Lab equipment

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

9.4 Tesla small animal MRI scanner 

• 2x2 element cryo probe, suitable for mice and rats
• high-power gradient system (G_max > 900 mT/m)
• 1 kW RF transmitter (dual channel)
• X-nuclei coils ¹⁹F, ²³Na, ³¹P
• setup for simultaneous optogenetic (f)MRI, including surface coils with fiber lead-through
• stimulation and monitoring systems for cardiac MRI and fMRI
• animal transport system (ATS) for automated positioning
• application examples: anatomy, relaxometry, cell tracking, diffusion, functional MRI, cardiac MRI, perfusion, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), spectroscopy

Positron Emission Tomography / Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI)

Integrated PET and 7 Tesla MRI: non-invasive 3D imaging of radiolabeled tracers in living mice combined with MR imaging

PET

• spatial resolution: about 1 mm
• application examples: molecular imaging of (patho-)physiological processes, e.g. cell metabolism, receptors, transporters, or cell tracking; quantitative tracer detection up to few hours after injection, dependent on the half-life of the coupled positron emitting radioisotope (e.g. ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ⁶⁸Ga)

MRI

• 2x2 element cryo probe, suitable for mice
• high-power gradient system (G_max > 660 mT/m)
• 1 kW RF transmitter (dual channel)
• 13C surface coil
• stimulation and monitoring systems for cardiac MRI and fMRI
• attachment capacities for conventional and MMPF animal beds
• application examples: anatomy, relaxometry, cell tracking, diffusion, functional MRI, cardiac MRI, perfusion, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), spectroscopy

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Non-invasive 3D imaging of radiolabeled tracers in living mice 

• spatial resolution: below 1 mm
• field of view: 16 cm (diameter) x 28 cm
• application examples: molecular imaging of (patho-)physiological processes, e.g. cell metabolism, receptors, transporters, or cell tracking; quantitative tracer detection up to few hours after injection, dependent on the half-life of the coupled positron emitting radioisotope (e.g. ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ⁶⁸Ga)

Single Photon Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT)

Integrated SPECT and CT: non-invasive 3D imaging of radiolabeled tracers in living mice combined with anatomical imaging

SPECT

• application examples: molecular imaging of (patho-)physiological processes, e.g. cell metabolism, receptors, transporters, or cell tracking; quantitative tracer detection up to several days after tracer injection, dependent on the half-life of the coupled gamma emitting radioisotope (^99m Tc, ¹¹¹In, ¹⁷⁷Lu) 
• equipment: Multi-Pinhole-Collimators for different applications (APT51, APT52, APT62, APT66), 
• spatial resolution: 0.5 – 1.5 mm

CT

• anatomical imaging

Computed Tomography (CT)

Non-invasive computed tomography of living mice

• anatomical imaging
• respiratory gating
• spatial resolution: 80µm

Optical Imaging

High sensitivity 2D bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and fluorescence reflectance imaging (FRI) of living mice or ex vivo organs

Filter specifications:

• IVIS: 10 excitation filters (415 nm – 760 nm, 30 nm bandwidth), 18 emission filters (490 nm – 850 nm, 20 nm bandwidth)
• Ami HT: 10 excitation LEDs (430 nm, 465 nm, 500 nm, 535 nm, 570 nm, 605 nm, 640 nm, 675 nm, 710 nm and 745 nm), 10 emission filters (530 nm, 630 nm, 650 nm, 670 nm, 690 nm, 710 nm, 730 nm, 750 nm, 770 nm 790 nm, 20 nm bandwidth)

Ultrasound

Ultrasound (US)

• Visualsonics Vevo 2100
• high resolution ultrasound
• non-invasive 2D anatomic and functional imaging in living mice
• transducers
  • MS400 (18-38 MHz), max 20 mm image depth, spatial resolution: 50 µm axial, 110 µm lateral
  • MS700 (30-70 MHz), max 12 mm image depth, spatial resolution: 30 µm axial, 75 µm lateral

Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) 

• iThera MSOT inVision512/echo 
• non-invasive 3D detection of photoabsorbers (e.g. fluorescent dye IRDye800cw, gold nanoparticles) in living mice
• multispectral optoacoustic tomography (detector ring setup, 512 ultrasound transducers)
• additional handheld setup 
• wavelength: 660-1300 nm, max. power output: 60mJ@710 nm

Focused ultrasound (FUS)

• FUS Instruments RK50 
• stereotactic-guided therapeutic ultrasound
• continuous and pulsed exposures
• real-time acoustic feedback integration to regulate exposures via stimulated emissions from circulating microbubbles
• application examples: opening of blood brain barrier, targeted activation of sonosensitizers

Digital autoradiography camera

Measurement of radiotracer distribution in tissue samples (cryosections)

Gamma counter

Quantitative measurement of radioactivity in small samples, like ex vivo tissues or samples from cellular uptake assays

Animal housing

• digitally monitored IVC housing (Tecniplast) for mice in S1 and S2 areas, plus respective animal cage changing station
• digitally monitored IVC housing (Tecniplast) for rats in an S1 area
• animal surgery areas (S1 and S2) with various equipment