Choosing an Optical Imaging System for Preclinical BLI, FLI, and NIR-II Research: How the Newton FT-900 Compares Against Common Platforms
Preclinical optical imaging has moved well beyond the question of whether a signal can be detected. Today, researchers need systems that support sensitive bioluminescence, flexible fluorescence, longitudinal imaging, multiplexing, quantitative analysis, and increasingly, NIR-II/SWIR imaging for deeper tissue applications. For labs investing in a new in vivo optical imager, the decision is no longer just only about camera sensitivity or field of view. It is about choosing a platform that can support the next five to ten years of research experiments.
The Newton FT-900 was designed for this shift. It integrates 2D bioluminescence imaging, 3D BLI tomography, VIS/NIR fluorescence, and SWIR/NIR-II fluorescence into one platform, giving researchers a single workflow for conventional and advanced optical imaging applications.
What Should You Look for in an Optical Imager?
When comparing optical imaging systems, it is easy to prioritize only one main technical specification. However, performance depends on how the entire imaging system works collectively, which includes the camera, lens, filters, illumination, animal handling, software, and analysis software.
| Evaluation Area | Why It Matters | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
|
Detection sensitivity |
Determines how well low-light BLI or weak fluorescent signal can be detected |
Low-noise cooled camera, high light collection, appropriate lens aperture |
|
Spectral flexibility |
Supports multiple probes, reporters, and fluorophores |
Broad excitation/emission range, customizable filters, spectral unmixing |
|
NIR-II/SWIR capability |
Enables longer-wavelength imaging with reduced scattering and improved tissue penetration |
Dedicated InGaAs/SWIR camera, NIR-II excitation and emission filters |
|
Throughput and animal handling |
Impacts daily usability for longitudinal studies |
Multi-animal capacity, heated stage, nose cones, motorized positioning |
|
Quantification and reproducibility |
Important for comparing timepoints and treatment groups |
Consistent acquisition settings, robust analysis tools, ROI workflows |
|
Software and total cost |
Determines long-term usability, feasibility, and hidden costs |
License-free analysis, flexible exports, multi-user access, support and training |
How to Choose the Right Optical Imager
The best optical imager depends on the research program. A lab running only basic 2D BLI tumor growth studies may prioritize simplicity and familiarity. A core facility or translational imaging group should prioritize flexibility, future-proofing, and multi-application support.
Choose based on application breadth
If your lab is focused only on standard luciferase-based tumor burden, a conventional BLI system may meet your needs. But if your research includes fluorescent probes, multiplexing, cell tracking, vascular imaging, immunotherapy models, or probe development, broader spectral flexibility becomes more important.
Choose based on wavelength strategy
If your imaging program is moving toward NIR-I and NIR-II probes, avoid evaluating only visible-range performance. Ask whether the system has a dedicated SWIR detector, whether NIR-II filters are standard or optional, and whether the workflow is integrated with conventional BLI/FLI.
Choose based on workflow efficiency
Animal imaging is not just about acquisition. Consider anesthesia handling, stage heating, animal positioning, filter switching, field of view, analysis time, and how easily multiple users can access data.
Choose based on long-term cost
Software licensing, analysis seats, service plans, excitation channel and emission filter customizations, and add-on modules can meaningfully change the total cost of ownership. A system that appears cost-effective at purchase may become more expensive if additional licenses or modules are needed later.
What will this system cost to operate, expand, and support over its lifetime? Consider future applications, channel and filter flexibility, core facility usage, software licensing, training burden, and service and support needs. During your next conversation with a product expert, be sure to ask:
Will NIR-II, tomography, or multiplexing require another system?
Are commonly used channels/filters included? Can customization be added?
How easy is it for new users to acquire and analyze data correctly?
Are additional analysis seats required? Are offline licenses included?
Can multiple users analyze data without extra license fees?
Is local application support available for protocol development and troubleshooting?
