Optical multi-modality molecular imaging

Abstract

Different imaging modalities could provide images on a different scale in spatial and temporal resolutions and with different sensitivity for morphology or function[1]. There is no one imaging modality which can provide all aspects of information for a subject. Imaging information could be roughly classified into two categories: structural information and functional information. For example, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are good at providing structural information, while single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and optical imaging could provide excellent functional information. It is known that much better performance could be obtained by combining two or more modality images together and it has become a distinctive trend in modern biomedical imaging for multi-modality imaging[2–3].