Open AccessBiomimetic 3D-printed neurovascular phantoms for near-infrared fluorescence imaging
Author(s) -
Yi Liu,
Pejhman Ghassemi,
Andrew Depkon,
Maria Ida Iacono,
Jonathan Lin,
Gonzalo Mendoza,
Jianting Wang,
Qinggong Tang,
Yu Chen,
T. Joshua Pfefer
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.9.002810
Subject(s) - neurovascular bundle , materials science , biomedical engineering , 3d printing , medical imaging , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , 3d printer , magnetic resonance imaging , diffuse optical imaging , optical imaging , fluorescence , optics , computer science , iterative reconstruction , computer vision , anatomy , medicine , radiology , artificial intelligence , mechanical engineering , physics , composite material , engineering
Emerging three-dimensional (3D) printing technology enables the fabrication of optically realistic and morphologically complex tissue-simulating phantoms for the development and evaluation of novel optical imaging products. In this study, we assess the potential to print image-defined neurovascular phantoms with patent channels for contrast-enhanced near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging. An anatomical map defined from clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was segmented and processed into files suitable for printing a forebrain vessel network in rectangular and curved-surface biomimetic phantoms. Methods for effectively cleaning samples with complex vasculature were determined. A final set of phantoms were imaged with a custom NIRF system at 785 nm excitation using two NIRF contrast agents. In addition to demonstrating the strong potential of 3D printing for creating highly realistic, patient-specific biophotonic phantoms, our work provides insight into optimal methods for accomplishing this goal and elucidates current limitations of this approach.