Sydney Imaging, at the University of Sydney is at the forefront of biomedical research. They provide advanced preclinical and clinical imaging capabilities to both internal University of Sydney researchers and external collaborators across academia, hospitals, and industry. Key figures there are Dr. Arvind Parmar, Technical Facility Manager and Dr. Raj Kumar Parajuli, Preclinical Imaging Specialist who were instrumental in procuring their new Medikors InAlyzer, Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) body imaging system which was installed in June 2024.
The Medikors InAlyzer DEXA instrument at Sydney Imaging with Dr. Raj Kumar Parajuli (left) and Dr. Arvind Parmar (right).
Their facility is central hub for in vivo imaging research in New South Wales that supports a wide range of biomedical imaging studies. Their comprehensive imaging portfolio includes:
- 7T MRI for high-field neuro and cardiac studies
- PET/CT and PET/3T MRI for functional and hybrid imaging
- DEXA for bone and fat analysis
- Micro-CT for high-resolution anatomical imaging
- EchoMRI for body composition
- Vevo Ultrasound for real-time functional and anatomical imaging
- Optical imaging (bioluminescence/fluorescence) for molecular imaging
The recently acquired Medikors InAlyzer DEXA system was required to support ongoing research projects that were using a system that had reached the end of its useful life.
Dr. Parmar commented:
“At the University of Sydney, particularly within the Charles Perkins Centre, there is a major research focus on metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders, along with musculoskeletal and bone-related research.
A DEXA system was essential to support studies investigating body composition, including fat distribution, lean mass, and bone mineral density. It’s a robust, non-invasive technique that complements other imaging modalities and offers fast, reproducible data crucial for longitudinal animal studies.”
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DEXA body composition images of a mouse (clockwise from top left), bone, soft tissue, composition and low energy x-ray (40 kV) Images.
While the need for a DEXA system was self-evident, factors that influenced the choice of the Medikors solution included:
- High resolution and larger field of view, making it particularly suitable for both mice and rats
- Cost-effectiveness relative to other systems on the market
- Short lead time for delivery and installation, which was crucial given the urgency to replace our previous system
- User-friendly interface, which made training and operation more efficient
- Local support from AXT
With a little over a year’s service, users have provided very good feedback thus far, reporting that the system is easy to operate and maintain. In addition, new users can be trained to use the system very quickly, in terms of both imaging and data analysis. The intuitive user interface and streamlined workflows have also significantly improved user experiences, with results being generated in as little as one minute.
While the system was installed to support ongoing research projects, the simplicity of operation has encouraged more users to incorporate DEXA into their studies. Usage of the system is expected to continue to increase in the near future with several major research groups with existing and newly awarded grants are integrating DEXA into their long-term animal studies. Furthermore, as the system becomes more embedded into metabolic phenotyping pipelines, demand will continue to grow.
Dr. Parmar concluded by saying:
“Our experience has been excellent. The local support AXT was critical – our previous DEXA system had failed unexpectedly, and we had ongoing longitudinal studies at risk. AXT coordinated the entire procurement and installation process with impressive speed and the new system was operational within just a couple of months.
Medikors also provided comprehensive user training and technical support post-installation. The overall experience was smooth and highly professional, and both companies were responsive and proactive throughout.”