MICRO-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM

我们想购买一个微型计算机断层扫描（微型CT）系统的特殊外科医院获取高分辨率的形态和密度信息的骨样本。我们研究所和纽约市其他学术机构的几位NIH资助的研究人员正在研究骨骼发育、修复和适应。对于这些研究人员来说，了解骨骼完整性（使骨骼成为如此独特的组织的生物，化学和机械影响）是他们研究的基本部分。利用分子生物学和遗传学的进步，这些研究人员正在将生物学和工程学整合到体内实验中，使用小型动物模型来检查组成，结构和功能之间的关系，使骨骼能够发挥其独特的作用。购买微型CT系统将提供有关这些动物小骨骼的关键详细结构信息，这些信息将补充成分测量（来自红外成像）和功能数据（来自机械测试和有限元分析）。例如，显微CT能够以几乎相同的分辨率（<20微米）分辨形态学细节，因为我们能够用红外成像分辨矿物质和基质成分特性（< 10微米），这创造了在组织组织的超微结构水平上检查骨小梁中的成分-结构-功能关系的独特能力。微型CT的价值已在初步研究中得到证明，在荷兰的一个系统上借用了时间。然而，在我们的机构使用系统可能会受益的大量研究者和大量新的研究问题远远超过我们在其他系统上获得足够时间的能力。微型CT系统的资助将在Skeleton Integrity核心中心内进行管理，该中心是一个由NIH赞助的新中心（p30 AR 46121），在管理核心下组织，研究核心包括分析显微镜、红外成像和机械测试。微型CT系统将被安置在分析显微镜核心内，其使用、维护和监督的政策和程序将遵循核心中心已经制定的政策和程序。该管理程序将确保设备的最佳使用、长期运行和维护，作为该机构对核心中心承诺的一部分。

We would like to purchase a microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) system for the Hospital for Special Surgery to acquire high resolution morphometry and density information from bone samples. Several NIH- sponsored investigators at our institution and at other academic institutions in New York City are studying bone development, repair, and adaptation. For these investigators, understanding skeletal integrity (the biological, chemical, and mechanical influences that make bone such a distinctive tissue) is a fundamental part of their research. Taking advantage of advances in molecular biology and genetics, these researchers are integrating biology and engineering into in vivo experiments using small anhnal models to examine the relation between composition, structure, and function that allows the skeleton to fulfill its unique role. The purchase of a micro-CT system will provide crucial detailed structural information on the small bones from these animals that will complement compositional measurements (from infrared imaging) and functional data (from mechanical testing and finite element analyses). For example, the ability to resolve morphomet:ric details at nearly the same resolution (<20 microns) with micro-CT as we are able to resolve mineral and matrix compositional properties (< 10 microns) with infrared imaging creates unique capabilities to examine composition-structure-function relations in trabecular bone at ultrastructural levels of tissue organization. The value of micro-CT has been demonstrated in preliminary studies in which time has been borrowed on a system in The Netherlands. However, the large number of investigators who could benefit and the large number of new research questions that will arise by having a system at our institution far outweighs our ability to acquire sufficient time on other systems. The grant for the micro-CT system will be administered within the Core Center for Skeletal Integrity, a new NIH-sponsored center (p30 AR46121) organized under an Administrative Core with research cores in Analytical Microscopy, Infrared Imaging, and Mechanical Testing. The micro-CT system will be housed within the Analytical Microscopy core, and policies and procedures for its use, maintenance, and oversight will follow from those already established for the Core Center. This administrative procedure will insure optimal use, long-term operation, and maintenance of the equipment as part of the institution's commitment to the Core Center.