A cabinet X-ray system is often bought as an imaging tool and then used as a measuring one. The picture answers the first question; the numbers answer the ones that follow, and those are usually what the study needs.
From image to number
A radiograph shows structure. Quantitative analysis turns it into figures that can be compared across animals, timepoints and treatment groups: bone mineral density — globally or in a defined region of interest — and body composition, separating fat, lean and bone. The PARAMETER line pairs imaging with DIGIMUS Multi analysis aligned to DXA methodology, so results speak the language the literature already uses.
That distinction — image versus measurement — is usually what decides whether a system supports a publication or merely illustrates it.
Locating the signal on the animal
A recurring frustration in specimen imaging is knowing exactly where on the subject a feature sits. Image Blender overlays the X-ray onto an optical photograph of the same specimen, so the finding is read against real anatomy rather than a silhouette. It sounds like a convenience; in practice it removes a common source of misinterpretation.
When a flat radiograph is not enough
A projection compresses three dimensions into two, and overlapping structures can hide the thing you are looking for. Tomosynthesis reconstructs slices, separating what a single projection superimposes — available within the same PARAMETER line, including a multislice 90 kV configuration for more demanding work.
For high-resolution volumetric imaging of small specimens, micro-CT remains the higher-resolution route. Tomosynthesis sits usefully between a radiograph and a full CT scan: more information than a projection, faster and simpler than tomography.
Choosing within the range
- XPERT 80 and 80-L — high-resolution cabinet radiography, the 80 for a large field of view, the 80-L for maximum sharpness across life science and NDT
- PARAMETER — adds Image Blender, quantitative bone density and body composition, and tomosynthesis options
Both families image at spatial resolution below 50 µm, and both are self-contained shielded cabinets, so no dedicated X-ray room is required.
Where this is the wrong tool
Functional questions. Structure is not function. Tracer uptake, gene expression and metabolic activity need PET, SPECT or optical imaging.
Soft-tissue detail. X-ray contrast favours mineralised tissue; MRI and ultrasound see soft tissue far better.
Irradiation studies. Delivering a controlled dose is a different instrument entirely — a research irradiator, not an imaging cabinet.
If you are weighing these up for a study, talk to us — we can arrange a demonstration in Israel.