New Zealand–developed spectral photon-counting CT scanner will open new frontiers in biomedical and materials research at the Center for Advanced Preclinical Imaging (CAPI); open access for Czech-BioImaging and Euro-BioImaging consortium members extends the technology’s impact across Europe
CHRISTCHURCH, NZ, and Prague, Czech Republic, 1 December 2025 – MARS Bioimaging, a New Zealand–headquartered medical device company specialising in spectral molecular imaging CT scanners that deliver colour 3D X-rays with advanced material differentiation, has achieved a major milestone in its international expansion with the sale of its pioneering scanner to one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious universities – Charles University in Prague.
The MARS scanner will be installed at the Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging (CAPI) within the First Faculty of Medicine Charles University, in early December. It will enable in vivo preclinical imaging, allowing researchers to visualise biological processes in living organisms in colour and in unprecedented detail.
“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,” says Mark Figgitt, Group COO, MARS Bioimaging. “Our photon-counting scanners associate colour 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.”
A new era for European imaging research
The Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging is a multimodal imaging centre specialising in preclinical imaging of small laboratory animals, serving the research needs of academic and commercial institutions worldwide.
Head of Department Dr Luděk Šefc, CSc, says, “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. We’re already familiar with the detectors’ pioneering performance. We’re very grateful to programme Johannes Amos Comenius, Co-funded by the European Union, for making it possible to acquire this new technology.”
In addition to its in-house research, CAPI is actively developing and testing new imaging probes and technologies and provides access to its imaging technologies to researchers across Europe. It is part of the Czech-BioImaging and EuroBioImaging consortia for biological and medical imaging. CAPI has long researched the use of Timepix3 detectors, developed by an international collaboration at CERN (European Laboratory for Particle Physics), for CT, SPECT, and PET imaging.
Dr Šefc adds, “We’re also excited to collaborate with MARS Bioimaging on developing and testing new applications for its ground-breaking colour CT method. It’s an excellent partnership: MARS brings world-leading technology, and CAPI, as the medical imaging node of Euro-BioImaging ERIC, 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.”
Revolutionising medical imaging
The MARS Microlab and Extremity scanners are the world’s first commercially available spectral photon-counting CT medical scanners. Designed to transform pre-clinical research and diagnostic imaging at the point of care, they support applications ranging from cancer detection and orthopaedics to the development of contrast agents.
Unlike traditional black-and-white, low-resolution scans, MARS delivers high-resolution, 3D colour images of the inside of the body – allowing faster, more accurate, material differentiation and diagnosis. The compact system visualises soft tissue, bone, blood vessels, and metallic implants in extraordinary detail, without the need for X-ray imaging contrast to be injected into the patient.
Market momentum
“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,” says Mark Figgitt. “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 colour 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 sale to the Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging follows growing international interest in MARS Bioimaging’s technology, with systems already installed in leading medical and research institutions across the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, China, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
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