LOTUS-inVivo Micro Computed Tomography System for Imaging of Small Animals and Ex-Vivo Biological Samples

Abstract

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), e.g. clinical CT scanners, basically provides Linear Attenuation Coefficients (LACs) of objects under study by the means of algorithmic reconstruction of acquired views of attenuated X-ray passing through the samples in different angles around the imaged sample. Micro Computed Tomography (micro-CT) basically works the same as clinical CT. It provides volumetric information representing the inner structure of objects with a resolution in the micron range. LOTUS-inVivo is a micro-CT scanner dedicated to imaging of small animals and ex-vivo biological samples. In the present study the spatial resolution and Low Contrast Detectability (LCD) of LOTUS-inVivo scanner were evaluated using standard phantoms. We aimed to prove the capability of LOTUS-inVivo for small animal and ex-vivo biological samples imaging using the measured image quality parameters, i.e. spatial resolution and low contrast detectability. By the means of analysis of bar and LCD phantom images, the limiting resolution of LOTUS-inVivo micro-CT scanner was measured about 2.7 µm and has been shown that it’s capable of resolving sizes greater than 12.5 µm. Also, we concluded that LOTUS-inVivo is capable of discriminating tissues with 3% differences in contrast relative to the background, for 1 mm bar size. Thus, the provided technical characteristics in this study have made LOTUS-inVivo as a suitable tool for small animal imaging.