Beta ImagerTM


Beta Imager is sensitive and precise. A real-time digital imaging, capability turns autoradiography into a fast and easy routine and with its ability to discriminate between multiple probes in a single exposure, it brings the power of multiplexing to autoradiography.

       >> How the Beta Imager works

Tritium detection 500 times faster than film autoradiography

Tritium is an excellent probe for the measurement of biological activity. It may be substituted into virtually any compound at high specific activities and the low energy beta radiation is ideal for autoradiographic imaging. However, detection by way of traditional methods is slow. Film and Storage Phosphor imaging based methods can take days or weeks to deliver results. Now, there is a better way to meet the need for high throughput and quick results: Beta imager cuts tritium imaging from weeks, or days to hours.

A versatile technology

  • Ideal for tritium detection
  • Detects all other commonly used beta emitting isotopes (14C, 32P,35S, 33P,125I)
  • Detects electrons associated with gamma emitting isotopes
  • Detects positrons associated with isotopes commonly used in Positron Emission Tomography

A wide range of applications

  • Ex vitro and in vitro receptor binding
  • Quantitative Whole Body Autoradiography
  • Tissue sections mounted on glass
  • Any tissue sections
  • TLC plate
  • Electrophoresis gels
  • Hybridization membranes
  • Ex vivo imaging after microSPECT or microPET


The very high sensitivity of the Beta imager cuts tritium imaging from weeks to hours



4 week imaging plate acquisition (left) of rat brain sections using a 3H labeled probe compared to a 5 hour Beta Imager acquisition (right).
Courtesy of Aventis Bridgewater, NI, USA



Real-time imaging provides a direct visualization of the signal being acquired at any time during the experiment

Distribution of D1 receptors in the rat striatum with 3H labeling.
Courtesy of Janssen Research Foundation









Probe multiplexing for healthy and necrotic cells discrimination



A study of the apoptotic to healthy cells ratio in the rat heart. 201Tl is fixed by healthy cells, 99mTc-Annexin is fixed by necrotic cells.
Courtesy of N. Barthe, INSERM, Bordeaux, France.