Is DOT/CT imaging on the horizon?

An imaging system that fuses diffusion optical tomography (DOT) and computed tomography has been developed by scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for Xstrahl, the company announced this month.

The technology was built for integration into the Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform and was presented by Johns Hopkins’ researchers at the International Conference on Translational Research in Radio-Oncology in Geneva in February. Xstrahl is headquartered in Surrey, England, and its subsidiary Gulmay Medical is based in Suwanee, Ga.

The optical and x-ray hybrid uses DOT and CT data for image reconstruction, which the company presents as a potentially superior alternative to multispectral bioluminescence imaging on its own. The company reports that DOT is able to locate the light source for better positional accuracy, especially for researchers working on platforms outside of major imaging centers. This system can be used for 3D bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging with a rotating triple-mirror system for imaging down to the submillimetric level. This technology is designed solely for preclinical imaging research and is not available for clinical use.