MILabs launches EXIRAD-3D quantitative autoradiography for fast imaging of tissue samples

Oct 17 2016

EXIRAD-3D, MILabs’ new micron-resolution Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) technology, dedicated for imaging ex-vivo tissue samples is being launched by MILabs at the EANM congress in Barcelona.

EXIRAD-3D enables highly detailed quantitative and automated 3D scanning of radiolabeled molecules in biological tissue samples such as complete organs of small animals, and can be readily combined with X-ray CT. By cryo-cooling the tissue samples with a micron-resolution SPECT option, researchers can finally eliminate many tedious, time-consuming and error-prone steps from traditional Quantitative 3D Autoradiography.

Mouse knee imaged with micro-resolution 99mTc-MDP SPECT (left) and 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT (right) with 4 μm voxel CT. These extreme resolution SPECT and CT capabilities enable studying the spatial distribution of a selected function marker and relate this one-to-one to anatomical microstructures imaged in 3D

Important practical advantages enables unique research

By 3D scanning cryo-cooled tissue samples with MIlabs micron-resolution SPECT option, researchers can finally eliminate many tedious, time-consuming and error-prone steps from Quantitative 3D Autoradiography. With current 3D autoradiography methods, researcher must cryo-section tissue samples using a cryo-microtome, expose the frozen slices for many hours to days to X-ray film or storage phosphor screens, scan the samples with a digital 2D film or phosphor screen reader and reconstruct 3D images from a stack of 2D images with sophisticated images analysis software. This process is time-consuming, laborious and error prone. Often, slices get distorted due to tissue manipulations, irregular slicing or 3D co-registration errors obtained from the stack of 2D images. Moreover, to create a good visual reference, many of the slices may need to be stained requiring extra steps to ultimately form a 3D image showing the distribution of the radiolabeled substance within the cryo-cooled tissue.

MILabs new EXIRAD-3D eliminates all these steps and reduces the time required to obtain 3D autoradiography images by one to two orders of magnitude. In addition, quantitative accuracy is greatly enhanced: no problems resulting from distorted or torn slices, the 3D images are now truly isotropic, the radioactive distribution images are further enhanced by co-registered CT images and above all, this simple one-step procedure enables to analyze images presented in their true native resolution. Moreover, EXIRAD-3D expands application versatility making it possible to analyze the distribution of multiple tracers, simultaneously.

According to MILabs CEO Prof. Frederik J. Beekman:

EXIRAD-3D Quantitative 3D autoradiography is fast, saves tremendous amounts of labor and reduces costs. And best of all, results are truly quantitative. On your image analysis workstation, undistorted quantitative EXIRAD-3D images can be sliced in any direction, and multiple tracers can be analyzed simultaneously if desired…

The EXIRAD-3D option is available for the MILabs U-SPECT4CT and VECTor4CT systems, and combined they offer a unique single-system solution to translate research results from ex vivo to in vivo analysis and vice-versa.