Micro-computed Tomography (Micro-CT) Imaging Service in Animal Models of Stroke

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), is a non-destructive 3D imaging technique that provides a clear understanding of the internal structure of a sample without destroying it and differs from ordinary clinical CT in its high resolution, which can reach the micrometer (μm) level. Micro-CT image live small animals without destroying the sample, obtaining detailed 3D structural information of the sample, thus displaying 3D images of various parts with a much higher resolution than clinical CT. Several ex vivo studies of the cerebral vasculature and anatomy of mice and rats, including one using an ex vivo MCAO rat brain, have demonstrated the high spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of CT.

Fig. 1. High resolution micro-CT imaging allows brain neuroanatomical areas identification in physiological/pathological conditions (mouse stroke models). (Pinto et al., 2022)

Our Services

Ace Therapeutics provides customers worldwide with high-resolution micro-CT imaging services for fine localization and quantification of ischemic lesions and edema in mouse preclinical stroke models. In vivo mice or brain tissue for scanning require contrast agents (e.g., osmium tetroxide, inorganic iodine, molybdenum phosphide) to assist in the imaging process, which can be customized to meet the specific needs of the customer.

Experimental procedure

Fixed and preserved tissue samples are scanned using a small animal Micro-CT scanning imaging system, and the microstructural parameters of the bone tissue in the target area are analyzed using the system's analysis software, with the analysis range of all specimens remaining the same.

Client provides

Test samples and specific CT scanning requirements

Delivery of results

• Instrument scanning parameter setting conditions, the results of the original CT images taken (images with high quality, high resolution, and neuroanatomical detail).
• If additional analysis is performed, a detailed analysis report will be issued.

Applications of Our Services

Our micro-CT imaging services allow us to assist clients in:

• Accurately quantifying 3D brain damage (from brain edema to total infarct size) and core/semi-dark band segmentation.
• Assessing white/gray matter changes and myelinated fiber integrity.

Our Advantages

• High-quality results: Obtain high-resolution images with 3D information.
• Rapid detection: Take several hours to provide a complete visualization of the external and internal morphology of the brain.
• Simple sample handling: Only need to expose samples to different solutions when working with large numbers of brains.
• Wide range of services: We can stain the brains of mice subjected to different ischemia models, allowing us to characterize the evolution of ischemic lesions over time.

Ace Therapeutics's micro-CT allows easy and fast 3D imaging of stroke mouse brains with high resolution and details, and is widely used to assess brain injury in preclinical stroke studies. We aim to accelerate your stroke research. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us!

1. Pinto, R., et al. (2022). High resolution micro-CT imaging in mice stroke models: from 3D detailed infarct characterization to automatic area segmentation. bioRxiv, 2022-02.