP reference. Bias field corrected MR images were automatically segmented into the same tissue classes using a fuzzy c-means segmentation algorithm with multiple images as input. Similarities between segmented CT and automatic segmented MR (ASMR) images were evaluated using Dice coefficient. Three ASMR images with high similarity index were used for further RTP. Three beam arrangements were investigated. Dose distributions were compared by analysing dose volume histograms. The highest Dice coefficients were obtained for the ZTE-UTE2 combination and for the T1-UTE1-T2 combination when ZTE was unavailable. Both combinations, along with UTE1-UTE2, often used to generate ASMR images, were used for further RTP. Using 1 beam, MR based RTP underestimated the dose to be delivered to the target (range: 1.4%-7.6%). When more complex beam configurations were used, the calculated dose using the ZTE-UTE2 combination was the most accurate, with 0.7% deviation from CT, compared to 0.8% for T1-UTE1-T2 and 1.7% for UTE1-UTE2. The presented MR-only based workflow for RTP on a SARRP enables both accurate organ delineation and dose calculations using multiple MR sequences. This method can be useful in longitudinal studies where CT's cumulative radiation dose might contribute to the total

cMiCE a high resolution animal PET using continuous LSO with a statistics based positioning scheme

CERN Document Server

Joung Jin Hun; Lewellen, T K

2002-01-01

Objective: Detector designs for small animal scanners are currently dominated by discrete crystal implementations. However, given the small crystal cross-sections required to obtain very high resolution, discrete designs are typically expensive, have low packing fraction, reduced light collection, and are labor intensive to build. To overcome these limitations we have investigated the feasibility of using a continuous miniature crystal element (cMiCE) detector module for high resolution small animal PET applications. Methods: The detector module consists of a single continuous slab of LSO, 25x25 mm sup 2 in exposed cross-section and 4 mm thick, coupled directly to a PS-PMT (Hamamatsu R5900-00-C12). The large area surfaces of the crystal were polished and painted with TiO sub 2 and the short surfaces were left unpolished and painted black. Further, a new statistics based positioning (SBP) algorithm has been implemented to address linearity and edge effect artifacts that are inherent with conventional Anger sty...

SmartPET: Applying HPGe and pulse shape analysis to small-animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, R.J. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool (United Kingdom)], E-mail: rjc@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk; Boston, A.J.; Boston, H.C.; Cresswell, J.R.; Grint, A.N.; Mather, A.R.; Nolan, P.J.; Scraggs, D.P.; Turk, G. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool (United Kingdom); Hall, C.J.; Lazarus, I. [CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire (United Kingdom); Berry, A.; Beveridge, T.; Gillam, J.; Lewis, R.A. [School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

2007-08-21

The SmartPET project is the development of a prototype small-animal imaging system based on the use of Hyperpure Germanium (HPGe) detectors. The use of digital electronics and application of Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA) techniques provide fine spatial resolution, while the excellent intrinsic energy resolution of HPGe detectors makes the system ideal for multi-nuclide imaging. As a result, the SmartPET system has the potential to function as a dual modality imager, operating as a dual-head Positron Emission Tomography (PET) camera or in a Compton Camera configuration for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this paper, we discuss how the use of simple PSA techniques greatly improves the position sensitivity of the detector yielding improved spatial resolution in reconstructed images. The PSA methods presented have been validated by comparison to data from high-precision scanning of the detectors. Results from this analysis are presented along with initial images from the SmartPET system, which demonstrates the impact of these techniques on PET images.

Efficient system modeling for a small animal PET scanner with tapered DOI detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Mengxi; Zhou, Jian; Yang, Yongfeng; Qi, Jinyi; Rodríguez-Villafuerte, Mercedes

2016-01-01

A prototype small animal positron emission tomography (PET) scanner for mouse brain imaging has been developed at UC Davis. The new scanner uses tapered detector arrays with depth of interaction (DOI) measurement. In this paper, we present an efficient system model for the tapered PET scanner using matrix factorization and a virtual scanner geometry. The factored system matrix mainly consists of two components: a sinogram blurring matrix and a geometrical matrix. The geometric matrix is based on a virtual scanner geometry. The sinogram blurring matrix is estimated by matrix factorization. We investigate the performance of different virtual scanner geometries. Both simulation study and real data experiments are performed in the fully 3D mode to study the image quality under different system models. The results indicate that the proposed matrix factorization can maintain image quality while substantially reduce the image reconstruction time and system matrix storage cost. The proposed method can be also applied to other PET scanners with DOI measurement. (paper)

Tapping the Vast Potential of the Data Deluge in Small-scale Food-Animal Production Businesses: Challenges to Near Real-time Data Analysis and Interpretation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vial, Flavie; Tedder, Andrew

2017-01-01

Food-animal production businesses are part of a data-driven ecosystem shaped by stringent requirements for traceability along the value chain and the expanding capabilities of connected products. Within this sector, the generation of animal health intelligence, in particular, in terms of antimicrobial usage, is hindered by the lack of a centralized framework for data storage and usage. In this Perspective, we delimit the 11 processes required for evidence-based decisions and explore processes 3 (digital data acquisition) to 10 (communication to decision-makers) in more depth. We argue that small agribusinesses disproportionally face challenges related to economies of scale given the high price of equipment and services. There are two main areas of concern regarding the collection and usage of digital farm data. First, recording platforms must be developed with the needs and constraints of small businesses in mind and move away from local data storage, which hinders data accessibility and interoperability. Second, such data are unstructured and exhibit properties that can prove challenging to its near real-time preprocessing and analysis in a sector that is largely lagging behind others in terms of computing infrastructure and buying into digital technologies. To complete the digital transformation of this sector, investment in rural digital infrastructure is required alongside the development of new business models to empower small businesses to commit to near real-time data capture. This approach will deliver critical information to fill gaps in our understanding of emerging diseases and antimicrobial resistance in production animals, eventually leading to effective evidence-based policies.

Tapping the Vast Potential of the Data Deluge in Small-scale Food-Animal Production Businesses: Challenges to Near Real-time Data Analysis and Interpretation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flavie Vial

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Food-animal production businesses are part of a data-driven ecosystem shaped by stringent requirements for traceability along the value chain and the expanding capabilities of connected products. Within this sector, the generation of animal health intelligence, in particular, in terms of antimicrobial usage, is hindered by the lack of a centralized framework for data storage and usage. In this Perspective, we delimit the 11 processes required for evidence-based decisions and explore processes 3 (digital data acquisition to 10 (communication to decision-makers in more depth. We argue that small agribusinesses disproportionally face challenges related to economies of scale given the high price of equipment and services. There are two main areas of concern regarding the collection and usage of digital farm data. First, recording platforms must be developed with the needs and constraints of small businesses in mind and move away from local data storage, which hinders data accessibility and interoperability. Second, such data are unstructured and exhibit properties that can prove challenging to its near real-time preprocessing and analysis in a sector that is largely lagging behind others in terms of computing infrastructure and buying into digital technologies. To complete the digital transformation of this sector, investment in rural digital infrastructure is required alongside the development of new business models to empower small businesses to commit to near real-time data capture. This approach will deliver critical information to fill gaps in our understanding of emerging diseases and antimicrobial resistance in production animals, eventually leading to effective evidence-based policies.

Biological effects of high-strength electric fields on small laboratory animals. Interim report, March 1, 1978-September 30, 1979

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, R.D.; Anderson, L.E.; Kaune, W.T.

1979-12-01

Progress is described on a project assessing the biological effects of 60-Hz electric fields on small laboratory animals (rats and mice). The report includes sections on hematology and seram chemistry, immunology, pathology, metabolism, bone growth, endocrinology, cardiovascular function, neurophysiology, growth and development, and animal behavior. (ACR)

Determination of tolerance dose uncertainties and optimal design of dose response experiments with small animal numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karger, C.P.; Hartmann, G.H.

2001-01-01

Background: Dose response experiments aim to determine the complication probability as a function of dose. Adjusting the parameters of the frequently used dose response model P(D)=1/[1+(D 50 /D) k ] to the experimental data, 2 intuitive quantities are obtained: The tolerance dose D 50 and the slope parameter k. For mathematical reasons, however, standard statistic software uses a different set of parameters. Therefore, the resulting fit parameters of the statistic software as well as their standard errors have to be transformed to obtain D 50 and k as well as their standard errors. Material and Methods: The influence of the number of dose levels on the uncertainty of the fit parameters is studied by a simulation for a fixed number of animals. For experiments with small animal numbers, statistical artifacts may prevent the determination of the standard errors of the fit parameters. Consequences on the design of dose response experiments are investigated. Results: Explicit formulas are presented, which allow to calculate the parameters D 50 and k as well as their standard errors from the output of standard statistic software. The simulation shows, that the standard errors of the resulting parameters are independent of the number of dose levels, as long as the total number of animals involved in the experiment, remains constant. Conclusion: Statistical artifacts in experiments containing small animal numbers may be prevented by an adequate design of the experiment. For this, it is suggested to select a higher number of dose levels, rather than using a higher number of animals per dose level. (orig.) [de

SiliPET: An ultra-high resolution design of a small animal PET scanner based on stacks of double-sided silicon strip detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Domenico, Giovanni; Zavattini, Guido; Cesca, Nicola; Auricchio, Natalia; Andritschke, Robert; Schopper, Florian; Kanbach, Gottfried

2007-01-01

We investigated with Monte Carlo simulations, using the EGSNrcMP code, the capabilities of a small animal PET scanner based on four stacks of double-sided silicon strip detectors. Each stack consists of 40 silicon detectors with dimension of 60x60x1 mm 3 and 128 orthogonal strips on each side. Two coordinates of the interaction are given by the strips, whereas the third coordinate is given by the detector number in the stack. The stacks are arranged to form a box of 5x5x6 cm 3 with minor sides opened; the box represents the minimal FOV of the scanner. The performance parameters of the SiliPET scanner have been estimated giving a (positron range limited) spatial resolution of 0.52 mm FWHM, and an absolute sensitivity of 5.1% at the center of system. Preliminary results of a proof of principle measurement done with the MEGA advanced Compton imager using a ∼1 mm diameter 22 Na source, showed a focal ray tracing FWHM of 1 mm

Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frohwein, Lynn J.; Schäfers, Klaus P.; Hoerr, Verena; Faber, Cornelius

2015-01-01

Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows the measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal

Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frohwein, Lynn J., E-mail: frohwein@uni-muenster.de; Schäfers, Klaus P. [European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster 48149 (Germany); Hoerr, Verena; Faber, Cornelius [Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster 48149 (Germany)

2015-07-15

Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows the measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal

SU-E-U-02: The Development of a Practical Ultrasonic System for Cross-Sectional Imaging of Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamp, J [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Malyarenko, E [Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Tessonics Corp, Birmingham, MI (United Kingdom); Chen, D [Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Wydra, A [True Phantoms Solutions, Windsor, ON (Canada); University of Windsor - Institute for Diagnostic Imaging Research, Windsor, ON (Canada); Maev, R [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Tessonics Corp, Birmingham, MI (United Kingdom); True Phantoms Solutions, Windsor, ON (Canada); University of Windsor - Institute for Diagnostic Imaging Research, Windsor, ON (Canada)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To test the feasibility of developing a practical medium frequency ultrasound tomography method for small animal imaging. The ability to produce cross-sectional or full body images of a live small animal using a low-cost tabletop ultrasound scanner without any special license would be very beneficial to long term biological studies, where repeated scanning is often required over an extended period of time. Methods: The cross sectional images were produced by compounding multiple B-scans of a laboratory phantom or an animal acquired at different projection angles. Two imaging systems were used to test the concept. The first system included a programmable 64-channel phased array controller driving a 128-channel, 5–10 MHz linear probe to produce 143 B-Mode projections of the spinning object. The second system designed and manufactured in house, produced 64 or 128 B-Mode projections with a single unfocused 8 MHz transducer scanning with a 0.116 mm step size. Results: The phased array system provided good penetration through the phantoms/mice (with the exception of the lungs) and allowed to acquire data in a very short time. The cross-sectional images have enough resolution and dynamic range to detect both high- and low-contrast organs. The single transducer system takes longer to scan, and the data require more sophisticated processing. To date, our images allow seeing details as small as 1–2 mm in the phantoms and in small animals, with the contrast mostly due to highly reflecting bones and air inclusions. Conclusion: The work indicates that very detailed and anatomically correct images can be created by relatively simple and inexpensive means. With more advanced algorithms and improved system design, scan time can be reduced considerably, enabling high-resolution full 3D imaging. This will allow for quick and easy scans that can help monitor tumor growth and/or regression without contributing any dose to the animal. The authors would like to acknowledge

Evaluation of absorbed doses in voxel-based and simplified models for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, A.; Kinase, S.; Saito, K.

2008-01-01

Internal dosimetry in non-human biota is desirable from the viewpoint of radiation protection of the environment. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) proposed Reference Animals and Plants using simplified models, such as ellipsoids and spheres and calculated absorbed fractions (AFs) for whole bodies. In this study, photon and electron AFs in whole bodies of voxel-based rat and frog models have been calculated and compared with AFs in the reference models. It was found that the voxel-based and the reference frog (or rat) models can be consistent for the whole-body AFs within a discrepancy of 25 %, as the source was uniformly distributed in the whole body. The specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) and S values were also evaluated in whole bodies and all organs of the voxel-based frog and rat models as the source was distributed in the whole body or skeleton. The results demonstrated that the whole-body SAFs reflect SAFs of all individual organs as the source was uniformly distributed per mass within the whole body by about 30 % uncertainties with exceptions for body contour (up to -40 %) for both electrons and photons due to enhanced radiation leakages, and for the skeleton for photons only (up to +185 %) due to differences in the mass attenuation coefficients. For nuclides such as 90 Y and 90 Sr, which were concentrated in the skeleton, there were large differences between S values in the whole body and those in individual organs, however the whole-body S values for the reference models with the whole body as the source were remarkably similar to those for the voxel-based models with the skeleton as the source, within about 4 and 0.3 %, respectively. It can be stated that whole-body SAFs or S values in simplified models without internal organs are not sufficient for accurate internal dosimetry because they do not reflect SAFs or S values of all individual organs as the source was not distributed uniformly in whole body. Thus, voxel-based

"Clean, green and ethical" animal production. Case study: reproductive efficiency in small ruminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Graeme B; Kadokawa, Hiroya

2006-02-01

In response to changes in society and thus the marketplace, we need a vision for the future of our animal industries, including both on-farm and off-farm activities, that is "clean, green and ethical". Using small ruminants as a case study, we describe three "clean, green and ethical" strategies that farmers could use to improve reproductive performance. The first allows control of the timing of reproductive events by using socio-sexual signals (the "male effect") to induce synchronised ovulation in females. The second strategy, "focus feeding", is based on using short periods of nutritional supplements that are precisely timed and specifically designed for each event in the reproductive process (eg, gamete production, embryo survival, fetal programming, colostrum production). The third strategy aims to maximize offspring survival by a combination of management, nutrition and genetic selection for behaviour (temperament). All of these approaches involve non-pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous control systems of the animals and complement the detailed information from ultrasound that is now becoming available. Importantly, these approaches all have a solid foundation in reproductive biology. In several cases, they are currently used in commercial practice, but there is still room for improvement through both basic and applied research. Ultimately, these "clean, green and ethical" tools can be cost-effective, increase productivity and, at the same time, greatly improve the image of meat and milk industries in society and the marketplace.

Development of a Compton suppression whole body counting for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, Elaine

1995-01-01

The basic operation, design and construction of the plastic scintillator detector is described. In order to increase the sensitivity of this detector, two blocks of plastic scintillator have been assembled to act as a anticompton system. The detectors were produced by polymerisation of styrene monomer with PPO (2,5 diphenyl-oxazole) and POPOP (1,4 bis (-5 phenyl-2- oxazoly)benzene) in proportions of 0.5 and 0.05 respectively. The transparency of this detector was evaluated by excitation of the 241 Am source located directly in the back surface plastic coupled to a photomultiplier. The light attenuation according to the detector thickness has fitted to a two-exponential function: relative height pulse = 0,519 e -0.0016 + 0.481 e -0.02112.x . Four radioactive sources 2 2 Na, 54 Mn, 137 Cs and 131 I were used to evaluate the performance of this system. The Compton reduction factor, determined by the ratio of the energy peak values of suppressed and unsuppressed spectra was 1.16. The Compton suppression factor determined by the ratio of the net photopeak area to the area of an equal spectra width in the Compton continuum, was approximately 1.208 ± 0.109. The sensitivity of the system, defined as the least amount of a radioactivity that can be quantified in the photopeak region, was 9.44 cps. First, the detector was assembled to be applied in biological studies of whole body counter measurements of small animals. Using a phantom, (small animal simulator) and a punctual 137 Cs source, located in the central region of the well counter the geometrical efficiency detector was about 5%. (author)

Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A. Joe [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Loo, Billy W., E-mail: BWLoo@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Maxim, Peter G., E-mail: PMaxim@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States)

2017-01-01

Purpose: A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, “FLASH”) potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). Methods and Materials: We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Results: Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. Conclusions: We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community.

Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A Joe; Loo, Billy W; Maxim, Peter G

2017-01-01

A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, "FLASH") potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microscopy of bacterial translocation during small bowel obstruction and ischemia in vivo – a new animal model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hafner Mathias

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Existing animal models provide only indirect information about the pathogenesis of infections caused by indigenous gastrointestinal microflora and the kinetics of bacterial translocation. The aim of this study was to develop a novel animal model to assess bacterial translocation and intestinal barrier function in vivo. Methods In anaesthetized male Wistar rats, 0.5 ml of a suspension of green fluorescent protein-transfected E. coli was administered by intraluminal injection in a model of small bowel obstruction. Animals were randomly subjected to non-ischemic or ischemic bowel obstruction. Ischemia was induced by selective clamping of the terminal mesenteric vessels feeding the obstructed bowel loop. Time intervals necessary for translocation of E. coli into the submucosal stroma and the muscularis propria was assessed using intravital microscopy. Results Bacterial translocation into the submucosa and muscularis propria took a mean of 36 ± 8 min and 80 ± 10 min, respectively, in small bowel obstruction. Intestinal ischemia significantly accelerated bacterial translocation into the submucosa (11 ± 5 min, p E. coli were visible in frozen sections of small bowel, mesentery, liver and spleen taken two hours after E. coli administration. Conclusions Intravital microscopy of fluorescent bacteria is a novel approach to study bacterial translocation in vivo. We have applied this technique to define minimal bacterial transit time as a functional parameter of intestinal barrier function.

Implementation and assessment of an animal management system for small-animal micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Holdsworth, David W.; Detombe, Sarah A.; Chiodo, Chris; Fricke, Stanley T.; Drangova, Maria

2011-03-01

Advances in laboratory imaging systems for CT, SPECT, MRI, and PET facilitate routine micro-imaging during pre-clinical investigations. Challenges still arise when dealing with immune-compromised animals, biohazardous agents, and multi-modality imaging. These challenges can be overcome with an appropriate animal management system (AMS), with the capability for supporting and monitoring a rat or mouse during micro-imaging. We report the implementation and assessment of a new AMS system for mice (PRA-3000 / AHS-2750, ASI Instruments, Warren MI), designed to be compatible with a commercial micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging system (eXplore speCZT, GE Healthcare, London ON). The AMS was assessed under the following criteria: 1) compatibility with the imaging system (i.e. artifact generation, geometric dimensions); 2) compatibility with live animals (i.e. positioning, temperature regulation, anesthetic supply); 3) monitoring capabilities (i.e. rectal temperature, respiratory and cardiac monitoring); 4) stability of co-registration; and 5) containment. Micro-CT scans performed using a standardized live-animal protocol (90 kVp, 40 mA, 900 views, 16 ms per view) exhibited low noise (+/-19 HU) and acceptable artifact from high-density components within the AMS (e.g. ECG pad contacts). Live mice were imaged repeatedly (with removal and replacement of the AMS) and spatial registration was found to be stable to within +/-0.07 mm. All animals tolerated enclosure within the AMS for extended periods (i.e. > one hour) without distress, based on continuous recordings of rectal temperature, ECG waveform and respiratory rate. A sealed AMS system extends the capability of a conventional micro-imaging system to include immune-compromised and biosafety level 2 mouse-imaging protocols.

Place-based differences in the commission of recurrent animal cruelty.

