The University of Notre Dame has added Caretream's Albira system to its In Vivo Imaging Core, part of the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF). With the addition of PET, SPECT, and CT capabilities, the NDIIF will now better serve the imaging research needs of faculty from the departments of Biology, Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry and Biochemistry. The Albira system will immediately enable NDIIF to support researchers studying oncology, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurodegenerative disease. According to W. Matthew Leevy, PhD, Research Professor and Managing Director of the In Vivo Imaging Core, the Albira system provides a 3D quantitative capability to study biological processes at the tissue and cellular level and will be used in a wide variety of research studies.  "PET imaging will provide a critical tool for our researchers studying tumor metabolism and proliferation. SPECT will be utilized for the development of novel probes for the detection of cancer or infection. And CT will be valuable to our researchers studying bone degradation and re-growth. We also anticipate using the imaging system as an academic teaching tool for medical physics curricula. " 

What attracted NDIIF to the Albira is its unprecedented advance in detector technology. The Albira system features a unique modular architecture that introduces an exclusive, patented single crystal detector and associated electronics for rapid acquisition and reconstruction of highly resolved quantitative PET and SPECT images. This approach contrasts with the pixelated crystal technology used in most current PET and SPECT systems today.

Dr. Leevy was also pleased by the Albira's ease of use. "Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Albira is that it is virtually ‘plug and play'. The experts at Carestream and OncoVision have done an excellent job of distilling this complex technology down to its basic elements. Image acquisition is literally ‘push button'. We were able to collect very nice PET and SPECT images on day one after installation."

With their existing Carestream In-Vivo MS FX PRO system (used for high resolution fluorescence, luminescence, radio-isotopic, and X-ray imaging) and the Albira system for PET, SPECT and CT, Notre Dame now has the ability to use seven distinct imaging modalities for their small animal research with just two instruments.

Both the Albira and the MS FX PRO are part Carestream's award winning preclinical imaging line (Frost & Sullivan the 2011 North American Product Line Strategy Award in Preclinical Imaging Systems), and will be on exhibit at the upcoming at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, April 2-6, 2011.

For further information please visit www.mi.carestream.com

About Carestream

Carestream is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/ development market segments; and X-ray film and digital X-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. Carestream Molecular Imaging, a division of Carestream, develops and markets high performance digital imaging systems for in vitro and in-vivo imaging, PET/SPECT/CT solutions, film and accessories for the life science research, specimen radiography and drug discovery/development market segments. For more information on Carestream Molecular Imaging, visit www.mi.carestream.com or call 1-877-747-4357, express code 7. Outside of the United States, call 1-203-786-5657.

About OncoVision (GEM Imaging S.A.)

OncoVision creates, develops and markets molecular vision  systems for the clinical and life sciences research and drug discovery markets. In addition to the Albira system, OncoVision has also commercialized Sentinella for radio-guided cancer surgery and nuclear medicine imaging and Mammi for dedicated PET imaging of the breast. www.oncovision.es