Veterinary imaging is no longer viewed simply as a way to confirm findings, it has become a central tool for clinical decision-making, treatment planning, and case communication. As caseloads grow more complex and expectations for diagnostic accuracy increase, veterinarians are rethinking what imaging systems should deliver: not just images, but meaningful spatial insight. This shift has driven growing interest in multimodality imaging, where multiple imaging approaches are integrated into a single, intelligent platform.
What’s new in veterinary imaging is not just the availability of 3D technology, but its accessibility and practicality. Advances in detector performance, rotational mechanics, and reconstruction software now allow compact multimodality systems—such as DeteCT Vet—to generate true 3D images through rotational acquisition, capturing hundreds of projections around the patient in a matter of seconds.
These datasets are reconstructed into clear volumetric views of bones, joints, dental structures, and internal anatomy, helping clinicians understand depth, orientation, and relationships that are difficult or impossible to assess with 2D imaging alone. Unlike traditional CT, modern cone-beam–based systems deliver this level of insight without the infrastructure, footprint, or workflow disruption that once limited advanced imaging to large referral centers.
The Misunderstanding Around Multimodality
For many years, multimodality imaging was associated primarily with the integration of multiple 2D imaging functions, such as radiography and fluoroscopy, into a single system. These early platforms were designed to improve workflow efficiency and reduce space requirements, but they were not built with the detector performance, computing power, or reconstruction software needed to support true 3D imaging. As a result, multimodality became synonymous with versatility, but not advanced volumetric capability.
That history shaped a common misconception: that multimodality imaging inherently involves compromise. However, advances in detector technology, rotational mechanics, and image reconstruction have fundamentally changed what these systems can deliver. Modern multimodality platforms are no longer limited to combining 2D functions; they are engineered to support high-quality 3D imaging as an integral part of their design, redefining what multimodality means in today’s veterinary diagnostic environment.
What Multimodality Really Means Today
Modern multimodality systems aren’t about adding features for the sake of a checklist. They’re about integrating imaging technologies intelligently, using shared hardware, advanced software, and optimized workflows to deliver more diagnostic value from a single system.
DeteCT Vet was engineered from the ground up with this philosophy in mind.
It combines:
- X-ray
- Dental Panoramic Imaging
- Fluoroscopy
- Thermal Imaging
- True 3D Imaging
—all within one compact, mobile platform.
This isn’t a collection of separate tools stitched together. It’s a unified imaging solution designed to work seamlessly across modalities.
Multimodality Without Compromise: True 3D Imaging in Practice
The belief that multimodality systems cannot deliver true 3D imaging often comes from confusion between basic image reconstruction and clinically meaningful volumetric visualization. Modern multimodality platforms are now capable of generating accurate 3D images that allow veterinarians to evaluate anatomy layer by layer, improving depth perception and spatial understanding in applications such as dental imaging, orthopedic assessment, and complex anatomical cases.
This level of imaging is achieved through the combination of advanced rotational acquisition and sophisticated reconstruction software, which together deliver diagnostic clarity comparable to dedicated 3D systems—without the size, cost, or infrastructure requirements of traditional CT. By integrating 2D and 3D imaging into a single, software-driven workflow, today’s multimodality systems support smarter, faster clinical decisions while simplifying space, training, and daily operations.
Redefining What’s Possible
Multimodality imaging has come a long way from its early limitations. Today’s systems show that it’s possible to combine versatility and true 3D imaging in a single platform, without the space, cost, or complexity traditionally associated with CT. DeteCT Vet is a clear example of this evolution, bringing advanced acquisition and intelligent software together to support efficient workflows while delivering the depth and clarity veterinarians need to make confident diagnostic decisions—no compromises required.