Science.gov (United States)

Tallichet, Suzanne E; Hensley, Christopher; Evans, Rhea A

2012-12-01

Despite the recent surge in research linking animal and human acts of violence, relatively few studies have been conducted examining animal cruelty itself. Although several researchers have begun to identify some of the correlates of animal cruelty, few have attempted to understand how differences in the backgrounds of rural and urban residents have led to their abuse of animals. Using survey data from 180 inmates, this study examines how demographic characteristics, exposure to animal cruelty in childhood, and the target animal's relationship with the abuser have contributed to the frequency of acts of animal cruelty in urban- and rural-based settings. Unlike their urban counterparts, rural respondents who engaged in recurrent animal cruelty were more likely to have witnessed family members and/or friends abuse an animal. Moreover, rural respondents who engaged in recurrent animal cruelty abused pet and stray animals, whereas recurrent animal abusers who grew up in urban areas tended to abuse pets only. These findings suggest possible place-based differences in the etiology of recurrent animal cruelty.

Animal models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gøtze, Jens Peter; Krentz, Andrew

2014-01-01

In this issue of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, we are proud to present a broad and dedicated spectrum of reviews on animal models in cardiovascular disease. The reviews cover most aspects of animal models in science from basic differences and similarities between small animals and the human...

Analyzer-based imaging of spinal fusion in an animal model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, M E; Beavis, R C; Allen, L A; Fiorella, David; Schueltke, E; Juurlink, B H; Chapman, L D; Zhong, Z

2008-01-01

Analyzer-based imaging (ABI) utilizes synchrotron radiation sources to create collimated monochromatic x-rays. In addition to x-ray absorption, this technique uses refraction and scatter rejection to create images. ABI provides dramatically improved contrast over standard imaging techniques. Twenty-one adult male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups to undergo the following interventions: (1) non-injured control, (2) decortication alone, (3) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and (4) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and interspinous wiring. Surgical procedures were performed at the L5-6 level. Animals were killed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention and the spine muscle blocks were excised. Specimens were assessed for the presence of fusion by (1) manual testing, (2) conventional absorption radiography and (3) ABI. ABI showed no evidence of bone fusion in groups 1 and 2 and showed solid or possibly solid fusion in subjects from groups 3 and 4 at 6 weeks. Metal artifacts were not present in any of the ABI images. Conventional absorption radiographs did not provide diagnostic quality imaging of either the graft material or fusion masses in any of the specimens in any of the groups. Synchrotron-based ABI represents a novel imaging technique which can be used to assess spinal fusion in a small animal model. ABI produces superior image quality when compared to conventional radiographs

Analyzer-based imaging of spinal fusion in an animal model

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, M. E.; Beavis, R. C.; Fiorella, David; Schültke, E.; Allen, L. A.; Juurlink, B. H.; Zhong, Z.; Chapman, L. D.

2008-05-01

Analyzer-based imaging (ABI) utilizes synchrotron radiation sources to create collimated monochromatic x-rays. In addition to x-ray absorption, this technique uses refraction and scatter rejection to create images. ABI provides dramatically improved contrast over standard imaging techniques. Twenty-one adult male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups to undergo the following interventions: (1) non-injured control, (2) decortication alone, (3) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and (4) decortication with iliac crest bone grafting and interspinous wiring. Surgical procedures were performed at the L5-6 level. Animals were killed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the intervention and the spine muscle blocks were excised. Specimens were assessed for the presence of fusion by (1) manual testing, (2) conventional absorption radiography and (3) ABI. ABI showed no evidence of bone fusion in groups 1 and 2 and showed solid or possibly solid fusion in subjects from groups 3 and 4 at 6 weeks. Metal artifacts were not present in any of the ABI images. Conventional absorption radiographs did not provide diagnostic quality imaging of either the graft material or fusion masses in any of the specimens in any of the groups. Synchrotron-based ABI represents a novel imaging technique which can be used to assess spinal fusion in a small animal model. ABI produces superior image quality when compared to conventional radiographs.

Discrete tomography in an in vivo small animal bone study.

Science.gov (United States)

Van de Casteele, Elke; Perilli, Egon; Van Aarle, Wim; Reynolds, Karen J; Sijbers, Jan

2018-01-01

This study aimed at assessing the feasibility of a discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART) to be used in in vivo small animal bone studies. The advantage of discrete tomography is the possibility to reduce the amount of X-ray projection images, which makes scans faster and implies also a significant reduction of radiation dose, without compromising the reconstruction results. Bone studies are ideal for being performed with discrete tomography, due to the relatively small number of attenuation coefficients contained in the image [namely three: background (air), soft tissue and bone]. In this paper, a validation is made by comparing trabecular bone morphometric parameters calculated from images obtained by using DART and the commonly used standard filtered back-projection (FBP). Female rats were divided into an ovariectomized (OVX) and a sham-operated group. In vivo micro-CT scanning of the tibia was done at baseline and at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. The cross-section images were reconstructed using first the full set of projection images and afterwards reducing them in number to a quarter and one-sixth (248, 62, 42 projection images, respectively). For both reconstruction methods, similar changes in morphometric parameters were observed over time: bone loss for OVX and bone growth for sham-operated rats, although for DART the actual values were systematically higher (bone volume fraction) or lower (structure model index) compared to FBP, depending on the morphometric parameter. The DART algorithm was, however, more robust when using fewer projection images, where the standard FBP reconstruction was more prone to noise, showing a significantly bigger deviation from the morphometric parameters obtained using all projection images. This study supports the use of DART as a potential alternative method to FBP in X-ray micro-CT animal studies, in particular, when the number of projections has to be drastically minimized, which directly reduces

Research of Simulation in Character Animation Based on Physics Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Computer 3D character animation essentially is a product, which is combined with computer graphics and robotics, physics, mathematics, and the arts. It is based on computer hardware and graphics algorithms and related sciences rapidly developed new technologies. At present, the mainstream character animation technology is based on the artificial production of key technologies and capture frames based on the motion capture device technology. 3D character animation is widely used not only in the production of film, animation, and other commercial areas but also in virtual reality, computer-aided education, flight simulation, engineering simulation, military simulation, and other fields. In this paper, we try to study physics based character animation to solve these problems such as poor real-time interaction that appears in the character, low utilization rate, and complex production. The paper deeply studied the kinematics, dynamics technology, and production technology based on the motion data. At the same time, it analyzed ODE, PhysX, Bullet, and other variety of mainstream physics engines and studied OBB hierarchy bounding box tree, AABB hierarchical tree, and other collision detection algorithms. Finally, character animation based on ODE is implemented, which is simulation of the motion and collision process of a tricycle.

Imaging of hypoxia in small animals with 18F fluoromisonidasole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kilian Krzysztof

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A method of automated synthesis of [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO for application in preclinical studies on small animals was presented. A remote-controlled synthesizer Synthra RNplus was used for nucleophilic substitution of NITTP (1′-(2′-nitro-1-imidazolyl-2-O-tetrahydropyranyl-3-O-toluenesulfonyl-propanediol with 18F anion. Labeling of 5 mg of precursor was performed in anhydrous acetonitrile at 100°C for 10 min, and the hydrolysis with HCl was performed at 100°C for 5 min. Final purification was done with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC and the radiochemical purity of radiotracer was higher than 99%. Proposed [18F]FMISO synthesis was used as a reliable tool in studies on hypoxia in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC in mouse models.

Simplified quantification of small animal [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies using a standard arterial input function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Philipp T. [University Hospital Aachen, Department of Neurology, Aachen (Germany); Circiumaru, Valentina; Thomas, Daniel H. [University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia (United States); Cardi, Christopher A.; Bal, Harshali; Acton, Paul D. [Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia (United States)

2006-08-15

Arterial input function (AIF) measurement for quantification of small animal PET studies is technically challenging and limited by the small blood volume of small laboratory animals. The present study investigated the use of a standard arterial input function (SAIF) to simplify the experimental procedure. Twelve [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([{sup 18}F]FDG) PET studies accompanied by serial arterial blood sampling were acquired in seven male Sprague-Dawley rats under isoflurane anaesthesia without (every rat) and with additional (five rats) vibrissae stimulation. A leave-one-out procedure was employed to validate the use of a SAIF with individual scaling by one (1S) or two (2S) arterial blood samples. Automatic slow bolus infusion of [{sup 18}F]FDG resulted in highly similar AIF in all rats. The average differences of the area under the curve of the measured AIF and the individually scaled SAIF were 0.11{+-}4.26% and 0.04{+-}2.61% for the 1S (6-min sample) and the 2S (4-min/43-min samples) approach, respectively. The average differences between the cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMR{sub glc}) calculated using the measured AIF and the scaled SAIF were 1.31{+-}5.45% and 1.30{+-}3.84% for the 1S and the 2S approach, respectively. The use of a SAIF scaled by one or (preferably) two arterial blood samples can serve as a valid substitute for individual AIF measurements to quantify [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies in rats. The SAIF approach minimises the loss of blood and should be ideally suited for longitudinal quantitative small animal [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies. (orig.)

Physical and biological dosimetry at the RA-3 facility for small animal irradiation: preliminary BNCT studies in an experimental model of oral cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pozzi, Emiliano; Miller, Marcelo; Thorp, Silvia I.; Heber, Elisa M.; Trivillin, Veronica A.; Zarza, Leandro; Estryk, Guillermo; Schwint, Amanda E.; Nigg, David W.

2007-01-01

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a binary treatment modality based on the capture reaction that occurs between thermal neutrons and boron-10 atoms that accumulate selectively in tumor tissue, emitting high linear energy transfer (LET), short range (5-9 microns) particles (alpha y 7 Li). Thus, BNCT would potentially target tumor tissue selectively, sparing normal tissue. Herein we evaluated the feasibility of treating experimental oral mucosa tumors with BNCT at RA-3 (CAE) employing the hamster cheek pouch oral cancer model and characterized the irradiation field at the RA-3 facility. We evaluated the therapeutic effect on tumor of BNCT mediated by BPA in the hamster cheek pouch oral cancer model and the potential radio toxic effects in normal tissue. We evidenced a moderate biological response in tumor, with no radio toxic effects in normal tissue following irradiations with no shielding for the animal body. Given the sub-optimal therapeutic response, we designed and built a 6 Li 2 CO 3 shielding for the body of the animal to increase the irradiation dose to tumor, without exceeding normal tissue radio tolerance. The measured absolute magnitude of thermal neutron flux and the characterization of the beam with and without the shielding in place, suggest that the irradiation facility in the thermal column of RA-3 would afford an excellent platform to perform BNCT studies in vitro and in vivo in small experimental animals. The present findings must be confirmed and extended by performing in vivo BNCT radiobiological studies in small experimental animals, employing the shielding device for the animal body. (author) [es

Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System in Small Animals: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentley, R Timothy; Taylor, Amanda R; Thomovsky, Stephanie A

2018-01-01

Small animal mycoses vary geographically. Different clinical presentations are seen in animals with infection of the central nervous system (CNS), including multifocal meningoencephalomyelitis, intracranial lesions that accompany sinonasal lesions, rapidly progressive ventriculitis, or solitary granuloma of the brain or spinal cord. Systemic, nasal, or extraneural clinical signs are common but, especially in granuloma cases, do not always occur. Surgery may have a diagnostic and therapeutic role in CNS granuloma. There have been recent advancements in serology. Fluconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole cross the blood-brain barrier, but voriconazole is neurotoxic to cats. Liposomal and lipid-encapsulated formulations of amphotericin B are preferred. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMADRE: a global data base of animal demography.

Science.gov (United States)

Salguero-Gómez, Roberto; Jones, Owen R; Archer, C Ruth; Bein, Christoph; de Buhr, Hendrik; Farack, Claudia; Gottschalk, Fränce; Hartmann, Alexander; Henning, Anne; Hoppe, Gabriel; Römer, Gesa; Ruoff, Tara; Sommer, Veronika; Wille, Julia; Voigt, Jakob; Zeh, Stefan; Vieregg, Dirk; Buckley, Yvonne M; Che-Castaldo, Judy; Hodgson, David; Scheuerlein, Alexander; Caswell, Hal; Vaupel, James W

2016-03-01

The open-data scientific philosophy is being widely adopted and proving to promote considerable progress in ecology and evolution. Open-data global data bases now exist on animal migration, species distribution, conservation status, etc. However, a gap exists for data on population dynamics spanning the rich diversity of the animal kingdom world-wide. This information is fundamental to our understanding of the conditions that have shaped variation in animal life histories and their relationships with the environment, as well as the determinants of invasion and extinction. Matrix population models (MPMs) are among the most widely used demographic tools by animal ecologists. MPMs project population dynamics based on the reproduction, survival and development of individuals in a population over their life cycle. The outputs from MPMs have direct biological interpretations, facilitating comparisons among animal species as different as Caenorhabditis elegans, Loxodonta africana and Homo sapiens. Thousands of animal demographic records exist in the form of MPMs, but they are dispersed throughout the literature, rendering comparative analyses difficult. Here, we introduce the COMADRE Animal Matrix Database, an open-data online repository, which in its version 1.0.0 contains data on 345 species world-wide, from 402 studies with a total of 1625 population projection matrices. COMADRE also contains ancillary information (e.g. ecoregion, taxonomy, biogeography, etc.) that facilitates interpretation of the numerous demographic metrics that can be derived from its MPMs. We provide R code to some of these examples. We introduce the COMADRE Animal Matrix Database, a resource for animal demography. Its open-data nature, together with its ancillary information, will facilitate comparative analysis, as will the growing availability of databases focusing on other aspects of the rich animal diversity, and tools to query and combine them. Through future frequent updates of COMADRE, and

COMADRE - A global data base of animal demography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salguero-Gómez, Roberto; Jones, Owen R.; Archer, C. Ruth

2016-01-01

spanning the rich diversity of the animal kingdom world-wide. This information is fundamental to our understanding of the conditions that have shaped variation in animal life histories and their relationships with the environment, as well as the determinants of invasion and extinction. Matrix population...... models (MPMs) are among the most widely used demographic tools by animal ecologists. MPMs project population dynamics based on the reproduction, survival and development of individuals in a population over their life cycle. The outputs from MPMs have direct biological interpretations, facilitating...... comparisons among animal species as different as Caenorhabditis elegans, Loxodonta africana and Homo sapiens. Thousands of animal demographic records exist in the form of MPMs, but they are dispersed throughout the literature, rendering comparative analyses difficult. Here, we introduce the COMADRE Animal...

Modern Spirometry Supports Anesthetic Management in Small Animal Clinical Practice: A Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Calice, Ivana; Moens, Yves

2016-01-01

Modern spirometry, like no other monitoring technique, allows insight into breath-to-breath respiratory mechanics. Spirometers continuously measure volume, airway pressure, and flow while calculating and continuously displaying respiratory system compliance and resistance in the form of loops. The aim of this case series is to show how observation of spirometric loops, similar to electrocardiogram or CO2 curve monitoring, can improve safety of anesthetic management in small animals. Spirometric monitoring cases described in this case series are based on use of the anaesthesia monitor Capnomac Ultima with a side stream spirometry sensor. The cases illustrate how recognition and understanding of spirometric loops allows for easy diagnosis of iatrogenic pneumothorax, incorrect ventilator settings, leaks in the system, kinked or partially obstructed endotracheal tube, and spontaneous breathing interfering with intermittent positive-pressure ventilation. The case series demonstrates the potential of spirometry to improve the quality and safety of anesthetic management, and, hence, its use can be recommended during intermittent positive-pressure ventilation and procedures in which interference with ventilation can be expected.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnstone, Chris; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena [University of Victoria (Australia)

2016-08-15

Purpose: To develop quality assurance (QA) standards and tolerance levels for image quality of small animal irradiators. Methods: A fully automated in-house QA software for image analysis of a commercial microCT phantom was created. Quantitative analyses of CT linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT number evaluation was performed. Phantom microCT scans from seven institutions acquired with varying parameters (kVp, mA, time, voxel size, and frame rate) and five irradiator units (Xstrahl SARRP, PXI X-RAD 225Cx, PXI X-RAD SmART, GE explore CT/RT 140, and GE Explore CT 120) were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using our in-house software to establish pass/fail criteria for each QA test. Results: CT linearity (R2>0.996) was excellent at all but Institution 2. Acceptable SNR (>35) and noise levels (<55HU) were obtained at four of the seven institutions, where failing scans were acquired with less than 120mAs. Acceptable MTF (>1.5 lp/mm for MTF=0.2) was obtained at all but Institution 6 due to the largest scan voxel size (0.35mm). The geometric accuracy passed (<1.5%) at five of the seven institutions. Conclusion: Our QA software can be used to rapidly perform quantitative imaging QA for small animal irradiators, accumulate results over time, and display possible changes in imaging functionality from its original performance and/or from the recommended tolerance levels. This tool will aid researchers in maintaining high image quality, enabling precise conformal dose delivery to small animals.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnstone, Chris; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop quality assurance (QA) standards and tolerance levels for image quality of small animal irradiators. Methods: A fully automated in-house QA software for image analysis of a commercial microCT phantom was created. Quantitative analyses of CT linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT number evaluation was performed. Phantom microCT scans from seven institutions acquired with varying parameters (kVp, mA, time, voxel size, and frame rate) and five irradiator units (Xstrahl SARRP, PXI X-RAD 225Cx, PXI X-RAD SmART, GE explore CT/RT 140, and GE Explore CT 120) were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using our in-house software to establish pass/fail criteria for each QA test. Results: CT linearity (R2>0.996) was excellent at all but Institution 2. Acceptable SNR (>35) and noise levels (<55HU) were obtained at four of the seven institutions, where failing scans were acquired with less than 120mAs. Acceptable MTF (>1.5 lp/mm for MTF=0.2) was obtained at all but Institution 6 due to the largest scan voxel size (0.35mm). The geometric accuracy passed (<1.5%) at five of the seven institutions. Conclusion: Our QA software can be used to rapidly perform quantitative imaging QA for small animal irradiators, accumulate results over time, and display possible changes in imaging functionality from its original performance and/or from the recommended tolerance levels. This tool will aid researchers in maintaining high image quality, enabling precise conformal dose delivery to small animals.

Investigating User Experiences Through Animation-based Sketching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vistisen, Peter; Poulsen, Søren Bolvig

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the use of animation-based sketching as an approach to explore diegetic designs in the fuzzy front-end ideation of the design process. We present the results from a design workshop with more than 200 partic- ipating design students, and 16 companies. The participants used mot...... on the visual delity or on how animation is ap- plied to support a design narrative anchoring to the context....

Vegetarian versus Meat-Based Diets for Companion Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Knight

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Companion animal owners are increasingly concerned about the links between degenerative health conditions, farm animal welfare problems, environmental degradation, fertilizers and herbicides, climate change, and causative factors; such as animal farming and the consumption of animal products. Accordingly, many owners are increasingly interested in vegetarian diets for themselves and their companion animals. However, are vegetarian canine and feline diets nutritious and safe? Four studies assessing the nutritional soundness of these diets were reviewed, and manufacturer responses to the most recent studies are provided. Additional reviewed studies examined the nutritional soundness of commercial meat-based diets and the health status of cats and dogs maintained on vegetarian and meat-based diets. Problems with all of these dietary choices have been documented, including nutritional inadequacies and health problems. However, a significant and growing body of population studies and case reports have indicated that cats and dogs maintained on vegetarian diets may be healthy—including those exercising at the highest levels—and, indeed, may experience a range of health benefits. Such diets must be nutritionally complete and reasonably balanced, however, and owners should regularly monitor urinary acidity and should correct urinary alkalinisation through appropriate dietary additives, if necessary.

Longitudinal Raman Spectroscopic Observation of Skin Biochemical Changes due to Chemotherapeutic Treatment for Breast Cancer in Small Animal Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myeongsu Seong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The cancer field effect (CFE has been highlighted as one of indirect indications for tissue variations that are insensitive to conventional diagnostic techniques. In this research, we had a hypothesis that chemotherapy for breast cancer would affect skin biochemical compositions that would be reflected by Raman spectral changes. We used a fiber-optic probe-based Raman spectroscopy to perform preliminary animal experiments to validate the hypothesis. Firstly, we verified the probing depth of the fiber-optic probe (~800 μm using a simple intravenous fat emulsion-filled phantom having a silicon wafer at the bottom inside a cuvette. Then, we obtained Raman spectra during breast cancer treatment by chemotherapy from a small animal model in longitudinal manner. Our results showed that the treatment causes variations of biochemical compositions in the skin. For further validation, the Raman spectra will have to be collected from more populations and spectra will need to be compared with immunohistochemistry of the breast tissue.

