Cardiovascular Ultrasound System for Animal Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)： 该提案请求支持购买Acuson Sequoia C512超声心动图系统，该系统将用于对常见人类心血管疾病的实验动物模型的心血管结构和功能进行超声心动图分析。该系统将在超声心动图实验室内安装和操作，该实验室是华盛顿大学心血管研究中心小鼠心血管表型核心设施的组成部分。它将加入现有的专用超声系统，该系统是通过共享仪器赠款机制购买的，已经运行了6年以上。在很大程度上，由于目前心脏超声系统的可用，心血管表型核心已经发展成为一家非常成功的大容量设施，每年进行1400多项超声心动图研究。它为圣路易斯华盛顿大学多个院系以及全国范围内不同学科的研究人员提供了服务。事实上，用户的工作取决于高质量超声心动图分析的可用性。由于核心用户的研究项目的质量和成功，多年来超声心动图研究的数量和复杂性稳步上升，以至于即使核心实验室最大限度地利用和提高生产率，目前的系统也不再能够及时和有效地充分满足用户组的需求和科学需要。 Acuson Sequoia C512是一种高度通用的超声系统，能够对心脏大小差异很大的动物(从狗到小鼠)进行心血管成像。它最先进的技术特征特别适合于基因操纵的小鼠的心血管表型。新超声波系统的安装将为核心用户实现他们的NIH资助项目的科学目标提供直接的好处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests support for the purchase of an Acuson Sequoia C512 Echocardiography System, which will be used for echocardiographic analysis of cardiovascular structure and function in experimental animal models of common human cardiovascular diseases. The system will be housed and operated in the Echocardiography Laboratory, which is an integral part of the Mouse Cardiovascular Phenotyping Core Facility at the Center for Cardiovascular Research at Washington University. It will join an existing dedicated ultrasound system, which was purchased through the Shared Instrumentation Grant mechanism and has been in operation for over 6 years. Due, in large part, to the availability of the current cardiac ultrasound system, the Cardiovascular Phenotyping Core has evolved to a highly successful, large volume facility, performing over 1,400 echocardiographic studies annually. It has served researchers from a wide variety of disciplines across multiple departments and schools at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as nationwide. Indeed, the users' work depends on the availability of high quality echocardiographic analysis. As a result of the quality and success of the research projects of the Core users, there has been a steady rise in the volume and complexity of the echocardiographic studies over the years to the point that even with maximum utilization and productivity of the Core Laboratory, the current system can no longer adequately satisfy the demands and scientific needs of the User Group on a timely and efficient basis. The Acuson Sequoia C512 is a highly versatile ultrasound system capable of performing cardiovascular imaging in animal subjects with widely different heart sizes ranging from dogs to mice. Its state-of-the-art technical features are uniquely suited for cardiovascular phenotyping in genetically manipulated mice. Installation of the new ultrasound system will provide immediate benefit to the Core users in accomplishing the scientific goals of their NIH funded projects.