Clinical Feasibility Studies and Potential Applications of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Integrated in Multimodality X-Ray System for Small Animals

Abstract

Veterinary medicine uses advanced imaging to visualize internal structures non-invasively, allowing precise diagnosis and treatment planning without exploratory surgery. Digital radiography is accessible and provides rapid information, but its two-dimensional nature with overlapping tissues can hinder the visualization of pathologies. Computed tomography, a three-dimensional imaging technique that uses a rotating X-ray source to build volumetric images, solves the tissue overlapping. This study evaluated a prototype of a new multimodality veterinary imaging system that combines digital X-rays, real-time moving X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy), and cone-beam computed tomography in a single device. Image quality was first optimized using animal specimens and then compared with images obtained with a conventional device: a multidetector computed tomography scanner. The prototype provided excellent bone detail, with slight dark-streak artifacts caused by the limited angular range required by the open-gantry design that crucially allows animal access. Clinical use in live patients showed that this device facilitated the detection of small fractures and mineralized structures that were indistinct on conventional radiographies. By integrating multiple imaging modalities into one unit, the system improved workflow and reduced patients’ sedation time. These results indicate that this device has strong potential for enhancing diagnostic capabilities in small-animal and exotic species practice.