An Overview of In Vivo Imaging Techniques

Imaging is developing very quickly in various study bases. Nowadays, due to the desire for the technology coming to imaging, it is widely used to detect molecular and structural targets in in vivo studies. The aim of developing new non-invasive imaging methods is to provide affordable, high-resolution images with minimal known side effects for studying the biological processes of living organisms. For this purpose, X-ray-based computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (UI), Nuclear imaging methods (positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)), and optical imaging, are techniques widely used in imaging. Each of these has unique advantages and drawbacks. The background of imaging techniques and their developments have been shown in this chapter and we discuss in detail the use of optical imaging through bioluminescence, fluorescence, and Cerenkov luminescence techniques in various diseases for preclinical applications, early clinical diagnosis, treatment, and clinical studies. 

Keywords: Bioluminescence, Biological processes, Computed tomography, Clinical diagnosis, Cerenkov luminescence, Fluorescence, High-resolution images, in vivo imaging, Imaging technique, Living organisms, Molecular imaging, Magnetic resonance imaging, Nuclear method, Non-invasive method, Optical imaging, Positron emission tomography, Single-photon emission computed tomography, Technology, Ultrasound and X-ray.