title: Hybrid FMT-MRI applied to in vivo atherosclerosis imaging.
abstract: Combining Fluorescent Molecular Tomography (FMT) with anatomical imaging, e.g. MRI facilitates interpreting functional information. Furthermore, using a heterogeneous model for light propagation has been shown in simulations to be superior to homogeneous modeling to quantify fluorescence. Here, we present a combined FMT-MRI system and apply it to heart and aorta molecular imaging, a challenging area due to strong tissue heterogeneity and the presence of air-voids due to lungs. First investigating performance in a phantom and mouse corpse, the MRI-enabled heterogeneous models resulted in an improved quantification of fluorescence reconstructions. The system was then used in mice for in vivo atherosclerosis molecular imaging. Results show that, when using the heterogeneous model, reconstructions were in agreement with the ex vivo measurements. Therefore, the proposed system might serve as a powerful imaging tool for atherosclerosis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada ; Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Baoqiang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Foued
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maafi
authors.affiliation: Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada ; Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pouliot
authors.affiliation: Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rhéaume
authors.affiliation: Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tardif
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada ; Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lesage
keywords: (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (170.3890) Medical optics instrumentation; (170.6280) Spectroscopy, fluorescence and luminescence