A team creates a high-speed rotational scanning PACT system for whole-body biodynamic monitoring.
A research team, led by Professor Chulhong Kim from POSTECH’s Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and School of Convergence Science and Technology, along with researcher Seongwook Choi (Ph.D., Stanford University) and Jinge Yang (Ph.D., Caltech) from the Department of Electrical Engineering, has successfully developed an advanced continuous rotational scanning photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system for the rapid imaging of living organisms. Their pioneering research has been recently published in the online edition of “Laser & Photonics Reviews,” an international optics journal.
There is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of monitoring whole-body dynamics to better comprehend complex biological processes and the progression of diseases in living organisms. Presently, various imaging techniques, like X-ray CT, MRI, PET, and optical imaging, are utilized on small animal models, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This has prompted researchers to investigate PACT as a viable method for examining the structural, functional, and molecular attributes of biological tissues.
The PACT system merges the advantages of optical and ultrasound imaging, offering a promising alternative to conventional imaging methods. However, traditional whole-body PACT methods faced challenges with prolonged imaging times and limited perspectives.
To overcome these issues, the team designed the PACT system to swiftly capture numerous biological parameters within the torso of small animals. This system employs a rapidly rotating array of hemispherical ultrasound transducers, which enables the simultaneous gathering of multiple data points at a much quicker rate compared to traditional step-by-step scanning. Thanks to this innovation, the researchers could obtain 360° anatomical images of a rat torso in just nine seconds, complete a full body scan in 54 seconds, and achieve a spatial resolution of approximately 212 micrometers (µm).
This system allowed the team to visualize entire body structures and track drug kinetics, as well as monitor changes in hemoglobin oxygen saturation in live animals. Importantly, the capability to observe oxygen saturation across a wide range of tissues has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of oxygen transport and distribution within complex biological systems.
Professor Chulhong Kim from POSTECH highlighted the importance of this research, stating, “This technology matches the performance of existing imaging techniques while also providing molecular and functional information.” Dr. Seongwook Choi added, “This system provides valuable insights into the rapid dynamics of biological systems and oxygen kinetics in preclinical research.”
The study was conducted with assistance from the Program for Key Research Institutes for Universities by the Ministry of Education, the Mid-Career Research Program and BRIDGE of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Governmental Medical Device R&D Program, and BK21.
