Small Animal Ultrasound Imager - Vevo 2100

描述(由申请人提供)：该提案请求资金用于购买最先进的Vevo2100高分辨率超声成像系统(视觉超音速)。该系统将被整合到科罗拉多大学丹佛安舒茨医学院(AMC)心脏病学系/医学系内的小动物血流动力学(SAH)核心设施中并由其管理。由于Vevo2100的高度先进技术，该系统将大大扩展SAH Core的现有能力，并将加强科罗拉多大学正在进行的全系统合作。心脏病学部门的一个主要研究重点是将临床前模型中的发现转化为治疗人类心力衰竭的新疗法。此外，我们与肾脏病和肺病科的研究小组密切合作，以了解心：肾和心：肺的串扰在心肾疾病和肺血管/右室重构的发病机制中的作用。最近，我们启动了专注于肿瘤转移、生物标记物发现和啮齿动物模型对比成像的合作(见图)。所有这些努力都将受益于Vevo2100的获得，这将使在啮齿动物模型中对心脏结构和功能、肾和肺血流以及肿瘤形成的非侵入性纵向测量成为可能。此外，这种高清晰度超声系统将为监测通过心脏内或门静脉注射的细胞和治疗剂的局部输送提供宝贵的工具。Vevo2100具有许多临床仪器的共同特征，将对美国国立卫生研究院资助的科罗拉多大学的研究产生巨大影响，并有可能促进将基础科学发现转化为人类疾病的新疗法。除了上述合作外，通过收费服务安排，SAH Core还为不同的研究人员群体提供服务，不仅在AMC园区(有两个独立的动物设施)，而且在科罗拉多州儿童医院和科罗拉多博尔德大学。对于所有这些研究，我们使用一台Vevo770仪器(Visualsonics)，该仪器位于研究中心II(RCII)的无病原体动物设施中。我们经常收到调查人员的超声波援助请求，他们在其他建筑或校外饲养动物。由于这些研究人员不被允许将动物转移到RCII设施，我们试图通过将Vevo770移到心脏病科SAH核心专用室来容纳他们。不幸的是，这个房间并不是无病原体的，因此，将仪器移回动物设施需要广泛的去污，导致至少一周的超声波停机时间。通过收购Vevo2100，我们将能够将Vevo770仪器专门用于实验，供在其他建筑中饲养动物的调查人员使用。因此，除了Vevo2100的技术进步将加强我们的工作外，拥有第二台超声波仪器将使我们能够满足整个大丹佛市地区科学家对超声心动图日益增长的需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funds for the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Vevo2100 high-resolution ultrasound imaging system (Visual Sonics). This system would be integrated into and managed by the Small Animal Hemodynamic (SAH) Core facility within the Division of Cardiology/Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC). Due to the highly advanced technology of the Vevo2100, this system would significantly expand the current capabilities of the SAH Core and would enhance on-going, system-wide collaborations at the University of Colorado. A major focus of research in the Division of Cardiology is on translating findings made in pre-clinical models into novel therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure in humans. In addition, we collaborate closely with research groups in the Divisions of Renal Disease and Pulmonology to understand the role of heart: kidney and heart: lung cross-talk in the pathogenesis of cardiorenal disease and pulmonary vascular/right ventricular remodeling. More recently, we have initiated collaborations focused on tumor metastasis, biomarker discovery and contrast imaging in rodent models (see Figure). All of these efforts would benefit from the acquisition of a Vevo2100, which would enable non-invasive, longitudinal measurements of cardiac structure and function, renal and pulmonary blood flow and tumor formation in rodent models. In addition, this high-definition ultrasound system would provide an invaluable tool for monitoring localized delivery of cells and therapeutic agents via intra-cardiac or portal vein injection. The Vevo2100, which has many features in common of clinical instruments, would have a tremendous impact on NIH-funded research at the University of Colorado, and has the potential to facilitate translation of basic science discoveries into novel treatments for human disease. In addition to the aforementioned collaborations, through fee-for-service arrangements, the SAH Core serves a diverse group of investigators, not only on the AMC campus, which has two separate animal facilities, but also in the Colorado Children's Hospital and University of Colorado Boulder. For all of these studies we employ a single Vevo770 instrument (VisualSonics), which is located in a pathogen- free animal facility in Research Center II (RCII). We frequently receive requests for ultrasound assistance from investigators who house animals in other buildings or off-campus. Since these investigators are not allowed to transfer animals into the RCII facility, we attempt to accommodate them by moving the Vevo770 to an SAH Core- dedicated room within the Division of Cardiology. Unfortunately, this room is not pathogen-free, and thus movement of the instrument back to the animal facility requires extensive decontamination, resulting in at least one week of ultrasound down- time. With the acquisition of a Vevo2100, we would be able to dedicate the Vevo770 instrument to experiments for investigators who house animals in other buildings. Thus, in addition to the technological advances of the Vevo2100 that will enhance our work, having a second ultrasound instrument will enable us to meet the increasing demands for echocardiography from scientists throughout the greater Denver metropolitan area.