Imaging tools in preclinical research micro CT, SPECT, PET

Abstract

Over the past decades the area of medical imaging has evolved rapidly. This is demonstrated by the increasing number of imaging systems in hospitals and research facilities and the increasing number of people specializing in the field. New technologies have emerged to support ionizing radiation imaging techniques, based on one simple goal, which is making people life healthier and easier. Most of diagnostic protocols include the use of ionizing radiation, as the main source of signal production and detection. These techniques aim to be fast and minimally invasive, while providing lot of information about the health status of the subject, in terms of diagnostic characteristics. In this project, the most common and popular imaging techniques will be discussed, which have been reviewed and analyzed. Namely, this study discusses the several X-ray procedures, such as the X-ray imaging and Computed Tomography. PET and SPECT are also part of this study and are presented in detail. In the last part of this thesis, the results by a series of experiments are presented, executed to highlight their applicability, strong and weak points, as well as a wide range of applications that have been performed in a pre-clinical lab.