Stored Luminescence Computed Tomography

The phosphor nanoparticles made of doped semiconductors, pre-excited by well-collimated X-ray radiation, were recently reported for their light emission upon NIR light stimulation. The characteristics of X-ray energy storage and NIR stimulated emission is highly desirable to design targeting probes and improve molecular and cellular imaging. Here we propose stored luminescence computed tomography (SLCT), perform realistic numerical simulation, and demonstrate a much-improved spatial resolution in a preclinical research context. The future opportunities are also discussed along this direction.