Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging Modalities

Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging houses 4 imaging modalities: high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optical imaging and micro PET/CT imaging.

Edinburgh Preclinical imaging is a state-of-the-art facility providing in vivo, non-invasive imaging of structure and function of all organs and tissues of the body. EPI houses 4 imaging modalities: high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound,  optical imaging and micro PET/CT imaging. The facility is within the campus at Little France where it is ideally placed to provide cross-disciplinary work in cardiovascular biology, neuroscience and physiology. We aim to establish an integrated strategy for the development and application of novel in vivo imaging technologies to further understand the mechanisms of disease and develop therapeutic strategies. 

MRI

The University boasts a state-of-the-art preclinical MRI facility that is available for collaborative studies with internal and external researchers. It enables the collection of anatomical, functional and dynamic imaging data from living experimental animals, including genetically modified models.

The preclinical ultrasound imaging facility boasts a state-of-the-art high frequency ultrasound scanner (Vevo 3100, Visualsonics) offering spatial resolution down to 30 microns. The system is non-invasive, which allows longitudinal measurements and reduces the number of specimens required.

The microPET/CT laboratory was established in 2014 and offers state-of-the-art facilities for molecular imaging research using different radiotracers, as well as, high resolution anatomical computed tomography (CT) images.

The preclinical optical imaging facility incorporates three advanced in vivo optical imaging systems providing research opportunities for high-sensitivity imaging of radioisotopic, bioluminescence and fluorescence reporters.

Examples of imaging studies performed using our preclinical imaging equipment.

The 4 imaging modalities in our facility each have their own advantages and disadvantages.