Establishing a process of irradiating small animal brain using a CyberKnife and a microCT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Haksoo; Welford, Scott; Fabien, Jeffrey; Zheng, Yiran; Yuan, Jake; Brindle, James; Yao, Min; Lo, Simon; Wessels, Barry; Machtay, Mitchell; Sohn, Jason W.; Sloan, Andrew

2014-01-01

Purpose: Establish and validate a process of accurately irradiating small animals using the CyberKnife G4 System (version 8.5) with treatment plans designed to irradiate a hemisphere of a mouse brain based on microCT scanner images. Methods: These experiments consisted of four parts: (1) building a mouse phantom for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA), (2) proving usability of a microCT for treatment planning, (3) fabricating a small animal positioning system for use with the CyberKnife's image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) system, and (4)in vivo verification of targeting accuracy. A set of solid water mouse phantoms was designed and fabricated, with radiochromic films (RCF) positioned in selected planes to measure delivered doses. After down-sampling for treatment planning compatibility, a CT image set of a phantom was imported into the CyberKnife treatment planning system—MultiPlan (ver. 3.5.2). A 0.5 cm diameter sphere was contoured within the phantom to represent a hemispherical section of a mouse brain. A nude mouse was scanned in an alpha cradle using a microCT scanner (cone-beam, 157 × 149 pixels slices, 0.2 mm longitudinal slice thickness). Based on the results of our positional accuracy study, a planning treatment volume (PTV) was created. A stereotactic body mold of the mouse was “printed” using a 3D printer laying UV curable acrylic plastic. Printer instructions were based on exported contours of the mouse's skin. Positional reproducibility in the mold was checked by measuring ten CT scans. To verify accurate dose delivery in vivo, six mice were irradiated in the mold with a 4 mm target contour and a 2 mm PTV margin to 3 Gy and sacrificed within 20 min to avoid DNA repair. The brain was sliced and stained for analysis. Results: For the IMRT QA using a set of phantoms, the planned dose (6 Gy to the calculation point) was compared to the delivered dose measured via film and analyzed using Gamma analysis (3% and 3 mm). A

Establishing a process of irradiating small animal brain using a CyberKnife and a microCT scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Haksoo; Welford, Scott [Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Fabien, Jeffrey; Zheng, Yiran; Yuan, Jake; Brindle, James; Yao, Min; Lo, Simon; Wessels, Barry; Machtay, Mitchell; Sohn, Jason W., E-mail: jason.sohn@case.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 and University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Sloan, Andrew [Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States)

2014-02-15

Purpose: Establish and validate a process of accurately irradiating small animals using the CyberKnife G4 System (version 8.5) with treatment plans designed to irradiate a hemisphere of a mouse brain based on microCT scanner images. Methods: These experiments consisted of four parts: (1) building a mouse phantom for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA), (2) proving usability of a microCT for treatment planning, (3) fabricating a small animal positioning system for use with the CyberKnife's image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) system, and (4)in vivo verification of targeting accuracy. A set of solid water mouse phantoms was designed and fabricated, with radiochromic films (RCF) positioned in selected planes to measure delivered doses. After down-sampling for treatment planning compatibility, a CT image set of a phantom was imported into the CyberKnife treatment planning system—MultiPlan (ver. 3.5.2). A 0.5 cm diameter sphere was contoured within the phantom to represent a hemispherical section of a mouse brain. A nude mouse was scanned in an alpha cradle using a microCT scanner (cone-beam, 157 × 149 pixels slices, 0.2 mm longitudinal slice thickness). Based on the results of our positional accuracy study, a planning treatment volume (PTV) was created. A stereotactic body mold of the mouse was “printed” using a 3D printer laying UV curable acrylic plastic. Printer instructions were based on exported contours of the mouse's skin. Positional reproducibility in the mold was checked by measuring ten CT scans. To verify accurate dose delivery in vivo, six mice were irradiated in the mold with a 4 mm target contour and a 2 mm PTV margin to 3 Gy and sacrificed within 20 min to avoid DNA repair. The brain was sliced and stained for analysis. Results: For the IMRT QA using a set of phantoms, the planned dose (6 Gy to the calculation point) was compared to the delivered dose measured via film and analyzed using Gamma analysis (3% and 3 mm

Feeding strategies for improving milk production from milch animals owned by small farmers in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leng, R.A.

1990-01-01

Over the last decade the National Dairy Development Board of India has researched and developed feeding strategies for lactating cattle and buffaloes fed on basal forage diets. Depending on the season and climate, these diets are largely mature forage from tropical pastures or crop residues, which are generally low in protein and of relatively low digestibility. Supplementation of the rumen microbial ecosystem with essential nutrients by providing each animal with a urea/molasses block stimulates production by improving feed digestibility, intake and the balance of nutrients available from the feed. Supplementation with a bypass protein to supply the animal directly with additional amino acids stimulates the efficiency of feed utilization by reducing the heat increment of feeding. In hot environments this reduces heat stress and allows feed intake to be maintained. These feeding strategies are now being applied to a large number of milch animals in the herds of small farmers in India. (author). 16 refs, 1 fig., 7 tabs

Phylogenomic Insights into Animal Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Telford, Maximilian J; Budd, Graham E; Philippe, Hervé

2015-10-05

Animals make up only a small fraction of the eukaryotic tree of life, yet, from our vantage point as members of the animal kingdom, the evolution of the bewildering diversity of animal forms is endlessly fascinating. In the century following the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, hypotheses regarding the evolution of the major branches of the animal kingdom - their relationships to each other and the evolution of their body plans - was based on a consideration of the morphological and developmental characteristics of the different animal groups. This morphology-based approach had many successes but important aspects of the evolutionary tree remained disputed. In the past three decades, molecular data, most obviously primary sequences of DNA and proteins, have provided an estimate of animal phylogeny largely independent of the morphological evolution we would ultimately like to understand. The molecular tree that has evolved over the past three decades has drastically altered our view of animal phylogeny and many aspects of the tree are no longer contentious. The focus of molecular studies on relationships between animal groups means, however, that the discipline has become somewhat divorced from the underlying biology and from the morphological characteristics whose evolution we aim to understand. Here, we consider what we currently know of animal phylogeny; what aspects we are still uncertain about and what our improved understanding of animal phylogeny can tell us about the evolution of the great diversity of animal life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of small animal cranial irradiation with the microRT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiehl, Erich L.; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Malinowski, Kathleen T.; Limbrick, David; Jost, Sarah C.; Garbow, Joel R.; Rubin, Joshua B.; Deasy, Joseph O.; Khullar, Divya; Izaguirre, Enrique W.; Parikh, Parag J.; Low, Daniel A.; Hope, Andrew J.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To develop and validate methods for small-animal CNS radiotherapy using the microRT system. Materials and Methods: A custom head immobilizer was designed and built to integrate with a pre-existing microRT animal couch. The Delrin couch-immobilizer assembly, compatible with multiple imaging modalities (CT, microCT, microMR, microPET, microSPECT, optical), was first imaged via CT in order to verify the safety and reproducibility of the immobilization method. Once verified, the subject animals were CT-scanned while positioned within the couch-immobilizer assembly for treatment planning purposes. The resultant images were then imported into CERR, an in-house-developed research treatment planning system, and registered to the microRTP treatment planning space using rigid registration. The targeted brain was then contoured and conformal radiotherapy plans were constructed for two separate studies: (1) a whole-brain irradiation comprised of two lateral beams at the 90 degree sign and 270 degree sign microRT treatment positions and (2) a hemispheric (left-brain) irradiation comprised of a single A-P vertex beam at the 0 degree sign microRT treatment position. During treatment, subject animals (n=48) were positioned to the CERR-generated treatment coordinates using the three-axis microRT motor positioning system and were irradiated using a clinical Ir-192 high-dose-rate remote after-loading system. The radiation treatment course consisted of 5 Gy fractions, 3 days per week. 90% of the subjects received a total dose of 30 Gy and 10% received a dose of 60 Gy. Results: Image analysis verified the safety and reproducibility of the immobilizer. CT scans generated from repeated reloading and repositioning of the same subject animal in the couch-immobilizer assembly were fused to a baseline CT. The resultant analysis revealed a 0.09 mm average, center-of-mass translocation and negligible volumetric error in the contoured, murine brain. The experimental use of the head

CT with a CMOS flat panel detector integrated on the YAP-(S)PET scanner for in vivo small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Domenico, Giovanni; Cesca, Nicola; Zavattini, Guido; Auricchio, Natalia; Gambaccini, Mauro

2007-01-01

Several research groups are pursuing multimodality simultaneous functional and morphological imaging. In this line of research the high resolution YAP-(S)PET small animal integrated PET-SPECT imaging system, constructed by our group of medical physics at the University of Ferrara, is being upgraded with a computed tomography (CT). In this way it will be possible to perform in vivo molecular and genomic imaging studies on small animals (such as mice and rats) and at the same time obtain morphological information necessary for both attenuation correction and accurate localization of the region under investigation. We have take simultaneous PET-CT and SPECT-CT images of phantoms obtained with a single scanner

Annular phased array transducer for preclinical testing of anti-cancer drug efficacy on small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kujawska, Tamara; Secomski, Wojciech; Byra, Michał; Postema, Michiel; Nowicki, Andrzej

2017-04-01

A technique using pulsed High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to destroy deep-seated solid tumors is a promising noninvasive therapeutic approach. A main purpose of this study was to design and test a HIFU transducer suitable for preclinical studies of efficacy of tested, anti-cancer drugs, activated by HIFU beams, in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors implanted to various organs of small animals at the depth of the order of 1-2cm under the skin. To allow focusing of the beam, generated by such transducer, within treated tissue at different depths, a spherical, 2-MHz, 29-mm diameter annular phased array transducer was designed and built. To prove its potential for preclinical studies on small animals, multiple thermal lesions were induced in a pork loin ex vivo by heating beams of the same: 6W, or 12W, or 18W acoustic power and 25mm, 30mm, and 35mm focal lengths. Time delay for each annulus was controlled electronically to provide beam focusing within tissue at the depths of 10mm, 15mm, and 20mm. The exposure time required to induce local necrosis was determined at different depths using thermocouples. Location and extent of thermal lesions determined from numerical simulations were compared with those measured using ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging techniques and verified by a digital caliper after cutting the tested tissue samples. Quantitative analysis of the results showed that the location and extent of necrotic lesions on the magnetic resonance images are consistent with those predicted numerically and measured by caliper. The edges of lesions were clearly outlined although on ultrasound images they were fuzzy. This allows to conclude that the use of the transducer designed offers an effective noninvasive tool not only to induce local necrotic lesions within treated tissue without damaging the surrounding tissue structures but also to test various chemotherapeutics activated by the HIFU beams in preclinical studies on small animals

Agent-based simulation of animal behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.M. Jonker (Catholijn); J. Treur

1998-01-01

textabstract In this paper it is shown how animal behaviour can be simulated in an agent-based manner. Different models are shown for different types of behaviour, varying from purely reactive behaviour to pro-active, social and adaptive behaviour. The compositional development method for

FIMTrack: An open source tracking and locomotion analysis software for small animals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Risse

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Imaging and analyzing the locomotion behavior of small animals such as Drosophila larvae or C. elegans worms has become an integral subject of biological research. In the past we have introduced FIM, a novel imaging system feasible to extract high contrast images. This system in combination with the associated tracking software FIMTrack is already used by many groups all over the world. However, so far there has not been an in-depth discussion of the technical aspects. Here we elaborate on the implementation details of FIMTrack and give an in-depth explanation of the used algorithms. Among others, the software offers several tracking strategies to cover a wide range of different model organisms, locomotion types, and camera properties. Furthermore, the software facilitates stimuli-based analysis in combination with built-in manual tracking and correction functionalities. All features are integrated in an easy-to-use graphical user interface. To demonstrate the potential of FIMTrack we provide an evaluation of its accuracy using manually labeled data. The source code is available under the GNU GPLv3 at https://github.com/i-git/FIMTrack and pre-compiled binaries for Windows and Mac are available at http://fim.uni-muenster.de.

A video-based system for hand-driven stop-motion animation.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xiaoguang; Fu, Hongbo; Zheng, Hanlin; Liu, Ligang; Wang, Jue

2013-01-01

Stop-motion is a well-established animation technique but is often laborious and requires craft skills. A new video-based system can animate the vast majority of everyday objects in stop-motion style, more flexibly and intuitively. Animators can perform and capture motions continuously instead of breaking them into increments and shooting one still picture per increment. More important, the system permits direct hand manipulation without resorting to rigs, achieving more natural object control for beginners. The system's key component is two-phase keyframe-based capturing and processing, assisted by computer vision techniques. With this system, even amateurs can generate high-quality stop-motion animations.

Investigation of incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Galina M; Reynolds, Deborah; Moens, Noel M M; Singh, Ameet; Oblak, Michelle; Gibson, Thomas W G; Brisson, Brigitte A; Nazarali, Alim; Dewey, Cate

2014-05-01

To identify incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery. Observational cohort study. Surgical gloves (n = 2132) worn in 363 surgical procedures. All gloves worn by operative personnel were assessed for perforation at end-procedure using a water leak test. Putative risk factors were recorded by a surgical team member. Associations between risk factors and perforation were assessed using multivariable multi-level random-effects logistic regression models to control for hierarchical data structure. At least 1 glove perforation occurred in 26.2% of procedures. Identified risk factors for glove perforation included increased surgical duration (surgery >1 hour OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.12-2.86), performing orthopedic procedures (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.23-2.88), any procedure using powered instruments (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.21-3.09) or surgical wire (OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.50-6.05), use of polyisoprene as a glove material (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.05-2.39), and operative role as primary surgeon (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.35-2.98). The ability of the wearer to detect perforations intraoperatively was poor, with a sensitivity of 30.8%. There is a high incidence of unrecognized glove perforations in small animal surgery. © Copyright 2014 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Cavity Resonator Wireless Power Transfer System for Freely Moving Animal Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Henry; Thackston, Kyle A; Bercich, Rebecca A; Jefferys, John G R; Irazoqui, Pedro P

2017-04-01

The goal of this paper is to create a large wireless powering arena for powering small devices implanted in freely behaving rodents. We design a cavity resonator based wireless power transfer (WPT) system and utilize our previously developed optimal impedance matching methodology to achieve effective WPT performance for operating sophisticated implantable devices, made with miniature receive coils (powering fidelity of 93.53% over nine recording sessions across nine weeks, indicating nearly continuous device operation for a freely behaving rat within the large cavity resonator space. We have developed and demonstrated a cavity resonator based WPT system for long term experiments involving freely behaving small animals. This cavity resonator based WPT system offers an effective and simple method for wirelessly powering miniaturized devices implanted in freely moving small animals within the largest space.

A closed cabinet system with water flushers and a blender for breeding small animal administered 3HHO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, O.; Takeoka, S.; Tsujimura, T.; Kuroda, T.; Iwashita, T.; Amme, T.

1984-01-01

A closed cabinet system was developed for breeding small animals administered 3 HHO. 3 HHO vapor released from the animals in the chamber was absorbed with water in a water bubbler. Feces and urine which were washed out with water were ground in a blender, diluted, and then released. With this cabinet system we were successful in safely breeding mice even given a total single injection of 15.5 GBq (420 mCi) of 3 HHO without storing the 3 H-slops for a long time and without any significant leakage of 3 H from the cabinet. (author)

Imaging modalities used to confirm diaphragmatic hernia in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.; Leveille, R.; Myer, C.W.

1998-01-01

When a patient is presented for treatment following a traumatic accident such as being hit by a car, thoracic radiographs are usually an integral part of the overall diagnostic evaluation. Diagnosis at diaphragmatic hernia (DH) is often challenging in small animals. The thorax may contain substantial fluid, thereby masking the presence of cranially displaced abdominal soft tissues (e.g., liver or spleen). The most common cause of decreased radiographic visualization of the diaphragm on survey radiographs is pleural fluid; however, the second most common cause is DH. Obviously, if a gas-filledviscus is identified within the thoracic cavity on survey radiographs, the diagnosis of DH is straightforward and relatively routine. If, however, there is substantial pleural effusion and the herniated structure is a soft tissue parenchymal organ (e.g., liver or spleen), the diagnosis is less clearly defined on survey radiographs. This review discusses the various imaging modalities (survey, positional, and contrast-enhanced radiographs and ultrasonography) that can be used in the diagnosis or confirmation of DH

Consultancy to dairy farmers relating to animal health and herd health management on small- and medium-sized farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Pothmann, H; Nechanitzky, K; Sturmlechner, F; Drillich, M

2014-02-01

The objectives of this study were to obtain information about animal health challenges for dairy farmers of small- and medium-sized herds and about the fields in which consultancy services should be improved. The hyperlink to an internet-based survey was sent to 9,021 farmers in Austria. The survey included questions about the participants and their farms, about who is consulting with the farmers with regard to animal health, feeding, sire selection, construction of barns and animal husbandry, about animal health issues farmers find most challenging, and about their demands for improved consultancy services. The questionnaire was completed anonymously. Analyses were stratified by milk yield (categorized) and whether farmers worked full-time or part-time. The overall response rate was 11.3% (n=1,018). The majority of farms kept less than 20 cows (54.0%) or 20 to 50 cows (40.1%). With regard to animal health, the veterinarian was the most important consultant for the majority of farmers (84.6%). On issues related to feeding, sire selection, and stable construction, the veterinarian was seen as a less important consultant than specialists in these fields (20.4, 11.6, and 7.9% suggested the veterinarian as an important consultant in these areas). The survey indicated that reproductive disorders, udder disease, poor conception rate, lameness, and calf diarrhea represent the most important challenges to farmers. Of these, concerns about calf diarrhea were affected by milk yield of the herds and management. More high- than low-yielding farms (11.7 vs. 6.4%) and more full-time than part-time managed herds (9.6 vs.4.3%) regarded calf diarrhea as an important problem. Farmers would welcome improved consultancy with regard to fertility, feeding, and sire selection. The results indicated which animal health issues farmers find particularly challenging and displayed which areas farmers require improved consultancy services. Veterinarians and organizations offering consultancy

Three-dimensional segmentation and skeletonization to build an airway tree data structure for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaturvedi, Ashutosh; Lee, Zhenghong

2005-01-01

Quantitative analysis of intrathoracic airway tree geometry is important for objective evaluation of bronchial tree structure and function. Currently, there is more human data than small animal data on airway morphometry. In this study, we implemented a semi-automatic approach to quantitatively describe airway tree geometry by using high-resolution computed tomography (CT) images to build a tree data structure for small animals such as rats and mice. Silicon lung casts of the excised lungs from a canine and a mouse were used for micro-CT imaging of the airway trees. The programming language IDL was used to implement a 3D region-growing threshold algorithm for segmenting out the airway lung volume from the CT data. Subsequently, a fully-parallel 3D thinning algorithm was implemented in order to complete the skeletonization of the segmented airways. A tree data structure was then created and saved by parsing through the skeletonized volume using the Python programming language. Pertinent information such as the length of all airway segments was stored in the data structure. This approach was shown to be accurate and efficient for up to six generations for the canine lung cast and ten generations for the mouse lung cast

Uses of plants, animal and mineral substances in Mediterranean ethno-veterinary practices for the care of small ruminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Piluzza, G; Virdis, S; Serralutzu, F; Bullitta, S

2015-06-20

The cultural heritage of Sardinian shepherds is rapidly vanishing and survives in the memory of elderly people. The objective of our study was not only to report the usage of plants and their preparation for administration but also the use of other remedies of different origin arising from traditional ethno-veterinary knowledge, as Sardinian shepherds were used to employ plants, animals, minerals and combinations of several substances to prepare remedies for prophylaxis or therapy on their animals. The work was carried out in rural areas of the island of Sardinia (Italy) by interviewing shepherds and filling questionnaires in order to record ethno-veterinary practices traditionally used for animal health care. Ethno-veterinary remedies traditionally utilised for treatments of small ruminants against ecto-and endo-parasites, gastrointestinal diseases, viral and bacterial diseases, wounds, sprains and bruises were identified. Non herbal remedies outnumbered the herbal ones, as usually plant species were mainly used for the care of cattle and equines. A total of 150 ethno-veterinary uses were documented for the treatment of 33 animal conditions, a detailed account of the formulations and their administration to sheep and goats was provided. Herbal remedies involved the use of twenty two spontaneous species and seven cultivated species. This study identifies remedies used in ethno-veterinary practices for small ruminants care in Sardinia, the second major Mediterranean island which has agro-pastoral activities dating back to Neolithic. Moreover, the danger of losing oral traditions, and the increasing attention towards traditional remedies as potential sources of natural products for improving animal health and welfare, support the interest of our survey. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 95.139 - Adding a small base station or a small control station.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Adding a small base station or a small control... base station or a small control station. (a) Except for a GMRS system licensed to a non-individual, one or more small base stations or a small control station may be added to a GMRS system at any point...

