Validity of Fusion Imaging of Hamster Heart obtained by Fluorescent and Phase-Contrast X-Ray CT with Synchrotron Radiation

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Fluorescent X-ray CT (FXCT) to depict functional information and phase-contrast X-ray CT (PCCT) to demonstrate morphological information are being developed to analyze the disease model of small animal. To understand the detailed pathological state, integration of both functional and morphological image is very useful. The feasibility of image fusion between FXCT and PCCT were examined by using ex-vivo hearts injected fatty acid metabolic agent (127I-BMIPP) in normal and cardiomyopathic hamsters. Fusion images were reconstructed from each 3D image of FXCT and PCCT. 127I-BMIPP distribution within the heart was clearly demonstrated by FXCT with 0.25 mm spatial resolution. The detailed morphological image was obtained by PCCT at about 0.03 mm spatial resolution. Using image integration technique, metabolic abnormality of fatty acid in cardiomyopathic myocardium was easily recognized corresponding to anatomical structures. Our study suggests that image fusion provides important biomedical information even in FXCT and PCCT imaging.