Nov 26 2007
Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi) announces the launch of Maestro 2 optical imaging systems in North America. The Maestro 2 received widespread acclaim at the both the recent Society of Molecular Imaging/Academy of Molecular Imaging joint conference for in vivo imaging, and at the Stanford University Small Animal Imaging Workshop as well.
Maestro 2, the fully automated version of the award-winning Maestro small animal imaging system, is the ideal optical imaging system for both core imaging facilities and individual laboratories using fluorescence-based imaging methodologies.
Maestro 2 combines the sensitivity and features of the original Maestro in vivo imaging system with advanced animal handling features -- an integrated anesthesia system and temperature controlled stage and imaging chamber. Computer-controlled automation through a new, user-friendly interface provides easy zoom and focus adjustments and a rapid selection of a full range of excitation and emission filters.
The Flex(TM) liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) provides fast, accurate spectral imaging from 500 to 950 nm, covering the full range of available in vivo fluorophores. The fully automated system allows easy instrument setup and calibration for faster, more accurate results within and between experiments. Maestro 2 provides increased sensitivity, automatic removal of autofluorescence for increase spectral contrast, and improved quantification of experimental results.
The Flex LCTF technology provides more accurate multiplexing capability and better quantification of experimental results. The software includes the Real Component Analysis(TM) (RCA) algorithm for automatic identification of spectral signatures and the Compute Spectra(TM) tool, which automatically separates combined or overlapping spectral signatures, enabling the end-user to build spectral libraries quickly and to rapidly analyze data.
Quantitative measurement tools include component segmentation and regions of interest (ROI) analysis. Spatial, temporal and spectral separation of multiple signals are all enabled in the new Maestro 2, resulting in improved detection and quantification of co-localized signals in vivo.
"We are very excited about the Maestro 2 In Vivo Imaging System", says James Mansfield, Director of Multispectral Imaging Systems at CRi. "From its ergonomic design, optimized optics and user-friendly software tools, this system was designed and developed with the customers' needs in mind."