In biological, biomedical, and pharmaceutical research the examination of the spatial distribution of chemical compounds in organic tissue, tissue microarrays, cytospins, or any other form of substrate is a common aim. To accomplish this task, multiple molecular imaging technologies are available based on different physical measurement principles. Molecular imaging is the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels in humans and other living systems. Molecular imaging typically includes two-dimensional or three-dimensional imaging as well as quantification over time. Examples of molecular imaging technologies include imaging mass spectrometry, stained microscopy, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, MRI, PET, CT, and Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence. Each of these technologies has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, pertaining to technical aspects such as specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, chemical resolution, spatial resolution, dynamic range, time of acquisition, cost of acquisition, and whether or not the measurement process is repeatable or a destructive test.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds