Abstract
We propose a digital spectral separation (DSS) system and methods to extract spectral information optimally from a weak multi-spectral signal such as in the bioluminescent imaging (BLI) studies. This system utilizes our newly invented spatially-translated spectral-image mixer (SSM), which consists of dichroic beam splitters, a mirror, and a DSS algorithm. The DSS approach overcomes the shortcomings of the data acquisition scheme used for the current BLI systems. Primarily, using our DSS scheme, spectral information will not be filtered out. Accordingly, truly parallel multi-spectral multi-view acquisition is enabled for the first time to minimize experimental time and optimize data quality. This approach also permits recovery of the bioluminescent signal time course, which is useful to study the kinetics of multiple bioluminescent probes using multi-spectral bioluminescence tomography (MSBT).
Highlights
Among molecular imaging modalities, optical imaging and bioluminescence imaging in particular, has attracted remarkable attention for its unique advantages in probing capabilities, sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness [1, 2, 3]
We propose a digital spectral separation (DSS) system and methods to extract spectral information optimally from a weak multispectral signal such as in the bioluminescent imaging (BLI) studies
Bioluminescence tomography (BLT) is an emerging and promising molecular imaging technology that aims to reconstruct a 3D bioluminescent source distribution reflecting the concentration of bioluminescent cells in a living mouse from external views around the mouse [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
Summary
Optical imaging and bioluminescence imaging in particular, has attracted remarkable attention for its unique advantages in probing capabilities, sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness [1, 2, 3]. To improve the BLT result, we proposed multi-spectral bioluminescence tomography (MSBT) to sample the bioluminescence spectrum into a number of bands or channels for multiwavelength imaging, and perform the source reconstruction [10, 17]. All the current commercial BLI/BLT systems use a filter wheel approach to capture multiple spectral images sequentially, each time with a different filter This approach assumes that the bioluminescence signal is stable in the data acquisition process. In an MSBT experiment, at least 4 views and 2 spectral channel are needed, and the experimental time is often over 40 minutes using existing systems such as the IVIS 100 In this situation, the assumption is clearly violated and it becomes very difficult to improve the fundamentally compromised data quality retrospectively. We discuss several relevant issues and conclude the paper
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