How Does the Newton FT-900 Compare Against Common Optical Imaging Competitors?
| Feature | Newton FT-900 (Vilber) | IVIS™ Lumina, Spectrum 2 (Revvity) | AMI HT (Spectral Instruments Imaging) | Lago (Spectral Instruments Imaging) | SynIRgy (Photon Etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Animal Capacity |
Up to 10 |
Up to 10 |
5 mice |
Up to 10 |
3 mice |
|
2D BLI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
2D VIS/NIR FLI |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
NIR-I / NIR-II focused |
|
3D BLI tomography |
Yes |
Spectrum 2: yes; Lumina: no |
No |
Field upgradable |
No |
|
Integrated NIR-II / SWIR |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Spectral response |
VIS 400-1000 nm; NIR-II 900-1600 nm |
400-900 nm |
400-900 nm |
400-900 nm |
VIS 400-1000 nm; NIR-II 900-1600 nm |
|
VIS camera |
Front-illuminated CCD |
Back-illuminated CCD |
Back-illuminated CCD |
Back-illuminated CCD |
VIS EMCCD or qCMOS |
|
NIR-II camera |
InGaAs SWIR camera |
No |
No |
No |
InGaAs SWIR camera |
|
Lens aperture |
f/0.70-f/16 for both detectors |
f/0.95 or f/1-f/8 |
f/1.2-f/16 |
f/1.2-f/16 |
VIS f/0.95; NIR-II f/1.4 |
|
Emission filters |
8 VIS and 6 SWIR filters, customization available |
Up to 18 |
10 |
20 |
Up to 12 VIS and up to 6 NIR-II |
|
Software licensing |
License-free software included (unlimited seats) |
One license included; additional licenses paid |
Not specified |
Not specified |
Computer included; PHySpec software |
The Growing Importance of Integrated NIR-II Capabilities
For many years, preclinical optical imaging workflows were built for visible-range BLI and NIR-I fluorescence. While these methods remain highly valuable, NIR-II/SWIR fluorescence imaging is becoming increasingly important because longer wavelengths can reduce tissue scattering and autofluorescence, improving the ability to visualize deeper, and more complex, targets.
Thankfully, accessing NIR-II capabilities no longer requires users to invest in a second dedicated instrument – with the Newton FT-900, the VIS, NIR-II, and NIR-II spectra are integrated into the one optical imaging system. In practice, this means animals do not need to be moved between separate systems (where multiple anesthesia setups would be necessary), user training becomes simplified, and one global software is required for all analysis.
Beyond the practical value that the Newton FT-900 offers, researchers can now combine BLI and NIR-II modalities to achieve results previously impossible. Choose BLI for molecular-level sensitivity, low cell # detection, and gene expression reporting, and rely on NIR-II for deep anatomical context (i.e., for deep-seated tumors, vascular resolution, and drug distribution). As complementary modalities, researchers can now correlate biological activity with structural and pharmacological distribution within the same imaging session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many IVIS™, AMI, and Lago configurations are strong platforms for conventional BLI and FLI. For labs around the world, they remain familiar and widely used. The limitation is that many configurations were designed around the visible-to-NIR-I range, not full NIR-II integration. This naturally brings up questions…
Will I need NIR-II now or later?
NIR-II adoption is growing in oncology, vascular imaging, probe development, and deep-tissue imaging. Consider future-proofing your research programs with integrated NIR-II and avoid needing a separate platform in the years to come.
Do I need 3D localization?
2D signal can be limited when depth and anatomy matter. The Newton FT-900 supports 3D BLI tomography with anatomical overlay tools, allowing users to estimate the volume of signal, distances between multiple signals, etc., providing informative insight to the 2D quantification results.
Will software costs grow?
Shared imaging cores may need multiple analysis seats. With license-free software included (unlimited seats and free software upgrades for the lifetime of the equipment), no additional budget allocations are needed to maintain the Newton workflow.
Why Newton FT-900 Belongs on Your Shortlist
The Newton FT-900 is not simply another in vivo optical imager dedicated to traditional BLI and FLI. It is a flexible, cost-effective optical imaging platform for laboratories that want conventional preclinical imaging today and room to expand into NIR-II/SWIR applications tomorrow. The advantages speak for themselves:
- Integrated BLI, FLI, 3D BLI, and NIR-II
- 400-1700 nm spectral coverage
- Dedicated SWIR camera
- 3D BLI tomography
- Multi-animal imaging support
- License-free software
- Application and technical support through Scintica
If your lab is planning new optical imaging studies, testing out NIR-II probes, or comparing platforms for a shared facility, contact Scintica today to discuss Newton FT-900 demo availability.
References
Photon etc. (2023). SynIRgy. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from Photon etc.
Spectral Instruments Imaging. (n.d.). Imaging Systems. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from Spectral Instruments Imaging
Revvity. (n.d.). IVIS Spectrum 2 In Vivo Optical Imaging System. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from Revvity
