Published on
Monday, August 20, 2012
iThera
Medical GmbH's MSOT imaging technology combines the molecular
capabilities of microscopy and PET imagining with the tissue penetration abilities
of ultrasound. It has the potential to replace microscopy for drug discovery
and to replace ultrasound in indications such as peripheral vascular disease
and cancer.
Doctors and researchers use
microscopy with fluorescently tagged biomarkers as well as PET imaging to
diagnose conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD), target tumors for surgery or
track a compound in animals during drug discovery. However, microscopy is
limited by its ability to detect molecular imaging markers beyond depths of
200-300 µm, at which point it loses resolution. PET can penetrate through the
entire body, but its resolution is only 1-2 mm, according to iThera CEO
Christian Wiest.