The RCSI Node of NPIC is EQUIPPED with State of the Art CT and Optical imaging scanners
The Quantum GX2 microCT scanner (Perkin Elmar) is a preclinical imaging system, offering the flexibility to enable longitudinal in vivo imaging as well as ex vivo sample scanning. The Quantum GX2 offers ultra-high resolution (2.3 micrometer voxel size) imaging and high speed scan time as fast as 3.9 seconds. All this enables low-dose xray imaging for longitudinal in vivo studies. The option of 4 field of views (FOV:18, 36, 72, and 86 mm) enables full body scans to close up detail of smaller structures. Two-phase retrospective respiratory and cardiac gating ensures no loss of detail by motion artefacts. Furthermore seamlessly co-registration of functional optical signals (from IVIS® Spectrum) with microCT imaging data is available via use of the propriety shuttle system.
The RCSI NPIC node utalises a Quantum GX2 microCT scanner (Left Rear of image) for CT and CECT imaging, as well as an IVIS SPECTRUM optical imaging system (Front Right of image) for Bioluminescence and Fluorescence imaging
The IVIS Spectrum optical imaging system (Perkin Elmer) has superior sensitively (cooled CCD cameras) and is the only system currently available which can perform 2D and 3D bioluminescence and fluorescence (28 high efficency filter sets ranging from 430-850nm) imaging. Furthermore with its computed spectrum spectral un-mixing and integrated mouse atlas for image overlay it is ideal for distinguishing multiple bioluminescent and fluorescent reporters. Lastly it is calibrated to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) measurement standards. It can image up-to 5 mice at one time with a field of view of 23cm, but has a resolution of up to 20 microns at a field of view of 3.9 cm. With a specific animal shuttle it will also directly integrate with the Perkin Elmer Quantum GX2 micro Computed tomography platform for high resolution X-ray imaging of mice.