title: Accurate molecular imaging of small animals taking into account animal models, handling, anaesthesia, quality control and imaging system performance.
abstract: Small-animal imaging has become an important technique for the development of new radiotracers, drugs and therapies. Many laboratories have now a combination of different small-animal imaging systems, which are being used by biologists, pharmacists, medical doctors and physicists. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the important factors in the design of a small animal, nuclear medicine and imaging experiment. Different experts summarize one specific aspect important for a good design of a small-animal experiment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Information Systems, MEDISIP, Ghent University-iMinds Medical IT-IBiTech, De Pintelaan 185 block B, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium. Christian.Vanhove@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanhove
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Preclinical Molecular Imaging, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bankstahl
authors.affiliation: Radiopharmaceutical Sciences/Biopharmacy, ETH Zurich, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboudumc, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Pisa and INFN sezione di Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Belcari
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Information Systems, MEDISIP, Ghent University-iMinds Medical IT-IBiTech, De Pintelaan 185 block B, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandenberghe
keywords: Animal handling; Animal models; Quality control; Small-animal imaging; System performance