Computational methods for molecular imaging

Abstract

Molecular imaging is a new research discipline enabling the visualization, characterization and quantification of biologic processes taking place at the cellular and subcellular levels within intact living subjects. Applications of molecular imaging techniques will benefit various clinical practices including classification and tracking of chemotherapy and treatment planning of radiotherapy, as well as drug discovery and development. Molecular imaging typically includes two or three dimensional imaging with quantification over time, and is often applied on molecular imaging modalities, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Computational methods serve as an essential part in molecular imaging. Various computational methods are developed to accelerate image processing, identify underlying diseases hidden in the image volumes, evaluate the effectiveness of drug and radiotherapy etc. Computational methods for molecular imaging are in a fast growing field and full of potentials and challenges, and related topics have attracted many researchers from both academia and industry. This book covers the selected topics in computational methods for molecular imaging. As the start, this review provides a brief introduction to the current status of computational methods for molecular imaging and their applications.