Development of a PET Insert for simultaneously small animal PET/MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yingjie; Zhang, Zhiming; Li, Daowu; Liu, Shuangquan; Wang, Peilin; Feng, Baotong; Chai, Pei; Wei, Long [Division of Nuclear Technology and Applications, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 (China); Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing, 100049 (China)

2015-05-18

PET/MR is a new multi-modality imaging system which provide both structural and functional information with good soft tissue imaging ability and no ionizing radiation. In recent years, PET/MR is under major progress because of the development of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM). The goal of this study is to develop a MRI compatible PET insert based on SiPM and LYSO scintillator. The PET system was constituted by the detector ring, electronics and software. The detector ring consists of 16 detector module. The inner diameter of the ring was 151 mm, the external diameter was 216 mm, which was big enough for small animal research, e.g. rat, rabbit and tupaia. The sensor of each module was 2*2 SensL SPMArraySL, coupled with an array of 14 x 14 LYSO crystals, each crystal measuring 2 mm x 2 mm 10 mm. The detector was encapsulated in a copper box for light and magnetic shielding. Resister charge multiplexing circuit was used in the front end electronics. Each detector output 8X and 8Y position signals. One summed timing signal was extracted from the common cathode of all 64 channels. All these signals were transmitted to digital electronic board by a 3 m long coaxial cable from inside of the MR to the outside. Each digital electronic board handled 8 detector modules based on FPGA to obtain the timing, position and energy information of a single event. And then these single events were sent to the coincidence processing board to produce coincidence packets which are prepared for further processing. A 0.2mCi 68Ge line source was used to do the preliminary imaging test. The image was reconstructed by 3D-OSEM algorithm. The initial result proved the system to be feasible as a PET. FDG phantom imaging and simultaneous PET/MR imaging are in progress.

2D imaging simulations of a small animal PET scanner with DOI measurement. jPET-RD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaya, Taiga; Hagiwara, Naoki

2005-01-01

We present a preliminary study on the design of a high sensitivity small animal depth of interaction (DOI)-PET scanner: jPET-RD (for Rodents with DOI detectors), which will contribute to molecular imaging. The 4-layer DOI block detector for the jPET-RD that consists of scintillation crystals (1.4 mm x 1.4 mm x 4.5 mm) and a flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (52 mm x 52 mm) was previously proposed. In this paper, we investigate imaging performance of the jPET-RD through numerical simulations. The scanner has a hexagonal geometry with a small diameter and a large axial aperture. Therefore DOI information is expected to improve resolution uniformity in the whole field of view (FOV). We simulate the scanner for various parameters of the number of DOI channels and the crystal length. Simulated data are reconstructed using the maximum likelihood expectation maximization with accurate system modeling. The trade-off results between background noise and spatial resolution show that only shortening the length of crystal does not improve the trade-off at all, and that 4-layer DOI information improves uniformity of spatial resolution in the whole FOV. Excellent performance of the jPET-RD can be expected based on the numerical simulation results. (author)

Inhalation toxicology. I., Design of a small-animal test system, II. Determination of the relative toxic hazards of 75 aircraft cabin materials.

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

In an effort to further the cause of increased safety for those who ride in commercial aircraft, this paper presents a detailed description of the genesis of a small-scale, laboratory test system that utilizes small animals to evaluate the relative t...

Boneless Pose Editing and Animation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bærentzen, Jakob Andreas; Hansen, Kristian Evers; Erleben, Kenny

2007-01-01

In this paper, we propose a pose editing and animation method for triangulated surfaces based on a user controlled partitioning of the model into deformable parts and rigid parts which are denoted handles. In our pose editing system, the user can sculpt a set of poses simply by transforming...... the handles for each pose. Using Laplacian editing, the deformable parts are deformed to match the handles. In our animation system the user can constrain one or several handles in order to define a new pose. New poses are interpolated from the examples poses, by solving a small non-linear optimization...... problem in order to obtain the interpolation weights. While the system can be used simply for building poses, it is also an animation system. The user can specify a path for a given constraint and the model is animated correspondingly....

Intrathecal Catheterization and Drug Delivery in Guinea Pigs: A Small-animal Model for Morphine-evoked Granuloma Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eddinger, Kelly A; Rondon, Eric S; Shubayev, Veronica I; Grafe, Marjorie R; Scadeng, Miriam; Hildebrand, Keith R; Page, Linda M; Malkmus, Shelle A; Steinauer, Joanne J; Yaksh, Tony L

2016-08-01

Intrathecal infusion of opioids in dogs, sheep, and humans produces local space-occupying masses. To develop a small-animal model, the authors examined effects of intrathecal catheterization and morphine infusion in guinea pigs. Under isoflurane, polyethylene or polyurethane catheters were advanced from the cisterna magna to the lumbar enlargement. Drugs were delivered as a bolus through the externalized catheter or continuously by subcutaneous minipumps. Hind paw withdrawal to a thermal stimulus was assessed. Spinal histopathology was systematically assessed in a blinded fashion. To assist in determining catheter placement, ex vivo images were obtained using magnetic resonance imaging in several animals. Canine spinal tissue from previous intrathecal morphine studies was analyzed in parallel. (1) Polyethylene (n = 30) and polyurethane (n = 25) catheters were implanted in the lumbar intrathecal space. (2) Bolus intrathecal morphine produced a dose-dependent (20 to 40 μg/10 μl) increase in thermal escape latencies. (3) Absent infusion, a catheter-associated distortion of the spinal cord and a fibrotic investment were noted along the catheter tract (polyethylene > polyurethane). (4) Intrathecal morphine infusion (25 mg/ml/0.5 μl/h for 14 days) resulted in intrathecal masses (fibroblasts, interspersed collagen, lymphocytes, and macrophages) arising from meninges proximal to the catheter tip in both polyethylene- and polyurethane-catheterized animals. This closely resembles mass histopathology from intrathecal morphine canine studies. Continuous intrathecal infusion of morphine leads to pericatheter masses that morphologically resemble those observed in dogs and humans. This small-animal model may be useful for studying spinal drug toxicology in general and the biology of intrathecal granuloma formation in particular.

FDG small animal PET permits early detection of malignant cells in a xenograft murine model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanni, Cristina; Spinelli, Antonello; Trespidi, Silvia; Ambrosini, Valentina; Castellucci, Paolo; Farsad, Mohsen; Franchi, Roberto; Fanti, Stefano; Leo, Korinne di; Tonelli, Roberto; Pession, Andrea; Pettinato, Cinzia; Rubello, Domenico

2007-01-01

The administration of new anticancer drugs in animal models is the first step from in vitro to in vivo pre-clinical protocols. At this stage it is crucial to ensure that cells are in the logarithmic phase of growth and to avoid vascular impairment, which can cause inhomogeneous distribution of the drug within the tumour and thus lead to bias in the final analysis of efficacy. In subcutaneous xenograft murine models, positivity for cancer is visually recognisable 2-3 weeks after inoculation, when a certain amount of necrosis is usually already present. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of FDG small animal PET for the early detection of malignant masses in a xenograft murine model of human rhabdomyosarcoma. A second goal was to analyse the metabolic behaviour of this xenograft tumour over time. We studied 23 nude mice, in which 7 x 10 6 rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RH-30 cell line) were injected in the dorsal subcutaneous tissues. Each animal underwent four FDG PET scans (GE, eXplore Vista DR) under gas anaesthesia. The animals were studied 2, 5, 14 and 20 days after inoculation. We administered 20 MBq of FDG via the tail vein. Uptake time was 60 min, and acquisition time, 20 min. Images were reconstructed with OSEM 2D iterative reconstruction and the target to background ratio (TBR) was calculated for each tumour. Normal subcutaneous tissue had a TBR of 0.3. Necrosis was diagnosed when one or more cold areas were present within the mass. All the animals were sacrificed and histology was available to verify PET results. PET results were concordant with the findings of necropsy and histology in all cases. The incidence of the tumour was 69.6% (16/23 animals); seven animals did not develop a malignant mass. Ten of the 23 animals had a positive PET scan 2 days after inoculation. Nine of these ten animals developed a tumour; the remaining animal became negative, at the third scan. The positive predictive value of the early PET scan was 90% (9/10 animals

Scanning multiple mice in a small-animal PET scanner: Influence on image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siepel, Francoise J.; Lier, Monique G.J.T.B. van; Chen Mu; Disselhorst, Jonathan A.; Meeuwis, Antoi P.W.; Oyen, Wim J.G.; Boerman, Otto C.; Visser, Eric P.

2010-01-01

To achieve high throughput in small-animal positron emission tomography (PET), it may be advantageous to scan more than one animal in the scanner's field of view (FOV) at the same time. However, due to the additional activity and increase of Poisson noise, additional attenuating mass, extra photon scattering, and radial or axial displacement of the animals, a deterioration of image quality can be expected. In this study, the NEMA NU 4-2008 image quality (NU4IQ) phantom and up to three FDG-filled cylindrical 'mouse phantoms' were positioned in the FOV of the Siemens Inveon small-animal PET scanner to simulate scans with multiple mice. Five geometrical configurations were examined. In one configuration, the NU4IQ phantom was scanned separately and placed in the center of the FOV (1C). In two configurations, a mouse phantom was added with both phantoms displaced radially (2R) or axially (2A). In two other configurations, the NU4IQ phantom was scanned along with three mouse phantoms with all phantoms displaced radially (4R), or in a combination of radial and axial displacement (2R2A). Images were reconstructed using ordered subset expectation maximization in 2 dimensions (OSEM2D) and maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction. Image quality parameters were obtained according to the NEMA NU 4-2008 guidelines. Optimum image quality was obtained for the 1C geometry. Image noise increased by the addition of phantoms and was the largest for the 4R configuration. Spatial resolution, reflected in the recovery coefficients for the FDG-filled rods, deteriorated by radial displacement of the NU4IQ phantom (2R, 2R2A, and 4R), most strongly for OSEM2D, and to a smaller extent for MAP reconstructions. Photon scatter, as indicated by the spill-over ratios in the non-radioactive water- and air-filled compartments, increased by the addition of phantoms, most strongly for the 4R configuration. Application of scatter correction substantially lowered the spill-over ratios, but caused an

Evaluation of the economic and clinical feasibility of introducing rigid endoscopy and laparoscopy to a small animal general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kelly; Case, J Brad; Evans, Brian; Monnet, Eric

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the economic and clinical feasibility of introducing rigid endoscopy and laparoscopy to a small animal general practice. DESIGN Prospective study. SAMPLE A single 2-veterinarian small animal practice in southern California. PROCEDURES In early 2012, endoscopic equipment was purchased, and both veterinarians in the practice undertook training in rigid endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures. Subsequently, information for client-owned animals that underwent endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures during a 12-month period (2012 to 2013) was collected. Cost of equipment and training, revenue generated, specific procedures performed, surgery time, complications, and client satisfaction were evaluated. RESULTS 78 endoscopic procedures were performed in 73 patients, including 71 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 rabbit. Cost of endoscopic and laparoscopic equipment and training in the first year was $14,809.71; most equipment was financed through a 5-year lease at a total cost of $57,507.70 ($ 10,675.20/y). Total revenue generated in the first year was $50,423.63. The most common procedures performed were ovariectomy (OVE; n = 49), prophylactic gastropexy (6), and video otoscopy (12). Mean ± SD surgery times for OVE (n = 44) and for OVE with gastropexy (5) were 63.7 ± 19.7 minutes and 73.0 ± 33.5 minutes; respectively. Twelve of 54 patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures experienced minor intraoperative complications. Conversion to laparotomy was not required in any patient. There were no major complications. All 49 clients available for follow-up were satisfied. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE With appropriate training and equipment, incorporation of basic rigid endoscopy and laparoscopy may be feasible in small animal general practice. However, results of the present study are not applicable to all veterinarians and practice settings, and patient safety considerations should always be paramount.

Performance of a DOI-encoding small animal PET system with monolithic scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carles, M.; Lerche, Ch.W.; Sánchez, F.; Orero, A.; Moliner, L.; Soriano, A.; Benlloch, J.M.

2012-01-01

PET systems designed for specific applications require high resolution and sensitivity instrumentation. In dedicated system design smaller ring diameters and deeper crystals are widely used in order to increase the system sensitivity. However, this design increases the parallax error, which degrades the spatial image resolution gradually from the center to the edge of the field-of-view (FOV). Our group has designed a depth of interaction(DOI)-encoding small animal PET system based on monolithic crystals. In this work we investigate the restoration of radial resolution for transaxially off-center sources using the DOI information provided by our system. For this purpose we have designed a support for point like sources adapted to our system geometry that allows a spatial compression and resolution response study. For different point source radial positions along vertical and horizontal axes of a FOV transaxial plane we compare the results obtained by three methods: without DOI information, with the DOI provided by our system and with the assumption that all the γ-rays interact at half depth of the crystal thickness. Results show an improvement of the mean resolution of 10% with the half thickness assumption and a 16% achieved using the DOI provided by the system. Furthermore, a 10% restoration of the resolution uniformity is obtained using the half depth assumption and an 18% restoration using measured DOI.

Increased concentration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus sp. in small animals exposed to aerospace environments

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, R. K.

1976-01-01

The effects of increased concentrations of PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS in the total bacterial flora of small animals exposed to simulated spacecraft environments were evaluated. Tests to detect changes in infectivity, effects of antibiotic treatments, immune responses to bacterial antigens, and effectiveness of immune responses in the experimental environment were conducted. The most significant results appear to be the differences in immune responses at simulated altitudes and the production of infection in the presence of a specific antibody.

Final-Year Students' and Clinical instructors' Experience of Workplace-Based Assessments Used in a Small-Animal Primary-Veterinary-Care Clinical Rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Weijs, Cynthia A; Coe, Jason B; Hecker, Kent G

2015-01-01

Final-year veterinary students must meet baseline clinical competency upon completion of their training for entry to practice. Workplace-based assessments (WBAs), widely used in human medical training to assess post-graduate students' professionalism and clinical performance, have recently been adopted in undergraduate veterinary clinical teaching environments. WBAs should support veterinary trainees' learning in a clinical teaching environment, though utility of WBAs within veterinary education may differ from that in medical training due to differences in context and in learners' stage of clinical development. We conducted focus groups with final-year veterinary students and clinical instructors following the implementation of three WBAs (Direct Observation of Procedural Skills [DOPS], the Mini-Clinical evaluation exercise [Mini-CEX], and the In-Training Evaluation Report [ITER]) during a small-animal primary-veterinary-care rotation. Students and clinical instructors viewed the DOPS and Mini-CEX as feasible and valuable learning and assessment tools that offered an overall opportunity for timely in-the-moment feedback. Instructors viewed the ITER as less feasible in the context of a service-oriented veterinary clinical teaching environment. Students believed the ITER had potential to be informative, although in its existing application the ITER had limited utility due to time constraints on instructors that prevented them from providing students with individualized and specific feedback. In service-oriented veterinary clinical teaching environments, successful implementation of WBAs requires balancing provision of feedback to students, time demands on clinical instructors, and flexibility of assessment tools.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WELL-BEING SYMPOSIUM: The Common Swine Industry Audit: Future steps to assure positive on-farm animal welfare utilizing validated, repeatable and feasible animal-based measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pairis-Garcia, M; Moeller, S J

2017-03-01

The Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA) was developed and scientifically evaluated through the combined efforts of a task force consisting of university scientists, veterinarians, pork producers, packers, processers, and retail and food service personnel to provide stakeholders throughout the pork chain with a consistent, reliable, and verifiable system to ensure on-farm swine welfare and food safety. The CSIA tool was built from the framework of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) site assessment program with the purpose of developing a single, common audit platform for the U.S. swine industry. Twenty-seven key aspects of swine care are captured and evaluated in CSIA and cover the specific focal areas of animal records, animal observations, facilities, and caretakers. Animal-based measures represent approximately 50% of CSIA evaluation criteria and encompass critical failure criteria, including observation of willful acts of abuse and determination of timely euthanasia. Objective, science-based measures of animal well-being parameters (e.g., BCS, lameness, lesions, hernias) are assessed within CSIA using statistically validated sample sizes providing a detection ability of 1% with 95% confidence. The common CSIA platform is used to identify care issues and facilitate continuous improvement in animal care through a validated, repeatable, and feasible animal-based audit process. Task force members provide continual updates to the CSIA tool with a specific focus toward 1) identification and interpretation of appropriate animal-based measures that provide inherent value to pig welfare, 2) establishment of acceptability thresholds for animal-based measures, and 3) interpretation of CSIA data for use and improvement of welfare within the U.S. swine industry.

Kinetic parametric estimation in animal PET molecular imaging based on artificial immune network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yuting; Ding Hong; Lu Rui; Huang Hongbo; Liu Li

2011-01-01

Objective: To develop an accurate,reliable method without the need of initialization in animal PET modeling for estimation of the tracer kinetic parameters based on the artificial immune network. Methods: The hepatic and left ventricular time activity curves (TACs) were obtained by drawing ROIs of liver tissue and left ventricle on dynamic 18 F-FDG PET imaging of small mice. Meanwhile, the blood TAC was analyzed by sampling the tail vein blood at different time points after injection. The artificial immune network for parametric optimization of pharmacokinetics (PKAIN) was adapted to estimate the model parameters and the metabolic rate of glucose (K i ) was calculated. Results: TACs of liver,left ventricle and tail vein blood were obtained.Based on the artificial immune network, K i in 3 mice was estimated as 0.0024, 0.0417 and 0.0047, respectively. The average weighted residual sum of squares of the output model generated by PKAIN was less than 0.0745 with a maximum standard deviation of 0.0084, which indicated that the proposed PKAIN method can provide accurate and reliable parametric estimation. Conclusion: The PKAIN method could provide accurate and reliable tracer kinetic modeling in animal PET imaging without the need of initialization of model parameters. (authors)

Developing Educational Computer Animation Based on Human Personality Types

Science.gov (United States)

Musa, Sajid; Ziatdinov, Rushan; Sozcu, Omer Faruk; Griffiths, Carol

2015-01-01

Computer animation in the past decade has become one of the most noticeable features of technology-based learning environments. By its definition, it refers to simulated motion pictures showing movement of drawn objects, and is often defined as the art in movement. Its educational application known as educational computer animation is considered…

Vermicomposting as manure management strategy for urban small-holder animal farms – Kampala case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lalander, Cecilia Helena; Komakech, Allan John; Vinnerås, Björn

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Poor manure management can increase burden of disease and environmental impact. • A low-maintenance vermicompost reactor was set-up in Kampala, Uganda. • High material reduction (45.9%) and waste-to-biomass conversion (3.6% on a TS basis). • Five year return on investment of 275% of system in Uganda. • Technically and economically viable system for improved urban manure management. - Abstract: Inadequate organic waste management can contribute to the spread of diseases and have negative impacts on the environment. Vermicomposting organic waste could have dual beneficial effects by generating an economically viable animal feed protein in the form of worm biomass, while alleviating the negative effects of poor organic waste management. In this study, a low-maintenance vermicomposting system was evaluated as manure and food waste management system for small-holder farmers. A vermicomposting system using the earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae and treating cow manure and food waste was set up in Kampala, Uganda, and monitored for 172 days. The material degradation and protein production rates were evaluated after 63 days and at the end of the experiment. The material reduction was 45.9% and the waste-to-biomass conversion rate was 3.5% in the vermicomposting process on a total solids basis. A possible increase in the conversion rate could be achieved by increasing the frequency of worm harvesting. Vermicomposting was found to be a viable manure management method in small-scale urban animal agriculture; the return of investment was calculated to be 280% for treating the manure of a 450 kg cow. The vermicompost was not sanitised, although hygiene quality could be improved by introducing a post-stabilisation step in which no fresh material is added. The value of the animal feed protein generated in the process can act as an incentive to improve current manure management strategies

Vermicomposting as manure management strategy for urban small-holder animal farms – Kampala case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lalander, Cecilia Helena, E-mail: cecilia.lalander@slu.se [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden); Komakech, Allan John [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Agricultural & Bio-systems Engineering, Makerere University, Kampala (Uganda); Vinnerås, Björn [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden)

2015-05-15

Highlights: • Poor manure management can increase burden of disease and environmental impact. • A low-maintenance vermicompost reactor was set-up in Kampala, Uganda. • High material reduction (45.9%) and waste-to-biomass conversion (3.6% on a TS basis). • Five year return on investment of 275% of system in Uganda. • Technically and economically viable system for improved urban manure management. - Abstract: Inadequate organic waste management can contribute to the spread of diseases and have negative impacts on the environment. Vermicomposting organic waste could have dual beneficial effects by generating an economically viable animal feed protein in the form of worm biomass, while alleviating the negative effects of poor organic waste management. In this study, a low-maintenance vermicomposting system was evaluated as manure and food waste management system for small-holder farmers. A vermicomposting system using the earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae and treating cow manure and food waste was set up in Kampala, Uganda, and monitored for 172 days. The material degradation and protein production rates were evaluated after 63 days and at the end of the experiment. The material reduction was 45.9% and the waste-to-biomass conversion rate was 3.5% in the vermicomposting process on a total solids basis. A possible increase in the conversion rate could be achieved by increasing the frequency of worm harvesting. Vermicomposting was found to be a viable manure management method in small-scale urban animal agriculture; the return of investment was calculated to be 280% for treating the manure of a 450 kg cow. The vermicompost was not sanitised, although hygiene quality could be improved by introducing a post-stabilisation step in which no fresh material is added. The value of the animal feed protein generated in the process can act as an incentive to improve current manure management strategies.

