Looking for exceptional soft-tissue contrast, and anatomical information obtained with non-ionizing radiation in the preclinical imaging field? Read more about the nanoScan SPECT/MRI system.

Summary of Key Benefits

• Continued leadership in preclinical SPECT technology.
• Non-multiplexed M³ pinhole™ collimators with up to 144 pinholes; easily replaceable; whole-body and focused mouse and rat applications.
• The combination of 4 large broadband detectors and M³ SPECT apertures results in outstanding space-bandwidth product¹ and detector efficiency further increasing sensitivity and improving spatial resolution.
• Exceptional balanced performance: Up to 13,000 cps/MBq(27 uCi) sensitivity @ sub-millimeter resolution.
• Highest spatial resolution: 300um resolution with >97% quantitative accuracy.
• Ultra-fast 4D/5D list mode dynamic imaging by static or rotational SPECT modes with stationary and helical CT scans.
• The ONLY system to apply both CT-based attenuation and scatter correction - especially important for quantitative low-energy isotope studies and enhancement of image quality
• The ONLY small animal SPECT that can image Mice and Monkeys^(*) (* with parallel hole collimators).

Summary of Key Benefits for SPECT

• Significant redesign of the collimator, detector and event processing system
• Mediso Ultra High Performance (UHP) Detector with Resolution Booster^TM.
• Resolution Booster^TM: projections are precision-aligned on detector to utilize the best intrinsic resolution.
• More than doubled crystal volume: 50% larger detector area & 50% thicker crystal (compared to NanoSPECT/CT).
• Up to 4 NaI(Tl) 28x28cm crystal detectors, crystal thickness 9.5mm, detector FOV 27x27cm.
• Number of photomultiplier tubes: 144 (for 4 heads).
• Fully digital premium electronics: digital 1 ADC/PMT non-Anger detector electronics.
• Mediso M³ collimators (Multi-focus, Multi-size, Multi-pinhole apertures).
• Rectangular-shaped, variable-sized pinholes in one plate.
• Multifocal geometry.
• Non-overlapping projections.
• Comprehensive collimator selection (10) for every imaging requirement and application.
• Each collimator is a manageable size and easily accessible for quick replacement.

Summary of Key Benefits for CT

The standalone grade micro-CT is fully integrated into the nanoScan system for precise coregistration and unique CT-based corrections with SPECT data. With the high-powered (80W) x-ray source, effective beam hardening and filtering results in the finest image quality at the lowest dose. The large CT detector area can quickly scan a whole-body mouse in one bed position or extend out (helical scan) to 45cm supporting a wide range of animal scanning.

Broadest range of CT applications:

• Typical scans are easily executed through the Mediso pre-loaded imaging protocols.
• Scan, reconstruct, and view a whole-body mouse scan with anatomical detail (not a topogram) in less than 1 minute.
• Real-time, on-the-fly reconstruction is possible with the Mediso multi-GPU Tera-Tomo^TM reconstruction engine.
• Advanced in vivo and ex vivo imaging benefits from customizable imaging parameters (kVp, mA, scan mode, scan time, zoom factor, voxel size, etc).
• Variable zoom magnification up to 7.6X provides the closest source-to-object distance for detailed in vivo imaging of extra small objects.
• nanoScan CT performance: voxel size of 10 um and
• Large FOV (12cm X 10cm, extends to 45cm) with mouse to monkey animal support system.

System Design

• 17” touchscreen monitor on the gantry which allows the user to control bed movements, gantry rotation, positioning for CT zoom and positioning related calibrations and settings.
• Automated animal positioning based on CT scout; manual adjustment is also supported.
• Fully automated calibration process with x-ray ramp-up and run-up operations to ensure a prolonged tube lifetime.
• Improved safety functions include self-shielded gantry, emergency off switches in scan room and control room, and rotational position is stored.
• System is equipped with remote access possibility for service and remote diagnostics.

Further Information

General Scientific Literature

• Meikle, Steven R., Peter Kench, Michael Kassiou, and Richard B. Banati. "Small Animal SPECT and Its Place in the Matrix of Molecular Imaging Technologies." Physics in Medicine and Biology 50, no. 22 (November 21, 2005): R45. doi:10.1088/0031-9155/50/22/R01. | NCBI link
• Franc, Benjamin L., Paul D. Acton, Carina Mari, and Bruce H. Hasegawa. "Small-Animal SPECT and SPECT/CT: Important Tools for Preclinical Investigation." Journal of Nuclear Medicine 49, no. 10 (October 1, 2008): 1651–1663. doi:10.2967/jnumed.108.055442. | NCBI link

Cited Literature

• ^↩ Barrett, Harrison H., and William C. J. Hunter. "Detectors for Small-Animal SPECT I." In Small-Animal Spect Imaging, edited by Matthew A. Kupinski and Harrison H. Barrett, 9–48. Springer US, 2005.
  The space-bandwidth product is given by the area of the detector divided by the area of the detector’s point-spread function (PSF), and is thus a way to characterize the number of independent locations to which a detector can assign events.