In Vivo Optical Imaging System

What is the In Vivo Optical Imaging System?

A dark-box imager with a deep-cooled camera that records bioluminescence and fluorescence signals from living small laboratory animals. It is used for tumour growth, gene expression and biodistribution studies in preclinical drug discovery research.

Overview

The in vivo optical imaging system places an anaesthetised animal inside a light-tight chamber on a heated stage. Fluorescence imaging uses filtered LED or laser excitation, while bioluminescence imaging needs no excitation and relies on luciferase-tagged cells or reporters. The detector is a back-illuminated, deep-cooled CCD or sCMOS camera cooled to about -80 to -90 °C to reach very low dark current, with binning and exposure times from seconds to minutes. The field of view covers 5 to 25 cm for mice and larger animals, and spectral unmixing separates autofluorescence and multiple reporters. Software converts counts into pseudo-colour maps with calibrated scales, draws regions of interest and reports total flux in photons per second. Anaesthesia manifolds, gas and temperature control, and multi-modal trays are typical accessories.

How does it work?

Most life science imaging systems share the same optical path: an excitation source such as an LED, laser or arc lamp sends light through filters or a monochromator to the sample, and an objective collects the emitted light, which a cooled CCD or sCMOS camera converts into digital counts. Fluorescence depends on fluorophores that absorb at one wavelength and emit at a longer one, so filter cubes or tunable filters separate excitation from emission. Brightfield imaging relies on transmitted light and contrast techniques such as phase contrast or differential interference contrast. Motorized stages, autofocus routines and multi-well plate carriers let the system visit many positions in a programmed order, and software assembles the images, applies flat-field and dark corrections, and extracts measurements such as intensity, area, count and morphology.

What are the key features?

• Light-tight chamber with heated animal stage.
• Deep-cooled CCD or sCMOS camera at -80 to -90 °C.
• Bioluminescence and filtered fluorescence modes.
• Field of view of 5 to 25 cm for mice and larger animals.
• Spectral unmixing for autofluorescence and multiple reporters.
• Regions of interest with total flux in photons per second.

What are the technical specifications?

A typical in vivo optical imaging system configuration offers detector of Back-illuminated CCD, cooled to -90 °C, camera resolution of 1-4 megapixels with binning, field of view of 5-25 cm, adjustable, excitation of Filtered LED or laser, 400-900 nm, emission filters of 6-12 positions, spectral unmixing and exposure range of 1 s to 10 min. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The In Vivo Optical Imaging System is used in tumour growth and metastasis monitoring, reporter gene expression imaging, biodistribution of labelled compounds and inflammation and infection models. Across the wider Imaging Systems class, laboratories also deploy it for fluorescence and immunofluorescence microscopy, live-cell dynamics and time-lapse recording and high-content screening and phenotypic assays.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include IEC 61010-1, IEC 61326-1, ISO 9022-1, ISO 13485 manufacturing and IVDR (EU) 2017/746. Certification candidates for this model are CE, ISO 9001 manufacturing and IEC 61010-1 test report; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Imaging performance depends on the room as much as on the instrument. Use a vibration-isolated bench away from centrifuges and pumps, keep temperature stable, and limit stray light for long exposures or bioluminescence work. Provide stable power, ideally through a line conditioner, and a network path for image data, which can exceed tens of gigabytes per session. Calibrate the stage, objective magnification and fluorescence channels with reference slides at installation and at defined intervals, and verify camera linearity and dark current. Clean objectives with lens tissue and approved solvent only. Manage data with a documented naming and backup policy, since files are large and often subject to retention requirements.

How do I select the right In Vivo Optical Imaging System?

Select this variant when signals come from living animals and must be followed over time in the same subject. Compare camera cooling and quantum efficiency for weak bioluminescence, spectral unmixing capability for multi-reporter work, and the number of animals that fit the stage. Specify anaesthesia control, filter sets, analysis software and any animal welfare approvals needed.

How does it compare with other Imaging Systems variants?

Match the system to the question: fixed-cell morphology and staining favour an inverted fluorescence microscope platform, while dynamic processes need an incubator-enclosed live-cell system. Throughput decides between manual microscopes, plate-capable high-content readers and slide scanners, which differ mainly in automation, plate handling and analysis software. Detection sensitivity is the next filter, since weak luminescence needs deep-cooled cameras and strong fluorophores tolerate less cooling. Check objective range and numerical aperture, excitation channels, camera quantum efficiency and pixel size, stage resolution, autofocus reliability and the image format and analysis tools. Confirm that the software exports raw data and supports the statistics package your team uses.