Assessing Glomerular Filtration in Small Animals Using [68Ga]DTPA and [68Ga]EDTA with PET Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gündel, Daniel; Pohle, Ulrike; Prell, Erik; Odparlik, Andreas; Thews, Oliver

2018-06-01

Determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for clinical medicine but also for pre-clinical animal studies. Functional imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) allows repetitive almost non-invasive measurements. The aim of the study was the development and evaluation of easily synthesizable PET tracers for GFR measurements in small animals. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were labeled with Ga-68. The binding to blood cells and plasma proteins was tested in vitro. The distribution of the tracers in rats was analyzed by PET imaging and ex vivo measurements. From the time-activity-curve of the blood compartment (heart) and the total tracer mass excreted by the kidney, the GFR was calculated. These values were compared directly with the inulin clearance in the same animals. Both tracers did not bind to blood cells. [ 68 Ga]DPTA but not [ 68 Ga]EDTA showed strong binding to plasma proteins. For this reason, [ 68 Ga]DPTA stayed much longer in the blood and only 30 % of the injected dose was eliminated by the kidney within 60 min whereas the excretion of [ 68 Ga]EDTA was 89 ± 1 %. The calculated GFR using [ 68 Ga]EDTA was comparable to the measured inulin clearance in the same animal. Using [ 68 Ga]-DPTA, the measurements led to values which were 80 % below the normal GFR. The results also revealed that definition of the volume of interest for the blood compartment affects the calculation and may lead to a slight overestimation of the GFR. [ 68 Ga]EDTA is a suitable tracer for GFR calculation from PET imaging in small animals. It is easy to be labeled, and the results are in good accordance with the inulin clearance. [ 68 Ga]DTPA led to a marked underestimation of GFR due to its strong binding to plasma proteins and is therefore not an appropriate tracer for GFR measurements.

Development of Input Function Measurement System for Small Animal PET Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Guk; Kim, Byung Su; Kim, Jin Su

2010-01-01

For quantitative measurement of radioactivity concentration in tissue and a validated tracer kinetic model, the high sensitive detection system has been required for blood sampling. With the accurate measurement of time activity curves (TACs) of labeled compounds in blood (plasma) enable to provide quantitative information on biological parameters of interest in local tissue. Especially, the development of new tracers for PET imaging requires knowledge of the kinetics of the tracer in the body and in arterial blood and plasma. Conventional approaches of obtaining an input function are to sample arterial blood sequentially by manual as a function of time. Several continuous blood sampling systems have been developed and used in nuclear medicine research field to overcome the limited temporal resolution in sampling by the conventional method. In this work, we developed the high sensitive and unique geometric design of GSO detector for small animal blood activity measurement

Coil concepts for rapid and motion-compensated MR-Imaging of small animals; Spulenkonzepte zur schnellen und bewegungskompensierten MR-Bildgebung von Kleintieren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korn, Matthias

2009-05-06

In this work radiofrequency-coils for the imaging of small animals in clinical whole-body MRI-systems were developed. Therefore in a first step single-channel solenoids were designed and characterized. The solenoids had two and three windings respectively, which were implemented as double wires to increase the homogeneity of the receive profile. These coils allow the acquisition of whole-body images of mice with high signal-to-noise ratio and homogeneity over a distance of at least 6.3 cm. Since many imaging experiments require rapid image acquisition, in the next step a novel coil concept was developed, which, due to its geometry, enables parallel imaging in arbitrary directions. A prototype was assembled and tested on phantom and small-animal experiments. With an accelerating factor of R=2, the difference of the SNR in all directions from the theoretical maximum, was less than 1%. In order to compensate physiological motion by the self-gating technique, in this work a coil is presented for the first time, which selectively amplifies the self-gating signal, while - due to a optical detuning technique - preserving the homogeneous illumination of the image. In vivo experiments on a small animal show an amplification of the self-gating signal by at least 40%. (orig.)

Optimization and performance evaluation of the microPET II scanner for in vivo small-animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yongfeng; Tai Yuanchuan; Siegel, Stefan; Newport, Danny F; Bai, Bing; Li, Quanzheng; Leahy, Richard M; Cherry, Simon R

2004-01-01

MicroPET II is a newly developed PET (positron emission tomography) scanner designed for high-resolution imaging of small animals. It consists of 17 640 LSO crystals each measuring 0.975 x 0.975 x 12.5 mm 3 , which are arranged in 42 contiguous rings, with 420 crystals per ring. The scanner has an axial field of view (FOV) of 4.9 cm and a transaxial FOV of 8.5 cm. The purpose of this study was to carefully evaluate the performance of the system and to optimize settings for in vivo mouse and rat imaging studies. The volumetric image resolution was found to depend strongly on the reconstruction algorithm employed and averaged 1.1 mm (1.4 μl) across the central 3 cm of the transaxial FOV when using a statistical reconstruction algorithm with accurate system modelling. The sensitivity, scatter fraction and noise-equivalent count (NEC) rate for mouse- and rat-sized phantoms were measured for different energy and timing windows. Mouse imaging was optimized with a wide open energy window (150-750 keV) and a 10 ns timing window, leading to a sensitivity of 3.3% at the centre of the FOV and a peak NEC rate of 235 000 cps for a total activity of 80 MBq (2.2 mCi) in the phantom. Rat imaging, due to the higher scatter fraction, and the activity that lies outside of the field of view, achieved a maximum NEC rate of 24 600 cps for a total activity of 80 MBq (2.2 mCi) in the phantom, with an energy window of 250-750 keV and a 6 ns timing window. The sensitivity at the centre of the FOV for these settings is 2.1%. This work demonstrates that different scanner settings are necessary to optimize the NEC count rate for different-sized animals and different injected doses. Finally, phantom and in vivo animal studies are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of microPET II for small-animal imaging studies

Data analysis using a data base driven graphics animation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwieder, D.H.; Stewart, H.D.; Curtis, J.N.

1985-01-01

A graphics animation system has been developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to assist engineers in the analysis of large amounts of time series data. Most prior attempts at computer animation of data involve the development of large and expensive problem-specific systems. This paper discusses a generalized interactive computer animation system designed to be used in a wide variety of data analysis applications. By using relational data base storage of graphics and control information, considerable flexibility in design and development of animated displays is achieved

Chemotherapy drug handling in first opinion small animal veterinary practices in the United Kingdom: results of a questionnaire survey.

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Edery, E G

2017-05-27

To investigate how first opinion small animal veterinary surgeons in the UK handled chemotherapeutic agents, a questionnaire was distributed at the 2014 British Small Animal Veterinary Association congress and by internet. Chemotherapy was regularly offered by 70.4 per cent of the respondents. Gold standards defined according to available guidelines for safe handling of antineoplastic drugs were poorly followed by general practitioners with only 2 per cent of respondents complying with all of them. Dedicated facilities for preparation and administration of cytotoxic drugs were variably available among participants. The level of training of staff indirectly involved in handling chemotherapy was appropriate in less than 50 per cent of practices. No association was found between demographic characteristics of the sampled population and the decision to perform chemotherapy. The results of this study raise concerns about the safety of the veterinary staff in first opinion practices involved in handling chemotherapy. British Veterinary Association.

Use of aspiration method for collecting brain samples for rabies diagnosis in small wild animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Iamamoto, K; Quadros, J; Queiroz, L H

2011-02-01

In developing countries such as Brazil, where canine rabies is still a considerable problem, samples from wildlife species are infrequently collected and submitted for screening for rabies. A collaborative study was established involving environmental biologists and veterinarians for rabies epidemiological research in a specific ecological area located at the Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The wild animals' brains are required to be collected without skull damage because the skull's measurements are important in the identification of the captured animal species. For this purpose, samples from bats and small mammals were collected using an aspiration method by inserting a plastic pipette into the brain through the magnum foramen. While there is a progressive increase in the use of the plastic pipette technique in various studies undertaken, it is also appreciated that this method could foster collaborative research between wildlife scientists and rabies epidemiologists thus improving rabies surveillance. © 2009 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Non-invasive imaging of acute renal allograft rejection in rats using small animal F-FDG-PET.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Reuter

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: At present, renal grafts are the most common solid organ transplants world-wide. Given the importance of renal transplantation and the limitation of available donor kidneys, detailed analysis of factors that affect transplant survival are important. Despite the introduction of new and effective immunosuppressive drugs, acute cellular graft rejection (AR is still a major risk for graft survival. Nowadays, AR can only be definitively by renal biopsy. However, biopsies carry a risk of renal transplant injury and loss. Most important, they can not be performed in patients taking anticoagulant drugs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We present a non-invasive, entirely image-based method to assess AR in an allogeneic rat renal transplantation model using small animal positron emission tomography (PET and (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG. 3 h after i.v. injection of 30 MBq FDG into adult uni-nephrectomized, allogeneically transplanted rats, tissue radioactivity of renal parenchyma was assessed in vivo by a small animal PET-scanner (post operative day (POD 1,2,4, and 7 and post mortem dissection. The mean radioactivity (cps/mm(3 tissue as well as the percent injected dose (%ID was compared between graft and native reference kidney. Results were confirmed by histological and autoradiographic analysis. Healthy rats, rats with acute CSA nephrotoxicity, with acute tubular necrosis, and syngeneically transplanted rats served as controls. FDG-uptake was significantly elevated only in allogeneic grafts from POD 1 on when compared to the native kidney (%ID graft POD 1: 0.54+/-0.06; POD 2: 0.58+/-0.12; POD 4: 0.81+/-0.06; POD 7: 0.77+/-0.1; CTR: 0.22+/-0.01, n = 3-28. Renal FDG-uptake in vivo correlated with the results obtained by micro-autoradiography and the degree of inflammatory infiltrates observed in histology. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We propose that graft FDG-PET imaging is a new option to non-invasively, specifically, early detect, and follow

Small animals bone density and morphometry analysis with a dual energy X-rays absorptiometry bone densitometer using a 2D digital radiographic detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudousq, V.; Bordy, T.; Gonon, G.; Dinten, J.M.

2004-01-01

LEXXOS (DMS, Montpellier, France) is the first axial and total body cone beam bone densitometer using a 2D digital radiographic detector. In previous papers, technical principles and patients' Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurement performances were presented. Bone densitometers are also used on small animals for drug development. In this presentation, we show how LEXXOS can be adapted for small animals' examinations and evaluate its performances. At first, in order to take advantage of the whole area of the 20 x 20 cm 2 digital radiographic detector, it has been made profit of X-Rays magnification by adapting the geometrical configuration. Secondly, as small animals present low BMD, a specific dual energy calibration has been defined. This adapted system has then been evaluated on two sets of mice: six reference mice and six ovariectomized mice. Each month, these two populations have been examined and the averaged total body BMD has been measured. This evaluation shows that the right order of BMD magnitude is obtained and, as expected, BMD increases on two sets until a period around puberty and the ovariectomized set presents a significant decrease after. Moreover, the bone image obtained by dual energy processing on LEXXOS presents a radiographic image quality providing useful complementary information on bone morphometry and architecture. This study shows that LEXXOS cone beam bone densitometer provides simultaneously useful quantitative and qualitative information for analysis of bone evolution on small animals. In the future, same system architecture and processing methodology can be used with higher resolution detectors in order to refine information on bone architecture. (authors)

The opportunity cost of animal based diets exceeds all food losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepon, Alon; Eshel, Gidon; Noor, Elad; Milo, Ron

2018-04-10

Food loss is widely recognized as undermining food security and environmental sustainability. However, consumption of resource-intensive food items instead of more efficient, equally nutritious alternatives can also be considered as an effective food loss. Here we define and quantify these opportunity food losses as the food loss associated with consuming resource-intensive animal-based items instead of plant-based alternatives which are nutritionally comparable, e.g., in terms of protein content. We consider replacements that minimize cropland use for each of the main US animal-based food categories. We find that although the characteristic conventional retail-to-consumer food losses are ≈30% for plant and animal products, the opportunity food losses of beef, pork, dairy, poultry, and eggs are 96%, 90%, 75%, 50%, and 40%, respectively. This arises because plant-based replacement diets can produce 20-fold and twofold more nutritionally similar food per cropland than beef and eggs, the most and least resource-intensive animal categories, respectively. Although conventional and opportunity food losses are both targets for improvement, the high opportunity food losses highlight the large potential savings beyond conventionally defined food losses. Concurrently replacing all animal-based items in the US diet with plant-based alternatives will add enough food to feed, in full, 350 million additional people, well above the expected benefits of eliminating all supply chain food waste. These results highlight the importance of dietary shifts to improving food availability and security. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

First results in the application of silicon photomultiplier matrices to small animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llosa, G. [University of Pisa, Department of Physics, Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: gabriela.llosa@pi.infn.it; Belcari, N.; Bisogni, M.G. [University of Pisa, Department of Physics, Pisa (Italy); INFN Pisa (Italy); Collazuol, G. [University of Pisa, Department of Physics, Pisa (Italy); Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy); Marcatili, S. [University of Pisa, Department of Physics, Pisa (Italy); INFN Pisa (Italy); Boscardin, M.; Melchiorri, M.; Tarolli, A.; Piemonte, C.; Zorzi, N. [FBK irst, Trento (Italy); Barrillon, P.; Bondil-Blin, S.; Chaumat, V.; La Taille, C. de; Dinu, N.; Puill, V.; Vagnucci, J-F. [Laboratoire de l' Accelerateur Lineaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Orsay (France); Del Guerra, A. [University of Pisa, Department of Physics, Pisa (Italy); INFN Pisa (Italy)

2009-10-21

A very high resolution small animal PET scanner that employs matrices of silicon photomultipliers as photodetectors is under development at the University of Pisa and INFN Pisa. The first SiPM matrices composed of 16 (4x4)1mmx1mm pixel elements on a common substrate have been produced at FBK-irst, and are being evaluated for this application. The MAROC2 ASIC developed at LAL-Orsay has been employed for the readout of the SiPM matrices. The devices have been tested with pixelated and continuous LYSO crystals. The results show the good performance of the matrices and lead to the fabrication of matrices with 64 SiPM elements.

First results in the application of silicon photomultiplier matrices to small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llosa, G.; Belcari, N.; Bisogni, M.G.; Collazuol, G.; Marcatili, S.; Boscardin, M.; Melchiorri, M.; Tarolli, A.; Piemonte, C.; Zorzi, N.; Barrillon, P.; Bondil-Blin, S.; Chaumat, V.; La Taille, C. de; Dinu, N.; Puill, V.; Vagnucci, J-F.; Del Guerra, A.

2009-01-01

A very high resolution small animal PET scanner that employs matrices of silicon photomultipliers as photodetectors is under development at the University of Pisa and INFN Pisa. The first SiPM matrices composed of 16 (4x4)1mmx1mm pixel elements on a common substrate have been produced at FBK-irst, and are being evaluated for this application. The MAROC2 ASIC developed at LAL-Orsay has been employed for the readout of the SiPM matrices. The devices have been tested with pixelated and continuous LYSO crystals. The results show the good performance of the matrices and lead to the fabrication of matrices with 64 SiPM elements.

Use of 5-mm Laparoscopic Stapler to Perform Open Small Bowel Anastomosis in a Neonatal Animal Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, Ian C; Bruns, Nicholas E; Ponsky, Todd A

2016-10-01

While adult bowel anastomoses are typically performed with staplers, neonatal small bowel anastomoses have traditionally been performed in a hand-sewn manner due to the large size of surgical staplers. The purpose of this study was to compare stapled anastomosis using a newly available, 5-mm laparoscopic stapler to a hand-sewn anastomosis in an open animal model. Twenty anastomoses were performed by two general surgery residents (10 stapled and 10 hand-sewn) in an adult New Zealand white rabbit. The small bowel was divided with a scalpel. Surgical technique was alternated between single-layer hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses. Each anastomosis was resected for ex vivo testing. Measurements collected were outer diameter of the bowel before division, time to perform the anastomosis, anastomosis inner diameter (ID), and leak test. IDs were measured by cutting the anastomosis in cross-section, taking a photograph, and measuring the diameter by computer software. In addition, the surgeons qualitatively evaluated the anastomoses for hemostasis and overall quality. Statistical significance was determined using the Student's t-test. There were statistically significant differences between stapled and hand-sewn anastomosis, respectively, for average operative time (4 minutes 2 seconds versus 16 minutes 6 seconds, P animal model, a 5-mm stapled anastomosis is an acceptable alternative to hand-sewn small bowel anastomosis. The stapler is faster and creates a larger diameter anastomosis, however, there was one leak when closing the enterotomy in the stapled group and overlapping staple lines should be avoided.

Small Animal Models for Human Metapneumovirus: Cotton Rat is More Permissive than Hamster and Mouse

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Niewiesk, Stefan; Li, Jianrong

2014-01-01

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is the second most prevalent causative agent of pediatric respiratory infections worldwide. Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral drugs against this virus. One of the major hurdles in hMPV research is the difficulty to identify a robust small animal model to accurately evaluate the efficacy and safety of vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, we compared the replication and pathogenesis of hMPV in BALB/c mice, Syrian golden hamsters, and cotton rats. It was found that BALB/c mice are not permissive for hMPV infection despite the use of a high dose (6.5 log10 PFU) of virus for intranasal inoculation. In hamsters, hMPV replicated efficiently in nasal turbinates but demonstrated only limited replication in lungs. In cotton rats, hMPV replicated efficiently in both nasal turbinate and lung when intranasally administered with three different doses (4, 5, and 6 log10 PFU) of hMPV. Lungs of cotton rats infected by hMPV developed interstitial pneumonia with mononuclear cells infiltrates and increased lumen exudation. By immunohistochemistry, viral antigens were detected at the luminal surfaces of the bronchial epithelial cells in lungs. Vaccination of cotton rats with hMPV completely protected upper and lower respiratory tract from wildtype challenge. The immunization also elicited elevated serum neutralizing antibody. Collectively, these results demonstrated that cotton rat is a robust small animal model for hMPV infection. PMID:25438015

High throughput static and dynamic small animal imaging using clinical PET/CT: potential preclinical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aide, Nicolas; Desmonts, Cedric; Agostini, Denis; Bardet, Stephane; Bouvard, Gerard; Beauregard, Jean-Mathieu; Roselt, Peter; Neels, Oliver; Beyer, Thomas; Kinross, Kathryn; Hicks, Rodney J.

2010-01-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate state-of-the-art clinical PET/CT technology in performing static and dynamic imaging of several mice simultaneously. A mouse-sized phantom was imaged mimicking simultaneous imaging of three mice with computation of recovery coefficients (RCs) and spillover ratios (SORs). Fifteen mice harbouring abdominal or subcutaneous tumours were imaged on clinical PET/CT with point spread function (PSF) reconstruction after injection of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose or [18F]fluorothymidine. Three of these mice were imaged alone and simultaneously at radial positions -5, 0 and 5 cm. The remaining 12 tumour-bearing mice were imaged in groups of 3 to establish the quantitative accuracy of PET data using ex vivo gamma counting as the reference. Finally, a dynamic scan was performed in three mice simultaneously after the injection of 68 Ga-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). For typical lesion sizes of 7-8 mm phantom experiments indicated RCs of 0.42 and 0.76 for ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) and PSF reconstruction, respectively. For PSF reconstruction, SOR air and SOR water were 5.3 and 7.5%, respectively. A strong correlation (r 2 = 0.97, p 2 = 0.98; slope = 0.89, p 2 = 0.96; slope = 0.62, p 68 Ga-EDTA dynamic acquisition. New generation clinical PET/CT can be used for simultaneous imaging of multiple small animals in experiments requiring high throughput and where a dedicated small animal PET system is not available. (orig.)

