Siemens Medical Solutions introduced bonSAI, a fluorescence optical imaging technology that enables in vivo imaging of molecular processes, at the second annual meeting of the Society for Molecular Imaging. As part of Siemens' commitment to the advancement of molecular imaging, bonSAI is expected to have a profound impact on the way drugs are developed, and the way diseases are understood and treated.

"Fluorescence imaging techniques are of particular interest to drug discovery and development because of their low cost, versatility and high throughput capability," said Markus Rudin, head of the Analytical and Imaging Sciences Unit at Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, one of several prototype-testing sites for bonSAI. "Fluorescence imaging techniques increase the value of study, as repetitive observations of the progression of disease in vivo are possible," he explained.

Siemens collaboration partner Dr. Ralph Weissleder, and director of the Center for Molecular Imaging Research (CMIR) at Massachusetts General Hospital, added: "The adaptation of fluorescent optical techniques to diagnostic imaging is now changing the way we visualize molecular processes in vivo, and ultimately, in the clinic."

bonSAI was developed to support the needs of pharmaceutical and biotechnology research organizations by aiding in target identification and early prioritization of candidate drug compounds, thus speeding up research and development efforts and decreasing time to market. In addition, bonSAI has broad applications in basic academic research. It is an enabling technology that allows new information on molecular parameters to be obtained via biomedical research.

bonSAI is designed as a high-speed, easy-to-use imaging device at an affordable price to enable widespread usage in research.