MARS Bioimaging Expands to Europe with Installation of Groundbreaking Color CT Scanner at Charles University

New Zealand-based MARS Bioimaging has reached a major milestone in its global expansion, announcing the sale of its advanced spectral photon-counting CT scanner to Charles University in Prague, one of Europe’s oldest and most respected academic institutions.

The installation is scheduled for early December at the Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging (CAPI), part of the university’s First Faculty of Medicine. The scanner will provide researchers with in vivo preclinical imaging in full color and unprecedented detail, opening new possibilities for understanding biological processes in living organisms.

“The MARS scanner brings valuable new imaging capability to CAPI, enabling scientists to differentiate up to five distinct materials within a living organism in a single scan at exceptional spectral resolution,” said Mark Figgitt, Group COO at MARS Bioimaging. “Our photon-counting scanners associate color with material composition, distinguishing metals, calcium, lipids, arteries, bone, and blood, so researchers can see not just structure but also function. We’re excited to commission the scanner in Prague soon and work alongside scientists to demonstrate its capabilities.”

CAPI specializes in advanced imaging of small laboratory animals and supports both academic and commercial research across Europe. The center is an active member of the Czech BioImaging and EuroBioImaging consortia and has long been involved in developing imaging technologies using Timepix3 detectors, originally designed through international collaboration at CERN.

“Selecting a CT imager from MARS Bioimaging, which leverages CERN’s advanced Medipix detector technology, was a logical choice to complement our other in vivo imaging systems,” said Dr. Luděk Šefc, CSc, Head of the Department at CAPI. “We’re already familiar with the detectors’ pioneering performance. We’re also excited to collaborate with MARS on developing and testing new applications for this ground-breaking color CT method. It’s an excellent partnership. MARS brings world-leading technology, and CAPI contributes its expertise in imaging live laboratory animals. Our open-access model means scientific teams across Europe can also use this technology in their research, expanding its impact in preclinical imaging.”

MARS Bioimaging’s technology represents a major leap forward from traditional CT, producing high-resolution, full-color 3D images that can differentiate between multiple materials in a single scan. The MARS Microlab and Extremity scanners are the first commercially available CT systems of their kind and are designed for both preclinical research and point-of-care diagnostics. Unlike conventional black-and-white X-ray imaging, MARS scanners visualize soft tissue, bone, blood vessels, and even implants in remarkable detail, often without the need for contrast injection.

“We’re proud that the Czech Republic’s oldest university, with centuries of scientific heritage, has chosen MARS’ technology to explore new insights previously unavailable through traditional CT imaging,” Figgitt said. “Being selected from a highly competitive process illustrates the high quality of our team and product. This installation represents another major step in our mission to bring color photon-counting CT to researchers and clinicians worldwide. With CAPI’s open-access model, scientists across Europe will gain firsthand experience of our technology, creating further momentum in the European market and paving the way from preclinical to clinical adoption.”

The Prague installation adds to a growing list of global institutions already using MARS technology, including leading medical and research centers in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, China, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.