Kaer Labs innovate and introduce the Kratoscope: an easy and efficient way to imaging an entire organ ex vivo.​

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Although there are more and more techniques to get 3D images of organs (eg. micro-CT, light sheet), none is as simple as "Kratoscopy": the technique does not require any labeling or contrast agent, and the acquisition of a paraffin embedded organ is obtained in less than 2 hours.

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The technique, developed in collaboration with the microscopy and histology platform MicroPICell from Nantes University / SFR François Bonamy, is based on the principle of serial block face imaging: the imaging system Kratoscope acquires an image of the organ in the block of tissue each time a slice is cut by a microtome, in a fully automated process. By getting a stack of slices at increasing depth, it is then possible to reconstruct a 3D view of the organ. 

The contrast of the images comes from the difference in autofluorescence of different structures of the organ and highlights anatomical its anatomy. It can provide information not visible on micro CT images, when small structures lack radio contrast.

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Applications/organs:

The technique has already been applied to a variety of organs, and for different purposes. It has been shown that it is possible on certain organs to isolate the vessels, which appear with a negative contrast, and then to segment them for the characterization and quantification of the vascular tree: this has been done on livers an kidneys, for example. Hearts reveal their inner chambers and the structures of the valves, whereas the Kratoscope is also being used to look at airways of lungs. Brain, kidneys and intestines have also shown to provide good contrast of their inner structures.

The technique can also be used on organs for larger animals (eg. sheep), marine species like zebrafish, as well as for plants for agronomic or botanical studies.​

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Application pages:

Developmental biology

Nuclear medicine

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Advantages:

- Different source of contrast than microCT: structures can be easier to observe

- Virtually no specific preparation required: the technique is easier than light sheet, which requires an initial step of tissue clearing

- Minimal operator time: the acquisition process is automated

- Improved repeatability with the absence of staining/labeling

- Individual tissue slices can be collected for further processing and imaging