Bone Densitometer

Facility Description

The Bone Densitometer (BD) measures X-ray absorption by bone and soft tissue and reports bone density in mice. It can also determine soft-tissue density, lean/fat ratio and total animal mass (i.e., weighing mice in space). The BD flight unit was developed and manufactured to operate safely on the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station), where it currently resides for use in the National Laboratory. The BD technology provides bone mineral and body composition results from total body imaging in fewer than five minutes. Fast imaging allows faster access to important data and is safe for the animals.

The device allows automated, accurate and precise measurement of bone and tissue for small animals weighing 10-50 g. It uses a lower X-ray energy than that used for peripheral densitometry in humans in order to achieve contrast in the extremely low-density bone. Excellent precision of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and %Fat makes it ideal for longitudinal studies.