X-ray fluorescence molecular imaging with high sensitivity: feasibility study in phantoms

X-ray fluorescence molecular imaging (XFMI) can be a potential alternative to existing molecular imaging modalities providing high sensitivity and good spatial resolution. However, high sensitivity at a few tens of μg/mL can be reached only with monochromatic synchrotron x-rays; in typical laboratory setting using conventional x-ray sources XFMI has been reported to reach only about 10 mg/mL sensitivity. In this paper, we demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneously detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from a mouse-sized object containing iodine and indium solutions at 50 μg/mL concentration using a carbon nanotube (CNT) x-ray source. XFMI has the high potential to provide molecular imaging capability in small-animal models with high sensitivity, high spatial and temporal resolution, high multiplexing capacity, and at low radiation dose.

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