Coded Aperture imaging is a nuclear imaging technique that offers signal to noise and/or increased resolution when compared to conventional pinhole and collimator based techniques. We are applying this to molecular imaging, a newly emerging field in which the modern tools of molecular and cell biology are being married to state-of-the-art technology for non-invasive imaging . The goals of molecular imaging are to develop technologies and assays for imaging molecular/cellular events in living organisms. Unlike conventional collimators or pinholes, coded apertures can achieve both high spatial resolution and high sensitivity simultaneously with larger FoV than pinholes. Although the technique has been widely used in x-ray astronomy, the use of conventional techniques in near-field applications such as nuclear medicine leads to severe artifacts. Using a simple method for removing these artifacts and, with conventional gamma cameras, we have applied it to small animal imaging. Some features to be discussed include sub-mm resolution imaging, three-dimensional imaging and high sensitivity dynamic imaging and, using scaled up apertures, applications to security and detection of fissile materials.
Richard C. Lanza
Nuclear Engineering Department Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Richard C. Lanza
Nuclear Engineering Department Massachusetts Institute of Technology
