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Advances in Cancer Research 2014Cerenkov luminescence (CL) has been used recently in a plethora of medical applications like imaging and therapy with clinically relevant medical isotopes. The range of... (Review)
Review
Cerenkov luminescence (CL) has been used recently in a plethora of medical applications like imaging and therapy with clinically relevant medical isotopes. The range of medical isotopes used is fairly large and expanding. The generation of in vivo light is useful since it circumvents depth limitations for excitation light. Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) is much cheaper in terms of infrastructure than positron emission tomography (PET) and is particularly useful for imaging of superficial structures. Imaging can basically be done using a sensitive camera optimized for low-light conditions, and it has a better resolution than any other nuclear imaging modality. CLI has been shown to effectively diagnose disease with regularly used PET isotope ((18)F-FDG) in clinical setting. Cerenkov luminescence tomography, Cerenkov luminescence endoscopy, and intraoperative Cerenkov imaging have also been explored with positive conclusions expanding the current range of applications. Cerenkov has also been used to improve PET imaging resolution since the source of both is the radioisotope being used. Smart imaging agents have been designed based on modulation of the Cerenkov signal using small molecules and nanoparticles giving better insight of the tumor biology.
Topics: Animals; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; Luminescent Measurements; Molecular Imaging; Neoplasms; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radiopharmaceuticals
PubMed: 25287690
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-411638-2.00006-9 -
Seminars in Interventional Radiology Oct 2021Transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 ( Y) is a mainstay for the treatment of liver cancer. Imaging the distribution following delivery is a concept that... (Review)
Review
Transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 ( Y) is a mainstay for the treatment of liver cancer. Imaging the distribution following delivery is a concept that dates back to the 1960s. As β particles are created during Y decay, bremsstrahlung radiation is created as the particles interact with tissues, allowing for imaging with a gamma camera. Inherent qualities of bremsstrahlung radiation make its imaging difficult. SPECT and SPECT/CT can be used but suffer from limitations related to low signal-to-noise bremsstrahlung radiation. However, with optimized imaging protocols, clinically adequate images can still be obtained. A finite but detectable number of positrons are also emitted during Y decay, and many studies have demonstrated the ability of commercial PET/CT and PET/MR scanners to image these positrons to understand Y distribution and help quantify dose. PET imaging has been proven to be superior to SPECT for quantitative imaging, and therefore will play an important role going forward as we try and better understand dose/response and dose/toxicity relationships to optimize personalized dosimetry. The availability of PET imaging will likely remain the biggest barrier to its use in routine post- Y imaging; thus, SPECT/CT imaging with optimized protocols should be sufficient for most posttherapy subjective imaging.
PubMed: 34629714
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735569 -
Medical Physics Jul 2022Nuclear medicine probes turned into the key for the identification and precise location of sentinel lymph nodes and other occult lesions (i.e., tumors) by using the... (Review)
Review
Nuclear medicine probes turned into the key for the identification and precise location of sentinel lymph nodes and other occult lesions (i.e., tumors) by using the systemic administration of radiotracers. Intraoperative nuclear probes are key in the surgical management of some malignancies as well as in the determination of positive surgical margins, thus reducing the extent and potential surgery morbidity. Depending on their application, nuclear probes are classified into two main categories, namely, counting and imaging. Although counting probes present a simple design, are handheld (to be moved rapidly), and provide only acoustic signals when detecting radiation, imaging probes, also known as cameras, are more hardware-complex and also able to provide images but at the cost of an increased intervention time as displacing the camera has to be done slowly. This review article begins with an introductory section to highlight the relevance of nuclear-based probes and their components as well as the main differences between ionization- (semiconductor) and scintillation-based probes. Then, the most significant performance parameters of the probe are reviewed (i.e., sensitivity, contrast, count rate capabilities, shielding, energy, and spatial resolution), as well as the different types of probes based on the target radiation nature, namely: gamma (γ), beta (β) (positron and electron), and Cherenkov. Various available intraoperative nuclear probes are finally compared in terms of performance to discuss the state-of-the-art of nuclear medicine probes. The manuscript concludes by discussing the ideal probe design and the aspects to be considered when selecting nuclear-medicine probes.
Topics: Gamma Rays; Humans; Neoplasms; Nuclear Medicine; Radionuclide Imaging; Sentinel Lymph Node
PubMed: 35526220
DOI: 10.1002/mp.15690 -
Biophysical Journal Jul 2022Modern electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) and scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) cameras read out fluorescence data with...
Modern electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) and scientific complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) cameras read out fluorescence data with single-molecule sensitivity at thousands of frames per second. Exploiting these capabilities in full requires data evaluation in real time. The direct camera-read-out tool presented here allows access to the data while the camera is recording. This provides simplified and accurate alignment procedures for total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) and single-plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), and simplifies and accelerates fluorescence experiments. The tool handles a range of widely used EMCCD and sCMOS cameras and uses imaging fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for its evaluation. It is easily extendable to other camera models and other techniques and is a base for automated TIRFM and SPIM data acquisition.
Topics: Electrons; Equipment Design; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Semiconductors; Spectrometry, Fluorescence
PubMed: 35672950
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.06.009 -
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Jun 2019Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is an active area of drug development as a highly specific and highly potent therapeutic modality that can be applied to many types of... (Review)
Review
Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is an active area of drug development as a highly specific and highly potent therapeutic modality that can be applied to many types of late-stage cancers. In order to properly evaluate its safety and efficacy, understanding biokinetics of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals is essential. Quantitative imaging of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals is often possible via imaging of gammas and positrons produced during complex decay chains of these radionuclides. Analysis of the complex decay chains for alpha-emitting radionuclides (Tb-149, At-211, Bi-212 (decayed from Pb-212), Bi-213, Ra-223, Ac-225, and Th-227) with relevance to imageable signals is attempted in this mini-review article. Gamma camera imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, bremsstrahlung radiation imaging, Cerenkov luminescence imaging, and Compton cameras are briefly discussed as modalities for imaging alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals.
PubMed: 31231438
DOI: 10.1007/s13139-019-00589-8