Quantitative Characterization of Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging

An optical imaging modality for small animal cancer studies using Cerenkov radiation is currently being developed in the Cherry lab at the University of California, Davis. Cerenkov radiation is a well-known phenomenon, in which optical photons are emitted when a charged particle moves faster than the speed of light in a medium. This emerging modality is referred to as Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging. The significance of this work is that it enables imaging on widely available small animal optical imaging systems of radionuclides being developed for therapeutic applications and positron emitting radiotracers developed for diagnostic purposes.;A Monte Carlo based simulation was performed to predict the number of photons expected for a given radionuclide decay. The simulations calculated Cerenkov light intensity produced by radionuclides of interest for nuclear imaging and radionuclide therapy treatments. A quantitative understanding of Cerenkov light levels using parameters that are representative of situations encountered in vivo will help guide future applications and possible clinical implementation of Cerenkov luminescence imaging.