Multimodality characterization of microstructure by the combination of diffusion NMR and time-domain diffuse optical data.
Combining datasets with a model of the underlying physics prior to mapping of tissue provides a novel approach improving the estimation of parameters. We demonstrate this approach by merging near infrared diffuse optical signal data with diffusion NMR data to inform a model describing the microstructure of a sample. The study is conducted on a homogeneous emulsion of oil in a dispersion medium of water and proteins. The use of a protein based background, rich in collagen, introduces a similarity to real tissues compared to other models such as intralipids. The sample is investigated with the two modalities separately. Then, the two datasets are used to inform a combined model, and to estimate the size of the microstructural elements and the volume fraction. The combined model fits the microstructural properties by minimizing the difference between experimental and modelled data. The experimental results are validated with confocal laser scanning microscopy. The final results demonstrate that the combined model provides improved estimates of microstructural parameters compared to either individual model alone.
Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, UK.
Alessandro
A
Proverbio
Bernard M
BM
Siow
Mark F
MF
Lythgoe
Daniel C
DC
Alexander
Adam P
AP
Gibson
D004058:Diffusion; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008390:Markov Chains; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D016062:Porosity