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SKYSCAN 1278

HIGH-THROUGHPUT MICRO-CT

SKYSCAN 1278: LOW-DOSE HIGH-RESOLUTION IN-VIVO MICRO-CT

See SkyScan 1278 introduction on YouTube

•   Description

• Shortest full-body animal scan takes 7.2 seconds with typical dose less than 6mGy

• Fast and very sensitive flat-panel detector resolving dynamics of mouse heart and lungs activities even without using a contrast agent

• Spatial beam shaper reduces dose 2-5 times without affecting reconstructed image quality

• Integrated physiological monitoring with breathing sensor, ECG, temperature stabilization and body movement detection

• Supplied with GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) compliant software

The new SkyScan 1278 micro-CT system for in-vivo imaging is addressing the needs of scientists working in the exciting areas of physiological response to disease and regenerative medicine. Many researchers strive to reduce the levels of radiation used in animal studies. Lower levels reduce the risk of associated complications, but any system that offers this advantage must not compromise on the quality of images produced. As the development of the SkyScan 1278, we have created a new micro-CT spatial beam shaper, which reduces the absorbed dose by up to five times while maintaining high quality image output.

The SkyScan 1278 has a highly sensitive flat-panel detector that is able to deliver images of mouse heart and lung activities without using a contrast agent. Such images allow the user to explore cardiac and respiratory function and gain new insights, while reducing animal stress and the cost of the study. A full-body animal scan can take 8 seconds or less, thus reducing overall run times and increasing the speed of data collection. The system has many innovative features built-in to assist with study workflow. Results can be directly sent to mobile devices, including iPad, iPhone and Android devices for volume rendering and manipulations using the software supplied. The system will also send an e-mail with a direct link to the results for review.

Animal beds for rats and mice are available made of carbon fiber or polystyrene foam. An integrated physiological monitoring subsystem provides breathing and heart-beat gating for proven thoracic image improvement by synchronized acquisition.

•   MOUSE AND RAT CASSETTES

The SkyScan 1278 is supplied with exchangeable animal cassettes that can be used in all Bruker in-vivo imaging instruments for co-registration of functional and morphological information from the same animal. The cassettes are equipped with face mask and tubes for anaesthetic gas as well as with connectors for ECG electrodes and a temperature sensor. All tubes and contacts are combined to a single connector, which can be attached to or detached from the animal transport system by simple turn of a small slider. To prevent leakage of anaesthetic gas, corresponding connections have valves which stay closed if the animal cassette is disconnected from the animal transport system.

•   TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL

The user interface of the SkyScan1278 system is simple and intuitive. The instrument can be controlled from the computer screen and also from the embedded force-sensitive touchscreen, which can be operated by gloved hands. The touchscreen allows selection of scanning protocol, adjusting animal bed position and control of imaging and scanning. Where multiple animal scans are started from the touchscreen, the software will automatically save acquired data to separate subfolders with incrementally assigned folder names and dataset file prefixes.