Benefits of Bioluminescence Imaging
• Multi-animal, high-throughput studies at relatively low cost
• Quantitative measurements
• High signal sensitivity
• No ionizing radiation
Ideally Suited For
• Imaging of tumor growth and response to therapy
• Viral pathogenesis and effects of anti-viral therapies
• Cell trafficking studies (immune or stem cells; viruses, bacteria)
• Assessing tissue injury and infection sites
Not Suited For
• High resolution imaging
Disadvantages
• 2-D images, typically
• Low resolution
• Requires genetically engineered cells or animals
• Less translational to clinic than microPET, microSPECT, MRI
Ivis Spectrum
The IVIS Spectrum (Perkin Elmer) imaging system offers high sensitivity in vivo small imaging studies using bioluminescent reporter genes. All images are captured by a thermoelectrically cooled back-thinned, back-illuminated CCD camera, with a 2048 x 2048 array of 13.5 micron pixels (27 x 27 mm total area) and a 16-bit digitizer using 6-inch diameter optics with f-stop values that can be varied from f/1 to f/8. The system provides four levels of magnification ranging from high (20 micron) resolution (for single cell in vitro imaging) to a lower magnification, wide field setting, that allows imaging of 5 mice simultaneously.