Optoacoustic Solutions: IThera Products
iThera Medical was founded in 2010, as a spin-off from the Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, the German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU). They develop advanced optoacoustic technology for use in preclinical and clinical applications
MSOT: Real-Time Whole-Body Imaging
The revolutionary characteristic of MSOT (Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography) technology is its capacity to differentiate tissue volumetrically and quantitatively in vivo and in real-time, with and without the use of contrast agents. The only optoacoustic imaging system with real-time whole-body imaging capacity is provided by iThera Medical utilizing this technology. This potent technology for small animal preclinical imaging sets a new benchmark for preclinical research.
It is possible to study biological processes and the effects of pharmaceuticals in vivo, in deep tissue, in real-time, and at high resolution.
By adjusting the excitation laser wavelength, gathering the optoacoustic signal obtained at various wavelengths, and performing spectral unmixing, endogenous chromophores as well as extrinsically delivered probes can be distinguished from tissue background.
- Single-wavelength optoacoustic imaging at 10 Hz frame rate
- Real-time spectral component visualization at up to 10 Hz frame rate
- Co-registered reflection-mode ultrasound computed tomography (R-UCT) imaging for MSOT inVision 512-echo
- Penetration depth of 2-4 cm, sufficient for whole-body small animal imaging
- Cross-sectional spatial in-plane resolution: 150 μm
- High-energy / fast-tunable laser system (100 mJ / 10 ms)
- Tomographic ultrasound detector array with 64/128/256/512 elements
- Image acquisition fully automated
- Data post-processing suite for spectral and temporal analysis
RSOM: High-Resolution Optoacoustic Imaging
For the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of conditions such vascular disease, tumour angiogenesis, and skin cancer, high-resolution vision of the superficial microvasculature is essential. Only with the use of contrast agents or invasive procedures can the microvasculature be evaluated using conventional imaging modalities. Raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) uses high-frequency acoustic detection and laser excitation to provide intrinsic optical tissue contrast with a resolution of up to 10 m at depths of several millimetres.
Systems for RSOM imaging have been created by iThera Medical for exploratory preclinical and clinical usage. Clinically, RSOM can be used to identify conditions that entail irregular mesoscopic buildup of haemoglobin or melanin. Additionally, RSOM can be utilised in the preclinical setting to determine the presence of molecular probes.
- Axial / lateral resolution: up to 10 / 40 µm
- Penetration depth: up to 3 mm
- 80 seconds acquisition time for 5 x 5 mm field of view
- Pulsed laser illumination at 532 nm (multispectral launching soon)
- 50 MHz single-element detector with ultra-wide bandwidth (>90 percent)
- Image acquisition fully automated
- Software for image reconstrution, visualization and analysis