Molecular imaging enables minimally-invasive visualisation of molecular and cellular biological processes in living organisms.
Additionally, MR imaging is the modality of choice for non-invasive visualisation of the biliary tree and is useful in the diagnosis of many biliary conditions [53].
From the medical viewpoint, clinical molecular imaging can be broadly defined as the in vivo non-invasive visualisation, characterisation and measurement of disease processes at the molecular or cellular level using specific imaging probes [2].
The retinal vasculature provides a unique window for non-invasive visualisation of the human circulation in vivo and retinal vascular image analysis has been established to predict the development of both clinical and subclinical cardiovascular, metabolic, renal and retinal disease in epidemiologic studies.
The introduction of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) has permitted the non-invasive visualisation of coronary arteries with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution.
Structural neuroimaging (MRI and CT scanning) allows non-invasive visualisation of anatomical structure of the brain in order to assist in the diagnosis of intracranial pathology.
The future holds considerable promise for non-invasive visualisation of specific molecular targets, which as with the other imaging techniques presented here can be synergised with other imaging modalities such as CT or MRI.
Here we present a study system which allows us to track the sperm of a specific sperm donor in vivo under competitive conditions using the non-invasive visualisation of labelled sperm inside the female reproductive tract of a transparent sperm recipient.
This technique is non-invasive, allows direct arterial visualisation and, in contrast to plethysmography, allows measurement of absolute arterial diameters and has a good temporal resolution (Green et al. 2002b).
The current tendency is towards endoscopic treatment of this pathology, as it allows for minimally invasive and controlled release under direct visualisation.
Although bioluminescence imaging is a non-invasive modality with considerable potential for visualisation in deeper tissues and is widely used in the field of preclinical animal research, those studies have been limited by difficulties in non-invasively monitoring early disease progression in real time with high spatial resolution [11].
