We created high quality images of PET, CT and cryosection slices markers
readily apparent for later image registration that would not compromise
the image acquisitions. We accomplished this by creating a wooden framework
to which both the mouse and markers were attached. The markers consisted
of small bore teflon tubing filled with black ink and F-18. The mouse
was frozen by liquid nitrogen immersion after being sutured to the framework
and was kept frozen during imaging of PET and CT by blowing cold nitrogen
gas over the mouse. Following PET and CT imaging, the mouse and the framework
was packed in CMC and froze it overnight at -20C. The next morning the
cryostat was set up to cut the sections thoughout the entire mouse.
PET images were acquired in one bed position for
15 minutes in a Concorde P4 microPET following 60 minutes uptake.
A combination of F-18 ion (for bone uptake) and FDG (for heart, soft
tissue and bladder uptake) was used and images were reconstructed
using filtered backprojection to 2.2 mm resolution.
CT images were acquired in 2 bed positions using
Imtek microCAT system (Imtek, Knoxville, TN) and reconstructed into
512 cubed matrix for a pixel size of ~100um.
Cryosections were cut at a thickness of 50 um and imaged using a
Nikon Coolpix 5700 digital camera, with an in-plane voxel size of ~38.8um.
The
Raw Data of coronal PET, CT and Cryosection slices are:
