Caliper Life Sciences has introduced software and accessory items to enable the direct co-registration of images from multiple preclinical imaging modalities.
The toolkit, comprising the Living Image Multi-Modality Software Module and the Mouse Imaging Shuttle, provides for integration of data from Caliper's Ivis optical imaging systems with data from its Quantum FX microCT as well as data from third-party microCT, MRI, PET and Spect instruments.
Co-registration allows researchers to overlay images from multiple imaging modalities, providing more comprehensive insight into the molecular and anatomical features of an animal and its biology.
For example, optical imaging data, which may be used to identify and quantify tumour burden at the molecular level, can be integrated with microCT (X-ray micro computed tomography) data, which provides complementary anatomical detail and morphological quantification.
With the Living Image Multi-Modality Software Module, researchers can directly import data from preclinical microCT, MRI, PET and Spect into the Living Image software environment for combination with 3D bioluminescence and fluorescence images from an Ivis Spectrum optical imaging system.
The software contains advanced visualisation feature, and the Mouse Imaging Shuttle immobilises the animal for transport between the different systems to enable high-quality co-registration.
The multi-modality kit has been optimised for use with Caliper's Ivis Spectrum and Quantum FX microCT imaging systems to enable comprehensive longitudinal imaging of a single animal over multiple time points without harming the subject.
Living Image software is now capable of processing quantitative, functional optical data and integrating it with the anatomical views familiar to clinicians.
Kevin Hrusovsky, president and chief executive officer at Caliper Life Sciences, said: 'Caliper's in vivo imaging solutions serve as a bridge between the laboratory and the clinic.
'Allowing researchers to layer images from a variety of imaging modalities enables a more complete view of disease progression to help understand a compound's therapeutic potential sooner and progress drug candidates to clinical trials faster.'
