SKYSCAN 1278

The world’s fastest, low-dose, high-resolution micro-CT
 
 

Bruker’s next-generation

SkyScan 1278

The SKYSCAN 1278 is a high throughput, stand-alone, desktop in vivo micro-CT for scanning small laboratory animals (mice, rats, …). 

The large image field of view (up to 80 mm wide and 200 mm long) allows full body mouse scanning with a single camera field of view. Variable X-Ray energy combined with a range of filters ensures optimal image quality for diverse research applications including pneumology, cardiology and body composition analysis. The system can perform scanning with continuous gantry rotation and in step-and-shoot mode with scanning cycles down to 7.2 sec.

Furthermore, the SKYSCAN 1278 in vivo micro-CT administers a low radiation dose to the animals allowing multiple scans in longitudinal preclinical studies without the risk of unwanted radiation – induced side effects. The fully integrated physiological monitoring package allows monitoring and controlling the animal’s wellbeing at all times through a video stream, ECG, temperature and breathing detection.

The SKYSCAN 1278 is complemented by 3D.SUITE. This extensive software suite covers GPU-accelerated reconstruction, 2D/ 3D morphological analysis, as well as surface and volume rendering visualization.

The SKYSCAN 1278 is a high throughput, stand-alone, desktop in vivo micro-CT for scanning small laboratory animals (mice, rats, …). 

The large image field of view (up to 80 mm wide and 200 mm long) allows full body mouse scanning with a single camera field of view. Variable X-Ray energy combined with a range of filters ensures optimal image quality for diverse research applications including pneumology, cardiology and body composition analysis. The system can perform scanning with continuous gantry rotation and in step-and-shoot mode with scanning cycles down to 7.2 sec.

Furthermore, the SKYSCAN 1278 in vivo micro-CT administers a low radiation dose to the animals allowing multiple scans in longitudinal preclinical studies without the risk of unwanted radiation – induced side effects. The fully integrated physiological monitoring package allows monitoring and controlling the animal’s wellbeing at all times through a video stream, ECG, temperature and breathing detection.

The SKYSCAN 1276 is complemented by 3D.SUITE. This extensive software suite covers GPU-accelerated reconstruction, 2D/ 3D morphological analysis, as well as surface and volume rendering visualization.

Features

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.

ON-SCREEN REAL-TIME DOSE METER

The SkyScan1278 control software includes a real-time on-screen dose meter. It indicates an estimation of the dose absorbed by the animal body during scanning. The measurement is based on the absorption calculated from X-ray projection images of the animal cross-calibrated with electronic dosimeter measurements. The dose meter shows accumulated dose or dose rate. It is calibrated for X-ray absorption in the standard mouse and rat cassettes. In this way it measures the X-ray dose absorbed in animal body itself during scanning. The dose absorbed by the animal during a scan is documented in the scan log-file together with all scan and reconstruction settings.

Integrated physiological monitoring

The physiological monitoring system includes video monitoring of an animal with real-time movement detection, ECG and breathing detection, and temperature stabilization. A 5 megapixel color camera is mounted above the animal bed along with white LED illumination to introduce a real-time image of the animal during the scan. The software analyses the video stream from a user-selected area of the image where breathing movement is visible. These movements are converted into a movement waveform to provide breathing time marks for time-resolved reconstructions. The face mask on the animal bed is connected to an air/gas flow sensor for direct breathing detection. The ECG electrodes in the animal cassette are connected to a sensitive ECG amplifier. Both breathing and ECG signals are digitized and displayed as real-time profiles on-screen. The monitoring also includes temperature stabilization by heated airflow, which maintains the scanned animal at a selected temperature, to prevent cooling of the animal under anaesthesia.