Table 1 Summary of in vivo imaging methodologies
From: In vivo imaging approaches in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis
Imaging mode | Invasiveness | Sensitivity, resolution, time scale | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bioluminescence | Anesthesia | ~100 cells, 5 mm, minutes | Noninvasive, sensitive, quantitative | Resolution, penetration |
Micro positron emission tomography/single photon emission commuted tomography | Anesthesia | 1000 cells, 2 mm, minutes | Noninvasive, resolution | Short half-life of isotopes |
Magnetic resonance imaging | Anesthesia | 1000 cells, 0.1 mm, minutes | Noninvasive, resolution | Sensitivity, slow |
Intravital microscopy | Anesthesia/surgery | 1 cell, 0.2 μm, seconds | Highest resolution | Invasive, penetration limited |