Anatomical and metabolic small-animal whole-body imaging using ring-shaped confocal photoacoustic computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Chatni, Muhammad; Maslov, Konstantin; Wang, Lihong V.

2013-03-01

Due to the wide use of animals for human disease studies, small animal whole-body imaging plays an increasingly important role in biomedical research. Currently, none of the existing imaging modalities can provide both anatomical and glucose metabolic information, leading to higher costs of building dual-modality systems. Even with image coregistration, the spatial resolution of the metabolic imaging modality is not improved. We present a ring-shaped confocal photoacoustic computed tomography (RC-PACT) system that can provide both assessments in a single modality. Utilizing the novel design of confocal full-ring light delivery and ultrasound transducer array detection, RC-PACT provides full-view cross-sectional imaging with high spatial resolution. Scanning along the orthogonal direction provides three-dimensional imaging. While the mouse anatomy was imaged with endogenous hemoglobin contrast, the glucose metabolism was imaged with a near-infrared dye-labeled 2-deoxyglucose. Through mouse tumor models, we demonstrate that RC-PACT may be a paradigm shifting imaging method for preclinical research.

Precise MRI-based stereotaxic surgery in large animal models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glud, Andreas Nørgaard; Bech, Johannes; Tvilling, Laura

BACKGROUND: Stereotaxic neurosurgery in large animals is used widely in different sophisticated models, where precision is becoming more crucial as desired anatomical target regions are becoming smaller. Individually calculated coordinates are necessary in large animal models with cortical...... and subcortical anatomical differences. NEW METHOD: We present a convenient method to make an MRI-visible skull fiducial for 3D MRI-based stereotaxic procedures in larger experimental animals. Plastic screws were filled with either copper-sulphate solution or MRI-visible paste from a commercially available...... cranial head marker. The screw fiducials were inserted in the animal skulls and T1 weighted MRI was performed allowing identification of the inserted skull marker. RESULTS: Both types of fiducial markers were clearly visible on the MRÍs. This allows high precision in the stereotaxic space. COMPARISON...

Three-dimensional optoacoustic tomography using a conventional ultrasound linear detector array: whole-body tomographic system for small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gateau, Jerome; Caballero, Miguel Angel Araque; Dima, Alexander; Ntziachristos, Vasilis

2013-01-01

Optoacoustic imaging relies on the detection of ultrasonic waves induced by laser pulse excitations to map optical absorption in biological tissue. A tomographic geometry employing a conventional ultrasound linear detector array for volumetric optoacoustic imaging is reported. The geometry is based on a translate-rotate scanning motion of the detector array, and capitalizes on the geometrical characteristics of the transducer assembly to provide a large solid angular detection aperture. A system for three-dimensional whole-body optoacoustic tomography of small animals is implemented. The detection geometry was tested using a 128-element linear array (5.0∕7.0 MHz, Acuson L7, Siemens), moved by steps with a rotation∕translation stage assembly. Translation and rotation range of 13.5 mm and 180°, respectively, were implemented. Optoacoustic emissions were induced in tissue-mimicking phantoms and ex vivo mice using a pulsed laser operating in the near-IR spectral range at 760 nm. Volumetric images were formed using a filtered backprojection algorithm. The resolution of the optoacoustic tomography system was measured to be better than 130 μm in-plane and 330 μm in elevation (full width half maximum), and to be homogenous along a 15 mm diameter cross section due to the translate-rotate scanning geometry. Whole-body volumetric optoacoustic images of mice were performed ex vivo, and imaged organs and blood vessels through the intact abdominal and head regions were correlated to the mouse anatomy. Overall, the feasibility of three-dimensional and high-resolution whole-body optoacoustic imaging of small animal using a conventional linear array was demonstrated. Furthermore, the scanning geometry may be used for other linear arrays and is therefore expected to be of great interest for optoacoustic tomography at macroscopic and mesoscopic scale. Specifically, conventional detector arrays with higher central frequencies may be investigated.

Catabolism of native and oxidized low density lipoproteins: in vivo insights from small animal positron emission tomography studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietzsch, J; Bergmann, R; Wuest, F; Pawelke, B; Hultsch, C; van den Hoff, J

2005-12-01

The human organism is exposed to numerous processes that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS may directly or indirectly cause oxidative modification and damage of proteins. Protein oxidation is regarded as a crucial event in the pathogenesis of various diseases ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis. As a representative example, oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is regarded as a crucial event in atherogenesis. Data concerning the role of circulating oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in the development and outcome of diseases are scarce. One reason for this is the shortage of methods for direct assessment of the metabolic fate of circulating oxLDL in vivo. We present an improved methodology based on the radiolabelling of apoB-100 of native LDL (nLDL) and oxLDL, respectively, with the positron emitter fluorine-18 ((18)F) by conjugation with N-succinimidyl-4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoate ([(18)F]SFB). Radiolabelling of both nLDL and oxLDL using [(18)F]SFB causes neither additional oxidative structural modifications of LDL lipids and proteins nor alteration of their biological activity and functionality, respectively, in vitro. The method was further evaluated with respect to the radiopharmacological properties of both [(18)F]fluorobenzoylated nLDL and oxLDL by biodistribution studies in male Wistar rats. The metabolic fate of [(18)F]fluorobenzoylated nLDL and oxLDL in rats in vivo was further delineated by dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) using a dedicated small animal tomograph (spatial resolution of 2 mm). From this study we conclude that the use of [(18)F]FB-labelled LDL particles is an attractive alternative to, e.g., LDL iodination methods, and is of value to characterize and to discriminate the kinetics and the metabolic fate of nLDL and oxLDL in small animals in vivo.

Strategies for Small Volume Resuscitation: Hyperosmotic-Hyperoncotic Solutions, Hemoglobin Based Oxygen Carriers and Closed-Loop Resuscitation

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, George C.; Wade, Charles E.; Dubick, Michael A.; Atkins, James L.

2004-01-01

Introduction: Logistic constraints on combat casualty care preclude traditional resuscitation strategies which can require volumes and weights 3 fold or greater than hemorrhaged volume. We present a review of quantitative analyses of clinical and animal data on small volume strategies using 1) hypertonic-hyperosmotic solutions (HHS); 2) hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) and 3) closed-loop infusion regimens.Methods and Results: Literature searches and recent queries to industry and academic researchers have allowed us to evaluate the record of 81 human HHS studies (12 trauma trials), 19 human HBOCs studies (3trauma trials) and two clinical studies of closed-loop resuscitation.There are several hundreds animal studies and at least 82 clinical trials and reports evaluating small volume7.2%-7.5% hypertonic saline (HS) most often combined with colloids, e.g., dextran (HSD) or hetastarch(HSS). HSD and HSS data has been published for 1,108 and 392 patients, respectively. Human studies have documented volume sparing and hemodynamic improvements. Meta-analyses suggest improved survival for hypotensive trauma patients treated with HSD with significant reductions in mortality found for patients with blood pressure blood use and lower mortality compared to historic controls of patients refusing blood. Transfusion reductions with HBOC use have been modest. Two HBOCs (Hemopure and Polyheme) are now in new or planned large-scale multicenter prehospital trials of trauma treatment. A new implementation of small volume resuscitation is closed-loop resuscitation (CLR), which employs microprocessors to titrate just enough fluid to reach a physiologic target . Animal studies suggest less risk of rebleeding in uncontrolled hemorrhage and a reduction in fluid needs with CLR. The first clinical application of CLR was treatment of burn shock and the US Army. Conclusions: Independently sponsored civilian trauma trials and clinical evaluations in operational combat conditions of

WE-AB-207B-10: On Spinal Nerve Toxicity from Single-Session SAbR in Pigs and the Translation of Small Animal NTCP Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hrycushko, B; Medin, P [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The incidence of peripheral neuropathy has risen with increased utilization of SAbR. There is no consensus regarding the dose-tolerance of the peripheral nervous system. In 2015, we commenced an investigation to test the hypotheses that single-session irradiation to the pig spinal nerves exhibit a similar dose-tolerance as that of the spinal cord and that a dose-length effect exists. This work evaluates the direct application of small animal NTCP models to both large animal spinal cord and preliminary peripheral nerve data. Methods: To date, 16 of 25 Yucatan minipigs have received single-session SAbR to a 1.5cm length and 4 of 25 have received irradiation to a 0.5cm length of left-sided C6-C8 spinal nerves. Toxicity related gait change has been observed in 13 animals (9 from the long length group and 4 from the short). This preliminary data is overlaid on several dose-response models which have been fit to rodent spinal cord tolerance experiments. Model parameters define a toxicity profile between a completely serial or parallel behaving organ. Adequacy of model application, including how length effects are handled, to published minipig spinal cord dose-response data and to preliminary peripheral nerve response data was evaluated through residual analysis. Results: No rodent-derived dose-response models were directly applicable to all pig data for the different lengths irradiated. Several models fit the long-length irradiated spinal cord data well, with the more serial-like models fitting best. Preliminary data on the short-length irradiation suggests no length effect exists, disproving our hypothesis. Conclusion: Direct application of small-animal NTCP models to pig data suggests dose-length effect predictions from small animal data may not translate clinically. However, the small animal models used have not considered dose heterogeneity and it is expected that including the low-to-mid dose levels in the penumbral region will improve this match. This work

WE-AB-207B-10: On Spinal Nerve Toxicity from Single-Session SAbR in Pigs and the Translation of Small Animal NTCP Models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrycushko, B; Medin, P

2016-01-01

Purpose: The incidence of peripheral neuropathy has risen with increased utilization of SAbR. There is no consensus regarding the dose-tolerance of the peripheral nervous system. In 2015, we commenced an investigation to test the hypotheses that single-session irradiation to the pig spinal nerves exhibit a similar dose-tolerance as that of the spinal cord and that a dose-length effect exists. This work evaluates the direct application of small animal NTCP models to both large animal spinal cord and preliminary peripheral nerve data. Methods: To date, 16 of 25 Yucatan minipigs have received single-session SAbR to a 1.5cm length and 4 of 25 have received irradiation to a 0.5cm length of left-sided C6-C8 spinal nerves. Toxicity related gait change has been observed in 13 animals (9 from the long length group and 4 from the short). This preliminary data is overlaid on several dose-response models which have been fit to rodent spinal cord tolerance experiments. Model parameters define a toxicity profile between a completely serial or parallel behaving organ. Adequacy of model application, including how length effects are handled, to published minipig spinal cord dose-response data and to preliminary peripheral nerve response data was evaluated through residual analysis. Results: No rodent-derived dose-response models were directly applicable to all pig data for the different lengths irradiated. Several models fit the long-length irradiated spinal cord data well, with the more serial-like models fitting best. Preliminary data on the short-length irradiation suggests no length effect exists, disproving our hypothesis. Conclusion: Direct application of small-animal NTCP models to pig data suggests dose-length effect predictions from small animal data may not translate clinically. However, the small animal models used have not considered dose heterogeneity and it is expected that including the low-to-mid dose levels in the penumbral region will improve this match. This work

Dry coupling for whole-body small-animal photoacoustic computed tomography

OpenAIRE

Yeh, Chenghung; Li, Lei; Zhu, Liren; Xia, Jun; Li, Chiye; Chen, Wanyi; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

2017-01-01

We have enhanced photoacoustic computed tomography with dry acoustic coupling that eliminates water immersion anxiety and wrinkling of the animal and facilitates incorporating complementary modalities and procedures. The dry acoustic coupler is made of a tubular elastic membrane enclosed by a closed transparent water tank. The tubular membrane ensures water-free contact with the animal, and the closed water tank allows pressurization for animal stabilization. The dry coupler was tested using ...

Monitoring Animal Well-being

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gronskyte, Ruta

environment. In video surveillance, the behavior of humans and animals is monitored based on extremes: event is present/event is not present, objects behave normally/objects behave abnormally, action 1/action 2/action 3, etc. In nature, the motion of humans and animals is continuous with transitions from one...... action to another. The second aim of this thesis is to propose a method to monitor motion as a continuous process using common classification methods....... are handled. Ensuring the well-being of such large numbers of pigs using only personnel is a complicated task. Video surveillance of humans has been widely used to ensure safety and order in multiple situations. Methods have been developed to detect individual actions or abnormal behavior in small groups...

The Use of Audio and Animation in Computer Based Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Koroghlanian, Carol; Klein, James D.

This study investigated the effects of audio, animation, and spatial ability in a computer-based instructional program for biology. The program presented instructional material via test or audio with lean text and included eight instructional sequences presented either via static illustrations or animations. High school students enrolled in a…

Measurement of evaporative water loss in small animals by dew-point hygrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, M H; Hudson, D M; Stearns, J M; Hoyt, R W

1977-08-01

This paper presents the procedures and equations to be utilized for measurement of evaporative water loss (mw), by use of the dew-point hygrometer, in small animals exposed to air containing water vapor in an open-flow system. The system accounted accurately for the water evaporated from a bubble flask. In addition, hygrometric measurements of pulmocutaneous mw in pigeons (Columba livia, mean mass 0.31 kg) agreed closely with simultaneous gravimetric measurements, utilizing a desiccant in the sample stream, in a manner independently of air temperature (Ta, 20 or 40 degrees C), ambient water vapor pressure (PW, 4-16 10(2) Pa), or mw (5-66 mg-min-1). Evaporation in pigeons was independent of PW at 20 degrees C, but increased with decreasing PW at 40 degrees C, suggesting differences in ventilatory adjustments to changes in PW at the two temperatures.

Establishing a small animal model for evaluating protective immunity against mumps virus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Pickar

Full Text Available Although mumps vaccines have been used for several decades, protective immune correlates have not been defined. Recently, mumps outbreaks have occurred in vaccinated populations. To better understand the causes of the outbreaks and to develop means to control outbreaks in mumps vaccine immunized populations, defining protective immune correlates will be critical. Unfortunately, no small animal model for assessing mumps immunity exists. In this study, we evaluated use of type I interferon (IFN alpha/beta receptor knockout mice (IFN-α/βR-/- for such a model. We found these mice to be susceptible to mumps virus administered intranasally and intracranially. Passive transfer of purified IgG from immunized mice protected naïve mice from mumps virus infection, confirming the role of antibody in protection and demonstrating the potential for this model to evaluate mumps immunity.

Construction and evaluation of quantitative small-animal PET probabilistic atlases for [¹⁸F]FDG and [¹⁸F]FECT functional mapping of the mouse brain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cindy Casteels

Full Text Available UNLABELLED: Automated voxel-based or pre-defined volume-of-interest (VOI analysis of small-animal PET data in mice is necessary for optimal information usage as the number of available resolution elements is limited. We have mapped metabolic ([(18F]FDG and dopamine transporter ([(18F]FECT small-animal PET data onto a 3D Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM mouse brain template and aligned them in space to the Paxinos co-ordinate system. In this way, ligand-specific templates for sensitive analysis and accurate anatomical localization were created. Next, using a pre-defined VOI approach, test-retest and intersubject variability of various quantification methods were evaluated. Also, the feasibility of mouse brain statistical parametric mapping (SPM was explored for [(18F]FDG and [(18F]FECT imaging of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned (6-OHDA mice. METHODS: Twenty-three adult C57BL6 mice were scanned with [(18F]FDG and [(18F]FECT. Registrations and affine spatial normalizations were performed using SPM8. [(18F]FDG data were quantified using (1 an image-derived-input function obtained from the liver (cMRglc, using (2 standardized uptake values (SUVglc corrected for blood glucose levels and by (3 normalizing counts to the whole-brain uptake. Parametric [(18F]FECT binding images were constructed by reference to the cerebellum. Registration accuracy was determined using random simulated misalignments and vectorial mismatch determination. RESULTS: Registration accuracy was between 0.21-1.11 mm. Regional intersubject variabilities of cMRglc ranged from 15.4% to 19.2%, while test-retest values were between 5.0% and 13.0%. For [(18F]FECT uptake in the caudate-putamen, these values were 13.0% and 10.3%, respectively. Regional values of cMRglc positively correlated to SUVglc measured within the 45-60 min time frame (spearman r = 0.71. Next, SPM analysis of 6-OHDA-lesioned mice showed hypometabolism in the bilateral caudate-putamen and cerebellum, and an

Changes in leptospirosis etiology in animals and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasylieva, Natalia; Andreychyn, Mykhaylo; Kravchuk, Yulia; Chervinska, Оlena; Iosyk, Iaryna

2017-12-23

Leptospirosis is endemic in Ternopil region. In Ukraine, the disease is registered in almost all regions, including the Ternopil region. The aim of the research is to study the regularities of epidemic and epizootic processes of leptospirosis, and the circulation of its pathogens among different sources (small mammals, animals) and humans. Etiologic spectrum of leptospirosis registered in Ternopil region in 1972-2016 among small mammals, farm animals and sick people was studied. Due to the analysis of pathogens circulation among different sources (small mammals, animals), as well as the annual morbidity in humans, it was proved that new leptospira serovars are endemic and brought into the regions mostly by farm animals. Farm animals introduce the infection to humans through the environment, sometimes within 3-5-years. The spread was observed of pathogen serovars, which are new in certain areas, among all types of mouse-like small mammals and rats. It was established that livestock and small mammals are parallel reservoirs. In the regions with endemic species, the structural modification in the etiology of leptospirosis in humans is caused by additional reservoirs among animals, as well as the circulation of other pathogen serovars that were absent in the main natural reservoir, i.e. mouse-like small mammals and rats. The constant monitoring of the population, contamination and carrier state of mouse-like small mammals, rats and farm animals, is required In order to predict the future epidemiological situation on leptospirosis among the population and to improve leptospirosis diagnosis.

Filtering and deconvolution for bioluminescence imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akkoul, S.

2010-01-01

This thesis is devoted to analysis of bioluminescence images applied to the small animal. This kind of imaging modality is used in cancerology studies. Nevertheless, some problems are related to the diffusion and the absorption of the tissues of the light of internal bioluminescent sources. In addition, system noise and the cosmic rays noise are present. This influences the quality of the images and makes it difficult to analyze. The purpose of this thesis is to overcome these disturbing effects. We first have proposed an image formation model for the bioluminescence images. The processing chain is constituted by a filtering stage followed by a deconvolution stage. We have proposed a new median filter to suppress the random value impulsive noise which corrupts the acquired images; this filter represents the first block of the proposed chain. For the deconvolution stage, we have performed a comparative study of various deconvolution algorithms. It allowed us to choose a blind deconvolution algorithm initialized with the estimated point spread function of the acquisition system. At first, we have validated our global approach by comparing our obtained results with the ground truth. Through various clinical tests, we have shown that the processing chain allows a significant improvement of the spatial resolution and a better distinction of very close tumor sources, what represents considerable contribution for the users of bioluminescence images. (author)

Quantifying the limitations of small animal positron emission tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oxley, D.C. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom)], E-mail: dco@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk; Boston, A.J.; Boston, H.C.; Cooper, R.J.; Cresswell, J.R.; Grint, A.N.; Nolan, P.J.; Scraggs, D.P. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Lazarus, I.H. [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, WA4 4AD Cheshire (United Kingdom); Beveridge, T.E. [School of Materials and Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

2009-06-01

The application of position sensitive semiconductor detectors in medical imaging is a field of global research interest. The Monte-Carlo simulation toolkit GEANT4 [ (http://geant4.web.cern.ch/geant4/)] was employed to improve the understanding of detailed {gamma}-ray interactions within the small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET), high-purity germanium (HPGe) imaging system, SmartPET [A.J. Boston, et al., Oral contribution, ANL, Chicago, USA, 2006]. This system has shown promising results in the field of PET [R.J. Cooper, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A (2009), accepted for publication] and Compton camera imaging [J.E. Gillam, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 579 (2007) 76]. Images for a selection of single and multiple point, line and phantom sources were successfully reconstructed using both a filtered-back-projection (FBP) [A.R. Mather, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2007] and an iterative reconstruction algorithm [A.R. Mather, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2007]. Simulated data were exploited as an alternative route to a reconstructed image allowing full quantification of the image distortions introduced in each phase of the data processing. Quantifying the contribution of uncertainty in all system components from detector to reconstruction algorithm allows the areas in need of most attention on the SmartPET project and semiconductor PET to be addressed.

