# Development of a Rapid Method for Imaging Regional Ventilation in Small Animals w/o Contrast Agents

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2020 · $419,843

## Abstract

The objective of this R01 application is to develop a rapid method for imaging regional ventilation and
lung compliance in small animals without contrast agents. Much of our current understanding of the
normal functioning of the lung and mechanisms of lung disease comes from small animal studies. However,
lung function imaging in small animal models is technically challenging due to motion and the relatively small
size of the lungs. Pulmonary function testing using plethysmography has been employed to assess lung
function and injury with limited validity and utility, particularly in small animals. Additionally, only aggregate
measures of functional performance are produced and no regional lung changes can be assessed. An
improved imaging method that could provide spatially- and temporally-resolved information regarding
ventilation would be of great value to those studying basic pulmonary physiology and the onset and
progression of a large range of respiratory diseases. It would also facilitate drug discovery and efficacy studies
aimed to mitigate respiratory pathology. The ideal method would provide quantitative regional functional
information, be applicable to longitudinal studies (low radiation dose), and have a simple and affordable
implementation that permits widespread use. Currently available imaging methods including micro-CT or MRI
fall short in one or more of these requirements.
 To address this need, we will establish and evaluate a novel, easy to implement, and highly effective X-
ray phase-contrast (XPC) method for ventilation imaging in small animal models. The lung is ideally suited to
XPC imaging because it is comprised mainly of air spaces separated by thin tissue structures. The air-tissue
interfaces cause the X-ray beam to experience numerous and strong refractions that produce a distinctive
texture in the intensity measured over the lungs known as speckle. Detailed information regarding the regional
lung air volume (RLAV) distribution is encoded in the speckle. The benefits of exploiting lung speckle for
detecting and monitoring lung function are numerous but remain entirely unexplored for benchtop imaging.
 Our approach involves a high degree of technical innovation regarding image formation methods and
will significantly extend the current boundaries of functional lung imaging in small animals. The proposed
method, referred to as parametric XPC (P-XPC) imaging, will produce 2D parametric images that depict the
projected RLAV distribution. When differential images are computed for any given two points in the breathing
cycle, ventilation or lung compliance imaging will be achieved. Preliminary in vivo and computational studies
have been conducted in support of the proposed research. The specific aims of the project are as follows.
Aim 1: Develop P-XPC image formation methods for estimating the projected RLAV distribution; Aim 2:
Optimize an XPC imaging system for P-XPC imaging. Aim 3: Evaluate the diagnostic capability of P-XPC...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9888370
- **Project number:** 5R01EB023045-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** Mark A Anastasio
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $419,843
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-28 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9888370

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9888370, Development of a Rapid Method for Imaging Regional Ventilation in Small Animals w/o Contrast Agents (5R01EB023045-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9888370. Licensed CC0.

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