title: Introduction to neutron stimulated emission computed tomography.
abstract: Neutron stimulated emission computed tomography (NSECT) is presented as a new technique for in vivo tomographic spectroscopic imaging. A full implementation of NSECT is intended to provide an elemental spectrum of the body or part of the body being interrogated at each voxel of a three-dimensional computed tomographic image. An external neutron beam illuminates the sample and some of these neutrons scatter inelastically, producing characteristic gamma emission from the scattering nuclei. These characteristic gamma rays are acquired by a gamma spectrometer and the emitting nucleus is identified by the emitted gamma energy. The neutron beam is scanned over the body in a geometry that allows for tomographic reconstruction. Tomographic images of each element in the spectrum can be reconstructed to represent the spatial distribution of elements within the sample. Here we offer proof of concept for the NSECT method, present the first single projection spectra acquired from multi-element phantoms, and discuss potential biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Radiology, Duke Advanced Imaging Laboratories Box 2623DUMC, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA. carey.floyd@duke.edu
authors.forename: Carey E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Floyd
authors.forename: Janelle E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Amy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Anuj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapadia
authors.forename: Jessie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harrawood
authors.forename: Georgia D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Tourassi
authors.forename: Joseph Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crowell
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howell
mesh_terms: D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009502:Neutrons; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*