Figure 2.

(a) The imaging system of figure 1c being used to image a mouse. The mouse is anaesthetized and lying on a heated stage and is monitored for heart rate, breathing, and in some cases blood pressure. Scanning is performed after removal of hair (if necessary) and after the application of a heated gel to the region of interest. The ultrasound scanhead is mounted on a ‘Rail System’ inside a biosafety cabinet to reduce jitter in the image due to hand motion. (b) Example of a still frame from a real-time sequence of images of the abdominal region of the mouse. This ‘B-scan’ image shows, from left to right, a section through the kidney, adrenal gland, the vena cava, portal vein, and the aorta.