SPring-8, the large synchrotron radiation facility

Inquiry number

SOL-0000001182

Beamline

BL20B2 (Medical and Imaging I)

Scientific keywords

A. Sample category	biology, medicine
B. Sample category (detail)	organism, cell
C. Technique	absorption and its secondary process
D. Technique (detail)
E. Particular condition	3D imaging (cf. CT)
F. Photon energy	X-ray (4-40 keV)
G. Target information	morphology

Industrial keywords

level 1---Application area	Pharmaceuticals, others
level 2---Target	drug design
level 3---Target (detail)	drug, organism
level 4---Obtainable information	molphology
level 5---Technique	imaging

Classification

A80.90 others, M60.20 X-ray CT

Body text

A rabbit auricle specimen implanted with a carcinoma was fixed in formalin and sealed up in the specimen case after a barium sulphate solution was injected into blood vessels as a contrast agent. Projection images were recorded from 1800 views during 180-degree rotation. 3D images of the specimen shown in Fig. 1 were obtained by tomographic reconstruction, and small blood vessels induced by the tumor were demonstrated. An avascular area in the central portion was dead tumor tissue. In contrast, the number of blood vessels increased remarkably around the avascular area, where tumor cells were vital and a tumor's growth rate was rapid.

Fig. 1. 3D images of the tumor encircled with the network of blood vessels induced by the tumor.
The images are displayed at viewing angles of 0 (a front view), 30, and 60 degrees, from left to right.

Source of the figure

Bulletin from SPring-8

Bulletin title

SPring-8 Research Frontiers 2004

Page

Technique

A micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) system was developed using a 10-megapixel CCD camera for 3D biomedical imaging. The detector consists of a beryllium window for X-ray incidence, a fluorescent screen, an optical mirror, high numerical aperture lenses and the CCD camera. X-rays are converted into a visible image in the screen with thickness of 10 µm. The screen and the mirror are built in behind the beryllium window. The mirror deflects the luminescent light 90° to the lens system that focuses it on the camera. An X-ray field of view is 24mm wide by 16 mm high (4024 x 2648 pixels); the pixel measures 6 µm by 6 µm.

Source of the figure

No figure

Required time for experimental setup

3 hour(s)

Instruments

Instrument	Purpose	Performance
Micro-CT system	3D-CT imaging	10M pixels

References

Document name
SPring-8 Research Frontiers 2004

Related experimental techniques

No

Questionnaire

This solution is an application of a main instrument of the beamline.

Ease of measurement

Middle

Ease of analysis

Middle

How many shifts were needed for taking whole data in the figure?

Two-three shifts