Small Animal Imaging Center

The Small Animal Imaging Center supports users in the application of numerous radiological methods such as ultrasound, optical imaging, µPET, µCT, µSPECT and MRT measurements to collect and quantify morphological and functional data in vivo.

Multimodal Imaging (in vivo)

•  creation of illustrations
•  tumor staging
•  Screening for metastases
•  Intraindividual monitoring of therapy progress

 

 

 

Measurement of quantitative data (in vivo)

• blood volume
• vascular permeability
• perfusion
• oxygen saturation
• bone density (HU)
• volumetric measurement
• morphology
• metabolic activity
• pharmacokinetics

Further services

• Project planning of animal studies
• feasibility studies
• Evaluation of raw data
• scientific evaluation of the data
• data storage
• Support writing applications and publications

Small Animal Imaging Center
Modern non-invasive small animal imaging for comprehensive evaluation of pathologies and therapy monitoring in vivo.

Under the direction of Dr. Manfred Jugold, the Core Facility Small Animal Imaging offers a comprehensive service for the non-invasive characterization of small animal pathologies for DKFZ internal groups only.

The radiological possibilities in todays small animal imaging techniques are able to obtain a multitude of significant data and meaningful images from living animals. By means of most animal-friendly procedures, entire therapy processes can be documented in vivo during the course of the study.

Through the modern methods of non-invasive small animal imaging it is often possible to strongly reduce the number of animals needed to achieve a study goal. At the same time, the significance of the results can be maintained or even increased and additional parameters can be examined. In this way, decisive contributions can be made to research on animal models, from simple documentation and the recording of pathologies, through therapy monitoring to the measurement of quantitative and functional tissue parameters. Furthermore, results, e. g. for publications or patent applications can be enhanced by meaningful images.

Compared to conventional invasive or approximate methods, small animal imaging offers decisive advantages:

• Recording of quantitative volumetric data
• Monitoring of intraindividual therapy courses
• Recording of functional tissue parameters
• Increasing the significance of the results
• Imaging of finest morphologic structures
• Rationalisation of animal numbers

Furthermore, we offer support in the design of animal studies, the selection of suitable modalities, the processing of the raw data,as well as the evaluation/interpretation of the results and the publication of the study.

Available modalities and equipment:
MRI: Icon, Bruker

• 1Tesla small animal scanner

Three-modality small animal scanner: Inveon, Siemens

• μCT
• μPET
• μSPECT

Photoacoustic Imaging: Fujifilm, VisualSonics

• LAZR-Photoacoustic-Imaging-System
  Wavelength range: 680 - 970 nm and 1200 - 2000 nm

Optical imaging: PerkinElmer

• IVIS Lumina III, In Vivo Imaging System
  Bioluminescence Imaging
  Fluorescence Imaging

Ultrasound: Fujifilm, VisualSonics

• Vevo 3100™
  Transducer mouse 13-24 MHz
  Transducer rat 22-55 MHz