Cancer screening tests for small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Schleis, Stephanie E

2014-09-01

Cancer is increasingly more common. Several tests for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in companion animals have been developed. Screening tests discussed include those for lymphoid neoplasia, hemangiosarcoma, and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. None of these tests should be used in isolation for diagnosis. Vincristine and doxorubicin are mainstays in the treatment of canine lymphoma. However, it is important and accepted practice to test individuals of predisposed breeds for this mutation before administering these drugs in a lymphoma protocol. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling and characterization of a SPECT system with pinhole collimation for the imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auer, Benjamin

2017-01-01

My thesis work focuses on the development of several quantitative reconstruction methods dedicated to small animal Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). The latter is based on modeling the acquisition process of the 4-heads pinhole SPECT system available at Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC) and fully integrated to the AMISSA platform using Monte Carlo simulations. The system matrix approach, combined with the OS-EM iterative reconstruction algorithm, enabled to characterize the system performances and to compare it to the state of the art. Sensitivity of about 0,027% in the center of the field of view associated to a tomographic spatial resolution of 0, 875 ± 0, 025 mm were obtained. The major drawbacks of Monte Carlo methods led us to develop an efficient and simplified modeling of the physical effects occurring in the subject. My approach based on a system matrix decomposition, associated to a scatter pre-calculated database method, demonstrated an acceptable time for a daily imaging subject follow-up (∼ 1 h), leading to a personalized imaging reconstruction (article accepted). The inherent approximations of the scatter pre-calculated approach (first order scattering modeling and segmented emission) have a moderate impact on the recovery coefficients results, nevertheless a correction of about 10% was achieved. (author) [fr

[The small pox vaccine: its first century in Brazil (from the Jennerian to the animal vaccine)].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, T

1999-01-01

Covering a period of roughly hundred years, the article looks at some of the more meaningful events during the period in which the small pox vaccine was institutionalized in Brazil. Discoveries and discussions then taking place in other countries are also examined, particularly as they influenced Brazil. The process is followed from introduction of the human vaccine to the arrival of the animal vaccine and creation of the Municipal Vaccine Institute--a private initative by physician Pedro Affonso Franco, also known as the barao de Pedro Affonso. Adoption of the animal vaccine not only represented progress in controlling the disease but also spurred discussions that saw medical and political groups in Brazil taking sides with either Oswaldo Cruz or the barao de Pedro Affonso. The debate continued within the academic and political arenas until the Vaccine Institute was made part of the Manguinhos laboratories.

A comprehensive system for dosimetric commissioning and Monte Carlo validation for the small animal radiation research platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Tryggestad, E; Armour, M; Iordachita, I; Verhaegen, F; Wong, J W

2009-09-07

Our group has constructed the small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) for delivering focal, kilo-voltage radiation to targets in small animals under robotic control using cone-beam CT guidance. The present work was undertaken to support the SARRP's treatment planning capabilities. We have devised a comprehensive system for characterizing the radiation dosimetry in water for the SARRP and have developed a Monte Carlo dose engine with the intent of reproducing these measured results. We find that the SARRP provides sufficient therapeutic dose rates ranging from 102 to 228 cGy min(-1) at 1 cm depth for the available set of high-precision beams ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm in size. In terms of depth-dose, the mean of the absolute percentage differences between the Monte Carlo calculations and measurement is 3.4% over the full range of sampled depths spanning 0.5-7.2 cm for the 3 and 5 mm beams. The measured and computed profiles for these beams agree well overall; of note, good agreement is observed in the profile tails. Especially for the smallest 0.5 and 1 mm beams, including a more realistic description of the effective x-ray source into the Monte Carlo model may be important.

A comprehensive system for dosimetric commissioning and Monte Carlo validation for the small animal radiation research platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tryggestad, E; Armour, M; Wong, J W [Deptartment of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Iordachita, I [Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Verhaegen, F [Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO Physics), GROW School, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht (Netherlands)

2009-09-07

Our group has constructed the small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) for delivering focal, kilo-voltage radiation to targets in small animals under robotic control using cone-beam CT guidance. The present work was undertaken to support the SARRP's treatment planning capabilities. We have devised a comprehensive system for characterizing the radiation dosimetry in water for the SARRP and have developed a Monte Carlo dose engine with the intent of reproducing these measured results. We find that the SARRP provides sufficient therapeutic dose rates ranging from 102 to 228 cGy min{sup -1} at 1 cm depth for the available set of high-precision beams ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm in size. In terms of depth-dose, the mean of the absolute percentage differences between the Monte Carlo calculations and measurement is 3.4% over the full range of sampled depths spanning 0.5-7.2 cm for the 3 and 5 mm beams. The measured and computed profiles for these beams agree well overall; of note, good agreement is observed in the profile tails. Especially for the smallest 0.5 and 1 mm beams, including a more realistic description of the effective x-ray source into the Monte Carlo model may be important.

Endoscopic Cerenkov luminescence imaging: in vivo small animal tumor model validation

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Tianming; Bao, Chengpeng; Hu, Zhenhua; Wang, Kun; Liu, Xia; Tian, Jie

2015-03-01

Background: Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) provides a great potential for clinical translation of optical molecular imaging techniques through using clinical approved radiotracers. However, it is difficult to obtain the Cerenkov luminescence signal of deeper biological tissues due to the small magnitude of the signal. To efficiently acquire the weak Cerenkov luminescence, we developed an endoscopic Cerenkov luminescence imaging (ECLI) system to reduce the in vivo imaging depth with minimum invasion, and validated the system on small animal tumor models. Methods: For the ECLI system, the laparoscope was connected to a high sensitive charge-couple device (CCD) camera (DU888+, Andor, UK) by a custom made adapter. We conducted a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments by use of the system. In the in vitro experiment, the endoscopic luminescence images of the 18F-FDG with various activities in EP tubes were acquired using ECLI system, and the sensitivity was compared with conventional CLI system. In the in vivo tumor experiment, 18F-FDG with the activity of 200μCi were intravenously injected into 3 tumor mice. Then the ECLI system was used to acquire the optical images for both non-invasive and invasive conditions. Conclusion: Experimental data showed the ECLI system could detect the 18F-FDG with the activity as low as 1μCi. Furthermore, our preliminary results indicated the possibility of ECLI technique for detecting Cerenkov signals inside the tumor tissue with deeper depth and guiding the surgical operation of tumor excision. We believe that this technique can help to accelerate the clinical translation of CLI.

Digital signal processing applied to crystal identification in Positron Emission Tomography dedicated to small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontaine, Rejean; Viscogliosi, Nicolas; Semmaoui, Hicham; Belanger, Francois; Lemieux, Francois; Tetrault, Marc-Andre; Michaud, Jean-Baptiste; Berard, Philippe; Cadorette, Jules; Pepin, Catherine M.; Lecomte, Roger

2007-01-01

The recent introduction of all-digital electronic architecture in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners, enables new paradigms to be explored for extracting relevant information from the detector signals, such as energy, time and crystal identification. The LabPET TM small animal scanner, which implements free-running 45-MHz sampling directly at the output of the charge sensitive preamplifiers, provides an excellent platform to test such advanced digital algorithms. A real-time identification method, based on an Auto-Regressive Moving-Average (ARMA) scheme, was tested for discriminating between LYSO (t r ∼40 ns) and LGSO (t r ∼65 ns) scintillators in phoswich detectors, coupled to a single Avalanche Photodiode (APD). Even with a low energy threshold of 250 keV applied individually, error rates 10%, typically with conventional analog pulse shape discrimination techniques. Such digital crystal identification techniques can be readily implemented with phoswich detectors for improving spatial resolution in PET, either by increasing crystal pixellization or by mitigating parallax errors through depth-of-interaction determination. It also allows to reduce the event rate presented to the real-time coincidence engine by applying a low energy limit at the crystal granularity and rejecting more Compton photons

Sinography in the investigation of draining tracts in small animals: retrospective review of 25 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, C.R.; White, R.N.; McEvoy, F.J.

1994-01-01

The signalment, history, clinical signs, radiographic findings, and surgical findings of 25 consecutive animals that had sinography were reviewed to assess the contribution made by sinography to diagnosing and surgically managing draining tracts in small animals. There were 23 dogs and 2 cats; a variety of breeds and both sexes were represented (18 males, 7 females). Before referral the mean duration of clinical signs was 9.8 months (range, 0.5 to 33 months) and a mean of 2.0 surgical procedures (range, 1 to 5) had been performed. Sinuses occurred in a variety of locations, most commonly the neck (10), head (6), and paws (5). The most common cause was foreign body (15). Survey radiographs showed abnormalities in 21 of 26 (78%) instances, including soft-tissue swelling (11), chronic-appearing periosteal reaction on adjacent bones (5), possible foreign body (4), and gas in soft tissues (2). Sinography (or fistulography) enabled definite diagnosis of the cause of the sinus (or fistula) in 15 of 26 (58%) instances and demonstrated 13 of 15 foreign bodies (sensitivity 87%; specificity 100%). Tracts caused by an esophageal perforation and otitis media were also correctly shown by fistulography. In 11 animals, sinography indicated that the position or extent of the lesion was different to that expected on the basis of clinical signs and survey radiographs

Real-time bladder volume monitoring by the application of a new implantable bladder volume sensor for a small animal model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Sup Lee

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Although real-time monitoring of bladder volume together with intravesical pressure can provide more information for understanding the functional changes of the urinary bladder, it still entails difficulties in the accurate prediction of real-time bladder volume in urodynamic studies with small animal models. We studied a new implantable bladder volume monitoring device with eight rats. During cystometry, microelectrodes prepared by the microelectromechanical systems process were placed symmetrically on both lateral walls of the bladder, and the expanded bladder volume was calculated. Immunohistological study was done after 1 week and after 4 weeks to evaluate the biocompatibility of the microelectrode. From the point that infused saline volume into the bladder was higher than 0.6 mL, estimated bladder volume was statistically correlated with the volume of saline injected (p<0.01. Additionally, the microelectromechanical system microelectrodes used in this study showed reliable biocompatibility. Therefore, the device can be used to evaluate changes in bladder volume in studies with small animals, and it may help to provide more information about functional changes in the bladder in laboratory studies. Furthermore, owing to its biocompatibility, the device could be chronically implanted in conscious ambulating animals, thus allowing a novel longitudinal study to be performed for a specific purpose.

Small prey species' behaviour and welfare: implications for veterinary professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, E Anne

2017-08-01

People have obligations to ensure the welfare of animals under their care. Offences under the UK Animal Welfare Act are acts, or failures of action, causing unnecessary suffering. Veterinary professionals need to be able to provide current, scientifically based prophylactic advice, and respect the limits of their expertise. The ethical concept of a life worth living and the Five Freedoms are core to welfare. Behaviour is a central component, both influencing and influenced by physical health. Owners frequently misunderstand the behaviour of small prey mammals and how to meet their needs. This review provides insight into the physical-social (external) and the cognitive-emotional (internal) environments of small prey mammals, contextualised within an evolutionary perspective. This is extrapolated to captivity and practical suggestions given for meeting behavioural freedoms and enhancing client understanding and enjoyment of their animals, thereby improving welfare. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Industrial halal meat production and animal welfare: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Farouk, M M; Pufpaff, K M; Amir, M

2016-10-01

Islam teaches zero-tolerance to all forms of animal abuse throughout the halal meat production supply chain and demands that when animals are slaughtered, they must be slaughtered in the mindful and attentive way espoused by the Prophet Muhammad. Why then are poor practices and animal welfare abuses still occurring during halal meat production, and how can they be reduced or eliminated? In this review we discuss how improvements might be achieved through: (1) training of staff regarding the religious and regulatory requirements of animal welfare from on-farm to slaughter; (2) empathy and compassion assessment of applicants prior to employment; (3) installation of CCTV cameras around lairage and slaughter sites; (4) regular employee follow-up training to minimise 'compassion fatigue'; (5) incorporating animal welfare requirements in halal certification; (6) using mosque-based sermons by Imams to increase awareness of animal welfare issues; and (7) making portable humane slaughter units available to small cottage operations and home/neighbourhood-kills through mosque-based organizations/structures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Instruments for radiation measurement in life sciences (5), ''Development of imaging technology in life sciences'' III. Development of small animal PET scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaya, Taiga; Murayama, Hideo

2006-01-01

This paper summarizes the requisites for small animal PET scanners, present state of their market and of their development in National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS). Relative to the apparatus clinically used, the requisites involve the high spatial resolution of 0.8-1.5 mm and high sensitivity of the equipment itself due to low dose of the tracer to be given to animals. At present, more than 20 institutions like universities, research facilities and companies are developing the PET equipment for small animals and about 10 machines are in the market. However, their resolution and sensitivity are not fully satisfactory and for their improvement, investigators are paying attention to the gamma ray measurement by depth-of-interaction (DOI) method. NIRS has been also developing the machine jPET-D4 and has proposed to manufacture jPET-RD having 4-layer DOI detectors with the absolute central sensitivity as high as 14.7%. jPET-RD is to have the spatial resolution as high as <1mm (central view) and -1.4 mm (periphery). (T.I.)

Animal computer interaction (ACI) & designing for animal interaction (AXD)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morrison, Ann Judith; Turner, Jane; Farley, Helen

2017-01-01

This workshop invites researchers and practitioners from HCI and related fields who work in some capacity with animals and who recognise the sentient nature of their being. We call for those who want to better understand how to work with animals and learn from them. We are a small team looking...... to build an Australian chapter of the Animal Computer Interaction Community. The workshop will elicit discussion, forge new partnerships and head up a new group on the state of the art within this field in Australia, including comparative international studies. For more information see http://www.ozaci.org/...

Design of an advanced positron emission tomography detector system and algorithms for imaging small animal models of human disease

Science.gov (United States)

Foudray, Angela Marie Klohs

Detecting, quantifying and visualizing biochemical mechanism in a living system without perturbing function is the goal of the instrument and algorithms designed in this thesis. Biochemical mechanisms of cells have long been known to be dependent on the signals they receive from their environment. Studying biological processes of cells in-vitro can vastly distort their function, since you are removing them from their natural chemical signaling environment. Mice have become the biological system of choice for various areas of biomedical research due to their genetic and physiological similarities with humans, the relatively low cost of their care, and their quick breeding cycle. Drug development and efficacy assessment along with disease detection, management, and mechanism research all have benefited from the use of small animal models of human disease. A high resolution, high sensitivity, three-dimensional (3D) positioning positron emission tomography (PET) detector system was designed through device characterization and Monte Carlo simulation. Position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs) were characterized in various packaging configurations; coupled to various configurations of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) scintillation crystals. Forty novelly packaged final design devices were constructed and characterized, each providing characteristics superior to commercially available scintillation detectors used in small animal imaging systems: ˜1mm crystal identification, 14-15% of 511 keV energy resolution, and averaging 1.9 to 5.6 ns coincidence time resolution. A closed-cornered box-shaped detector configuration was found to provide optimal photon sensitivity (˜10.5% in the central plane) using dual LSO-PSAPD scintillation detector modules and Monte Carlo simulation. Standard figures of merit were used to determine optimal system acquisition parameters. A realistic model for constituent devices was developed for understanding the signals reported by the

Use of scanner characteristics in iterative image reconstruction for high-resolution positron emission tomography studies of small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brix, G. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Doll, J. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Bellemann, M.E. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Trojan, H. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Haberkorn, U. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Schmidlin, P. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Ostertag, H. [Research Program ``Radiological Diagnostics and Therapy``, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany)

1997-07-01

The purpose of this work was to improve of the spatial resolution of a whole-body PET system for experimental studies of small animals by incorporation of scanner characteristics into the process of iterative image reconstruction. The image-forming characteristics of the PET camera were characterized by a spatially variant line-spread function (LSF), which was determined from 49 activated copper-64 line sources positioned over a field of view (FOV) of 21.0 cm. During the course of iterative image reconstruction, the forward projection of the estimated image was blurred with the LSF at each iteration step before the estimated projections were compared with the measured projections. Moreover, imaging studies of a rat and two nude mice were performed to evaluate the imaging properties of our approach in vivo. The spatial resolution of the scanner perpendicular to the direction of projection could be approximated by a one-dimensional Gaussian-shaped LSF with a full-width at half-maximum increasing from 6.5 mm at the centre to 6.7 mm at a radial distance of 10.5 cm. The incorporation of this blurring kernel into the iteration formula resulted in a significantly improved spatial resolution of about 3.9 mm over the examined FOV. As demonstrated by the phantom and the animal experiments, the high-resolution algorithm not only led to a better contrast resolution in the reconstructed emission scans but also improved the accuracy for quantitating activity concentrations in small tissue structures without leading to an amplification of image noise or image mottle. The presented data-handling strategy incorporates the image restoration step directly into the process of algebraic image reconstruction and obviates the need for ill-conditioned ``deconvolution`` procedures to be performed on the projections or on the reconstructed image. In our experience, the proposed algorithm is of special interest in experimental studies of small animals. (orig./AJ). With 9 figs.

Use of scanner characteristics in iterative image reconstruction for high-resolution positron emission tomography studies of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brix, G.; Doll, J.; Bellemann, M.E.; Trojan, H.; Haberkorn, U.; Schmidlin, P.; Ostertag, H.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this work was to improve of the spatial resolution of a whole-body PET system for experimental studies of small animals by incorporation of scanner characteristics into the process of iterative image reconstruction. The image-forming characteristics of the PET camera were characterized by a spatially variant line-spread function (LSF), which was determined from 49 activated copper-64 line sources positioned over a field of view (FOV) of 21.0 cm. During the course of iterative image reconstruction, the forward projection of the estimated image was blurred with the LSF at each iteration step before the estimated projections were compared with the measured projections. Moreover, imaging studies of a rat and two nude mice were performed to evaluate the imaging properties of our approach in vivo. The spatial resolution of the scanner perpendicular to the direction of projection could be approximated by a one-dimensional Gaussian-shaped LSF with a full-width at half-maximum increasing from 6.5 mm at the centre to 6.7 mm at a radial distance of 10.5 cm. The incorporation of this blurring kernel into the iteration formula resulted in a significantly improved spatial resolution of about 3.9 mm over the examined FOV. As demonstrated by the phantom and the animal experiments, the high-resolution algorithm not only led to a better contrast resolution in the reconstructed emission scans but also improved the accuracy for quantitating activity concentrations in small tissue structures without leading to an amplification of image noise or image mottle. The presented data-handling strategy incorporates the image restoration step directly into the process of algebraic image reconstruction and obviates the need for ill-conditioned ''deconvolution'' procedures to be performed on the projections or on the reconstructed image. In our experience, the proposed algorithm is of special interest in experimental studies of small animals. (orig./AJ). With 9 figs

Development and applications of TOHR, an original emission tomography system, adapted to small animals; Developpement et applications de TOHR, un systeme original de tomographie d`emission, adapte au petit animal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ploux, Lydie [Inst. de Physique Nucleaire, Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France)

1997-12-11

For many neuro-biological studies, it is necessary to link microscopic aspects of the brain`s organization with integrated brain functions. Details of the former are obtained by in vitro and in situ molecular biology techniques, whereas the latter are acquired through behavioural studies. In vivo radio-imaging methods, like emission tomography are the ideal tools to investigate the links between these two levels of brain organization. The work which is presented here focuses on a new approach of emission tomography adapted to small animal studies: TOHR (French, acronym for TOmographe Haute Resolution). The principle is based on the use of a large solid angle, high resolution and high efficiency focusing collimator. High resolution and high signal to noise ratio are improved by using nuclides having a two-photon decay with small angular correlation ({sup 125}I, {sup 123}I, {sup 111}In,...). The image is built step-by-step, by moving the animal relative to the collimator focal point. First, numerical simulation showed the possibility of reaching sub-millimetric resolutions; these results led to the collimator geometry (at present 10 over the 20 faces of an icosahedron, 15 faces in the future). Then, a prototype of TOHR has been built and characterized. Its performance is very close to the numerical prediction: spatial resolution of 1.4 mm and detection efficiency 0.64%. Finally, experiments on a rat thyroid allowed the preparation and realization of the first experiments on a rat striatum. The good quality of these images shows that it is now possible to evaluate TOHR capabilities on a dopaminergic neuron degeneration model in rats in the field of neuro-degenerative disease studies. (author) 51 refs., 76 figs., 28 tabs.

Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skuterud, L.; Strand, P. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway); Howard, B.J. [Inst. of Terrestrial Ecology (United Kingdom)

1997-10-01

The radionuclides of most concern with respect to contamination of animals after a nuclear accident are radioiodine, radiocaesium and radiostrontium (ICRP 30, 1979). Of the other significant anthropogenic radionuclides likely to be released in most accidents, only small proportions of that ingested will be absorbed in an animals gut, and the main animal products, milk and meat, will not normally be contaminated to a significant extent. Animal products will mostly be contaminated as a result of ingestion of contaminated feed and possibly, but to a much lesser extent, from inhalation (for radioiodine only). Direct external contamination of animals is of little or no consequence in human food production. Radioiodine and radiostrontium are important with respect to contamination of milk; radiocaesium contaminates both milk and meat. The physical and chemical form of a radionuclide can influence its absorption in the animal gut. For example, following the Chernobyl accident radiocaesium incorporated into vegetation by root uptake was more readily absorbed than that associated with the original deposit. The transfer of radiocaesium and radiostrontium to animals will be presented both as transfer coefficients and aggregated transfer coefficients. For most animal meat products, only radiocaesium is important as other radionuclides do not significantly contaminate muscle. Farm animal products are the most important foodstuff determining radiocaesium intake by the average consumer in the Nordic countries. The major potential source of radioiodine and radiostrontium to humans is milk and milk products. Of the different species, the smaller animals have the highest transfer of radiocaesium from fodder to meat and milk. (EG). 68 refs.

Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skuterud, L.; Strand, P.; Howard, B.J.

1997-01-01

The radionuclides of most concern with respect to contamination of animals after a nuclear accident are radioiodine, radiocaesium and radiostrontium (ICRP 30, 1979). Of the other significant anthropogenic radionuclides likely to be released in most accidents, only small proportions of that ingested will be absorbed in an animals gut, and the main animal products, milk and meat, will not normally be contaminated to a significant extent. Animal products will mostly be contaminated as a result of ingestion of contaminated feed and possibly, but to a much lesser extent, from inhalation (for radioiodine only). Direct external contamination of animals is of little or no consequence in human food production. Radioiodine and radiostrontium are important with respect to contamination of milk; radiocaesium contaminates both milk and meat. The physical and chemical form of a radionuclide can influence its absorption in the animal gut. For example, following the Chernobyl accident radiocaesium incorporated into vegetation by root uptake was more readily absorbed than that associated with the original deposit. The transfer of radiocaesium and radiostrontium to animals will be presented both as transfer coefficients and aggregated transfer coefficients. For most animal meat products, only radiocaesium is important as other radionuclides do not significantly contaminate muscle. Farm animal products are the most important foodstuff determining radiocaesium intake by the average consumer in the Nordic countries. The major potential source of radioiodine and radiostrontium to humans is milk and milk products. Of the different species, the smaller animals have the highest transfer of radiocaesium from fodder to meat and milk. (EG)

MOSFET assessment of radiation dose delivered to mice using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP).

Science.gov (United States)

Ngwa, Wilfred; Korideck, Houari; Chin, Lee M; Makrigiorgos, G Mike; Berbeco, Ross I

2011-12-01

The Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) is a novel isocentric irradiation system that enables state-of-the-art image-guided radiotherapy research to be performed with animal models. This paper reports the results obtained from investigations assessing the radiation dose delivered by the SARRP to different anatomical target volumes in mice. Surgically implanted metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) dosimeters were employed for the dose assessment. The results reveal differences between the calculated and measured dose of -3.5 to 0.5%, -5.2 to -0.7%, -3.9 to 0.5%, -5.9 to 2.5%, -5.5 to 0.5%, and -4.3 to 0% for the left kidney, liver, pancreas, prostate, left lung, and brain, respectively. Overall, the findings show less than 6% difference between the delivered and calculated dose, without tissue heterogeneity corrections. These results provide a useful assessment of the need for tissue heterogeneity corrections in SARRP dose calculations for clinically relevant tumor model sites.

Animal Models of Hemophilia

Science.gov (United States)

Sabatino, Denise E.; Nichols, Timothy C.; Merricks, Elizabeth; Bellinger, Dwight A.; Herzog, Roland W.; Monahan, Paul E.

2013-01-01

The X-linked bleeding disorder hemophilia is caused by mutations in coagulation factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B). Unless prophylactic treatment is provided, patients with severe disease (less than 1% clotting activity) typically experience frequent spontaneous bleeds. Current treatment is largely based on intravenous infusion of recombinant or plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrate. More effective factor products are being developed. Moreover, gene therapies for sustained correction of hemophilia are showing much promise in pre-clinical studies and in clinical trials. These advances in molecular medicine heavily depend on availability of well-characterized small and large animal models of hemophilia, primarily hemophilia mice and dogs. Experiments in these animals represent important early and intermediate steps of translational research aimed at development of better and safer treatments for hemophilia, such a protein and gene therapies or immune tolerance protocols. While murine models are excellent for studies of large groups of animals using genetically defined strains, canine models are important for testing scale-up and for longer-term follow-up as well as for studies that require larger blood volumes. PMID:22137432

[Strategic considerations on the design and choice of animal models for non-clinical investigations of cell-based medicinal products].

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Jörg; Schulz, Ronny M; Sanzenbacher, Ralf

2015-11-01

For the development of medicinal products animal models are still indispensable to demonstrate efficacy and safety prior to first use in humans. Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP), which include cell-based medicinal products (CBMP), differ in their pharmacology and toxicology compared to conventional pharmaceuticals, and thus, require an adapted regime for non-clinical development. Developers are, therefore, challenged to develop particular individual concepts and to reconcile these with regulatory agencies. Guidelines issued by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other sources can provide direction.The published approaches for non-clinical testing of efficacy document that homologous animal models where the therapeutic effect is investigated in a disease-relevant animal model utilizing cells derived from the same species are commonly used. The challenge is that the selected model should reflect the human disease in all critical features and that the cells should be comparable to the investigated human medicinal product in terms of quality and biological activity. This is not achievable in all cases. In these cases, alternative methods may provide supplemental information. To demonstrate the scientific proof-of-concept (PoC), small animal models such as mice or rats are preferred. During the subsequent product development phase, large animal models (i.e. sheep, minipigs, dogs) must be considered, as they may better reflect the anatomical or physiological situation in humans. In addition to efficacy, those models may also be suitable to prove some safety aspects of ATMP (e.g. regarding dose finding, local tolerance, or undesired interactions and effects of the administered cells in the target tissue). In contrast, for evaluation of the two prominent endpoints for characterizing the safety of ATMP (i.e. biodistribution, tumorigenicity) heterologous small animal models, especially immunodeficient mouse strains

A high resolution small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) with x-ray tomographic guidance capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, John; Armour, Elwood; Kazanzides, Peter; Iordachita, Iulian; Tryggestad, Erik; Deng, Hua; Matinfar, Mohammad; Kennedy, Christopher; Liu, Zejian; Chan, Timothy; Gray, Owen; Verhaegen, Frank; McNutt, Todd; Ford, Eric; DeWeese, Theodore L.

2008-01-01

Purpose To demonstrate the CT imaging, conformal irradiation and treatment planning capabilities of a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP). Methods The SARRP employs a dual-focal spot, constant voltage x-ray source mounted on a gantry with a source-to-isocenter distance of 35 cm. Gantry rotation is limited to 120° from vertical. Eighty to 100 kVp x-rays from the smaller 0.4 mm focal spot are used for imaging. Both 0.4 mm and 3.0 mm focal spots operate at 225 kVp for irradiation. Robotic translate/rotate stages are used to position the animal. Cone-beam (CB) CT imaging is achieved by rotating the horizontal animal between the stationary x-ray source and a flat-panel detector. Radiation beams range from 0.5 mm in diameter to (60 × 60) mm2. Dosimetry is measured with radio-chromic films. Monte Carlo dose calculations are employed for treatment planning. The combination of gantry and robotic stage motions facilitate conformal irradiation. Results The SARRP spans 3 ft × 4 ft × 6 ft (WxLxH). Depending on filtration, the isocenter dose outputs at 1 cm depth in water range from 22 to 375 cGy/min from the smallest to the largest radiation fields. The 20% to 80% dose fall-off spans 0.16 mm. CBCT with (0.6 × 0.6 × 0.6) mm3 voxel resolution is acquired with less than 1 cGy. Treatment planning is performed at sub-mm resolution. Conclusions The capability of the SARRP to deliver highly focal beams to multiple animal model systems provides new research opportunities that more realistically bridge laboratory research and clinical translation. PMID:18640502

Testing the new animal phylogeny: a phylum level molecular analysis of the animal kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourlat, Sarah J; Nielsen, Claus; Economou, Andrew D; Telford, Maximilian J

2008-10-01

The new animal phylogeny inferred from ribosomal genes some years ago has prompted a number of radical rearrangements of the traditional, morphology based metazoan tree. The two main bilaterian clades, Deuterostomia and Protostomia, find strong support, but the protostomes consist of two sister groups, Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa, not seen in morphology based trees. Although widely accepted, not all recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have supported the tripartite structure of the new animal phylogeny. Furthermore, even if the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) based phylogeny is correct, there is a frustrating lack of resolution of relationships between the phyla that make up the three clades of this tree. To address this issue, we have assembled a dataset including a large number of aligned sequence positions as well as a broad sampling of metazoan phyla. Our dataset consists of sequence data from ribosomal and mitochondrial genes combined with new data from protein coding genes (5139 amino acid and 3524 nucleotide positions in total) from 37 representative taxa sampled across the Metazoa. Our data show strong support for the basic structure of the new animal phylogeny as well as for the Mandibulata including Myriapoda. We also provide some resolution within the Lophotrochozoa, where we confirm support for a monophyletic clade of Echiura, Sipuncula and Annelida and surprising evidence of a close relationship between Brachiopoda and Nemertea.

Animal Models of Zika Virus

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Michael P; Nagamine, Claude M

2017-01-01

Zika virus has garnered great attention over the last several years, as outbreaks of the disease have emerged throughout the Western Hemisphere. Until quite recently Zika virus was considered a fairly benign virus, with limited clinical severity in both people and animals. The size and scope of the outbreak in the Western Hemisphere has allowed for the identification of severe clinical disease that is associated with Zika virus infection, most notably microcephaly among newborns, and an association with Guillian–Barré syndrome in adults. This recent association with severe clinical disease, of which further analysis strongly suggested causation by Zika virus, has resulted in a massive increase in the amount of both basic and applied research of this virus. Both small and large animal models are being used to uncover the pathogenesis of this emerging disease and to develop vaccine and therapeutic strategies. Here we review the animal-model–based Zika virus research that has been performed to date. PMID:28662753

Animal ethics based on friendship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fröding, B.; Peterson, M.B.

2011-01-01

This article discusses some aspects of animal ethics from an Aristotelian virtue ethics point of view. Because the notion of friendship (philia) is central to Aristotle's ethical theory, the focus of the article is whether humans and animals can be friends. It is argued that new empirical findings

Chemical sterilisation of animals: A review of the use of zinc- and CaCl2 based solutions in male and female animals and factors likely to improve responses to treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavalieri, John

2017-06-01

Chemical sterilisation can be used as an alternative to surgical castration in some circumstances. This review focuses on responses to treatment with zinc- or CaCl 2 -based chemosterilants, factors that have affected treatments and their potential use to sterilise female cattle. Successful treatment with a low incidence of adverse side effects in male animals has occurred with the use of zinc gluconate (ZG), neutralised in arginine and a 20% solution of CaCl 2 in ethanol. Injection technique plays an important role in success. Less satisfactory results appear to occur following use in animals with relatively larger testes. In animals with relatively small testes adjustment of the dose according to testicular size appears to optimise results. The techniques appear to be most suited to population control strategies in companion animals where low cost treatment of animals in environments where surgical facilities and specialised aftercare are lacking. The need for careful administration and likely slower speed of administration compared to surgical castration are likely to hamper application within the cattle industries. Recently transvaginal, intraovarian administration of CaCl 2 in ethanol has been shown to cause complete ovarian atrophy without apparent pain in some heifers, although variable responses were found. Chemical sterilisation can play a role in the sterilisation of animals but careful attention to dose, volume, chemical composition, administration technique are needed to avoid adverse side effects and variability in responses associated with some treatments. Application in female animals requires further study but CaCl 2 in ethanol can potentially cause complete ovarian atrophy when administered to heifers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy resolution of a four-layer depth of interaction detector block for small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuda, Tomoaki; Kawai, Hideyuki; Orita, Narimichi; Murayama, Hideo; Yoshida, Eiji; Inadama, Naoko; Yamaya, Taiga; Omura, Tomohide

2004-01-01

We are now planning to develop a positron emission tomograph dedicated to small animals such as rats and mice which meets the demand for higher sensitivity. We proposed a new depth of interaction (DOI) detector arrangement to obtain DOI information by using a four-layer detector with all the same crystal elements. In this DOI detector, we control the behavior of scintillation photons by inserting the reflectors between crystal elements so that the DOI information of four layers can be extracted from one two-dimensional (2D) position histogram made by Anger-type calculation. In this work, we evaluate the energy resolution of this four-layer DOI detector. (author)

Application of photostable quantum dots for indirect immunofluorescent detection of specific bacterial serotypes on small marine animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decho, Alan W; Beckman, Erin M; Chandler, G Thomas; Kawaguchi, Tomohiro

2008-01-01

An indirect immunofluorescence approach was developed using semiconductor quantum dot nanocrystals to label and detect a specific bacterial serotype of the bacterial human pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus, attached to small marine animals (i.e. benthic harpacticoid copepods), which are suspected pathogen carriers. This photostable labeling method using nanotechnology will potentially allow specific serotypes of other bacterial pathogens to be detected with high sensitivity in a range of systems, and can be easily applied for sensitive detection to other Vibrio species such as Vibrio cholerae

Animals & Livestock | National Agricultural Library

Science.gov (United States)

News Contact Us Search  Log inRegister Home Home Animals & Livestock NEWT: National Extension fisher occupancy of small, 1 km^2^ grid cells of forest habitat. Animals and Livestock html Data from consisting of IL-12Rβ1 and IL-23R, and activates the JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Animals and Livestock html

77 FR 39385 - Receipts-Based, Small Business Size Standard

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-03

.... The NRC is increasing its receipts-based, small business size standard from $6.5 million to $7 million...-based, small business size standard increasing from $6.5 million to $7.0 million. This adjustment is to... regulatory programs. The NRC is increasing its receipts-based, small business size standard from $6.5 million...

The Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Response to Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vliet, Stephan; Burd, Nicholas A; van Loon, Luc J C

2015-09-01

Clinical and consumer market interest is increasingly directed toward the use of plant-based proteins as dietary components aimed at preserving or increasing skeletal muscle mass. However, recent evidence suggests that the ingestion of the plant-based proteins in soy and wheat results in a lower muscle protein synthetic response when compared with several animal-based proteins. The possible lower anabolic properties of plant-based protein sources may be attributed to the lower digestibility of plant-based sources, in addition to greater splanchnic extraction and subsequent urea synthesis of plant protein-derived amino acids compared with animal-based proteins. The latter may be related to the relative lack of specific essential amino acids in plant- as opposed to animal-based proteins. Furthermore, most plant proteins have a relatively low leucine content, which may further reduce their anabolic properties when compared with animal proteins. However, few studies have actually assessed the postprandial muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of plant proteins, with soy and wheat protein being the primary sources studied. Despite the proposed lower anabolic properties of plant vs. animal proteins, various strategies may be applied to augment the anabolic properties of plant proteins. These may include the following: 1) fortification of plant-based protein sources with the amino acids methionine, lysine, and/or leucine; 2) selective breeding of plant sources to improve amino acid profiles; 3) consumption of greater amounts of plant-based protein sources; or 4) ingesting multiple protein sources to provide a more balanced amino acid profile. However, the efficacy of such dietary strategies on postprandial muscle protein synthesis remains to be studied. Future research comparing the anabolic properties of a variety of plant-based proteins should define the preferred protein sources to be used in nutritional interventions to support skeletal muscle mass gain

Assessment of bacterial contamination in the sectors of Clinical Medicine and Surgery Small Animal Veterinary Hospital, UFCG, PB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafaela Alves Dias

2015-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT. Dias R.A., Souza A.P. & Garino Júnior F. [Assessment of bacterial contamination in the sectors of Clinical Medicine and Surgery Small Animal Veterinary Hospital, UFCG, PB.] Avaliação da contaminação bacteriana nos setores de Clínica e Cirurgia de Pequenos Animais do Hospital Veterinário da UFCG, PB. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(2:173-177, 2015. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitária, s/n, Bairro Santa Cecília, Patos, PB 58708-110, Brasil. E-mail: rafa.ad@hotmail.com With this study aimed to evaluate bacterial contamination sectors Clinic and Surgery Small Animal Veterinary Hospital UFCG, in order to prevent infections in patients attending hospital. An assessment of the environmental contamination of sectors before and after disinfection, where was collected samples of air, surfaces and hands of people who deal directly with the animals. Then the test was made of the effectiveness of disinfectants used. Of the 40 samples collected, was identified in 5 of them (12.5% Enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebisiella pneumoniae and in 22 samples (55% was identified Staphylococcus coagulase negative and positive. Was seen in the quantitative analysis that the number of cfu in some sample was above the indicated. The test showed that the disinfectant solution was effective against all micro-organisms found in the environments. The results indicate that more attention to procedures performed in the disinfection of areas evaluated, and also include measures to prevent contamination at these sites.

ANIMAL ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI

Science.gov (United States)

Dubreuil, J. Daniel; Isaacson, Richard E.; Schifferli, Dieter M.

2016-01-01

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the most common cause of E. coli diarrhea in farm animals. ETEC are characterized by the ability to produce two types of virulence factors; adhesins that promote binding to specific enterocyte receptors for intestinal colonization and enterotoxins responsible for fluid secretion. The best-characterized adhesins are expressed in the context of fimbriae, such as the F4 (also designated K88), F5 (K99), F6 (987P), F17 and F18 fimbriae. Once established in the animal small intestine, ETEC produces enterotoxin(s) that lead to diarrhea. The enterotoxins belong to two major classes; heat-labile toxin that consist of one active and five binding subunits (LT), and heat-stable toxins that are small polypeptides (STa, STb, and EAST1). This chapter describes the disease and pathogenesis of animal ETEC, the corresponding virulence genes and protein products of these bacteria, their regulation and targets in animal hosts, as well as mechanisms of action. Furthermore, vaccines, inhibitors, probiotics and the identification of potential new targets identified by genomics are presented in the context of animal ETEC. PMID:27735786

Digital signal processing applied to crystal identification in Positron Emission Tomography dedicated to small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontaine, Rejean [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada)]. E-mail: Rejean.Fontaine@Usherbrooke.ca; Viscogliosi, Nicolas [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Semmaoui, Hicham [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Belanger, Francois [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Lemieux, Francois [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Tetrault, Marc-Andre [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Michaud, Jean-Baptiste [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Berard, Philippe [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Cadorette, Jules [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Pepin, Catherine M. [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada); Lecomte, Roger [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Universite de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. Universite, Sherbrooke, Que., J1 K 2R1 (Canada)

2007-02-01

The recent introduction of all-digital electronic architecture in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners, enables new paradigms to be explored for extracting relevant information from the detector signals, such as energy, time and crystal identification. The LabPET{sup TM} small animal scanner, which implements free-running 45-MHz sampling directly at the output of the charge sensitive preamplifiers, provides an excellent platform to test such advanced digital algorithms. A real-time identification method, based on an Auto-Regressive Moving-Average (ARMA) scheme, was tested for discriminating between LYSO (t{sub r}{approx}40 ns) and LGSO (t{sub r}{approx}65 ns) scintillators in phoswich detectors, coupled to a single Avalanche Photodiode (APD). Even with a low energy threshold of 250 keV applied individually, error rates<4% can be achieved, as compared to >10%, typically with conventional analog pulse shape discrimination techniques. Such digital crystal identification techniques can be readily implemented with phoswich detectors for improving spatial resolution in PET, either by increasing crystal pixellization or by mitigating parallax errors through depth-of-interaction determination. It also allows to reduce the event rate presented to the real-time coincidence engine by applying a low energy limit at the crystal granularity and rejecting more Compton photons.

Wireless Synchronization of a Multi-Pinhole Small Animal SPECT Collimation Device With a Clinical Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

DiFilippo, Frank P.; Patel, Sagar

2009-06-01

A multi-pinhole collimation device for small animal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) uses the gamma camera detectors of a standard clinical SPECT scanner. The collimator and animal bed move independently of the detectors, and therefore their motions must be synchronized. One approach is manual triggering of the SPECT acquisition simultaneously with a programmed motion sequence for the device. However, some data blurring and loss of image quality result, and true electronic synchronization is preferred. An off-the-shelf digital gyroscope with integrated Bluetooth interface provides a wireless solution to device synchronization. The sensor attaches to the SPECT gantry and reports its rotational speed to a notebook computer controlling the device. Software processes the rotation data in real-time, averaging the signal and issuing triggers while compensating for baseline drift. Motion commands are sent to the collimation device with minimal delay, within approximately 0.5 second of the start of SPECT gantry rotation. Test scans of a point source demonstrate an increase in true counts and a reduction in background counts compared to manual synchronization. The wireless rotation sensor provides robust synchronization of the collimation device with the clinical SPECT scanner and enhances image quality.