ABSTRACT
In vivo imaging of adult zebrafish is challenging, particularly for dynamic or long acquisitions when using, for example, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An aqueous environment is indispensable to ensure animal welfare, but commercial small-animal imaging chambers do not provide such conditions, as they are designed for rodents. In this study we present a dedicated flow-through chamber that includes fish immobilization and allows for the continuous supply of fresh water and anesthetics, as well as the removal of excretions. Both flow simulations and experiments, as well as first scans with MRI and CT, support the suitability of the chamber.
Subject(s)
Positron-Emission Tomography , Zebrafish , Animals , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Positron-Emission Tomography/methods , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
Built on top of the Geant4 toolkit, GATE is collaboratively developed for more than 15 years to design Monte Carlo simulations of nuclear-based imaging systems. It is, in particular, used by researchers and industrials to design, optimize, understand and create innovative emission tomography systems. In this paper, we reviewed the recent developments that have been proposed to simulate modern detectors and provide a comprehensive report on imaging systems that have been simulated and evaluated in GATE. Additionally, some methodological developments that are not specific for imaging but that can improve detector modeling and provide computation time gains, such as Variance Reduction Techniques and Artificial Intelligence integration, are described and discussed.